Reese Kaplan -- New Owner's Next Decision: Manager

When managers develop in the minor leagues they are accustomed to dealing with maturity issues, injuries as they occur, people who develop at different rates and some folks simply being unaccustomed to being away from home.  That latter problem could result in staying up too late, imbibing too many adult beverages, eating poorly or simply holing up and never leaving their apartment after the games are over.  These challenges are expected and, with time, manageable.  

What people have not encountered are the myriad of factors affecting the major league 2020 season, including a long layoff from February through late July, an extremely short "Summer Training" to prepare for the upcoming shortened season, the increased roster size, the folks losing innings due to virus affliction or the ones who opt out of their paychecks in deference to their families and loved ones.  The 2020 season has been an ever changing mish-mosh of things no one has ever experienced before.

Now imagine that the person you have asked to contend with these factors is an experienced minor league manager who was a last minute substitution when the planned rookie skipper was kicked to the curb over his personal integrity leftover from his playing days.  No matter how good Luis Rojas could be, it was not a fair situation even if it was a normal season as he did not have the requisite amount of planning time to figure out what he wanted to do, what he needed to see and how to get his players into game playing condition.

So the next major decision for the post-Wilpon winners is what to do with the weary and gut-punched manager they have in Mr. Rojas.  When a managerial vacancy evolves, many folks want to go back to the proven roster of experienced but unemployed candidates as they have some kind of track record on which to build expectations.  You can look to what a Buck Showalter has done during his managerial career and project it as a positive or a negative.  Or you could look to offer up the slot to a newcomer who probably is bursting with enthusiasm but has no history of making decisions.  

The Mets picked Rojas due to both his strong reputation as a minor league manager and his familiarity with the players who make up the roster.  The fact he'd earn next to nothing and that the decision had to be made extremely late in the process factored in as well.  Some were happy about it, some were cynical and some had a wait and see attitude.

So how has he done?

Wow, that's a tough question to answer.  No one could expect he would lose two of his primary starting pitchers in Noah Syndergaard and Marcus Stroman.  No one would have banked on the injuries to Michael Wacha and David Peterson.  No one could have predicted the COVID-19 afflictions removing Brad Brach, Jared Hughes and Tomas Nido from lineups.  No one would have banked on Pete Alonso turning into a sophomore version of Dave Kingman.  People would be left wondering what's become of the steady bats of Wilson Ramos, Amed Rosario and Jeff McNeil.  Then there were injuries to Jake Marisnick and Andres Gimenez.  

That's just roster issues.  Then there were the newly found juggling problems of where to put hot hitting Dom Smith, reliable J.D. Davis and various others.  Who expected Robinson Cano to be on the injured list but when on the field leading the league in hitting?  Who would have thought Edwin Diaz was pitching like Seattle Edwin Diaz most of the time?  Who would have predicted that Seth Lugo would move into the starting rotation and Steve Matz was threatened with being expelled from it, though the alternatives in the likes of Rick Porcello are no better?

As a manager, Luis Rojas continues to be a work in progress.  He's adapting to the ever changing roster.  He substitutes players for defense in place of offense late in the games (not late enough according to some critics).  He leaves pitchers in too long and gives quick hooks at other times.  It seems as if he is learning his lessons when he makes mistakes.  However, there are some black marks on his record, though much of it has to do with playing whatever cards he is dealt on a given day.

In the realm of new owners, they are probably smart to leave Rojas where he is for 2021.  There will be plenty of personnel issues to resolve in the front office and on the roster.  Somehow you need to impart some sense of continuity as it will be difficult enough to absorb all of the many changes that will occur.  There has been far more good than bad in Rojas.  

Keeping him around means budget dollars can go towards other needs the club must fulfill, such as starting pitching, outfield and perhaps catcher.  A new GM is a greater need to address than scrapping a hard working and beaten but not defeated manager.  Of course, after the horrid start, finishing above .500 would stand in his favor (though BVW bounced the greatly improved record of Mickey Callaway while his predecessor loyally stood by the incessant losing by the man Callaway replaced).  I'd keep Rojas for another season, hopefully a more normal one, and see how he develops.