Nine days ago Mets fans had a glimmer of optimism. Three key players had returned from the disabled list and we won a series against the defending world champs, following taking three out of four from the Braves on the road. That seems like ages ago as we’ve since gotten punched in the face by the far superior looking Nationals and Dodgers while also losing five players to the DL. Seems as good a time as ever to give up and start talking about selling parts at the trade deadline and planning for 2018, right? Not this guy. There are still 90 games left in this long season so fasten your seat belts, there’s still a glimmer of hope.
We made the playoffs last year with 87 wins. To get there we have to go 55-35 the rest of the way – not impossible. One game at a time, right? The schedule is about to soften with the next nine games against the struggling Giants, Marlins and Phillies, before we get another crack at the Nationals and then a three game series at St. Louis.If we can go on a bit of a hot streak to close out the first half, we can get back to, or close to .500. Then we get a four-day break for the All-Star game – a chance to rest and regroup. We should kick off the second half with a wave of players coming off the DL, including at least three of Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler, Juan Lagares, and Neil Walker. If we’re at or over .500 by late July, Sandy Alderson will be in buyer mode and get us the bullpen piece we desperately need – namely an upgrade over Fernando Salas.
Amed Rosario should finally be up by then and that will give the defense alone a huge boost, not to mention the team a shot of energy and the fans something to get really excited about. This will allow us to upgrade at shortstop and third base because, presumably, Asdrubal Cabrera can’t be worse at the hot corner than Wilmer Flores and T.J. Rivera have been. It will give us a chance to audition Cabrera for next year when he has a team option.
The August schedule is a mixed bag of good teams (Rockies, Dodgers, Yankees, Diamondbacks, Nationals) and bad (Rangers, Phillies, Marlins, Reds). With a little hope and luck we might get Jeurys Familia and/or Noah Syndergaard back for the stretch run, plus, beginning September 1, a few extra bench bats and arms from Las Vegas, including 2018 first baseman Dominic Smith. The end of season schedule is again loaded with games against division teams and since three out of four of our rivals stink, we’ve got a shot for a strong finish. If you’re looking for precedent, look back no further than last year, the year before, and, of course, 1973. The Mets have had strong finishes. Stick with them. Ya gotta believe.
Matt, if the Mets were as gung-ho about saving this season as you were:
1. Rosario would be up by now. I don’t give a crap about his not taking walks or Alderson’s rediculous agendas. Fact is, there is only so much you can learn in AAA and when our pitchers were doing better, the defense was atrocious. Rosario is the only answer the Mets have at first.
2. They would move one of their outfielders or Duda and stop the nauseating problem of who plays. None of them are perfect but players need to play and have peace of mind.
If I didn’t have people here, I’d continue. I’ll do so later, unless someone else wants to pick up the baton and run with it.
I’m all for staying positive, but I don’t think that 87 wins I going to get us to the playoffs this year. It would take a pretty big collapse by one of the Dbacks, Dodgers or Rockies. I’m not saying that can’t happen (Rockies would seem to be the most likely), but it will be tough. It may very well take 93 or 94 games to get a WC and now we would need to do better than 60-30 the rest of the way. I don’t think that’s too realistic. But with that said, I’m not giving up either.
The Mets have to take it a day at a time but quite frankly the pitching has abandoned them. Right now JDG, Matz and Lugo are the only reliable starters. That means that 40% of the time they have a pitcher starting that is not giving the team a chance to win. The bullpen has two reliable pieces when a minimum of four is needed.In close games when the starters pitch well they still stand a chance of losing because of the lack of quality relief depth. The pitching has sabotaged any hope that this team is capable of a playoff run and there isn’t an apparent solution to correct the situation in the next thirty days.
Just as teams can turn it around with a good second half, teams can also have a good first half and fall apart after the all-star break. At least one of Colorado, Arizona, L.A. or Washington will have a second half derailed by injuries, slumps, and a tougher schedule. My optimism aside for a second…This is the thing about a 162 game season – things have a way of evening out. Players and teams alike can be much better in one half than the other. Darryl Strawberry never had that big MVP season we were all waiting for because he never put two of those monster halfs together. I’d bet my house that the Brewers and Twins don’t get near the playoffs.
I guess I see a big difference between dogged fan enthusiasm and what is really best for the team.
By the ASG the top 3 teams in the NL West are going to have 55 wins. The Mets have abetter chance at winning the NL East than getting in the WC game. Right now, there our best pitcher is on the shelf for another 6 weeks. As Metsense noted, pitching has sabotaged the team. At some point, it is essential to see what is best for the team rather than blindly believe in hope. I cannot see anything the Mets do to make them buyers, which means they are stand pat (thats gotten us nowhere) or sellers (which we should do to get anything in return). If we sell, we can see what kids can play. We should.
Buster Olney
Sources: Mets open for business now, willing to listen to offers for Granderson, Addison Reed, Bruce, Cabrera, etc. Far behind in races.
In response to being moved to 2B, Cabrera has requested to be traded.
This team cant even fail well.
If that is indeed Cabreras attitude then he should be traded because he is totally being unrealistic thinking he is the Met future shortstop and by not being flexible he has become a problem. He is fooling himself if he thinks that some team will pick up his option in 2018 to be exclusively a shortstop.
The absurdity is that they are doing the switch to accommodate Reyes not Rosario. TC really screwed this one up by going through the media instead of talking to the player. That is very unlike him.
as i said:
This team cant even fail well.
http ://nypost.com/2017/06/23/asdrubal-cabrera-to-mets-trade-me/
I’d move him for a bag of Cheetos. That guy really thinks his stuff doesn’t stink, huh?
Marc Carig
Cabrera: “If they don’t have any plans (for) me, I think it’s time to make a move. I think that’s the right move for Cabrera and my family.”
Chris F – I read the same reports. The chatter on the radio is all about selling. Trades aren’t made in June and the Mets have an easy stretch of schedule starting today. I think it’s a little premature for waiving the white flag.
Win or lose, buy or sell, I don’t understand wtf they are doing with Rosario.
The Mets are completely out of this Matt. It would be against the best interests of the team to hold FAs that wont be here next year and that are not making the difference this year. We have an empty pipeline. we have needs all over the diamond. Bruce, Blevins, Reed can help fill those needs. If we want them back, we can make a bid for them. Look what the Yankees did with Chapman. Any idea this team is competing for a playoff spot is far more than wishful dreaming.