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9/10/19

Mack – A Seasons Of Questions




I know that many Mets bloggers are going to begin to post up articles like this. I’m not trying to win a trophy by being the first. I’m just expressing where my head is now and, frank, where it has been since September started.

Let’s look back.

          August started like gangbusters with a win against the White Sox, winning two of three against the Pirates, and sweeps of both the Marlins and Nationals. That’s 9-1 in August through the 10th of the month.

Playoff teams don’t follow this streak with only 11 wins in the next 25 games.

Especially when you are fighting for a Wild Card slot against five  (Nats, Phils, Cubs, Brewers, Arizona) other teams that currently have a better record than we have (through Sept. 8th games).

I would operate this team in a different direction. I would sit all exiting contracts and only play the players I felt were going to be my core on opening day in 2020… but here is the problem. What kind of sign do you send to your young stars that you are willing to give up before you are mathematically eliminated in the standings?

I especially don’t understand why we didn’t bring up relievers like Matt Blackham and Stephen Nogosek. Both dominated at the AAA level. Nogosek deserves a second look while Blackham deserves a first.

Have the Mets thrown in the towel on Matt because he is eligible for the Rule 5 Draft?

Look, I love what Jeff McNeil and Pete Alonso have done so far this season, but that’s like saying the New York Giants played well against the Cowboys because of the skills of Evan Engram and Saquon Barkley.

I think both Wilson Ramos and Amed Rosario have bumped up their game this year and Jacob deGrom and Seth Lugo have been, well, Jacob deGrom and Seth Lugo, but frankly, I can find holes in most of the other players on this team. Michael Conforto just can’t seem to hit above .260, J.D, Davis keeps trying to catch fly balls with a fork, Justin Wilson’s WHIP is too high, and the rest of the pitching staff have ERAs over 4.00.

Past that, injuries cost us players that were supposed to be key players on this team. I thought Dominic Smith was showing positive signs of becoming both our backup first baseman but also an adequate back-up outfielder. Robinson Cano’s season was a wash and there is someone running around the clubhouse claiming to be Jed Lowrie.

As for our ‘backups’, Jake deGrom has a higher batting average than Juan Lagares, Brandon Nimmo, and Tomas Nido.

And Todd Frazier? He is hitting .004 ahead of Zack Wheeler.

I think this team needs to continue to change from within. We’ve recognized the need to revamp our scouting program and that seems done now. We now need to move on to field management.

It has amazed me about how poor the execution of our pitchers has been by someone that used to be a pitching coach.

For two years.

Pulling starters with low pitch counts, repeating the same mistakes in the pen that has been done countless times, and offering the only reason in doing that is because that’s what he is paying that pitcher to do.

Imagine finding out your babysitter is a pedophile and you continue to hire this person to watch your youngsters.

We need a new manager, though I don’t expect this move to be made.

Not the way the Mets do it.


Wouldn’t be prudent.

5 comments:

  1. I like Justin Wilson.

    The Mets needed 2018 Diaz to win this year, to be the team you could say "come get us" about. Sadly, he is another Mets arriving player who stumbles upon arrival. There have been many over the years.

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  2. Getting Diaz was the masterstroke of the offseason. Was arguably the best closer in baseball in 2018. Was going to fortify a terrible pen and make a real difference.

    Brodie made the trade because he believed -- correctly, as we've seen -- that the 2019 Mets were a playoff caliber team. With the right moves, and a little luck (always need some luck), they would be WC and possibly a NL East winner.

    That trade simply didn't work out. Diaz was awful. He didn't need to be 2018 Diaz, but something close would have made a huge difference in the season. Having Familia fall off a cliff and Wilson get hurt for half the season surely didn't help. Oh well!

    Sometimes you make the right move but it still doesn't work out.

    When Sandy was GM, at least three teams in the NL East weren't even trying to be good. Unfortunately, most of those years, that was true of the Mets, too. Content to be lousy.

    I'm glad this group tries to win. I think giving up prematurely is disgusting, and a major problem across the MLB. The owners are playing the fans for rubes.

    I'll be glad to see Frazier and Lagares go.

    But right now, tonight, I just want to see the Mets play to win.

    Jimmy

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  3. We should get rid of that bum DeGrom, the Mets barely win any of his games. He should try harder.

    The bullpen definitely defined the season. However Nationals actually have a worse bullpen (by more than a run i believe) yet have a solid hold on the first Wild Card. Bullpens around baseball have been pretty bad. Mets have blown 26 saves and they are only like 5th in that stat. Poor defense has also hurt them. 60% of the Mets rotation are in the top 5 in DRS and frankly this might be affecting some of our bullpen performance as well (someone smarter than me would have to eval that). Overall the Mets have had a pretty good 2nd half though. Rosario looks like he has reached the next level and JD Davis looks like a solid bat. Ramos went from a liability to an asset over the last few months. At least it gives hope for next year.

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  4. So... you guys agree with whatever the hell I wrote????

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  5. Mack. You inspired my post today about Mickey.

    Jimmy, Defense up the middle wins. Just look at the Cyclones. If we don't have Lagares, who will play center?

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