Mets GM Sandy Alderson's most underappreciated moves in 2015

When the trade deadline passed, Mets fans had four obvious reasons to like their general manager. Yoenis Cespedes, Tyler Clippard, Kelly Johnson, and Juan Uribe were necessary additions to the team and clearly signaled that the Mets were going to contend.

But Sandy Alderson didn't just show up for the trade deadline. Throughout the year, he's kept the Mets in contention through smart roster moves and long-term planning. As a consequence, the Mets are atop the NL East and are eyeing a playoff berth in October. Here are just a few of his least-noticed but most valuable moves.

Turning Logan Verrett into a starter

When Jenrry Mejia came back from suspension and the Mets optioned Logan Verrett, many wondered why they would get rid of such an effective reliever, especially when Alex Torres was still in the bullpen. But as we saw last Sunday, Verrett had value for the Mets that went beyond your typical bullpen arm. With Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, and Noah Syndergaard approaching their innings limits, spot starts from Verrett will be an essential part of preserving the starting rotation for a playoff run.

Taking his time with David Wright's return

Wright is back, and all is well (notwithstanding a couple of losses to the Red Sox). Announcing his presence last Monday with a home run in his first plate appearance since April, David Wright has shown that he is a healthy and dangerous part of this lineup. But imagine if the Mets had hurried his recovery and brought him back before he was truly ready. The Nationals saw the results of this kind of thinking yesterday when Denard Span went back on the DL. Letting Wright take his time coming back may have left the team without its captain for a while, but it's paying dividends now.

Calling up Hansel Robles

Hansel Robles has been with the Mets for almost the entire season, so it's easy to forget that he wasn't on the Opening Day roster, getting called up after Jerry Blevins fractured his throwing arm. While he struggled initially with the Mets, he has worked his ERA down to a respectable 3.67. Robles, while one of the most promising arms in the Mets' system at the time, was not an obvious choice. But he was capable enough to play in the big leagues, and come next year, he would benefit from the experience of playing at the highest level.

This simultaneous focus on the present and the future has been Alderson's greatest strength. Love him or hate him, he's put the Mets in position to win their division without sacrificing their chances over the next few years.