New York Mets: Will Mickey Callaway return in 2020?
Mickey Callaway has continued to struggle as the New York Mets manager, even though there has been an incremental improvement from 2018. However, the rumors may swirl out of control this offseason, as the Mets fall to the fringes of contention.
After a tumultuous start and some close calls early on Mickey Callaway and the New York Mets have rounded into form and made a push for the playoffs. Their run has lately seemed to taper off, as consecutive series sweeps and a few heart-wrenching losses have placed them on the outside looking in.
Callaway may be known for handing in the incorrect lineup card and batting out of order early on in his tenure or perhaps comments bordering on the whimsical. He once commented that Domenic Smith was batting leadoff because he fared well against Dakota Hudson– a player, who had never faced. Another time he claimed Noah Syndergaard‘s performance in a 10-run assault against the Cubs was “battling.”
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His in-game decisions leave a lot to be desired, as well. He fumbles around with the bullpen on most nights, unsure if Jeurys Familia or Edwin Diaz have been relegated to a mop-up role or are vital cogs to be used in tight games. His hands are somewhat tied, to be fair. But, these continuous inconsistency is staggering.
He often opts to bunt, such as in the September 1 game in Philadelphia. Luis Guillorme laid down a perfect bunt and advanced the runner to score, yet the inning was stagnated and the shaky Mets bullpen promptly surrendered the lead for good in the following inning. If he opted to pinch-hit JD Davis instead, a big inning could have arisen and the outcome could have been different.
There are managers with serious experience that could truly benefit this team in eliminating these deficiencies. Another vital piece to the Mets bullpen this was Robert Gsellman, however, he was overused, so he began to struggle and eventually came down with an injury.
It became a nightly occurrence, the familiar sight of Gsellman warming in the bullpen. Such mismanagement of an asset can not solely be on the manager, as the club’s current bullpen and organizational depth are severely lacking. Callaway has no control over that.
The blame should go both ways, yet a first-year general manager in Brodie Van Wagenen, who has the support of ownership, is not even close to having his job in jeopardy. The blame will be heaped upon the manager, especially since Callaway was hired by Sandy Alderson- Van Wagenen’s predecessor.
It is not definite, as the Mets postseason hopes are not dead and a miraculous run could be in the works- however doubtful. If the Mets were able to stumble their way into the playoffs, there is no way Mickey Callaway could justifiably be fired.
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In essence, this decision cannot be determined yet, although the odds are against the New York Mets second-year manager.