Almost A Met: Juan Gonzalez
This felt like a foregone conclusion... until it wasn't.
Welcome to the second edition of “Almost A Met!” Before we get to today’s player, I just wanted to thank you SO much for the support I’ve gotten since we launched.
The amount of you subscribing to this newsletter has been so heartwarming and overwhelming. I didn’t expect this much support so quickly, so thank you thank you, thank you. I won’t forget the first people who subbed!
Plus, it seems like you really like it! Our open rates were amazing last week! If you know of any Mets fans in your life who you think would like this newsletter, I made it easy for you to share it. Just click the button below.
Anyway, today’s player is someone I have vivid memories of making sure I raced to the store to get newspapers to read the latest on. The Mets and OF Juan Gonzalez seemed like a sure-thing… until they weren’t.
Find out what happened below.
See you next time!
Andrew
How close was Juan Gonzalez to being a part of the Mets?
The 2002 season ultimately went down as one of the most disappointing seasons in the Mets history (and let’s face it, there are a lot), but that’s only because the off-season before it was absolutely bonkers.
The team finished 82-80 and third in the NL East in 2001, a drop off from the year before that saw the Mets make it to the World Series and compete against the Yankees. The scrappy Mets of 2000 couldn’t replicate their magic in 2001. They lacked star power, and a pretty underwhelming outfield.
So what did GM Steve Phillips do following the season? He added what was considered star power. He swung a deal for 2B Roberto Alomar, traded SP Kevin Appier for 1B Mo Vaughn, and brought in SP Shawn Estes.
On paper, adding those names to a team that included C Mike Piazza, 3B Edgardo Alfonzo, SP Al Leiter, and more seemed to make the Mets a World Series contender once again.
Phillips was acquiring 30+ year-old star players with stellar stats on the back of the baseball cards like Thanos was collecting Infinity Stones in the Marvel Universe.
I vividly remember almost all of the baseball prediction magazines (RIP, they are few and far between nowadays) going all in on the Mets. The New York Post even predicted a third world championship.
But there was one star player who eluded Phillips during that off-season. Despite the fact that it seemed at times like it would be a foregone conclusion that he would be part of the team: OF Juan Gonzalez.
Gonzalez was one of the premier power hitters of his generation. From 1991 to 2001, Gonzalez hit 392 home runs, had more than 1,200 RBIs, had an OPS+ of 137, and won two MVP awards.
There was a lot to like about Gonzalez. In fact, the year prior to the Mets trying to land him, Gonzalez hit 35 home runs and hit 140 RBIs for the Cleveland baseball team now called the Guardians. The idea of adding him in the same lineup as Piazza, Alomar, and Vaughn was downright scary. (Although we all know it didn’t turn out that way).
Adding Juan Gonzalez almost felt like a sure-thing
In December 2001, the New York Post reported that with “each passing day, the chances are improving” that Gonzalez would sign with the Mets. In fact, his agent Jeff Moorad said the slugger had a “desire” to play for the Mets. Leiter and Vaughn reportedly said they would defer portions of their salary to make room for Gonzalez.
The interest was so obvious, that the Mets were trying to unload payroll to make room for the 32-year-old slugger. They traded away recently acquired OF David Justice and were reportedly looking at deals to send away OF Benny Agbayani, SP Glendon Rusch, and OF Jay Payton to create even more payroll flexibility, according to the Post.
Even new-Met Alomar reportedly campaigned for Gonzalez to join him in Queens, the New York Times reported at the time. And Phillips was apparently the “first general manager to call” about Gonzalez during the 2002 off-season.
What happened?
So if there was clear interest on both sides, why is Gonzalez a part of the ultimate “what-if” Mets newsletter?
Well, he decided to sign with the Texas Rangers… and let’s just say the New York media was pissed.
Just a little under a month after the Mets seemed like their chances were “improving” to sign Gonzalez, he signed a two-year $24 million contract to have a second stint with the Rangers. That reportedly was one million less than what the Mets offered him.
Here’s a sample of how the New York media reacted:
IN THE END, JUAN TAKES THE SLEAZY WAY OUT (New York Post)
SEEDY GONALZEZ DISSES THE METS; RETURNS TO TEXAS FOR $24M (New York Post)
The Post even described the back-and-forth between Gonzalez and the Mets as a “hostage negotiation.”
Told you they were pissed.
Apparently Gonzalez did not want to leave the American League, and maybe income tax had something to do with it?
"I think at some point, what came into play was his reluctance to leave the American League,” Phillips said, according to and article by Bob Klapisch in ESPN.
Klapisch also spoke with an anonymous Mets official at the time who said: “once we heard Juan talking about the income-tax factor, we knew it was over.”
But ultimately, not getting “Juan-Gone” may have been a blessing in disguise.
In 2002, Gonzalez hit just 8 home runs and 35 RBIs, and bounced back a little bit in 2003 before signing with the Kansas City Royals. His career ended in 2005.
But guess what? He never did leave the American League.
The Mets, however, pivoted by making a blockbuster three-team trade for OF Jeromy Burnitz a few weeks later. We all know how well that worked out.
Could you imagine adding Gonzalez to the very long list of Mets disappointments in 2002?
Yikes.
❓ Would you have signed Juan Gonzalez?
Next newsletter we’ll share the results of the poll! So stay tuned.
Last newsletter’s results:
71% of Almost A Met subscribers said they would have traded Aaron Heilman, Jae Weong Seo and Mike Cameron for Alfonso Soriano. 29% said they wouldn’t have made that trade.
⚾ Mets news of the week
Former Mets infielder Jose Iglesias was spotted with a Padres-themed “OMG” sign. It is believed to have been a gift from a fan, but it still hurts to see. (@AnnieHeilbrunn/X)
After the Mets series-loss in the Subway Series, the Juan Soto hot take machine was in full force and getting criticized by the Mets community. (@DannyAbriano/X) (@Ben_Yoel/X)
Speaking of Juan Soto hot takes, no he does not fly in a private jet instead of the team plane. Yes, that was a rumor amid the post-series hysteria. It’s not true. (@JeffPassan/X).
Steve Cohen’s dreams of building a casino among the “Metropolitan Park” redesign of the area around Citi Field took another step closer. (MetsMerizedOnline.com)
👀 Next time on “Almost A Met”
Next week we’ll be look at how OF Manny Ramirez was almost a New York Met. Stay tuned!
Got a suggestion for who you want us to feature in an upcoming newsletter? Shoot us an email at almostametnewsletter@gmail.com. Or click the button below.
See you next week!
1️⃣ One last thing
I mentioned last week that I work in the media industry… and am not currently. (Read into that as you will, you are probably right). So I wanted to highlight another former colleague who is doing great work!
A cool YouTube channel: Anna María runs the Lord of the Rings Makers of Middle-earth channel which is the “intersection of art and Tolkien.” Check it out to see some familiar faces talk about making Lord of the Rings movies, songs, and more!