So what have we learned about the NY Mets for the upcoming 2021 season?
Well, to begin, the many injuries (and one defection) have suggested that the club is in need of a major overhaul. After all, the blueprint going into the season included a great many folks like Jeff McNeil, Robinson Cano, Noah Syndergaard, Jake Marisnick, Robert Gsellman, Jed Lowrie, Rene Rivera and even Yoenis Cespedes. That whole scenario is, of course, out the window.
Going forward, you know that Marisnick, Lowrie, Rivera and Cespedes are no longer in the mix. Michael Conforto will be playing for his long term future. Ditto Noah Syndergaard (when he’s able to return perhaps at the 2021 All Star break). The same applies to Brandon Nimmo as well.
What that leaves behind for a foundation of sorts includes Pete Alonso, Amed Rosario, J.D. Davis, Jeff McNeil and assorted uncertainties. So far youngster Andres Gimenez has piqued both the club’s and fans’ curiosity as to what he can become. He’s a very solid defensive player with excellent instincts on how to field his position. He’s certainly not embarrassed himself with the bat either.
The issue with Gimenez is what to do with him. He surprised folks with his preparedness. He was a hot bat in the early years of his minors, then dipped down to .250 last season in AA but upped his HR output to 9 and stole 28 bases. He followed it with a solid .375 Arizona Fall League performance and it appears in this short sample that he’s still showing strong contact.
Many people are advocating moving Amed Rosario to centerfield and opening up the premier defensive position of shortstop for Gimenez. Offensively Rosario seems capable of taking over that role. Others like Juan Lagares and Billy Hamilton migrated from shortstop to centerfield, so it’s not a weird idea.
Or course, doing so would then create another problem. The Mets would have Conforto, Davis, Nimmo and Smith all in need of at-bats. Alonso you figure is firmly entrenched at 1B and Robinson Cano’s contract has him in the lineup at 2B. The only solution here would be the implementation of the DH slot which would create a home for one of the lesser defensive players. If you keep all of the above and have an infield of Alonso, Cano, Gimenez and McNeil, then your outfield needs to include Davis, Conforto and Rosario. Does that make Nimmo that odd man out? Or do you insert Davis at 3B and McNeil in the outfield. That still makes Nimmo OF number four.
The real issue for 2021 is pitching. Right now Jacob deGrom is solid. Steven Matz is here (for better or worse). After that the club has no other starters. Wacha and Porcello are on one-year deals. Stroman becomes a free agent. Syndergaard won’t be ready when April rolls around. You could promote David Peterson and, if necessary, Franklyn Kilome, but that starting rotation is pretty thin. You might find them reupping one of the FA acquisitions from 2020, but there needs to be both health and consistency before doing that.
In the bullpen it’s almost as bad. You have the Edwin Diaz under control and the third of three years with Jeurys Familia. Seth Lugo will still be there, but then it’s a bit murkier. Dellin Betances is likely back. After that it’s pretty much an open audition. Drew Smith is probably on the radar. Justin Wilson is a free agent again. Robert Gsellman has been gone (and not really missed). Paul Sewald is one of those folks who never consistently translated his minor league prowess to the majors. Others are possible but strength may have to be imported from outside the organization.
Of course, the last big cog to answer is the position of catcher. There is an option for Wilson Ramos who continues to prove he can hit the ball, but isn’t much help to the pitchers behind the plate. None of the minor league catching prospects has been able to put together enough offense to match their defensive skills. There will be a huge name in J.T. Realmuto looking for megabucks if the Phillies let him hit free agency. It’s pretty murky as to who will don the tools of ignorance.
Of course, with a new owner looming on the horizon, all things are totally unpredictable. Will they look to reinforce what’s there? Will there be a radical rebuild? Will there be a sell-off of increasingly expensive players to free up payroll dollars for new acquisitions? Or will the new owners just keep wishing and hoping like the Wilpons do?
3 comments:
Reese -
Morning.
I agree 100%.
We are in serious trouble when it comes to the 2021 rotation. Outside candidates could also be Thomas Szapucki and/or Kevin Smith, but I hope the Mets step up and try and bring in one of the talented free agents.
you're spot on
When you wrote "and one defection" I first misread it to be defecation. Maybe that was more accurate.
Cespedes leaving accelerates learning as to Smith and Davis. Will Robbie "don't you know" Cano be healthy? No, I don't know.
Good breakdown. One guy not on the 60 man but who could be a good future pen arm, assuming he is healthy? Tylor Megill. Of course, who knows where he even is, and who knows how Szapucki is doing.
After watching Matz sputter for years, I am not getting my hopes up until some pitcher comes up and gives me reason to. Too many disappointments from guys you thought might be better than they've turned out to be.
With Diaz, I will say this: in 2018, guys in the 9th inning hit something like .134 against him. The pitch I saw him throw in his last outing (99 on the lower insider corner) was the kind of pitch that if he could throw to spots like that with regularity, he could rise from the dead. That was a wicked pitch.
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