Tom Brennan - METS' HELP THROUGH THE DRAFT
Psalm 121 begins: 1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
This is not (contrary to appearance) a religious article, but the concept applies here...we have experienced the Mets going 21-45 (.318) after their miraculous 11-1 season start.
66 brutal, downward-spiraling games, causing that 11-1 to slip to 32-46 thru June 28.
So: where does a Mets fan's help come from?
One obvious place is: THE ANNUAL BASEBALL DRAFT.
It is amazing to think that after the 11-1 start, when the Metsies had baseball's best record and were in the 30th and final draft slot, the club from Queens has "rallied" to where the Mets are now in the 5th slot, and still haven't reached the end of June!
Only Baltimore, Kansas City, the White Sox, and Miami have worse records (and higher draft slots) than the Mets.
I think the Mets could easily slip to 4th considering that they have coughed up most of their lead over the Marlins over the past 2 1/2 months, and the Mets remain only 2 games ahead of the Marlins. Logic would say the Mets would outplay the rebuilding Marlins the rest of the way, but logic would also have told you the Mets couldn't go 21-45 after going 11-1.
Can the Mets climb over any of the other 3 teams?
It would have to be 3 more incredibly miserable months of Mets losing to do it - because those other 3 teams are playing putrid baseball - the Mets record is 10 games better than Baltimore, 8 games ahead of the Royals, and 5 games ahead of the White Sox.
Baltimore is 23-57 (.288), the Royals 25-55 (.313), and the White Sox are 28-52 (.350). And none of those 3 are showing any signs whatsoever of getting hot. In the last two weeks, the O's are 4-9, the Royals are 3-9, and the White Sox are 4-9.
Anything is possible, but I am guessing the # 3 slot is the best the Mets will be able to do, short of playing a whole lot worse than they have played in their last 66 game stretch of UGLY. I can see the Mets having a worse record than the White Sox and Marlins, but not the O's and Royals.
But excellent draft picks can help a winner - for instance, it's super-early in his new career, but Mets 2018 first rounder Jarred Kelenic not only looks like a real, athletic player, but is 8 for 13 in his first 3 games.
So if the Mets are not going to rebound, then:
LOSE, BABY, LOSE!
GET A GREAT PICK, AND WIN WITH REAL TALENT.
STANDINGS AS OF JUNE 28:
American League
-
Eastern Division
W-L
PCT
GB
L10
STRK
1
55-27
.671
0
7-3
W4
2
52-26
.667
1
6-4
L1
3
39-41
.488
15
7-3
L1
4
37-43
.463
17
5-5
L2
5
23-57
.288
31
3-7
L5
Western Division
W-L
PCT
GB
L10
STRK
1
55-28
.663
0
7-3
W3
2
51-31
.622
3.5
5-5
W4
3
44-38
.537
10.5
8-2
W4
4
41-41
.500
13.5
3-7
L6
5
36-46
.439
18.5
8-2
W1
Central Division
W-L
PCT
GB
L10
STRK
1
44-35
.557
0
8-2
W1
2
35-42
.455
8
4-6
W1
3
36-46
.439
9.5
1-9
L9
4
28-52
.350
16.5
4-6
L1
5
25-55
.313
19.5
3-7
W1
National League
Central Division
|
W-L
|
PCT
|
GB
|
L10
|
STRK
|
||
1
|
47-33
|
.588
|
0
|
5-5
|
W1
|
||
2
|
44-35
|
.557
|
2.5
|
4-6
|
W1
|
||
3
|
42-37
|
.532
|
4.5
|
5-5
|
L1
|
||
4
|
38-42
|
.475
|
9
|
3-7
|
W1
|
||
5
|
34-47
|
.420
|
13.5
|
8-2
|
L1
|
||
Western Division
|
W-L
|
PCT
|
GB
|
L10
|
STRK
|
||
1
|
47-34
|
.580
|
0
|
8-2
|
W3
|
||
2
|
43-37
|
.538
|
3.5
|
6-4
|
L1
|
||
3
|
42-40
|
.512
|
5.5
|
7-3
|
L1
|
||
4
|
39-42
|
.481
|
8
|
5-5
|
W1
|
||
5
|
36-47
|
.434
|
12
|
2-8
|
L1
|
||
Eastern Division
|
W-L
|
PCT
|
GB
|
L10
|
STRK
|
||
1
|
45-34
|
.570
|
0
|
5-5
|
L2
|
||
2
|
43-36
|
.544
|
2
|
6-4
|
W2
|
||
3
|
41-38
|
.519
|
4
|
3-7
|
L3
|
||
4
|
32-46
|
.410
|
12.5
|
2-8
|
L1
|
||
5
|
32-50
|
.390
|
14.5
|
4-6
|
L3
|
||
9 comments:
Thinking Outloud
I am thinking this right now. Why trade anyone to the NY Yankees or Boston Red Sox really? Do the Mets have to? Too close to Queens for me. So why not make a potential trade with the fourth best team in the AL, the Cleveland Indians. Right? Okay, let's assume everyone agrees although they all won't I am certain.
What about this "fantasy zone" idea:
1. Familia, Cecchini, and Cabrera to the Indians for minor league pitchers Shawn Morimand, Brady Aiken LHP, and Elijah Morgan RHP.
Thinking that maybe Cleveland probably could use an upgrade at second base, and another good reliever that won't hurt the Indians having in-place once they are facing the Yankees, Houston, or Boston in the Playoffs. Lefty reliever Andrew Miller is just now coming off an injury, so Familia could be their bullpen insurance there. Aiken is a young lefty starter with high strikeout capabilities.
For the here and now "fantasy land"...
I think it may be important now to get Seth Lugo back to the bullpen where he seems the utmost effective. What about bringing back for a tryout, if he is still interested, RA Dickey now age 43? As everyone remembers the Mets lost RA after his 20 game season victories back in 2012. The next two seasons in Atlanta he won 14 games each. RA could throw a capable knuckleball probably until he is 83 years old and in a walker, maybe beyond.
I liked RA here as a NY Met. he brings a different pitch dimension to the rotation.
I wonder if baseball is a million miles away for RA Dickey right now. I would be willing to deal with Cleveland for the right guy - no more pitching coaches though :)
Aiken hasn't pitched at all this year, and was the Wild Thing last year, and Cheech has been out for several weeks now - don't see any traction towards a deal there.
Morimando has been out since April and wasn't good before then. Morgan has done nicely but is not in their top 30.
Let's hope Familia regains his mojo fast - a top reliever, on his own in a trade, should get a better package in a trade than what you suggest.
Look what we want most is hope as (finger crossed) there is none now. I wish the best for SA but let me be frank his time here as GM if I'm rating him is a C+ at best and now everything's up for grabs and I say thank God we absolutely need a big shakeup. On the trade front the best option for us is to trade Jake to the Yankees as it really lines up perfectly. He is the best pitcher available with 2 and a half years of team control and the boys across town DESPERATELY need another front line starter to face the grind of probably multiple playoff series (remember them). The Yanks aren't the only team that could use his services but to have a player this valuable is gold and we have to use this opportunity to net the biggest haul possible. Let's see which team is more desperate in a month remembering that the Yanks not only have the prospect's we want but do you think Cashman will let another team get the better of him and steal Jake leaving him home watching the WS as Jake helps someone else win? I know I know we don't trade with the Evil Empire but lets be smart here we HAVE to do something to change the mess we've become...thought's please
How did all those "big arms" do in last season's sell-off?
No, the problem more than pitching is the offense. We need HITTERS. There is not a .280 hitter in the entire lineup. The team Sandy Alderson inherited to improve had THREE of them.
I am tired of the emphasis on pitching that has not resulted in a single World Series victory in 32 years. How about trying something different???
Reese, does "something different" include actively trying to hit and bunt against shifts?
All This Trade Talk.
Suddenly, all the self-proclaimed baseball pundits and gods are appearing out of nowhere to give their "expert opinions" on how to totally rebuild the NY Mets. (Oy vey)
Trade this guy, don't trade that guy, it goes on and on ad nauseam. Unfortunately here, no NY Mets fan can escape it, even if they wanted to. It's almost synonymous to being caught in some kind of a weird baseball maelstrom.
Being an inveterate out of the box thinker and dweller, I disagree with this "panic button approach to get rid of everyone" as somehow this is the only solution to the 2018 NY Mets situation. I also do agree with Reese Kaplan's blog today, stating the many significant accomplishments of the Mets GM Sandy Alderson in his tenure here.
There were several callers today on WFAN (Richard Neer's Program) stating that they believe the NY Mets are currently in a total rebuild mode, and that the organization's MiLB's Las Vegas and Binghamton player personnel possibilities are not going to be much of an assistance to this rebuilding process. I disagree, and my question here to these callers would simply be this one, "How many of you callers today thinking this have studied the NY Mets MiLB programs at both Las Vegas and Binghamton and know the player personnel there well enough to make such a contentious claim?" Good question.
Look at last night's game for the beginning of these possibility type of signs...
Aside from the masterful efforts of both reliever Jerry Blevins and outfielder Jose Bautista, I thought Tyler Bashlor also showed very well in his brief relief appearance against the Marlins last night. Tyler showed an aggressive determination with his fastball (once hitting the 99 mph mark on the radar gun) in this game, and went right after the batters he faced. Same as veteran Jerry Blevins did.
But my point here is this...The NY Mets AAA Vegas and AA Binghamton teams do have several player personnel pieces that could conceivably be added-in here to this mix, and soon. And that the NY Mets GM Sandy Alderson and his Scouting Team helped to build this possibility.
Down at AAA Vegas last night 2B Jeff McNeil homered and 1B Peter Alonso doubled. The signs are there.
TB:
Good points you make on Cleveland MiLB pitchers I suggested recently.
I was trying to lend a direction as far as a trading partner goes, as well as trying to suggest keeping deGrom, Syndergaard, Wheeler, and Matz together again for 2019.
Looking back over, hindsight being 20/20 of course, I might have preferred pitchers Triston McKenzie and Aaron Civale both from Cleveland's AA, and then lefty pitcher Sam Hedges (age 21) as trade possibility targets for here.
The NY Mets could use some more lefty pitchers to mix into their 25-man roster next season.
Mack:
Matt Blackham (Binghamton) picked 865th in the 2014 draft, has some very interesting stats and even a knuckle-curve he developed as a kid growing up. He currently has a combined 2018 season 4-1 won/lost record, and an 1.88 ERA with a 1.19 WHIP. Scouts say his fastball of current tops 94 mph too.
Good report.
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