Quintessential Mets: Playing Only the Classics...

Epic GM search has led to an unorthodox frontrunner with a somewhat encouraging resumé

Let’s preface our brief update on New York’s ongoing, absolutely epic quest for a general manager with the fact that there’s nothing ideal about this situation.

The scenario’s played out in the most public way possible. Mets team president Sandy Alderson’s search has extended well beyond a scope any of us could have imagined. And the fans are not happy to be back in this position after the Wilpons’ reign of terror ceremoniously came to an end with Steve Cohen’s purchase of the team last year.

Quintessential Mets. Playing only the hits — all day, every day.

As reports began to point to longtime Nationals assistant general manager and director of baseball operations (and current Jones Day mergers and acquisitions lawyer, since 2017) Adam Cromie as the Mets’ top candidate for their vacant position, the roars of laughter and exasperated sighs only grew louder and more pronounced.

That will happen under these circumstances. Considering where this thing began and where it’s at now, hiring a guy who’s been away from the game for four years — four pivotal years in the growth of the advanced statistical evaluation side of the game — seems bonkers on the surface.

As more information started to dribble out regarding Cromie’s continued assistance in MLB arbitration hearings since leaving Washington, it became apparent that the 38-year-old Freeport, PA product wasn’t as detached from the game as most assumed.

That’s encouraging, as is the fact that the data projection systems Cromie, former Nats assistant GM Samuel Mondry-Cohen, and the rest of their analytics staff developed in Washington over the last decade-plus worked and, as of this season, was still in use.

Their development and evaluation processes led to an extremely strong, perennial contender being built and paid handsome dividends with NL East titles in 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2017, as well as that 2019 World Series title two years after Cromie’s departure (analytics department still under Mondry-Cohen’s direction; he left at the end of 2021).

Even after the team was gutted this past season at the trade deadline, the Nats accumulated the 10th-most in fWAR in baseball over the second half with a skeleton roster in place. Juan Soto can only do so much, right? That’s a systemic win, in our opinion.

For Cromie, he’s certainly put together an impressive baseball resumé. And leaving his lucrative comfort zone in baseball to start another as a junior analyst at one of the largest law firms in the country (he finished law school while working for the Nats) most definitely resonates with us. Chase those dreams, young man.

Now… is this what any concerned (very concerned, in some cases) parties had in mind for the Mets’ first order of business this offseason? That’s gonna be an emphatic no. But there are some encouraging qualities to where this thing has hypothetically ended up in Cromie. I’ll always note a positive when I see one.

Alderson confirmed to the team’s media corps at the GM Meetings in Carlsbad, CA on Wednesday that the team had not officially offered anyone the position and that there were more candidates still under consideration. Though, per various reports across the game, Cromie has emerged as a clear front-runner.

Apparently — and hopefully — there is an end in sight to this. But that’s not to say the fans’ anxiety has been quelled. Far from it, in fact.

Optically, the way this process has played out is still entirely beyond the pale. But, as noted above, it really only could have transpired one way. The Metsies way.

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