Jeremy Mand: Winning with Depth

One thing that has plagued the Mets in recent years has been a sheer lack of depth. Almost every year over the last decade we have dealt with devastating injuries.

We’ve lost at various times star pitchers like Wheeler, deGrom, Harvey, and deGrom at inopportune times again and again. We have also lost key position players like David Wright, Yoenis Cespedes, Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo, Travis d’Arnaud, and countless other regulars to injuries for extended stretches throughout the season.

These injuries have ultimately destroyed seasons. Think to 2016, 2017, and 2021 for example, all promising seasons, all partially or completely derailed by injuries.

While injuries are par the course for so many teams, the best ones, have reserves ready to go that provide at least serviceable play. 

The most striking --and notable example in recent Mets history of a lack of depth was during our 2015 World Series run. Most probably remember, and I certainly do since I was at the game, the lineup we trotted out a line-up that included Curtis Granderson, Wilmer Flores, Lucas Duda and a coterie of minor league hitters against the best pitcher in the world at the time, Clayton Kershaw. 

While Jeff Wilpon largely, and Sandy Alderson to a lesser extent, owned and seemed to set such a low bar for the season that they didn't bother to invest in their Major League bench, as the trading deadline approached that summer they pivoted, recognizing the opportunity they'd be wasting if they didn't try. So they swung trades for Kelly Johnson, Juan Uribe, and Yoenis Cespedes, while calling up Michael Conforto and transforming the lineup from a M.A.S.H. unit of journeymen minor leaguers and fringe starters, to a major league caliber unit that some could argue was explosive. Not to mention getting returning vets like Wright and d'Anaud from injury, and Daniel Murphy's remarkable transformation before our very eyes. 

The benefit of having someone with the resources like Steve Cohen is the ability to supplement our core players with quality depth. In his short history as Mets owner, rather than react to an opportunity - a la Wilpon in 2015- he's making his own luck from the beginning. 

Cohen has courted the stars (Scherzer and Lindor); but he has also enabled Eppler and crew to recruit a super unit of top role players, and trading for depth pieces. See the signings of Canha, Escobar, and Marte, along with a critical trade for a solid #3 starter in Chris Bassit--all are huge upgrades to Villar, Pillar, Conforto, and the gang of starters we rolled out when deGrom went down last year, which included handing out starting assignments to the likes of Jared Eickhoff and Robert Stock, and a half dozen "bullpen games." 

Now in 2022, with new stars and star role players, last years starters are now this year's bench. Any day we can role out solid players like Robbie Cano, J.D. Davis, Dom Smith to supplement our starters. We also have some of top prospects much closer than last year, it's not hard to envision the likes of Brett Baty, Mark Vientos, and even stud catching prospect Francisco Alvarez supplementing the roster later in the summer.