7/26/18

From The Desk... Reboot to Reload


Good morning.


The loss of OF Yoenes Cespedes yesterday is sobering, but it just adds to the list of inept decisions this front office has made over the last four or five years.

The real mistake here was having the knowledge, at the time of his re-signing, that Cespedes had heal problems. This is unbelievable to think that you would give an eight-figure salary package to damaged goods.

Who made this decision? You must assume all the usual suspects were in on this meeting, including the departed General Manager at the time. Nobody can give out a deal like this to a player with admitted health concerns unless both the owners and Board of Directors know this information.

(And don’t be sorry about the Mets spending all this money… they will recoup at least half of these bucks from the insurance policy they have out on him. Don’t look for this money to be reinvested into acquisitions. That’s not how these guys roll.)

I’m not going to spend anymore time worrying which doofus did what.

What I’m going to do is reach out to the Mets and ask the to re-think their rebooting idea and go for the reload. The loss of Cespedes for possibly 70-100 games next season pretty much takes the team out of contention again.

Now you have a 31/year old ace starter only one year away from free agency.

You also have your next top starter talent just another year before his free agent status kicks in.

Folks, neither one of these guys are going to re-sign with The Keystone Cops?

Lastly, you just don’t have enough top talent in your pipeline at the AAA and AA level.
IF Jeff McNeil looks like someone that can improve their value above a 12th round draft pick. 1B Peter Alonso looks like a lock as the future first baseman. Andres Gimenez looks like a future all-star shortstop. And Justin Dunn and Anthony Kay look like that, in the long run, they are capable of replacing the loss of our current 1-2 punch.

Add to that outfielders Brandon Nimmo and Michael Conforto, soon to be third baseman Amed Rosario, starter Steven Matz, projected starter Seth Lugo, and relievers Drew Smith and (yes) Bobby Wahl make for good teammates.

But that’s 12 players. The 25-man squad has… err… 25 players.

Most of the player you could fill in here, for a competitive 2020 roster, can be obtained through trading… NOW… the services of Zack Wheeler, Noah Syndergard, Jacob deGrom, Wilmer Flores, Astrubal Cabrera, and Devin Mesoraco.

You would have the entire season of 2019 to get these guys to gel, not only with each other but with anyone else you could sign in the off-season when free agency kicks in.

I’ve gone back and forth on this, but the loss of Cespedes to possibly next year’s all-star break changes everything for me.

Do it. Do it now before you think twice. And God, do something right for a change.

17 comments:

Tom Brennan said...

Time to blow it up and start over, as you suggest.

I read that Mets could do better peddling their top 2 pitchers in the off season - but these are the Mets - the freaky-injury-prone Mets. Waiting is hazardous for Mets ownership. Not waiting is hazardous too.

Tom Brennan said...

I hate to say this as a Mets fan, but I would love to see Jake traded.

Why?

Because as a fan I really love the guy, and this team does what this team does to its aces - frustrates the bejeebers out of them. So, please...trade him to a big contender, let him make the Hall of Fame. if he pitched for the Red Sox, he'd be 17-2.

Bob Gregory said...

Mack

Glad to have you aboard the "rebuild the organization" mind set.

The only problem is that Ricco is still in charge and would be handling the rebuild.

Mack Ade said...

Tom - Bob

There is nothing we can do about Ricco.

The current front office will be in charge of this whether we approve or not.

TP said...

I never put any individual over the team, so I only hope they trade Jake if they get a windfall back, at least two highly probable impact pieces. Jake’s a big boy and gets it...he’ll do his job as best he can. He is going to get a ton of money whether his act Young season is 8-7 or 18-5. He knows the crazy record is a reflection of the team, not him.

I am also against the blow it up plan out of frustration. With the pitching assets they have, there is a way the can compete 2019-2021. It will take extremely savvy moves, money, and health, so that is an unlikely combo. But, blow-ups are no sure thing and require the same - savvy moves, well invested money, and health.

If the do deal Wheeler this week, the return better be very strong and a clear win. Given the prices paid so far this trade season, that may be a long shot.

Mike Freire said...

Agree that a major overhaul is needed and I also agree that you only deal the true "studs" if you get equal value, not salary dump/desperate value (aka Familia).

Tom Brennan said...

TP, whichever path they choose, I hope they don't muck it up.

But they knew, to Mack's point, that Cespedes had feet issues - unless they had some solid reason to believe they would remain a minor issue, 4 years was stupid - if Cespedes demanded 4, just say no. Bruce? Issues with feet too - not sure how bad, but they can't sign guys multi-year and have them fall apart early on.

If Cespedes and Bruce were healthy, we'd be competing for the Division, so it sure seems there was too much wishful thinking here.

Tom Brennan said...

Still circulating, Mack, is something you posted of the worst baseball call ever. There was one that was worse - on the play that would have won the Cardinals the 1985 World Series (!), the ump called the runner safe when he was out by a mile, and the Royals rallied to win that game and the World Series. Watch this: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=blown+call+in+1985+world+series&docid=608020934651020472&mid=04D82ED2EBBB0117421104D82ED2EBBB01174211&view=detail&FORM=VIREHT

Hobie said...

Boy, I disagree with this.

"...a competitive 2020 roster, can be obtained through trading… NOW… the services of Zack Wheeler, Noah Syndergard, Jacob deGrom, Wilmer Flores, Astrubal Cabrera, and Devin Mesoraco."? Even IF you got guaranteed equal value for each of those (that's a push), what's the point? $$ over extending deGrom and Thor? Obviously I'm not re-signing Asdrubal so whatever I get for a rental is plus and renting out M depends on the return... we really have no replacement.

Alonso? A dynamite DH, so unless you think that's in the NL offing, maybe there's a catching prospect out there (in Oakland?). Dunn? Familia II is my guess. I am excited about Kay but in the dark about Saz & D.Peterson.

Gimenez is in the IF somewhere by late 2019 (sort out McNeill, Guillorme & Cecch for the rest of the IF).

Bob Gregory said...

That is horse manure.
Teams in the running will pay MORE at this point in the season.

Winning is so much closer to being assured by a couple additions.

Bob Gregory said...

Every year this comes up.
During the winter the claim is that you can get more of a prospect return during the summer trade deadline.

During this time, people start shouting about trading off season because more teams may be interested.

TP said...

Thomas,
I am not defending the mistakes that were the Cespedesand Bruce signings. On Cespedes, the Mets weighed the risk and made a bad choice. It happens to the best management and we know the Mets are far from the best. On Bruce, I increased my opinion of him seeing him daily on the Mets, but his signing did not make a lot of sense given their roster, especially a third year. He can still earn his money, but they need to view him as an extra piece , not a key piece.

I am most interested on what they can do from this point going forward to field a quality team as soon as possible with the chance to compete over several years. Despite the train wreck of the past two seasons, with more bad injury luck, they still hold controllable starters and a couple of relievers that collectively are as good a core of top 7 pitchers as any team in baseball. If the market won’t yield multiple top quality prospects that can okay in the bigs in 2019, they best sit tight and figure a plan going forward starting October 1. Cashman got it right a few years back - if you pony up a Gleyer, you get my guy. If not, good luck in the post season. I’m not sold that the teams in complete rebuild now, even with stocked systems, will see sustained success in the near future.

TexasGusCC said...

You get more during the summer, but more teams are interested during the winter. It's kind of a trade off.

Anonymous said...

Hey guys morning Mack:

Love this website,and this thread.

Personally id leave Rosario at short till Mauricio is ready, and put Gimenez at 2nd,and the top of the order is set for 2020.
That is the year im hoping for a change and a decade of winning consistently!

Being honest I believe the NL ,might be going to the DH,as soon as next season? I don't want to see it, but im sure its gonna happen soon!

The Mets are lined up great if that happens Princess Cespedes can be the DH>

But in 2020 at the top of the rotation,there needs the two headed monster of Degrom and Syndergaard!


Enjoy the day fellas and I look forward to this discussion

Steve

Mack Ade said...

Steve -

I do like the way you are thinking in this post.

Cespedes would make a great DH and a future infield of Alonso, McNeil, Rosario, and Gimenez would work for me....

Is this the Steve I think it is?

Anonymous said...

Hi Mack:

If your wondering which Steve?
im the one who sent you a Sinatra song on Twitter the other day!

For what its worth as a fan of the Mets im alright with what has happened,so far? I have hashed out my anger.
Going forward I hope they use that extra international,money on Victor Victor Mesa? He could be the Mets starting Centrefielder in 2022

But id really really love to see a consistent team/organization!
It could happen without trading DeGrom OR Syndergaard
Lots of really good relievers available in the off-season, the OF will be fine with Nimmo and Conforto and whomever!
The infield should consist of Alonzo-Rosario-McNeil-Frazier with Rivera bouncing around ! I really like the Catching tandem of Mesoraco and Plawecki.
But currently the GMzzzz have 5 days to trade wheeler-Blevins_Bautista and Cabrera for players who can help in 2020
To me id like 2020 to start a decade long run of consistent Playoff teams, adding from a farm system, that includes top international players,aswell as good Draft players

Take care Mack
gonna be a hot weekend for ya
my son is in NC at a showcase tourney
that's why I know the weather

Steve


Anonymous said...

Keep On Winning NY Mets!

I want the radio broadcasters to have to eat their earlier on own words when things were not going these NY Mets ways this season. I believe that they call it "eating crow", but could be admittedly wrong here.

"To the moon Alice!"