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6/10/24

Reese Kaplan -- A Transcontinental Stream of Thought on Mets Plans


So the Mets are proving that whether they play in the USA, Canada or England they are still nowhere near a solid ballclub and a good return on Steve Cohen's investment.  Granted, he was not aware that injuries to Kodai Senga, Edwin Diaz, Francisco Alvarez, Brooks Raley, Tylor Megill, David Peterson and Shintaro Fujinami, as well as prospects like Nate Lavender, Jett Williams, Drew Gilbert and Ronny Mauricio.  That's a lot of medical baggage that is more than merely making excuses that the club has not had the resources available as planned.

Of course, the corresponding problem is underperforming regular and healthy players like Brandon Nimmo, Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil, Brett Baty, Adrian Houser, Jose Quintana and most relief pitchers also did not deliver on what had been expected of them.  Starling Marte is offensively a plus but his defense seems to have disappeared.  Harrison Bader is hitting better than folks expected but he's not an All Star by any means.  Mark Vientos has been a brief shining light but he needs to demonstrate his strikeout issues and low batting average from the past won't overtake what appears to be a solid start for 2024.  J.D. Martinez is hitting below average by his elite standards but has not fallen so low that he would be turned down by other teams if he was offered up in trade.


Mack, myself and others have gone through the "Blow it up!" scenario of allowing the club a true rebuild after consecutive seasons of embarrassing performance.  Others are still clinging to the razor thin fallacy that they are only a handful of games out of a wildcard playoff spot and instead the team should be buyers rather than sellers.  

Between the injuries and second division metrics by most of the players the club is also working through rookie manager Carlos Mendoza's first extended role in charge of an entire team.  There have been numerous "Fire Mendoza!" posts all over the media and while it's understandable for a newly minted skipper to adjust to his responsibilities, it is indeed frustrating to see failure to motivate the players to put in even an average season of performance.

The real issue people are trying to accept is lack of change.  To be fair, new POBO and new manager Carlos Mendoza are far more flexible in making changes than we have seen with other front office and dugout personnel in the past. The termination of players like Jorge Lopez, Joey Wendle, Omar Narvaez and others suggest that they will offer up a reasonable period of time to let what's not working persist before admitting change is needed and then doing so.  


While these changes were welcome, some felt they were overdue.  Still, any change at all of most appealing after having witnessed the Wilpon, Alderson, Eppler, Collins, Callaway, Rojas and other managerial personnel who would trot out the same poor performers and simply shrug off the idea of improving the roster when it was necessary to do so.  Consequently, I am of the opinion that both Stearns and Mendoza are both works in progress for the Mets but there are signs that are positive despite the won/lost results on the diamond.  

What will be most interesting to see is how this dynamic duo (with owner Steve Cohen's endorsement) handle the July trade deadline and minor league promotions to complete the real transition year that was discussed extensively in the offseason.  No one knows if someone's hand will be on the blasting powder when it comes to do a radical rebuild or if there will be simple incremental changes like testing out a return of Brett Baty.  Most of the minor leaguers the team wants to see are either too low in the system or injured, so a huge influx of AAA talent and below is likely not going to happen.  However, depending on the return date for Kodai Senga you could see the return of Christian Scott (even more so if Quintana, Severino, Manaea and Houser wind up on the trading block).  

For now it continues to be a frustrating experience observing how the team is doing, but there are some small positive signs despite the slumps and injuries.   

9 comments:

  1. I just read that when Senga experienced nerve issues in his shoulder in mid-May, they shut him down and he is starting over again now, so he is not expected back before the All Star Break. Unreal. Meanwhile Soto? Could have been worse, but is expected to miss just 3 or 4 games. And his replacement, Trent Grisham, hitting Unser .100, hits a game-deciding 3 run shot off Glasnow to keep the Yankees from being swept. SOME TEAM HAVE ALL THE LUCK.

    Drew Gilbert now expected to not return til late June, Jett Williams until mid August. Mauricio in Sept. Alvarez was 0-5 yesterday, in Brooklyn. Is he ready? Diaz? Will he return normal? For the Mets’sake, he better.

    All that negativity aside, the schedule is easier in June, with Miami, SD, Cubs,, Texas, just 2 games with Yanks, and Houston. Then in July, Washington, Pittsburgh, Washington, Colorado before the ASB.

    That is 31 games. Not impossible they could get hot and win 20 of them.

    Lastly, Vientos has fanned just 16 times in 80 at bats. Remarkably good, and not to be glossed over.

    Last thought….Alonso much better in his last 30 games…hitting .278 with a .536 slug. Meanwhile, the Yanks’ Judge over the last 30 games has an other-worldly 1.048 slug %.




    IF IM Steve Cohen, I’m thinking I have to see at least the June part of this next, easier 5 weeks, to see if the playoffs are real or not.

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  2. And the first 4 after the ASB are Miami, so could they go 23-12 in those 35? Possible, even if unlikely. The hitting will have to carry them.

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  3. Unfortunately, the Mets have a habit of playing down to their level of competition. The teams they should beat oftentimes turn out to be their waterloo

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  4. Jon, true. That’s why, if they go 10-11 the rest of June, it’s time to blow things up.

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  5. The key IMO is Diaz. If he returns within a week and does so as the 2022 model, everything turns around even without other changes.

    If he's still the 2024 model, then fuggetaboutit!

    We should know within 2 weeks what he looks like.

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  6. I've lost my optimism and can't find it anywhere.

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  7. One guy who is hot is Chris Suero, catcher/1B/OF at Brooklyn who has been on base 13 times in the last 4 games with 3 HRs. Kid from Da Bronx.

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  8. I like the kid Nick Lorusso too.

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  9. Ray, I saw Lorusso on TV the other day thud a double off the wall in left center in Stingy Park a/k/a Brooklyn Cyclones Park. He smoked it.

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