Long-Term
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“So whaddya think?”
“Whaddya mean? What do I think?”
“Whaddya think the Mets should do about
signing the young pitchers?”
“They should proceed with all deliberate
haste.”
“Should they proceed deliberately, or in
haste?”
“All of the above.”
“Guess what? You’re not making any sense.”
“I’m a big baseball fan. None of us make
sense.”
“I suppose that could make sense.”
“Does it?”
“No. But I can suppose that it does, so I will. Let’s try the ‘deliberate haste’
thing again.”
“The Mets should start talking to the young
guys now. That’s the haste part of it.”
“What’s the deliberate part of it?”
“They gotta listen to what the answer is from
those guys. They also have to see how some of them are doing coming out of
surgery.”
“Yeah, but where would you put your
preferences?”
“The first guy I’d go after is Syndergaard.”
“Why?”
“The big one is: he didn’t have surgery. But
that ain’t all. He comes in second on the team in swagger.”
“Second?”
“Yeah, Cespedes is first. And I think swagger
is a very important thing for this club to have. There’s a few too many guys on
this team who are shrinking violets. They need guys like Syndergaard to lead
the charge past the opponent.”
“Okay, Syndergaard. Who’s next?”
“DeGrom.”
“Why?”
“He’s done well for a couple of years, and he
had a minor operation. But you’ve got to check him out in spring training.”
“What about Harvey?”
“I was coming to him.”
“So?”
“I got just two words to say about him.”
“And they are?”
“Scott Boras, Harvey’s agent. He’s always
been known to go for the highest dollar, no matter what.”
“Do you think Harvey agrees with him?”
“He did pick him for an agent.”
“True.”
“But you’ve got to make him--them an offer. Who knows he may get
swept up in a big World Series run and gets the Mets religion and tells Boras
to sign with the Mets on a fair offer.”
“What do you think are the chances of that
happening?”
“About five percent.”
“That sounds about right.”
“I don’t think Harvey’s gonna cut a home-town
deal. He chose Boras because he wants money. Also he was a Yankee fan as a
kid.”
“So you don’t think he’s giving the Mets a
deal?”
“If you’re asking what I think, I think he
spends his spare time at Joseph Aboud getting fitted for pinstripes.”
“So they shouldn’t make him an offer?”
“No, they should make him an offer. I’m sure
Boras will tap dance his way around and draw out the negotiations.”
“What then?”
“I hope Harvey has a super year. I hope he’s
absolutely fabulous for the Mets. Then, if they don’t have a deal in place,
Sandy should trade him for a bucketful of prospects or established players.”
“They should trade him away after a good year?”
“That’s right. Way back when, Branch Rickey
said it’s better to trade a guy a year too soon rather than a year too late.”
“So?”
“In these modern times, ‘a year too soon’ is
a year before free agency; ‘a year too late’ is when he’s gone in free agency.”
“So the Mets should let Harvey go?”
“That’s how I read it.”
“Okay, what about Matz and Wheeler?”
“We should hold onto them while we see what
their health is like this season.”
“So that’s your plan?”
“You bet.”
“Do you think it’ll work?”
“I most certainly do. There’s just one
problem.”
“What’s that?”
“They also thought the Titanic would work,
and you know what happened to that.”
Whenever Richard Herr isn’t solving all the
Mets’ problems, he spends his time writing humorous science fiction novels.
You can see his books at https://www.amazon.com/Richard-Herr/e/B00J5XBKX4.
10 comments:
Lol, very well written
The first pitcher the Mets should sign if healthy is deGrom.
Why not Syndergaard? because Syndergaard would be a lot more expensive to sign and once deGrom's camp see how much Syndergaard get, they would want more.
So, you sign deGrom first because he wants to stay with the Mets, wants security knowing that he is older. So can the Mets give him 50/60M for 5 years?
Syndergaard is probably a 75/80M which is why I say extend him after deGrom.
Harvey is not signing and will go to free agency. So lets hope as you say that he is the Harvey of old in 2017 and the Mets trade him for the best package possible.
I agree with Zozo. Yanks would love a healthy Harvey, and boy, do they have prospects now. But will they at the time when the Mets might decide to move Gladys Knight?
DeGrom is a tough decision, both for the Mets as well as deGrom's agent.
He will not be a young man when he hits free agency which will affect a decision by either party.
Best column yet, Richard...and your points are good. I could go either way on Syndergaard and de Grom. Both need to be locked up in no particular sequence. This is the year they need to see what they have in Wheeler and Gsellman (and to a lesser extent, Lugo). They also need to see health from the two chronically injured younger players -- Matz and d'Arnaud.
Mack,
Because deGrom would be older is the reason he will also be cheaper and more willing to sign now.
Syndergaard motivation is that he is further away from his potential payday and might want to start that vida loca now and for that he needs money.
Wheeler, even if good this year will have innings limits. So I would skip a start by using Gsellman after 3 starts by Wheeler.
Come to think of it, with Harvey, deGrom, Wheeler and Matz all coming back from injuries, it wouldn't be a bad idea to use a 6 man rotation to start the year. Add Gsellman and Lugo starts in Vegas just in case one of the Ferrari starters breaks down.
d'Arnaud either makes this year or is trade filler later on. I wouldn't mind seeing more of Plawecki. Maybe he learned something at Vegas.
Viper
Like that thinking.
I'd agree - go 6 starters. As for Plawecki, it would help if he tore it up in spring training; his bat has been a true disappointment to date
I'd agree - go 6 starters. As for Plawecki, it would help if he tore it up in spring training; his bat has been a true disappointment to date
Like that thinking.
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