Reese Kaplan -- It's Time to Think About 2022's Second Half

So what kind of a second half do the Mets seem like they will enjoy?  Will it be more of the good pitching and just enough hitting?  Will it be a matter of watching AAAA pitchers getting battered and key starters going down with injury?  

Will regular starting players get out of their slumps or will the club have to resort to more small ball to win games when the timely line drive and long ball are elusive when needed most?

Let's not get all crazy about the hitting.  Pete Alonso is the first player since the first few years of Yoenis Cespedes that inspired confidence in fans and a modicum of fear in the opponents.  Of course, Alonso does so with a smile and an agreeable personality.  Cespedes opted out and never was asked back again by the 29 other teams either.  

In addition you have the strong RBI exploits of not-yet-hitting .250 Francisco Lindor.  He may not be achieving the .280 or so folks expected of him, but he's most definitely been both an offensive and defensive force on the field.  The Mets have had some shortstops in the past who offered a weapon or two with the bat, but Lindor hits for power, runs effectively and has shown historically he can hit for average as well.

Starling Marte is something the Mets can rarely proclaim about any of their free agent contracts.  He's worth the money.  He's shown the defensive ability to be a force in right field with an arm capable of cutting down the chances of runners trying for an extra base.  He's hitting close to .300 with power and has contributed with his intelligent play all over the field.  

Brandon Nimmo is seeming to spring to life at the best possible time for him because he's a pending free agent at year's end.  Whether or not he's worth securing for a long term and expensive deal is a matter of predicting his injury frequency and knowing that while he gets on base at a prodigious rate, he's not an elite hitter for average nor power.  

He's solid, for sure but not worth a $20 million plus per year long term deal.

Others who have had positive contributions include another free agent, Mark Canha, reserve infielder Luis Guillorme and even the versatility and speed contributed by Travis Jankowski prior to his injury.  

On the pitching side it's a bit murkier because you'll sometimes see an absolute gem from someone like Carlos Carrasco against the Cubs and other times you'll see Chris Bassitt not look ready for the challenge.  

Still, without Jacob deGrom all year, without Tylor Megill most of the year, without Max Scherzer for a few turns in the rotation and with the help of soon-to-be-out-of-a-job David Peterson the Mets have managed to keep the starting pitching afloat.  

The bullpen is another matter entirely, and even Sandy Alderson acknowledged that not only do the Mets need more out of the DH role, but they also need reinforcements to support the starting pitchers.  Many have come and gone already from the pen.  Most were forgettable.  

Suddenly both Drew Smith and Seth Lugo are looking mighty vulnerable.  You can't pitch Edwin Diaz in 162 games nor to every batter.  Consequently here is where Billy Eppler needs to spend some deep quality study on who is out there that can help and be happy in a setup role.  

Some fans want the Mets to repeat the Javier Baez type of deal from last year.  Others want to see them promote from within and see if some of the bats of the future are ready to help in the present.  Then there's the purely delusional group who think that the receiving teams on trades will value Dom Smith and J.D. Davis as All Star caliber players when the very reason the Mets are seeking offensive help are the poor seasons these two players have delivered.  

There is no easy answer short of spending Steve Cohen's money on expiring and expensive deals from clubs looking to save a few bucks.  There is no Jacob deGrom hitting equivalent waiting in the wings internally, so this last approach may be the one taken.