Reese Kaplan -- Is This Break Good or Bad for Mets?

Here we are a weekend free from Mets baseball.  Two folks down, the rest apparently having survived the trip to MIami without infection.  As per HIPAA regulations, the club won’t announce who was impacted by the virus, but if games resume on Tuesday it will be pretty obvious who is not in the lineup or sitting on the bench.  

Of course, no one wants anyone to be afflicted with the coronavirus, but hopefully highly conditioned professional athletes in the earlier part of their lives are better able to combat it than some of the rest of us who are older, suffering various health maladies and less able to cope with the illness.  There was a staff member who was affected as well, and blindly I am somewhat more concerned about that person than the player as we don’t know his/her age or condition.

Given this season being more like an audition than a real competitive contest for the crown, the Mets probably could use this break to allow some of their modestly suffering players additional time to heal from whatever ails them.  It also helps to have some rest for the players in the elder stages of their careers like Robinson Cano to give his ailing legs some additional rest as he was somewhat rushed back due to his hot start with the bat and occasionally was in the lineup in the position of DH to preserve his muscles.

So if you are a ballplayer on an unplanned absence from taking the field, what do you do to stay fresh and sharp?  The organized workouts are probably forbidden (though the clean test results may open up more opportunities).  Granted, even borderline players are making more than a half million dollars per year (prorated), so it’s understandable that they have the means to approach gyms and private trainers to keep them in prime condition.  Obviously the millionaires have it even easier.  

For the manager, coaches and the front office one of the issues they must face is how to keep the competitive spirit alive with interruptions keeping the players from doing what it is they do best.  How do you maintain the winning attitude and the fight to reach first place alive when 4 days or more are suddenly missing from the schedule?

Of course, the biggest worry for a great many fans (and some players of the prospect categorization) is what the today-first GM has on his mind with the tail end of the trading season coming in just a week.  Everyone will be quick to point out the deals that sent away prospects to get Marcus Stroman who has already bid farewell to the club, Keon Broxton and others?  I won’t even get into the transfer of young jewels to Seattle (though I should point out that retained David Peterson is far outperforming Justin Dunn).  

The Wilpons might be happy to see Brodie Van Wagenen repeat this pattern for 2020 as a high level finish to the season could push a few more dollars in their direction as they go about selling the ballclub.  Fans might appreciate the uncertain results if they actually happened, but others would be extremely upset to see the team continue to mortgage the future in the attempt to push forward in the present.  Of course, with the Wilpons thankfully no longer going to be associated with the Mets, they don’t really care about the team’s future, so it’s entirely possible to see a reprise.