New York Mets: Five Holes That Need Filling For 2017
All things considered, the New York Mets had a pretty good year in 2016. But, they are a flawed team that needs to firm up their roster for next season. Here are five areas that need their attention.
With the New York Mets, you always begin every conversation with money and how much of it the Wilpon brothers are willing to part with. Generally, the answer has always been, “Not too much”. They resist making a splash in the free agent market and seem more comfortable filling holes from within.
Their last significant free agent signing was Curtis Granderson, who if he stays will be entering his fourth season with the team. Unless you count Jose Reyes, who was signed from the scrap heap in August, as significant.
Like all other teams, they’ll peruse the list of the free agents coming up for this year. But, for the most part it’s pretty slim pickings. Trades are always a possibility, but again the Mets have to consider the value of the players they might offer.
Travis d’Arnaud, who has proved to be only a source of frustration for the Mets, could have some value to a team that needs a catcher. But others like Zach Wheeler, Lucas Duda, and yes even Matt Harvey need to prove they are healthy before any team would touch them. All of them would have significant value though if that hurdle is overcome.
So now that we’ve uncovered some things that the Mets probably can’t do, let’s take a look at some of the things that they can, and probably should do……..
Last December, Sandy Alderson, the General Manager of the New York Mets, all but hung a sign outside his office that read, “Zobrist Inc.”. Like many other teams, Alderson was enamored with the versatile Ben Zobrist and it appeared that he was willing to meet the 35 year olds monetary demands.
But as we know, the Chicago Cubs swooped in at the last minute and grabbed him away from a clearly disappointed and somewhat chagrined Sandy Alderson. Second choice? Well, that was just it. There wasn’t one.
But then, things quickly turned for the better when he was able to deal for Neil Walker in exchange for the very expendable Jon Niese, who at the time was thought to be overkill on the team’s starting staff.
Walker took over the job at second base and never gave it back until he went down with a season ending back injury on August 26. Until then, he was Mr. Reliable though playing a confident second base and remarkably hitting 23 home runs after having averaged only 15 the previous seven years.
Neil Walker is a free agent this year and the Mets can’t afford to let him walk. The Mets are toying with the idea that they can platoon Wilmer Flores, who also didn’t make it to the end of the season with a wrist injury, and T J Rivera, who came out of nowhere putting up some good numbers ending the season as the Mets regular second baseman.
So while there could be a stopgap solution to not signing Walker, there’s no substitute for the professionalism that Walker takes to the field and those all impressive intangibles that he brings to the clubhouse.
Plus, his money may have come down with the back injury as they can return and be rather balky at times. Wrap him up with a big Christmas bow and let’s move forward………
Travis d’Arnaud has reached the end of the line with the Mets. They know it and he has to know it as well. d’Arnaud came over from the Blue Jays in the deal that sent Cy Young winner R A Dickey to Toronto. A footnote to the deal at the time was the inclusion of Noah Syndergaard coming to the Mets as well.
d’Arnaud was immediately tagged with that got awful word potential. Except that the clock has been ticking now for four years and that’s about all the Mets have left with him – still more potential. He’s been given a chance and then some. But in nearly 1,000 at bats in the majors (the equivalent of two full seasons for a catcher), all he can show is 30 home runs and 102 RBI.
Normally, you might be able to overlook those numbers if you get a solid defensive catcher, but by all accounts the Mets aren’t happy with him in that area as well.
Beyond d’Arnaud, the Mets have Kevin Plewecki (.197 1 HR in 132 at bats), and Rene Rivera (.222 6 HR in 185 at bats). Rivera actually ended the season as the regular catcher when manager Terry Collins finally gave d’Arnaud a much deserved seat on the bench. But clearly, there are no answers here.
There are probably15 free agent catchers available, but by my count only one of them is under 30, the exception being Jonathan Lucroy who the Mets had a chance at in July at the deadline, but seemingly chose to pass on him and he went to the Rangers.
So Sandy, you’ve got yourself a nice little problem to deal with here. But here’s some good news and this one’s a no brainer……..
The Mets need Yeonis Cespedes. End of story. Except of course that it’s not. And already, he’s toying with the Mets and even his teammates by telling different people that he might opt out to go elsewhere. But then again, maybe not cause I kind of like it here.
Make no mistake, he will opt out and he’d be a fool not to. But the question becomes what happens after that when he is a free agent. And will the Mets go all in to salvage the only right handed power bat in their lineup (you can’t count on David Wright for anything), or will they just play footsies with him when the price gets too high. And, you know it will. Because it’s a weak market out there this year.
Look, the guy definitely has some serious baggage that carries with him. Th Is not breaking news though. And he didn’t help himself any when he locked himself in the trainers room while the rest of his team was in the clubhouse celebrating a hard fought battle to win the top Wild Card spot.
And for how many years did the Red Sox put up with the shenanigans of Manny Ramirez while knowing full well they could count on him for some unmatched production and power.
So Fred Wilpon, cash in a few…….just a few now….of those certificates you’ve been saving for a rainy day. Because this is your rainy day.
And besides, the team you own has bigger problems to deal with……..
Jeurys Familia, bless his heart (no one would ever question that), converted 51 of 56 save opportunities for the Mets in 2016. He appeared in nearly half of the games that his team played (78). He’s only 26 years old. His 51 saves led the NatIonal League and he made the All Star team. And he gave up only one home run all season. So what’s the problem?
The problem is that he has been dangerously overused by the Mets and this has been going on for three consecutive years now. And because of that, he’s a injury waiting to happen. The Mets have been lucky to get three good seasons out of him
Remember that one home run he gave up all season? It came against the GIants when Connor “Who?” Gillespie sent the Mets home last week. One game, one bad pitch. It happens. He’ll bounce back they’re saying. And he probably will.
But he needs help. His setup man, Addison Reed, appeared in 80 games and did a credible job. But in five save opportunities, he converted only one.
A more viable option could be Robert Gsellman. Gsellman filled in admirably as a starter when the rotation went south with injuries. He has a nasty sinker that could induce a bunch of ground balls. He’s not going to strike out the side, but he has good control don’t won’t give the game away with walks.
Other than that, it’s back to the free agents and trade market. Alderson might say let’s wait until the train wreck with Familia happens and then we’ll do something about it. All well and good. I’m just saying that it’s going to happen sooner rather than later, so what’s wrong with having Plan B in action on the field when the season starts.
And finally, the Mets should be looking for………..
Wait a minute, you say. The New York Mets already have Lucas Duda coming back. Check that…..the Mets only think they have Duda coming back. But in six seasonss with the the Mets, Duda as many managed 500 at bats only once. And it hasn’t been because they’ve chosen not to play him, although he has been sat against lefties t. But that’s a whole other problem with him.
The main problem is that he can’t seem to stay on the field. He’s a burly 6’4″ 250 pounder and if it ain’t one thing then it’s some other nagging injury that’ll drive a manager crazy. They have James Loney who you can’t say a bad word about, except he is not a power hitting first baseman. And that’s what we’re talking about here.
A glance at the free agents and again we see only under the age of 30. So, anything the Mets do would probably be short term. Although Edwin Encarcion would look pretty good in a Mets uniform.
Another option might be to convert Michael Conforto to first base. This could not happen overnight though. He is left handed too, but he would be in the lineup anyway. Conforto has Harv his troubles remembering how to hit and the Mets sent him down twice over the summer for “more seasoning”.
But it could just turn out to be exactly what he needs in having to learn a new position with the h pressure of that taking his mind off his hitting woes so he can just do his thing at the plate with no thinking involved.
Next: Orioles top five offseason priorities
But again, that’s Sandy Alderson’s problem to solve……………..