Good morning.
I had planned to write about a lot more this week on this post, but I changed my mind.
The fact is I am not a happy puppy at what I am seeing this spring and I'm getting sick and tired of making excuses for the end result of some of the effort here.
It came to a boil when Matt Harvey couldn't even produce a quality outing against the Miami travel B team on Thursday. Add him to the inconsistencies of most of the other pitchers and the lack of hitting from most of our starters and I'm just not ready for this season to start.
Sure, there are a few bright spots, led by Brandon Nimmo, but how am I supposed to believe that come March 29th this is all going to turn around?
I know that I have repeatedly preached that nothing that happens in spring training matters, but. come on...
I know that I have repeatedly preached that nothing that happens in spring training matters, but. come on...
This is my last IMO column. It's not like my opinion will change anything here.
RP Joel Huertas told me this week that he’s good to go
and ready to return from TJS. My guess is the Mets will take it slow with Joel
and he could return to Brooklyn to put his starter career back in the right
direction.
Players sent back to
the Minor League side of the camp on Tuesday night were s RHPs Kevin McGowan, Marcos Molina,
Corey Oswalt, Gerson
Bautista, and Jamie Callahan, and OF Tim
Tebow. No real big surprises here though you could have made a case that
pitcher Drew Smith dodged a bullet here.
The next set of cuts
came Wednesday morning – RHPs Chris Flexen and
RHP Tyler Bashlor. 1B Peter
Alonso, OFs Zach Borenstein and Kevin Kaczmarski, C Patrick
Mazeika and INF David Thompson.
This left, by my count,
the following players in the ‘Big Boy’ clubhouse:
SPs (9) – deGrom, Gsellman, Harvey, Lugo, Matz, Montero,
Syndergaard, Vargas, Wheeler
RPs (7) – Blevens, Familia, Ramos, Rhame, Robles, Seward,
Swarzak
C (3) – deArnaud, Nido, Plawecki
IF (9) – Cabrera, Cecchini, Flores, Frazier, Gonzalez,
Guillorme, Reyes, Rosario, Smith
OF (5) – Bruce, Cespedes, Lagares, Nimmo, Conforto
In addition, IF/OF Phillip Evans,
pitchers Corey Taylor, Matt Purke, and P.J. Conlon, OF Ty Kelly,
and catcher Jose Lobeton are still in there but
not on the 40-man roster
Total players in camp:
39
Hitting has been lackluster, much to blame for bad start in spring.
ReplyDeleteI remain cautiously optimistic on Harvey and Matz, and if Cespedes' wrist and Conforto's shoulder repair fully soon, we should be solid.
Golden said if healthy, Mets have best pitching in BB. Only if Wheeler wakes up.
That said, if Mets could have gotten Walker for 1 yr, $5MM, rather than Two Year Todd, I would have done that. Patient Sandy was not patient enough there.
ReplyDeleteHow many second chances does A-Gon get?
ReplyDeleteA healthy and fully functioning Conforto should make a huge difference.
ReplyDeleteMy hope is that after A-Gon struggles pitifully in April, and Conforto establishes health, the Mets move Bruce to 1B, allowing Nimmo & Lagares to platoon in CF and Conforto to shift to RF where he belongs. (Well, he should be in LF, but that's not happening.)
If they want to better the team, shouldn't they make an effort to get Adam Lind, even if it means DFAing A-Gon?
ReplyDeleteLind would be interesting
ReplyDeleteMichael Conforto's minor-league at-bats:
ReplyDelete--Walk (seven pitches)
--Pop up to left-center (two pitches)
--Walk (nine pitches)
--Fly out to deep left (four pitches)
Jason Vargas was hit in the wrist during a minor league game, laid on the ground for a short time, and then exited the game
ReplyDeleteI've long been a believer that nothing in ST other than health matters until the final 10 days (the last 2 trips around the rotation.
ReplyDeleteNo one but 4to is currently expected to be on the DL. Forget the stats so far.
I'm not concerned at this point
I’m not sure what to think at this point. Happy about deGrom’s outing, and Thor looks ready (to be a top 5 Cy You g contender). Harvey actually looks like he’a Getting it together, and Matz potentially as well. Plawecki is starting to look like a first division starting Catcher, and Nimmo (though he won’t get much time) looks like a big-leaguer. Lugo looks like he could be a big part of the Bullpen, and Sewald has earned a spot. Cecchini and Guillorme, who will both end up in Vegas, have shown a lot, and Phil Evans could have a future. On the other hand, Wrists and hands are bad injuries for hitters, so waiting to see if Cespedes will be truly healthy, Vargas has looked mediocre, and now has a (probably minor) injury. Frazier hasn’t shown much, and AGon is questionable (better over the past several days though). Dom is MIA, and TdA still leaves doubts over whether he can catch. The team lacks athleticism and speed, and the can’t win a game. The season could go either way, but it certainly looks like a lot will have to go right to end up in contention.
ReplyDeleteOn the recent cut players, I was a little bit surprised on two actually. Guillorme and Conlon. Luis because he is a perfect bat off the bench later inning down a run or two because he is almost automatic for a single over the infield. I'll take that with men on second and third anytime. That's how you win a lot of close games. On Conlon, with older veteran Vargas down the team will need another lefty potential starter. Matz looked very impressive yesterday and was throwing the ball with gusto, which is great. But Matz not unlike Harvey too to a lessor extent, neither is really yet automatic.
ReplyDeleteVery happy with Jay Bruce lately, as well as Plawecki, Evans, Rosario, and Nimmo. Add in Cespedes and you have six making a nice core. Once Conforto back full tilt we have egg roll.
If the starters hold up, this could be a really fun season!
Oh yeah, this too...
ReplyDeleteDid you see Kevin Plawecki yesterday gunning down baserunners with amazing arm strength throws? Unbelievable! Threw a runner out at first taking too big a league.
Kevin does not ahave a right arm people, he has a cannon!
It's amazing what a little weightroom in the off season can do. And he is batting outstandingly well too. I think the Mets have the potential of some NL All Stars in 2018. It's early I understand, but man Plawecki, Cespedes, Rosario, Nimmo, Conforto, and Cabrera are a true force now to be reckoned with. I'm lovin' it! Got my retro Mets hat on today!
I'm so ready for the season to begin!
Outside baseball...
ReplyDeleteI used to use the Knicks' games for my insomnia. Worked within 8-20 minutes usually. But holy macaroni, this current edition of the Knicks is looking pretty amazing now!
And it's a young team too. About 25 average age.
Jeff Hornacek is smiling again, and he should be too. New players Kornet, Hicks, Dotson, and Mudiay are a terrific energy boosting edition to this team. They are in the rotation now and they make a huge difference.
The Knicks team is exciting again and I am so glad!
So what should Management and Jeff be doing to get this team even better for 2018/2019 you ask?
Nothing. Keep playing these kids in the rotation and let this whole thing take on a life of its own. It's young, it's deep, it's athletic now, and it will only get better and better with playing time.
Then come back with these same players and watch something wonderful begin to evolve.
For my friend TB only...
ReplyDeleteBipolar Disorder thoughts, because so many people have this condition and have suffered too long from its affects.
Study online Brain Waves, most notably the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Gamma brain waves. It's a somewhat new study and well worth exploring.
Alpha is the more beneficial waves. Creativity, intelligence, calm naturedness, often accomplished through meditation and even prayer does benefit, as does regular aerobic exercise, getting enough sleep, taking good care of oneself. They say that people with really extravert behavior simply have an overabundance in Alpha waves. Then too, people displaying extreme introversion and depressive behavior may be leaning more towards Beta waves.
Although there is no cure yet for Bipolar Disorder (that I am currently aware of) this condition can be relatively easily controlled and made much less a problem to the people who do suffer from it. Which is my point here.
Beta waves are the flip side, the "bipolarness" if you will. It is the agitated mood, the negative, the depression, and often the result of a bored mind. You have to remember here with this, that basically Bipolar Disorder people tend to be very highly intellectual and absolutely terrific at conversation and analysis.
Gamma waves have recently been shown to affect both people with Autism and Alzheimers, to some extent. The "Flickering Light Therapy" is pretty much brand spanking new for people with Alzheimers, and there are studies now indicating that Gamma waves may also have an impact on children with Autism. They are the most powerful waves.
It may be all worth looking at and following online, especially if you have someone you love suffering from one of these two brain affected conditions.
I have dated and known some wonderful people with Bipolar Disorder, and I can tell you first hand that they have all been extraordinarily amazing people. Would not have missed this opportunity for the world actually, getting to know them all.
[Brain waves]
All the best to you TB!
Anonymous, interesting stuff on brain waves. Mack tells me I make waves too often around here, so there may be a connection :)
ReplyDeleteTB:
ReplyDeleteExactly. My second point actually.
Over the past 40 years, there have been several Bipolar Disorder celebrities of wide recognition. And people with Autism are getting more mainstream, which is great.
These brain wave simple treatments like I said do not cure this. But instead make the people afflicted a lot less affected by it.
It is not Francis Farmer lobotomy here. Nor Frankenstein' monster electro-shock therapy. Just very simple to do things to make people feel a whole lot better.
Thanks for reading. Maybe we can help someone.
Anon -
ReplyDeletePeter?
(I am bi-polar)