Mets have fallen further behind Yankees in this key area

I’m in 100% agreement on the importance of intellectual diversity. What I’m not so sure about is that the Yankees are necessarily ahead of the Mets based on these three guys. Don’t get me wrong, I like the hires for the Yankees. Without knowing all the voices in the Mets organization, however, it’s completely possible the Mets have as much diversity of thought as the Yankees.

The next step forward for Steve Cohen and GM Billy Eppler should be to add a person or people whose eyes are trained to provide deeply informed answers to questions like that. Intellectual diversity is one element that differentiates good front offices from great ones, and the Mets could stand to improve in this area.

The team has scores of terrific scouts, analysts and bright minds—longtime amateur scouting director Tommy Tanous, for example, remains a valued voice in the Cohen administration—but overall, the difference between the teams is notable.

Cashman not only has Naehring, a former MLB infielder, but ex-Chicago Cubs GM Jim Hendry, and the recently hired Brian Sabean and Omar Minaya—four people to the Mets’ zero to provide crucial balance and traditional scouting and player development skills.