As the New York Mets have plummeted down the standings, they are beginning to get rid of the dead weight on their roster.
On Sunday, the New York Mets managed to defeat the crosstown Yankees. This was a notable occurrence as it was the Mets first victory in the month of June. It is just a sign as to how for the Mets have fallen since the end of April, when they were in the midst of a three team battle for the NL East.
However, as the calendar turned, and the first month passed by, the baseball gods have not been kind to the Mets. As they have continued to tumble down the standings, it has become time to find production, giving other players a chance to get on the diamond. In doing so, the Mets are starting to cut out the dead weight, beginning with Adrian Gonzalez and Jose Lobaton.
After tonight’s game we have given Adrián González his unconditional release. On Tuesday, we will designate catcher Jose Lobaton for assignment, will recall Dominic Smith from Las Vegas and will select the contract of Ty Kelly from Las Vegas. #Mets
— New York Mets (@Mets) June 11, 2018
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This decision was due to come with Gonzalez. He had posted a mediocre .237/.299/.373 batting line, albeit with a surprising six homers. However, since his two home run outburst on May 7th, he had just one homer and three doubles, hitting at a .218/.269/.287 clip in his last 93 plate appearances. With Dominic Smith seemingly ready at AAA, there just was no longer a reason to keep Gonzalez.
For Lobaton, that designation has to be torturous. he remained in limbo for two days before being designated for assignment, with longer to wait before knowing his fate. He certainly has not earned a spot on the major league roster at this point, with a .152/.264/.239 batting line in his 53 plate appearances. Lobaton has not fared well defensively either, having thrown out just three base stealers in 15 attempts, while rating as five runs below the average catcher.
The Mets may not be done with those two. They are also exploring ways to rid themselves of Jose Reyes, including trying to convince him to retire. The addition of Ty Kelly to the roster, as a player who could take over in his utility role, only furthers the idea that, one way or another, Reyes will be leaving the Mets in the somewhat near future.
So here's the deal with Reyes: Mets have discussed getting him on board with a retirement news conference as one way to manage his exit.
— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) June 10, 2018
Unclear if he will agree to retire.https://t.co/xSP3TLADvl
Even though Reyes has started slow in the past, and was able to work through those struggles, this year is different. He has posted a .149/.213/.203 batting line, with just a double and a homer as his extra base hits in 80 plate appearances. Even Reyes’ speed is all but gone, as the former speedster has only two steals on the season. Of course, given his performance at the plate, he has not had much of an opportunity to show whether or not that part of his game is still there.
Heading into the season, the Mets were hopeful that their veterans had one last run in them. With players like Reyes and Gonzalez, they would have had a solid roster…in 2011. Unfortunately for their plans, the ravages of time cannot be stopped, destroying the Mets plans for 2018.
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The New York Mets are getting rid of their dead weight. That may not end with these moves.