Mike Freire - Fleeting Thoughts

Good Morning, Mets' fans.

Recently, I have been wracking my brain in an effort to come up with a story for this blog and it felt like all of the possible topics have been discussed.  That, and my effort to keep from straying too far into negative territory gave me a bit of "writer's block".

So, instead of trying to come up with a larger article, I decided to put down a series of random thoughts that have been in my head for a bit and I am calling them "Fleeting Thoughts".  Granted, they will not be as interesting as Jack Handy's "Deep Thoughts" from the older episodes of Saturday Night Live, but you may find them entertaining none the less.

1.  It looks like our old pal Yoenis Cespedes is nearing his triumphant return to the Mets' active roster after a lengthy absence due to a hip issue.  Normally I would be excited since his bat is still special and our lineup is better when he is in it.  But, a small part of me would prefer that we continue to stumble to the finish line this year so that we get a better draft pick AND a proper house cleaning takes place that is necessary.  Will a healthy Yo cause the team to win just enough games to finish in purgatory, aka outside the top ten worst teams again?

2.  Despite a wretched record of 39-55 at the All Star Break (including 28-54 since the "hot start" to the year), I am on board with giving Mickey Callaway the rest of this year and all of next year to prove what he can or cannot do.  The injuries and the flawed roster are not on his shoulders, IMO.  Yes, he has made a few questionable decisions, but like any rookie that is to be expected and how he learns from them is what should be used to determine his future.

3.  "To trade or not to trade" (in my most officious, British accent), is truly the question for this ball club as we bear down on the trade deadline in less then two weeks.  On one hand, I think it is time to clear the decks of all non-essential personnel, identify the core players and then get to work on shoring up the deficiencies that exist on the roster.  But, how much deck clearing is necessary and who gets swept out to sea in the process?  Oh and if we are unhappy with the Mets' current situation (unacceptable), do we want the folks that are responsible for the
status quo to be the ones making trade decisions?

4.  Loosely related to Item #3, what do we do with Jake?  I consider him part of the core, but he also represents a massive trade chip and one that could address multiple positions in the right deal.  I think this team will continue to struggle for the rest of 2018 and likely all of 2019.  If that is the case, then 2020 should be the true target for a return to contention.  Using that timeline, I would consider a trade under the right circumstances (i.e. a MASSIVE return) and focus on extending Noah in a year or two as the "ace" of the pitching staff, but I waffle on this subject depending on what day it is.

5.  I know that the emphasis in the minor leagues should be on fundamentals and such, with winning games taking a back seat at times.  However, our top four affiliates (full season teams) are sporting a combined record of 172-202 at this juncture.  That works out to a winning percentage of .460, which is ugly and largely due to the abysmal performance of the St Lucie Mets (but before we pile on too much, NONE of the four teams are playing above .500 baseball.  Yes, you can have individual prospects that develop in this type of environment, but the overall lack of success is concerning.

6.  In an effort to finish on a high note, the bottom five affiliates (short season teams) are a combined 84-72, so far.  This works out to a much more respectable winning percentage of .539 and only one of the five clubs (DSL 2) is currently playing under .500 baseball.  I think winning percentages at the lower levels are even less important, but it is nice to see that there may be some hope on the horizon, largely fueled by the Mets' aggressiveness in the Latin baseball markets.

That's all for this edition of Fleeting Thoughts......what are yours?