Now what Dorothy?
Injuries. More stinking Met injuries.
Were there ways this could have for once been actually averted?
A: Maybe. But unsure to date because not really ever tried here.
What do I mean. A six-man rotation. Look, the team has great young starters, we all concur. However, they throw really hard and rely on those fastballs. You have to take "every precaution" and protect their arms. You need them to stay healthy all season where humanly possible. The six-man has been discussed by Mets fans since the time of Manager Manual. Why it has not been implemented is beyond most of us. It is not too late.
Does the team need to go out and get another quality starter?
A: It's entirely debatable. To me, no. The reason why is simply that the NY Mets still have four quality starters in its rotation with three quality starters already down. Intelligently, they began the season with seven. The move I still like is to simply stretch out Hansel Robles into a starter, beginning him on a five inning limitation until he is broekn back into the increased load. Possibly here setting a pitch limit in order to accomplish this transition into a starter again.
Vegas has a really good righty big man reliever, Kevin McGowan. Kevin would probably make the right call-up for Robles rotation spot I think.
Now the offense...
Jose Reyes is showing signs of waking up to all he can be again. He is not too old or too beat up from years of playing to accomplish this feat. After all, he is Jose Reyes. The 2011 Jose season is not that far behind him to recall. I am very impressed with Jay Bruce and very happy for him and the team that he is off to such a great start here in 2017. The Mets were more lucky than wise not to trade him away I feel. Count your blessings. And Rene Rivera is hitting this season too, not bad. I'll take it. And Michael Conforto has really found his MLB groove now. It is so outstanding to see happen. I am delighted for him, this team, and the Met fans. This is not a bad nucleus I have just mentioned. It's a start, but the Mets need more additions to this.
But the Mets need more.
Yoenis Cespedes injury to hamstring is a big loss to the offense. After all, Yoenis is this team's offensive leader and a team needs that person playing. He'll be 100% again soon, but you never rush a hamstring injury whether torn or pulled. That can be lingering otherwise. Let him tell you when he is ready to play again. He'll know.
Dominic Smith and Amed Rosario are still playing and batting well at Las Vegas. They are both worth watching. Gavin Cecchini is slowly starting to step back up to his natural offensive level of play. I am waiting and watching on him too. He would afford this team to make (perhaps) a few adjustments to their infield once he is back to his own level.
Neil Walker has not arrived yet. Maybe he has an injury nagging, maybe he isn't getting enough sleep (or something) but I know he will show back up here soon the guy we all know.
The quiet batter in Vegas I am always watching as well is the unheralded Travis Taijeron. He has learned how to hit consistently for average. He has unspoken of power that he could still further tap into and may. But he has fourth outfielder written all over him now, with room to grow I believe. Plus, he is still hungry.
The last Nats game hurt. But this team has resolve and if somehow they can gel together as one team again, this will not be over in 2017 until the fat lady sings, hopefully not too loud.
So overall...
McGowan, maybe Taijeron soon. Smith and Rosario a little more time to ferment, unless management is 100% certain they are ready.
The injury list was sadly too predictable again in 2017. But there is still hope in Mudsville, for the "Mighty Casey" has not struck out.
Hard to have a six man rotation without 6 healthy starters.
ReplyDeleteRobles is 4-0. Convert him to a starter and his first 4 starts might be 0-4. I'd leave that alone.
Hopefully Sewald gets a chance to pitch and impresses...maybe Salas needs a 10 day stint on the DL due to an inflamed ERA.
Absent Lagares also getting hurt, Taijeron won't be called up. I do imagine he is the next righty OF in succession, but they'd most likely promote lefty Nimmo before him.
McGowan started out with the Mets as a starter out of Franklin Pierce Univ. His last full year as a Mets starter was in 2015 for St. lucie (23 starts, 6-10,4.50). He could easily be stretched out to help here.
ReplyDeleteThis is 'grab the buckets and bail the water out of the boat' time. Play Reyes while he is hot. He always has had the ability to tilt the field when he hits well.
Put the game on the back of Bruce and Walker, not Conforto. He doesn't need any drama to change his current game
play each inning at a time
win the series
you win tonight and both Miami and Philly lose and you can see the Nats flying above you.
Reyes, one of the two subjects in my Old Man Hitting Tracker series who is currently proving he is not done yet, has a nice 7 game hit streak with I think 1 strikeout, much more like the old Jose we used to know and love. Hopefully, his reaction to his severe slump remains an equal and opposite reaction.
ReplyDeleteJust glanced to see how former Met Justin Turner is going...hitting .404.
try to imagine this team with Turner on third and Murph on second
ReplyDelete"try to imagine this team with Turner on third and Murph on second" - Mack, we'd be talking dynasty.
ReplyDeleteMack, you can thank the "Genius in his own mind" for both Turner and Murphy not being here. He knows marginal players when he sees them.
ReplyDeleteWe are lucky indeed that his Genius didn't send Conforto to Vegas because we needed to get Granderson going.
Nothing like seeing the "Imbecile in the dugout" playing Granderson ahead of Lagares and then see balls dropping knowing that Lagares would have put them in his pocket. I know Lagares isn't doing much better but at least he helps with his defense. Isn't this a perfect time to give Lagares 4 or 5 games per week to see if he can re-discover what made him great? Granderson doesn't hit until the last month of the season anyway. Take advantage now that Cespedes is out.
Syndergaard injury may end up being a blessing. Maybe now he will start taking baseball seriously instead of his Thor persona. If he comes back with an attitude similar to deGrom's that would be nice.
Viper
Viper -
ReplyDeleteThis is where the 'team leader' comes in.
Someone needs to sit down with Syndergaard and take away his helmet with those horns on it. Also, someone needs to convince him to stop tweeting.
I'm not sure David Wright falls in this category anymore.
Wright would throw in the towel - if he could only throw
ReplyDeleteThis current Mets team doesn't have any leaders. Murphy was the last one. Reyes leads only when he is doing well, Cespedes doesn't hustle all the time, Granderson is too old. David is never here anymore.
ReplyDeleteOn the pitching side I would say deGrom and on the position players I would say Bruce and Conforto are the closest players to being leaders.
Viper
Thor and Harvey think they're leaders but I'd rather see more in the mold of Jacob de Grom -- just put your head down, stay out of the non-baseball headlines, and do your job well. I couldn't see Walker, Cabrera, Granderson, Duda, or Bruce because they're not in the long term plans...of that group Cabrera at least should be here through the 2018 season. As good as Conforto has been, he's still not even considered a "starter" by the people who make the plans and fill out the lineup cards. If Nimmo and Lagares weren't hurt, he wouldn't be here at all. Also, given his record last year, he has to prove it for more than a hot April before anyone will take him seriously. d'Arnaud is in a similar situation. He has to show he can both stay on the field and be productive consistently. So yes, there is most definitely a leadership deficit.
ReplyDeleteReese, that is why Terry is the leader...at least until Tebow gets here, right Mack?
ReplyDeleteTebow and Nimmo would get along well.
ReplyDeleteYes they would. Both are strong Christians.
ReplyDeleteThat is what I meant.
ReplyDelete