I love the 26 man roster.
Why?
More position players deserving to play in the majors get to be there than if it was a 25 man roster.
When the Mets won in 1969, they carried a 10 man staff. And 15 position players.
Nowadays, the pitching staff is more like 12 or 13.
On a 25 man roster, that means that position players lost 2-3 spots compared to 1969. That is unfair to hitters.
I like a 26 man roster, but I'd love a 27 man roster.
Hey, but I don't pay the bills.
Anyway, with the 26 man roster, I would love to use that 26th spot for the Mets' catcher position to be a 3 position spot, like the old days.
McCann is hopefully going to be a very solid (if not excellent) starter at catcher. Good bat, good arm, good framing, good game calling.
I like that much "good" in a single sentence, so I would like to maximize the number of games the good James McCann can be the Mets' starting catcher.
How?
By yanking him when they either lead or trail by several runs.
If a game is 99% won or lost, get him off the field. Trailing 10-0 after 5 innings? Take off the shin guards and have a seat and rest up for the next battle. Catching is cumulatively so wearying and wearing - why waste his "bullets" in a game that is essentially over? Catch him the full 9 innings and lose 12-4? Why?
Starting pitchers get breaks by getting pulled earlier to save their bullets, as compared to days of old - so, why not starting catchers, too?
It is risky to pull your starting catcher, though, as a consistent strategy with just two catchers on the roster, since if the replacement for McCann gets hurt, the very real reality is there is no one left to catch.
Therefore, on the day McCann starts at catcher, if the Mets carry just two catchers, the 2nd catcher is almost guaranteed to not get in the game at all.
Pretty much as I see it, having 145 games where McCann averages 8 innings in a game (say 9 full innings in 100 games, an average of 7 innings in 45 other games) would be about the same number of total season innings (in terms of wear and tear) as catching a full 9 innings over 130 games.
I'd prefer to see McCann start 145 games, not 130, wouldn't you?
Maybe the Mets win another few games if he starts as catcher for 145 rather than 130 games. A few games might be all it takes.
As I see it, either Tomas Nido or Patrick Mazeika (sent down late last week) starting frequently is likely a significant downgrade from McCann.
And, as the season progresses, maybe 25 year old David Rodriguez (0 for 2 this spring) could prove his bat and catching game MLB-worthy after his .380 winter ball campaign.
And there is always 30 year old Bruce Maxwell, who hit poorly this winter, but is 3 for 10 in spring training. He has not played MLB ball since 2018, when he did not hit well in limited activity, though. He did tear up Mexican baseball in 2019, for what that is, or is not, worth.
Anyway, they didn't pay McCann 4 years $40+ million for a guy they think is equivalent, or even close to equivalent, to Nido and Mazeika. They may be decent - but McCann is hopefully MUCH better.
My conclusion?
I think this team would get the most benefit in using the 26th man as a 3rd string catcher, simply to get McCann to start a lot more games.
And, also, to be able to on rare occasion pinch hit Mazeika, a lefty hitter, for McCann, if there is a really tough righty reliever about to face McCann that would be a difficult righty v. righty match up.
Do you catch my drift? What are your thoughts?
Mazeika needs to prove he can hit in the minors, let alone the majors. As far as pinch hitting for McCann goes, it really depends on the incremental margin of the score at the time. You'd be giving up a lot of defense.
ReplyDeleteMazeika missed out on 2020 to prove he can hit. All I know is the last two spring trainings, he has been on base 13 or 27 times, and fanned just 4 times, which I find very encouraging.
ReplyDeleteIf the Mets led (or trailed) by 8 or 10 runs, I'd be happy to have Nido sub in. This offense will give us lots of big leads this season.
Mazeika will hit but can he catch?
ReplyDeleteRay, not 100% up on Mazeika catch skills. He was throwing out about 32%, certainly decent, but had a passed ball issue which may have been due to Jannis the knuckleball pitcher. I am going to guess that he is reasonably around average defensively.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you are a proponent of my "Relief Catcher" :-)
ReplyDeleteI agree with your thinking tho . . blowout games are great opportunities to give the starting catcher a break.
1969, we think alike there. Plenty of pitchers to call up/ send down, so I would use 3 catchers. They might not early in the year, but as it heats up...
ReplyDeleteAlso, the other advantage is, let’s say, heaven forbid, McCann gets hurt in early June. Would you want a guy who has been around and played a little, or to call up a guy cold? Broken in is better.