HOUSTON — As Gerrit Cole was dealing Sunday night, moving the Astros closer to a championship and himself nearer to the largest pitching payday ever, the thought surely caromed around the brains of baseball fans:
How much will the New York team pay him?
Here is my question: Why do we never think of the Mets as that New York team?
Brodie Van Wagenen has hiring a manager central to his short-term agenda. But the big picture undertaking does not change for his tenure. Those who have dealt regularly with the Mets general manager say he is determined to drag the Mets into the 21st century of baseball in areas such as technology.