To me, there are certain topics that have to be mentioned first, like just how good really have these NYM's teams been in 2015 and now 2016. This is crucial.
This season was an injury plagued sort of mess. But this injury thing has become repetitious over recent seasons and is now the number one problem confronting this team. This problem really has to be addressed sufficiently this off season. It cannot go on because it is destroying all chances of this team winning the WS.
We have to be honest first and foremost here. Put player favoritism and personal hopes aside to accomplish this. It's hard to do sometimes. We have to take off the blinders to reality, even harder. sometimes. Here's my injury eight player opinions that I speak of most:
- David Wright - Serious injury, huge question marks of not only being able to return, but stay active going forward.
- Lucas Duda - Back and neck injuries the worst kind. Cannot ever predict when and how bad down the road.
- Matt Harvey - Beside the All Star start thing and early on success, what has he really done since?
- Zachary Wheeler - Great promise but I have forgotten what he even looks like.
- Stephen Matz - Is he another Scott Kazmir?
- Jacob deGrom - Are his injuries going to be every season?
- Travis d'Arnaud - Cannot stay on the field as a catcher and is not that good a hitter to play anywhere else perhaps.
- Neil Walker - Again, back and neck injuries can be very serious going forward.
My take is, the NYM have four outstandingly good starters on this list above, they should try to keep two on the rotation only. They have some really good up and coming starters in my opinion who are not all banged up and show no signs of becoming that way anytime soon. Namely Gsellman, Lugo, and Ynoa. All three have done better at the parent Mets level than AAA Vegas, true. However, this is right now their respective fact, and to overlook this may be quite foolish for these NYM to do.
These above players (8) and how they are handled this off season (to me) will determine the success of 2017. The positional players above are either now too injured or too replaceable to retain. With Wright, I might consider him as a Player/Coach now here, with view of him one day being this ball club's manager. It is in short, time to bring along the next era of NYM Baseball. Look at the Cubs right now. Best starting rotation in MLB, however, all the kid players (with little exception) that they were bragging on the last two seasons in their MiLB, really didn't have stellar hitting seasons in 2016. Take a look.Then take a look at Vegas 2016, namely Nimmo, Cecchini, TJ, and B Mets' D. Smith. Four guys who in my opinion could and should be starting on the 2017 NYM come ST. It's time for this change to happen.
Bringing up these four to start accomplishes this changeover. The old recent past is over, injury players all eliminated from the 2017 roster. This accomplishes several goals. First, the changeover becomes complete. It needed to happen soon anyway. Secondly, all the injury players are gone, many with one year contracts ending now. More monies are saved which could be spent on better ball players who are not always injured. Thirdly, it promotes from within the system the very best young players. This adds credence to the NYM own system to players coming along beneath.
Sure, many will see "gamble and risk" with this, but they shouldn't. Players like TJ, Brandon and Gavin have seen their first MLB taste now this past month or so. Each one I felt showed very well. Dominic Smith and Tim Tebow as well need winter ball experience. Both have (I think) unlimited potential at this MLB level going forward.
A wise 25 man roster for 2017, covers all possibilities. Here's my opinions, once again...
1B D. Smith
2B TJ Riveria
SS Gavin Cecchini
3B D. Wright/M. Obertse
LF Y. Cespedes
CF B. Nimmo
RF Mark Trumbo (FA)
C. Tom Murphy
Bench:INF Oberste, Phillip Evans, OF T. Tebow, Ty Kelly C Brian McCann (NYY)
The above group cover the bases, power hitting, lead off options, bench depth at all positions, defense, and PH.
Bench:INF Oberste, Phillip Evans, OF T. Tebow, Ty Kelly C Brian McCann (NYY)
The above group cover the bases, power hitting, lead off options, bench depth at all positions, defense, and PH.
SP (6):
1. Noah Syndergaard,
2. Jake deGrom
3. Stephen Matz
4. Seth Lugo
5. Robert Gsellman
6. Gabriel Ynoa or Zach
Wheeler (weather permitting)
Wheeler (weather permitting)
RP: 96) Long Relief: Hansel Robles, Jerry Blevins, Mid-Relief: Smoker, Set-Up Relief: Andrew Miller (CLE), Addison Reed
Closer: Jeurys Familia
Closer: Jeurys Familia
What will matter with this transition will be simply getting the younger players here into winter ball this off season and finalizing their skill sets for the start of the 2017 season.
Suggested Trade Examples:
NYM C. Granderson to NYY for Brian McCann
NYM J. Lagares and Kevin Plawecki to Colorado for catcher Tom Murphy
NYM Matt Harvey to Cleveland for RP Andrew Miller (lefty)
NYM J. Lagares and Kevin Plawecki to Colorado for catcher Tom Murphy
NYM Matt Harvey to Cleveland for RP Andrew Miller (lefty)
Additional Trades:
A. Cabrera, T. d'Arnaud for another team's MiLB promising players to restock the NYM MiLB system some.
Thanks for reading!
Wheeler will return older than Bartolo Colon. I don't see the Mets rushing youthful position players in...Conforto showed how hard that transition can be.
ReplyDeleteI will let other readers add their 2 cents about your other suggestions, Casey.
Tim Tebow is years from being ready. Never played in the minors until recently. He hasn't played competitive amatuer ball in years. It would be a stretch for him to do well in full season low A ball. Like you pointed out about Conforto, its hard to make the transition and Conforto had some MLB experience with 2 years in the minors and a few years of college ball. Tebow will have had 1 fall of instructional ball after being out of baseball for years following high school. The Natural was a fictional story. I like Tim Tebow as a person but he's no Robert Redford.
ReplyDeleteI doubt there are any teams out there waiting to trade their healthy star players for our injured ex stars with question marks.
I would bring Duda back. Your not going to get anything for him. I would have Conforto as a backup plan. Smith isn't ready.
I would have to let Walker go if he wants anything close to the 17+millin qualifying offer. It's not my money but the Mets do have a budget and I would rather have them spend the money elsewhere.
SS has to go to Cabrera. He has another year under contract and the Mets pitching staff wouldn't survive with Cecchini's laughable defense behind them. I agree on Cespedes I would keep Bruce for 13 million over Trumbo. Trumbo is Bruce outside of Baltimore.
Pitching
I would start by bring Colon back. If everything else works out he ends up in the bullpen. I would go with 6 starters. I believe this is the way to go if you want your starters healthy in October and the Mets are one of the few teams that have the depth to throw out 6 quality starters. I don't know if I would have them pitch in a pure 6 man rotation, basically pitching once a week or rotate in skipping a turn. Basically your spot gets skipped every 5 times through the rotation. I would go with Syndergaard, deGrom, Harvey, Matz, Wheeler and Gsellman. Colon and Lugo ready in case of an injury. I'm open to CF and the C spot. We're not getting Miller otherwise I'm with you on the pen.
Tebow stinks and he is already 29.
ReplyDeleteNot sure what you were smoking ,when you wrote this..