Reese Kaplan -- Finding a Manager is Just the Beginning

While the majority of people are speculating about the interviewing and selection of a new manager.  The last time they went with a complete newbie and suffered the accompanying learning curve process.   Yes, he was enthusiastic.  Yes, he was cheap.  Yes, he came with the reputation for being a pitching guru.  Yes, he seemed and claimed to be a strong communicator.

This time around the conventional wisdom is that they’ll spend for a marquee, veteran manager who doesn’t need hand holding, who can face the press, who has done enough already in his career to gain instant respect and who hopefully has a track record of post season success.  (How they're going to get someone like that to accept front office meddling is another rant for another day). You all know the names.  There’s no point in rehashing them here.

However, you could reincarnate Billy Martin and that’s not necessarily going to be the panacea for what ails you.  There are many issues facing this team that extend far beyond who holds the lineup pencil in his hand.  Let’s take a look at them.

Dominic Smith is a good problem to have.  He finished in the .280s with power and shows the kind of enthusiasm that perhaps only is matched by Brandon Nimmo.  The problem is the presumed Rookie of the Year at 1^st Base who not only won the home run derby but crushed the all-time rookie home run record.  Smith is eager to prove his worth by volunteering to play the OF and even said he would train to play centerfield.  Yeah, and I’ll be running the NYC marathon at 59 years of age and 265 pounds…nice goal but it’s not going to happen.    

Jed Lowrie got into a small handful of games at the end of a wasted 2019 season.  The plan initially was him to play 3B and Todd Frazier to play 1^st.  We assume Todd Frazier is gone and the aforementioned Pete Alonso owns 1B.  That leaves 3B or supersub for the $10 million man.  We have seen not just on the Mets but throughout baseball the canard that salary dictates playing time.  If the season started today I’d figure you’d have to pencil in Lowrie at 3B. 

The overcrowded outfield at this point includes Yoenis Cespedes (remember him?), Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil, Michael Conforto and we presume Dominic Smith.  Juan Lagares hopefully has gone the way of Aaron Altherr, Carlos Gomez and Todd Frazier.  Someone has to break up the logjam, and remember that Cespedes will be gone after one year.  None of these players are regarded as a plus defensive centerfielder, so one might need to be acquired for late inning substitution. 

Zack Wheeler is a pending free agent and although many are clamoring for the Mets to sign him, if BVW is a man of his word then Noah Syndergaard is here to stay.  That may indeed mean that there is no room to absorb the $18 million or so per year for multiple years that Wheeler will command.  None of the minor league pitchers still in the organization have indicated they are ready for the 2020 season, though perhaps there is some hope that Franklyn Kilome could break through after his TJS.  That means they may have to shop on the outside. 

Then there’s the bullpen.  Right now under contract are Edwin Diaz, Jeurys Familia, Justin Wilson, Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman.  Luis Avilan, Brad Bach and others are free agents.  Several of these pitchers were questionable at best and cost the team a great many wins. 

So again, let’s not lose sight of the myriad of issues facing the club which extend far beyond the selection of the next front office puppet.