Harper: Alderson: Time to put Moneyball where mouth is

Hurry, cane Sandy!

The Mets have made it clear they won’t be adding payroll anytime soon, and while that continues to be a sad commentary on the state of their finances, even with the Bernie Madoff saga mostly behind them, it doesn’t mean GM Sandy Alderson should get any kind of pass this winter.

Alderson’s legacy with the Mets may well turn out to be his trade of Carlos Beltran for Zack Wheeler, if the 22-year-old righthander lives up to the hype, but right now that’s not enough.

The Godfather of the Moneyball concept that turned Billy Beane into Brad Pitt, Alderson took over as the primary Mets decision-maker two years ago with the reputation as a GM who could find value in undervalued players — someone who would work a little magic with trades and under-the-radar free-agent signings.

Other than Wheeler, there has been little evidence of that so far.

...Money or no money, it’s time Alderson and his dream-team brass produce a little of that famed Moneyball magic.