New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson has been diagnosed with a treatable form of cancer that will force him to miss the MLB winter meetings next week.
Anthony DiComo of MLB.com passed along the news Friday. Marc Carig of Newsday noted the announcement stated Alderson, 68, will need between eight and 12 weeks of chemotherapy as part of his upcoming treatment.
Adam Rubin of ESPN passed on a statement from Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon regarding the news:
The health concern comes after an outstanding season for Alderson and the Mets. His patient roster-building approach paid off as the Mets' group of talented young players came together to spearhead a 90-72 regular season and a trip to the World Series.
His work putting the team together, which also included a key midseason trade for Yoenis Cespedes, earned him Executive of the Year honors from Baseball America earlier this week. Mets special assistant J.P. Ricciardi talked to the outlet about working with Alderson.
"Sandy is the best leader I've ever been around," Ricciardi said. "He lets you do your job. He respects you. And he wants your input. In the world today, his 'yes' means yes and his 'no' means no. That's one of the best things about him. He's always in the forefront. He's not afraid to take arrows. He's just a great leader."
The Mets do have an experienced front office that includes Ricciardi, the former GM of Toronto Blue Jays, and assistant GM John Ricco. It's a group that should be able to handle the necessary talks at the winter meetings.
That said, Alderson is the architect of what's now a roster built to contend for an extended period of time. All of baseball will hope for a quick, complete recovery ahead of the 2016 season.
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