THIS CROW FLEW THE COOP, AND DECLARED “WAR”
Pete Crow Armstrong this season had 7.5 WAR through game 119.
Extrapolate that over 162 games? 10.2 WAR.
The Mets traded him for a pipe dream.
In Juan Soto’s best WAR year (Yanks in 2024), he had “just” 8 WAR.
Crow might well win the NL MVP this year. The Mets have never had one.
- Can we PLEASE have a do-over?
Here are seven player moves that come to mind, that had me screaming, for good reason:
Can we have a do-over?
I WANNA DO-OVER!
Jeff Kent?
He won an MVP, and was in the top 10 of MVP voting in several other years, all after the Mets traded him. And made the Hall of Fame.
Kevin Mitchell?
He, after the Mets traded him, won an MVP.
Amos Otis?
He finished between 3rd and 8th in MVP voting in 4 post-Mets seasons.
Nolan Ryan?
He won 295 games and fanned over 5,000 batters post-Mets. Hall of Fame, too.
The Irish Hammer Daniel Murphy?
He was allowed by the Mets to walk after a monumental late-season 2015. He came in 2nd in the MVP voting for the Nats in 2016. 2017 was brilliant, too. 90 doubles, 48 HRs, 197 RBIs in those those first two Nats seasons, where he averaged .335 in an average of 143 games. ARRGGH!
Jeff Reardon?
He saved all of 10 games as a Met, then moved on and saved a mere 357 more.
Tom Seaver?
Remember him? He was traded to Cincinnati, where he went a mere 70-32 in his first 5-seasons there.
READY FOR MORE PAIN?
I just came across a doubly jaw-dropping tidbit from a July article by Max Ralph, posted on MLB.com, on the Crow/Baez trade:
Zack Scott, the acting general manager of the Mets at the time of the trade, joined the Break It Down Show this week and went in-depth on the move that sent Crow-Armstrong to Chicago.
“When you look back, it’s easy to say that was a bad trade long term, And I’d say this, at the time, it’s certainly not a deal you feel good about doing long term.”
Scott revealed that PCA wasn’t even the player the Cubs originally targeted in that trade.
He said they wanted right-handed pitcher Matt Allan, a 2019 third-round pick who was MLB Pipeline’s No. 3 Mets prospect in 2021 but is no longer in affiliated baseball.
Scott said part of the reasoning for including Crow in the trade was a bias coming from his background working in the Red Sox front office. He said they didn’t like Crow in the 2020 Draft -- when the outfielder went 19th overall. Furthermore, Crow was rated as the fifth-best prospect in the Mets’ system, behind the likes of Francisco Alvarez, Ronny Mauricio, Allan and Brett Baty.
“And I can tell you, from talking to people in the industry, he wasn’t someone that teams really asked about. And even the Cubs were asking reluctantly. He’d been drafted 19th, which isn’t usually where the top talent is. It’s usually in the top 15 picks. So, it doesn’t surprise me that the industry didn’t value him that early in his pro career.”
What I felt was the Mets’ worst trade deal ever…just got SO MUCH WORSE!
HOW IS THIS FOR A FIRST BASE PLATOON NEXT YEAR?
No, Pete Alonso won’t be back, but Jared Young has done surprisingly well as a lefty hitting batter at first base. Could he be a 2027 platoon starter vs. righties? Perhaps.
Now, imagine if you could get a solid, cheap righty hitter vs lefties to complement him. Almost the mirror image of Young.
One guy to at least consider?
Joey Meneses. Yep, him again, Mack.
In the Athletics system, he was blocked and went just 3 for 20 this year.
But in the PCL this year (thru August 17), he was ripping:
.327/.380./495 with a terrific 96 RBIs in 95 games.
.392/.441/.568 against lefties.
And…
.352/.395/.479 with RISP.
Yeah, I know it is the hitter-happy PCL, but…
Worth thinking about.
Salary cost for both Young and Meneses?
$2 million in total. Leaving…
…More $ available for needs elsewhere on the team.
Of course…there is the remaining year of one Jorge Polanco.
Cranky ankle surgically repaired, AND “REPORTING FOR DUTY…SIR.”
I’m sure Mr. Stearns wishes that Jorge walked into his office one day and said, “you know, David, that I feel like I stole your money in 2026, what with my hitting .148 with just 6 RBIs in 135 ABs.”
“I feel so bad about it, I will gimp away from the $23 million you owe me in 2027. After all, Mama always taught me to steal no pesos.”
Nah, dream on…that ain’t happening.
Only guy I remember doing that is Mike Cuddyer, who simply walked away after he hit a respectable .259 in 2015, and skipped his final 2016 Mets year, and $12.5 million he was contractually owed for that season.
And, the chances of a guy like Pol-Ankle, turning 34 next mid season, rebounding well?
Feels way too much like watching a sequel to a horror flick named:
The Yoenis Cespedes Debacle.
But assuming modest Pol-ankle health, a platoon with Young vs lefties and Polanco vs righties feels about right. Since guys hitting against lefties get only one third of the at bats, you could pencil Polanco in for 200 career-ending at bats.
Of course, there are always THE Anemic Duo, Baty and Vientos, who both, as of this writing, have close to 3,000 plate appearances and 2.8 combined WAR.
NOTE TO READER:
Anyone averaging 1 WAR every 1,000 PAs really sucks.
So, let’s move on from those two losers for 2027. Can I have an amen?
Oh, yeah, through August 20, Pete Alonso had 29 HRs, 82 RBIs, .270.
What would the Mets, seriously, have looked like in 2026, WITH HIM?
Getting Polanco was only a little better than getting Jed Lowrie who, in 2 Mets contractual years, compiled the same number of hits as me - ZERO.
Well, at least he walked once.
Like me, though, Polanco can’t hit a lick, either.
SEVEN FOR SEVEN
In Jonah Tong’s first 4 short August starts, he allowed seven runs.
How? On 7 solo home runs.
Otherwise he pitched GREAT!
Two homers allowed in 114 minor league innings last year.
Twenty two homers allowed in 100 minor league innings this year.
Tong is painfully learning that trying out new things is not always exciting.
Especially in a league where teams average above 1.2 HRs per game.
Mistakes disappear.
EXTREME HITTERS’ PARK
Brooklyn’s home park hates hitters. Extremely tough. But…
After Brooklyn scored 16 runs in Asheville on Friday night, and 15 more on Saturday night, I looked deeper at Asheville’s park.
What did I find?
More signs that Asheville in the SAL is a hitter’s absolute paradise.
Let’s start with results.
Asheville’s road pitching ERA is a weak 6.24.
But at home?
Asheville pitchers have AN INSANE AND FAR HIGHER 8.66 ERA!
Their hitters scored 440 runs in 59 home games, just 297 in 59 on the road.
Why?
I looked up field dimensions. INSANELY SMALL.
e.g., 373 feet to dead center! 35 feet shorter than Citi Field.
Asheville Field Mini Dimensions
Left - 326 feet; Left Center - 370 feet; Center - 373 feet;
Right Center Field - 320 feet; Right Field 297 feet.
Add in its altitude of a hitter-friendly 2,130 feet above sea level.
WOW! JUST SO TINY!
One more note: recently acquired Sammy Stafura played for Greensboro in the SAL prior to getting traded to the Mets system. The Greensboro park dimensions were not as friendly as Asheville’s, but still hitter-friendly. Their hitters racked up 426 runs in 60 home games, or 7.1 per game.
Sammy hit 13 of his 20 homers at home. How many would have gone out if hit in his current home park, in Brooklyn? I dunno, but I am guessing FEWER.
See the Greensboro park dimensions below. Cozy. Very cozy.
Left Field: 315 ft (96 m)
Left Field Jog: 322 ft (98 m)
Left-Center: 365 ft (111 m)
Center Field: 400 ft (122 m)
Right-Center: 362 ft (110 m)
Right Field Jog: 320 ft (98 m)
Right Field: 312 ft (95 m) |
Lastly, last night’ winning action abounded in Metsville:
the Mets hit very well…won 10-5. Juggernaut.
Robert multi-HR game in his old home city, one being a rocket off of some guy named Brazoban, and Benge (3 hits) was great again. Senga scoreless non-save 9th.
Then…in the minors, 4 games, 4 wins…a few highlights…
Tong and Gordon pitched great…you can look it up…11.2 IP, 7 H, 0 runs…
“Remember Me” Reimer had 3 hits…he is 26 for 80 (.325) post-injury…
and let’s hear it for newbie Jack Toomey, in just his 11th pro at bat in St Lucie, who hit a game-winning grand slam. COOL!
…and Zack Mack won that game in relief, to move to 8-2, 2.74 for the year.
HAPPY SUNDAY.
