Under new general manager Brodie Van Wagenen, the New York Mets made a number of solid offseason additions, choosing to prioritize roster depth over bringing in expensive superstars. To each their own. On the field, things have looked just fine so far. Off the field is where things have gone awry for our beloved Metsies.
The New York Mets are currently knee-deep in a public relations nightmare. Let’s run through the list, shall we?
Jacob deGrom‘s lack of an extension with around 48 hours to go until first pitch in Washington, DC is unsettling, to say the least. On Monday evening, Mike Mayer of MMO reported that, as per a source, team and player are “moving in the right direction” toward an agreement before Opening Day. Hopefully, that debacle will be settled in short order.
Noah Syndergaard deciding to voice his public frustrations on that process, as well as the team’s ill-timed Syracuse jaunt scheduled for Tuesday in Syracuse, the Mets’ new Triple-A home, over the weekend certainly turned heads. But as justified as Noah’s comments were (a well-rested team is a productive team, right?), it’s the Devin Mesoraco saga that’s caused the most uproar over the last few days.
Signed earlier in the offseason to compete for the backup catcher position behind the newly-signed Wilson Ramos while Travis d’Arnaud brought himself up to game-speed, Mesoraco was given a clear path to a roster spot. Unfortunately, he just didn’t produce.
Was he promised the job, as the 30-year-old believes he was? Only him and the Mets know that. Did he do enough to win the job outright? Most certainly not. Over 12 Grapefruit League appearances (26 at-bats), Mesoraco went 6-for-26 with a homer, two runs batted in, three doubles, and six strikeouts.
While the guy who got the nod over him — Tomas Nido — was just as ineffective at the plate this spring (5-for-29, eight strikeouts), his defensive capabilities (3.6 framing runs above average in just 217.2 innings behind the plate last year) clearly won out over Mesoraco’s skill set.
After leaving the team over the weekend and requesting his release (which the Mets refuse to grant, as not to “set a precedent”), Mesoraco is now preparing to retire instead of reporting to Triple-A Syracuse.
Whatever the agreement between Mes and the Mets was is inconsequential. At this point in time, especially after the team brought veteran backstop Rene Rivera back into the mix on Monday, the Mets have no other option but to release Devin Mesoraco. By keeping him here against his wishes, they’re digging themselves into an even deeper hole than they’re already in. It’s time to move on.
Speaking of which, it is time to move on. Despite the never-ending firestorm that seems to circulate around this franchise like a hurricane, Opening Freaking Day is on Thursday. If there was ever a time to put the blinders on and get lost in the game we love, now is that time.
As fans, Max Scherzer‘s first pitch to Brandon Nimmo a little after 1 PM on Thursday can’t come soon enough. For the New York Mets, from a team and an organizational standpoint, ditto. After the spring the Mets had on both sides of the chalk, folks should be very excited for the upcoming season.
Robbie Cano (.441/.476/.610, six extra-base hits, eight strikeouts in 59 at-bats this spring), Pete Alonso (.352/.387/.620, five doubles, four homers, 11 RBI in 71 at-bats), and Michael Conforto (home runs in four of his last six Grapefruit League games), among a slew of others (Dominic Smith, Luis Guillorme, Brandon Nimmo, J.D. Davis, Keon Broxton, Jeff McNeil) all had outstanding springs at the plate.
Steven Matz was a bit uneven but seemed to turn it on at the end of camp. Jason Vargas showed glimpses of the player the Mets signed before the start of the 2018 season, giving hope that the back-end of the rotation can hold their own with 1A, 1B, and Zack Wheeler leading the way.
The Mets’ bullpen is arguably the best in the National League East with Edwin Diaz, Jeurys Familia, Justin Wilson, and Seth Lugo solidifying the back-end, with Luis Avilan, Robert Gsellman, and (to be determined) rounding out the group.
The NL East is sure to be a dogfight, and everyone (except the Marlins) improved — some to a greater extent than others. But the Mets improved, too. There are reasons to be excited. There are also reasons to be exasperated. I’m gonna focus on the good stuff. Let’s go Mets.
