Reese Kaplan: Before You Light Your Angry Torch, Take a Breath

Well, if you're here you're undoubtedly a Mets fan yet this week has come and gone without any significant player additions being made while we all see other clubs like the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves progressing substantially on improving their rosters.  

Now it's not as if the Mets have been sitting still and doing nothing during this period of seeming inaction.  While Aaron Nola and other notable players have made contractual agreements, the Mets have also been busy with their lawyers but it was for the management team rather than the on-the-field guys with bats, balls and well worn cleats.  

By now it's already old news, but the Mets have purloined a top amateur scouting executive from the Houston Astros, a bench coach who was twice the manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, a first base coach from the deposed Gabe Kapler San Francisco Giants and a third base coach from Tito Francona's former staff in Cleveland.  

Think about these hires for a minute.  They are looking to improve their scouting and amateur player assessments so they get the best in the game to take over that role.  They have a rookie manager who might need some in-game guidance as he takes the reins.  They bring in a former Met player who had several years as the manager in Toronto to aid Carlos Mendoza in adjusting to his new role.  

They bring in 1st and 3rd base coaches from winning (or mostly positive) organizations to replace the now gone Joey Cora and Wayne Kirby.  They retained the pitching coach who has survived several managers.  They returned Eric Chavez to the role where he excelled as hitting coach (though why they retained Barnes is still a bit of a mystery).  

So while folks may very well be frustrated by what hasn't happened thus far with improving the roster, it would appear that rushing to be first to sign someone isn't a strategy for long term success.  How many trades and free agent acquisitions this club has made in the past didn't pan out as expected?  

Sure, Starling Marte looked like magic in his first year, then came the injuries that cut short the end of 2022 and most of 2023.  I can go on to reiterate the point, but picking the best is not guaranteed by picking them first.

As promised, there will be an examination of the available free agents come Saturday morning.  Expect the Mets to be active here but not in the pay realm necessary to land Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, David Robertson and others.  

Yes, there will be serious play made for Yoshinobu Yamamoto and they won't be counting on Jose Butto, Joey Lucchesi and Tylor Megill to fight it out for the other two spots in the starting rotation.  Adam Ottavino may be gone but there are other capable arms available who could help the team improve.  

For now remember it's Black Friday, most folks are off from work for the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend and action likely won't resume until Monday, the 27th.