From The Desk…

Good morning.   

      1.    Once again, SP Corey Oswalt failed at the major league level. We’ve seen this before with dominant minor league pitchers, like Rafael Montero, In the case of Oswalt, he hasn’t pitched dominantly since last season in AA-Binghamton. And then there is guys like Jacob deGrom… 4.80-ERA in 2013 for Binghamton… and 4.52-ERA in Vegas. Some pitchers turn stats around, other do not and having a dominant fastball like Montero doesn’t mean you are going to be any more successful than a soft toss pitcher like Oswalt. For now, I would send Oswalt back to where he had success (Binghamton) and then have him as SP1 in Syracuse next season.

     2.    Everybody is spending the past few days bitching and moaning why Dominic Smith is the latest young prospect chip sitting on the Mets bench. I’ve watched Mets Twitter readers and Mets writers (including my own) complain through, now, two Mets managers and two management teams, and still, no change in operational philosophy. I just don’t understand why any of you can’t understand or accept what I have been saying ad nauseum… it’s NOT the field manager or General Manager that is making these decisions. ALL are being, and have been, made by the Wilpons via John Ricco.

     3.    I especially appreciated Jake deGrom’s comments after his loss on Saturday. Even he admits he is sick of losing at this point. I guess Brandon Nimmo is the last one left with a smile on his face. I expect we are close to the beginning of the selloff.

     4.    If this was my team, I would focus the rebuild for the 2020 season, not 2019. Success takes time as well as the removal of failure does. Think of this as a business that needs to be rebuilt. Imagine owing 20 billion dollars, spending 900 million more a year that comes in, and having 80% of the monies that come in represent fixed assets that can’t be lowered. Try turning that madhouse around. Well, the Mets aren’t that bad, but let’s pass on the quick fix and build a team around our 2020 assets.  1B Peter Alonso… 2B Jeff McNeil… SS Andres Gimenez… 3B Amed Rosario… OF Brandon Nimmo, OF Michael Conforto, SP Noah Syndergaard, SP Stephen Matz, SP Justin Dunn. SP David Peterson, SP Anthony Kay… RP Drew Smith… RP Robert Gsellman, RP Seth Lugo, RP Ryder Ryan, RP Nabil Crismatt. And right behind these guys will be coming SP Jordan Humphreys, SP Thomas Szapucki, RP Harol Gonzalez, RP Joseph Zanghi, IF Ronny Mauricio, 3B Mark Vientos, CF Jarred Kelenic. This is a good base to start with if you target it for the 2020 season. Keep the veterans on this list healthy in 2019… fast track the kids. And you have plenty of players on your current 40-man to go out and fill in this list. We need a quality catcher, another strong healthy bat in the outfield and maybe keep Luis Guillorme around as a young defensive minded utility infielder. Past that, a good quality fill-in outfielder, and two or three more powerful young healthy relief arms. We must keep looking for a successful pen. You can’t win at this game without one. Remember… target 2020.

     5.    Ken Rosenwald has reported that trade talked between the Mets and Yanks, for the services of Jake deGrom, are ‘heating up’. He said that any trade possibility would have to include RP Chasen Shreve in the deal. Shreve is an ex-11th round pick by Atlanta in 2010. He’s 27 and has a five year MLB stat line of 185-G, no starts, 14-6, 3.76, 1.36, 176.1-IP, no saves, 205-K, 90-BB. He’s 2-2, 4.82, 1.57 for the Yanks this year. Hell, we got better LOOGY stats than this on the team now.

     6.    Mets transactions this week… IF Andrew Ely came off the Binghamton disabled list while IF Nick Sergakis bounced back on it. I don’t know why Sergakis never seems to stay active this season and this could be nothing more than one of those roving phantom injuries you find on minor league rosters. He’s only hit .179 in 56-ABs this season for the Rumble Ponies…once prospect chip and recent suspended meth head, Columbia IF Walter Rasquin, has come off the medical table for one reason, only to go back on the DL for reasons unexplained...

     7.    Dov Mochari - @DovMochari - Columbia Fireflies, 24yr old, RHP, Joe Cavallaro, is now at: 8-2, 2.09 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, .199baa, 77.1inn/83k/26bb, Promotion...?

     8.    Vets4Mets - @Vets4Mets - 29,831,205 million dollars. That’s the amount the Mets will have paid Bobby Bonilla by 2035 as a deferral for a 5 1/2 million dollar buyout. And it was all Bernie Madoff’s idea.

     9.    Fangraphs question from reader - is the Mets’ player development as bad as it seems from the outside? Media reports on that front have not been glowing, basically describing it as a disorganized mess with no communication or consistency between any levels, leaving it to the major league staff to do basic instruction –   Eric A Longenhagen:   I think there are issues, yes. Especially with player dev and the way the pro department covers ground (as in, not enough) but also think the amateur side, especially internationally, has done a great job. It’s a mix, like with most orgs.

     10.  Keith Hernandez:   "I've never seen anything like this in my entire career in professional baseball. I'm from a different school but at this point right now this club is sleepwalking and waiting to lose, and someone needs to rattle their cage."

     11.  Mickey Callaway: "We haven't gotten the job done on defense, for whatever reason."

     12.  Devin Mesoraco:   "I don't think I've caught anybody with the stuff that Jacob has."

      13.  The Boston Red Sox sent scouts to the Mets-Miami game on Sunday. They need of a middle infielder (Cabrera?) and late inning reliever/closer (Familia?). Remember… I’m looking for chips to help me in 2020, not 2019. Power bat, 3B Michael Chavis, potential SP3 RHP Tanner Houck, potential power reliever RHP Mike Shawaryn, and (my favorite out of their chain) catcher Roldani Baldwin are some to consider. 

14. Matt Ehalt - @MattEhalt - My understanding is Mets pitchers have all drawn trade interest. Now, we'll see if they actually will move any of them.

15.  Devan Fink - @DevanFink - Matt Harvey has been worth 0.8 fWAR in 10 starts since joining the Reds. He had been worth -0.9 fWAR in his last 27 appearances (22 starts) with the Mets.

16. Jesse Sanchez - @JesseSanchezMLB - Here's another for the Mets. Their reputation in Latin America and across the globe is a strong one. Source: #Mets agree to a $1.45 million deal with outfielder Freddy Valdez, #25 on @MLBPipeline’s Top 30 Int’l Prospects list.

Others signed are C Francisco Alvarez, OF Mario Paiva, SS Luis Castillo

SS Bradley Encarnacion, LHP Javier Atencio, OF Jhonny Ventura

LHP Brandon Sanchez, RHP Jhon Franco

17. Mike Puma - @NYPost_Mets - The book on Venezuelan catcher Francisco Alvarez, who is receiving a $2.47 million signing bonus from the Mets: Good power, solid arm, but needs to improve his catching.

18. Anthony DiComo - @AnthonyDiComo - Francisco Alvarez ($2.7 million) sets a record for the largest bonus the Mets have handed out in a signing day deal. For a farm system lacking top-level talent, it's an important talent infusion at the lower levels.

19. Michael Baron - @michaelgbaron - Overall, Steven Matz is 4-5 with a 3.46 ERA on the year. But in his last 11 starts, he’s pitched to a 2.92 ERA. His road ERA for the year is now 2.25. He has shown a marked improvement as the season has gone on, which is a big key for his career.

20. Carlos Collazo - @CarlosACollazo - Mets No. 6 overall pick Jarred Kelenic has gotten off to a hot start as a pro: .579/.619/.737 (1.356 OPS) through 21 plate appearances. Just five games, but nice to see in the Gulf Coast League.

21. Matt Ehalt - ‏@MattEhalt - The Mets may soon need to hire a new GM. The early favorite is John Ricco since a logical pairing is him with Omar Minaya as his top lieutenant. However, keep an eye on JP Ricciardi. Sources say he has a very big ally in the organization in Fred Wilpon.  It sure didn’t take long for Sandy’s name to not even make the paragraph. Can you imagine what it must be or these three to go to work every day? They have to have around the same kissy kissy relationship that Crosby Stills and Nash had back in the day. Me? My money is on none of these guys, though I do expect Ricco to survive in some front office role.