Empyreal Environs

I can’t say that I’m not entirely surprised that Pedro has decided to accept the Mets’ offer. After getting over the initial shock, this is a smart decision by all parties except Omar Minaya. Pedro gets to go to the National League and not have to pitch to a designated hitter in a park more favorable to pitchers. Also, there has been mounting evidence that he was losing his effectiveness against American League East hitters. The Red Sox continue to make rational decisions that keep salary flexibility at the forefront. Guaranteeing a fourth year could potentially hamstring them; they knew exactly what they wanted to offer Pedro, and four years was too much of an expense as well as a risk.

Minaya is acting like the late 90s Dan Duquette, wanting to make high impact, splashy signings without considering the future of the team. However, at least when D. Duquette was signing Manny Ramirez to an outrageous deal, the Red Sox were a contending team. Furthermore, the free agent market was like a freewheeling dotcom speculative market with everyone overpaying. How does someone let go of a talent like Scott Kazmir and then sign pricey, aging pitchers like Al Leiter and Pedro Martinez? I guess the Mets are expecting a massive turnaround with Willie Randolph at the helm, but I am highly skeptical on how realistic that is.

Focusing on the business aspects of this deal helps me from the kneejerk, gut wrenching emotions I’m actually feeling. Let’s just say I’m glad he was here to help win a World Series and that we had him when he had some of the best seasons any pitcher of any era ever had. Looking back at that time, had the current ownership been in place, there probably would have been more championships. This idle speculation, however, doesn’t change the fact that the front office now has a large void to attempt to fill. But they at least have the funds to try and do so.