Good
morning.
I started to write this post mid-week and, I have to tell you, the final product is nowhere near how it first started.
I wrote (with the last Pirates and Cubs series etched in my brain) that the team was going through quite a dry patch, with a dash of disappointment, from both our team and its players. I also said that I wasn't quite sure if this team was going to survive this season and we may once again have to look to the future for projected success.
And then the team went home and played the Phillies.
Our series against Philadelphia showed all of us that you can still win ballgames with decent pitching and timely hitting. Wilmer Flores seems to be blossoming into a legitimate star right in front of our eyes and let's all remember he's still only 23-years old.
I started to write this post mid-week and, I have to tell you, the final product is nowhere near how it first started.
I wrote (with the last Pirates and Cubs series etched in my brain) that the team was going through quite a dry patch, with a dash of disappointment, from both our team and its players. I also said that I wasn't quite sure if this team was going to survive this season and we may once again have to look to the future for projected success.
And then the team went home and played the Phillies.
Our series against Philadelphia showed all of us that you can still win ballgames with decent pitching and timely hitting. Wilmer Flores seems to be blossoming into a legitimate star right in front of our eyes and let's all remember he's still only 23-years old.
Let's also remember he's 6-3 and most 6-3 shortstops that have potential 25+ home run ability are projected to wind up on third base as their careers blossom.
Forget the negativity about his defense (or lack of it). Flores could easily become the third baseman in a future infield of Lucas Duda at 1B, Dilson Herrera at 2B, and Amed Rosario or Gavin Cecchini at SS (my guess Rosario).
This would also give you projected 20 home runs at second base.
(I wrote about this a number of times in the past. Only Lucas Duda projected as a 30+ home run hitter, but many... Herrera, Flores, Wright, d'Arnaud, Granderson, Cuddyer) project for 20+. That's how this team has been built)
We’ve
spent an awful lot time lately talking about the lack of offense on this team
but, frankly, it’s the pitching, in general, and the starters, in particular,
that have deviated from the plan. You can’t win ballgames giving up the kind of
runs the Mets did in Pittsburgh.
Get
back to the ‘give up three or less runs in the first seven innings by your
starter’ plan and you will win more games than you lose. Trust me.
I have a question about this 6-man rotation thing. What if one of these guys gets injured. Does the team return to a 5-man rotation or do they call up Steven Matz and keep the 6-man thing going? You can't just keep changing the bullpen routines that these guys have to throw so I ask again... is this how Matz gets on this team?
The recent promotion of SP Robert Gsellman from St. Lucie to Binghamton... while, at the same time, John Gant was sent back to Lucy to work on his game tells me two things.
One, it looks like the promotions have begun and, more importantly, the Mets don't seem to be afraid to move players aside so others who have been more successful can pass them by.
Gant seemed to be caught up in the kiss of death of jumping two levels at once... remember Mark Cohoon?
The good news here you might see openings soon created for both Savannah's Casey Meisner and Brad Weick in St. Lucie, by sending a couple of their starters to the A level.
I have a question about this 6-man rotation thing. What if one of these guys gets injured. Does the team return to a 5-man rotation or do they call up Steven Matz and keep the 6-man thing going? You can't just keep changing the bullpen routines that these guys have to throw so I ask again... is this how Matz gets on this team?
The recent promotion of SP Robert Gsellman from St. Lucie to Binghamton... while, at the same time, John Gant was sent back to Lucy to work on his game tells me two things.
One, it looks like the promotions have begun and, more importantly, the Mets don't seem to be afraid to move players aside so others who have been more successful can pass them by.
Gant seemed to be caught up in the kiss of death of jumping two levels at once... remember Mark Cohoon?
The good news here you might see openings soon created for both Savannah's Casey Meisner and Brad Weick in St. Lucie, by sending a couple of their starters to the A level.
One more bad start and would you gas I Now we and call up Matz? Now we is pitching like my gold standard in soft tossing futility, Sean Marcum. Do you let Now we sink this season out of loyalty when Matz right now is better?
ReplyDeleteBeck, Duane Below might be better than Gee right now.
Flores will still disappoint a lot, but he will get better and better and disappoint less and less.
Cecchini's hitting .315 in AA. Count me as pleasantly surprised.
Guy in Post listed Nimmo as out at least 2 more weeks yesterday. Shame he is missing so much time.
Morning, everyone,
Love my tablet! It updated recently, with spell check features that always guess wrong. I was asking above, would you pull Niese with one more bad start and promote Matz? I would, But of course there is Super 2, so I am sure they want to wait til mid June. Hopefully not 3 more Niese debacles. 20 earned runs in 20 innings puts him on Bobby Parnell's level. A low level indeed.
ReplyDeleteIs it just me who thinks this Murph/Wilmer/Tejada at 2B/SS/#B is the least desirable arrangement?
ReplyDeleteI'm fine starting Ruben until Dilson returns, but he's much better at 2B than Murphy (maybe a hair better at 3B if at all). The best defensive arrangement would have Ruben at SS, but I understand the logic of not jerking Flores around. Of the six possible combinations, the only worse ones than the present lineup would have Murphy at SS.
Tom -
ReplyDeleteThe Mets will wait until at least mid-June on Matz
Everything seems to be being done out of respect to Flores playing SS who still made an error yesterday.
ReplyDeleteMurphy is a better 3Bman than 2Bman...
Ans Tejada is better at both SS and 2B that third...
So I' don't see any other reason they are doing this
Tejada at 373rd Fri nite turned the course of game. Harvey awesome til Gordon for bunted for a hit, Terry has him in one more step, to offset his newness at 3B, he makes the play in my opinion, and they likely win. So yes, Murphy at 3B, Ruben at 2nd until Herrera is ready and capable.
ReplyDeleteCampbell, Muno, Ceciliani, Monell, Kirk, and Mayberry hitting around .130 in 250 at bats. How incredibly horrible is that? Play Ruben until something better is available, cause internally, nothing is.
Tejada at 3rd, that is. I typed it right, and it changed it to 373rd, why, who knows.
ReplyDeleteThey are putting Tejada at 3B because TC is still trying to get him in the lineup for as long a term as he can. And, to be fair, he's doing a good job right now. We'll see the motivations here if and when Ruben screws the pooch on a regular basis. Frankly, though, Mack, Hobie, and TB are right. Play Ruben at 2B and Murph at 3B. Murph is gone - there's no way the Mets write the check to keep him unless no one else wants to either. We only pick him back up if his pay request goes down to around $6 mil.
ReplyDeleteS.F.N. -
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure that Murphy (and his agent) is going to be happy with what others believe is his FA value.
Question - would you take him back at, oh, around $4mil/yr for 2-years ?