You may or may not have heard: Zack Wheeler was pretty good in his debut. That was on top of Matt Harvey being otherworldly earlier that same day. On what was clearly the best day of this benighted 2013 season, Mets fan and Mets player alike got a personal jolt from these two electrifying performances. Evidence of the clubhouse digging it was the sight of half the team surrounding Wheeler and thoroughly drenching him in beer as he spoke with his parents post-game. Aside from being a horrid waste of perfectly good alcohol, the move made Justin Turner’s tiresome pie ritual look like kid stuff.

Even before Wheeler’s uniform had dried out, it was announced that a small flurry of roster moves had been made. 1 – Wheeler was sent back to Las Vegas temporarily to get the squad back to 25 men. Have no fear: this is basically a paper move which will be rectified by the time his turn comes up again. 2 – Andrew Brown was recalled and Collin Cowgill was designated for assignment – “DFA’d” in the current shorthand. 3 – Eric Young, Jr. was acquired from Colorado for the previously DFA’d Collin McHugh. That’s an awful lot to pack in in nine-and-a-half hours. In addition, now there is some faint talk of moving the inconsistent and luckless Shaun Marcum, fresh off his 9th consecutive loss, to the bullpen or even – gasp! – recognizing his four million dollar contract as a sunk cost and DFAing him. All this has allowed us to finally see Sandy Alderson in action. To your intrepid columnist, this was a long time coming

Now, Eric Young, Jr. is not the long-awaited solution to the outfield problem. He is a serviceable if unspectacular player who plays decent defense, is fast enough to steal a few bases and provide sorely needed leadoff ability, at basically replacement level. The fact that Alderson could bring anything back for McHugh makes the Mets a winner in the deal. Beyond the names and talent levels of the people involved, the acquisition of Young looks to be a precursor to a wider set of moves coming in the next few months. This morning, Metsblog – which seems to have an ear for these things — put down the plan in the most concrete terms we’ve heard since Sandy Alderson came aboard. Heady stuff: if this is the way it plays out, then the offseason might look brighter than it has since the heyday of Omar Minaya.

All of which means that if moves are made as swiftly and decisively as they were on Tuesday night, we Met fans may have to get used to a whole new set of circumstances. We may have to get used to a line of quality pitchers coming through the pipeline. We might have to expect more than a few intelligent moves. We may be able to marvel at what can be done with somewhat looser purse strings – though that can’t really be counted on or trusted until the Wlipon/Katz cadre is finally out of the picture, whenever that might be.

I think we can handle it; I’d certainly love to find out.

Follow me on Twitter @CharlieHangley

14 comments on “Will Mets Fans Be Ready For A New Reality?

  • steevy

    The Mets,as constituted,will continue to struggle mightily for runs and ruin many a fine outing by all of their pitchers.

    • za

      But the times, they are a’changin!

  • Jerry Grote

    Man ram. Ramirez has *averaged* nearly 100 RBIs a season; he probably, even at 41, puts up a 900 OPS in his pajamas.

    Would you? OK. Of course not. But let’s say it’s August, and somehow or another we found ourselves in a race, and he was still available.

    Would you do it then?

    • kjs

      Yes. But I think the theoretical is an uber-longshot. But I’m so bored for runs, I’d endure Ramirez’s hijinks.

      • Name

        He’s nothing without some extra juice. easy pass.

    • Chris F

      Not in 1,000,000 years.

  • Jim OMalley

    Well put. Graet article….maybe something is a foot with the regime.

  • peter

    A better utilized bull pen will go a long way in rectifying the pitching. No point in wasting terrific outings that keep the Mets in the game or hold the opposition to one or two runs. Solve that problem and the lack of consistent offense and you have a team that can contend. I think that would be enough for now for most Met fans.

  • Jerry Grote

    commentary over at Metsblog seems nonsensical to me.

    “In the meantime, according to people around baseball, the Mets are trying to acquire a temporary tried-and-true first baseman, who could hold down the positon while Davis gets himself figured out, so that Lucas Duda can return to playing left field. The Mets can live with Duda at first, but they don’t want him in there all season. In the event a player can’t be acquired, I think they’ll look to promote Zach Lutz, or someone else from Triple-A.”

    Why would the Mets look to promote anyone from LV to play 1B? Lutz has played all of 42 games at first. I can’t see Lutz coming to Citi to play 1B.

    Maybe they should, you know, let the actual starting 1B from LV play in Citi (Satin), before you look outside the organization or once again, put someone at 1B that simply hasn’t played the position sufficiently. What is it with this team?

    • Name

      ” so that Lucas Duda can return to playing left field”

      Haha. That made me crack up. I’m not a big fan of Matthew Cerone’s “analysis”. Sometimes he will say something insightful, but most of Most of the time, he just goes along with popular opinion, which often isn’t correct. And then there are times he’ll post a clunker like this one.

  • peter

    If the Mets are so strapped for cash why are they so willing to throw away their money on washed up players? Maybe they could bring back Rick Ankiel and let him play first. Let Satin play first or send him back down. Just wasting a roster spot that could go to Wheeler.
    Hey Jerry Grote! Who is out there that is a tried and true first baseman and is cheap? Carlos Pena? Or maybe Carlos Lee!

  • Jerry Grote

    @ Peter: Hell, the way TC’s makes up a lineup card … EVERYONE can play EVERY position. Duda at LF. Murphy at 1B. Kirk at RF. Valdespin … ok, JV anywhere.

    One of the truisms about great coaches is that they put players in a position to succeed. Now, that’s more relevant to other team sports like football. But over the course of the Atlanta series (and particularly last night, with plays by Young, Lagares, Murphy and even Duda)you got to see what happens when players are in position.

    Make up a simple lineup card, Terry. If you don’t have a 1B, get one. But if you do, then play the 1B there. Play the 2B at 2b; the CF at CF. It’s not that hard a job, and you’re making it difficult for the players to succeed.

  • peter

    Having guys play their natural positions simply put allows them to play with their instincts rather than being force feed into a position of unknown territory. What a novel idea? Maybe TC can continue with his thinking inside the box? Putting players in the best possible position to be successful is the only way to go. Maybe Burke gets recalled when Marcum is dealt?

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