When the news broke about Jacob deGrom, Mets fans’ inner Bob “Bulldog” Briscoe came out. “This stinks. This is total B.S.!” That inner demon that inhabits the back of our minds, insisting that our team will never win, that something will always happen, began to laugh maniacally. Many of us heaved a resigned sigh and predicted doom, gloom and the coming of the apocalypse.
Let’s all take a deep breath. Yes, deGrom is out. Yes, losing a player of deGrom’s caliber is a loss. But this isn’t the end. This team can still win.
The signing of Max Scherzer looks all the more prescient with the sad news today. Billy Eppler should definitely look to make a move for another starting pitcher in deGrom’s absence. But the Mets still have Scherzer. They still have a quality starting pitcher in Chris Bassitt and a number of solid arms that will provide the team with at least a quality start more often than not. When a guy like deGrom goes down, you need the team to pick up the slack and keep things moving forward while waiting for the big dog to return. The Mets staff and offense can do that. They are improved depth wise and now have a manager in Buck Showalter who is historically known for pushing the right buttons.
Also, this is a long season. If deGrom is going to be a part of this team’s championship hopes, then resting now is the only way to go. If you read up on the type of injury he appears to have, resting now and letting his shoulder issue calm down is the best avenue for long term success or at the minimum for deGrom to be playoff ready.
So let’s all take a step back from the brink. This season isn’t lost before it began. The roster is too talented and the blank check Steve Cohen has given Eppler appears to still have some zero’s left on it.
The season will be fine. The Mets are a good baseball team. Let’s not forget how Bulldog Briscoe used to end those diatribes, “This stinks! This is total B.S. This is…” as he located the thing he was looking for. We’re looking for a winning team and this loss hurts those chances, but doesn’t derail them.
You hit it on the head with the obvious answer that Eppler needs to go out and land a starter and a #2 caliber one as well. Now is the time to deal a Smith and some prospects, likely Mauricio who will forever be blocked by Lindor. Alvarez, Baty and Vientos should be untouchable. We have a good hitting team who can also field. The BP will hopefully surprise. But teams will not fear our rotation with Max (sore hammy) and Bassit, and Corasco as the big three.
Ok I am going to let it rip. This is a mess with deGrom. He had had way more success but could turn into Mark Prior. Frankly after waiting for 36 years, it pisses me off. deGrom is 33 years old and already said he would opt out after this season. Ok, don’t let the door hit you in the arse. I just had the feeling that something like this was going to happen. Glad we got Bassitt but we really need another really good starter. I just hope this Scherzer hamstring doesn’t turn out to be a season long problem. It’s time to deal. I don’t have alot of confidence on this Carrasco, Walker, Megill crowd.
It is time to re-evaluate the deGrom contract. If he should opt out then the Mets should not signed him and put the money into free agents in the off-season.
It was rumored that the Mets we’re going to trade Smith to San Diego for Padack and Hosmer and his albatross contract. That would be a panic move. Paddack isn’t better then Megill, Peterson are Williams. They need a better pitcher than Paddock.
If they were settling for Hosmer instead of Smith as the DH and spend $59m for 4 years then maybe spend the money for a pitcher salary instead.
Maybe they would have to increase their trade chip and offered McNeil so entice a trade partner for a Bassitt type pitcher. Second base can be manned by Escobar (Davis at 3B) or Cano or Guillorme. Vientos and Baty are “near ready” at 3B and Mauricio is further away at 2B. The Mets have options but they need another good pitcher now.
Assessing the negative realities of a situation is not equitable to pessimism. With a healthy deGrom, the Mets are most likely a notch below the Braves over 162 games…at least until proven otherwise. Losing deGrom is a very big hit, especially for a now team. And, this notion of letting him rest now is also not being realistic. Shoulders are scary, and this is following him missing the last half of 2021. He cannot be counted on in any way for 2022…now, any start from him is pure gravy. Pitchers are extremely fragile, it’s the nature of the business. Washington paid Strasburg a fortune and he’s been hurt, Braves young ace tore his achillies twice…
Going out now and acquiring a front end starter is near impossible without overpaying and mortgaging the future. The Mets will do something, but this will come down to whether the remaining guys can stay healthy and pick up the slack. That is not likely but it’s not impossible.
Why is losing deGrom the end of the world for Mets fans? Don’t the Mets have an overall losing record when he pitches? * I know it’s been the fault of bullpens blowing leads, or an anemic offense giving him no support**, but he just hasn’t been a winner in his ML career.***
Yes he’s exciting and fun to watch, but it has been tempered with the gremlins that seem to have dogged his tenure with the Mets.
Sorry, but counting on the Mets to be a playoff caliber team with this creaky, aging, and injury prone staff is a fantasy.
* Actually, I looked it up. The Mets have a record of 109-93 in games he’s started.
** There has been 62 times that deGrom was saddled with a loss or no decision in games he’s pitched at least 6 innings and allowed 2 or fewer earned runs.
*** So imagine adding those “lost victories” to his lifetime 77-53 mark
Baseball fans are obsessed. And in our obsession, we play many more of the games on paper than the players do on the field. On paper, the Mets looked awesome. Jake and Max mowing down NL hitters week after week, Bassitt and Walker holding up the back end and the Mets inching up the ladder into the summer and beyond. Then the lockout, and now the injury, and we obsess over the catastrophe. None of it matters until they actually play the games, and each team settles into the teams that wear the uniforms. It ain’t played on paper.
The Mets will be interesting this year. They have made great strides in this off-season. I feel bad for Jake, who must be incredibly frustrated. Imagine having that much talent yet forced to sit. Let’s hope his shoulder heals quickly and he sends a decent amount of time on the active roster. Meanwhile, it’s next man up. The Braves won the WS without their ace and best player (Acuna)…
My hope is that Billy Eppler is really smart. Once he can get past the Cano-Dom-JD-McNeil quandary (only a matter of time), that he can put a well-built roster on the field and we can enjoy baseball played in a solid manner. Keep in mind how bad off the team was in October.
Well said Wobbit.