Mike Freire - Fleeting Thoughts

Thoughts Can Be Fleeting

Good Morning, Mets' fans.

There have been some big changes in the Mets' universe since the last time I composed one of my "Fleeting Thoughts" articles.  

The team has a few more vacancies due to a list of players opting to become free agents now that the 2019 season is officially over, to include Zack Wheeler.  We are also a few steps closer to having the 2019 Rookie of the Year and the 2019 Cy Young Award "trophies" on our mantle (at least we better be).  

But the biggest news has to be the completion of the managerial search that has encompassed the last month or so.

Let's get on with the actual article!

1.  As I hinted at above, the Mets have a new manager and it isn't who many of us thought it would be at the outset of the process.  I openly asked for the team to consider Joe Maddon (before he went to the Angels), Joe Girardi (before he went to the Phillies) and Eduardo Perez primarily due to various levels of managerial experience. 

Instead, the team chose Carlos Beltran to take the reins for the 2020 season and beyond which should be fascinating to watch.

By all accounts, Carlos is a baseball savant and he has the unique ability to relate to players regardless of where they are from.  That will serve him well as he moves forward in his fledgling managerial career.  

BUT it is also fair to highlight his lack of experience as an actual manager, along with his outward appearance as a bit of an introvert.  I like that BVW is willing to take a chance and think "outside the box" but I hope that Carlos gets paired with a veteran bench coach to help him when he needs some advice.  

The early rumor is that Terry Collins might be tasked with that role, which is a solid choice and one that should make Macks Mets' Reese Kaplan happy (not).

2.  Roster turnover is inevitable in today's version of Major League Baseball and the upcoming offseason will be no different for the Mets.  

The biggest name on the list of impending free agents is Zack Wheeler.  His departure will open a rather large void in the starting rotation as he was arguably our third best starter last year.  

The rotation is still in good hands with DeGrom, Syndergaard, Stroman and Matz in place.  But, there is precious little depth behind those four pitchers, so reinforcements are needed.

The Mets should extend a qualifying offer to ZW so they can at least recoup a draft pick if he leaves the team over the Winter.  The bigger question is what would you pay to keep him long term?  

It will likely take something like 4 years and 75 million dollars to get his attention, which is a lot of cash for someone who has been a bit erratic an injury prone over his career (the last two years notwithstanding).  

Can they take that money and sign a couple of lower priced free agent starters instead?  If so, that would backfill the rotation and provide some depth in the process which MAY be a better use of limited resources.

3. I lived in the Tampa area until recently, so I had the opportunity to watch the Rays on a regular basis.  That is a team that has a limited payroll if there ever was one, and it is not necessarily by choice due to a bad stadium situation and a lack of attendance.  

With that said, they have averaged 83 wins per year over the last 5 years with an average payroll of $70.4 million per season ($848,193 per win).  The Mets have averaged 82 wins per year over the last 5 years with an average payroll of $130.8 million per season ($1,595,122 per win).  In short, the Rays are doing more with less, or at least they have been MUCH smarter with their funds then we have.

So, why not copy someone who is doing things better then you are?  While I am not advocating a full scale replication, I do think the Mets can learn a thing or two about bullpen construction by studying the Rays model.  

Instead of a star-studded bullpen, the Rays have a variety of pitchers who are each excellent at their "role". Yes, they have the funky "opener" strategy (which is by necessity), but they also have a shutdown bullpen that is among the league leaders year in and year out despite spreading the wealth.  

The Mets should copy this strategy by bringing in a bunch of arms for Spring Training and building a deep bullpen through competition that can compliment the talent already on hand.

4.  I am familiar with the whole "cheap Wilpons" mantra, but let's assume that BVW actually has some leeway and can backload a few contracts this offseason to align with a bunch of money coming off the books in 2021.  Where would you spend the money? 

As of this writing, I see issues in the back of the rotation, the middle of the bullpen and in center field.  Without a lot to deal from in the upper minor leagues, that leaves free agency or the trade route as the only options for improvement (or both).

We have the defending National League East Champions (Braves) and the defending World Series Champions (Nationals) still in our own division, so standing pat is not really an option if competing for championships is truly the goal, right, Brodie?

Until next time, stay safe.