Wrong Said Fred! Wilpon Rips Mets Big Players

Add another blemish to Fred Wilpon’s ownership record, this time courtesy of his mouth.  According to the current issue of the New Yorker magazine, Mr. Wilpon thought it wise to provide his expert negative opinion on Jose Reyes, David Wright and a guy who will go down as one of the most underrated sports figures in New York sports history – Carlos Beltran. 

The problem with his commentary aside from its obvious negative aspects is that Fred Wilpon is typically seen as a conservative, mild-mannered corporate type of owner who is not known to be a loose mouth or an easy quote.  Fred Wilpon is no George Steinbrenner.  If Steinbrenner had issued similar remarks they would have been taken lighter because he made so many of these comments about so many different players that it was almost a badge of honor to be insulted by the Boss.  Not the case with Fred, not the case now. 

How can David Wright not feel slighted being called “not a superstar”?  Funny, the Mets surely try to sell him to the fans as a superstar in every single “Buy Mets Tickets” advertising campaign.  Perhaps fans can remember Wilpon’s comments on Wright the next time they reach into their pockets to pony up for Mets tickets and think to themselves…”superstar prices for non-superstars” I think I’ll watch it the highlights on TV. 

The same goes for Reyes, being publicly called a guy who’s had “everything wrong with him” is basically calling him damaged goods.  This hurts the player’s value not only when he hits the free agent market but most importantly the value that the club has of the player.  This could affect future trade negotiations if any occur as well as the player’s decision to return to the club where he grew up. 

Carlos Beltran could get traded this season. Maybe his next team will appreciate him more than his current owner does.

After all, if the owner feels you’re injury prone and not worthy of a long term contract there is really no discussion to be had at the end of the season.  It gives away in May the long term plan of the team to part ways with Reyes.  Many already believed this could be the case but to hear it from the owner now it gives it a certain finality that neither the team, the fans nor Reyes needed this early in the season. 

Lastly, there’s Carlos Beltran.  To say that he paid for Beltran based on what he did with the Astros in the postseason is ludicrous.  Look at the Jason Werth, Torii Hunter, and or Matt Holliday contracts.  They are all equal if not higher than Beltran’s and you can put any of their statistics up against his. Add in his gold glove centerfield play for most of his contract and Mr. Wilpon you got your money’s worth for Carlos Beltran! 

After a one year adjustment to NY – Beltran went on to have 3 tremendously productive seasons – add to that the one he’s having now plus his 2 injured half seasons and it is fair to say at the end of the contract that he gave the team 4 great seasons and 2 above average – not terrible for a 7 year contract. 

To listen to Wilpon call himself a “schmuck” over signing Beltran you would think that the guy has been a complete bust which is an incredible insult coming from an owner to a guy who played hurt and gave all he had to the team (head to head collision with Mike Cameron diving for a ball comes to mind) as well as many other clutch hits.  Yes he failed to swing the bat in that final pitch against the Cardinals in the 2006 playoffs but neither his Mets career nor his signing should be judged by one at bat.  But this is Fred Wilpon who as we learn now every day has often suffered of poor judgment in both his personal and financial dealings.  And as we read today in the New Yorker some guys no matter how old never change, this time he just puts it in print.