There are two months left in the 2014 season, and it does not look like the Mets will be competing for a playoff spot. There have been flashes and streaks where the Mets’ play raises hopes and expectations for next year. If the Mets plan to compete next year, here are some questions that they need answered:
1. Is Ruben Tejada the starting shortstop?
As I wrote last week, this next offseason is featuring a lot of solid shortstops that the Mets can acquire. Players such as Asdrubal Cabrera, J.J. Hardy, Jed Lowrie and Hanley Ramirez will be in free agency, while Troy Tulowitzki may be available in a trade. The Mets need to see Tejada if they can compete for a playoff spot with Tejada starting at shortstop.
2. Are we finally seeing the real Travis d’Arnaud?
Travis d’Arnaud was regarded as a top prospect for many years, and after his stint in Triple A Las Vegas, d’Arnaud has been very solid. In his last ten games, he has hit .289 and has hit the ball pretty hard. I am not sure if he will continue to bat 5th, but if d’Arnaud can keep this up, it would be nice to see him in the 6th spot next season.
3. Who is making the starting rotation next year?
The surplus of pitching has given the Mets an opportunity to trade away pitchers for an impact bat. With Matt Harvey returning, next year’s rotation may consist of Harvey, Zack Wheeler, Jon Niese, Dillon Gee and Jake deGrom. This leaves Jeremy Hefner, Rafael Montero, and Noah Syndergaard without spots. I am guessing that Bartolo Colon will be traded at this year’s deadline, which takes him out of next year’s rotation. Sandy Alderson and Terry Collins need to decide who is staying, and who is going.
4. Are there any minor leaguers who can help?
We know about the pitching potentially coming up, and some may be called up to help the bullpen or rotation. In terms of position players, the minor league is somewhat thin. Outfielder Cesar Puello had a nice season last year before being suspended, but has struggled this year, as he is hitting .240. His ETA is this year, but his name has not been mentioned to get time in the big league lineup.
Matt den Dekker and Kirk Nieuwenhuis have been called up, but have not produced on the Mets. Both outfielders are similar, but they may need one of these outfielders to help out next year.
The Mets may want to call up some of their prospects to see what they can offer. Even infielders like Dilson Herrera may deserve a look come September. He has been raking in Double A Binghamton, hitting .344 with four homers in 32 games. There is some major potential, and it wouldn’t hurt too much to get a look at him come September. It makes even more sense if the Mets are going to trade Daniel Murphy, as Herrera looks to be a possible replacement. Let’s see what these players can offer, and if any of them will contribute for the 2015 season.
5. What is Wilmer Flores’ role?
Wilmer Flores has been a solid offensive player in the minor leagues, but has wandered around the infield without a position. Although he was signed to be a shortstop, Flores was moved to other infield positions. The Mets need to see more offense in the big leagues, and if Flores can play multiple on an everyday basis. If Flores can figure it out, the Mets may have a utility player, which comes in handy for a National League team, as Flores could pinch hit and stay in the game at an infield position.
Next year is the year where the Mets need to begin competing for a playoff spot. The National League East is a two-team race as the Braves and Nationals are always in the running for the top spot. It is time for the Mets to get involved and put the best roster out there.
I think your best point is that Flores could be a great utility guy. However, he hasn’t yet shown that he can perform without regular playing time, and still only then at the Triple-A level. His ankle injuries last season really cut down his ability to showcase, and this season he’s barely had two starts in a row. If he stays with the club for the rest of the year, he’s going to have to show that he either has enough pop to kick Tejada out of SS, or that he can hit without playing everyday to stick on the roster and spell around the infield.
I agree that Flores needs to produce, and the Mets should be trying to give Flores starts around the infield throughout the week. Giving Wright and Murphy a game off wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.The ankle injury did set him back, but now that he’s healthy, he has to show what he is made of, and hopefully we see him hit enough to stick around in the majors.
Harvey will have his innings capped(150?) Niese and Gee seem to spend enough time on IR that having 6 or 7 starters might not be such a bad idea. Thor could conceivably come up to replace Harvey when he’s shut down..Having Tejada play SS and bat 8th isn’t the end of the world so long as you don’t have any additional weak spots in the line up.Trading for a left fielder or signing a FA with some pop to his bat would significantly improve and stretch the line up. If Flores is a super sub like a Michael Young then you need to play and start him and not just once a week.
Harvey has an innings limit next year? I didn’t hear about that, but I’m not surprised. I’m against the innings limit, so that’s why it wasn’t considered. The Mets need to make a move for an impact bat, and they only surplus they have is pitching. If they can acquire a Tulo for two or three pitchers, I’d do the deal. If they wanted Wheeler, Harvey or Syndergaard, I’d figure out a way to keep them out of the deal, although they’d have to be thrown in.
Your Flores point is exactly what I was thinking. If Flores can start two or three games during the week, I think it would help the team tremendously. Keeping players fresh and hopefully enabling Flores to become a solid offensive player sounds like a good deal to me.
I don’t believe it is too much of a stretch to think that either Michael Conforto or Brandon Nimmo will be ready for the MLB by September. Meaning that an average platoon in left-field would probably do the trick to hold down the fort. After all, the Mets have a winning record when Eric Young Jr. plays.
I believe that’s a giant stretch. Nimmo is barely hitting his weight in Double-A and while the Mets have been more aggressive with their minor league assignments this year, I’d be more shocked than I’ve ever been if Conforto played an MLB game.
Nimmo and Conforto need more seasoning before being called up. I hope that both hit well enough to be called up by late 2015. Not too sure if there are any other prospects that are seriously being considered to be called up, but I’d like to see Herrera and Puello this season.
It would be interesting for one of them to be called up, but it may be too early for that to happen. Nimmo is currently hitting .211, so it may be too early for him. If he was hitting .350, I’d like to see him in the majors, but he still needs more seasoning it seems. I am glad to see him hitting for power though with five homers in 150 at-bats.
As for Conforto, he has been hitting the ball extremely well, but I’d like to see him get promoted from Brooklyn and once he gets to AA, I think they’ll consider promoting him to the majors.
I believe the Nat’s limited Strasburg to 160 innings after his surgery. So the Mets would be prudent not to risk a similar occurrence like Johan’s.
I doubt Nimmo or Comforto are ready in 2015, but they’re on the horizon so I wouldn’t want to sign a new LF to a multi-year deal. I think the best approach in the offseason would be to wait out the FA market and see what quality bats fail to land a multi-year deal, then try to grab them on a one year deal with a second year option/buy out.
The problem is it’s not looking like a banner year for FA OFs:
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/02/2015-mlb-free-agents.html