As everyone has heard, Cliff Lee returned to Philadelphia. The Phillies have added another star player to their already great team.
When news broke, Mets fans' stomachs turned. As if Mets fans haven't had it hard enough, the pain just keeps coming. The Phillies have won the NL East Division four years in a row, and it seems like that trend will continue.
The Phillies have one of the best pitching rotations in recent history, and we all know that pitching usually wins games. Even though this situation seems so bad for Mets fans, it really isn't.
I am an optimistic Mets fan and some of you pessimistic fans might be sick of me, but hear me out. Looking at the glass half-full is always the positive thing to do.
The negatives currently outweigh the positives by a lot. 2011 currently looks really bad for the Mets, but there's a reason the games are played.
I remember when in 2007 and 2008, the Mets looked amazing on paper and were predicted to go all the way by some people. Phillies fans were hanging their heads with same worries that us Mets fans currently have.
We all know how those "great" Mets teams performed. They looked good on paper, but that means absolutely nothing. The games are played for a reason. No matter if you are a stacked team on paper or you are flat out garbage, every team goes into a season wanting to win a World Series.
The Mets are not nearly as bad as their fans are making them out to be. They have a fantastic lineup when healthy and good fielders. If Sandy Alderson can pick up some pitchers, then the Mets would be set.
Alderson has a direction that he wants the team to go in, and Mets fans should be grateful for that. In the Mets' recent history, they didn't really have direction. The 2011 season is not a rebuilding season at all for the Mets; they are going into this season with their eyes set on winning the World Series.
Going back to the Phillies. I'll be the first to admit that the Phillies have a fantastic team going into 2011, and probably 2012, but what about the years after them?
The Phillies have one of the oldest teams in the MLB and a lot of their money is tied in aging players. Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee will be making around $20 million a year for the next five years. The contracts might be back loaded but the money will be paid no matter what.
Halladay and Lee aren't young, and recent baseball history has showed many old players' abilities decrease dramatically. These two contracts could end up hurting the Phillies.
The Phillies have also totally destroyed their farm system to get what they have now. The Phillies will be great the next two years but problems will begin to surface after that.
Just when the Phillies' demise begins, so will the Mets uprising. Mets fans shouldn't be worried. Alderson has a long term plan for this team and it is being carried out as we speak. Just remember one thing for this upcoming season: the games are played for a reason.
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