Good Morning, Mets fans!
Once again, I sit here at work on a Tuesday afternoon only this time the regular season has ended and our Mets are no where to be found in the playoff picture. Granted, this is not a surprise since their chances ended some time ago. It does bring back some recent memories from 2015 and 2016 when we did have something to root for in October. Does it seem like that was two or three years ago already?
Regardless, it is time to turn our attention to the off season and how our favorite ball club can make the necessary changes to return to playoff baseball at some point (while we are still relatively young).
I know, get on with the rest of this article, right?
1. David Wright's recent "retirement" was covered from every conceivable angle by a multitude of media outlets and it was largely well done. In this day and age of "shock media" or snarky, negative "takes" the DW coverage was positive and refreshing, to be honest. We could use a lot more of that type of journalism and a lot less of the aforementioned "crap". What was lost in the coverage was that another soon to be former Met (Jose Reyes) also played his last game in a Met uniform.
Yes, Jose was a bit more polarizing as a player and he has a bit more of a "history" then DW. That and he came off as a bit of a "diva" around the time that he left the organization for the Marlins. However, he was still a product of our minor league system and he gave Mets' fans plenty to cheer about over the years (before he got old, that is). In short, don't forget to thank Jose as well, before we turn out the lights on the 2018 season.
2. That "smacking" sound you hear is the dead horse that I actively beating into the ground, but isn't it about time that the Mets find a new General Manager? It is pretty clear that Sandy is not coming back and I don't see anyone left in the Front Office that I would want to lead the organization into 2019 and beyond. So, what is the hold up? Perhaps they like someone who is a part of a different team that is currently involved in a playoff series? There is still time, but it won't be long before the World Series wraps up and the "Hot Stove" season gets underway. The time to plan for personnel moves is before you need to make them, not during the search.
3. Several of the writers here have touched on some of the players that we have "in house" who are expected to be part of the next "great" Mets' team and I am equally excited for them. Players like Jeff McNeil, Michael Conforto and Amed Rosario are among the listed group and they should only get better in time. What is not talked about as much are the VOIDS within the roster that will (hopefully) be addressed by the team between now and next Spring.
As of this article, the following positions need to be addressed; Catcher, Center Field, SP4, SP5 and CL.
Are there any internal solutions that can be used to fill these spots OR do we have anyone that can be used as trade bait to address these spots (without creating new voids)? Do any of you feel like I am off base?
4. Speaking of management, I was excited when Mickey Callaway was introduced as our new "skipper", since he was an "outside the box" choice with a background in developing effective pitching staffs. In other words, he was right up our alley, being a pitching dominant team that plays in a rather large ballpark.
The blazing start to the year only fanned the flames of optimism and even the most skeptical of observers had to be impressed. Well, at least until the stretch of games the followed, right? June was one of the most miserable months to be a Mets' fan as we were rivaling the 1962 edition of the franchise.
The horrible middle of the year was followed by an impressive finish to the season, again giving rise for some optimism heading into the 2019 season.
Which Mickey is in our future? Was this year his "learning curve" and the end of the season was a young manager finally figuring out his roster and his craft? Or, will he continue to be inconsistent and not learn from his mistakes, etc? I would like to think that he is more of the former and that he will prove that to everyone as next season unfolds. Regardless, I think he has earned another season in the dugout, despite the impending change in the GM's chair.
Well, that's it until next time.
Stay safe, Mets' fans.
Mike
ReplyDeleteSorry for stepping on your 8am post this morning with an error of scheduling my 11am post at 8:30am
Back to your...
I don't agree with you saying we need an SP4 and an SP5.
Matz, Lugo and Vargas should be able to carry us until Dunn and/or Peterson arrive.
IMO, let's concentrate on the other needs, starting with catcher.
Agreed. I can even live with the all southpaw outfield assuming the bench includes Juan Lagares.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I disagree with the priority. Bullpen first. Then catcher. You can point to incremental improvement in the catching department but the bullpen was a total disaster outside of Lugo and sometimes Gsellman. Even Drew Smith faltered down the stretch.
I agree that the #1 priority needs to be the bullpen. The Mets spend a lot of money on the four back end guys and didn't get much in return. The Mets went 38-30 after the All Star break, which puts you as around 89 wins over 162 games. Between Familia ($7.925 mil), Ramos ($9.22 mil), Blevins ($7 mil) and Swarzak ($5.5 mil), we should have gotten better results. After the break, only Blevins and Swarzak (10.2 innings) were part of the team. Take the 24 million from Familia, Ramos and Blevins and add a couple of really good arms. You can probably get both Herrera and either Zach Britton or Andrew Miller.
ReplyDeleteAfter the bullpen, my thoughts are the Mets need 1 big upgrade bat. Whether this is Grandal at catcher, or Machado at 3rd.
With the expected players coming off the books, (Harvey, Familia, Cabrera, d'Arnaud, Flores, and the relievers, I believe that payroll will only go up about 20 million for all these changes. And if you sign Machado for 30 mil per year, you can trade Frazier for payroll relieve and then you will have Cespedes and Wright off the books in two more years. Also extend two of the pithers (DeGrom, Syndergaard or Wheeler.
That is my thought. Let's Go Mets
I'm with Reese - bullpen first. The 7th ranked D Backs' pen allowed 89 fewer runs than the Mets' 4.96 ERA pen in virtually the same # of innings (546 for the Mets). The pen allowed 320 runs. A formula for failure.
ReplyDeleteThe pen astonishingly used 25 arms in 2018 (including Reyes). The 15 with ERAs over 5.00 threw 227 innings (42% of the pen's innings) with an ERA of 7.10. Absolutely unacceptable.
Houston (3.03) used just 18 relievers. The 2 of the 18 who had an ERA above 5 threw a total of 4 innings.
Give Houston the Mets' pen, and give the Mets Houston's pen, and the Mets would be in the playoffs, and Houston would not.
The pen is the problem.
I agree that bullpen is a huge need......my list is presented as a "let's do all of the items on it" sort of list.
ReplyDeleteMack.....I agree that we may have some internal solutions on hand (i.e. back end of the rotation), I am simply not sure who will be in what spot, etc.