We all know now, if we didn’t before, that Yoenis Cespedes can do some serious damage. But as we learned in sweeps of the Nationals and Marlins, his mere presence makes a substantial, if not night-and-day difference in a lineup that was the butt of jokes just a fortnight ago.
Cespedes brings even more than we thought: energy and style, and a big time arm, glove and legs to go with his big bat.
And who knew he could play CF so skillfully? If I had realized this, I would have favored trading for him over Gomez any day of the week.
We have also watched him exude an intangible quality: he seems to makes those around him better – a relatively rare attribute associated with a Derek Jeter or a Hunter Pence.
But there is also a tangible side to how he makes his teammates better: His presence allows them to now be placed in a position to succeed rather than fail.
It’s not unlike a bullpen when an underqualified closer is struggling, and creating added pressure on the rest of the ‘pen. The acquisition of a stud closer can move that guy back to the more appropriate setup role, while the underqualified set up guy moves back to the more acceptable 7th inning role and so forth.
Yes, the the acquisition of Mr. Cespedes will allow the other guys to play the roles they should play, rather than the role they have been forced to play. This will in turn reduce pressure on a pitching staff that had little room for error in the season’s first four months.
It was the almost season-long injury to the captain that forced these players into those roles.
Lucas Duda was expected to be the man with Wright down for the count, but with no protection in the lineup, he slumped for two months. Liberated from the unrealistic load he was expected to carry by the arrival of YC (and challenged by his manager to step up), he produced, what, 9 home runs in 8 games. Enough said.
Ruben Tejada has had a nice season, but he was shoehorned into the two hole until YC came along, and thus expected to be productive with the bat. A setup to fail (even if he didn’t always). Now, he will usually hit eighth or ninth, he can concentrate on his forte, defense, and any offensive production from him will be a bonus. A set-up to succeed.
Juan Lagares was expected to be the same once-in-a-generation CF he was last year and progress from his .280/.320/.700 season. A setup to fail, and that is just what happened because of injury, a down season or whatever. But now, it appears he’ll be asked only to start against lefties and serve as a late inning defensive replacement, pinch hitter and perhaps even pinch runner. A setup to succeed.
When Michael Conforto arrived (though many Mets fans will deny this), he was expected to immediately make a difference. Yes, Uribe and K. Johnson came on board at the same time he did, but it was not until Cespedes arrived that he could be spotted most effectively, likely getting enough at bats to grow, but not enough for him to outright fail in the heat of a pennant race. All because the team now has multiple appealing options in the outfield.
Michael Cuddyer was expected to be an impact hitter, at least to the extent of 15/75/.280. We all know he has not been that guy. But when he returns from the DL, he can now be limited to starting against lefties, and perhaps the occasional righty, while serving as the kind of bat one generally likes to have coming off the bench – a grizzled veteran who can be moved around the field.
There may be no better example, though, than Eric Campbell, who has also benefited greatly from the presence of Uribe and Johnson. He is certainly the leading candidate to be sent down when Cuddyer and/or Wright return, but in the meantime, he can finally be placed back in his rightful back-of-the-bench role. He was spectacularly miscast as a starting 3B, but with his versatility and modest past success off the bench, Collins can now utilize him just that way. A classic setup to succeed.
Curtis Granderson may continue on a pace to hit 25 homeruns or so. But he will no longer be required to provide consistent power. After all, most important is his role as a leadoff hitter, to which he has adjusted admirably with a .350 OBP.
Then, there is instant folk hero Wilmer Flores. The first step forward was for Collins/Alderson to get over the need to have to play him at SS every single day, at the expense of ever playing him at his stronger positions, 2B and 3B. Now, like Murphy moving between 2B and 3B, Wilmer can rotate between 2B and SS and come off the bench when the Mets are facing a tough righty. But more to the point, with the acquisition of YC and resulting extra production likely to come from Duda, the pressure on Wilmer to resume his robust home run and RBI pace of the season’s first half is now diminished.
And don’t forget the captain. Let’s face it. If and when he returns, we would have expected him – at least subliminally – to be something of a difference maker pre-July 31. But now he represents, if not a luxury, then a nice bonus, a player you would love to have back in the saddle. But if he can’t perform, no big whoop – the team already has that impact bat in the middle of the lineup and three other capable players to man the hot corner.
Indeed, the cascading effects of acquiring Yoenis Cespedes have taken root already. We all know the high of six wins in a row and a two game lead atop the division may level off at some point. But it is hard to imagine any other player who could have fit this team like a glove and almost singlehandedly taken us from the valley to the mountaintop in less than one week.
