No Bengie Molina, No Problem for the New York Mets

I think it’s becoming clear that Omar Minaya is no longer the only guy calling the shots in the Mets' front office.  Between his absence at the Carlos Beltran Drama Conference and the emergence of John Ricco as the mouth of the organization, Omar may well be on his way out.

The fact that the news broke today about Bengie Molina rejecting the Mets' latest offer should not be looked at negatively.  If anything, it shows a change in philosophy at the top of the organization that will help the team get better in the future.  That change is patience.

The Mets have continually displayed patience this offseason.  They haven’t overpaid for anyone.  They haven’t tied up tons of money for tons of years in an attempt to appease the disgruntled fan base.

Instead, they’ve put their offers on the table, with a “go out and find a better offer” approach.

Molina wants a three year offer, but the Mets offered him a year with a team option for a second.  How a  35-year-old-catcher can think he’s going to get a three-year deal is beyond me, and apparently beyond the Mets.

As early as last season, when Omar was the guy captaining the ship, you could have almost guaranteed Molina would have signed already, happily inking his name to the three year contract he’s asking for months ago.  Now it seems that times have changed.

If Molina finds a better offer, the Mets will likely beat it, meaning Molina will likely end up a Met before the start of the season anyway, but this way they won’t be bidding against themselves.

Perhaps while Bengie is out “shopping,” the Mets can focus on the area they need to address the most, starting pitching.

I believe that out of the trio of Joel Pinero, Jon Garland and Ben Sheets, one will be a Met by the start of the 2010 season.  I’m certain we need at least one of them to fill the rotation, and two of them to bolster it.  After all, 80 percent of the rotation will be coming back from injuries or surgery and the other 20 percent is Mike Pelfrey.

Looking forward to some good news, but for now I’ll settle for good playing from the J E T S Jets Jets Jets.