Mike's Mets - Questions Answered, Answers Still to Come

Questions Answered, Answers Still to Come

By Mike Steffanos July 01, 2020

I had questions, he had answers. Specifically, a mailbag column from Anthony DiComo at Mets.com today answered a question that I had on yesterday's post. I wondered whether reliever Dellin Betances had recovered enough to give the Mets a dependable bullpen option. DiComo quoted GM Brodie Van Wagenen on Betances' progress:

We are extremely excited about where he is physically. He's been one of the players that has been off a mound and able to face real hitters here over the course of the last couple weeks in live batting practice, simulated games, however you want to describe it. He's had multiple sessions where he's faced Major League hitters over the course of the last couple weeks, and he's encouraged. Our performance staff evaluated him over the last couple of days, and we're ready to see what he looks like when we start going here.

So, while I won't presume to guess what success Betances might enjoy this season, it does sound as if he's going to be physically able to perform. I still want to see what his velocity might be in real games, but it gives a Mets fan like me something to dream about now. A healthy Betances doesn't just make the Mets bullpen deeper at the crucial start of the short regular season but, if he's successful, they'll have another closer option if Edwin Diaz repeats last season's ineffectiveness.

Another question that I had previously was about player development. The Mets are clearly not putting prospects on the 60-man roster. The worry, which I've written about in this space several times this spring, is that prospects not close to major league ready would lose a full year of development. DiComo concedes the possibility that a prospect or two might find their way onto the 60-man roster, but it's not a priority for the Mets who see themselves as win-now. DiComo had another quote from BVW on the priority the Mets are placing on this area:

"We have not quit on a player development opportunity at all. I know there have been a lot of calls and people participating within Major League Baseball and the GM community and the player development community of trying to find ways to make some plan to allow these kids an opportunity to play, whether it's in the summer or in the fall. I know those conversations continue to be ongoing."

Again, I think it would be foolish in the extreme for the Mets to fail to provide some sort of organized opportunity for the top prospects in the organization to develop their skills this season. If financial considerations cause the Mets and other teams to cut back on spending, developing these prospects can have a real effect on whether they can compete over the next few years. You can't just depend on MLB to put together some sort of expanded fall leagues. If that falls through, a team should have their own plan for some sort of complex instructional camp on their own.

I had a quote from a Keith Law column on my post from June 25 about 2019 draft picks and the danger to them from missing a full year of development this season:

"Players drafted last year — I feel terrible for them. They had limited innings or at-bats last year because they were gassed. They work their tails off all winter. They’re in spring training in two weeks. Now they might not play at all this year. And if we lose a short-season club (to minor-league contraction), you go into next year, all those guys have to jump a level."

By all accounts the Mets had a great draft in 2019. They simply can't let those players be dependent on Zoom meetings and the like to progress this year. I await with interest some sort of specific plan to get these kids some meaningful instruction.

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