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Jeff Wilpon wondered aloud who he would have to fire for such an egregious miscalculation.
His question arose during a visit by Mets officials to the Dominican Republic in 2019 to evaluate Venezuelan catcher Francisco Alvarez, whom the organization had signed just months earlier for $2.7 million, a franchise-record deal for an international player.
On this particular day, however, Wilpon, then the team’s COO, and Brodie Van Wagenen — who had been hired weeks earlier as the general manager — weren’t impressed with the 18-year-old. He appeared sluggish during a workout in front of his bosses, who most notably were concerned with his “fire hydrant” physique. Alvarez was listed at 5-foot-10 and 233 pounds.
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