Let's Not Forget

Halladay to the Phillies. Lackey to the Red Sox. Nobody to the Mets. These events that have transpired over the last few days don't exactly support the promise the Mets made to fans following the 2009 season that starting pitching was their first priority. Names like Jason Marquis and Ben Sheets, which are two of the few remaining options as we head towards Christmas, don't excite Mets fans and nor should they. The uproar in New York has been plentiful. Radio station callers have complained for two days saying things like 'Typical Mets, I'm not surprised, They won't spend the money." As a Mets fan myself I feel the frustrations I just can not support the feelings. Acquiring Halladay or Lackey were moves they had to make and they failed in that regard but to suggest that this echoes similar sentiments is way off base. Let's take a look back at the big splashes team has made since 2005.

In 2005 the Mets signed Carlos Beltran and Pedro Martinez. Carlos Beltran has become a mainstay of this ball club and one of the faces of the team. He has established himself during his time with the Mets as one of the top center fielders in the game. Pedro Martinez was a move the Mets needed to make following an abysmal 3 year stretch. This move gave the Mets some credibility and would allow for further moves to be made in the following years.

The following offseason the Mets acquired Carlos Delgado via trade from the Marlins and signed closer Billy Wagner. Delgado added a much needed bat to what would become a powerhouse of a Mets lineup. Wagner finally gave the Mets stability in the 9th inning. Something that had been lacking for sometime.

Just a mere two years later the Mets would make their biggest move of the decade with the signing of Johan Santana. Arguably the best pitcher in the game right now. His leadership of the Mets young arms and dominant play on the field has been a priceless asset thus far. He gutsy performance on the second to last game of 2008 season told Mets fans all they needed to about Santana.

Heading into the 2009 season the bullpen was once again a major issue for the team. They needed not only a solid closer but a solid 8th inning man as well. Not only did they go out and sign Frankie Rodriguez to close out games at CitiField but they also acquired All-Star closed JJ Putz to hold down the 8th. While Putz never panned out in New York it was move all fans wanted and at the time they were thrilled about it.

There you have it. To say that the Mets don't spend money and don't get things done would be wrong. They have made more big splashes in the offseason than most, if not all, other teams. They did a bad job on this one and I'll be the first to admit it, but fans should think before they say things because they are clearly wrong.