Mike Freire - Fleeting Thoughts

Good Morning, Mets' fans!

Before I get into the actual article, I wanted to take a moment to "vent" a little bit about an unrelated sport (football). I am sure that most baseball fans are also sports fans in general, so you probably watch major events when they are broadcast. That likely included the AFC and NFC Championship games that took place this past weekend in Kansas City and New Orleans, respectively.

In addition to the irrational belief that Tom Brady and New England Patriots are likely dabbling the "dark arts", have you ever seen two high profile games more influenced by the officials? It included horrible calls, as well as one really obvious "no call" that completely changed the outcome of both games and the upcoming Super Bowl match up. One could argue that the Chiefs and Saints should be headed to Atlanta, as opposed to the teams that will actually be there in a couple weeks which is unfortunate.

I know that some fans feel like the quality of Major League umpiring has gone downhill over the years, but it is nothing when you compare it to the train wreck that is going on in the NFL. Let's move on to our favorite baseball team and not spend any more time on the "recurring nightmare" that is Tom Brady.

1. We are another week closer to the start of Spring Training (February 14th) and the first Spring Training contest against the Braves (February 23rd). For those of you who are not as obsessed with numbers as I am, that is roughly three weeks from now, give or take a few days which isn't that far away.  

What I find interesting is that there hasn't been much player movement of late.  Perhaps we have been spoiled by the previous pace that BVW set earlier in the off season? Regardless, I still see a few "holes" in the roster, such as someone to play CF, someone to be the primary back up at 2B/SS, a "shut down" lefty for the back of the bullpen and maybe a fifth starter. Granted, there are players coming to Spring Training who are capable of filling those spots, but I would really like to see an upgrade, if at all possible. 

2. Speaking of player movement, or lack thereof, do you think there is any merit to the cries of "collusion" when it comes to marquee players like Manny Machado and Bryce Harper? We are literally on the doorstep of the season and both players are still waiting for a place to call home. Yes, they are both complicated cases because their ages will dictate a long term contract and their talent will require a massive amount of money. However, they are also "tide changing" players that could push a an otherwise solid ball club into contender status.

Turning this thought more towards the Mets, could they jump into the fray for either of these players? I don't see a spot for Manny Machado with the way the current roster is situated, but I do see a spot for Bryce Harper if I squint hard enough. It would require some movement from Nimmo and Conforto, along with a likely trade of Juan Lagares but it is possible. Plus, Cespedes is likely out for the year so Harper would add another power bat to the lineup. A creative contract with an "out clause" after the first three years could do the trick, especially if the next labor contract (2022) is more favorable to player salaries, etc.

3. There has been some recent chatter about the Mets' 2019 projected win total (84 to 87), or better yet, what the experts in Las Vegas have set as the team's "over/under" estimate for wins (84.5) who have a lot more on the line then the average reporter. I think that both sets of numbers are a bit pessimistic, but I am also a bit biased as a fan of the team. Could they get into the upper 80's or even 90 wins in 2019?

The Mets won 77 games last year in a season that had so many things go wrong that it was almost comical.  Whether you are a fan of BVW's player moves or not, it is pretty hard to argue that the 2019 version is not more talented (on paper), especially in the bullpen.  The 2018 Mets had a 16-26 record in one run games, so if you are a bit more consistent on offense and you have a bull pen that actually gets people out, how does that number not get MUCH better?  Oh and don't even get me started on the lack of run support for certain members of our pitching staff.  Clearly, it remains to be seen, but unless we have a rerun of 2018, the 2019 team SHOULD be in contention for the NL East.

4. Lastly, I want to take a moment to congratulate Mariano Rivera on his unanimous election to the Hall of Fame.  Yes, on a selfish level, I am jealous that he was the first player to get 100% of the vote when a player like Tom Seaver did not.  However, if you review his statistics, there really isn't much of a counter argument to be made. In addition to his 1.00 WHIP over 1283 innings pitched, or his 56.2 WAR as a relief pitcher, he amassed 652 Saves over the course of his career.  If you account for the fact that he didn't start closing until his third year in the league, he averaged over 38 saves per year for 17 years! He is by far the main reason the Yankees won five rings during his tenure and a deserving Hall of Fame candidate.

That's all for now.......stay safe, Mets' fans!