PORT ST. LUCIE \u2014 The Mets named two of the best pitchers in their history<\/a> \u2014 John Franco and Al Leiter \u2014 to advisory jobs Monday. Now, come take the journey on why that reasserts the need for the organization to figure out how to get Jacob deGrom locked up long term.<\/p>\n You may need some Dramamine. There will be some twists until I get there.<\/p>\n Franco, who already was working for the Mets as a club ambassador, and Leiter, who recently left the YES Network, were designated as baseball operations advisers. Brodie Van Wagenen described roles that would involve going through the minors to help particularly pitchers develop the mindset to succeed not just in the majors, but New York, plus advising on roster construction and generally being a voice in the new GM\u2019s ever-swelling counsel.<\/p>\n But there is symbolic value here, as well. Franco and Leiter grew up in the area as Mets fans before excelling in the uniform. They also have had sustained periods since leaving the team detached from the franchise, hard feelings \u2014 often with ownership \u2014 creating frost. It has been a common story with the Mets, the ties to their past not as strong as it should be.<\/p>\n Two meaningful changes occurred this offseason, though.<\/p>\n Jay Horwitz moved from his long-time role in charge of media relations to heading alumni public relations<\/a>. It is an ideal fit. Whatever animus percolates toward the organization, players\u2019 love and appreciation toward Horwitz is universal. Plus, no one cares about the club\u2019s history quite like Horwitz and he has worked tirelessly to connect with former players this winter and bring them back to the flock \u2014 particularly vital in the 50th anniversary of the 1969 championship.<\/p>\n Ed Kranepool, part of that miracle club, was distant from the club with distaste about the current leadership. He is back as a big part of this celebration. Dwight Gooden, probably the second-best pitcher in team history, is suddenly more regularly tied to the team.<\/p>\n The second meaningful change is the hiring of Van Wagenen, who also brought on David Wright as a special adviser.<\/p>\n \u201cIt [tying to the history\/legacy] is an added component to [the hirings],\u201d Van Wagenen said. \u201cIt is about a winning culture. I want people around who have won in their careers and won in this town. \u2026 I want to change the paradigm to positivity for this organization.\u201d<\/p>\n The Mets\u2019 nearly six-decade existence is caked in negativity, in part due to so much tortured history. Gooden, David Cone and Darryl Strawberry left and became champion Yankees. Tom Seaver was traded. A new stadium was built with the Brooklyn Dodgers more in mind than the New York Mets. Wright broke down after signing a long-term contract. Wright\u2019s retirement, though, at least gave the Mets their first above-average player who spent his entire career with just them.<\/p>\n And if you have followed the twisting journey, this is where we reach deGrom. I get just how unemotional the game has gotten. We have entered the matrix, and the players are numbers now and the projections of what the numbers will be in the coming years. In that matrix, the Mets should let deGrom play for $17 million this year and about $25 million next year and then decide \u2014 after this age-32 season \u2014 whether to go long term with him.<\/p>\n But it is not the matrix for the fan base. They will be overjoyed that Horwitz has re-tethered to the \u201969 Met alumni and that Gooden and Mike Piazza mill about and that Wright, Franco and Leiter are employed by the team. The Yanks have more great history and have generally done better at owning, reveling in and selling it.<\/p>\n Bob Apodaca is probably the best pitcher the Mets have had for his entire career. DeGrom, if it worked perfectly, could purely be a Met. And \u2014 like Nolan Arenado to the Rockies<\/a> \u2014 deGrom embodies on and off the field what a team should want in a career-long player. Finding a way to extend a pitcher such as deGrom would not be as instrumental for every organization. But it does for one with the Mets history and one with a sensitive ownership group that cannot, for example, risk deGrom staying elite and winding up a Dodger or Cub or, worst of all, a Yankee.<\/p>\n Van Wagenen, deGrom\u2019s former agent, said such sentiment does not move, but did add, \u201cWhenever you are dealing with a homegrown player, you naturally know those players much better and if you like what you know it gives you greater comfort to make a commitment to them.\u201d<\/p>\n It felt right to tie yesterday to today by the Mets giving useful roles to Franco and Leiter. Now, it is time to take temporary leave of the matrix and get tomorrow right. Figure out a way to keep deGrom long term.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"Jacob](\"https:\/\/thenypost.files.wordpress.com\/2019\/03\/021419_metsspringtraining_072acny.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=300)
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