This is the first editorial written on
Mack’s Mets since it began blogging in 2007. This could be written a month
later when the team will be double digits down in the loss column to the
Washington Nationals, but we feel that it is more important to now begin the process
of building for the future of the New York Mets, rather than continue to embarrass
themselves with the kind of losses we have had to watch in the Milwaukee
series.
It is the opinion of Mack’s Mets that
the 2017 Mets, based on both the current injuries and estimate time of return
from those injuries, plus the lack of results from the current pitching staff,
will not make the 2017 playoffs.
Since this is our findings, we feel that
getting out in front of this would be the correct thing to do.
Mack’s Mets calls for the removal of Terry Collins as manager and Dan
Warthen as pitching coach of the New York Mets. I would ‘call up’ Las Vegas
manager Pedro Lopez and pitching coach Frank Viola to take over the Mets job, first on an interim
basis for the remainder of the season. Collins and Warten’s archaic approach to
this game needs to be put on the shelf and new blood needs to be injected into
the Mets clubhouse. All members of the Mets 25-man squad have played
before for either Lopez and Viola so there are no strangers here. Their
interactions in 2017 with the team, plus the results of those interactions,
will determine whether or not their interim status is changed to permanent.
Mack’s Mets also calls for General
Manager Sandy Alderson to alert the other 29
teams in the league that all members of the team that currently are playing
under contracts that will expire at the end of this season are immediately
available for trade talks.
Lastly, Mack’s Mets calls for the
immediate promotion of SS Amed Rosario from Las
Vegas to the New York Mets. Yes, there will be more to follow, but roster
openings must first be created through the trading on players under expiring
contracts. The Rosario promotion would come at a time where Astrubel Cabrera may go under the knife for his thumb problem.
We feel that the above moves will begin
the process of returning the Mets to a pennant contender in the future and
waiting any longer to make these changes will only delay the process of long
term success.
Mack Ade - Editor
I whole-heartedly agree with everything you present.
ReplyDeleteI would add that Alderson himself needs to be replaced 1st and foremost.
It has been his blueprint the organization has been following through these recent years.
His plan has failed and the immediate future is questionable.
What has Aldelrson done that warrants trusting him to take the Mets forward??
Bob -
ReplyDeleteI agree with your assessment of Alderson, but, for now, I need him to execute the moves I call for in my editorial.
The Mets upper brass can deal with him at the end of the season.
I AGREE with you, Mack.......normally, I am fairly optimistic and I am also a believer in patience. However, this "slow motion train wreck" that is the Mets 2017 season has passed the point of no return.
ReplyDeleteThe injuries are not necessarily anyone's fault, but perhaps the handling of those injuries and the overall number and frequency of them point to a larger issue within the organization? Just this year, you have Cespedes, Syndegaard and Cabrera all getting hurt, but instead of immediately putting them on the shelf, they are kept around until they get "really hurt" and then they are gone for an extended period.
The trickle down effect has been an overworked bullpen, players being put on the field in positions they should not be playing and a series of losses "snatched from the jaws of victory".
Worse still, our supposed strength (pitching staff) has taken several steps backward. In short, Dan Warthen is the Pitching Coach so he should take as much blame as the credit he was given in past years when the staff was doing well.
While we are at it, regular mismanagement of the roster (using Familia in a non-save situation last week, for example) has also hindered the team's efforts to the point that I think Terry Collins has been a net negative influence. I truly believe that a group of bloggers/fans could do a better job at this point.
The Nationals are clearly a better team this year, so it is a good time to perform a "reset" for 2018 and beyond.
Start by cleaning house in the manager's office.
Mike
Mike -
ReplyDeleteI can only speculate what the atmosphere is like currently in the clubhouse. We all know this game is 50% mental. I think some of the players could be mailing it in right now but I can not prove it.
Just remember that just before the Familia game, they'd won 8 of 11. This team is hitting and will really hit if and when Cespedes returns.
ReplyDeleteBut the pitching is terrible. I do not know how you fix that short term. I'd call up PJ Conlon or Pill for Gsellman, who would hopefully straighten himself out in 3 or 4 Vegas starts. Hopefully Lugo and Matz return healthy. But Tanaka is the only guy I know pitching with a partial UCL tear and he has a 5.80 ERA.
Promote pitchers that are excelling rapidly to higher minor league levels, demote dead wood to clear room for them. Shake out who has the guts, like Seward, to step in and execute and do it soon. Because...why can't it get even worse?
I partly agree. Yes, replace Dan with Franky V. I will keep Terry because he has been able to push most of his players during adversity. It's not Alderson fault that our players have been hurt the majority of the last 3 years. I would look at ways to improve our medical staff and strength coordinators.
ReplyDeleteAs for promoting our SS, I will wait till June 3rd
ReplyDeleteIf Asdrubal goes on the DL - and I don't know what the Mets are waiting for if he indeed has a torn ligament in his thumb - that's your chance to call up Rosario and let him play every day. I don't understand this notion of letting Reyes play short in Asdrubal's absence; if the kid is going to be here and we're going to start the arb clock on him, then why on earth would he be on the bench?
ReplyDeleteIF: Duda, Walker, Rivera and Rosario
This won't be popular, and not in line with the Editorial, but the other move should be Des Jennings taking the Matt Reynolds roster spot. Familia can be shifted to the 60-day DL to clear the 40-man roster spot. He's been healthy and hitting the ball hard for nearly a month now and is a better fit as a reserve outfielder. Conforto and Bruce are locked in on the corners until Cespedes comes back, but Granderson and Lagares have been abysmal and Jennings is a better option in CF than either player right now. A shot in the dark, I know, but maybe a month of success makes him worthy of flipping for a minor prospect down the road.
I would call up Cecchini until Rosario passes Super 2.
ReplyDeleteStunningly, the Mets are just 4 out in the Wild Card, and barely behind 18-19 Cubs. So somehow the front office will assume a no-panic, move-slow approach.
Dimitre -
ReplyDeleteIf you would like to write a 'reader response' to my editorial, please send it to me at: macksmets@gmail.com
I will post it as a response
I'll have my own thoughts on a 30-day and remainder of the season strategy running this afternoon.
ReplyDeleteFor now I wholeheartedly agree that changes need to be made as what they're doing clearly isn't working.
I'm being put in the rare position of having to defend the Skipper whose head I've wanted since 2011. While you can't blame him for injuries to the many of the players, he can take the fall for the bullpen implosion as a result of his tendency to throw 6-7 pitchers into every game. All that warmup time takes its toll, too.
Now I assume (but don't know for sure) that he and Warthen must have input into the decisions regarding whether or not a player is disabled. If they're not providing input, then what purpose do they serve? If they are, then what the hell is wrong with them in that they guess wrong on nearly every single injury?
I think some interim steps can be taken for the next 30 days and then you reevaluate on June 15th as the All Star Break approaches.
Frankly, I am so sick of all this Super 2 crap.
ReplyDeleteWe are talking about a team that plays baseball in the media capital of the world and will always have a team salary of $130+mil from now on.
Are you telling me I really should be worried about, what, possibly $10mil more for one year on a potential superstar verses the money that will be saved once current contracts run out at the end of the season...
IMO, worrying about things like Super 2 is a back ass way of running a major sports franchise.
They've lost the last 4 games... 6-5, 7-4, 11-4, 11-9----What about that SCREAMS Ahmed Rosario???
ReplyDeleteIf die hard Fans, like Us Guys Here, think Rosario is the Savior to remove all woes, then I can't imagine the pressure that would be on him from wider sources.
This team has two fistfuls of PROBLEMS, and the problems that Rosario might cure are in the Second Fistful---maybe the third....and this is to say Nothing of His Readiness to be here.
He's a pup with less than a full season of AB's above High A....but when the Major Talents arrive, it's always in a hurry!....be patient....You will see Him very, Very Soon... We can hope that He's THE ANSWER--- but it's not Today's Question.
eraff -
ReplyDeletefirst, calm down...
the steps I outlined in my editorial called for some INITIAL steps that should be taken, including the promotion of Rosario. I would have called for pitchers but there are none.
eraff -
ReplyDeleteAs I said earlier to Dimitri, you are welcomed to write a reader rebuttal
Just send it me at macksmets@gmail.com and I would gladly post it up on the site
The Mets will hang with this squad until they're done---and then they will Hang the Squad.
ReplyDeleteThe big danger here is that the team Checks Out---and the two baserunning mistakes by Reyes and Walker in the same game Plus the Blowout lifeless loss after a day off were good examples that the vets are quitting.
Unfortunately, the only thing they can do for the next 10 games is hang on---maybe find a spark and some pitching. Otherwise, Super 2 and late june and Next Year will be here soon enough. They would then sell what they have, and you'll have Rosario and Cheech, and Etc.
Rosario NOW is only a move if they are sure he's ready, and if the team is Bouyant---Do Not Bring him on to a toxic and sinking ship!---he cannot FIX what's going on. Rosario cannot save 2018---- he can add to it if/when they begin competing and pitching. Otherwise, he's absolutely inconsequential for the next 20-30-40 games.
BTW---Cheech gets the Start at SS, last Night in Vegas.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure they are moving Him around to get him ready to sub here---inclusing SS