Sandy Alderson Gets Another Chance With Mets

Sandy Alderson is respected. He has the respect of Steve Cohen. And according to reports and comments from Cohen,  Alderson is on his way back to New York for a second stint with the Mets as team president. 

Where does this situate for GM Brodie Van Wagenen? That remains to be determined in what should be a most interesting and busy offseason for the Mets franchise.  Of course, Cohen needs approval from 23 of 30 other MLB owners to officially take control of the Mets and that vote will come late next month or early November.

And it is expected there will be no resistance. Steve Cohen is expected to be in control and change the direction of a franchise that will once again come up short during this expanded postseason pandemic season of baseball.

So, today, it is being reported that Sandy Alderson, once the GM, is on his way back to New York. Cohen, during Alderson’s first tenure with the team, was a limited partner eight years ago under the Wilpon ownership.

If you are a fan of Sandy Alderson, as I have never been, and read what Cohen said in his statement, get ready again for “Master Sandy.”

“If I am fortunate enough to be approved by Major League Baseball as the next owner of this iconic franchise, Sandy Alderson will become president of the New York Mets and will oversee all Mets baseball and business operations,” Cohen said. 

Though “Master Sandy” does have the necessary support of his baseball peers, I have never been one to support the baseball executive or manager pertaining to a reunion. I was never an advocate of that reunion many years ago in the Bronx with Billy Martin and the late George Steinbrenner.

Though, back then, that was a different era and a time when Yankees fans were in love with Billy Martin.  That story became a soap opera. 

Alderson, on the other hand, is not a soap opera story. This is strictly business. Steve Cohen is confident that Sandy Alderson will lead his billion dollar-plus investment in the right direction and spend wisely. Again, where that money goes, to who, and when?

So many possibilities for Steve Cohen. And a task, as expected for 72-year old Alderson, perhaps more difficult than that first reign as GM from 2010 to 2018.

So, why call him, “Master Sandy?”  It’s not personal. During his first tenure here, Alderson had the authority and assembled a front office that geared more to analytics as baseball moved more in that direction. 

“Master Sandy” to many is credited for restructuring the Mets’ minor league system. Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo, Dominic Smith all drafted under the Sandy Alderson regime.

But, and again not personal, you always had that perspective of Sandy Alderson and the Mets as the right fit. You were aware of his background, and 17-year tenure in Oakland with the Athletics as the team’s vice president of baseball operations that included a 1989 World Series and three consecutive American League titles. 

But here in New York, Sandy Alderson was always “The Master.” His approach with the media, and from this perspective, always being the “Master” with his answers. 

Alderson, recall,  used that word “Optics” after Yoenis Cespedes, then was kindly reprimanded for spending more time on the golf course instead of being on the field. 

Alderson, then, from this perspective was a puppet to the Wilpons.

We deserved a better answer than “Optics” because Yoenis Cespedes was the star. Cespedes was the high profiled free agent that was a major part of the Sandy Alderson era in New York

But we will take the baseball knowledge and welcome home Sandy Alderson. This second time, “The Master” should get the ship afloat in Flushing. He will be a trusted general for Steve Cohen and Mets fans deserve the proper baseball personnel to put them over the hump.

Though, again, a reunion in baseball is never a good concept in the front office or from whomever sits in the managers chair.