Maybe not, but the Mets may move on from Michael Conforto, Jeff McNeil, Dom Smith, and others.
Lousy 2021 seasons, you see.
You know it, and I know it.
They know it, too. Lousy.
Can't keep them all.
Gotta cut bait, move on, yada yada.
Fresh blood needed for brighter days ahead.
But sometimes, guys you dump do better than guys you keep.
Sometimes, they even do MUCH better.
Consider Steve Matz, Paul Sewald, and Chris Flexen.
Matz was horrific last year, and was roughly 20-40 as a Met over his last 60 Mets decisions. Geesh, how much evidence do you need!!
Paul Sewald? 1-14 as a Met. Anthony Young no doubt would have been impressed.
Chris Flexen? A run allowed per inning as a called-up-too-soon Met. Pretty pathetic.
LOSERS! CAST THEM OUT! BEGONE FROM THE METS KINGDOM!
Except...this year for the trio? With other teams?
The 3 pitchers finished a stellar 37-16, with 11 saves, ERA in the low 3s, and more than a K per inning. 37-16 is like having two guys each go 18-8 and 19-8. When was the last time a Mets starter went 19-8? 19-8 these days gets you serious Cy Young consideration. The three brought their two teams within an eyelash of making the playoffs. Within a whisker. The width of a nanoparticle away.
You see, the "Dump" decision that seems so obvious to make each (long) off season may blow back in your face once the "dumpees" are gone and the dumpster diving competitors recycle the garbage.
The Mets, as we all can recall, dumped Amos Otis, Justin Turner, Daniel Murphy, Travis d’Arnaud, Dave "Kong" Kingman, Lenny Dykstra, and Nolan Ryan…and Tom Seaver, for that matter. How did those dump moves go?
Sometimes, “Dump” is just Dumb.
Will Conforto say “no thanks” to the Mets, like Dannie Boy did, then sign with the Yanks and hit 40 homers in 2022 while sandwiched between the Bronx Twin Towers of Stanton and Judge?
Will McNeil get traded to...oh, I don't know...a place where all Mets retread tires are shipped, Seattle, and hit .320 there?
Perhaps even win a Washington state-based batting title?
Will Dom go elsewhere and hit like a prime time Adrian Gonzalez instead of Ed Kranpool in an off year?
When the Mets dump, their fans often end up feeling in the dumps.
First question any front office decision maker should ask:
Why do so many guys under-perform for the Mets?
And then blossom as ex-Mets?
Figure that out, fix that, and then build your team.
Is there an Aura of Failure here?
How does one dispel that and replace it with an Aura of Success?
Maybe that needs to be figured out first.
Before all the fans who are down in the dumps up and leave to root for clubs with expertise in dumpster diving.
P.S. Looks like storming into the office worked. The Red Sox got the Rays they wanted. The Red Sox pummeled the Rays. I hope someday the Mets are good enough to routinely pummel good teams.
You can not blame the Mets for getting rid of players that didn't produced.
ReplyDeleteIf they kept all who have, their 25 man would be 1000.
You have to wonder where the Mets might be if they hired Chaim Bloom instead of BVW. Of course they would still be marred by the Wilpon ownership but Bloom has put his stamp on the Sox very quickly.
ReplyDeleteI think we all know at least one of those players will be moved and succeed elsewhere. Hopefully we get a new front office that will make us forget the ex-Mets that succeed elsewhere. When you win you tend to not focus on these things as much as when you lose.
I think this is going to take a year or two.
DeleteFirst comes the suits.
Then a few more off season signs.
Then the kiddies all arrive.
Amen Tom I've been shouting about this for awhile. There has to be something wrong internally because to have it happen so many times the system is broken so change it. So much of next season depends on Jake is it wise to just dump so many underperformers when we know their better than last year? (or should I say hope). If that doesn't work then it's time for the tear down and bring in the kids.
ReplyDeleteYes, holding onto Ruben Tejada worked so well...or Terry Collins...or numerous others. You can't wait forever for something good to happen that never does. Sometimes you have to give to get. The Mets gave up on some players to get others and it worked. Remember Keith Hernandez? Remember John Olerud? Remember Gary Carter? Remember Mike Hampton? Not all were long term solutions but when they came to New York they certainly produced.
ReplyDeleteReese, I do hear that Ruben Tejada is still available.
ReplyDeleteOf course, if we get someone good and not drastically overpay in the process, trades should be considered.
I would dump them. Yes, they went and pitched or played better for other teams but I bet you that had they stayed with the Mets they would have been duds.
ReplyDeleteIs the same with Diaz. Yes he was elite with another but we need him to be elite with this one. If can't manage that, his value to the team lessens.
The Mets need to have players coming up from the minors like Vientos, Mauricio, Alvarez. Those guys when they are ready will bring energy to the team. You can't just sign Baez and leave Mauricio without a position to play. Vientos has shown a great power bat and should get an opportunity to play 3B and improve at the ML level.
Good points on the latter comment.
ReplyDeleteMack, if the kids are as they appear to be, I’d be happy if they all stay
ReplyDeleteRegarding pitchers...the pressure put on them is amazing...you also did not mention Colin Mchugh... re the batter's...Shea was considered a pitcher's park ...so is Citi..and they get it into there head that Chicks love the long ball...we we're terrible when men were in scoring position..
ReplyDeleteAs I see it, the dilemma is balancing the present vs future. The temptation to sign top-tier FAs is strong, but the likelihood of signing any of that caliber for less than 4 years is minimal.
ReplyDeleteAnd if we add a few of those, are we closing the door to Vientos, Mauricio, and/or Baty? And are we better off with nrwcomers than our own FAs?
Tough choices.
Bill, tough choices indeed - hopefully the correct ones are made.
ReplyDeleteSeattle Steve, couldn't be much worse with RISP than the 2021 Mets.
ReplyDeleteAnd, yes, McHugh was another rags to riches pitcher, "rags" being when he tossed for the Mets.
ReplyDeleteRight on, Tom. I begged the Mets to keep Matz & D'Arnaud among others. You don't thrrow away talent that you know is there. Let's see if Cohen has big pockets or is Wilpon II. Teams win by addition, not subtraction.
ReplyDelete"Unknown", here is what I thought of Matz last winter...
ReplyDeleteLet's try him in the pen. Andrew Miller and Brad Hand were lousy lefty starters-turned-great relievers. And, if the starters got hurt, and Matz was relieving well - no need for Eickhoff and Yamamoto.
d'arnaud they totally lacked patience for - what would another month have hurt? He was just getting healthy, and as it turns out, about to turn it around - they foolishly did not wait a few more weeks. Now we have career .244 OBP Nido. SMH
Many good points here in both Tom's article and the comments.
ReplyDelete"Dump" has a bad connotation, so I would prefer to think of it as trading for value. If you get rid of a player (release or trade for no usable pieces) then it is bad value. However, if you get good value (e.g. Carter) then it's a good move EVEN IF the player you sent away does well elsewhere.
Of the three players highlighted in Tom's piece, only Conforto will cost you money to keep - probably a QO in the $18M range or a 5-yr deal worth about $20M/yr. Right now Smith makes $2.5M and McNeil makes $640k. Not much pain to keep them for another year to see some upside in their performance.