With the opening salvos of the 2016 hot stove shaping up, Mets fans hear crickets chirping. Teams are formulating and executing on their strategies. The Braves are rebuilding, but have quickly added two old “geezers” R.A. Dickey and Bartolo Colon to their pitching staff. That was quick. As beloved as Colon is in New York, you can’t blame the man for jumping on a contract, where he will be part of the starting rotation. The Blue Jays have moved quickly in signing Kendrys Morales, which probably the end of the Edwin Encarnacion era. Even the Phillies have started by acquiring Howie Kendrick.
We can all hear the gears moving in Chicago. The mastermind Theo Epstein is plotting his next big coup. It is just a matter of time before Theo strikes again and adds to his championship roster.
Sandy Alderson is stridulating and raising his left wing. The fans can hear it, chirp, chirp, chirp. It appears that Sandy wants to build an exact replica of his 2016 team. Yes, he is pursuing Yoenis Cespedes, but we all know that the Mets won’t make the best offer. The Yankees and other teams are lurking in the background, just waiting to jump on signing Cespedes.
It appears the Mets have a four or five year window at the most to win, before they will not be able to afford their pitchers. It would really hurt to not see the Mets not win a championship and see Jacob deGrom hoist the World Series trophy above his head in pinstripes. When the clock struck midnight and Theo was about to turn into a pumpkin, he added key free agents and put the Cubs on a direct path to a championship.
Chirp, chirp chirp, the crickets are still chirping with you Sandy. What are we hearing? Lucas Duda will play first base. If Jeurys Familia gets suspended, you will use set up man extraordinaire Addison Reed will be the closer. Travis d’Arnaud will be the catcher. All of these awesome moves tell the fans that you really have no big plans to change the roster and turn the Mets into a solid contender to be able to deal with the Cubs and Nationals.
The Cubs and Nationals will be signing the big closers to add to their pen. Over the last two years, we have seen what deep bullpen depth can do for a team. If and when Familia gets suspended, the Mets will be without the National League leader in saves. So if you are crying poverty and being on a budget and allegedly cannot afford one of the big three relief pitchers, why can’t you take a serious look at Greg Holland?
Our question to you is, how do you expect the Mets to score more runs next year with basically the same players on the field?
There is no doubt that Sandy will make some moves. While other teams are positioning themselves for 2017 and beyond, Mets fans may see the Mets add players such as Luke Hochevar and Adam Lind.
If the Mets aren’t going to break open the bank to get great pieces, then there options that would help the team. Sean Rodriguez is a right handed hitter that can play all three outfield positions and all four infield positions. He would be a good option on April 18th, once David Wright gets hurt again. Angel Pagan is still a productive switch hitter who can also steal bases. Sergio Romo may be a good addition to the bullpen.
This team feels like the Mets from 1970-1974, with super pitching and low run scoring ability. It takes a lot of energy to chirp and fans don’t want to hear a bunch of chirping. It is hoped that you will prove me wrong, chirp, chirp.
In fairness, you have to let this play out. The winter meetings haven’t even started yet. He’s already addressed a huge issue at 2B.
The tone of complaint strikes me as too soon, too eager.
Right! The instant gratification culture leads to a lack of perspective. Just because the Braves go out and sign two pitchers who are a combined century old does mean we have immediately do something. And if I hear about this “window to win” again I’m going to spit. I think the chances of the Mets resigning Cespedes are good. Otherwise, I think they’ll go in an entirely different direction, either 3B, C or CF.
I bet that they don’t go in another direction at those positions. If the sign Cespedes, they will deal Bruce for a spare part. Yes, it is early, but just watch. We will have a replica of what we had in April of last year.
Mets were 15-7 last April. That pace over an entire season is 110 wins.
Yes and they won 100 games in 1969. So
What does that have to do with anything I said?
I don’t think your “just watch” is a bold prediction, btw; it’s pretty much what they’ve articulated so far.
Of course, landing the top free agent in baseball would be a huge move — not exactly crickets.
Everything plays off that FA decision, and the Mets don’t entirely control the outcome. A lot of hedging going on right now.
Signing Cespedes is keeping what they had last year. Same team, same players who couldn’t score enough runs.
Mike, I think there is a lot to that statement. We are going to continue to see that the team will need to spend a ton of money to tread water. Walker, Ces etc doesnt improve.
Yes it is early but “window to win” is realistic considering our pitching and in 2-3 years we will not have this starting staff. Maybe we keep Thor and 1 other.
To be fair, look at the front office/management’s track record. They favor cheap, second-tier players over pricier, riskier moves. At some point you have to embrace the homegrown core and spend to augment it.
Not saying drop $200 million, but sign Yo! to a fair deal, pick up some bullpen arms and examine first base again.
I’d like to see Cespedes and Fowler, both, and address pen via trade.
They made a lot of money last year, and could make more.
Need to shoot for 1st place in NL East. Must build a better team than the Nats.
indeed. and I heard today Nats plan to go hard after Chris Sale.
It is very difficult to win with cheap second tier players. They need to sign key free agents. They need the make shrewd trades like when they added Hernandez, Carter and Ojeda. If they sign Cespedes the middle of the lineup is ok. But they do not have playmakers at the top of the lineup. Even with Yo, that is where Fowler or a similar player would yield some big dividends.
he has 15 Clicks
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – the key to 2017 is a healthy pitching staff. That was the main difference between 2016 and 2017. If just 3 or 4 of our big 5 can avoid the DL, this is a playoff team. We don’t have to be the highest scoring team in baseball. This team was scoring enough runs when the lineup was relatively healthy.
Honestly were you watching the same team? So many stretches of scoring 2 runs or less. Can’t score runs when your team doesn’t take walks, can’t run and collectively hits around .230. Without the almighty HR we need 3 hits per inning to score
Honestly, did you watch in August and September? This team scored 290 runs from August 1 until the end of the year, an average of 5 runs per game. When the team was reasonably healthy and didn’t have the worst luck with RISP of any team in 47 years, the offense was an asset.
C’mon Brian, we had the most anemic offense. game after game. Sure, put in a little stretch to get to the WC, but honestly, it was like the old days most of last season.
The offense was dreadful in the middle of the season because of the RISP results. But to claim that it was that way the entire year is simply not true. And I’ll be very happy to take my chances with the same group next year.
I find it odd to write off BA with RISP as “bad luck,” while ignoring that BA overall was horrible.
The two are inexorably linked. Not perfectly, but there’s a clear connection.
The Mets failed with RISP, in large part, because of their overall offensive makeup. Not a lot of good BA guys on the team, which is the larger and more telling sample size.
Mets non-pitchers hit .252 overall.
MLB average (non-pitchers) was .259 (which means the Mets hitters were hardly as bad as some are claiming). That’s a difference of 1 hit every 3-4 games
The Coors Field aided Rockies were tops at .283. Even still, that’s a difference of 1 hit per game.
When you’re dealing with such small differences, luck does play a huge role.
In addition to what Name said, just look at the overall league averages.
Overall slash line – .254/.322/.412
Slash with RISP — .256/.341/.415
Mets
Overall slash – .246/.316/.417
With RISP — .225/.305/.372
Overall, they were essentially a league average club. And they were at the bottom with RISP. And it took a hot finish to get the Mets’ numbers that high. On August 14, they had a .605 OPS. And even that wasn’t the low point of the season – just the point I had written about and had the numbers available. Low point probably came in late July.
honestly, month after month of dreadful low-scoring games followed by brief stretch against the worst teams in baseball. Paint the numbers any way you want, but this team had a sustained pathetic offense. We only outscored the Marlins, Braves, and Phillies in the NL.
2016 is over. The question becomes what will they do in 2017? At a high level, we can probably agree on how players may perform in 2017.
Lower Level than last year
Walker
Cabrera
Granderson
Higher Level than last year
Duda
d’Arnaud
Conforto
No gas left in the tank
Wright
So, this is why Ces is so important.
They still need a legitimate leadoff hitter.
The Mets can be a playoff team with their pitching, very much like 73, but if they don’t make the upgrades, they will have a very hard time beating the Cubs to get to the WS.
mikey baby, stop being such a little baby. its not even thanxgiving and you have written the epitaph for 2017! this team won a pennant in 2015 and was a 3 run homer away from going into the next round of the playoffs last year. we are better than any team in the nl save the cubs, and the cubs aint the 1927 yankees or even the 1976 reds — neither of which won the world series the following season. wait until memorial day at least before you give up on the 2017 mets!
better than any team in the NL except the Cubs. What team were you watching?
Mikey is not giving up on the 17 Mets. Just looking at the team as a carbon copy of last year. They have holes and they need to fill them with solid players. Adding a couple of average relievers and resigning Ces is not enough. They need help at the top of the lineup. Let’s not be stupid with the money but let’s be bold and make some moves during the window to win.
Mets replace Teufel with Glen Sherlock from Ariz.
Management has stepped forward over the past 2 seasons…. The Cespee Trade in 2015….the re-sign in 2016…. even the trade for Bruce in 2016— along with the Loney and Reyes additions…The Addition of Salas in 2016… they have been aggressive with assets and dollars to support the team. Sandy had a Brilliant 2016!!! I haven’t been a big fan, but I’m giving them some slack here….I’m willing to wait another 36 hours or so.
I really hate the constant griping. In 2015, supposed Mets fans wanted Sandy ridden out of town on a rail. The few of us who saw what Sandy was building were not surprised that the Mets reached the Series. The same supposed Mets fans complained all last year. But, even with an ungodly number of injuries, we still reached the post-season. OK, it was one and done, but be honest, you gave up on them in August. One web scribe in August described thoughts of a Wild Card berth as “delusional”.
I prefer “Thank you”. Sandy’s a pro. He’s built a winner. And he has shown the last two years that he can make adjustments down the stretch when there’s a legitimate purpose in doing so. Sure, chicks dig the long ball, but championships are won with pitching and defense. Always have been. The game hasn’t changed. If they’re all healthy, our pitching is clearly the best in the league. Gonna miss Bart, but that’s an opening for Gsellman (I’m not sold on Lugo, personally, though its hard to argue with what he did for us).
As for this off-season, lets see how it plays. I’m not worried about what other teams are doing. You take care of your own business and let the other teams take care of theirs. At the moment, a lot hinges on Yo. Whether he stays or goes, things will fall into place when that’s settled and probably not before. You go this way with him or that way without him, but its hard to choose the right road before that’s done. Choose your path too soon and you find yourself having to double back. I said Yo would be back in 2016 and I was, again, labeled delusional. I’d like to see him back in 2017 and I think the Mets will make a competitive offer (I don’t see the Yankees getting him; they have their own financial issues and they’re in the midst of their own rebuild). But its less likely this year because there aren’t any top outfielder free agents this go around (there was a glut last year). It’s likely someone (not the Yankees) over pays.
A bullpen is easy enough to stock. Even a closer. Billy Beane knows how that game is played. Pretty much any good pitcher can be a successful closer. Billy taps someone for the gig, let’s him roll up 10 or 12 saves and then flips him for other parts. Then he starts the cycle over. That’s how its done. Parnell goes down, plug in Mejia. Mejia gets suspended, plug in Familia. If Familia gets suspended, plug in somebody else (Robles, Sewald…it almost doesn’t matter). Sandy will bring in some arms for depth, I’m sure.
Really, how much do the Mets have to do this off season? Reyes can play third if David can’t. Walker and Cabrera up the middle. We’ve got more outfielders than we need. You’ve got Rivera and Flores off the bench (I’m actually thinking Wright would be a good bat off the bench, though you could argue we’re paying him too much to be a pinch hitter). It’s too soon to give up on d’Arnaud and you’re not going to get value for him right now anyway. I’d like to see an upgrade at first, but it wouldn’t upset me if we go into next season with Duda there (backed up by Flores). You don’t make moves for the sake of making moves.
Just relax and enjoy the game.
Forgive me for my heresy, but in a provocative move, don’t resign Ces. This may happen anyhow with other teams in the bidding. Sign Dexter Fowler to lead off and trade Bruce and other parts for a RH power hitter.
Stub… Wright’s prep regiment is probably more rigorous than an actual game—if he’s not starting, he’s not Prepping or pinch hitting.
I’ll also remind you that just one of the 5 starters pitched past September 1st. Harvey and Wheeler are post surgical. Degrom was shut down after September 1st…Matz was shelved on August 14th—he has never made 10 starts in a row. They will need Pitching depth to anticipate some of this frailty, and to cover bullpen innings effectively.
Hot Stove season is a time to remove Rose Colored Glasses and see the Lack of RH Hitting, the lack of speed and base running ability, and their tremendous vulnerability to a Yo-Less future. Wow—it’s so much easier to address all of this with Yo!!!
You do see the realities the same way that I do
Mike…you’re not signing Ces….You believe you can trade Bruce for a Legit RH Power Hitter.
I don’t consider that “Reality”
Ha Ha Ha – I said trade Bruce for a RH power hitter. I didnt say it was a legitimate one. I would just love to get some good players on this team to fill needs. I have been harping about a good leadoff hitter for a while now. Fowler fits that bill. I do dream. Maybe Charlie Blackmon.