The Mets introduced Brodie Van Wagenen as their new GM on Tuesday at Citi Field. Here are five takeaways...
The Mets will bolster their analytics department
Before bringing Van Wagenen aboard, the Mets had one of the smallest analytics staffs in the majors, which is something SNY's Andy Martino said would change under Van Wagenen.
On Tuesday, Van Wagenen confirmed that, saying the analytics department would be one of the areas the team invests in.
He wants to keep Jacob deGrom
When he was still an agent in July, Van Wagenen insinuated the Mets should sign deGrom long-term or trade him. On Tuesday, Van Wagenen said he hopes to keep deGrom with the Mets for a long time, which you can read more about here.
Why did he take the job?
The hiring has been viewed as outside the box, and it is -- with Mets COO Jeff Wilpon stating as much on Tuesday and Van Wagenen noting he is "not the path of least resistance."
On why he wanted the job, Van Wagenen said "part of it is I saw a tremendous opportunity for the Mets to be put on a new track."
He also spoke about the ability to continue having relationships with players.
"I came to understand that Fred (Wilpon) cares deeply for players. ... as you can imagine, he and I share that feeling."
He views Sandy Alderson as a mentor
Van Wagenen began his remarks by taking a moment to recognize outgoing GM Sandy Alderson, who he cited as a mentor:
"It's humbling to stand here today as I try to follow in his footsteps. ... Sandy, if you're listening, I hope to lean on you a lot as we go forward."
His mission statement
"I intend to make character the backdrop of this organization," Van Wagenen said, before ending his remarks with the Mets' new mission statement:
"We will win now. We will win in the future. We're going to develop a winning culture and a winning mindset, and we will deliver this city and this fanbase a team they can be proud of."