Sandy Alderson’s latest comments confirms Mets’ problems aren’t going away any time soon

Sandy Alderson’s search to find the next general manager for the New York Mets has been a difficult and revealing process for the organization struggling to get a win.

The New York Mets have been embroiled in a publicly embarrassing and fruitless search for a new general manager, with no end in sight.

Over the last year, they have fired general manager Jared Porter and interim general manager, Zack Scott, after various scandals came to light. Porter was in the job for barely five weeks, from December 2020 to January 2021, before disturbing sexual harassment allegations were made public.

When Porter was fired, Scott was promoted from assistant general manager to interim general manager. In early September, he was arrested for drunk driving and placed on administrative leave by the Mets. By November, he joined Porter in the unemployment line.

The Mets’ search for a replacement has culminated in a public list of over a dozen baseball execs who have either turned down the job or simply declined the team’s invitation to interview for it. Even talk show host Jimmy Kimmel joked about turning down the job.

Now, team president Sandy Alderson’s latest comments display either blind hubris or a complete lack of self-awareness that suggest the team’s struggles will carry on for a while. While this isn’t surprising for anyone who has followed the Mets for years, it is both unfortunate and entertaining.

Mets president Sandy Alderson’s comments on their ongoing GM search are concerning and embarrassing

On Tuesday, Alderson addressed the media and attempted to explain why so many executives around MLB had turned the Mets down, and his reasoning had everyone abuzz:

"“There’s no tanking in New York. It’s always a competition, it’s always a desire to win. …I would say it’s not unforgiving, but it’s a demanding place — which I enjoy, by the way.”"

Perhaps when he said “New York,” he meant the Yankees.

The Mets have not had much success under Sandy Alderson

Alderson was hired to be the Mets’ general manager after the 2010 season and left after the 2018 season. He was rehired in September 2020, this time as team president. Since his first season in 2011, the Mets have finished under .500 eight times.

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Their only above-.500 season in the last five years was 2019 when Alderson was with the Oakland A’s.

As one Twitter user pointed out, even the Pittsburgh Pirates have been more successful in the playoffs than the Mets over the last decade. Baseball fans had a field day pointing out the team’s on-field struggles and their dearth of postseason play. As another tweeter aptly said when sharing Alderson’s quote, “Self-awareness level = 0 Rationalization level = 10000000.”

Unsurprisingly, Alderson declined to give a timeline on the hiring of a GM. It’s hard to predict a timeline when no one wants the job. The Mets are also currently in need of a field manager, after relieving Luis Rojas of his duties. They also do not have a President of Baseball Operations, and Alderson suggested to the media that they will focus on hiring a GM instead. Considering how difficult that search has been, that decision is also not surprising.

It’s hard to envision the Mets’ path forward through the thicket, but Alderson’s comments certainly won’t help.