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Alou May Finally Pay Off for the Mets


By Mike Silva ~ March 18th, 2010. Filed under: Mike Silva, New York Mets.

Moises Alou was brought to the Mets after 2006 to fill the veteran power bat void that existed after Cliff Floyd’s Achilles gave out. The two year/$15 million dollar deal turned out to never pay off as Alou spent much time on the disabled list, only giving the Mets an historic September run where he hit over .400 during the collapse. Many view Alou as a waste of money, as the Mets spent time waiting for him to return rather than fill a much needed hole on the roster. Earlier in the week Jim Baumbach of Newsday caught up with Alou who is now the General Manager of the same Dominican League team which Fernando Martinez played for this offseason. If Alou didn’t earn his money on the field in New York, it may turn out he earned it off the field with the counsel he provided the Mets young prospect.

Martinez, in my opinion, has been a disappointment to date. Yes, he has suffered injuries, but he never produced at the same rate as what many “experts” deemed his talent. Earlier this offseason I wrote about how he was at a crossroads, and even proposed trading him before his value plummeted (think Lastings Milledge). This spring Martinez has proved the doubters wrong hitting .500 with 3 homers and 10 RBI. It looks like he may still start the season in Buffalo, but a future that seemed murky at the end of last season is much brighter. Apparently Moises Alou may have something to do with it.

Alou tells Baumbach how Martinez’s mental approach is the key as “he is putting less pressure on himself,” something that Alou did early in his career. He talks about “wanting to play in the big leagues” and how Martinez “needs to take control of his career.” Alou was traded to Montreal in the Zane Smith deal back in August of 1990. Although he was a top prospect with the Pirates, his numbers in AAA that season were uninspiring. By 1994 Alou was an All Star with the Expos and he credits the mental turnaround for his success. If not for his numerous freak injuries I believe we would be discussing Hall of Fame as well.

Fernando Martinez is finally looking like the prospect everyone is talking about. Of course, a good Grapefruit League doesn’t make a season and we need to see sustained success come April. If he has finally turned the corner and Alou helped the cause, then maybe indirectly he paid back the $15 million dollars the Mets gave him three years ago.

Mike Silva is a freelance writer and radio host since March of 2007. This website is his own personal "digest" of New York Baseball He's also hosts NYBD Radio on Blog Talk Radio and 1240 AM WGBB. Check out his sports media commentary at www.sportsmediawatchdog.com. Check out his official website, www.mikesilvamedia.com
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4 Responses to Alou May Finally Pay Off for the Mets

  1. Shamik
    March 18th, 2010 at 8:42 am

    Really, a disappointment? Kid’s barely old enough to drink, let alone be a big league disappointment! He’s been around forever, but you’ve got to give him a chance to fill out both physically and mentally before passing judgement. I think this will be a big year for him and that he’ll be with the big leagues later in the season. Especially if either Beltran can’t go, or if Franceour falls off.

  2. Edgy DC
    March 18th, 2010 at 9:30 am

    Yeah, come on. The need for instant gratification on prospects is destroying these kids. If he came out of college after his sophomore year and slugged .517 in AAA, it would be a revelation.

    But the Mets signed him at 16, and so he’s been playing with pros for a few years — but not necessarily at a different level of competition — and a whole different set of expectations are on him.

    It’s unfair, particularly unfair to Latinos who are expected to be men when their American counterparts are schoolboys. He was 20 last year. At 20, Darryl Strawberry was in Jackson. David Wright was in St. Lucie.

  3. Steve
    March 18th, 2010 at 11:02 am

    Come on….You’ve read my criticisms about Mets management in the past, but this is totally unjustified. Why disappointment? Because the media painted him as the next Beltran or Strawberry and he isn’t? Maybe the “experts” need to evaluate players better. And who are these experts and why does their opinion matter?

  4. RonOK
    March 18th, 2010 at 11:44 am

    Glad it’s not just me who thought the ‘disappointing” comment was a bit strange …. frankly, after yesterday’s exchanges, I was going to just roll my eyes and let it pass, but as I sit here at Hartsfield Airport in Atlanta with a few minutes on my hands, I thought I would comment.

    ” …. Martinez, in my opinion, has been a disappointment to date. Yes, he has suffered injuries, but he never produced at the same rate as what many “experts” deemed his talent. Earlier this offseason I wrote about how he was at a crossroads, and even proposed trading him before his value plummeted (think Lastings Milledge) ….”

    Martinez is 21 years old. He was deemed a superstar prospect at 16 years old …. so because he has not amassed huge minor league numbers or made it succesfully to the majors yet, he is declared a disappointment.

    21 years old — Wow.

    I find his frequent injuries frustrating more than disappointing.

    I find his production to date about what I’d expect from a 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 year old.

    His production in spring training this year is way beyond what you would expect from a normal 21 year old, don’t you think? I have been to several ST games and the difference in his physical appearance is dramatic … much more mature …. more muscle and not as lanky. His power numbers this spring are not a surprise …. the kid is just now maturing ….

    I have no idea what this kid will turn out to be, but I do know that he has shown an awful lot this past winter and now in ST …. with Bay signed for 4 years, he will not be a LF’er …. Beltran has 2 years left and Francoeur could be gone at any time …. for now, the Mets are set but given time to further mature and allow the actual performance to catch up with the hype around him is a great place for him to be. He could replace Francouer sooner than later …. he could be replacement at some point for Beltran …. and, if he does mature, he could be a 4th OF’er and — given yesterday’s exchanges — should play a great deal of time.

    I would have liked to see lightening speed maturity but it didn’t happen …. however, something is happening now and I am enjoying the process and not disappointed in any way.

    My two cents for what they are worth.

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