Has the Mets scouting and development been doing its job? Not if you ask most Mets fans, and more importantly, not according to the numbers produced by the always insightful Jeff Sackman of the Hardball Times.
Sackman broke down the dollar value of the production every MLB team received from their 1. draft picks, 2. international free agents, 3. trades, 4. waiver wire pickups and 5. free agency.
According to Sackman’s research, the 2009 Mets reaped only a $ 12.9 value from their own draftees, the second worst mark in all of baseball. Only the Mariners ($5.4M) were worse. By contrast, the Phillies derived $54.8 in surplas value from their work in the draft.
In 2009, according to Sackman, the Mets had no international signee contribute any value. The zero value is tied for last in MLB. Given the amount of time it takes to develop international signees, this is at least partly a legacy of Mets administrations prior to Omar Minaya.
The Mets have not efficiently allocated their free agency money either, coming in at $-12.1 in 2009, the worst mark in all of baseball. The truly amazing (not Amazin’) thing about that number is that it exludes the $12 million the Mets wasted on Oliver Perez and his -0.8 WAR in 2009 because Sackman limited his study to players who contributed 1 WAR or more, that is, who were actually good.
Also, since Sackman only examined players who produced 1 WAR or better that excludes Jose Reyes (0.7) in 2009 as well.
It’s a pretty damning indictment of the Mets player acquisition processes.



arlier this week, Adam Rubin 
While the Yankees play a game that matters a little bit tonight in the Bronx, Mets fans have to look forward into a more distant future. Jim Callis wrote the 

Last week, we discussed the fact that the Mets had met with Japanese LHP Yusei Kikuchi and Cuban LHP Aroldis Chapman. Both young pitchers were coveted for their ability to throw in the mid-upper 90s. Now, it appears that neither will be a Met in the foreseeable future.
I’m going to do something that I should have done a week ago, and break out interesting prospects who are playing in winter ball leagues other than the Arizona Fall League. Remember that these winter ball rosters are always in flux, so this will change fairly regularly.