We’ve been around Sandy Alderson long enough to know his general strengths and weaknesses. Essentially, he’s done a very good job of stockpiling minor league talent, whether that comes from trading, drafting or not giving away what he inherited. He’s done well enough in the “throwing things against the wall and see what sticks” department. He’s not done so hot in signing free agents to multi-year deals or trading for players for the major league roster.

For a multi-year rehaul on a limited budget, these are good characteristics. For fans looking to make a splash during the hot stove season – eh, not so much. Alderson entered the offseason following 2014 with very little that had to be done. Sure, fans clamored to add All-Stars in the OF and SS. But at the very least, the Mets had homegrown players who held these positions down the stretch in 2014 who did not embarrass themselves. Furthermore, there were no imminent departures of key players and the potential addition of two impact players who missed nearly all of 2014 in Matt Harvey and Bobby Parnell.

Likely, the big additions for the 2015 team have already been made. While the possibility exists for a last-minute Dillon Gee trade, few people envision the Mets adding a major piece to the roster before the start of the season, whether that be a shortstop or a reliever. So, what did Alderson do?

The big move was to add Michael Cuddyer to the outfield, with the understanding he would play some first base, too. He also added John Mayberry Jr. as a reserve outfielder and top RH pinch-hitter. Finally, he signed relievers Duane Below, Buddy Carlyle and Scott Rice to minor league deals.

In all walks of life, it’s easy to criticize and harder to offer a realistic, more beneficial plan. When playing armchair GM we have the additional barrier of imperfect information. We may see free agent X as a perfect fit, but that player may wish to only play on the West Coast. We may wonder why player Y wasn’t signed when the GM may very well have put in a competitive bid only to have the player pick another destination because he perceived the grass as being greener elsewhere. And we may wonder why the trigger was not pulled on a specific deal, when we don’t know what else the GM was working on simultaneously or what injury information may not be in the public domain.

Accepting that we have only imperfect information, here’s an alternate offseason plan for the Mets.

1. Say goodbye to everyone that the Mets actually did, with the addition of Ruben Tejada. This is nothing against Tejada and his worthiness as an MLB player. It’s just that at nearly $2 million per year, what he gives the team can be easily replaced, for about 30 percent of the cost. Would you rather pay Tejada $1.88 million or Wilfredo Tovar $509,000?

2. Pull the trigger on the Gee-Eduardo Escobar deal. Perhaps Alderson didn’t do this at the time because he felt like landing Ian Desmond was a realistic possibility. Regardless, this seems like a win-win trade. The Twins get a competent MLB starter while the Mets save nearly $5 million and get a pre-arb player to replace Tejada. It’s possible that 2014 was a career year for Escobar. It’s also possible that the Mets’ insistence on hunting strikes will help Escobar to address his 40.4 O-Swing% and lead to a better offensive season. At the very least, he’s a competent defender at shortstop who can battle Wilmer Flores for the starting job.

3. Keep the money and the draft pick and don’t sign Cuddyer. It’s easy to understand why Alderson did this. The farm system is in good shape to handle missing the pick, Cuddyer brings the possibility of a RH power bat to the team and he also has the extra benefit of being pals with David Wright. He could hit .300, swat 20 homers and help Wright relax outside the lines. He could also miss half the season. Or he could play the entire year but face the reality that he’s 36 and playing in Citi Field and not Coors. Regardless of how 2015 plays out, his presence blocks Brandon Nimmo from playing in 2016. It’s the Bartolo Colon situation all over again. Those who ignore history…

4. Sign Mayberry to form a LF platoon with Matt den Dekker. And if den Dekker is unable to maintain the gains from his swing overhaul, Kirk Nieuwenhuis takes his spot. While Cuddyer offers the promise of 20 HR, den Dekker offers the promise of a .370 OBP leadoff hitter and a much better defensive outfielder. Would you rather gamble on a 36 year old staying healthy and staying productive away from Coors or a 27 year old repeating his gains from a season ago? And if you pick the latter, you keep your first-round pick and save $20 million over this year and next.

5. Sign Gaby Sanchez to be the team’s backup first baseman. Look, we all love the Eric Campbell story and the recent note that he’s willing to learn being a catcher only adds to the appeal. But he did not fare well down the stretch – .508 OPS over his final 102 PA – and it just feels like Josh Satin all over again. Sanchez has a lifetime .827 OPS in Citi Field and an .863 mark overall versus LHP. And with a .764 career mark as a pinch-hitter, he’s well-suited to come off the bench. Faced with few offers for his services, Sanchez signed a $2.5 million deal to play in Japan. You would think he would take fewer dollars to remain in the U.S. but let’s be conservative and give him the same deal.

6. Bring back Carlyle but add John Axford instead of Rice on an NRI. The only reason we’re staring at a plate of reheated Rice is because of the organization’s fetish for lefty relievers. Utilized in a way to maximize his effectiveness at the expense of every other pitcher on the staff, Rice has a career 4.18 ERA and a 1.485 WHIP and was significantly worse last year. Meanwhile, Axford has a lifetime 3.40 ERA and a 1.346 WHIP. He was worse than that last year (3.95, 1.445) which is why he’s available for an NRI. He’s also a guy who fanned 63 batters in 54.2 innings in a down year. Chances are Axford doesn’t provide anything useful for the 2015 Mets. You could have said the same thing last year about Carlyle. But there is some upside and the benefit comes in from the idea that the Mets will only use him if he proves effective in Triple-A, first. There’s just too much history of the Mets giving undeserved opportunities to lefty relievers to risk re-signing Rice.

7. Add Logan Verrett to the 40-man to replace Tejada and still draft Sean Gilmartin. Verrett’s spot is still far from sure and he likely gets dealt for cash or lost on the waiver wire. Still, he’s a potential asset at the time of Rule 5 and worth keeping for right now. Gilmartin is at least worth a look, although he won’t be given a very long leash.

The Opening Day roster shakes out like this:

SP – Colon, Jacob deGrom, Rafael Montero, Jon Niese, Zack Wheeler

RP – Vic Black, Carlyle, Josh Edgin, Jeurys Familia, Gilmartin, Jenrry Mejia, Carlos Torres

C – Travis d’Arnaud, Anthony Recker

INF – Lucas Duda, Escobar, Flores, Daniel Murphy, Sanchez, David Wright

OF – den Dekker, Curtis Granderson, Juan Lagares, Mayberry, Nieuwenhuis

DL – Harvey, Parnell

Batting order – den Dekker, Murphy, Wright, Duda, d’Arnaud, Granderson, Lagares, SS, pitcher

When Harvey is activated, they have to make the decision about keeping Montero in the majors as a reliever or sending him to the minors to keep as a starter. Hopefully he pitches well in his one start and they send him to Triple-A. It’s unclear when Parnell will be ready but it’s likely the move of which reliever to send down will be obvious.

Fans will not be happy with these moves. They’re already not happy with the offseason and this removes the one big addition. It’s a big vote of confidence for den Dekker and a savings of around $12 million this year, to be used if/when Troy Tulowitzki proves healthy. And if that does not come to pass, they have money for any other in-season acquisition that becomes available.

This offseason would have eliminated one of Alderson’s weaknesses in signing a free agent to a multi-year deal and preserved one of his strengths in keeping his first-round draft pick. It shifts the risk from a 36 year old to a 27 year old. It makes a mid-season deal for an impact bat more of a possibility with the extra money saved. It eliminates the $12.5 million obligation in 2016 and allows for regular ABs in the majors next year for either den Dekker or Nimmo, whoever deserves it more. And it adds a player in Escobar who can challenge for the starting SS job, even if no other moves are made, all while eliminating some of the excess starting pitching. In my opinion, these moves in total create more opportunity and more flexibility while saving money over what was actually achieved.

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