Jon Lewin at Subway Squawkers asks this question over the weekend.

Yes, as Lewin points out, Minaya’s first big move as Mets General Manager was signing Pedro Martinez to a 4 year/$52 million dollar contract. The Mets overpaid for a pitcher that was still an ace, but an injury waiting to happen. They would only get a year and a half of the “real Pedro,” as he spent a large part of late 2006 to 2008 on the DL. The difference between that move, and a possible Jeter one, is the Mets needed Martinez to prove they were serious about winning. Right now the Mets need to show they can be smart about how their payroll is utilized. That would be a case whether Minaya or Alderson were the GM.

If you rewind the clock to the winter of 2004, the Mets were just a year removed from letting Vladimir Guerrero slip through their fingers. They had a reputation for always going for the second best free agent. With the Scott Kazmir trade fresh in the fans minds Minaya needed to make a move to prove his worth. Martinez not only helped create a competitive 2005, but led to the Mets signing Carlos Beltran, and eventually become free agent players over the next few years. The Wilpon’s have been more inclined to spend on big name players since that offseason, and Minaya deserves credit for that change.

With that said, it still would be interesting to see how the Mets front office would react if the old regime were together. George Steinbrenner always obsessed over former eighties Mets, but the feeling never has been mutual when it comes to former Yanks across town. Yes, there were rumors that Jorge Posada would have signed with the Mets if Brian Cashman didn’t give him a fourth year. That contract, already dubious in the Bronx, would be a huge albatross considering Posada can’t catch full time.

Personally I think the Mets wouldn’t waste their time with Jeter regardless of who was in the GM chair. A failed run at Jeter would just bring more ridicule to the organization. Not to mention how they could use $20 million dollars a year more effectively. The fact remains the only team that can overpay for Jeter and live with the results are the Yankees. Plus, I don’t think Jeter’s Q Rating with Mets fans is anything special. They will not only expect peak performance from him, but anything less will be criticized. You think fans have treated Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez poorly? An ineffective Jeter would dwarf that. It took them nearly four years to warm up for Tom Glavine and he was an important part of their rotation. Jeter would never be accepted by the scorned Mets fan base.

Minaya might have tried to sell Jeff Wilpon on the idea, but he lost his cache with the owner long ago My guess is the Jeter/Mets connection would still be a fantasy in the heads of the media trying to create a headline on a slow hot stove day.

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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Tags: Derek Jeter, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Omar Minaya, Sandy Alderson