Tom Brennan - WHAT'S JEFF MCNEIL GOTTA DO?
Jeff McNeil is hands down the Mets minors MVP of 2018.
In AA and AAA this year, he has played 78 games and scored and driven in 64 runs, and raked at .346/.417/.634.
Only a strikeout every 2 games.
5 for 5 in steals.
Ripping at .393 in AAA.
"I hear" he also takes out the trash after home games and shines the manager's shoes. He sometimes also sells peanuts to fans between innings.
OK, that "I hear" stuff is all made up, but those stats sure aren't.
Jeff has sat by while the following TWENTY guys have been called up or recalled to the Mets during 2018:
Drew (who?) Gagnon
Ty (goes to the runner) Kelly
Matt den (lower) Dekker
PJ Conlon
Jacob Rhame
Gerson (100 MPH in, 110 MPH out) Bautista
Dominic (1 RBI) Smith
Luis Guillorme
Tomas Nido
Jose Lobaton
Phillip Evans
Tyler Bashlor
Buddy (not now, man) Baumann
Chris (beer) Beck
Kevin (butt splinters) Kaczmarski
Tim (Terrific) Peterson
Hansel (Big Fly) Robles
Scott (I can't) Copeland
Chris Flexen
Corey (I'm not Roy) Oswalt
And, of course, in the "guys hitting .168 in mid-July department", we have Jose Reyes, who of course is better in every way than Jeff McNeil, even though Jose does not take out the garbage or sell peanuts.
I did, in fact, just learn why McNeill has not yet been promoted, despite being the best minor leaguer in the Mets universe: he is stuck in a cave in Thailand. I hear that is where all the bats are, which is why the Mets cannot hit.
Hopefully, he will be out soon, pass through quarantine, and fly to Queens soon so there can be a 4th hitter here who can actually hit.
Hopefully, he will be out soon, pass through quarantine, and fly to Queens soon so there can be a 4th hitter here who can actually hit.
So, Mr. Ricco: you've tried 20 other call ups, and most have not done very well this season. Can you call up McNeill to see if call up # 21 is the lucky charm?
We are all waiting anxiously, because we know the only cave McNeill is in is the solitary confinement cell of the Mets Minors penitentiary.
Come on, everyone, join me: FREE JEFF! FREE JEFF!
Typical FO dysfunction
ReplyDeleteAre they waiting to DFA Reyes in the hopes that DW could mes back for a game at seasons end so they can reminisce of what once was?
ReplyDeleteYou know 88, I bet you’re right! It’s the only logical thought. It was comical listening to Gary Cohen tonight announce the lineup and ask why Reyes is starting seven straight games and then openly wondering why Reyes is still on the team. These are Mets announcers!
DeleteInsane, simply insane.
ReplyDeleteMy guess is no chips to be promoted until trade deadline passes
ReplyDeleteI thought you said "chimps to be promoted at deadline." It seemed reasonable for this team.
ReplyDeleteNo, he said "chips" as in "buffalo chips" or "cow chips" -- pretty much what most of the promotions outside of Peterson and the since demoted Drew Smith have been.
ReplyDeleteIf they DFA Reyes, they then create an opening on the 40-man roster for McNeil. If they can find room to do that for a Drew Gagnon then surely they can do it for their minor league MVP?
Did you notice that the players they did promote -- Kaczmarski, Gagnon, Peterson, Copeland, den Dekker, Kelly and others are 26 and over? Oh, to be young and in another organization...
Out of the 20 guys promoted instead of McNeil, 1 is doing well (Peterson) and 2 others (Bashlor and Oswalt) are doing fairly well.
ReplyDeleteThe other 17? You answer the question...I want to stay out of trouble.
Ypu would have to get Mickey to play him. Good luck!
ReplyDeletejd, once McNeil is called up, you are right - getting Callaway to play McNeill is the "+Kaczmarski Konundrum".
ReplyDeleteIf you think Callaway is the reason why Reyes is playing then you’re actually delusional
ReplyDeleteIt's all about 2019 now.
ReplyDeleteMack, Mets "could be" waiting on a move of Cabrera first with McNeil maybe? Who knows. Makes some sense though. Cabrera on third always made sense to me too.
I get the feeling that the Mets/Yankees trade may not happen. Just my read right now. Could be wrong though.
Instead maybe a Mets/Red Sox deal could happen. "Maybe" being the key word here? Something like a four player deal. Red Sox need a proven starter added in with David Price having struggled a little bit lately. And maybe a second baseman for them too, with Dustin Pedroia's knee still being a serious concern there, and only Nunez and Holt platooning second at current. Maybe coming back here, starter lefty Jalen Beeks and 3B Michael Chavis? (Hmm, interesting.)
Whereas the NY Yankees have no real glaring deficiencies and may not want to move either of their top two AAA Scranton starters (Sheffield or Adams). And I do not see the Yankees acquiring in a trade Manny Machado to play either third or shortstop this season in the Bronx for two months. It almost makes no sense at all, since they already have Andujar on third and Gregorious on shortstop, two very outstanding and young infielders. With Greg Bird coming alive now at first, what do they really need more offensively, Babe Ruth? Where would he play in that outfield?
But a team can never have enough really good pitching. So this really is the only question with them I think. You put Sonny Gray back on a secondary market team and out of the hot white spotlight and he should be fine again. If I were Cleveland, Cincinatti, Tampa Bay, Seattle, or Milwaukee...
But I do not see at this time, the NY Yankees getting rid of Sheffield or Adams, nor do I see them acquiring Machado for two months and losing Andujar. If they do get Manny Machado, it will probably be in the off season. There is not anything wrong with Gregorious or Andujar. There are valid big leaguers.
Also, I want to throw this in here too...
I could see the Mets making a few smaller trades instead of one larger deal. Ideally, I would like catcher Nottingham, a solid young lefty starter like Beeks, a lefty really big and fat, mean looking lefty set-up man like a Alvarado, and a younger third baseman like Chavis.
A younger starter, a catcher, a third baseman, and a big fat mean lefty set-up man. If the Mets were to get all that...it's Christmas/Chanukah I tell ya'!
Other stuff...
I am a big Michael Conforto fan, and I do see all his vast potential and he will achieve it all I know up here. But my gut tells me that he needs to go down to like AA Mets ball (a quieter place) just to get himself totally right again. You don't want his struggles up here to convince him that he is no longer a terrific ball player, because he definitely still is. He has barely even begun to do all the terrific things that he will here. Then when he feels really ready, call him back up here for the second half of this season ready to be who he is again. Whole.
The Mets have both outfielders Tebow and Borenstein they could call up in his place until Michael is back up. It makes some sense to me.
The Rotating Rotation
ReplyDeleteSomething happening here, down in Mets Minorland.
GM Alderson indicated when he was leaving, that he didn't feel like he had fulfilled his quest here to restock the Mets minor leagues. I totally and respectfully have to disagree.
The Mets have at least three MiLB starters of significance and merit to me. Crismatt, Dunn, and Oswalt. It is not beyond anyone's wildest dreams that all three should have a legitimate shot at making the 2019 NY Mets out of Spring Training. Three! All with a ST look next season, I think it is very possible.
Now the bullpen...
Nine. Ryder Ryan, Roseboom, Bashlor, Callahan, Smith, T. Peterson, Hanhold, and Rhame. Nine relievers that Mr. Alderson was directly involved in getting here as NY Mets.
See.
I just hope that WFAN gets off Mickey's butt. You know, Mickey may just be that new manager perfect for such a young NY Mets team going forward. Grow together, into what they will become.
Anon, most of the fellas listed by you could make the majors but are those listed capable of helping this team win a division? Most are not, in this writer's opinion.
ReplyDeleteAnd if Boston were to get a deGrom or Thor, the Bronx Bombers would clearly be screwed - so it will be an interesting 2 weeks of possible brinksmanship coming up.