IN TOUGH TIMES, WHAT IS THE RIGHT PATH FORWARD?
I looked up and realized I had an article to write for 6 AM Tuesday.
Then Steve called me.
No, not Cohen...my brother.
He gets heated...as always...and his views might be right.
I tell him David Peterson had a great rehab, says his hip really bothered him forever, and that I think there is some Cole Hamels potential there. He tells me I'm drinking Mets Kool Aid again and Peterson is a busted pick who will never be more than a #5 or #6. He thinks having Peterson make his first start against the potent Dodgers on Wednesday is asinine. He'd have pushed him off to face the Diamondbacks. Now he's worked up.
He says, I've been a Mets fan all my life. I want this team to WIN before I die. He's been saying that a lot.
He notes the bewilderingly bad Mets history of busted draft picks, how little they've gotten out of first two rounds of picks over the decades.
- He's right there. Dwight, David Wright, Harvey, Pete....obvious picks like Strawberry don't count.
He noted their continuing and utter inability to develop talent. Even right now, he looks at the farm system today and says it is talent-thin. He's right. He asks where our Ken Griffey Jr is, realizing that, as usual, no such superstar hitter is in sight, either ahead of us, or behind us.
I run down some of the current prospect names (with his reaction): Gilbert (too short), Acuna (too short), Jett Williams (too short), Rhylan Thomas (too short), Nick Morabito (too short). He wants 6'2" sluggers drafted who can run and field. Is that too much to ask?
He wholeheartedly shares my view on the Mets' franchise-long unwillingness to make the park hitter-neutral to hitter-friendly, inhibiting their hitters decade after decade. Then, wondering why free agent sluggers sign elsewhere.
He repeatedly has excoriated the Mets for seeking in off-seasons to "do just enough" to build a "theoretically decent bullpen" - until the inevitable injry crap happens. "Crap" (he used a different word) is one or two key falters in the pen and the whole thing implodes - Diaz not returning as Trumpet Diaz, Raley going down, and the bullpen going up in flames, blowing one game after another.
He thought the Verlander trade was totally foolish. If you're paying so much of his remaining contract, why trade him, rather than keep a winning legend? We got in return an injury-prone Gilbert, whom he views as a future mediocre full-or-part time player, and Ryan Clifford, whom he sees as a guy with power, but far too strikeout prone for Steve to think he won't fail.
He thinks this current team is boring and filled with losers. So he hasn't watched a game in weeks. His favorite soap opera isn't "One Life to Waste." He's got better things to do. After 2023 and 2024 to date, and every season after 2016 but 2022, who can argue? Not me.
He realizes full well that an Ohtani and a Yamamoto would have picked LAD in a heartbeat for a few reasons, but most notably, a true winning team. Which the Mets clearly are not. The Mets, as Steve noted, after 1973, spanning 51 years and counting, have had precious few playoff years. Far, far too few for a big market team, and it disgusts him.
His prescription? It is most likely different than yours.
Cut spending? NO!! He doesn't care about the 10 slot draft penalty for substantially exceeding the cap, he doesn't care if Steve Cohen's team salary plus tax hits $1 billion.
He wants this:
Sign the right, winning talent and lots and lots of it. And make this the deepest Mets bullpen of all time by signing five fireballers. Pay for the best team in baseball. Period. Shoot for 115 wins and settle for 105.
He appreciates Steve Cohen's spending after the "pathetic" Wilpon regime's decades-long M.O. of never doing enough. But feels Cohen is psyched out and too hesitant to go for victory at any cost.
He wants Corbin Burnes badly. And Soto. And 5 reliever fireballers. And whatever else it takes to become a no-doubt perennial winner.
What think you of his critique and prescription, especially considering two things:
1) This team's terrible lack of historical success
2) It's always having a minor league system that ranges from average to abysmal?
17 comments:
Post about Senga: “What’s for sure is I’m itching to come back,’’ Senga said. “I really do want to come back and that’s what I’m striving for. But at the same time, I can’t rush myself.”
Hey, what’s the rush?
One minor league game in all of baseball yesterday. Binghamton. Emerging SP 1 (?) Brandon Sproat, in this his first season, had his 3rd excellent start in AA: 7 innings, 4 hits, 1 run, 93 pitches. 44 career innings, 1.42. And 1.89 in 3 AA starts. He seems ready to blast past every pitcher still in the Mets minors.
Rudick on base 3 more times (promote him) and Young on twice in 4 PAs. Two more “short guys”, who are on fire.
Totally disagree with your brother this time. Guys like Hader don’t want to come here and set up. Then, what is a pitcher like Ardolis Chapman giving you? He signed several pitchers that can hit the high 90’s. Velocity isn’t as big a deal as it used to be.
Verlander is a good pitcher, but how good is he alone? Scherzer isn’t. No one else was.
Look up Michael Bleis on Boston. They need a first baseman. What does your brother think about that?
Lastly, I don’t watch many Mets games, but follow every single one of them. The team isn’t losers. Look at Atlanta’s batting averages, The Guardians. There’s something else going on besides the numbers. There seems to be no energy level and they aren’t willing to be fundamentally legit. I actually feel that the distractions with Alonso’s contract status and last year’s sell-off still hovers over the team. And, they won’t play for each other.
I don’t agree with my brother either, Gus. The problem with huge spending is when it goes wrong and you’re buried under the luxury tax, with no way of escape. Lindor is despite his awful spring and season so far a very good player…but 7.7 more years is an eternity, and I think it will bring pain. I would have rather they had signed him to 5 years, $200 million. More per year, 5 fewer years. Reyes last year at age 35, he hit .189. He hit .337 at age 28. Lindor turns 31 in November, with 7 years left.
I didn’t even bring up the luxury tax penalties, that Mack shows us every Sunday are a huge difference between the talent available at 9 and the talent available at 19. I like Lindor too, and I liked the trade. But the difference between Reyes and Lindor is that Reyes game was speed only, and speed isn’t sustainable. Lindor offers power also, and power is more sustainable. Too, the leadership between Reyes and Lindor is like comparing the summers of Alaska and South Texas. Very few contracts work out until the end, and that is expected.
Still, I believe that having a #5 hitter hitting second to stroke his ego is wrong. I’d rather Marte and Alonso switched spots. Too much politics involved with the Mets brought on by throngs of media. The Yankees have mastered tuning out the noise. The Mets need to. If I was a player, I would never want to lay in New York. I’m pretty sure Alonso doesn’t want to either, despite his attempts to show us his ❤️ for New York City. Whatever Pete. Nice loyalty to your agent that you had for eight years and switched right before the big payday, and you have loyalty to the Mets? LOLLL
And lastly, I believe things even out over the long haul and cream will rise to the top. The biggest difference between where the Mets are and where they should be, are the five winnable games the bullpen gave away lately. Those are unforgivable, and the only problem I have with personnel.
I feel your brother's pain, Tom. It is difficult to watch this team find ways to lose and since it is not just a few that falter at the wrong time, I know it is just a state of mind that they have to change. Easier said than done. Unfortunately, the damage has been done. We will sell at the deadline and then be faced with what to do next. As I wrote Monday, the player development in the minors is not producing much in position players. So much more to do.
Tom
I like Steve
Both of them
But I don't agree with your brother
Baseball, and it's current rules, would not survive with a renegade owner who operates like a rich Charles Finlay.
Plan A with Verlander and Company didn't work
Neither did Plan B "Who Wears Short Short" (think about it)
Time to move to Plan C Target 2026
Guys, why does everyone want to sell? You realize that if they hadn’t just given away five games with a short circuited bullpen they would be 27-25, second in the wildcard and four games behind the sinking Atlanta Braves? Why give up? I would sell what I can replace, nothing more.
The difference between the Wilpons and Steve Cohen is the latter actually does try to change things. The Wilpons left poor players and inept managers on the payroll WAY too long.
I agree that 2024 is shot. 2025 is a great unknown based upon who is promoted and who is obtained. By 2026 they are out of excuses as their best minor league prospects should have all graduated to the majors.
We don't get Williams and Acuna if their 6 foot tall. Players 5'6 and under: Wee Wilie Keeler, Phil Ruzzuto, Freddie Patek, Joe Sewell, Jose Altuve, Rabbitt Maranville and Yogi Berra who was 5'7 so there's hope right.
Gary, long story short, you're right.
Gus, it is why I am so annoyed with Senga. Figure out the mechanics! Peterson and Megill, both improved, and Senga would allow them to have a strong rotation AND pen.
I think my brother has no problem with selling, if Cohen stocks up to win in 2025. Mack is OK with 2026 but when you get past 70, time is of the essence. Conundum.
I do roll out my partial solution on Sunday at 9 AM.
And just to piss me off, game 1 line up is out and no Vientos. So that's 3 games in a row he's sat. If they don't play him in the 2nd game, I'm gonna start praying he gets traded and then destroys the Mets pitching for the next ten years. I'm just at a loss why this kid gets screwed
Jon, Tyler Glasnow is not easy for a righty. Vientos can ply the second game against a less tougher pitcher, but still tough.
I am expecting a blowout by the Dodgers.
When they pitch, they don't hit. When they hit, they don't pitch. When they hit and pitch, they can't catch the ball.
How many of these did we see in game one?
Viper, time to blow it up. They do always fall short of expectations.
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