6/4/19

Tony Plate - Mets Look To Improve Bullpen

                                               
SAFE AT THE PLATE, WITH TONY PLATE


The New York Mets are searching for options to improve the bullpen. They are finding out that this is currently a difficult task for the following reasons: There aren’t too many trade options, they do not have that many elite prospects in their system to intrigue other teams to make a trade and they are hesitant to sign Craig Kimbrel as a free agent who will command a salary of 17.9 million and if prorated currently would come out to basically 11 million for the rest of the year. 

If they do sign Kimbrel that would mean Edwin Diaz would move to the setup role which some in the organization think that he might not accept. Diaz has had two blown saves thus far and the one against the Dodgers last week still lingers with some in the organization. The Mets are also concerned with the performance of Jeurys Familia who has not done well and has posted a 6.56 earned run average.

In my opinion the Mets would be fine with what they have, because it is still too early to panic. This is only June.  Diaz will be fine as the closer and anybody can have a blown save like he had against the Dodgers. I think Familia will be all right. 

The Mets are only 4.5 games out of first place even though they have lost five out of the last seven games, because the Philadelphia Phillies have lost five games in a row. I still think the back-end of the Phillies starting rotation is questionable therefore I think the Mets can still win the division.

In other baseball news Mets broadcaster Ron Darling announced in a statement that his thyroid cancer has stabilized and he’ll be returning to call the Mets games tonight when the Mets host the San Francisco Giants. Darling took a medical leave of absence in April, when he required surgery to remove a mass in his chest.

 Also, the Mets used the 12th pick in Monday night’s Major League Baseball Draft on Texas high school prospect and third baseman Brett Baty who hit 19 home runs this year. The last time the team chose a high school product who played third base was David Wright back in 2001. 

The New York Yankees used the 30th pick on Delbarton High School shortstop Anthony Volpe who is batting .484 this Spring. He is more likely to be a second baseman at the next level.





                 

9 comments:

Reese Kaplan said...

There could be some help on the horizon if Villines and/or Gilliam get it together at the next level.

Tom Brennan said...

I read Justin Wilson might return soon, so if he does return healthy and can be effective, and Familia can get rolling again, things will improve. But the time to "panic" is almost upon us.

I would sign Kimbrel - knowing, of course, that if the Mets did, he'll probably pitch as much as Cespedes plays. It's a Mets thing.

On that subject, WHERE THE HECK IS JED LOWRIE? 37% OF SEASON IS OVER, AND NOT ONE AT BAT YET! He's made over $2 million for nothing.

If he signed with the Yanks, he'd have not yet missed a game and have 40 RBIs. It's how the Laws of Baseball work.

John From Albany said...

Tom. From what I saw of Lowrie at Syracuse, I think you'd be wishing he was on the DL if he was playing.

Anonymous said...

Lowrie and Cespedes should start an ice cream shoppe.

Anonymous said...

Third baseman Warren Beatty??

Are you kidding me here? What is he like 100? He I think is Carly's you're so vain. Ask Keith for confirmation.

All kidding aside. I like JD Davis for Mets third base. The kid has some pop.

Play Cano and Frazier in left. Rotate. Whomever is less tired that day.

Tom Brennan said...

We need a DH for Cano so he can loaf in the dugout LOL

Anonymous said...

Are there any "trade ideas" out there today?

Maybe Noah Syndergaard to Boston for lefty starters Darwinzon Hernandez, Jay Groome, and either a reliever or another point guard for the Knicks since really that's all they ever trade for or draft at the Garden anyway.

Then the Mets will have two more decent young lefty starters in 2020, along with righties deGrom, Wheeler, and either lefty kid Kay or Peterson, although both sort of struggled of recent outings.

And don't forget Cleveland right handed starter phenom Triston McKenzie either. He does remind me some of Doc in his long smooth delievery. Maybe he could be worked into this rotation equation if Noah instead were to go to Cleveland. Both the Red Sox and Cleveland are playoff bound it looks like, and both would do well to acquire a lower priced right handed starter of Noah's caliber.

Is Matthew Harvey healed up yet? Just kidding.

This 2019 pitching staff needs a retool. We all see that I think. You can hang around another season with the current rotation, but how many seasons will that make here for the Mets fans?

Anonymous said...

When you see Pete Alonso crush a homerun, who do you immediately think of from the Mets past?

Anonymous said...

Mickey and Dave, row faster! Row. Row. Row.

J. Riggleman and Bartolo Colon?