New York Mets

New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson poked fun at his disaster of an outfield during the offseason.

You have to possess a certain level of patience if you are a fan of the New York Mets these days.

They haven't had a winning season since 2008 and have actually taken a step back each of the past two years.

Better days are ahead, however, judging by their minor league system, which was recently ranked No. 14 overall in the major leagues.

General manager Sandy Alderson is not one to be persuaded by public opinion, as he has been slowly but surely improving the edges of the roster and, more importantly, the farm system.

The New York Mets’ Dillon Gee was struck by serious injury last year just as he was establishing himself as one of baseball’s best young pitchers, but as 2013 spring training approaches, he is primed for a full comeback.

The right-handed Gee joined the Mets’ organization as a 21st-round draft choice in 2007. He was solid, yet unspectacular, in the minors, earning a brief stint in the majors in 2010, where his 2.18 ERA in 33 innings made him seem like a veteran.

Spring training is all about competition, and there will be no better competition to watch in Mets camp than in the outfield.

Lucas Duda, who was sent down to AAA last year because of his struggles at the plate, is the only outfielder to secure a starting job. But even his role is unclear—is he the full-time starter in left, or will he platoon with a right-handed bat?

It was yet another tough year to be a Mets fan. 2012 marks their sixth straight year of October golf reservations and their fourth straight losing season. From a shoddy bullpen to a stagnant offense and signings that just didn't pan out, here’s a list of the ten disappointments that defined this year’s overall disappointment. 

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Spring training, the time of year when jersey numbers like 68, 75 or 83 are commonplace.

Spring training, the time of year when fans are mesmerized by 420-foot bombs, but then have no idea who hit them. Or, they watch a pitcher breeze through the heart of the order by striking out the side, then rack their brains, wondering where the heck did that guy come from?

After not pitching in the 2009 World Baseball Classic while recovering from a knee injury, Johan Santana has apparently expressed interest in pitching for Team Venezuela in the 2013 World Baseball Classic, which will begin this March.

According to Adam Rubin of ESPN, Santana will try to participate in the event once gets past a few obstacles he will have to go through, due to the time he spent on the disabled list at the end of the 2012 season.

The New York Mets have become the latest suitor in the Justin Upton sweepstakes, but they might not have the chips to pull off a blockbuster trade. Marc Carig of Newsday tweets that the Mets are interested in Upton, but are unlikely to give up their top prospects:

From the inception of the franchise in 1962 until July of 2004, third base was a revolving door for the New York Mets.

That all changed on July 21 of that year when a Virginia native got the call up from Triple-A Norfolk.

The soft-spoken Wright took control of the hot corner and never looked back, becoming the face of the franchise along with fellow left-side infielder Jose Reyes.

This was an offseason where the New York Mets needed to upgrade at several positions.

It is January 1, however, and they have only managed to lose a 20-game winner in R.A. Dickey. Could their lack of infusion of talent actually benefit them in the future?

A case can be made that the Mets were best suited to not acquire one of the top-tiered free agents in order to provide the most roster flexibility entering 2014.