New York Mets assistant general manager John Ricco made some head-turning comments during his press conference Thursday afternoon (video via Anthony DiComo of MLB.com).
“We have to collectively look at our position players because I’ve spoken about how we feel about the pitching,” Ricco said. “But on the other side of the ball, the areas where we feel comfortable heading in [2019] and the areas where we need to improve. So that’s what we’re going to look at over the next two months.”
When asked about how he plans to get a good judgment on players like Jeff McNeil, who is expected to showcase his skills and give the organization a good idea of where he’s at in his development over the course of just two months, Ricco was again fairly candid.
“It’s not going to be the be-all-end-all, but two months is still a third-of-the-season, so you can make some observations based on that.”
Ricco was asked if Dominic Smith would be a part of that group of players who will be evaluated over the next two months.
“I would expect so at some point here. I spoke to our Triple-A staff the other day and he’s working hard,” he said. “The results haven’t necessarily been there but he’s playing left field, he’s getting more experience there, so once we feel like it’s more beneficial for him to be here, he will be.”
When asked about a whether the team would be in “go for it mode” in 2019, the Mets assistant general manager made no qualms about how he feels regarding next season.
“I think, as I stand right here, I fully expect us to…try to be competitive and be a playoff team next year.”
That sounds well in principle. Let’s see some action!
