Reese Kaplan -- The New Mets GM Needs to Cast a Wide Net

I'm not even going to begin to speculate on the alleged misuse of the IL that MLB was investigating which included now former GM Billy Eppler.  I also won't speculate on who David Stearns might be looking to hire as a replacement.  There will be countless speculations on both issues between now and the end of the World Series when the off season truly begins.

The aspect that intrigues me now is how losing Eppler who had a strong connection to the Japanese baseball league and thus had something of a favorable position compared to other teams is no longer in the Mets picture.  Up until now everyone had assumed the Mets would be formidable front runners for the services of top pitching free agent Yoshinobu Yamamoto.  Now that edge is gone and it would see to be an open field among potentially 29 other competitors.  That same Japanese advantage is gone for other players identified as upcoming free agents.

Going forward it would be helpful for Stearns to embrace the internationality of the game of baseball.  While the Mets did look to Japan recently for talent, there are also resources in Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Europe, the Caribbean, South America and elsewhere.  One avenue not explored too much by the Mets is talent in or having recently left Cuba.

On that note, make yourself aware of a new free agent recently made available from Japan who ironically is from Cuba.  His name is Yariel Rodriguez and the 26 year old relief pitcher has been putting up some eye popping numbers.  

Initially he was floating between starting and relieving, but in 2022 he was made into a full time relief pitcher and he responded in a big way.  In 54+ bullpen innings he finished his season with a 1.15 ERA and struck out over 27% of the batters he faced.  Given his performance, age and comparatively low cost, he would certainly be worth a long and hard look, though Rodriguez may have a closer role on his mind which won't happen with Edwin Diaz owning that slot on the Mets roster.

If you think about some of the players who have made it at varying levels of success in the majors, you have to understand that it's possible to find talent anywhere.  Does anyone remember when the Braves went to that less-than-prolific hotbed of baseball talent on the island nation of Curacao to pick a guy by the name of Andruw Jones?

Or there was another club pursuing baseball talent over in the Netherlands and picked up a guy whose career lead to a plaque in Cooperstown, Bert Blyleven.

Go back a little further in baseball history and you know of the famous shot heard 'round the world by Bobby Thomson?  What you may not know is that the slugger was born in Scotland.

Now naturally not everyone who makes it to the majors from a foreign country is guaranteed to be a star.  For every Ichiro Suzuki there's a Tsuyoshi Shinjo.  Still, that's no different than with American ballplayers except perhaps the native English speaking ones may get a bit more attention on their route to the majors.

With a new GM hired and Steve Cohen's ample spending budget, free agency will most definitely be a route the ball club will be taking.  What we don't know is about the future of prospects and regulars who may or may not need to be included in trades.