Reese Kaplan -- Who's to Blame For the 2nd Unaddressed Slump?

During the 2025 season the Mets have twice now demonstrated what happens when a team plummets in free fall without producing at the plate or on the mound.  The June Swoon was theoretically a more important one because it left time for the front office and the manager to get together with the metrics staff and the coaches to determine what can and should be done to right the course.  The trade deadline was still a distant future on July 31st and there was plenty of time for corrective actions to take place.

Even the most optimistic of Mets fans felt that if the club hit a home run through personnel additions in late July then all would be right with the world.  On the surface it would appear that from the pitching side David Stearns knocked it out of the park.  He got three All Star worthy relief pitchers to replace the AAAA cast of characters who demonstrated why they did not have lengthy big league careers.  Getting this trio of respectable arms without sacrificing major pieces from the minors and only one piece from the majors suggested that the acquisition of these rentals was business well done.

Unfortunately the results from Gregory Soto, Tyler Rogers and Ryan Helsley have not been what anyone anticipated.  Soto had been on a downward spiral after greater success earlier in his career, but no one expected his nearly 4.00 ERA from Baltimore would convert to a perfect 0.00 as a New York Met.  That is where the good news ends.

Tyler Rogers was seemingly a great 7th inning guy to lead to the dominant men in the 8th and the 9th.  His career numbers have been exceptional but as a member of the New York Mets his sidearm delivery has gone somewhat sideways.  If you only look at the ERA then you’d think he’s not missed a beat as his Mets number is a terrific 1.50.  However, look a little closer and you see he’s walked as many as he’s struck out and given up more than one hit per inning pitched.  As a result he’s careened towards disaster but mostly has worked out of it. 

The one who really has made folks shake their heads is Ryan Helsley who has not been the shutdown arm everyone’s struggled to hit in the past.  Again, the ERA is seemingly good but the hits per 9 innings, the walks and the WHIP all pushed his WAR number into the negatives. 

Now for folks who feel that it’s too soon to judge, well, there is some truth there.  It is unfortunately happening at a time when just about every starter has struggled to keep games close and as a result relievers are absolutely critical.  They have not always delivered.

Accompanying the June Swoon and again here in August is the lackluster offense.  While names like Rafael Devers and Carlos Correa changed teams, the Mets added the rental game of one Cedric Mullins.  He arrived with a .229 batting average in Baltimore and he’s slashed just .182 in New York.  How exactly he fit the mold as an offensive weapon was unclear to everyone before the trade was made and it appears he is here for defense and speed but not his bat.  It's embarrassing to make you yearn for the offensive upgrades represented by Tyrone Taylor or Jose Siri.

The question is how so many things have gone wrong.  Obviously injuries happen to all teams but sometimes affect some disproportionately more than they do others.  The issue is not that so many people needed medical care but rather what did the front office do to address the situation.  Many feel it is unfair to suggest that David Stearns should take any blame, but at the very least he certainly took his sweet time attempting to fix problems that existed while kids were still in school.  

I know that baseball is entertainment, but it is also a business and you need to hold the folks accountable who have not addressed issues when improvement is desperately needed.  The starting pitching, woeful offense and now unimpressive relievers have combined to make it nearly impossible for the club to win ballgames, yet firing Jeremy Hefner, the hitting coach duo or Carlos Mendoza appears more to be assigning blame for them not getting the most out of what is perhaps a poorly constructed roster.  David Stearns also needs to look at himself in the mirror.