Tom Brennan - Reshaping of Roster Continues, and 2020 Mets’ Quiz Questions!

The Mets’ most stunning off-season … like…ever…continued this week.

The Mets first shocked the baseball world by swooping in to snatch up All Star infielder Carlos Correa after the SF Giants backed out of their deal with Correa, and the Mets offense becomes very lethal and defense that much more stellar. 3B Brett Baty should consider how that thumb injury he sustained in early September may have permanently altered his barely started Mets career.

They also traded woefully under-performing catcher James McCann to the Orioles to basically shave $5 million in combined salary over the last 2 years of his contract, with the Mets still paying $19 million.

Given luxury tax realities, that dump will save the Mets nearly $10 million over the next two years. McCann = good guy, but a bust of a hitter. More room for ABs for the mighty Alvarez, along with Omar Narvaez and Tomas Nido.

Addition by subtraction.

The Mets also added a righty hitting guy named Danny Mendick for sub duty, costing roughly $1 million, adding one more impediment, possibly, to the Mets’ minor league infield hitting prospects getting at bats. A decent .251 career hitter in 400 at bats with 10 homers since 2019, and has manned 2B, 3B, SS, and the OF. He’s coming off a season-ending ACL injury. 29 years young, and assured me he is not Danny Muno.

Amazingly, in 148 MLB games, mostly at 2B and SS, but some also at 3B and OF, JUST TWO CAREER ERRORS. That is really impressive.

Yuan Lopez dropped from the 40 man roster to fit Mendick. Logical move.

My pal Joey, Joey Lucchesi, signed for $1.15 million, a good sign he is recovered.

Overall, this feels like a 98 to 108 win, but still-evolving team, to me…on paper.

Let me know when they’re done, huh? 

My head is spinning.

2020 QUIZ BEGINS - SHARPEN YOUR PENCILS:

2020 was the COVID-shortened, fan-less, 60 game season. How about some quiz questions, with answers following below (no cheating): 

1. Which Mets mauler set the team's all-time slugging % record?

2. Who wrested away the Cy Young crown from 2 time winner Jake deGrom in 2020?

3. Who had 7 more RBIs that Pete Alonso in 7 fewer games played?

4. How many .300 hitters did the Mets have in 2020?

5. It happens every season - which 4 non-pitcher hitters hit a combined 4 for 54?

6. Which 3 starters went all "Jay Hook" on the Mets by combining to go 2-16?

7. Which returning bag of damaged goods made his last hurrah with a 5 for 31, 15 K "Exit, Stage Right"?

8. Which 3 Mets had .400+ OBPs?

9. Who came in a close 3rd to Rick Porcello's 2nd highest Ks of 54?

10. The Mets missed winning the division or securing a wild card spot in this 60 game mini-season by how many games?

Here are your answers:

1. Dom Smith, slugging at .616. Just for perspective, though, Mike Trout has exceeded that total 5 times. And if you hadn't heard, Trout's final HR of 2022 went 490 feet.  Ain't trivia great?

2. Trevor Bauer.  He almost signed with the Mets in 2021, and it appears to be a very good thing that he didn't.

3. Yep, back to Dom Smith, who had a fine 42 RBIs in 50 games.  Leaving the question: do some hitters do better when no fans are around to boo?

4. The answer to question 4 is FOUR.  Conforto (.322), Smith and Cano (.316), and McNeil (.311).  All 4 did much worse in 2021, with Cano dropping .316 points for a well-publicized reason.

5. Billy Hamilton (1 for 28), Brian Dozier (2 for 15), Ali Sanchez (1 for 9) and Ryan Cordell (1 for 8).  A dozier bunch of hitters you could never find.

6. The 3 anemic starters, Porcello (1-7), Wacha (1-4), and Matz (0-5), went 2-16 and collectively capsized the Mets' season.  The 3 allowed 100 runs in 124 innings.

7. Yoenis "Boar's Head" Cespedes.

8. Luis G (.426), Michael C (.412) and Brandon Nimmo (.404).

9. Edwin Diaz redeemed his roller coaster 2019 with a 1.75 ERA and 50 Ks in 25 innings.  Jake, of course, fanned 104 hitters in the 60 game season while winning 4 of his 12 starts.  The last time Jake won 50% of his starts in a season was - well - never.  (Bassitt and Carrasco won 50% or more of their starts this year, so it does happen). Rookie David Peterson (6 wins) had 23% of the team's wins in 2022.

10. The Mets finished 9 games back and just 3 games back in the division, so considering the latter, the answers to 5, 6, and 7 above tell you why what should have been an easy wild card season just went down in failure at 26-34. The team's pitchers, for instance, other than the 3 tanking starters, were 24-18.  Those 3 fuddy duds that went 2-16 lost just 2 more between them, while winning 22 fewer, than the rest of the staff.

Stop looking at me so quizzically, OK? Yes, yes, 2021 and 2022 quizzes willcome up soon, and your grades on these quizzes will be forwarded to Harvard for evaluation in your admissions application. Good luck.