Reese Kaplan -- Will Slow and Steady Actually Win the Race?

The wheels keep turning, albeit rather slowly. While the Mets were obviously in need of either a 4th outfielder, a right handed DH or a star to supplant Mark Canha from left field, the rest of the league wasn't sitting idly by allowing the best of the rest leftover to stay on the unemployment line. First Andrew McCuthen flew the coop. Then came Trey Mancini. Next went Adam Duvall.

It came as something of a surprise on Wednesday to uncover the news that the Mets had reached out to veteran (and still seeking a job) outfielder Tommy Pham. Turning age 35 before Opening Day it would appear he was willing to accept the combination of uncertain ABs and innings played, something others were not necessarily encouraged to admit that being a regular was no longer in the cards. 

Now in McCutchen's case it is somewhat forgivable as he returned home to Pittsburgh where his professional baseball career began, but Mancini and Duvall were evidently thinking everyday starting assignment. 

The Mets would have had to conscript Mark Canha or Daniel Vogelbach to the bench for that to happen, so they were left with what many are writing off as the lesser of available options.

Now to be fair, while Pham had a mediocre 2022 season split between the Reds and the Padres, his overall record is not exactly chopped liver. As a career .259 hitter he's not going to be challenging Jeff McNeil for any titles, but he's hit as many as 23 HRs in a season and used to steal just as many bases. 

It would seem that the legs may not be all that effective a weapon anymore, but his platoon splits suggest that even in his .236 overall record last season he was considerably better at .287 versus left handed pitching. It would seem as a potential platoon partner and spare outfielder when others need a day off, it's not necessarily a Darin Ruf level of personnel selection.

The reaction to the Pham contract (one year at $6 million) is not outright negative, but more of a disappointment about Billy Eppler moving too slowly and grabbing slightly overripe leftovers. 

Given the club's needs, he's not a WAR replacement for Carlos Correa, but then he's not meant to deliver at that level (nor price point). Some would surely have rather seen one of the other three in a Mets uniform rather than Pham, but many media personnel were far more accepting of the move than were the fans.

To me, it makes me wonder what it means for the bullpen reinforcements, the rest of the bench and what will happen with spare pieces that truly don't fit (like the aforementioned Ruf). Will Eppler engage the representatives for folks like Andrew Chafin, Zack Britton or former Met Brad Hand.

I would have included Aroldis Chapman in this group but late yesterday he was inked to a sub-$4 million one year deal with the Kansas City Royals.  In a way I felt he would have been even more of a gamble than the recovering Britton as he lost his closer's job in 2022 based upon a horrfic 4-4 season with just 9 saves and a 4.46 ERA. That's not the record of a guy earning $16 million as he took home from the Steinbrenner family. 

Turning age 35 he's not likely going to be awarded closer duty anymore but has accumulated a lifetime record on the positive side of the won-loss ledger with 315 saves and a 2.48 ERA. 

The scary part is that his ERA numbers have been climbing slowly but steadily for the last three years. He is a southpaw and does know how to get people out, but that's now a Royals problem instead of ours.

Of course, those available and attractive arms are all left handed. There are some good righties out there as well, but it would appear at this juncture it would be more prudent to rely on having a Brooks Raley reinforcement. 

It's possible Joey Lucchesi could morph into a mid career transition to relief pitcher after recovering from his injury, but someone with a longer track record of achievement in the role would probably be preferable.

The question is how long are the Mets going to wait to address this other glaring need on the team? Will they wait until the best available left handed free agent is someone like Luis Avilan? 

Or will they engage in a trade to another club to rid the team of people without a solid Mets future to bring in someone ostensibly to address the southpaw fireman need?  Oh wait, they just did -- T.J. McFarland!

Right now given the less than flowery reaction to the Pham signing, it's understandable that there is a bit of anxiety for the folks still smarting from the will-he-or-won't-he flirtation that ended in Minnesota.