That was the headline on this Mets Insider that ran back on Aug. 15. In case you missed it, check it out below.
BY DAVID LENNON | david.lennon@newsday.com
11:02 AM EDT, August 15, 2008
Still upset about the bungled firing of Willie Randolph? Frustrated by the Mets' inactivity before last month's trade deadline? Have Luis Castillo's baseball card mounted on your dartboard?
Get over it.
When Omar Minaya axed Randolph during that infamous midnight hotel meeting June 16, the presumption was that the general manager had effectively removed the firewall protecting him from the Wilpons. Any failures from that point forward would rest squarely on the shoulders of Minaya -- and likely would cost him his head.
Two months later, Minaya is still smiling -- and the GM isn't going anywhere. With Minaya's five-year, $4-million contract set to expire after 2009, it's a safe bet that he will be signed to an extension at the end of this season, and why not?
Aside from the unfortunate events of October 2006, the Mets have enjoyed unprecedented growth during Minaya's tenure, from that very first signing of Pedro Martinez -- kindled over a Thanksgiving visit to the Dominican Republic -- to the Johan Santana deal last January.
It's not all because of Minaya, obviously. But like Brian Cashman within the Yankees' hierarchy, Minaya works well with ownership, and listening to him talk about the Mets is straight from the Wilpons' business model. Once known as a wheeler-dealer, Minaya now tries to take a broader, long-term view.
"There was a time with this organization where we had to get back to relevance and improve the brand, so we had to be more aggressive," Minaya said this week during a dugout interview at Nationals Park. "I was thinking big picture at that time four years ago, about how we've got to be relevant, how we've got to get people back in the stands.
"Well, we're going to have over 4 million in attendance this year, our ratings are off the charts, we're moving into a new stadium. For me, there's a time to be aggressive and there's a time to be patient. This is a time to be patient."
Minaya would argue that the Mets were patient even with Randolph, who easily could have been fired after last September's collapse. The GM didn't earn himself any style points for the handling of the Randolph affair, but the Mets are 30-21 under interim manager Jerry Manuel and took first place back from the Phillies in the National League East on Thursday.
"At the time, in my opinion, I did what I felt needed to be done," Minaya said. "You never know how it's going to turn out. There's always going to be some uncertainty. It's not about one individual -- it's about a change in the team. Like everything else, they have to go out and play."
As for standing pat at the deadline, Minaya kept the young players who are making an immediate difference in the pennant race -- Daniel Murphy, Nick Evans, Eddie Kunz -- and another in Jon Niese, who still could be a factor.
Murphy was batting .467 (14-for-30) with two home runs through his first 11 games and already is getting a head start on making next year's roster. Niese, who was 3-0 with a 2.37 ERA for Triple-A New Orleans, is at the top of the list should the Mets need a starter in the next six weeks and definitely will compete for a spot in the 2009 rotation.
When Minaya chose to pass on outfield help and a mediocre bunch of available relievers at the deadline, he didn't get any ultimatums from the Wilpons, who were fully on board with his decision. Minaya wasn't about to make any cosmetic changes to the Mets, especially at a cost in talent that he considered prohibitive.
"That was easy," Minaya said. "I couldn't do that in the best interest of the organization. I couldn't tell you if the guys we would have traded for were going to be doing much better than Murphy and Evans are doing right now. It's worked out so far. Some of the guys that teams were asking for are helping us win here in the major leagues."
For those scoring at home, that makes Minaya 2-for-2 in two of his biggest decisions to this point of the season. And he's not ready to give up on Castillo, either. Although it would seem impossible for any GM to defend signing Castillo to a four-year, $25-million contract -- especially now that he's been on the DL since July 3 -- Minaya remains defiant on that one.
"I'm confident," Minaya said. "First of all, his on-base percentage is what we want. He's on line for 50 RBIs this year and to steal 20 to 25 bases. I still think when Castillo is on the field, he helps us produce and he's going to be fine."
There's six weeks left for Castillo to make his GM look like a genius.