I’m going to start off with a letter:
Dear {insert name of any major leaguer or former Met player
over the age of 30 years DFA’ed, waived, or released by the Mets or any major
league team},
Please understand. I’m sure you are a great person. I
appreciate your speed, power, athleticism, and ability to play all infield and outfield
positions. If you happen to read this, I am extremely flattered. Please know
that you are welcome to join me and the family for burgers and hot dogs on the
Memorial Day Weekend. If you or any of your family have ever served in the
military, we are extremely grateful and forever indebted to you and yours for
your service to our country.
But please, do not play for the New York Mets. If you have previously played for the Mets, PLEASE do not play for the Mets again.
Respectfully and Sans Ill-will or Malice,
Your Mets fan.
I have a saved word document copy of this letter. In a dream,
I was planning to send one to a host of players, who will remain nameless at
this point. My mailing of this letter was a dream. Dream only. The potential “mail-ees”
will remain nameless, because I do not want to appear bitter. I do not want to
seem judgmental. I do not want to appear, unappreciative.
They will remain nameless, because, I do not want to “jinx”
the “Movement”.
What is the “Movement” you ask? Well, allow me to elucidate.
The Movement refers to the Mets influx of seeming MLB castaways, the ones
deemed too old to keep, the ones that teams felt no longer had the skill set to
play adequately, let alone successfully, at the major league level.
The Movement includes the following players that have been
brought back to “The Show” after being stockpiled in Syracuse AAA:
1.
Carlos Gomez.
This former Met prospect appeared to be a
speedy, exuberant, hit for average, hit for power, play all outfield positions
potential superstar. The 2-time All-Star and Former Gold Glove Winner hit his
baseball peak during the 2013 and 2014 seasons while playing for Milwaukee. He
hit 23 and 24 homers during those respective years, knocking in over 70 runs
each year and hitting in the .280’s. We sent him to the Twins for the 2008
season in the Johann Santana trade. I get it. We had to do that.
But, bring Gomez back NOW?? On a minor league deal? We had Wilmer crying in the infield in 2015
when we wanted him again as a free agent, but Sandy passed on Gomez for Cespedes
after his physical was apparently less than perfect. Cespedes in 2015. The rest
is history. After a World Series appearance and 3 Cespedes ankle surgeries
later, he is back. Hitting 3-run bombs and robbing extra base hits. Since
Conforto and Nimmo unexpectedly hit the shelf, he has been a more than adequate
replacement, in my humble, unobjective fan(atic) opinion.
2.
Adeiny Hechavarria
Okay. So, I had to Google his name
three times just to spell it. Now 30, he has played for the Blue Jays, Marlins, Rays, Pirates. In 2018, he
set the Rays record with 242 chances without an error. He also set the Rays
record for consecutive games without an error at 71. He was designated for
assignment that year in August. He also played some for the Yankees before
ending up in the Mets minor league system.
Since coming up from Syracuse, he has hit
2, 3 run bombs to help the Mets complete a 6-1 homestand after Mickey’s job was
in jeopardy.
The Mets have also signed Ervin Santana, age
36, and yes, Matt Kemp, age 34, to minor league deals.
No need for me to go on about Santana, or
Matt Kemp, the one-time superstar Dodger outfielder, whom the Mets picked up after
his recent release from the Reds.
Is this going to be a trend? Get aging vets
on the cheap, after they are released, designated, or waived?
So far, a few have performed as admirable
replacements…so far. Hmmm. Where is Adrian Gonzalez? How about Jose Bautista?
This is a short article. Short for a
reason. I'm going to finish with another letter:
Dear Mr. Brody.
I look forward to having you as the Met GM.
As a fan of this team since 1978, I remember the names of Joe Mcillvane, Frank
Cashen, Jim Duquette, Steve Phillips, Omar Minaya, Sandy Alderson. This list is
by no means complete or exhaustive. Please understand. I have seen 1 World
Series win, and 3 World Series appearances. I can’t count 1969 or 1973. I was
not alive for the 1969 series, and I was only 3 years old for the 1973
appearance. Watching MLB films does not count.
So far, I have seen World Series
appearances in 1986, 2000, and 2015. I
have only seen 1 World Series win in roughly 41 years. Please understand. I am
not comparing the Mets to the Evil Empire crosstown. But, also please understand,
I would like the team I love to WIN.
That being said, do you REALLY think our team
can win, when we add players that other teams have cast aside? I’m sure they
are fine people. I, myself, am no athlete of note. But, I have never, and will
never, earn thousands upon thousands of dollars for my athletic prowess. So, if
these players have been deemed essentially “unserviceable” by Major League
Baseball, how can we EXPECT to win with them?
We appreciate your efforts toward
conservation of former players. We can always use them as talent scouts and
bench coaches.
Please keep sending the McNeils, Alonsos, Smiths,
and Rosarios. Even if they don’t work out down the road for us, they can always
be packaged in trades for different, serviceable models.
Please avoid the large contracts with broken
ankles and the ones who forget to run to first base because they read
the scoreboard wrong or claim they could not hear the umpire. They might not be
such as good investment, since they may not be able to be recycled.
Sincerely,
Your Mets Fans.
12 comments:
Some recycling works - the Jose Reyes and Jose Bautista ones from last season were ill-advised or done in desperation.
Adeiny Hechavarria to me is not one of those - he is a guy whose decent bat and strong glove, for a guy just turning 30, seemed an excellent gamble. So far, so great, and he should have been called up sooner.
I hope Rajai Davis ends up back in Syracuse and is called up for a meaningful Sept stretch run, if not sooner.
Gomez may still have something left, and hopefully he gets hot - if he does, he will be fun to have around.
The three above can do what Jed Lowrie cannot - GET ON THE FIELD!
I have no probkem stashing vets at AAA. They provide short-term emergency depth and cam be like a "crash davis" veteran to the young kids. I'd rather see Rene Rivera hit .300 for Syracuse than watch Colton Plaia hit .188 and not run out pop ups.
Also Danny Espinosa may not be able to make that play on a grounder in the hole that a good shortstop makes but he consistently has good at bats and provides great leadership.
Good to have the vets - some make it back. That said, we need more prospects like McNeil and Alonso to come along to be able to compete with a team like LAD.
As Tom said, this movement began with Sandy. Think Bobby Abreu and go from there...
And when they signed Gary Scheffield and Rick Ankel.
Will Addison Reed be next?
Reed has thrown 5 lousy minor league games this year? 14 runners in 5 IP. Is he done? Probably.
Dwight, that Gomez Geria-TRICK put some healthy bat on ball last nite!!!!
Taking another look and perhaps a so far unmentioned alternative avenue.
I would lose Mickey and his entire coaching staff beginning with his pitching coach Dave Eiland. After all and unlike last season when the Mets had a pretty good starting rotation, the whole 2019 Mets pitching staff has stumbled and regressed way too much to be taken seriously for a playoff run this season. Eiland goes, Mickey goes, and whomever else is a coach here now with the possible "only exception" of whomever the batting coach is at current, because overall the team is hitting well.
Sure, there are managers out there like Joe Girardi, Dusty Baker, John Farrell (and others too) who could possibly make terrific managers here. But in my opinion, this team is not anywhere near one or two expensive star player signings (or trades) away from contending in a MLB playoff format. And besides, longer term signing of over 30 year old players, never really has worked here aside from Keith and Gary. The odds are not in this avenue.
The rotation of deGrom, Wheeler, Syndergaard, and Matz (to me) was really a first in the experimentation here to build a really hard throwing 95+ mph "fastball club" a la Sandy Alderson. The question now has to be this one, "How well has this experiment really turned out for this franchise not only in wins, but also injuries?" Good question. Did it work out would you say.
This is precisely why I favor the rebuilding of the 2020 NY Mets pitching staff, now. Maybe it's time to get some "new life" in here with younger/healthier arm appendages. First focus on the homegrowns, like Anthony Kay, David Peterson, and Harol Gonzales. I feel that this can be done, add them in with Jake, and maybe really do go after a topflight starter from another organization via a trade scenario. For example, Cleveland has a couple and so does San Diego. Triston Mckenzie (Cleveland) being my favorite. Reminds me of the very best starter kid this NY Mets' franchise ever had back in the mid-eighties. Was a natural, until they tried to change him.
The next thing after the starting rotation would be the woeful NY Mets bullpen. It has been bad now for awhile. Spiderman is not the solution here people. He regressed second half of 2018 with Boston and they did not re-sign him, did they. Craig's arm looked somewhat dead actually. And he is asking for ridiculous money. (Pass)
A question here with this team is, "Can Edwin Diaz be fixed?" After all, he is only 25 and has a really amazing strikeout to innings ratio. Jeurrys Familia looks arm tired and probably should be either shutdown or sent down for awhile, until he's whole again. And there are others here now, that deserve a demotion or regrouping stint in the minors too.
Luckily the Mets minor league does have a few arms that it could call up to fill the needed demotions. Just some contrarian viewpoints to maybe think on.
Riggleman makes sense now.
Then after the team is back on sturdier ground with better player personnel intact, maybe Baker, Girardi or Farrell. But to bring one of these last three in now, may be too frustrating for any of the three to deal with. However, if this was a one or two player change move, then I could see one of these three being made manager now.
But this isn't. Trust me. It isn't.
The Mets' outfield is maybe a little bit better than "so-so" this season. Not as good as advertised yet.
Here's what I might do: Dominic Smith goes to Left field, but platoons with Robbie Cano there when Robbie is up to it. Since Jeff McNeil clearly is the best hitter on this team, he goes back to second base where he belongs. If Robbie wants to play second base again, then he will have to hit better than Jeff does. Sorry Robbie!
I don't really like any of the Mets center fielders so far this season. Carlos Gomez we already know about, so I will pass here. Rajai Davis is the perfect fourth outfielder, and Brandon Nimmo is a MASH Unit thus far. Michael Conforto is pretty good, but he isn't the hype he has gotten thus far in his career.
So maybe move Michael Conforto back to center field for now, sacrifice a little defense there for homeruns, and then get one more true homerun hitter for right field. What about JD Davis? Although actually he should be on third base, but you know why he isn't.
I want to win. Win now. Don't you? Enough of the excuses and the we're so sorry Uncle Albert. I feel it can be accomplished.
Summarization is simple.
-2020 goal: SP Jacob deGrom, Triston McKenzie, Anthony Kay, David Peterson, Harol Gonzales, and a sixth starter (maybe Zachary Wheeler), so that this newer 2020 rotation experiment works a little bit better overall than the last one now ending did.
-Riggleman takes over the club ASAP in 2019.
-Dusty Baker brought in during the off season to manage in 2020. Riggleman stays on as his bench coach if everyone agrees.
-Field: 1B Pete Alonso, 2B Jeff McNeil, SS Amed Rosario, 3B JD Davis, LF Dominic Smith, CF Michael Conforto, RF Some New HR power player from outside, C Wilson Ramos
Bench (4): Hechavaria, Cano (can backup 1B, 2B, 3B, and maybe some outfield as well), C Patrick Mazeika,and OF Nimmo (if not still hurt)
Bullpen:
Gilliam, Bashlor, Blackham, Matz (Try this, you'll see. This is his true personality position.), Familia, Diaz, and a new closer preferably a lefty closer.
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