The Morning Report
First, let's talk short.
Yes, Francisco Lindor is
scheduled to be back by opening day, but some combination of rust, bad timing,
and possible sub-par throwing could shelve this plan.
One then has to asked why
not return Bo
Bichette to short and play either Brett Baty or Mark Vientos on
third until the trainer gives the a-ok?
Plus, there's Ronny
Mauricio.
However, I have a new
plan...
Why not let Bichette play third and move another ex-shortstop back there. Marcus Semien. You can then play either Baty or Mauricio at second.
A quick observation..
Mets Metrics ran some
numbers on Bo Bichette's arm, both from third base and short. I was
disappointed that it was below the average. Better than Alex Bregman,
but still, below average. The bottom line is he is potentially the league
leader in hits so that's the hand they will play this season.
A few Q&A
Q. I think I asked you this
earlier but do you think the 26 roster is complete?
Mack. The only move I
possibly see is Lindor going on the 7-day IL and being replaced by someone like
Vidal
Brujan (of course this could always be the entry point for Carson Benge).
Q. At what point do you think Benge will be in the starting lineup?
Mack. I've evaluated this for countless hours plus consulted with baseball God's throughout the industry. Then, I threw all that shite in the crapper and promoted him before game 1.
Q. Do you think Craig Kimbrel will return to dominance?
Mack. Dominance? No. Competitiveness, yes. Plus I think of all that wealth of relief knowledge working with your young pen-mates.. I'm not sure how long it will last but I would keep him if his ERA stayed below 4.00 and kis K/9 was over nine.
Q. Who does you think will be the first rookie to make a splash on this team?
Mack. Trick question, huh? I mean, Nolan McLean sort of charged up in the later portion of last season. Technically, he is still a rookie and has to be counted too. However, I expect two more rookies to be also showcased during spring training. They are aforementioned Carson Benge and probably second half season sensation, Jonah Tong. Tong will start off in AAA-Syracuse and work on his secondary pitches. Where his entry point into the rotation is, and when, is totally up to a lot of factors that simply haven't transpired yet.
Q. Is Ronny Mauricio ever going to pan out?
Mack. Maybe as a platooned designated hitter, but that's all I see for the young man. In his defense I'm not sure he has been given a decent change and, with the long list of infielders on this team, he may never.
Q. There is a lot of experience in the current projected Mets bullpen. Do you see either Ryan Lambert or Dylan Ross wearing Mets blue and orange come April?
Mack. Boy, I wish, but watch for the Mets to open up out there with vet-only relievers.
Q.
6 comments:
I just hope the Mets open HOT AND HEALTHY
I'm expecting the Mets to read my piece upcoming Tuesday and completely revamp their approach to the complementarity of the starting and relief staffs and for more starters and fewer relievers :-)
Not. I am expecting a potential trade or signing of a 1B like Ty France and an addition after March 26. So I don't think it's set yet.
Addendum to my comment on Tom’s piece: like Semien as SS with Baty at 2B for starters as well. Love the optionality.
They will strengthen the bench during ST for sure. For sure.
I do hope Benge earns it out of ST.
The Mets have stated publicly that they are not going to entertain Bichette at SS. They want him to focus on the transition to 3B. That statement is very contrary to what everyone is commenting here - that others can easily move into a different slot to compensate for a recovering Lindor. If the Mets don't think it is easy to transition without complete focus, then putting Semien at short would not make sense. Putting Mauricio there does make sense, because that is his natural position. He just has to be coached up to not make those low probability throws - be conservative at the position rather than spectacular.
Also, Semien is rated in Baseball Savant as having an 11th percentile arm. That will not do at short.
If I had to pick Kimbrel in his prime or Edwin in his prime, give me Kimbrel. I hated to see him face the Mets. So overpowering.
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