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5/12/23

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.

13 comments:

  1. I simply don't understand the delay in moving Ronny Mauricio to second base in the minors.

    He never had a future as a Met SS so why delay this to a couple of weeks ago?

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  2. Remember when we were kids? The best athletes always played SS. It shouldn’t take long for him to play the position well.

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    1. You are right

      Great shortstops only need one adjustment to becoming a great second baseman

      Self excepting the position change

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  3. Correa is where they blew it. Imagine him playing third and batting fifth.

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    1. Almost

      Rocker is where they blew it.

      They signed Ginn knowing he would sit out a year. Why not Kumar

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  4. Excellent blog comments, Reese! It's about time for all of the aforementioned to "Take the Last Train to Clarksville" (Canha, Pham, Escobar, Nido and sadly, Vogelbach).

    Time to give some of the young'uns a chance. It is time to bring up Marky-V, Ronnie-Mo and (gag....cough) yes, Gary Sanchez. We are the laughingstock of MLB as we have now been shutout a record 7 times (and 3 times in the past 2 1/2 weeks - once each by Washington and Colorado - how embarrassing!!).

    Magic only happens when you have players who energy to the team. And at least 2 of the 3 aforementioned will be catalysts to bring energy to our dormant ballclub!

    Gary Sanchez will take Nido's place and backup Frankie-Al; Ronnie Mo will play 2B and McNeil will move to LF to replace Canha (who should never had been a starting OFer when acquired last year in the first place - Canha was a 4th OFer on the As - we couldn't do any better than Canha for LF last year?). And Marky-V should become mostly the full-time DH with a few exceptions to get a lefty bat (maybe still keep Vogey & Escobar) in the lineup against some tough RHPs.

    Any way you shake things up, some of the deadwood just "gots to go"!!

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    1. Agree but probably not until the end of this month

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  5. sic: Magic only happens when you have players who energize the team....

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  6. Lunar or Prlada? I know wjhich one I take.

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    Replies
    1. Can't figure out what you are trying to say.

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  7. Meanwhile, one we didn’t keep: Texas Rangers ace Jacob deGrom is expected to be sidelined for two-to-three more weeks due to elbow inflammation, manager Bruce Bochy told reporters Thursday.

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  8. Most of these players are gone after this year. I imagine cutting ties with players with only 4.5 months left on the bill is more palatable than other options.

    Nido just signed a 2 year contract (though a small one). What the heck happened to him? -0.7 WAR in 51 ABs is pretty brutal.

    Guillorme draws some walks but comes up empty whenever there are guys on base and has no power. Other than being able to cover IF for someone getting hurt its painful.

    Marte is the guy we will owe a bunch of years/$ to still. I hope he is just playing hurt and this is not a major regression.

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    Replies
    1. I really believe major changes will start beginning in June

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