Dwight Hood - Don’t Forget to Recycle: Brody’s Geria-TRICKS invigorate the Amazins...For now…

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.