Academic Probation?

How well has the great guru of Money Ball, Sandy Alderson, done since taking over the Mets? I'll be looking at how well he's crossed the T's dotted the I's and make sure that he showed all his work. Hopefully I won't have to give him in school suspension for cheating off another GM's test.

A wise blogger pointed out the lack of need for a GM report card in Mid-March. I responded with the lack of need for blogging in general. Enjoy it for what it's worth.

Who He Got:

Chris Young - Young is getting an A+ from me. He was in-expensive and looks like he could be a front of the rotation starter again. He gives me confidence and that is HUGE. Sandy looks pretty smart. This deal gets an A for Sandy.

Scott Hairston - With Beltran likely to spend 50%+ of the year watching baseball... Hairston's ability to be a starter combined with being able to platoon him with Harris or Duda makes Sandy look smart again. He's got another A in my book.

Taylor Buchholz - This was a low-risk move but at the same time it looks like a solid one. Buchholz is currently fighting it out with Accosta, Isringhausen, Beato and others for a middle reliever job. Sandy gets a B but it won't hurt his average.

D.J. Carrasco - I understand why Sandy took D.J. but I'm not liking what I see too much. He seems to be hittable (not unlike Mike Pelfrey) and the two-year deal reminds me of Ryota Iggarashi's. Sandy Gets a C- from me.

Chris Capuano - When Capuano was signed I thought for sure he was going to be a lefty specialist / long man. If that's all he was... I'd give Sandy a B+. HOWEVER, it looks like Chris will be good enough to start so I'll up that to an A-.

Willie Harris - I don't love Willie Harris. Is he really better than Jesus Feliciano? I don't know. He has shown the ability to be clutch (vs. the Mets) and can play 2B in a pinch. I guess I'll give Sandy a B-.

Tim Byrdak - Byrdak is old and not the most exciting guy in the world but he is a heck of a LOOGY. That's a compliment... in case you are reading the blog and don't follow baseball... MOM! Sandy gets another A for Byrdak.

Chin-Lung Hu - One of the only trades Sandy made. It's a low-risk trade and it's also low reward. The biggest plus to it, is that the Mets can keep Ruben Tejada in AAA even if Jose Reyes gets hurt. So... B.

Ronny Paulino - Paulino is what he is, a catcher with some power who hits lefties pretty darn well. It was the perfect guy to get to platoon with Thole. Alright... John Buck's splits were even better but Paulino was still pretty good. B+.

Jason Isringhausen - Can we credit Sandy with this? Not really. Izzy came to the Mets and auditioned. All the same, Sandy will reap the benefits of happy accidents. If Jason stays healthy he's a 6-pitch reliever and a part of Mets history. B+.

Pedro Beato - Beato was Alderson's 2nd Rule 5 nab. He looks like he's also pretty slick on the mound. He has a hard fastball with a lot of movement. I could see Beato progressing into a setup guy and I think he'll stick with the team. A.

Brad Emaus - Emaus seemed like a great idea. He was a contact oriented hitters, who could play 2nd base and share some time with Murphy in the role. He hasn't hit that much this spring and is looking up and Castillo and Luis Hernandez. He did get a big double yesterday but color me un-impressed thus far. D+.

Sandy's Final Report Card

Math - Sandy has done his homework and selected guys who aren't big risks. He has made good additions and Met fans are hoping he's equally willing to make a few subtractions in the near future. He seems to check his work and make sure he hasn't made any miscalculations.

Science - Alderson has shown a willingness to experiment, but it hasn't worked out so great at 2B thus far. He needs to make sure he has a more stable control group in place in case his future experiments become volatile.

English - Sandy has proven he is good with the media. Not only in about how he handles his dealings but also with dealing with the intrigue surrounding the clowns who currently own the team.

History - Willie Harris always killed the Mets. Isringhausen was part of a failed second coming of Gooden and Seaver. The depth of the relief pitchers also shows that he's watched previous seasons of Mets baseball.

Gym - When his academics are put on the field there have been mixed results. He found pitching, but hitting seems less easy. Does this remind anyone of some of his earlier teams?

Overall: A-, Sandy has done a pretty great job doing a lot with not a lot of money. I'm excited to see what he can do with 30 Million to spend.

Extra Credit: I'm excited to see what happens with Sandy Alderson and a couple of trade candidates. Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes, Francisco Rodriguez, and even Mike Pelfrey, Chris Young and Chris Capuano. A lot of what Omar was bad at was not his off-season dealings but his inability to act on the fly during the season.

The players Sandy has brought in have yet to fully "evolve" as it's been put to me. This judgement is purely based on what they've shown thus far.