When Will NY Mets Fans Appreciate Carlos Beltran?

It's not often I agree so strongly with Peter Gammons, which is why I'm dedicating this post to share our common ground on two excellent points he makes in his article.

First - Beltran is a unique talent...A five tool player

Nowhere is it more evident than in center field. Most of the clubs that discussed the subject had Minnesota's Carlos Gomez rated the best defensive center fielder in the game last season, in most cases followed by the Mets' Carlos Beltran. Now, although Beltran's low-key personality sometimes frustrates fans, he is a tremendous five-dimensional player -- a top-three defender and great baserunner who's reliable and so much an offensive weapon that during the past three years he has averaged 34 homers and a .912 OPS.

Second - Economic uncertainty vis-a-vis baseballs need for cost certainty.

"The sports media has no concept how layered this recession is in terms of our industry," one official says. "We always hear about the need for cost certainty. Right now, more than half the teams are going to spring training with few economic certainties."
Which makes one laugh at those who criticize the Mets' Fred and Jeff Wilpon for not shelling out another $100 million for Ramirez. The Mets have the highest payroll in the National League. They have arguably the league's best pitcher in Johan Santana, three of its best players in David Wright, Jose Reyes and Beltran, and a reconstructed bullpen.