The bullpen blew another game, turning a 3-3 tie into a 10-3 loss Wednesday night against the Dodgers. The loss meant another sweep. But that ignominy paled to what else happened in the game.
Pete Alonso was hit on the hand with a pitch in the first inning. When the trainer came out to check on him, you could see Alonso’s hands shaking involuntarily. It was a scary sight. Initial X-Rays were clean but Alonso was sent for further testing.
Adam Ottavino was the first reliever to implode but the big story was Jorge Lopez, who came on to try to clean up Ottavino’s mess. Instead, he gave up a homer. Ultimately, he was ejected from the game, threw his glove into the stands and then mouthed off to the press. Among other things, calling the Mets the worst team.
He may not be wrong. However, when a pitcher who made his MLB debut in 2015 and who has less than four months of good pitching on his resume pops off, it’s not a good look. The Mets have already announced that they will DFA him on Thursday.
Francisco Lindor called a team meeting and according to SNY, he said, “most of us are not having success right now, so we have to look ourselves in the mirror and say am I doing the right thing.”
Looking in the mirror is exactly what this team needs to do right now. We just have to hope it works out better than it did long ago in team history. Former manager Dallas Green, who was mostly a dismal failure as Mets manager, had at least one good quote. He said he always asked his players to look in the mirror. But he said that when Ryan Thompson – he of the 90 OPS+ as a Met – thought he saw Willie Mays looking back at him.
One of my complaints about Buck Showalter and how he handled last year’s downward spiral was that he didn’t really go medieval on his team. It was all hand clapping and platitudes. We saw more of that inaction from Carlos Mendoza this year as the season’s gone down the tubes.
Lopez was an imminently replaceable reliever. But his outburst may just be the kick in the pants this team desperately needs.
“But his outburst may just be the kick in the pants this team desperately needs.”
I told myself the same thing. Much like last year when Tommy Pham shamed the Mets (McNeil, mostly) and he got pissed but had a way better second half.
We often debate who is to blame – the offense, the pitching, the GM, etc. right now it is all the above. If we said the bullpen, Sandy Anderson may reply “what bullpen”. He’d also be right. It may be time to put some excess starters back there, and maybe they’ll find a closer, because they literally have no one to pitch the 8th or 9th in close games.
Lopez DFAd after game.
It is getting harder to watch Met games all the time. Just when you think they are on the right path and even take a lead in a game for the first time in many years I simply wait for them to fall apart. The blame is certainly shared by all, but to a lesser extent by David Stearns and owner Steve Cohen. If the core of this team was playing to the back of their baseball cards, then the additions that Stearns made in the off-season would have propelled this team into a wildcard spot. No player is doing that. Can’t remember a team collapse like this year and while we can all think they can turn this around, they now enter June, their month of death. Unfortunately June came a month earlier this year. We have railed on Harrison Bader all season and now we can’t believe he’s not batting much further up in the order. As far as Mr. Lopez, Stearns had to answer for that acquisition and his pending DFA shows that he will. Worst team in baseball? Not statistically, well not yet anyway. There are only 4 teams in all of baseball with less wins.
That being said, rooting for Scott to continue his good pitching and at least teasing us that the Mets could beat the DBacks.
At least they had the courtesy to implode early, killing off any false hope before Memorial Day.
I have been thinking about Pham’s comments a lot lately, and I think he spoke an uncomfortable truth. This group of players just doesn’t have it, and the sooner the group gets broken up, the better. Speaking of “uncomfortable truths,” here are a few about next year:
1. Several of the better prospects (Mauricio, Lavender, Gilbert, and Williams) are injured. Mauricio and Lavender for the entire year, with Williams trying to avoid surgery. This means a delay in their development, possibly altering their trajectory permanently. Add in the injuries to Senga and Diaz, and any hope for a quick turnaround seems futile. This organization appears to be more injury-prone than most others, with seemingly small issues ending up sidelining players for long stretches. This is especially concerning with the prospects.
2. Meanwhile other top 20 prospects like Parada, Acuna, Vasil, Hamel, Ramirez, and Clifford are underperforming, to put it charitably. Yes, Acuna looks a bit better lately, but a larger sample size is needed.
3. According to Fan Graphs, the Mets can’t expect big returns on tradeable guys like Alonso, Severino, etc. At best they might be able to snag a prospect like Jeremy Rodriquez, an impressive 18-year-old. I reiterate, an 18-year-old. He is at least three years away.
4. Diaz, Nimmo and Lindor are probably untradeable. McNeil is probably as well unless they take on most of his salary. So half, if not 3/4 of the “core” could be here next year.
5. I am encouraged by Scott. Tidwell and Sproat look like major league starters as well, but none of them look like top of the rotation types. So, they can replace guys like Quintana and Manea with cheaper options, but they aren’t bringing in the next coming of deGrom or Harvey.
Drawing a loose comparison to the last championship team, we’re in the 1981-82 season timeframe. That era’s core (Stearns, Henderson, Mazzilli, Swan, Allen) also couldn’t get it done. Big pitching prospect Tim Leary got hurt. Strawberry was a teenaged draft pick. Popular players like Maz or ballyhooed prospects like Henderson would be traded away. Hopefully, I live long enough to see the next turnaround!
My sentiments precisely…don’t want to be a Debbie Downer, but…
Preach Dan!!!!
What gives me hope is that the Royals plucked Cole Regans from the Rangers for a half year of Ardolis Chapman. Now that’s what highway robbery is all about! Find those guys!
What hath Cohen not done wrong?
I’d guess maybe something