Reese Kaplan -- When Business Overrules Common Sense

Sometimes we forget that baseball is a business above all else.  As such, logic and even a desire to win often takes a back seat to the financial realities and ego-driven decisions that sometimes confound the most ardent fans.

The whole Pete Alonso situation has set up Brodie Van Wagenen in something of a no-win situation.  He was very visible and vocal about Alonso’s future, visiting the young man over the winter.  He made public proclamations that he would take the best 25 men north with him.  That bluster and bravado presumed that Dom Smith was a non-factor in the equation and that there was going to be a healthy Todd Frazier.

The reality that has evolved now puts BVW into either appearing to have spoken with forked tongue, or potentially to cost his employer an extra year of financial control when it appears that Alonso is indeed -all that was advertised.  I’m of the opinion that with Frazier’s injury it will be 40-man roster occupant Dom Smith starting at 1B on opening day.  This move would enable them both to showcase Smith and allow them to wait to promote Alonso to gain an extra year of control.

Rule V picks like Sean Gilmartin in years past have a distinct leg up on their competitors for roster spots in that the GM has judged the person worthy of the draft gamble and thus has his ego on the line.  Gilmartin had a fine spring and the Mets were rewarded with a full year of sub 3.00 pitching.  That’s a success story.

BVW made the Mets’ first Rule V pick in a few years when he added Kyle Dowdy from the Indians organization.  This pick may have had some input from manager Mickey Callaway from his days with the Tribe.  Unfortunately, unlike Gilmartin a few years back, Dowdy has pitched to a rather odiferous line of a 7.36 ERA, 12 hits in 7.1 IP, 6 walks and a batting average against of .387.  Who here wants to bet he makes the team?  If so, that’s ego triumphing over winning baseball.   It’s not as if it’s just a bad spring.  For his minor league career he’s not been a strikeout machine, fanning 8 per 9 IP and delivering (for the minors) a mediocre 3.99 ERA.  Offer him back to Cleveland.  They’ll probably say “Thanks, but no thanks!”

We don’t know where Todd Frazier would have fit in the lineup had his injury not sidetracked him, but this would likely have again been a case of salary being more important than production on the field when others have performed far better.  Now, granted, spring training is indeed a small sample size, often against batting practice caliber pitching, but wouldn’t playing the hot hand (ahem, Alonso or Smith) make more sense?

A parallel situation exists with the $9 million man, Juan Lagares.  He’s hitting 35 points below his weight (and he’s not exactly Bartolo Colon in size).  By contrast newcomer Keon Broxton is hitting in the .280s, showing the same defensive flair as Lagares and blazing baserunning speed.  Yet by most people’s projections it will be Jeff McNeil at 3B on opening day with Juan Lagares in CF.  The only hope here is that the GM’s ego (and Mickey Callaway’s relative lack of familiarity with Lagares) may indeed push Broxton ahead on the depth chart.  After all, BVW traded to get him and Lagares was only with the Mets for less than a month in 2018 before his season ending injury.  If not, then once again it is salary dictating playing time.   

We have a salary/ego combination at play, too, regarding defensive whiz with the balsa wood bat, Adeiny Hechavarria.  He has cleared his upward mobility waivers and stands a better than 50-50 chance of making the opening day roster despite doing not much of anything in spring training (nor in his career) to warrant it.  Luis Guillorme makes minimum wage and has hit over .371 but likely is ticketed to AAA once again to affirm BVW's "shrewdness" of inking Hechavarria and his .242 AVG to a minor league deal.  Perhaps significant on Friday evening was the fact it was Hechavarria at 2B and Guillorme at SS.  I guess they're testing versatility.

Finally, let’s look at the Cajun Chef, Justin Wilson.  He started off badly but has shown some improvement of late.  He has pitched to a 9.00 ERA with twice as many hits as IP.  About the only positive you can take from BVW’s questionable contract decision is the fact he has walked just a single batter.  I know his spot on the club is etched in stone, but by any measure he’s been horrific.

As I said before it will be fascinating to see what becomes of the roster once Jed Lowrie and Todd Frazier return from their IL stints.  Until then, some unexpected folks may be getting significant playing time which hot springs have suggested they actually deserve.