Casey Wentworth – On Reese Kaplan on Jay Bruce

Good article on Jay Bruce by Reese Kaplan.   However, he overlooks one very obvious thing despite touching on it for a moment in this article. Lucas Duda's contract (not unlike Granderson's) is up at the end of the 2017 season. So Mr. Kaplan, then knowing the outfield clutter currently on hand here, why not trade Lucas Duda now and get something decent back solving the outfield clutter situation entirely? Is this sir not a common sense approach?

The problem with Duda? A: Bad back, injury prone. Is one of many such situations literally crippling this present NY Mets team's chances again. 

Unfortunately, some might say that this has not been adequately addressed by this NY Mets management team. 

Let's do so now.

Other chronic injury patients on this team are in my own opinion:

1. Travis d'arnaud (28 years old this year and with how many at bats under his belt?) And yet, the NY Mets brass feels confident in having him be their number one catcher again in 2017.

2. Matt Harvey. How old is Matt this season? 27? Something like that, and how many losses to how many wins does he have on his career? May have another 2016 type of season, unsure.  Maybe another operation on this same arm situation. Then what?

3. Zachary Wheeler. How old? How many MLB starts? Is he going to be one of those unlucky hard throwing starters that never gets back 100%? Good question. We will see. I hope not.

4. Jacob deGrom. He lost his 2015 extra mph fastball and had arm achiness ending his 2016 season early. I believe he can get back whole, but it is not 100% guaranteed right now. 5. Neil Walker. I don't care what anyone says, some injuries are more serious than others going forward. Some change a player's ability to either stay healthy and on the field, or their success ratio while playing.

Then 2017 NY Mets starting field lineup is an older one now. The only homegrown NY Mets are Duda and Wright (if David can play at all.)  It is to me, a sort of NY Yankees team when George Steinbrenner was running it awhile back. It does not take into affect any minor league newer players really at all, unless there are injuries happening to the starting eight. There is no risk taking on the better AAA Mets from 2016, like Cecchini and Nimmo. To me, it is almost too set an older team. No one is even trying out for a position from AAA. Where is the motivation in that?

I believe that the reasoning is simple here with this, this is a "go for it all" season to this team's manager, general manager, and perhaps ownership. They want to win the World Series this year. I can understand that. However, the 2017 NY Mets starting pitchers are all basically young. There are no Chris Young's, or Joe Blanton's on this rotation. It is a relatively young NY Mets pitching staff. So then, why not have a couple of younger players in the field at least? Players that can be here more than one or two more seasons to compliment this team's younger pitching staff? That to me is precisely where other MLB franchises have a leg up on these NY Mets. And it is obvious to some of us.

Conclusion:

I'd probably investigate trading Duda and D'arnaud somewhat, still. Add in a younger catcher who can maybe be around healthy for a more considerable amount of time and possibly using these two players as attractive bait for that. The Kaplan article is point-on with Dominic Smith being the heir apparent at first base in 2018, Granderson walking and maybe retiring at this season's end. The NY Mets will get nothing for either player back., although salary will come off their salary budget or 2018. At first base 2017...I'd try Jay Bruce or Michael Conforto out there. Maybe even bring in Smith this spring for a get aclimated type thing. At catcher 2017, I'd look at someone like a Tom Murphy on Colorado, or an Alfaro from Cincy, the cannot miss young catcher. Why not really? You know that Duda's back has been an issue for sometime, and Travis (although a decent enough catcher) just cannot for the life of himself, stay healthy and on the field. Tomas Niddo is not ready yet, Plawecki has not been able to drive the ball. Why should we expect anything different here in 2017 from any of these players really?

By adding in a new catcher, finding a home for Bruce and either Comforto or Nimmo in the starting outfield, suddenly the 2017 NY Mets would be able to add-in the youth that they need to be adding in here the players that compliment a young 2017 NY Mets rotation.