Musings
When I got older, my parents would regale me with stories about the efforts they undertook to get my brother and I what we wanted for Christmas. There was my Dad had to go into one of the “better neighborhoods” to go purchase Prince Adam. There was also the year my Dad helped someone unload a truck in the promise of him holding back a couple of Game Boys for my brother and I.
While they didn’t mention it, there must have been more than one occasion where they had to go to my Aunt for toys. Each Christmas, she turned into Dwight Schrute:
I still recall the year she had almost all of the Cabbage Patch Kids. Oddly enough, even though she lived with us, I was not one of the children that got one that year.
Last year, I had my own experience. Because someone out there is evil, they promoted The Great Railway Show all over the place. And yet, there was an extremely clumsy release of all the toys. I remember my son wanting very specific trains, and they were not in stores . . . at least in stores in the United States. That led me to have to go to eBay and UK toy store sites to track them down.
Well, like most parents I want to avoid the stress of the last minute mad dash for whatever the hot toy will be this year. For similarly minded parents, USA Today published Walmart’s list of the 25 hottest toys for Christmas (unless a Walmart exclusive links are for Amazon):
- Hatchimals Surprise (Not available until 10/6)
- Fingerlings
- littleBits Star Wars Droid Inventor Kit
- Num Noms Nail Polish Maker
- FurReal Friends Roarin’ Tyler The Playful Tiger
- Barbie DreamHorse and Doll
- Fisher-Price Zoom ’n Crawl Monster
- L.O.L. Surprise Fizz Factory
- Soggy Doggy Board Game
- Mayka Toy Block Tape
- Frozen Sleigh (*Walmart exclusive)
- Adventure Force Light Command Light-Up Motorized Blaster (*Walmart exclusive)
- Monster Jam Grave Digger (*Walmart exclusive)
- Huffy Electric Green Machine Trike
- Nerf Rival Nemesis MXVII-10K
- RECOIL Starter Set
- New Bright Radio Control Tumblebee
- VTech Pop-a-Balls Drop and Pop Ball Pit (*Walmart exclusive)
- Radio Control DashCam (*Walmart exclusive)
- Dusty the Super Duper Garbage Truck
- Imaginext DC Super Friends Batman Batbot Xtreme
- Paw Patrol My Size Lookout Tower
- Disney/Pixar Cars 3 Ultimate Florida Speedway
- Mickey and the Roadster Racers Transforming Hot Rod Mickey
- Disney Junior Doc McStuffins Baby All in One Nursery
Personally, I’m not sure how accurate these lists are, but they do hit the common themes from the past few years: (1) Frozen; (2) Paw Patrol; (3) Mickey Mouse; (4) Nerf; (5) Hatchimals.
Obviously, your own child’s interest in any of these toys will depend on whether they are a boy or a girl. Personally, my son has loved all of the Cars toys since the third movie came out earlier this year. Also, as a parent, I love the idea of a toy designed to encourage a child to pick up their toys.
Whatever your child wants, I hope you are able to get them the toy without a hassle even if it makes for a good story years down the road.
There are many important issues that stem from Craig Carton’s arrest. There’s the fate of his family. There’s also the fate of the employees at WFAN whose income is based upon the revenue generated from shows like Boomer & Carton. With Carton presumably gone and Francesca with one foot out the door, WFAN is losing its two biggest revenue generating shows in a matter of months.
Of a much lesser concern, there is the matter of what shows WFAN will air.
The station’s two biggest shows will be off the air. Until a replacement is made for Carton, no one can be sure WFAN will be able to air a morning show with the same drawing power as Boomer & Carton. It’s safe to say that short of a last ditch effort to bring back Francesca, the station will be hard pressed to find a replacement who will be able to provide the ratings Francesca was able to provide them.
And with that, there is legitimate question what WFAN will be next year or going forward. That goes double when you consider Joe Benigno is seemingly inching towards retirement. For one, I can’t imagine Steve Somers not being on the air, but the man is 70.
Long story short, WFAN will soon become unrecognizable from what it is now, and what it has been. For people who have listened to WFAN for most of their lives, myself included, the question is if the station can replace the talent to continue to make it a destination for sports talk in New York. They will certainly have the benefit of history and the questionable program choices ESPN Radio continues to make. However, that will only carry you so far.
For myself, WFAN is no longer the place it once was. That happened in large part when the station opted to air Yankee games over Mets games. For others, it might have been when Imus was fired, or when Mike & the Mad Dog split. In any event, this will be a radically different station in 2018.
Hopefully, it will be for the better.
With the Mets being sellers at the trade deadline, Sandy Alderson went out there and obtained a new crop of power throwing relief prospects. With the minor league regular season ending for the Mets affiliates ending today, here is a review of how the pitchers performed in the Mets farm system:
RHP Drew Smith
Ht: 6’2″ Wt: 190 lb. Mets Level: Binghamton
Age: 9/24/93 (23) Age Dif: -1.2
Acquired: Obtained from the Tampa Bay Rays for Lucas Duda (7/27/17)
MMN Rank: 18
Binghamton Stats: 3-2, 1.80 ERA, 11 G, 15.0 IP, 0.867 WHIP, 10.2 K/9
2017 Stats: 4-4, 1.65 ERA, 42 G, 7 SV, 60.0 IP, 0.900 WHIP, 8.6 K/9
Analysis: Despite having plus stuff that should lead to many strike outs, the strike out numbers just weren’t there at the time of the trade. While it could just be the effects of a small sample size, Smith has seen an uptick in his strikeout rate since coming to the Mets organization. While the strikeouts are promising, Smith needs to cut down on his walk rate.
RHP Gerson Bautista
Ht: 6’2″ Wt: 170 lb Mets Level: St. Lucie
B/T: R/R Age: 5/31/95 (22) Age Dif: -1.1
Acquired: One of three minor league relievers received in exchange for Addison Reed (7/31/17)
MMN Rank: 28
St. Lucie Stats: 0-1, 1.26 ERA, 10 G, 5 SV, 14.1 IP, 0.907 WHIP, 12.6 K/9
2017 Stats: 3-3, 4.22 ERA, 37 G, 9 SV, 59.2 IP, 1.592 WHIP, 11.0 K/9
Analysis: At the time of the Reed trade, many thought of Bautista as the real prize. Bautista showed us all why throwing near or over 100 MPH on a consistent basis. Even better, in the short time he was with the Mets, he has better learned how to harness his stuff. If the Mets have truly unlocked his ability, the team has a future great late inning reliever.
RHP Jamie Callahan
Ht: 6’2″ Wt: 230 lb Mets Level: Las Vegas & MLB
B/T: R/R Age: 8/24/94 (22) Age Dif: -6.6 (MLB)
Acquired: One of three right handed reliever prospects received from Boston Red Sox in exchange for Addison Reed (7/31/17)
MMN Rank: 23
Las Vegas Stats: 1-1, 1.80 ERA, 9 G, SV, 10.0 IP, 1.600 WHIP, 9.0 K/9
2017 MiLB Stats: 5-2, 3.21 ERA, 32 G, 6 SV, 42.0 IP, 1.167 WHIP, 12.0 K/9
2017 MLB Stats: 0-0, 5.40 ERA, 2 G, 1.2 IP, 2.400 ERA, 5.4 K/9
Analysis: Of all the players who were picked up by the Mets at the trade deadline, Callahan was seen as the most MLB ready. To that end, it was of little surprise he was the first one called up to the majors. Callahan is a bit wild, but he does have big time strikeout ability. With his talent, we could see him compete for a bullpen spot on the Opening Day roster next year.
RHP Stephen Nogosek
Ht: 6’2″ Wt: 205 lb Mets Level: St. Lucie
B/T: R/R Age: 1/11/95 (22) Age Dif: 0.1
Acquired: One of three minor league relievers obtained from the Red Sox for Addison Reed (7/31/17)
MMN Rank: 16
St. Lucie Stats: 1-1, 5.06 ERA, 9 G, 16.0 IP, 1.500 WHIP, 8.4 K/9
2017 Stats: 5-5, 3.52 ERA, 45 G, 19 SV, 69.0 IP, 1.217 WHIP, 10.2 K/9
Analysis: While all the other relievers improved when they joined the Mets organization, Nogosek has been the one pitcher who has struggled. Part of that is Nogosek continues to walk batters at a high rate. Still, his struggles only hide the fact he’s a talented pitcher with a fastball in the mid 90s.
RHP Ryder Ryan
Ht: 6’2″ Wt: 205 lb Mets Level: Columbia
B/T: R/R Age: 5/11/95 (22) Age Dif: 0.1
Acquired: PTBNL acquired for Jay Bruce (8/9/17)
MMN Rank: N/A
Columbia Stats: 0-0, 2.08 ERA, 8 G, 13.0 IP, 0.846 WHIP, 9.0 K/9
2017 Stats: 3-4, 4.14 ERA, 41 G, 6 SV, 54.1 IP, 1.325 WHIP, 10.3 K/9
Analysis: Ryan is an intriguing prospect because he did not convert to a full time pitcher until after he was drafted by the Indians in last year’s draft. With that comes an arm that doesn’t have a lot of miles on it. It’s also a raw arm that needs to work on locating his pitches better. While he is still yielding too many walks, he is beginning to move his ball out of the heart of the plate leading to fewer hard hits against him.
RHP Jacob Rhame
Ht: 6’1″ Wt: 215 lb Mets Level: Las Vegas & MLB
B/T: R/R Age: 3/16/93 (24) Age Dif: -4.6 (MLB)
Acquired: Obtained for Curtis Granderson (8/19/17)
MMN Rank: N/A
Las Vegas Stats: 0-1, 1.50 ERA, 4 G, 6.0 IP, 0.333 WHIP, 16.5 K/9
2017 MiLB Stats: 0-3, 4.00 ERA, 45 G, 2 SV, 54.0 IP, 1.185 WHIP, 11.0 K/9
2017 MLB Stats: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 2.1 IP, 1.714 WHIP, 7.7 K/9
Analysis: One thing we have seen so far in his brief career, Rhame has guts on the mound. He got himself into trouble with runners on second and third with one out. He got out of the inning without surrendering a run. While you can learn about a pitcher from his stuff, which Rhame has, you learn more how he responds to moments like this. Moments like this gives him a real chance to be part of the Opening Day bullpen next year.
Editor’s Note: This was first published on Mets Minors.
There was speculation in the Boston Globe yesterday, the Baltimore Orioles might be looking to move SS/3B Manny Machado this offseason, and one of the teams involved in bidding for Machado could be the New York Mets. If there is something to this speculation, the Mets should do all they can do to go out there and get Machado.
The problem with swinging a deal is the Mets do not have the prospects to swing such a deal. As a result, if a deal is going to take place, the Mets are going to have to trade some of their major league players for Machado.
As an aside, I typically hate fan generated trade proposals. As a result, I attempt to address existing rumors rather than attempt to create some on your own. With the possibility of Machado being available, I’m breaking my own personal rule.
For starters, we should presume that the Mets would make Noah Syndergaard untouchable. He’s still under cost-control, and he’s a bona fide ace. With all the other Mets starters being injured to injury prone and the Orioles extremely strict medical review process, it’s highly doubtful the Orioles take back Steven Matz or Matt Harvey in a deal – at least as the major part of the trade.
If there is going to be a pitcher traded, and you’re likely going to have to trade one, it is Jacob deGrom. Now, you’d hate to lose deGrom. He’s been the one healthy pitcher this year, and he has been one of the best pitchers in all of baseball since he was the Rookie of the Year in 2014. The Mets also have control over deGrom until 2020.
On the flip side, deGrom will be 30 next season. While he has had a healthy season a year after his nerve transposition surgery last year, he has taken a step back. He’s had an uneven season this year going 14-9 with a 3.65 ERA, 1.212 WHIP, and a 10.4 K/9.
Taking all that into account, the Orioles would likely be interested in deGrom, but they would need more. Considering the amount of teams interested, the Mets are going to have to give up a piece that hurts. Likely, that piece would have to be Amed Rosario.
In a short time span, there is a lot to like with Rosario. He’s been dynamic in the field with the glove and with his speed. We have seen why he was considered to be one of if not one of the top prospects in all of baseball. He’s a player you’d consider to be absolutely untouchable.
But this is Manny Machado we’re talking about here.
Machado is one of the top players in baseball, and he’s just 24 years old. He’s a great hitter and a great fielder. Even in a down year fueled by a .274 BABIP, he’s still a 4.4 WAR player. That would make him the best player on the Mets this season.
It would be a daring move, but it is one that could transform this franchise much in the way the Mets obtaining Mike Piazza did in 2017. This isn’t hyperbole either. Machado is a Hall of Fame talent and a real difference maker.
Like with Piazza in 1998, it’s a gamble because you’re not guaranteed anything past next year. It’s a bigger gamble when you consider what deGrom is and what Rosario could be.
Part of the gamble could be alleviated by signing either Yu Darvish or Jake Arrieta this offseason to replace deGrom. If you can do that, there is no doubt that a team with Darvish and Machado is better than a team with deGrom and Rosario. If you can get Machado to sign an extension, this trade becomes all the more enticing.
If the Mets really want to compete for a World Series next year, this is the deal you make.
The chances of such a deal taking place is not likely. First, the Orioles are a notoriously difficult trading partner. Second, you’re convincing Machado to give up on testing the free agent waters. Lastly, and perhaps the biggest obstacle, you’re asking the Mets to spend at a time when they are looking to cut payroll.
So overall, while this MIGHT be the framework for a reasonable deal between the two sides, it is really unlikely we will ever see Machado in a Mets uniform.
Personally, I would do the deal, especially if you can get Machado to sign an extension. However, in what isn’t the first time, it seems many Mets fans disagree with me:
Would you trade centered around Jacob deGrom & Amed Rosario for Manny Machado?
— Mets Daddy (@MetsDaddy2013) September 6, 2017
It’s not surprising many have lost interest with the way the Mets are playing. It’s also not surprising people don’t want to make their way out to Citi Field when it rains. With that said, WOW
What many people missed was the Mets, Phillies, and really MLB rush to get a game in last night. They barely did it too.
It happened because surprise starter Robert Gsellman pitched like the Gsellman of last year and not the Gsellman who said he didn’t care what Sandy thought of his pitching.
Gsellman cruised through the first five innings allowing just three hits while walking no one. One of the three players that got a hit was erased via a double play. This was important as it kept the game moving. The Mets needed that too as the offense exploded against Nick Pivetta.
The Mets jumped all over him with a three run first highlighted by a Travis d’Arnaud opposite field two run home run. Of course, d’Arnaud seems to be hitting much better of late with Kevin Plawecki suddenly and unexpectedly breathing down his neck.
The Mets plated another run in the second when Gsellman singled home Dominic Smith, who led off the inning with a double. After a pair of Brandon Nimmo sacrifice flies, the Mets had a 6-0 led.
Normally, you would bemoan the Mets only plating one run with the bases loaded and no outs in the fifth, but really, the team had to get this game in, and with the Mets having a 6-0 lead, you were more concerned about getting out of Dodge.
When the sixth rolled around, an it was an official game, the Phillies finally went to work with the help of an Asdrubal Cabrera two base throwing error allowing Ty Kelly to reach. From there, the Phillies got Cesar Hernandez double and a Nick Williams two run homer to pull the Phillies within 6-3.
It wouldn’t matter much. After the sixth inning was over, the umpires declared a rain delay, which eventually turned into a rain shortened game. With that the Mets won the game and took a series from the Phillies. It was the first series they have taken from an opponent since the Mets took three of four from the Phillies in the series ending August 13th. The last non-Phillies series the Mets took was July 21-23 against the Athletics.
Game Notes: Michael Conforto had shoulder surgery yesterday. The Mets announced he is expected to undergo six months of rehab.
In many different ways, the 2015 season seems so long ago. The biggest example of that might just be Travis d’Arnaud. Back then, d’Arnaud was a 130 wRC+, which was second only to Buster Posey among MLB catchers, and he was an exceptional pitch framer. He seemed like a budding All Star. It has not worked out that way.
We’ve seen two straight injury prone seasons where d’Arnaud has regressed. This year was the most startling. Through 95 games, d’Arnaud is hitting just .232/.281/.397. Even with the team hiring respected Glenn Sherlock as a catching coach, d’Arnaud has regressed in all aspects behind the plate. The pitch framing numbers aren’t there. He’s even throwing out fewer base stealers than he has in the past.
At the same time, we have seen Kevin Plawecki begin to figure things out.
In Las Vegas, we have seen Plawecki hit .300/.348/.484 with 17 doubles, a triple, nine homers, and 45 RBI. Even if you believe these numbers are purely fueled by the hitting environment, you should take into account, he hit just .224/.267/.341 in the same place last year.
You’re a bigger believer these numbers are more of an indication of Plawecki improving as a hitter when you consider who he has played since his recent call-up. In 11 games, Plawecki is hitting .314/.385/.486 with three doubles, one homer, and three RBI. Those numbers translate to a 128 wRC+. Small sample size for sure, but the production is similar to what we saw with d’Arnaud in 2015. Like d’Arnaud in 2015, that would be second to just Posey.
The real question is whether Plawecki can do this for the course of a full season. The short answer is we don’t know. However, he has earned a shot.
With his early career struggles, we forget there was a time when the Mets actually expected him to surpass d’Arnaud sometime in 2015. He hasn’t really gotten the opportunity to develop to that point because he’s bounced all over the place with d’Arnaud’s injuries. However, he’s gotten that chance this year, and he has actually improved. The real question is if he’s improved to the point where he’s an everyday catcher.
We won’t know that until he plays everyday. At a minimum, he’s earned that chance. Moreoever, d’Arnaud’s poor play has created a window of opportunity. Overall, the Mets should play Plawecki over d’Arnaud over the final few weeks of the season to see what they have in Plawecki.
Since 2013, it has been a number of health issues with Matt Harvey. First, it was Tommy John surgery. Then, it was the fight between the Mets and Scott Boras over his innings limits. In 2016, Harvey struggled because of Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. This year, Harvey had a stress reaction in his pitching shoulder. A large part of that was the fact that the muscles in Harvey’s pitching shoulder had atrophied.
Through all of it, the Mets answer has to have Harvey pitch through it.
Of course, everyone, including Harvey himself, believes all of his issues are mechanical. As everyone but the Mets seem to realize, Harvey’s problems are all mechanical until they discover the underlying issue that was the real reason why Harvey was struggling.
Well, Harvey is struggling again. His rehab outings were not truly dominant like you hoped they would be. After those four rehab starts, none of which lasted longer than 4.2 innings, the Mets still called up Harvey to the majors.
As you can imagine, things did not go well. Harvey needed 70 pitches to get through just two innings. Sure, he was able to get his fastball up to 94 MPH, but none of his other pitches were really working. He was unable to locate anything. He gave up seven runs, all earned, on eight hits.
After the start, the Mets solutions had a similar refrain. Harvey had mechanical issues. He needs to just push through it. However, the Mets and Harvey had a fun irresponsible twist this time. Harvey will start on three day’s rest.
Because that’s been the answer all along. The answer hasn’t been to let Harvey rest, get health, and get to full strength. No, no, no, no, no. The real solution is to have him pitch on short rest despite his not having thrown at least five innings since June 9th.
This is just crazy, and it seriously makes you question where Boras is.
Boras was a guy popping off at the mouth as the Mets pushed for a pennant in 2015. However, now, as Harvey has had injury issue after injury issue, he’s nowhere to be seen. It’s almost as if he sees Harvey as damaged goods, so he’s lost interest. Either that, or he’s been muted by Harvey and the Mets because they’d rather do their own thing than listen to the agent who’s role is to help watch out for the player’s best interests.
Even if all parties want to have Harvey pitch, someone needs to be the adult and say this is not working. The plan of trying to fix mechanical issues and pitching through it just hasn’t worked. There’s no reason to believe it will work again, especially when you are trying to do both with Harvey making a start on short rest.
If Harvey struggles tomorrow, maybe he can pitch the following day. Why not? The team’s answer has always been to double down on pushing through injuries. It’s a dangerous game they’re playing, and as a result, Harvey may never be the same again.
Yesterday, Wilmer Flores actually fouled a ball off his face:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/florewi01.shtml
That is the most Mets injury this season.
Adding to the absurdity of the injury, Flores had to be taken to a Houston area hospital.
Could you just imagine that hospital? “Everyone! Dropwhat you’re doing. We will get to all those affected by the hurricane and subsequent flooding later. A New York Mets player fouled a ball off his face. We need to address this STAT before Ray Ramirez can get to him.”
Throw in the fact this was the second time this season a Mets player hurt himself while swinging. With Flores and Michael Conforto, it really makes you question what activities a Mets player can undertake without hurting themself.
After all was said and done, Flores broke his nose. If Flores is lucky, former Met Carlos Beltran will pay for the surgery to fix his body much like he did for Jon Niese.
With rosters expanding now, the Mets have called up Jacob Rhame and Jamie Callahan up to the majors.
With Rhame being the return for Curtis Granderson and Callahan being one of the three prospects netted in exchange for Addison Reed, we get a glimpse of how well Sandy Alderson did at the trade deadline. We also get a glimpse into what exactly the 2018 bullpen could look like.
So far, it’s safe to say Jerry Blevins, Jeurys Familia, and AJ Ramos will be in the Mets bullpen next year. Most likely, but not as definitely, Hansel Robles will be in the bullpen as well. Assuming no moves, and based on Alderson’s tenure with the Mets, it’s a fairly safe assumption, there are three open spots in the bullpen.
To a certain extent, Paul Sewald and Chasen Bradford have stated their case.
Sewald has shown versatility in the pen coming on for multiple innings and being a late inning reliever brought on to get the Mets out of a jam. He’s pitched 57.0 innings in 47 appearances. Overall, he’s 0-5 with a 4.11 ERA, 1.158 WHIP, and a 9.8 K/9.
Bradford has terrific in his first 17 appearances before his clunker against the Reds. Even with that poor performance, he’s still 1-0 with a 3.97 ERA, 1.235 WHIP, and a 7.9 K/9.
With they way they’ve pitched, you could certainly envision Sewald and/or Bradford being on the Opening Day roster. However, digging deeper, neither pitcher really fits the mold of what Alderson envisions from this bullpen.
It’s clear Alderson now wants to see power arm after power arm after power arm coming out of the Mets bullpen.
Rhame throws 98. Callahan can also touch 98. The other two pieces from the Reed trade Stephen Nogosek and Gerson Bautista throw even harder. For his part Bautista is routinely hitting triple digits.
Clearly, these big arms are a sign of what Alderson wants in this Mets bullpen. The first wave will be Rhame and Callahan. More will certainly follow.
Hopefully, now, Alderson had found that right formula. Each and every year he’s been the Mets GM he’s started the year with bad bullpens, and he had to fix them on the fly.
Hopefully, now, he has the arms in place. If he does, the Mets chances of returning to the postseason are much better.
Long before the two errors Wilmer Flores made last night, he had already established he is not a Major League third baseman. What is most troublesome is there is not just one thing you can pinpoint as the main reason why he struggles there. It is also why he’s probably not redeemable there.
First and foremost, people will point to his throwing. In his career, Flores has played 1,007.2 innings at third base. In those innings, he has made a total of 16 errors; 12 of which were throwing errors. This doesn’t even account for the numerous times he’s thrown offline preventing the team from turning a double play, or his inability to throw out speedy base runners on bunt plays and slow rollers.
However, it’s more than that. Looking at the advanced metrics, Flores’ play at third base is just unacceptable. He has a -17 DRS and a -3.5 UZR at the position. He converts just 93.6% of routine plays at the position.
No matter the statistic you choose, Flores just cannot handle the position. That’s not his fault. Different players are ill-suited to different positions. That was made clear when Jose Reyes, a player who seemingly had the range and arm strength to excel at third base, struggled there this season.
So no, Flores isn’t to blame. The people to blame are the Mets for continuously trotting him out there this year.
On the surface, it is fine to play Flores everyday to let him prove he is capable of being an everyday player at the Major League level. However, if you are really interested in seeing him succeed, you need to give him a fair shot at a position he can actually play.
Flores’ best defensive position is first base, but he is blocked there by Dominic Smith‘s presence. His next best position is second base. As Flores has shown in his career, he can actually handle that position.
In 667.0 innings at second, Flores has a -7 DRS and a 0.3 UZR. In his time there, he has only committed four errors (two fielding, two throwing). He has converted 99% of routine plays at the position.
Despite second being Flores best opportunity to be an everyday player, the Mets refuse to play him there. If the team was giving a shot to Gavin Cecchini, it would be understandable. However, Cecchini’s been stapled to the bench. Rather, the Mets continue to trot Reyes and Asdrubal Cabrera out to second base.
Therefore, rather than letting Flores show himself to be what he’s worth, the Mets would rather play two players who played large roles in torpedoing this season at second. The Mets would rather Flores fail to see two players who should not be considered major contributors in 2018 get playing time. It makes no sense.
Yes, we know Flores will never be a Gold Glover. The hope always has been and continues to be he will hit enough to justify playing him everyday. However, that scenario only works if Flores is playing a position he can actually play. We already know he can’t play third. It’s time to stop playing him there and move him to second base.