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Mets Prepare To Take Giant Step Forward

I was reading the sports sections today, and among the numerous articles detailing the Mets hiring of two (soon to be three) front office super-scouts (good move) and their interest in free-agent closer Keith Foulke (bad move), I read the following in the New York Post:

In a signal of the new wave of baseball thinking, the Mets are looking to hire a statistical analyst to join their front office.

Several teams already employ a stats maven, most notably the Boston Red Sox with the legendary Bill James. The Toronto Blue Jays and, of course, the Oakland A's also utilize statistical-based analysis.

"We've gone through an extensive search process," Mets GM Jim Duquette said. "Our plan is to have a statistical analyst to come on and be a resource or a tool in our evaluating process."

This sounds like the kind of forward-thinking I would expect out of Sabermetrically-savvy teams like Oakland, Boston, and Toronto. But my New York Mets? Pinch me, I think I'm dreaming.

This same edition of the Post also reports that the Mets might be interested in acquiring Preston Wilson from Colorado. Why? Who the hell knows. Columnist Mark Hale suggests that the move "would make tremendous practical sense for the Mets, for a number of reasons". Firstly, it would allow the Mets to piss away large sums of money on a mediocre ballplayer (SEE: Mo Vaughn). Secondly, it would rid the Mets of their promising young players:

"...the Rockies would likely want several young position players (such as Victor Diaz or Ty Wigginton), and perhaps a young arm or two (think Grant Roberts or even Aaron Heilman)."

And we get to pick up the $20 mill left on his contract over the next two years? I believe it's safe to assume that Mark Hale will not be the third super-scout, nor will he be the Mets new statistical analyst. Peep these stats:

260/316/479 with 25bb/78k and 34 xbh (15hr) in 292ab

Yessir, those are Mr. Wilson's road stats from 2003. The only way the Mets make this deal is if Colorado takes all of Roger Cedeno's contract ($10 mill over two years), and they pick up $5 mill of Wilson's contract. This is a guy who didn't even put up an 800 OPS on the road last year, and we're going to give up prospects AND pay off his albatross contract? Fafafafafa.