The Mets added some pieces this past week.
Outfielder Jake Marisnick and started Michael Wacha and Rick
Porcello were all added under one year contracts. None of these three
are going to make the 2020 All-Star team, but Marisnick is now an improved
replacement for the loss of Juan Lagares and
Wacha and/or Porcello will fill the void left when Zack
Wheeler took the Amtrak down to the NRG Station.
So, where are we?
Well, I didn’t expect any of us to think
that Brodie & Company would return home with Gerrit
Cole to put under their tree, but I can only speak for myself when I say
that I had hoped for, at least, a more viable centerfielder. It’s not that they
weren’t available.
Was it really necessary to pay $10mil to
Porcello when the same amount would pay for a higher grade of centerfielder?
I read a lot of MetsTwitter and many
complain about the lack of Mets payroll being spent. That being said,according
to reports that the 2020 payroll has been increased from $139mil in 2019 to a
current level of $199,659.667. That’s an increase of 43,64%!
That’s quite an increase for a team that
has the reputation of not spending ‘merda’.
So, what do have going into the 2020
season?
First Base –
We have who MLB voted as the top first baseman, under team control for a
million years. He is backed up by a .280+ hitting Gold Glove candidate who also
doubles as our 4th OF. We’re done here.
Second Base –
We could have a problem here. Our aging future HOFer needs to stay healthy and
hit without streaks. He’s a wonder to have around and a great mentor for our
budding all-star shortstop, but we are a year away before Andres Gimenez can help us out here. If things so
wrong, The Squirrel can shift over from third and Jed
Lowrie can return there as a starter. As the new saying goes, the
situation is fluid here.
Shortstop
– Another no problem here. Our current guy raised the bar and is close to
all-star status, both offensively and with a glove on. One of our top five
prospects (Gimenez) will rise to the parent team next year and could take over
at any given moment (I have him pegged for second, but we shall see).
Third Base –
This is The Squirrel’s job to lose in 2020. I expect him not to. The only
change here is be may have to shifted to second for a myriad amount of reasons
and, if that happens, the illusive Lowrie is a capable replacement next season.
Catcher –
I’m fie with Wilson Ramos as the 2020 starter,
but I expect Ali Sanchez to become Tomas Nido’s backup replacement sometime during the
season. I also expect a huge push next off season for our new owner to sign J.T. Realmuto.
Outfield – I’m content with the five guys
we have here going into the season. The closest one that screams out to me as potential
all-star material would be Michael Conforto. We still think work is needed here,
but it will not come until the next free agent market opens up and guys like George Springer and Mookie
Betts get a call from a Steve Cohen led
General Manager.
Starters –
There are currently more than enough starters on the current team. I’ll give
you one thing that is needed to be done during this season and another
prediction for the 2021 rotation. First, the Mets need to firm up a long-term
deal with Noah Syndergaard. My hope is he would
sign below the Jake deal, but the money is flowing out there for quality
starters. The Mets just may have to offer more. Second, I predict that the next
great Mets starter will come out of the system and will arrive in 2021. Who?
Still Fluid.
Relievers –
Sadly, I don’t expect anyone to be added to the mix this off season. I would
make Steve Matz a reliever here, but that’s me. I
also will predict that the next two stars of this pen (you will see them
sometime this year) will be Stephen Villines and
Ryley Gilliam.
Predictions –
I
predict that J.D. Davis will up his game to
all-star status
I predict this will be
the last year Robinson Cano wears a Met uniform
I predict Andres Gimenez will be the starting second baseman
before the season ends
I predict that a lamppost
has a better chance of playing a Mets game than Jed
Lowrie
I predict that Mets
finish fourth in their division simply based on the fact that three other teams
in the NL East had a better team going into the off season and also did more in
the off season to improve themselves.
16 comments:
Hi,
I loved your article and I agreed with everything. As far as Relief pitchers I think Brody tried that route last year and it backfired on him. Why not try in house pitchers in spring training see how it goes and then look for reinforcement if needed. Besides looking at Gilliam and Villines, they could also look at Gonsalves, Payano, Blackham, Ryan, Nogosek, Shreve, Rios, Zanghi, And Uceta, in addition to the pitchers they already have on their 40 man roster.
On another issue, I was disappointed that the Mets did not pick up T.J. Rivera since they could use a third baseman in Syracuse, plus he would be insurance if anyone got hurt. In addition he did very well for them until he got injured.
Raw, agreed on TJ Rivera, unless he is still damaged goods.
I disagree on trying in-house guys for the pen. I think that the pen, which used a lot of such guys the past two seasons to almost total failure, cost the Mets one, and maybe two, playoff appearances. I want proven arms
Good take, Mack.
My only quibble with you is your prediction that the team finishes in 4th place.
Yes, the NL East (outside of a rebuilding Marlins team) seems to be stacked and I think any of the four teams
(Braves, Nats, Mets and Phils) are capable of winning it. With such parity, it might not take more then 90 or 92 wins
to do so, since everyone will take turns beating each other up.
It is true our division brethren have been busy, but the Braves and Nats also lost big pieces on offense (Donaldson, Rendon) and the Phillies added Zack (who I want to see actually pitch as well as he is getting paid before I worry about facing him) but they also have the most ground to make up.
I think the Mets will be in the conversation for the division title.
Mike
I'm always tough on predicting the Mets. I've called for them to miss the playoffs for, now, the 4th season.
So far, I stand by my record.
As a fan, I want more from them but they simply don't stack up position to position with the three other teams.
We had a solid set of underperformers last year as well as guys that have a good chance to improve on their 2019 campaigns. Just going by career numbers you have to expect improvements from Cano, Lowrie, Nimmo, Familia, Diaz and Ces. Those guys were either hurt or underperformed. If just 3 of them give us anywhere close to their career numbers thats a solid upgrade. Likewise I expect Rosario to build on his 2nd half and have a better season. I'm not sure we can expect more production out of DeGrom, Lugo, McNeil, Alonso because they all were playing at a very high level already. I peg Conforto to stay even and the C position to be about the same as last year if they upgrade Nido. All in all I think they have more upside potential than downside. I'm not all that worried about Philly yet and we seemed to handle the Nats well last year. Atlanta is very young and probably has some solid upside as well. On the other hand the Marlins probably cant get worse so its going to be tough.
Understood.......if Brodie can fix the bullpen (likely by improvement from within), I see them improving on their 86 win season from last year and that would put them in the mix, so to speak.
But, I can also see your point and 4th is a possibility if they don't fix the bullpen OR if there are injuries, etc.
Too bad we weren’t in on MadBum or Kluber. Both went below what i think the market should of been for them. I would of given MadBum $22 a year and Rangers gave away nothing just to take on Klubers contract.
I would of preferred either of them over the 2 we signed for almost the same value and longer term contract.
I have to say that I am disappointed by what the Mets have done so far.
Coming into free agency the biggest weakness of the Mets was and is the BP.
Wacha and Porcello are two potentially great signs or disastrous ones. The Mets could have just signed 2 very good relievers and made Lugo the 5th starter.
As it stands now, the BP is still a question mark.
TJ Rivera reminds me of the Squirrel with the bat but from the right side. A grinder and great situational hitter. We should have picked him up.
Based upon the Mets roster right now, going into spring training and with the addition of Brach I think that there is only two openings on the 26 player roster. Do you agree?
Lots of good points above. Raw, it is a bit early for me to think about the 26 man roster until I know what other moves the brain trust makes.
Key thing to remember is that it is only 10/16 and we are still a long ways away from playing baseball. More moves will be made by us and also by our NL East competitors.
Yes, it's still early, and there are plenty of possible moves to be made, though I must tell Dallas that he lost 2 months somewhere. 😁
I agree with most of Mack's points here, but I fail to understand his plan for Cano. "Not in a Mets uni after 2020"? Where else will he go?
I'd like to see Gimenez get a lot of time in CF upstate. Amed is on the upswing and could be an All-Star for years to come. If Gimenez can turn his speed into CF Defense,
Getting back to 2B, I'd like to see Squirrel there every day, with Cano at 3B, where his range will be less of a factor. And as concession to his age, JDD and Lowrie can give him days off.
The OF will be in a state of flux, especially with the Yo factor in question, but we've got a lot of mix/match talent there. I see 4to set in RF, Nimmo getting most of the playing time in CF, and JDD/Yo giving us the RH power bats.
The big question mark---where does Smith fit into all this.
Wonderment
I think that the 2020 NY Mets have a really strong chance of being playoff bound and for several reasons. First, the new signings thus far. Rick Porcello did have an off 2019 for the Red Sox, but so did several other Red Sox pitchers and players following their 2018 WS Championship. It's not unusual. Players are human and going all the way probably does drain some. But Rick did also win the 2015 Cy Young Award in the AL and he isn't too old to repeat that feat, even up against Jake. You never know. So overall, I do not see Porcello and Wacha as a downgrade from Zach Wheeler.
Please go contrast any other NL eastern starting rotation to the Mets 2020 potential one now in-place. No other NL eastern team has five good starters like this Mets team does. None. Most have two or three good starters and that is all. The Mets have six right now. Depth.
See my point?
On the Hitting Side
Too many non-believer NY Mets press for me, in that this 2020 NY Mets team has the greatest "Kid Batting Core" ever designed by any NY Mets team in the history of this franchise.
Sure, the 1986 Championship team did have Darryl Strawberry, Lenny Dykstra, Mookie Wilson, and the slightly combative Kevin Mitchell, but everyone else on that team in the field was veteran and brought in from other teams by Fred Wilpon. And Lenny and Mookie played the same position. Not one of these young Mets players (back then) could hit homeruns like Peter Alonso did in 2019 his rookie campaign. Jeff pretty much was in the top three in NL batting average first half, and JD finally got in second half to bat .305 BA.
So yeah, this 2020 NY Mets team is special, in that it's true advantage is this kid core of really good batters and learning fielders who have not yet even reached their primal peak performance levels. Think about that a minute.
Stick around and see.
I know that as a fan, NY sports teams (in all sports) are supposed to go out and sign the best available 30+ year old talent off the Free Agent List or make such trades, just to keep their fan base (and their press coverage) quiet and happy. But damn, where has that strategy taken the Mets, Nets, Knicks, and Giants lately? Nowhere.
This team reminds me a lot more of the 1986 NY Football Giants when Wellington Mara was running the show and bringing in stud daft picks every single season through a superior scouting system obviously no longer here on the Giants.
Add to it.
So maybe what is missing still.
Not a lot really, but perhaps two key things.
First, that superior closer like a Betances or a Hader would be. This will cost some dough-ray-me, but it is well worth the investment. In otherwords, someone who makes an opposing team's batters maybe just a little bit uptight facing.
Secondly, maybe another LF if JD is actually going to playing third base in 2020. If not, then another kid third baseman like a Bobby Dalbec or a Michael Chavis might be.
In my honest opinion, Dominic Smith could start in LF, and this guy can really hit and has not reached his ceiling yet either, but will with starting positional play I believe.
And then finally, the 2020 NY Mets may need to look more seriously at their bench utility players to make certain that it is even more optimal than 2019 was.
This is on-track for a great season of NY Mets baseball, and I am so very delighted and proud.
Thank you and drive safely.
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