How 2002 actually went.
The Mets tried another expensive makeover, adding Roberto Alomar, Mo Vaughn, Jeromy Burnitz, and Roger Cedeño to a veteran core. On paper, the lineup looked deep enough to return to October. On the field, several newcomers struggled at once, the defense weakened, and the club never developed a dependable style.
Piazza, Alfonzo, and Leiter remained useful, but the team around them looked slower and less connected. A terrible home losing streak and late-season collapse turned high expectations into last place. Manager Bobby Valentine’s relationship with the front office and clubhouse frayed, and he was dismissed after the season.
The 75–86 record ended more than one bad year. It closed the competitive run that had begun in 1997 and showed that buying famous names without considering fit could repeat the mistakes of 1992. Alfonzo left after the season, Valentine was gone, and the Mets entered another reset with Piazza still producing but the roster around him moving backward.
The names looked impressive in February. By August, the whole roster felt like it had been built from old baseball cards.