Conforto Keeps Mets Alive For One More Day
Make tonight about Noah Syndergaard struggling against the Marlins even with him having Tomas Nido behind the plate. Certainly, that’s an area for discussion with him taking the loss after allowing four earned over five innings.
While everyone was handwringing and sending shots Syndergaard’s way, Sandy Alcantara and the Marlins pitching shut down the Mets offense. This was a night after Caleb Smith and the Marlins staff largely shut down the Mets offense.
Yesterday, it was an Amed Rosario grand slam. Today, it was a Michael Conforto two run homer in tonight’s 4-2 loss.
It was Walker Lockett pitching yesterday, and it was Chris Mazza tonight. It’s unfair to call that giving up, and yet, you’d have to come up with some sort of alternative explanation as to why they’d be in the game.
Ultimately, this had the same feel as the Marlins inexplicably sweeping the Mets in June. The Mets looked like the 100 loss team, and the Marlins the team scratching and clawing for the postseason. That’s how the 2007 and 2008 seasons ended. With the Mets tragic number at one, it seemed like that’s how the 2019 season would end.
That was until Conforto came up in the bottom of the ninth with a man on, and he literally hit the homer which saved the Mets season.
Same spot, same result. #RaiseTheApple? pic.twitter.com/j30B8RVHo5
— New York Mets (@Mets) September 25, 2019
If the Mets lost, they were officially eliminated from postseason contention. While that day may come tomorrow, it didn’t happen today because Conforto game up with two huge two run homers to tie the score 4-4.
As improbable as that was, something all the more impossible happened.
In the bottom of the 11th, Conforto drew a leadoff walk leading to Don Mattingly bringing in Jeff Brigham to replace Adam Conley.
Brigham would plunk Rosario, and he’s throw a wild pitch leading to his walking Todd Frazier intentionally to load the bases.
Mattingly brought in five infielders due to Wilson Ramos‘ ground ball tendencies. The move seemed to pay off as Starlin Castro would make a great play on a slow hopper up the line. He’d barehand it and flip it just ahead of Conforto.
For some reason, the Marlins kept the five infielders in against Brandon Nimmo. It didn’t matter with Nimmo doing what he does best – drawing a walk. This walk forced home a run giving the Mets a true walk off win.
The end result of the 5-4 win wasn’t just the Mets staying alive for at least one more day. It meant Paul Sewald would get the win after starting his career 0-14.
Game Notes: Before the game, the Mets announced Jerry Koosman‘s number 36 would be retired next season. In response to the announcement, Mickey Callaway switched his number to Kevin Plawecki‘s old 26.
I think its safe to say Conforto’s back after an ugly start to September, he’s gotten on track to where he was in July and August, when he was driving the bus offensively when the team jumped into playoffs contention. Michael carried the freight offensively with the two homers late to tie it and drew a walk that start the rally in extra innings. Michael likely had his best regular season and his second best overall game besides for his two homer game vs the Royals in the World Series. Conforto has had a solid season and I’d love to see him here long term. Nimmo had an ugly game but good for him to get the walk off walk.
Not a pretty start by Noah but besides for the homer the Marlins killed him softly and the ball that got Cano was pretty ugly to watch. The bullpen was excellent for once with the usual guys pitching well and the unexpected guys in Sewald and Familia coming up big too. Gotta be impressed by this teams resilience.
If the Mets signed Conforto they’d be doing it for his age 29-32 or 29-33 seasons, and given his agent is Boras and players rarely choose Boras for an agent if they’re not going to free agency, the Mets would be signing him for something like 4/75 or 5/90. By 32 most players with Conforto’s profile are out of the game or sitting on the bench. He’s a good player, but he’s only a 3 win player–in short he doesn’t have far to fall before he’s at best a sub. Given that rigorous drug testing takes even amphetamines off the table and has turned baseball into a game for men in their 20s and superstars, you’d be paying top dollar for a player already post-prime by the time the deal started.
I wouldn’t do that on a team with this many holes. Not for a player whose demonstrated upside over 5 seasons is 3 wins per season, and that’s if he’s healthy.
Someone should tell the Wilpons, this is why you sign your good young players to deals that buy out their first year or two of FA. That way you don’t have to pay them for their decline phases.
One thing which has limited Conforto’s win production has been moving him to CF which has had a real negative impact on his WAR.
If you keep him in one position, he should be a 5+ win player for you through his prime.
I think we should be looking at this year as a stepping stone for Conforto. It’s really his first full year in the majors, and aside from his concussion, he’s had one real slump.
About 1 chance in 3000 to go 6-0 while the Brewers go 0-6. So there’s that.
The Wilpons will be counting Wright’s 12m and Cespedes 29m towards 2020’s payroll, so it’s not only that no one of note will be added, it’s probably that at least one of Syndergaard or Conforto will be dealt. BBRef already has payroll for next year in the 180’s. For Lowrie, Cano, Cespedes, and Familia, who have given negative value in 2019, the Mets will be shelling out $75m in 2020. That’s some handicap to start the offseason with, and those are contracts that cannot be dealt.
There’s also no farm left (28th of 30, by BA) to pillage in this next headfake towards contention.
The management hopes you enjoyed this 3rd place finish as the 2nd wildcard let them pretend to contend, even as it gutted the farm. This is going to make the Steve Phillips era look good.