Tom Brennan - THERE'S LUCK INVOLVED IN MAKING THE MAJORS
Sometimes, when pursuing that big league dream, it is better to be lucky than good.
Whoever was stuck in the minors behind Cal Ripken was sure unlucky.
Over recent years, we've seen a bunch of Mets players who were marginal major league wannabe talents.
If the Mets had been a team like the Yankees or Astros, totally committed to being in the post season every year, a bunch of them may never have seen the light of day in the majors in Queens.
This presents a dilemma for Mets minor leaguers today.
Why?
Why?
Because Brodie VW is more interesting in reaching the post season than he is in calling up 5 borderline guys hoping that at least one of them is competent.
Brodie will want to go with:
1) proven major league talent and
2) clear cut rising minor league star talents like Peter Alonso and eventually Andres Gimenez.
So, for a guy like David Thompson - let's say he has a strong spring and early season in 2019 - last year or the year before, that would have given him a really good chance of a "let's try him out in Queens" cameo.
In 2019? That hurdle of getting to Queens seems much tougher. Brodie will likely tap someone who is playing well in the minors and who already has a major league track record - or just trade for a proven talent.
Jack Reinheimer made it up to Metsville in 2018...but let's say he was vying for his first Mets call up not in 2018, but in 2019 - does he get here? I certainly think not.
Phillip Evans, Danny Muno? Same logic.
Chris Beck - would he have made it up in 2019, if he was pitching in the minors as he was just before his 2018 call up, and had such a shaky major league background in limited prior trials? Doubt it.
Simply put, when you are that borderline type talent and haven't made it to the majors yet, it helps to be on a team with no chance of making the playoffs.
Those clubs dump contracts, so you get a chance. And the major league players already there may not be much better (if at all) than you, so you get a chance.
Those clubs dump contracts, so you get a chance. And the major league players already there may not be much better (if at all) than you, so you get a chance.
Hard to do that for a contender.
Case in point:
Bullpen?
Houston used just 18 guys out of their pen last year (including fireballer JD Davis).
The Mets, meanwhile, used 25 guys (including Happy Jose).
Hitters?
Houston used 20 non-pitchers as hitters, the Mets used 25 (including aforementioned Happy Jose).
Morale of that story:
You hope, if you are an unproven borderline guy in the minors, having climbed past 95% of your teammates in the minors already, that your parent club stinks, because you have a better chance, however briefly, of achieving that big league dream.
I know, I know, I give Jeff McNeil more ink than the fake news tabloids give to the Kardashians, but let me just make my point:
Had the Mets been a small market team that was expected to win 80 or less games, no doubt Jeff is the everyday starter at 2B for that small market/small-minded team in 2019.
With a now highly aggressive, competitive team like the Mets that wants proven players, however, he will (if not traded) have to fight hard for even a fair amount of playing time, after the Mets acquired established 2Bs Jed Lowrie and Robby Cano.
I hope instead that Jeff McNeil becomes the next Cal Ripken. That is, play daily, with days off from November - January.
Lastly, on a related point:
Who else? Jeff McNeil.
Who else? Jeff McNeil.
I know, I know, I give Jeff McNeil more ink than the fake news tabloids give to the Kardashians, but let me just make my point:
Had the Mets been a small market team that was expected to win 80 or less games, no doubt Jeff is the everyday starter at 2B for that small market/small-minded team in 2019.
With a now highly aggressive, competitive team like the Mets that wants proven players, however, he will (if not traded) have to fight hard for even a fair amount of playing time, after the Mets acquired established 2Bs Jed Lowrie and Robby Cano.
I hope instead that Jeff McNeil becomes the next Cal Ripken. That is, play daily, with days off from November - January.
13 comments:
Texas released Rheinheimer this week to make room for Astrubel Cabbrera
Right place at the right time is always nice! Or, the opposite, which isn't so nice.
I think McNeil will prove to be a valuable piece moving forward, despite not having a defined position for 2019.....I think BVW recognizes the value JM brings to the table and likely views him as a "super sub" on a contender (sort of like Marwyn Gonzalez was for the Astros).
Maybe Jeff needs his own reality show?
It's only fitting that fake news covers the Kardashians whose parts that are covered are fake.
Nice, Reese. Parts of the Mets' seasons seem fake, too, Reese, like that 29-58 stretch in the middle of last season.
Mike, he could call his reality show Showtime Super Squirrel - following the saga of the squirrel that COULD.
Mets signed Justin Wilson
Mixed feelings from the writers here on the Wilson signing
I know this much about Wilson - come June, we'll either like or not like this signing! Let's hope, as the headline caption of my article says, that we get "LUCKY"
whoever the Mets move off the 40 man roster to accommodate Wilson - will most likely be less impactful in the big leagues going forward than Justin Wilson. I just hope his control improves.
Well, there's your other lefty for the pen we have all been wondering about. By all accounts, he is a power arm, with a bit of wildness thrown in for good measure.
Career WHIP around 1.27 (not the best), but LOTS of K's.
He was a little rough at times last year, but his career numbers aren't bad for a middle reliever. I don't want to see him closing games out, but you could do worse in the 6th-8th innings, especially against tough lefties.
A little hot and cold, though nice splits, which is the idea, I guess. Maybe less work on righties harnesses control. We can sprinkle Zamora with seasoning in the meantime.
nd I think this move gives the Mets the different lefties come September: power, Wilson; placement Avilan; spin, Zamora. That go-to flexibility is important when jousting against one lefty batter with it all on the line.
Good point. And by Sept, maybe we see David Peterson
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