The New York Mets were one of the most disappointing teams against the bookmaker odds this season. The team was a mess against the online bookmaker baseball odds and the lack of success cost general manager Omar Minaya and manager Jerry Manuel their jobs. It is about time the Mets got rid of Minaya who has been a terrible GM and thrown money away left and right. Manuel is not a bad manager but he had very little to work with.
The Mets finished this season at 79-83 against the online bookmaker odds even though they had a $136 million dollar payroll. Minaya was offered another position in the organization but he declined. The Mets should be happy he is gone. Assistant general manager John Ricco will be the interim GM. Mets chief operating office Jeff Wilpon said that the Mets need a new direction and a new perspective. That is an understatement.
Minaya’s Mess – The Mets were a major mess under Omar Minaya. For some reason he survived for six years. He was hired in September of 2004 and he spent a ton of money. He gave big money to Pedro Martinez, Carlos Beltran, Johana Santana, Billy Wagner and Jason Bay. You can make a strong case that most of that money was wasted. Santana is a very good pitcher but he is overpaid because he is always hurt. And those contracts are not even the worst ones. The three-year, $36 million deal he gave to Oliver Perez was a disaster and he gave $25 million away in a contract to Luis Castillo. The Mets made the playoffs just once under Minaya and that is simply a total disgrace.
Manuel Lost in the Shuffle – The Mets decided to totally clean house. That meant that Jerry Manuel had to go as well. He really didn’t do much but it is hard to know how much he was to blame. His teams blew leads in a couple of seasons that cost them playoff spots and Manuel has to take some blame for that. He had a 204-213 record (.489 winning percentage) in 2.5 years.
The Mets will be hiring a new GM and a new manager and perhaps they will be a team to watch next season against the baseball odds at the bookmaker.