This past week, the Mets have added Matthew Allan, Francisco Alvarez and Ronny Mauricio to their 60-man roster and they are now receiving instruction at the alternate site in Brooklyn. This is a case of better late than never but why was it even late? They should have been there from Day 1. They missed out on six-to-eight weeks of hands-on instruction in this otherwise lost developmental season.
It’s not a contender for biggest misstep of Brodie Van Wagenen’s tenure but it makes the top 10.
We’ve seen the difference that doing work at the alternate site has done for Franklyn Kilome, Walker Lockett and Corey Oswalt. Kilome doesn’t have any previous MLB work to compare his efforts here in 2020 to but Lockett and Oswalt do.
In 13 previous games in the majors, Lockett had an 8.84 ERA and a 1.885 WHIP. In seven starts, he allowed 29 ER in 30.1 IP. His final line in his first start looks like more of the same and maybe it is. But he seemed like a more confident hurler and if had stopped after four innings – twice the length of a Robert Gsellman outing – the narrative would be completely different.
Perhaps learning from the Lockett experience, Oswalt was pulled after 4.1 IP. He had three really good innings, which might be three more than he had his first two years in the majors. Ron Darling was talking about how he was finishing his pitches better than before. Now, the Marlins aren’t exactly an offensive powerhouse but there were enough encouraging things from Oswalt’s last appearance that giving him another start doesn’t seem like a capital crime.
And David Peterson also spent time at the alternate site.
Excellent points regarding these young pitchers. The Gsellman move to starter was a real head scratcher, especially given his missed time at the end of 2019.
So long as the Mets are in it, they need to send out the starter that gives them the best chance to win that night. Should the slip out of it, every single start should go to a guy controllable next year, with Matz Being last on that list and Lugo being first, followed by guys out of options.
You know Oswalt looked pretty good last night. I don’t recall a performance like that previously.
On a bullpen note: Arizona released Jimmie Sherfy. Not sure if he could assist in some way.
I had to look up Sherfy. He had pretty good numbers in the majors and minors in 2017 and 2018. I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to picking him up for the alternate site but I’m thinking there are teams out there that would give him a better shot in the majors. Funny as it is to say, the pen’s in pretty good shape right now.
Sure, right now they’re dood, but just wait until they move Lugo into the rotation…
Regardless of how this season turns out, we really need to see what we have for next year. Lots of teams are doing that.
It’s still not clear to me what actually happens at the alternate site. It seems like glorified training camp to me, something that is usually widely available during the offseason if players choose so I just don’t see it being a big deal that players are included or not included.
To attribute player’s success because of the the alternate training site is a huge stretch and implying causation when it might just be coincidence.
Lugo to the rotation. Matz to the pen! Thanks Luis!