The Mets have acquired Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw, but not in a conventional way. Starting in the 2012 season, the Mets and Dodgers will be combined to form one “Super Team.”
The monumental move was spearheaded by Mets owner Fred Wilpon, well-known to be an avid Dodgers fan.
“We’re hurting financially, and you all know about that mess with Frank [McCourt] and the Dodgers,” said Wilpon. “The only reason I even bought the Mets was to parlay them into the Dodgers.”
The Dodgers will disband as soon as their miserable 2011 season officially ends. Their top players will be infused into the Mets roster, while the rest will be placed in a league wide expansion style draft. James Loney is expected to be the top pick. There is also talk about the new team packaging five to 10 spare parts for a starting pitcher in the off-season.
The team be called the “MetsDodgers,” at least until 2015, when a vote will be held in New York to pick a new one. Citi Field is already designed with a half Met/half Dodger motif, so the decision to keep the new team in Queens was an easy one. Dodger Stadium will be bought by Universal Studios and converted to a giant sound stage, thanks to its already-booming PA system.
MLB Commissioner Bud Selig has called a press conference for early next week to iron out the details of the merger. He is also expected to announce the induction of a second Wild Card spot in each league. The MetsDodgers are already a hopeful contender for that spot.
Selig was asked about realignment and the now depleted National League West.
“We’ll just toss the Astros over there,” said Selig. “Does it really matter?”
Selig said future mergers might be in order.
“These are two great franchises that have both lost their way,” said Selig. “If this works out the way I expect it to, we may look to join the Orioles and Cubs in 2013.”
