On the eve of the final season, it would be Asdrubal Cabrera that sent fans home with a smile. Cabrera carried the offense of the Mets, cashing in four of their seven runs on the night. The final was 7-4, with the Mets tying their final series of the year against the Phillies.
Three of his four RBIs came via his tie-breaking, three-run home run in the top of the 11th inning. It was his fourth hit of the day, after hitting two singles and a double. Kevin Plawecki had two hits on the evening, and Brandon Nimmo cracked a triple. Amed Rosario and Dom Rosario each clubbed a double on the night, and Jose Reyes finished with a single. My Gut Reaction is that Asdrubal Cabrera has made a case to be in the lineup for next season, and the clutch home run he hit tonight basically sealed it.
On the mound tonight, Seth Lugo lasted four innings in his start. Over those four innings, Lugo limited the Phillies to two runs over 6 hits. He struck out four and walked none in his outing. Although Paul Sewald gave up two runs, the bullpen was strong as a whole. Chasen Bradford, Josh Smoker, Jamie Calahan, Jerry Blevins, A.J Ramos, Jacob Rhame, and Jeruys Familia all held strong in their respective outings. Familia came on for the save, closing the night out. Tomorrow, the Mets hope to end their season with a win as Noah Syndergaard will start the game on the mound at 3:05.
Cabrera’s option should be picked up. The Mets don’t have a third baseman on the roster that is better than him. If they get a better third baseman then he can slide over to second base. In either case, I see him as a starting player because he can play either position offensively and defensively. Flores, a similar offensive player, is defensively weaker at both positions.
Nimmo and Plawecki continue to hit well and should get increased playing time in 2018. Familia has removed any doubts concerning recovery.
I am fine with Cabrera at 3B and Flores getting the majority of starts at 2B. If the INF and C is pretty well set, we should be able to sign a decent starting pitcher and a few good relievers, at the very least. I’m a bit nervous about the OF, but think we’re OK going with Cespedes, Conforto, Nimmo, Lagares, and Aoki. Nimmo is showing more power at bat than I anticipated.
Aside from the resurgent bat, Cabrera has shown he can handle the hot corner. Twice this week he made the play that won David Wright two gold gloves – the running bare handed scoop.