Reese Kaplan -- As Roseanne Rosannadanna Said, It's Always Something

As many of you are aware, before summer starts around the third week of June I will be relocating from my current home in El Paso, Texas to a new early retirement destination of a city called Ipoh in Malaysia.  The city itself is about the same size as El Paso, but the similarities pretty much cease there as I go from desert to the tropics, driving on the left side of the road, a different electrical connection, new currency, new culture, new language and much more.

As part of the preparation for this type of life shifting event you go through a lot of planning which involves deciding what to keep and move, what must go and what will be designated for charity.  In its own way, it's kind of like taking over a baseball franchise and having to make many similar decisions.

Read the headlines this weekend and you will see stories that might cause you to roll your eyes a bit.  One-time superstar Justin Upton who received some major moolah during his career is estimated to have earned $145 million thus far and is slated for $28 million for the final year of his current contract.  His current employer, the Angels, decided that they have seen enough during his younger and better days.  They have designated him for assignment which is the step taking as a paperwork formality before cutting a player.  That means Artie Moreno will be paying the full heft of his $28 million salary when someone else picks him up for likely a close to minimum wage deal if they think he's still got something left in the tank.  

If you look at his stat sheet, you will see that his last high quality season was at age 29 split between the Tigers and Angels when he was an All Star and finished in the top 15 for MVP by hitting .273 with 35 HRs and 109 RBIs combined which also led to a silver slugger.  He was down slight for his first full season for the halos at .257 with 30 HRs and 85 RBIs which probably made the Angels feel as if taking on that salary was not all that terrible a move.  Unfortunately combined for the following three seasons he was down to an aggregate .211 batting average, though the total of 38 HRs and 103 RBIs suggested he still has some run producing capability.  

Similar thoughts people were offering up about Robinson Cano after his two PED violations and his lack of power.  Then came the news that Jeff McNeil was going to be the starting second baseman and people were willing to pack Cano's suitcases to get him out of the clubhouse.  Then, lo and behold, Cano produces a four-hit game yesterday and the boo birds apparently had their beaks duct taped shut.  Right now it appears Cano and the remaining two years of his enormous contract are indeed going to be honored by someone.  All the Mets fans can hope is that he delivers at a level that will either help them win games or make him attractive to another team to take him for the many dollars that remain.  

Of course, the bigger issue on the table right now for the team is starting pitching.  With Jacob deGrom on the shelf for what Buck Showalter calls a mid-season replacement and now a hamstring issue affecting Max Scherzer, the Mets quickly went from the best rotation in the majors to one with a lot of question marks.  Yes, Chris Bassitt has looked very good (prior to yesterday) and Taijuan Walker in his first appearance showed the All Star form, but no one is totally ready to bank on a revival of Carlos Carrasco and they're wondering how good Tylor Megill can turn out to be as an emergency replacement.

We all heard about the rumored deal to the Padres for primarily recovering starting pitcher Chris Paddack, pitcher Emilio Pagan and very expensive first baseman Eric Hosmer for Dom Smith.  The Padres were willing to kick in $30 million to help defray the cost of Hosmer, but with Pete Alonso entrenched at first base and J.D. Davis still available as a backup, there was no need for the extra $30 million still remaining on Hosmer's deal after the first half being paid by San Diego.  The thought was if they did that deal they would turn around and peddle Hosmer off elsewhere, but there was no guarantee anyone wanted him and it put a $30 million risk on the Mets.  They have apparently said no, so folks are now wondering what Billy Eppler and company will do to buttress the starting rotation.  

The headline about the crosstown trade between the Mets and the Yankees didn't make anyone particularly happy nor did it make people get hostile either.  Castro has shown flashes of competency in between giving up too many bases on balls, but it was more about exchanging a right handed arm of which the Mets have many for a left handed one of which they have few.  Castro's numbers are a bit gaudier, but he walks nearly 5 per 9 IP.  Rodriguez is older and his stat sheet is not that impressive, but after coming to the Yankees last season he pitched to a 2.84 ERA with very good control.  It appears to be a balanced deal as lefties tend to carry a somewhat higher price than righties and if Rodriguez has learned some secret at age 29 in the Bronx, then it's a winner.  If not, well, missing out on Castro isn't going to cause anyone to reach for antacids.