We may disagree Brodie Van Wagenen's bona fides as the Mets' general manager. Some wanted a man who made his bones riding buses and renting cars as he pinballs across the nation on scouting trips. Some wanted a fresh-faced stats geek, much like Theo Epstein when he lorded over the Red Sox -- who adores analytics and algorithms more than his own family.
Instead, the Mets went Hollywood to find someone fit for Broadway. Van Wagenen looks the part -- well, any part -- and has gathered his MLB intel as a player agent, not a personnel bloodhound.
No matter if you feel he has the biographical contours, we can agree that Van Wagenen has the Mets and their fans excited for the first time in a long time. This offseason, Van Wagenen has been busy, aggressive, and competent, adding plenty of players without going over the top or in over his head. Right now, the Mets have a payroll around $157 million, making them look more like a big-market buyer.
For his hot stove prowess, Van Wagenen has moved the Las Vegas needle to 86.5 wins, the over/under number from Westgate LV. A robust total for a team that went 77-85 last year (not to mention they are a modest 22-1 to win the 2019 World Series.) Mets fans can't wait to finally stuff 2018 in the cellar, and to watch Edwin Diaz, Robinson Cano, and other newly minted Mets to join Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom and his healthy superhero sidekick, Noah Syndergaard (A.K.A Thor).
Coleman: Mets Should Act Quickly To Make DeGrom Happy
An article this week from CBSSports.com ranked the five teams with best offseasons in MLB. Predictably, the Yankees, Phillies and Nationals - all longtime Mets tormentors - to be buzzing around the top of the list. What should shock Mets fans is that their beloved bridesmaids are in front of all three clubs. Indeed, the Mets had the second-best Hot Stove season in the majors. (The Reds, of all teams, finished first).
Adding fuel is the fledgling GM, who insists the Mets are as good as anyone in the NL East. You can argue that the Mets need the mojo, melting quickly since their appearance in the 2015 World Series. The tightrope between confidence and arrogance is subjective. But the best way to measure Van Wagenen's moves will be in the standings. He is writing checks the team needs to cash, making Van Wagenen a watered-down version of Rex Ryan.
Ryan stormed the Meadowlands with bluster, bold talk, and contempt for Bill Belichick's crown. It seemed to work, at first, with the Jets twice climbing all the way up to the AFC title game - including a shocking playoff win on Belichick's turf - before his core players got old, as did his hubris. After those two charmed years as the haughty boss of the Big Apple, Ryan fell apart, got fired, and has since failed his way into the pregame studio in perhaps the one gig tailored for his outsized personality.
Not to say the Mets GM is identical to the former Jets HC. But Van Wagenen is snaking down a delicate semantic road. Maybe the Mets need his courage and conviction. Maybe his words are the elixir for a team that has little confidence and few leaders. No doubt the Mets went 180 degrees from Sandy Alderson, who built that 2015 power, then watched it flameout in cinematic fashion. Alderson played it tight with a lawyer's low-key regularity. Alderson is Harvard, Van Wagenen is Hollywood. Maybe both can work.
Every pro athlete sings the same mantra -- there's no place where winning is more intoxicating than NYC. But it also means there's no place worse for losing or losers. The new Mets GM will find out which way his 2019 Mets are trending after a month, if not a New York minute.
Twitter: @JasonKeidel
