Reese Kaplan -- Is a .500 Record What BVW Wanted?

The problem with writing days in advance is that sometimes things happen to change the context of what you had planned to say.  Let's hope the injuries to Michael Conforto and Jeff McNeil are no more than the minimum amount of time away from the field.

Anyway, let’s play the “What if?” game, New York Mets edition.  What if the team actually was committed to winning and made the roster changes necessary to do so?

Change Number 1 – DFA Todd Frazier

The concept of a sunk cost never seemed to resonate with the Mets’ front office.  There’s a new Sheriff in town but apparently, he also must kiss the, ummm, ring of the guys who sign his paycheck.  Consequently, the mistake his predecessor made must remain because they’re paying the guy.  He’s hitting .151.  He’d have to rally big-time to hit the not-very-robust .213 level at which he’s played THE LAST TWO YEARS.  He’s done.  Move on.  Even if you think there’s something left in the tank, he’s not part of the future.  Let's see more of J.D. Davis until Jed Lowrie limps to Queens. 

Change Number 2 – DFA Adeiny Hechavarria

There’s a reason the good glove/no-hit infielder was only able to land a minor league deal.  It’s the fact that after being mostly a starting player for his major league career people realized that his glove was not Ozzie Smith caliber to justify his pitcher-like hitting capability.  He doesn’t run and has no power, so unless he’s doing backflips as he turns the double play, why is he here?  At least Luis Guillorme has a solid bat in the minors...I'd rather see him get chances than someone who is a proven failure at the big league level.

Change Number 3 – Trade Juan Lagares

Yes, a guy who’s barely able to hit .200 isn’t going to bring back a king’s ransom and to get anyone to bite at all you will likely need to eat some of his inflated salary, but he’s also no longer part of the future.  The reason I advocate losing Lagares rather than the struggling Keon Broxton is primarily financial.  Broxton is not as bad as he looks right now, but he’s probably not much better than what you’re getting out of Lagares.  He does have more speed and more power but more importantly he plays for minimum wage and will do so for the next few years.  As a 5^th outfielder I could live with him. 

Change Number 4 – Look to Deal Zack Wheeler 

Anthony Kay may indeed be the guy to step up to take his place and Wheeler has been good enough to think that you will get a decent return for him in terms of prospect capital.  He’s a FA come November and unless you’re planning to pony up a QO (not happening) or extending him a’la Jacob deGrom (also likely not happening), then you’re going to lose him for NOTHING.  I’d force feed Kay up into the rotation and try to improve the club through whatever wildcards you can get in a deal for Wheeler. 

Changes Number 5 and 6

Be aggressively talking to both Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel.  Wait them out for the June draft deadline to pass and compensation no longer an issue, then be prepared to overpay slightly for Kimbrel for a shorter term deal and look at Keuchel as a longer term Jason Vargas replacement.  Next season you are likely missing two starters in Vargas and Zack Wheeler.  Anthony Kay replaces just one of them.  Remember that both Noah Syndergaard and Stephen Matz will soon hit those FA years, too, and you need to think about who is part of the long term future.  So far Chris Flexen and Corey Oswalt have fizzled, so your immediate rotation depth isn’t all that.    If you paid Keuchel theoretically $18 million per year and Kimbrel $20 million prorated for this season alone, that $38 million would still keep you under the luxury tax threshold and put you back into contention. 

Changes Not to Make Right Now

Until another pitcher inserts himself into the conversation for 2020 starter, you might as well keep Jason Vargas around.  Before he went on the IL with hamstring problems, he’d actually strung together a cluster of decent appearances.  His salary is such that trading him is not in the cards and releasing him leaves you short a starter.  You could insert Kay into his spot in the rotation, but you’d get nothing in return.  Consequently the wiser move would be to see if the Yankees or someone would overpay for Wheeler.

Don’t go crazy for a 4^th outfielder.  Live with a Carlos Gomez or Rajai Davis along with Keon Broxton until Yoenis Cespedes is ready to return.  By then perhaps J.D. Davis will have had enough outfield exposure to be part of the mix for 4^th/5^th outfielders as well (and he would not get many starts at 3B when Lowrie is healthy). 

Give Brandon Nimmo a defacto deadline of the All-Star break.  If he doesn’t show signs of busting out of his prolonged slump by then, send him up to Syracuse to allow him to get out of the spotlight for awhile.

Long Term Changes

Start quietly interviewing new managers.  Jim Riggleman is fine for treading water on an interim basis but his history is more losing.  We’ve seen quite enough of that with the incumbent and his white haired predecessor.   Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone with a positive track record for a change?