Musings
Given the Mets offseason moves and roster construction, a lot was going to be asked of Wilmer Flores. He had to be the main backup at all four infield positions. He had to learn first base. He had to be the power bat off the bench. He had to be a platoon option at second base in the event Neil Walker continued his career struggles against lefties. He had to be the Mets insurance for David Wright‘s back.
So far this year, Flores is hitting .159/.229/.273 with an OPS+ of 36 and a wRC+ of 39. His main issue is he can’t hit the fastball. Even worse, he’s not hitting breaking balls. Overall, he’s just not hitting. Put if this way: he has as many homeruns as Bartolo Colon.
He’s also not fielding. According to UZR and DRS, he’s only played well at first and short. He’s struggling with his throws from second and third. He’s not good at the plate. He’s not good in the field. He’s a -0.4 WAR player thus far. He’s having a nightmare of a season. He’s failing miserably.
Worse yet, the Mets need him.
Wright’s stenosis isn’t going away. Walker hasn’t hit lefties his entire career. Neither has Lucas Duda. The Mets need Flores to play for one of them at least once a week. When he’s not starting, Flores is the Mets lone power bat on the bench. He’s an important player on the team. So far, he’s not up to the challenge.
The only thing saving him is he has no options left. This means players like Matt Reynolds and T.J. Rivera will stay in the minors despite having earned a call-up. Instead, Eric Campbell, who is coming off a good game, may need to play more. Until Flores figures it out, Campbell may be the Mets best infield option. No one planned on that happening.
No, the plan was for Flores to play an important role. For now, Flores still has that role. However, if he continues playing this poorly that role is going to have to someone else. That switch may need to happen sooner rather than later.
The Mets have an important decision to make. With them starting a series tonight against the Dodgers, they will have to decide if they want to retaliate against Chase Utley or not.
With Ruben Tejada playing for the Cardinals now, it’s not a clear cut decision. The Mets don’t have to stand up for their teammate. Tejada’s long gone. Still, they may want to send Utley and the rest of the National League a message that they will not tolerate dirty play. They will stand up for their guys no matter where they play. Either direction the Mets go, there’s no wrong answer.
The only thing the Mets can’t do is pull a Shawn Estes. If you’re going to hit him, you have to hit him.
The Mets don’t appear weak if they decide not to hit Utley. They appear weak if they go to hit Utley, and they miss him. If Utley plays tonight, Steven Matz either has to stick one in his rear end or move on. If Utley sits, the decision will fall on Jacob deGrom‘s shoulders. If Utley pinch hits tonight, the game situation will have to dictate matters. Utley already cost the Mets one game. He’s not worth another one.
No matter what happens, the Mets just need to be decisive about it. Hit Utley, don’t hit Utley. Just don’t miss him. This Mets team is intimidating. The Mets can little afford to take some of that intimidation factor away by missing Utley.
The late great Joe Buck screamed,”I don’t believe what I just saw!” when a severely hobbled Kirk Gibson homered off of Denns Eckersley.
It was believable.
In the final game of a three game tie-breaker for the 1951 pennant, Bobby Thompson hit the proverbial “Shot Heard Round the World” off of Ralph Branca. Russ Hodes alternated between screaming “THE GIANTS WON THE PENNANT!” and “I DON’T BELIEVE IT!”
It was believable.
Saturday night, Gary Cohen exclaimed, “The impossible has happened!”
If you’re like me, you keep checking to make sure it actually happened. Don’t worry. It did. You can believe what you saw. You can believe it. The impossible happened.
Bartolo Colon hit a homerun.
Today, baseball teams are going to take the field wearing pink caps and jersey. In the past, teams used pink bats. The purpose is to promote breast cancer awareness.
If you go to MLB Shop, you can purchase a hat, a jersey, or some other pink MLB product. Nowhere on the site does it indicate that any of the proceeds from the sale of these items go to anything related to breast cancer awareness, treatment, or research.
Now, if you like the hat or know someone that will, by all means you should purchase it. Just know that if you’re buying the hat, all your doing is buying a hat. None of the proceeds from your purchase will be used to help the greater good.
If you intention is to help promote breast cancer awareness, treatment, or research, please look into an organization that does that and make a donation no matter how small. Think about it this way, you were about to drop $37.99 on a hat – you can afford to send some of that to a worthy organization.
This is now Wright’s first full season since he learned about his spinal stenosis. So far, Wright has only played 52 games this far. As many people will tell you, 52 games is a short sample size. Choosing a subset of that information is a really small sample size. However, with that said, there does seem to be a pattern developing with David Wright.
He’s not handling airplane travel well.
Since Wright came off the DL, he’s had 13 trips that required airplane travel (regular season only). In those games, he’s had 63 plate appearances, and he’s hitting .185/.301/.389 with nine walks, five doubles, two homeruns, and 17 strikeouts. That’s a far cry from the .266/.382/.443 batting line he has had since his return. Extrapolating further, if you remove those travel dates, Wright is hitting .295/.410/.456.
One reason for the deviation could be the small sample size. Another could be his back.
Airplane travel has been known to exacerbate back injuries, especially lower back injuries. People can stiffen up and feel discomfort. While it is recommended that a person get up and move around on a flight to help lessen these issues, it’s difficult to do that after a nine inning game and your team is scheduled for an overnight flight. Aside from these issues, we don’t know what effects the travel has on Wright’s grueling training regiment.
It’s still a short sample size, but there is a correlation between flights and back discomfort. There’s also a correlation between the flights and Wright’s sluggish play. It’s something to keep an eye on as the season progresses.
Editor’s Note: this was also published on metsmerizedonline.com
In a couple of days, Josh Edgin is about to learn that one of the oldest axioms in sports is false. Time and again, we’ve seen it. You can lose your job due to injury.
In 2014, Edgin made that leap from prospect to a bona fide Major Leaguer. In his 47 appearances, he had a 1.32 ERA, 0.915 WHIP, and a 9.2 K/9. That was good for an ERA+ of 266. He limited lefties to a batting line of .185/.217/.323. These are very good numbers for a lefty out of the pen. As such, he was expected to be a big part of the bullpen in 2015.
He wasn’t. He needed Tommy John surgery. While the Mets were winning the pennant, he was rehabbing. He’s currently in the minors on a rehabilitation stint. Under the rules, he has to be activated from the DL on Sunday.
When he’s activated, he will be optioned to Triple-A. There’s no room for him on the Major League roster. The Mets bullpen has been lights out. Jerry Blevins has done the job as a LOOGY. The bullpen’s other lefty, Antonio Bastardo, has been effective against righties and lefties. Aside from that, he has a two year $12 million contract. There’s no room for another lefty.
Edgin lost his job due to injury . . . just like Juan Lagares did with his elbow injury.
Coming into 2015, Lagares was coming off a Gold Glove season. Mostly due to his defense, he had a 5.5 WAR. The Mets saw a huge future for him, so they gave him a four year $23 million extension.
Lagares had an elbow injury that hindered him in 2015. There were debates as to whether he needed Tommy John surgery. It affected his throws, and it most likely affected him at the plate. His WAR dipped from 5.5 to 0.6. The Mets sought an upgrade, and they brought in Yoenis Cespedes, who went on an absolute tear at the plate.
In the offseason, the Mets wouldn’t trust a potentially healthier Lagares with centerfield again. First, they signed Alejandro De Aza to platoon with him. Then as the market knocked down Cespedes’ contract demands, they re-signed Cespedes. Lagares lost his job due last year due to an elbow injury.
Edgin is about to officially lose his as well for the same exact reason. The reason? Well, that is the Mets obligation to put the best team out on the field as possible. Before their injuries, that meant Lagares and Edgin. Now, it doesn’t.
You can lose your job due to injury.
It’s that time of the season most Mets fans dread. It’s that time for the extended west coast trip. The games start at 10:00, and you are either dozing off at the end of the game, or you’re exhausted the next morning.
We didn’t feel that way the Mets last road trip. Coincidentally, the first (and only) game of that road trip was also started by Jacob deGrom. Some of you refer to it as Game 5 of the NLDS. Others refer to it as “The Murphy Game.” Each and every Mets fan was treated to an absolutely gut wrenching instant classic game. The Mets won that game and the NLDS. Not one Mets fan fell asleep during that game. The adrenaline of that win carried Mets fans through the next day. Actually, the adrenaline from that game carried the Mets and Mets fans through the NLCS and into the World Series.
So tonight, hang in there if you can. You never know what amazing things you’re going to see night in and night out with the Mets dangerous lineup and rotation. Last time, it was the NLDS. Who knows what’ll be tonight
Is there any more likeable player on the New York Mets than Curtis Granderson?
On the field, he has switched positions from CF to RF because it benefitted his team. He works hard to improve each and every day. Last season, he was the Mets MVP and their best player on the World Series. This year, despite a slow start, he’s been a spark plug again at the top of the lineup. Furthermore, he’s taken to “filming” Lucas Duda after each and every homerun with the team’s iPad:
Note, it’s for show. It’s part of Granderson’s We Follow Lucas Duda Instagram account.
Overall, Granderson’s on field exploits are enough to make him likeable. However, where he reall separates himself is off the field. He donates his time and money to help his hometown of Chicago to not only have a suitable baseball stadium, but also to have the supplies necessary to learn in school. Just the other day, we saw him and Eric Campbell take their time to read to school children at PS 92:
Here are Curtis Granderson and Eric Campbell reading "Green Eggs and Ham" to children today at PS 92 in Corona. pic.twitter.com/RNPYqdJO08
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) May 3, 2016
Sometimes sports can take a dark turn. We hear about more and more players getting busted for PED use. We hear about players getting arrested for domestic violence. We all too often get stuck focusing on those negatives. It’s easy to get stuck on these stories. They’re important. They need to be discussed.
However, people like Granderson also need to be discussed. He’s a terrific player and person. We should all be thankful he came to the Mets. We should all celebrate what he does on and off the field. He’s a role model for not just major league players, but everyone.
It’s time to focus more on Granderson as an example of what’s right not just in baseball, but also the world.
Is this situation from 2015 or 2016? Travis d’Arnaud suffers an injury that is going to keep him on the DL for an extended period of time. The Mets then turn to Kevin Plawecki, who just doesn’t hit.
It’s like Groundhog Day except no one is laughing.
When d’Arnaud is on the field, he’s a terrific catcher. He’s good defensively, and he’s a good hitter. However, he has trouble staying on the field. Call it bad luck or him being injury prone, but the fact remains, he had trouble staying on the field. Now, he has a shoulder injury, and there’s no telling when he can return to the Mets.
In his place is Plawecki, who is squandering his chance to become the Mets starting catcher again. Last year, he hit a woeful .219/.280/.296 in 73 games. There were reasons from that stemming from his being rushed to the majors and his dizziness. However, last year, he got major league experience and time to work with a terrific hitting coach in Kevin Long. He had offseason sinus surgery to alleviate his dizziness issues. Despite all of that, we’re seeing more of the same from Plawecki.
Plawecki has hit .167/.348/.167 since d’Arnaud’s injury. Yes, it’s a very small 18 at bat sample size, but he hasn’t shown any improvement since last year. He still can’t hit the breaking ball. He’s still a pull hitter who doesn’t hit the ball hard. In short, Plawecki is still overmatched by major league pitching.
If this continues, the Mets are going to have a hole at catcher they are going to have to address.
Until such time, the Mets are going to have to continue to try to develop Plawecki at the major league level. Ironically, Terry Collins previously said the Mets can’t develop players at the major league level because the Mets are a win-now team. It was his justification for not wanting to play Michael Conforto against lefties. Now, the Mets have no choice.
They have no choice because Rene Rivera can’t hit (despite his HR yesterday), and Johnny Monell is Johnny Monell. Furthermore, the trade market is yet to develop. The likely target would be Jonathan Lucroy, who is a good offensive and defensive catcher on the last year of his deal. However, with the Carlos Gomez debacle of yesteryear, it’s hard to imagine the Mets and Brewers pulling the trigger on a trade again this year.
Whatever the answer may be the Mets are going to have to find it fast. Sooner or later, d’Arnaud is going to have to stay in the field, and Plawecki is going to have to hit major league pitching. They are the weak link in what is a win-now team. This team can win the World Series. Hopefully, the catchers won’t stand in the way of that.
Editor’s Note: this article was also published on metsmerizedonline.com
Today is Star Wars Day (May the Fourth – get it?). In celebration of the day, here are the Mets alter egos from Episode VII: The Force Awakens:
Yoenis Cespedes – Poe Dameron
- Both Poe and Cespedes were renown for their incredible air power (Cespedes- HR, Poe – pilot). Both were thought to be gone only to return to the joy of everyone. We now know victory is certain.
Matt Harvey – Kylo Ren
- Both were once the most powerful apprentices only to have a younger one with long hair and more powers usurp them. Despite their most recent losses, they will be heard from again.
Noah Syndergaard – Rey
- Both were lost in the desert (Thor – Vegas, Rey – Jakku). Neither knew when they were going to be able to find their next lunch. Both are extremely powerful and are only now starting to realize it.
Michael Conforto – Finn
- Neither were supposed to be here. Neither were supposed to show any signs of greatness. Instead, they broke the mold and carved out a new path for themselves.
Curtis Granderson – Han Solo
- They’ve been around a long time, but they are still as cool as ever. It may be surprising, but they are in the thick of things like they always were. The only problem is there are some young upstarts (Granderson – Conforto, Han – Kylo Ren), who may push them aside. However, before that time comes, they will be heard from again.
Bartolo Colon – Chewbacca
- All these years later, they may be a step slow, but they still are large and in charge. One moment you’re questioning what something so old can do to you. The next, you’re getting your arm or bat taken from you.
Captain David Wright – General Leia Organa
- Years ago, they thought they had accomplished it all as the young, brash good looking people they were. Unfortunately, they didn’t. There’s still more work to be done. The difference is now they have to be the leaders and show a new generation how it’s done.
Logan Verrett – BB8
- Both are taking over for someone else’s role (Verrett – Sean Gilmartin, BB8 – R2D2), and they are performing admirably.
Zack Wheeler – R2D2
- Both are sitting around, shut down, but both still have a very important role to play.
Jacob deGrom – C3PO
- Both have problems with their arms (deGrom – decreased velocity, C3PO – it’s red) and no one knows how it happened. No worries. They’re back and better than ever.
Dan Warthen – Maz Kanata
- Both seem to have the secrets needed to unlock people’s secret powers and lead them on the path to greatness. Plus they kinda look alike.
Terry Collins – Admiral Ackbar
- Both seem like this has all passed them by, but they have returned. They came back and led their people to great victories (Collins – NL, Ackbar – blowing up the Starkiller Base). Now if only Collins had screamed, “It’s a trap!” in Game 5 of the World Series . . . .
Lucas Duda – Captain Phasma
- Their roles are relatively overlooked. Both are large and intimidating presences that can destroy you in the blink of an eye.
Juan Lagares – Snap Wexley
- Both have been here since the new generation’s fight began, but they’ve been pushed aside by Poe/Cespedes who gets all the focus and glory.
Mike Piazza – Luke Skywalker
- The time has come where their greatness has now become the stuff of legends. They are now at the shrines where it all began (Piazza – Cooperstown, Luke – first Jedi temple)
Note, there are no Mets compared to Supreme Leader Snoke or General Hux as they just seem pure evil with no chance for hope. With that said, I think there’s enough room here for one more:
Chase Utley – General Hux
- Their sole intent is to destroy everything for their victory regardless of the consequences. Actually, that’s not true. The more amoral pain and violence inflicted the better. The good news is that no matter what they do, they will ultimately fail.