Sure, it’s part a temporary thing and part a creature of the (forced) versatility of the roster. But if you go to Mets.com and look at the 25-man roster, this is the breakdown:
SP – 4
RP – 8
C -2
INF – 8
OF – 3
I looked up the roster because I couldn’t believe it when I heard the announcers talk about Jacob Rhame as a bullpen option. In 42 games with the Mets, Rhame has a 6.65 ERA, including an 8.10 mark in three games earlier this year. Meanwhile, Wilmer Font had a 3.48 ERA in 12 games as a reliever for the Mets and was DFAd.
Without a doubt, Font had gopher ball issues. Welcome to baseball in 2019. It’s just hard for me to wrap my head around the idea that you’d rather call for Rhame than Font in any situation on the baseball diamond.
Hey, Rhame’s collective ERA better than their $30 million dollar set up man’s in 2019. But, I agree, Font just looks to be a better pitcher overall, despite the gopher balls. Perhaps it was non-field issues that got him booted.
Anyhow, neither is the issue as they are both marginal big leaguers. The Mets basically need their own vets to get it together and improve to get back to expected results. These guys are all signed or controlled for 2020. If they have a solid final 2 1/2 months, perhaps we can call the first half of 2019 a perfect storm of such. Otherwise, there is little to no hope or 2020, no less the balance of 2019.
From John Harper at SNY on Dominic Smith and Michael Conforto:
“Oh, there’s no doubt Smith would bring back more than Conforto,” an executive of an NL East team told me Wednesday. “(Contractual) control is a big part of it, but our scouts think Smith will be a more consistent hitter. You can make the case that Conforto still has a higher ceiling, but he hasn’t shown that he can perform at a high level with any real sustainability, and he’s relatively deep into his career now.
“Smith is just a really solid hitter with decent pop, and he gives you some versatility because he’s an above-average first baseman who looks like he can a play an adequate left field.”
That executive must be from the joke they call the Marlins, because that’s it’s the dumbest thing i’ve heard all year.
Target Field was very welcoming to the Mets, but just think if there was interleague play back in the 60’s, the Metropolitans would have played the Twins in Minneapolis at … Metropolitan Stadium!