New York Mets: COO says team must make moves now
The New York Mets are struggling and the COO says moves must be made now.
Among owners in NY sports, you can probably find the Wilpons towards the bottom of the list. Because of the Madoff mess, the Mets have had payroll issues throughout their rebuilding process. They spent money this off-season after making the World Series last year. Now, the team is struggling again through a June swoon and they aren’t trading for Yoenis Cespedes again.
The Mets have had an awful June and after being swept at home by the Braves over the weekend (Personal Note: was at the game Saturday and even from Upper Deck don’t understand how Wilmer Flores was sent home in the ninth but I digress). The Mets now find themselves in third place in the East and COO Jeff Wilpon is not happy.
“I think we might need to do something before that, because the deadline is still four to six weeks away,” Wilpon said Monday. “We’ve got to start playing better baseball now.”
One move they will certainly make today is activating Travis d’Arnaud from the DL to go back behind the plate. He was a part of the Mets second half run last season although he was not off to the best of starts this year, hitting just .196 with one RBI in 13 games.
What other moves may happen?
Can confirm: The Mets are at least considering a reunion with Jose Reyes once he becomes a free agent. The... https://t.co/YStFZVIz77
— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinMedia) June 21, 2016
I was told before the weekend that the Mets are "kicking the tires" on Cuban defector Yulieski Gourriel. That... https://t.co/9w9GUwLzLM
— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinMedia) June 21, 2016
No one will swear to it, but Mets people certainly are sending out the vibe that Michael Conforto will be... https://t.co/H4ZryfCJ96
— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinMedia) June 21, 2016
That said, Dilson Herrera is out of lineup for Vegas tonight. I presume that's just a day off to get Danny Muno playing time, but let's see.
— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinMedia) June 21, 2016
Reyes was DFA'd Wednesday by Rockies. They can keep him in limbo for week before doing release waivers. Would be FA no later than Saturday.
— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinMedia) June 21, 2016
A lot to take in their so let’s break this down.
First the Reyes situation seemed to change after the sweep. Reyes has played second base in his career and Neil Walker has played third. Could that be the move the Mets make? Because he was DFA’d, the Mets would only have to pay the minimum for Reyes, something the budget conscious Mets will certainly feel as something important.
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Gouriel would take almost three weeks to get ready since he hasn’t played in so long. He is a friend of Cespedes which is a reason for the Mets to go after him.
Herrera is one of the Mets top prospects who is more than likely the choice for second base next season with Walker’s free agency. They could move Walker to third and see what they have in Dilson.
If they send Conforto down, they could call up former number one pick (and drafted ahead of Jose Fernandez and Corey Seager) Brandon Nimmo. The 23 year old is hitting .325 with a .917 OPS in AAA Las Vegas, which is a hitter’s paradise.
One of the things that made them so dangerous last year was if you didn’t hit, you didn’t play and they had the depth to do that. With, for example, Reyes and/or Herrera and/or Gourriel down the line replacing Matt Reynolds and Ty Kelly on the bench, this would enable the Mets to go back to that.
Next: Mets offensive woes are serious
The New York Mets are in win now mode and have to be. Their kid pitchers are going to get very expensive. David Wright probably won’t come back this season or maybe ever. Cespedes will certainly opt-out and is no lock to return. Maybe Jeff Wilpon is on to something and the time to make some moves is now.