Reese Kaplan -- How Long is Too Long With Some Players?

Watching the Mets lately has become an exercise in both futility and hostility.  One of the beliefs in business is if something is not working to your satisfaction then you change it to try to improve.  Given the current state of the Mets roster and health, it would seem there are plenty of possible changes to consider.

Players on short leashes are nothing new.  However, there are times it's more difficult to interpret a slump vs. a known track record.  Still, how long do you tolerate substandard play in the hopes that the less-than-productive players snap out of it?

Now in some cases, a player's track record has been so good for so long and the salary being paid is so high that you will be far more lenient about a bad couple of months than you would for someone on the fringe.  Good examples would be Francisco Lindor and Starling Marte.  At times both seemed to be playing at All Star level last year, so it's silly to think at young ages that their skills have magically been stripped away from them.

On the flip side, however, you have quite a long laundry list.  Let's start with the hitters (or at least that's what they're supposed to be).

Mark Canha is a seemingly nice guy in the latter stages of his career who hit for less power but at a better average than was expected last season.  His performance was generally accepted by Mets fans, particularly in terms of OBP and how he made the pitchers work hard during each of his ABs.  That level of output simply is not there this year and despite his 8 figure salary, he's not earning it.  Still, the Mets keep trotting him out there day after day looking for whatever will shake him out of his April and May doldrums.

No one expected Eduardo Escobar to go from starter to right handed platoon player and now even less than that when Brett Baty arrived.  Everyone is fully aware of his disappearing act for May through August of last season and few if any fans cut him any slack when he has started off 2023 in a similar funk.  Sometimes free agent signings work out.  Sometimes they don't.  

For a guy known primarily for his glove, Luis Guillorme over the past few years has turned himself into an acceptable hitter.  He's not starting caliber on championship-seeking club, but you didn't cringe whenever he stepped into the batter's box.  Now you do.  He has no speed, no power and lately is flailing helplessly like a pudgy Little Leaguer trying to hit an 8-run homer instead of being patient and simply concentrating on getting to first base.

While the Mets on the whole have taken a lot of ridicule for the recent signing of Gary Sanchez, about the only person who should experience some anxiety is perrennial backup catcher, Tomas Nido.  Although last year he was handling duties behind the plate at a nearly Gold Glove level, the bat was never a huge part of his game.  This year both defense and offense have deserted him and it appears that he is currently skating on wafer thin ice.

Remember what I said about free agent deals not always working out as desired?  Enter Tommy Pham.  While he has been a servicable player for most of his career, the most notable part of his career would be his fisticuffs with another player, not anything he did on the field or at the plate.  For the Mets he's currently hitting like the man he replaced (who was twice released this season), Darin Ruf.  

Finally, there's a somewhat surprising name on this list in Daniel Vogelbach.  For a guy with 30 home run power he's not showing it.  He arrived at camp in much better shape than he had shown in the past but thus far it hasn't helped.  His batting average has climbed to a league-average level but he's not being paid to hit singles.  He's supposed to work the counts and drive in runs.  The OPS number is good but it's not coming from extra base hits and RBIs.  

He can't run a lick and he's not dislodging Pete Alonso from 1B, so he's the very definition of a one dimensional player.  Now if that dimension was useful (such as Tim Locastro's speed), then you could make excuses to keep him on the roster.  Right now he's offering very little value despite drawing a lot of walks.

The club has some minor league options to test out in replacement for some of these players and folks are starting to wonder when mediocrity without an effort to shake things up is Phase II of the Wilpon philosophy for running a pro ballclub.