Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

This year’s All-Star game was broadcast on Fox. The network tried a few innovations during the broadcast, however, the game drew record-low television ratings.

The mid-summer classic, according to an article in The Athletic drew 7.5 million viewers, down 10% from the game’s 2021 audience. The home run derby on Monday drew 6.8 million viewers. Baseball’s All-Star game remains the most watched of all the major sports, but the gap continues to shrink. The 2022 All-Star game was the first to ever draw fewer than eight million viewers.

How much has the television audience shrunk? In the 1990s, the summer showcase of baseball’s best talent routinely banked an audience of over 20 million. The event has not attracted more than 12 million viewers since 2010.

There are many reasons why the All-Star game’s popularity has dropped, with inter-league play probably the most prominent. There simply isn’t the novelty nor intrigue of seeing players from the “other league”. In the 1960s and 1970s, the All-Star game was highly competitive, symbolized by Pete Rose‘s crash into Ray Fosse in the 1970 game that resulted in a walk-off National League win. It’s hard to imagine something like that happening in current times.

The low ratings were not for lack of trying by Fox, as the network tried some new things to bring the intricacies of the game closer to the fans. Consider the in-game conversation between John Smoltz in the booth and Alex Manoah of the Blue Jays who was pitching for the American League. Ken Rosenthal captured some key moments in an article in The Athletic.

“Make this slider look like a strike on the outside corner and make it disappear off the corner,” Smoltz said.

Manoah wasn’t so sure.

“I’m thinking the slider, too, but I think if I execute a good heater up …” Manoah said, rubbing the ball as he pondered his next move. “He has seen the sinker twice. Something that stays true (straight) might throw him off a little bit.”

Later in the game, Fox aired a live conversation between Nestor Cortes of the Yankees, and his teammate and ASG catcher Jose Trevino. Here is some of the dialogue from Rosenthal’s article, as Cortes and Trevino decided on their approach.

“What are you thinking?” Trevino said to Cortes before a 2-1 pitch to the Braves’ Austin Riley.

“Cutter, back door,” Cortes said.

“Get it there,” Trevino replied.

To some, the interactivity of the broadcast trivialized the game, making it seem like a Sunday morning softball game. To others, the eavesdropping on player conversations helped further an understanding of the game, and the thought processes the players go through. Braves’ pitcher Colin McHugh was in the latter camp. From Rosenthal’s article:

After viewing the sixth inning of the All-Star Game, Braves reliever Collin McHugh tweeted, “That was the single best inning of baseball I’ve ever watched. Listening to Nestor and Jose do that in real time was truly amazing.”

There was also “ump cam” during the game, attached to home plate umpire Bill Miller‘s mask. The innovations may not have positively impacted viewership, but give Fox credit for trying to infuse intrigue into an event that has lost much of its luster.

As an older fan, I prefer the days of the All-Star game being played seriously (not the home field advantage years). I miss when the two leagues wanted to beat each other. I loved the 1994 game when Fred McGriff dramatically tied the game in the bottom of the ninth with a home run off Lee Smith of the Orioles.

Those days are over. The All-Star game is no longer the attraction it once was. Maybe interactive in-game conversations will help bring the game’s strategy closer to the fans, and subsequently, increase interest. Maybe those innovations will not. Time will tell.

If nothing else, the 2022 All-Star game broadcast was unique, if not widely watched.

The post All-Star Game Draws Record Low Ratings appeared first on Metsmerized.

Last year, the Braves were the surprise team in baseball winning the NL East by an eight game margin over the Nationals. This is a young talented group who has the talent to not only win the division again next year but also go on a run like the Greg Maddux–Tom Glavine–John Smoltz Braves teams.

Freddie Freeman has become an MVP caliber player. Josh Donaldson has won an MVP and has the sixth highest fWAR in all of baseball since 2015. What’s scary to think is they’re not even the Braves best player. That honor probably goes to Ronald Acuna, who is the reigning Rookie of the Year and a real MVP candidate.

What is scary for the Braves is their roster beyond these three is quite questionable.

One of the reasons the Braves were successful last season was Nick Markakis having his first All-Star campaign. It was a turn back the clock season for him as he had been a below league average hitter over the previous five seasons. His 2.6 bWAR was higher than what he posted over his prior two seasons. Expecting him to repeat his 2018 season seems dubious in his age 35 season.

Markakis is not the only 35 year old expected to be a big part of the team. The Braves brought back Brian McCann, who is coming off a season where he hit .212/.301/.339. That’s a drop off from the .271/.332/.444 Kurt Suzuki provided the team last year.

This is nothing to say of Donaldson who had an injury plagued season last year. When he was on the field, he produced. However, it should be noted he did take a step back. From 2015 – 2017, he had a 154 wRC+ at the plate. Last year, he had a 117 wRC+. Defensively, he’s gone from an 11 DRS in 2015 to a 1 DRS last year.

That’s actually a step back from what Johan Camargo provided. Last year, Camargo was a 115 wRC+ at the plate with a 7 DRS at third. With Donaldson, you have the name value, but you lose the upside the 25 year old could provide.

On the topic of the Braves young players, by and large, they have not yet panned out the way many people have expected.

Ozzie Albies did have a 3.8 WAR last season, but he had some issues. For starters, the switch-hitter hit .231/.283/.412 against left-handed pitching (84 wRC+). With the right-handed pitching in the division, he is completely over-matched making him not much more than a good defensive second baseman for the majority of the time.

Ender Inciarte is also a defensive first player, albeit a very inconsistent one. Whatever the reason, Inciarte has been good in odd numbered seasons and Gold Glove caliber in even numbered seasons. For Inciarte to have value, he needs to be a Gold Glover as he already below league average offense has dropped from a 100 wRC+ in 2015 t0 90 last season.

The biggest enigma has been Dansby Swanson. The Braves had purportedly stole him from the Diamondbacks for Shelby Miller. The problem was Swanson has not quite panned out as expected. Last year was a career best year for him, which makes his prospects all the more dubious as he only had an 80 wRC+. He was very good defensively meaning the Braves up-the-middle defense is quite good but very, very questionable at the plate.

In some ways, in what promises to be a very tough National League East, the Braves are going to be reliant on their young pitching to make the difference in the division. Now, there are times this does work like 2003 with the Florida Marlins and 2015 with the New York Mets.

Mike Foltynewicz was the teams’ best pitcher last year, and it’s questionable if he can be that next year. His .251 BABIP was much lower than the .303 he has yielded in his career. If he reverts back to career norms, he may look more like the below average league pitcher (93 ERA+) he had been over the prior two seasons.

The Braves second starter, Sean Newcomb, has also roughly been a league average pitcher (103 ERA+) in his career. Same goes for Kevin Gausman (102 ERA+). That is also what Julio Teheran has been since 2016. That puts a lot of pressure on Touki Toussaint, a pitcher who Baseball America projects to be a middle of the rotation starter partially due to his control problems.

Ultimately, when you break the Braves down, this is a very pedestrian starting rotation, albeit one with plenty of upside. Their top two relievers, Arodys Vizcaino and A.J. Minter, have durability concerns. They’re relying on older veterans to be what they once were, and they’re hoping defensive minded players can unlock offensive potential they have not yet unlocked in over two years in the majors.

If the Braves figure it out, they’re a scary team. However, it’s also possible last year was as good as it gets. That should put them well in the mix for the division and the Wild Cards, but it also likely leaves them one or two pieces short from the postseason.

The post Why Braves Won’t Win The NL East appeared first on Metsmerized.

Former Mets ace Matt Harvey will look to regroup as a reliever, as he will be available out of the bullpen beginning Tuesday night in St. Louis.

Harvey, 29, went 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA over four starts for New York this season before he was bounced from the rotation.

It’s been a rapid decline for the artist formerly known as The Dark Knight, who has endured Tommy John surgery and a procedure to relieve Thoracic Outlet Sydrome. This has subsequently led to a decline in velocity, movement and predictable pitches.

Former Met Bob Ojeda weighed in on Harvey, and said the move to the bullpen will be an effective one for the right-hander

“His stuff has changed, it’s not what it was and I still 100 percent believe he doesn’t know how to pitch,” Ojeda told The New York Post on Monday.

“It’s not, ‘I throw 30 percent changeups, I throw 85 percent fastballs, I throw 12 ¹/₂ percent knuckleballs.’ No. Pitching is feel,” he continued. “Now he’s going to go out there presumably twice a week, maybe more, and going to have to learn on the fly how to get people out. He’s getting thrown in deep, I love it.”

Mets manager Mickey Callaway has had great success with pitchers who were moved to the bullpen out of the starting rotation. During his time in Cleveland, he helped get pitchers Danny Salazar, Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer back on the right track.

“This is the right move and it was worded the right way,” Ojeda said. “It didn’t become, ‘Let’s banish him, let’s punish him.’ It was, ‘Look, you have some stuff to work on and we are going to throw you in the pen.’ They have a rotation that is volatile, like a lot of rotations, so he can spend some time in the pen and he may pitch himself back into the rotation, if the door opens, but if not he stays in the pen.”

Ojeda added that moving Harvey to the bullpen also sends a message to other guys on the team that if they aren’t performing, there will be consequences.

“What I like is it becomes what’s good for the New York Mets,” Ojeda said. “That is a message that the other men in the locker room see. It’s like, ‘OK, it’s what is good for the team,’ and Matt understandably was upset because all of a sudden you get fired from your job that you have basically had forever. And then you have got a new job.”

Hall-of-Famer John Smoltz knows exactly what Harvey is going through.

In 2001, Smoltz was moved to the bullpen by the Atlanta Braves after missing the previous season with Tommy John surgery.

Smoltz went on to become a dominant closer for several seasons before re-entering Atlanta’s rotation in 2005 — a year he made it to the All-Star game and finished 14-7 with a 3.06 ERA.

The 21-year veteran said it’s important to be patient with Harvey and give him a break, because he’s trying to adapt to a new role.

“I don’t think it’s fair to write off a Matt Harvey if not given the opportunity to have enough time to go through this,” Smoltz told the New York Daily News. “That’s the dilemma. What is that time frame you are willing to deal with in that organization? A new manager who has seen in Cleveland this work for an array of guys. He believes this will work for Matt. Now, it’s up to Matt to believe it.

“It won’t be right away, but long-term, if the Mets are going to be in the playoffs and they need the depth that this rotation and this bullpen could use, then he could be a vital, vital part,” Smoltz continued. “But it is going to be a process.”

At the end of the day, Smoltz says that Harvey is going to have to get through the emotional side of things and adapt to his new role as a reliever.

“You really got to be mentally open to unknown scenarios, opposed to the structure you loved as a starter,” Smoltz said.

“I had to let go of everything I couldn’t control and let happen whatever would happen.”

For Harvey, it will be a transition, but for now he needs to focus on succeeding in the bullpen and work towards getting back into the rotation.

The post Ojeda, Smoltz Weigh In On Harvey’s Move to Bullpen appeared first on Metsmerized.

** This interview was conducted with Josh Smoker in early January, prior to him being designated for assignment on January 26.**

When Josh Smoker made his major league debut with the New York Mets back on August 19, 2016, at the age of 27, he knew how difficult the road had been to make it there.

Smoker, a former supplemental first-round pick of the Washington Nationals back in 2007, overcame two shoulder surgeries, a release by the only team he had known, and the uncertainty of ever playing professional baseball again.

His tenure with the Nationals was beset by injuries, requiring shoulder surgery to fix a bone spur in 2008, followed by a subsequent surgery to repair a torn labrum and rotator cuff in 2013. The left-hander sat out the entire 2013 season to heal; however, the Nationals released the once-promising pitcher.

Dejected and with a sense of defeat, unknowing of whether he’d ever fulfill his potential, Smoker, along with his father Mike, made endless phone calls and sent out email after email to area scouts in hopes of catching on with another team.

After mostly silence on the other end, Smoker and his dad discovered tryouts in Kentucky for the independent Frontier League. The Rockford Aviators, located in Illinois, signed Smoker for the 2014 season. It was there, Smoker says, that he had the chance to mature and regain the appreciation and love for the game that was missing after several disappointing and injury-riddled seasons.

With improved velocity, sitting around 92 mph, which was about a four mph increase from when he was pitching hurt with the Nationals, Smoker posted a 4.03 ERA with Rockford in 28 games. Smoker was finally healthy and had a new outlook on the game, reminded of why he fell in love with it in the first place.

At the conclusion of the 2014 season, Smoker was still looking for scouts to come watch him throw, hoping that his season in Rockford would lead to more interest. The interest remained tepid, so Smoker and his Rockford manager decided that he would come back for one final season, in which he would start.

In late January of 2015, Smoker was getting ready to throw a bullpen with his usual catcher, one he’s had by his side since he was a young teen. Unable to catch due to an illness, he set Smoker up with another catcher instead. Paul Fletcher, a bird-dog scout and the pitching coach for the independent league York Revolution, caught Smoker that day and would forever change Smoker’s professional baseball career.

After the bullpen session, Smoker received a call from a New York number. It was the Mets, who had heard from Fletcher of Smoker’s bullpen, and asked if he’d like to come try out for them in Port St. Lucie.

Finally, a major league team came calling.

Smoker was signed by the Mets not long after he threw his bullpen at their spring training complex. Smoker appeared in 41 games between three levels of their organization in 2015, posting a 3.12 ERA while averaging 11.0 strikeouts-per-nine innings. After opening the ’16 season with Las Vegas, Smoker would make his long-awaited major league debut on August 19 against the Giants in San Francisco.

It was a tale of two seasons for Smoker in 2017, as the lefty posted a 7.45 ERA over 22 games, allowing a .924 OPS to opposing hitters. After critiquing his slider and working back from a stint on the DL with a left shoulder strain, Smoker showed a near five-run improvement in ERA, down to 2.63 in the second half of the season.

Having the improved slider meant that Smoker didn’t have to be so perfect with his fastball and saw better results against left-handed hitters, where he had reverse splits for much of his career. In the month of September, Smoker held lefties to a .226/.258/.345 slash, a strong way to end the season. For Smoker, the development of his slider along with continued improvement of his command gives him much encouragement heading into the 2018 season.

On January 26, to make room for the recently re-signed Jose Reyes, Smoker was designated for assignment. An unpopular move by most, considering Smoker is just the second left-handed reliever on the roster, the effervescent reliever will certainly be missed by teammates and fans alike.

I had the privilege of speaking with Smoker in January, where we discussed his setbacks early on, his time in the Independent League, and his tenure with the Mets thus far.

MMO: Who were some of your favorite players growing up?

Josh: I was a big John Smoltz fan growing up in Atlanta. Obviously, that was in the time of the dominating pitching staff they had. It was really cool getting to watch all of those guys throw, but I really liked the mentality that Smoltzie had. For him to be able to be a starter and closer was pretty cool to watch.

MMO: At what age did you start primarily pitching?

Josh: Probably when I was fourteen-years-old is when I started really focusing on it more. Freshman year in high school is when I really kind of focused in on pitching only, and putting everything else to the side.

MMO: What are your memories from the 2007 MLB Draft? Did you have any inclination that the Nationals were looking to take you with that pick?

Josh: I actually had no clue. I hadn’t talked with the Nationals really that much. There were other teams that I had been in contact with a lot more than the Nationals. All it was with those guys was an occasional phone call and just to check in with an area scout and things like that.

When they called me and told me that they had picked me, it was kind of a big surprise, something that I wasn’t really expecting.

MMO: Did you have any idea of what round you might be selected in?

Josh: Yeah, I had heard anywhere from mid-to-late first round to supplemental, which I ended up going in with the 31^st pick. So I had an idea. At the same time, you can never really tell on Draft day. Anything can happen and anything can change, so you just have to sit along for the ride, and hope that the best happens.

MMO: You experienced a tough early go of it in the minors, requiring surgeries for bone spurs, a torn labrum and rotator cuff. How challenging was that period of time for you, and how did you continue to push through mentally with the setbacks?

Josh: It was definitely tough. Obviously, when you know that you’re a lot better than what you’re showing on the field, you get to a point where you almost feel defeated a little bit. There were plenty of times where I expected that nothing was really going to come back to my arm, and I wasn’t really going to be able to do anything further in baseball. Early on in my career, I didn’t know what it felt like to have fun out on the baseball field and get paid to do it just because I was never 100 percent.

I think just having my family behind me was really what kept me chugging along. They knew somewhere inside of me I still had a love for the game; it was just a matter of finding that joy again and getting a little bit healthy. Fortunately for me, it took a little bit longer. Once everything finally felt good again, it was just a clear path from there.

MMO: After the Nationals released you, were there any thoughts that baseball just might not pan out for you?

Josh: Yeah, definitely. Especially that winter was when I really started thinking that I wasn’t going to be able to really do anything else. I couldn’t get any area scouts to come watch me throw; I couldn’t even get any independent ball teams to answer my phone calls. So that was definitely when I thought that it was probably going to be it. But [I] ended up getting on with an independent team, so it ended up working out for the best.

I had a good manager there in Rockford; he made everything fun. It was a good group of guys, so it was just fun to play the game again and be healthy while I was doing it.

MMO: How did you hear about the Frontier League tryouts?

Josh: My dad and I had been calling around and trying to find some affiliate teams to come watch me throw. I was able to get a couple of scouts to come, but really nothing serious. My velocity hadn’t gotten quite back up to where I wanted it, but it was definitely a huge improvement from where I had been in the past.

I tried looking up numbers of independent coaches on the Internet and just do anything I could do to just talk to somebody, but nobody would return my emails or phone calls. My dad had found out about the Frontier League tryouts, and just so happened it was in Kentucky on that particular year. We drove out and threw a couple of innings and ended up getting picked up by Rockford.

MMO: What did you take away from your lone season in the Frontier League?

Josh: One of the coolest things about being on that team was there were guys from completely different backgrounds. There were guys that didn’t go to college and just, for whatever reason, couldn’t get picked up by a college team, and they might’ve had the tools to play at a higher level. There were guys there that had been in Double and Triple-A, who were just on the cusp of getting to the big leagues but weren’t quite able to make that final step. It was just a good core group of guys there that you really didn’t have that competition factor among each other. We went out on the field and just had a good time.

We were playing for ourselves, and we were playing for the team, and, honestly getting picked up by an affiliate team was just kind of in the back of our minds, really. I mean, it’s something everybody wanted, but it was more or less just going out there and having fun and playing a game.

It was definitely good for me to get out there and get my mind right with the game again and start to enjoy it and actually have fun with it. I think that looking back it was a huge step and helped me mature a little bit and appreciate the game again to get to where I am now.

MMO: By now, many know the story of how you came to try out with the Mets in 2015. But for those unaware, can you talk a bit about that experience?

Josh: I had tried to get picked up that offseason again. It was the winter after that independent ball team, and I tried to get picked up by some teams, but still, nobody was really coming to watch. I had talked with my manager in Rockford, and we had kind of planned that I was just going to go back, and he was going to let me start for him and just have fun with it and go out on my terms and make it the last hurrah, if you will.

I was throwing my bullpens, and I’d say it was probably late January, and the same guy had always caught my bullpens since I was fourteen-years-old up until that point. He was sick that day, so he got me set up with another guy who was Paul Fletcher, who happened to be a bird-dog scout for the Mets and was also the pitching coach for the York Revolution.

I ended up throwing a bullpen to him, and it was just another normal day, just trying to get my work in. I leave, and I get a phone call from a New York number, and it was Ian Levin with the Mets. He’s the director of player development who controls everything and a pretty powerful guy in the Mets’ organization. He was asking me if I wanted to come down to spring training and throw. Obviously, that’s something I wanted to do, and I went down there and threw a bullpen for him. He signed me on the spot. It was pretty cool. It all happened pretty fast from what I’m used to.

MMO: It must’ve been a bit nerve-wracking for you to essentially have this one opportunity to showcase your stuff.

Josh: It was definitely nerve-wracking! I think I remember trying to throw the ball as hard as I could, and Ron Romanick – who was one of the guys there watching me throw – told me, “Just take a step back and take a deep breath.” That it wasn’t Game 7 of the World Series; it’s just another bullpen. That kind of calmed me down a little bit. But it was definitely nerve-wracking.

The guy I threw with was Noah Syndergaard. That’s the guy I played catch with before the bullpen. I had been out of pro ball for a couple of years, so I hadn’t really kept up with all the top prospects and things like that, so I actually hadn’t heard of Noah Syndergaard. [Laughs.] I remember Ron Romanick making a huge deal of how I was getting to play catch with a top-50 prospect, and I was like, ‘Okay, cool. Whatever.’

Sure enough, Noah Syndergaard turns out to be the Noah Syndergaard! It was just kind of a funny story that the first guy I ever played catch with in that organization was Noah.

MMO: August 19, 2016: Your major league debut. What memories stand out for you most from that day?

Josh: Oh, man, I tell you, there are two days that mean a lot to me: Number one, the day I got married, and number two was the day I got called up. I really don’t remember anything from those two days, just because there was so much going on and everything was happening so fast. Between talking to everybody on the day I got married and talking to everybody on the day I got called up, honestly, I wish I could remember more of it. But it really all happened so fast.

The one thing I do remember was in San Francisco, there are no bullpen benches, so everyone sits in the dugout. I remember Terry [Collins] looking over to Ricky Bones, saying, “Get Smoker going.” So me, Ricky, and Dave Racaniello, or Eric Langill, went running down to the bullpen, and I remember I couldn’t feel my body. It was such a rush. I was just kind of going through the motions.

I get that game out of the way, and I’m talking to Addison Reed the next day, and I asked him, ‘How did you feel after your big-league debut?’

And he said, “I never want to feel the way I felt in my big league debut ever again.”

That’s probably the best way to explain it. It’s crazy, man. It’s hard to explain unless you’ve actually experienced it.

MMO: Were there certain players that helped assimilate you to the majors early on?

Josh: I think Jerry Blevins and Addison Reed were two huge assets, just being able to talk with them. I’ve gotten pretty close with Jerry. Obviously, we’re kind of completely different pitchers, but as far as our thought process, we both like to think a little bit too much, which sometimes gets us into trouble. But I enjoy having conversations with him. He’s a really good guy, really easy to talk to and would do anything to help you out.

I think Jerry’s one of those kind of guys where you respect him because he’s been around for a long time, but at the same time, you’re not afraid to go up there and ask him what to do in certain counts or what to do with certain hitters. He’s there to help you, and I think he’s a great guy to have around in the bullpen for younger guys. He’s helped me out a lot.

MMO: I remember speaking to Blevins about what relievers talk about in the pen during the games. He mentioned it’s a varying list of topics. Is that true?

Josh: Honestly, the last thing we talk about is baseball. I know that’s probably not something the Mets fans want to hear. [Laughs.] But it’s such a long season that if you talk baseball every day in the bullpen, it’ll just fry your brain. I think once you get to the bullpen, it’s almost like we’re getting away from everything. It’s kind of a time to get away from everything and clear our heads and make it where it’s not necessarily as stressful.

It gets goofy down there, man. We do riddles, tell jokes, talk about each other. It’s just a good time. And it’s a good group of guys. There are all types of different personalities, and it’s a really good combination.

MMO: The 2017 season was disappointing on a lot of levels, for the team and you personally. What do you contribute your hardships to?

Josh: I think the biggest thing was I didn’t have a slider in the first half of the season. I had one and was working on one, but it wasn’t what I wanted it to be. I didn’t have the command I wanted it to, didn’t have the depth that I wanted it to have. And lefties were seeing it out of my hand early, which is one of the reasons why I had reverse splits. However, when I went to Vegas to start, one of the things I had told myself and I had told Dan [Warthen] and Terry that I would work on is improving my slider. I went down there basically with that mindset, not really worrying about the outcome but just fine-tuning some of the stuff I needed to work on.

Once I ended up coming back from the DL, it was honestly a completely different season for me. It was a night-and-day difference, and I was really happy with how I ended the season. Obviously, I wish the whole season could’ve gone that way, but I think working on that slider was huge. It made me tougher against lefties and righties, and I didn’t really have to be so perfect with my fastball because they knew, in the back of their minds, that they had to look out for the slider too. It was a huge pitch for me, and I think, honestly, it turned the season around for me in the second half.

MMO: I was always curious about that time when you went down to Las Vegas and started. So that was mainly to work on your slider and command?

Josh: It was, it was. The biggest thing was to work with the slider. I think, at the time, we had so many guys hurt I think there was some sort of thought process that maybe I might have to step into a game or two and start or be a long guy. I think that was kind of a secondary notion where the main focus was going down there to improve my slider and improve my command.

MMO: Is it difficult to go from starter to reliever, to be stretched out for a long man role?

Josh: It definitely is. I’ll tell you, that one day in particular against the Cubs [June 13], I was worn out after the third inning. I really didn’t have anything left in the tank, but at the same time there was nobody left in the bullpen, so I had to wear that one. There’s nothing bad about it; it’s one of those situations where you have to do what you have to do. But I liked the fact that I was able to show that if I need to do something a little bit longer, I showed myself and the Mets that I can do that if it comes down to it.

When you start getting into a role and then it changes, it’s tough. At the same time, we’re in the bullpen, so you kind of have to be ready for stuff like that. Anything can happen once the phone rings; that’s just the way the game is. I think that you need to be as versatile as you can, especially being a younger bullpen guy who only has a couple of years in the big leagues and hasn’t established himself yet.

MMO: As a team, how hard is it to come to the ballpark in a season where you know you’re already out of it?

Josh: Well, I can’t really speak for any of the other guys. Personally, I know I’ve been in a lot worse situations in the past, so just coming to a big-league park, I was perfectly okay with. You’ll never hear me complain about going to the stadium; that’s something that I will always be grateful for. The fact that I can still put a jersey on, I’ll be forever thankful for that. I don’t think you’ll ever hear me say anything negative about going to the park.

The season definitely didn’t turn out the way we wanted it to. At the same time, we had a lot of freak injuries that we had no control over. I mean, Travis [d’Arnaud] throwing a ball and hitting a bat and breaking his hand, what are the chances of that happening? It’s not like it was something that the Mets were doing, and a lot of the injuries were just freak injuries, stuff we had no control over. I mean, it’s hard when pretty much your whole roster goes down at least once or twice to be on the DL; it’s hard to have a successful season.

I’m just proud of the fact that the team stuck together. By the end of the year, no one had mailed it in, and everyone was still playing hard until the last out. I feel that’s a hard quality to find in a team of a bunch of guys getting paid a lot of money to go out every day and play hard. Even if they statistically have been eliminated from the playoffs, our guys kept fighting until the last game. That’s something that I’m proud of.

MMO: What are your overall thoughts on impressions on your new manager and pitching coach, Mickey Callaway and Dave Eiland?

Josh: I’m super ecstatic about it. I talked to Dave a couple of times on the phone; he seems like a great guy. Haven’t spoken to Mickey yet, but from everything I’ve heard, he’s a great guy, a guy that you can talk to.

I think with us as a younger team, having a manager that you can approach and feel comfortable talking to about really anything, whether it’s on the field or off it, I think that’s huge. I think that’s big for some of the younger guys like Amed [Rosario] and Dom [Smith]. Having guys that haven’t really been there for very long to have someone to talk to is going to be understated, but I think it’s a big deal, so I’m super ecstatic and looking forward to working with them.

MMO: When it was announced that the Mets signed Jay Bruce to a three-year deal a few weeks back, it was met with a lot of enthusiasm from you and your teammates via Twitter. What does having a guy like Bruce back on the team mean for you guys?

Josh: Jay is an absolutely fantastic guy. When all the hurricane stuff happened in Texas, his hometown of Beaumont got hit pretty hard. He had created a Twitter right away to raise as much money as he could. I’m not sure the exact amount, but he raised a lot for that. That’s just the kind of guy he is. He just wants to help people out, and he’s going to do whatever he can to help people.

He’s a great guy to have around the clubhouse; he’s a professional through and through. He does everything the right way, and he’s a good role model for really anybody on the team, and especially for the younger guys. Just to kind of watch him and how he goes about his business, it’s pretty cool to watch, and he’s a good family man, and I’m definitely looking for him coming back.

MMO: What have you been up to this offseason? And what are you hoping to improve upon heading into the 2018 season?

Josh: I started a new workout program this winter to try and slim down a little bit. I was happy where I was last year, but I think there’s always room for improvement as far as your physical fitness goes. I tried to lose a little bit of body fat this winter, just to try to make me a little more agile off the mound. I think there’s always room for improvement in fielding your position and things like that.

Pick-off move definitely needs to improve; it’s almost kind of embarrassing to even peek over to first base sometimes; that’s how bad it is. So that’s something I’ve been working on.

Command will always be an improving thing for me, trying to get dialed into where I want it to. I think the biggest thing is to continue to work on my slider and continue to learn the command of it where I can do whatever I want to in whatever count. I think that’s going to be a big thing for me. If I can keep the command where I want it to be, it doesn’t have to be great, I think my stuff’s good enough where I don’t need to nibble on the edges. But if I can command the fastball and throw the slider where I want to, I think it should be a really good year for me.

MMO: I appreciate your time, Josh.

Josh: Awesome. Thank you very much, man.

Follow Josh Smoker on Twitter, @Josh_Smoker

The post MMO Exclusive: Left-Handed Reliever, Josh Smoker appeared first on Metsmerized.

Jacob deGrom, P

Player Data: Age: 29, B/T: L/R, Free Agency: 2021

2017 Primary Stats: 31 GS, 201.1 IP, 15-10, 3.53 ERA, 3.50 FIP, 239 K, 1.187 WHIP, 5.0 WAR

2018 Salary: $9.2 million (projected)

Grade: A-

2017 Review:

Jacob deGrom was the one mainstay in the pitching rotation this season and one of the few bright spots on a team that was decimated by injuries and hobbled to a 70-92 record. For the first time in his career, he hit the 200 innings plateau; an important feat for the right-hander.

While deGrom had his lows this season, including back-to-back starts early in the season where he was lit up like a Christmas tree, he bounced back to vintage form. Unwilling to mope around and settle, he followed the advice of Hall-of-Famer John Smoltz, who told him to throw two side sessions between starts.

“I think just being able to repeat my delivery, there’s a little more consistency there,” deGrom said in June. “I was flying before, I would yank the ball, or I guess I call it pushing it. I would yank it to a right-handed batter then throw it up and away to a lefty. So getting back to getting kind of on top of it, closer to where I need to be, has helped me a lot.”

After he followed Smoltz’s advice, deGrom was named NL Player of the Week for the week of June 12–18. He hit his first home run, posted a 0.53 ERA, allowed eight hits, struck out 12 and walked six in 17 innings over two starts.

While Noah Syndergaard, Matt Harvey, Steven Matz and Zack Wheeler all went down with injuries, deGrom took the ball every fifth day and gave the Mets a chance to win.

Finishing with a 15-10 record and a 3.53 ERA, deGrom hopes to repeat his success next season and wants to be able to throw 200 innings year in and year out.

“It’s definitely big for me,” deGrom said of his feat. “We’ve got plans to hopefully go to the World Series next year, and I think that’s something I wanted to get to, to know what it’s like to pitch that many innings in a year.

“You never know what to expect coming off of surgery, so being healthy this year definitely has been a big plus for me.”

Did You Know:

Justin Verlander became the first pitcher to strike out 13 batters in a playoff start since Jacob deGrom did it in Game 1 of the 2015 NLDS.

2018 Outlook:

If the Mets want to compete next year, the success will yet again lie within the rotation. DeGrom will be the anchor of the staff and if Noah Syndergaard can remain healthy, the Mets will have a solid 1,2 punch. Matt Harvey is a big question mark as is Zack Wheeler. Steven Matz underwent the same procedure this season as deGrom did last year, which hopefully is a good sign for the southpaw. DeGrom is determined and there’s no doubt in my mind that he can go out there and be a workhorse next season just like he was this year. While his ERA was higher than normal this year, with a better team behind him and the Mets in contention, hopefully it will drop. Regardless, he will go out there every fifth day yet again and give you the best chance to win.

The post 2017 Mets Report Card: Jacob deGrom, P appeared first on Metsmerized.

I’m not one to bitch and moan about player injuries because let’s face it, all teams have to endure them, it’s just the way it is. I’m sure the Washington Nationals weren’t drowning in their own tears when they lost Trea Turner, Bryce Harper, Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg for large chunks of this season. Instead they overcame any adversity and continued inching closer to their 100+ win season.

Watching Michael Conforto crumble to the ground after he dislocated his shoulder on Thursday was painful for any true Met fan to take in. Seeing Conforto’s big huge smile after every home run made this miserable season so much more tolerable for those of us that continue to watch every game. Conforto was our home grown hero, our pride and joy, and our hope for a future MVP season – the first in franchise history.

What happened to Conforto was a punch in the gut to be sure, but unlike some of the other injuries the Mets have had this season, you can’t blame them for this one. Sometimes shit just happens.

That said, we can hold the team’s feet to the fire when it comes to injuries to Zack Wheeler, Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard and most recently Steven Matz.

Some like to argue that the Mets are just unlucky and snake bitten, but that’s just a panacea for a level of incompetence that has been the real culprit in 2017 and why the Mets are veering toward a 100 loss season.

Time and time again, beginning as far back as Spring Training, the Mets training and medical staff have exhibited an unresponsiveness and attentiveness to player injuries that have often turned minor injuries into catastrophic ones. The frequency of misdiagnosed injuries and overall ineptness has tarnished the team’s brand and made them a running joke on social media.

The worst part of it is that nobody in the front office seems to care or are willing to do anything about it. Perhaps it’s a reflection of an unaccountable ownership group that has so often contributed to the malaise and bad karma that seems to have a choke hold on the entire organization. It certainly doesn’t bode well for the immediate future where injuries are concerned and unless drastic changes are implemented don’t expect our luck to change or for things to get any better.

Only the Los Angeles Dodgers have had more man-games lost to the disabled list than the New York Mets, and the Dodgers also topped the charts last season. But that hasn’t stopped them from what will be two consecutive trips to the post season. Meanwhile in Flushing it’s Apocalypse Now. Why?

So many of the Mets injuries could have been avoided this season if they weren’t so botched and bungled by our medical staff in conjunction with a healthy dose of extreme incompetence by GM Sandy Alderson and manager Terry Collins.

Noah Syndergaard is arguably the most valuable asset in the organization, a franchise type player that was quickly becoming one of the top starting pitchers in the game. Syndergaard’s case is one that cuts straight to the heart of the matter, it’s a cautionary tale about how organizations should never handle their best young players.

After complaining about pain and soreness in his arm, Mets doctors quickly attributed it to a case of tendinitis and they decided to have Syndergaard skip a start. Before making his next start five days later, the Mets ordered a precautionary MRI to make sure Noah’s arm looked okay.

However, Syndergaard adamantly refused to take the MRI, telling the team he felt great. Rather than telling Syndergaard that he would not pitch unless he took the MRI, Alderson took a ho-hum approach and allowed his prized right-hander to make the start. Syndergaard never made it out of the first inning and left the game with a torn lat muscle – this after blazing a bevy of high-nineties fastballs to show he was okay. he wasn’t.

In a press conference the next day, Sandy Alderson took the blame for the nightmare that ensued by allowing Syndergaard to go out on the mound, and soon after Syndergaard himself publicly apologized for putting himself ahead of the team and insisting he didn’t need the MRI. It was in that same press conference that Alderson told reporters that the Mets were now going to study and analyze their training protocols and how they handle injuries. No word yet on what’s changed  – if anything.

Hey, there’s no evidence either way that the lat injury was connected to the biceps pain, but the decision to pitch Syndergaard without the MRI was still inexcusable.

But even before that fateful day, there was a much more telling sign when Syndergaard showed up to Mets camp in February looking like a NFL tight end instead of a lanky major league pitcher. He boasted an increase in muscle mass and a potentially more lethal fastball with an even higher velocity. Please note that Syndergaard was already the hardest throwing pitcher in the major leagues in 2016.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today spoke to Hall of Famer John Smoltz after Syndergaard landed on the DL. “When you hear about a guy getting bigger, stronger and throwing harder,’’ Smoltz said, “you can’t help but think why?’’

“I think somebody has got to be brave enough in an organization to say, ‘The heck with this, we’re going to change this.”

SNY analyst Ron Darling pulled no punches in one broadcast and blamed the Mets organization for encouraging all the bulking up and weightlifting by bringing in a guy like Mike Barwis who may be an expert on training weightlifters, boxers and football players, but is clueless when it comes to baseball players who must maintain a much more flexible physique.

“They’re doing a disservice to their million-dollar athletes that they’re paying. It’s a joke to watch this happen each and every night,” Darling said.

Syndergaard was not the only player who derailed his 2017 season by becoming a Barwis Methods gym rat. After signing a four year, $110 million dollar contract with the Mets last November, Yoenis Cespedes was expected to lead the Mets to their third straight postseason. But after months of training and bulking up under the watchful eye of Barwis, Cespedes endured an injury fraught season that struck a deafening blow to year one of his new contract.  He has now changed his tune and is committed to a whole new workout regimen this offseason.

“My plan is to change my workout program,’’ Cespedes told The NY Post. “I want to become more flexible, more athletic, have less bulk. I want to do less weight lifting. I’m going to do some different things, I want to do yoga, more stretching. I want to be lighter. I want to come back around 210, lose about 15 pounds.’’

I could go on and on with the overt ineptness that is always on full display with the New York Mets. For weeks, Steven Matz kept complaining about soreness in his elbow during Spring Training, but the Mets kept insisting he was fine and it was all in his head leaving Matz to seek out a second opinion and then spending three months on the DL.

Matt Harvey pitched nearly a month with no feeling in his fingers until it became too much to handle and only then did an MRI reveal he needed thoracic outlet surgery.

Zack Wheeler complained about his arm not feeling right, but made two more starts before landing on the DL with an arm injury and then being shutdown for the season two weeks later.

This isn’t just bad luck, it’s widespread incompetency.

And perhaps the worst part of all – at least from a fan’s perspective – is how management always tries to cover up the severity of a player’s injury by sugar-coating and downplaying it. It’s become extremely difficult to give the Mets the benefit of the doubt because they are so often guilty of not being open and honest about injuries. It’s frustrating, but more than that it’s a mockery and an embarrassment.

Look, I’m no injury expert and I don’t have a medical degree… But anyone can see the degree of dysfunction that encompasses the whole of this Mets organization as it pertains to training protocols and how they handle injuries from their inception to their ultimate worst-case diagnosis. Unfortunately all we can do as fans is hope that things can somehow change or that the Wilpons finally sell the team and take their bad karma with them.

The post System Failure: Mets Are Their Own Worst Enemy On Injuries appeared first on Metsmerized.

As I do every time this year, I mailed in my official Hall of Fame ballot. To grow up loving baseball and to vote for the Hall of Fame is a tremendous thrill for me even after all these years. It is also a responsibility I take very seriously, which is why I don’t understand the rationale of some of my colleagues who use their vote as a political statement. If you don’t want to vote, then surrender your vote.

I can comprehend checking off two or three names if that’s all you believe are worthy and not going for the ten maximum. I can even understand if you want to vote in a confirmed steroid user if that’s your prerogative.

What I’ll never understand is submitting a blank ballot as sort of a protest vote against what they see as a tainted ballot laden with steroid cheats. There were four blank ballots in 2014, five in 2013, six in 2012, and nine in 2011.

Because candidates stay on the ballot based on the percentage of votes, there’s a chance worthy players could be left off because of this ridiculous practice. That’s blatantly unfair and penalizes deserving players. If you have a problem with some of the players on the ballot, use your keyboard and have at it – after all – you are a writer.

I take pride in my vote, do a lot of research and talk to players, managers, coaches and general managers to gain input each December. And, it’s still a difficult task sometimes. So on that note, here are the ten players I voted for this year and why:

• Craig Biggio: He should have been voted in last year. Over three thousand hits. Aren’t you paying attention?
• Mike Piazza: I hear the steroid rumors, but that’s all they are. Innuendo and some back acne aren’t reason enough to bar him.
• Jeff Bagwell: Like Piazza, he’s not linked to steroids in any official capacity. Writers should be more responsible than to buy into rumors.
• Tim Raines: Arguably one of the three best leadoff hitters in history along with Hall of Famers Rickey Henderson and Lou Brock.
• Lee Smith: There’s a bias against him, but he’s third on the career list with over 400 saves.
• Edgar Martinez: There’s a bias against him, also, because he’s a designated hitter. But, that’s an official position, and he was as good as anybody at it.
• Mike Mussina: He could have pitched another two years and won 300 games, which is automatic entry. Seventeen straight seasons with double-digit victories, and 11 overall with fifteen or more, often pitching with inferior teams against the American League East.
• Randy Johnson: A ten-time All-Star and five-time Cy Young Award winner with over 300 victories and 4,875 strikeouts. He’s a slam dunk. He also threw over 200 innings in 14 seasons.
• Pedro Martinez: He was an eight-time All-Star and three-time Cy Young Award winner. His average season was 17-8 with a 2.93 ERA and 217 innings pitched.
• John Smoltz: He won 213 games, but likely would have won over 300 if he didn’t miss the 2000 season with an injury and returned as a closer where in saved 154 games.

Note: I did not vote for any of the players who were directly linked to steroids, either by direct testimony or because they were implicated to steroid or PED use in the Mitchell Report. Until the Hall of Fame and Major League Baseball put a notation on their plaques that they played in the steroid era and their records come with an asterisk, that will be my stand.

The post MMO Exclusive: My Hall Of Fame Ballot And Some Thoughts appeared first on Metsmerized.

Photo by Michael G. Baron of SNY.

Updated by Mitch Petanick on May 17, 2013

Adam Rubin has reported that Zack Wheeler is scheduled to start throwing again today, and is back with the team in Las Vegas. He was placed on the seven day DL, retroactive to his last start. He will rejoin the rotation next Wednesday when the team is in Iowa.

Wheeler received a cortisone shot last Wednesday after being diagnosed with inflammation of the AC joint in his throwing shoulder. He is still expected to only miss one start, which would have been on Saturday of this week.

Updated by Joe D. on May 15, 2013

Zack Wheeler has been diagnosed with slight inflammation in the AC joint in his shoulder, and will miss one start, according to Assistant GM John Ricco.

Wheeler received a cortisone shot at the Hospital for Special Surgery in his right shoulder and is flying to rejoin his team at Triple-A Las Vegas.

We spoke to his agent a few minutes ago who said there is no structural damage and that he is in good spirits.

That said, until I see Wheeler back on the mound pitching again, I will remain concerned.

It’s just the Mets fan in me.  🙂

Get back on that mound soon, Zack…

Original Post May 14, 2013

Zack Wheeler has a sore right clavicle, and will fly to New York to be examined by team doctors tomorrow at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan.

“I think we’re being a little conservative,” assistant GM John Ricco told reporters about the Mets top prospect. Wheeler had already met with the team doctor in Las Vegas.

That said, Ricco added that Wheeler will not make his scheduled start on Saturday in Omaha.

Mike Puma of the New York Post reports that Wheeler will undergo an MRI exam on his collarbone while in New York.

Terry Collins commented on this and said:

“From what I’ve heard today, it doesn’t sound serious. But any time you miss a start, it’s for the best interest of the player. We’ll wait to hear the doctor’s report and go from there. If it’s only one start, that’s certainly something we can handle easily.”

After a rough start to the season. Wheeler made a mechanical adjustment and has had incredible success over his last three starts for Triple-A Las Vegas and walked only three while posting a 1.35 ERA.

Overall, the right-hander is 2-1 with a 3.74 ERA for the season with 18 walks and 47 strikeouts in 43.1 innings pitched.

While the team calls this precautionary and conservative, any kind of soreness in the surrounding shoulder area should be a cause for some concern.

Thoughts From Mitch Petanick:

I’m hoping for the best here, but preparing for the worst. What I am worried most about is the fact that Zack Wheeler pitches using a delivery called the “Inverted W,” which could put added stress on the anterior labrum ligament in the shoulder — it slowly loosens the ligament and can actually lead to tears. Some pitchers use this delivery and go through their careers injury free, but many of them suffer injuries that require surgery…like John Smoltz and Stephen Strasburg.

Wheeler also recently tweaked his mechanics, which is what his improved control is accredited to, but could that mechanical fix in addition with the Inverted W delivery been enough to cause this shoulder discomfort? I guess we will find out after his MRI, but even precautionary MRIs are a cause for concern.

The Inverted W is like playing with fire…you can get burned.

Thoughts from Matt Musico:

The post Injury Update: Wheeler To Rejoin Las Vegas Rotation Next Wednesday appeared first on Metsmerized.

Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey, John Maine, Oliver Perez and perhaps either Nelson Figueroa or Jon Niese, are going to round out the staff. It’s a rotation with more health issues than a VH1 reality show and about as much raw intimidation as Tim Gunn.

Bottom line, like Casey Stengel said, “Good pitching will always stop good hitting…and vice-versa”. I love ya Casey but sadly that does seem to be the logic of our beloved Amazin’s.

The solution is about as complex as the situation itself. We can’t trade our way out of this and we can’t sign every free agent under the sun. With an off season full of fans demanding the Mets pay top dollar for a few nominal pitcher’s at best, the Mets were oddly content with the signing of Kelvim Escobar to a 1 year 1.25 million dollar contract.

The same Kelvim Escobar who tore the labrum in his pitching arm a few years ago with the Angels. The same Kelvim Escobar who hasn’t pitched an inning so far this Spring. The same Kelvin Escobar who will probably start the season on the disabled list. The same Kelvin Escobar whom I guessing won’t get as much as a nanosecond on the mound at Citi Field.

Now in defense of the Mets, the pick of the pitching litter this off season was John Lackey. The Mets did make a play for him but unfortunately he ended up with the Boston Red Sox. His stats were impressively solid but his health always seemed to be the 800-pound gorilla in the room.

Whether the Mets didn’t offer as much money or guaranteed years or a personal Swedish bikini model masseuse, whatever, he didn’t sign with them. Not every player is meant for the bright lights of New York. Go ask Bobby Bonilla who even as a native New Yorker, was given the warm welcome of an overpaid MTA executive with a runaway case of the swine flu.

There were a few others on the Mets radar this winter such as Joel Pineiro, Jon Garland and even John Smoltz. All have their pluses and minuses with Pineiro being the favorite in this bunch by many.

Pineiro eventually signed with the Angels. Garland signed with the Padres and Smoltz is still out there probably golfing with Pedro Martinez until someone needs an experienced arm in August. Quite the crop I must say. If the Mets didn’t have bad luck they’d have none at all.

I feel signing Smoltz, I mean prying Smoltz off the greens at Isleworth, might pay off in one of two ways provided he’s healthy. It’s a big gamble I know and it’s easy for any of us to say lets give 5 million to a 42 year old pitcher with health issues and call it a day, especially since it isn’t our money.

With recent news that the Minnesota Twins closer, Joe Nathan, may miss the season with an arm injury, now is the time for the Mets to get off the pot and bring in this versatile veteran pitcher. He would be a greater financial risk than Kelvim Escobar for sure but his upside could be invaluable.

However if the Mets fizzle out before the trade deadline, and Smoltz is still pitching effectively, theoretically he could draw interest from a contender.

If you remember the year was 1987 and the Detroit Tigers were in a heated pennant race against the Blue Jays. To bolster their pitching the Tigers acquired Doyle Alexander from the Atlanta Braves, sending a little known minor league pitcher by the name of John Smoltz to Atlanta. The rest is history of course.

Of course if it happens, and he signs with the Mets, I wish Smoltzie health and success. Yet it would be a fitting end for Smoltz to be traded for a minor league pitcher, but with our luck we’d probably stay in contention right up to the very last day of the season and blow it.

But then again what am I saying, nothing like that has ever happened before. Silly me.

The post Should Mets Sign John Smoltz? appeared first on Metsmerized.

1B- Russell Branyan, C- Rod Barajas, 2B- Felipe Lopez, RP- Kiko Calero, SP- Braden Looper, SP- John Smoltz, SP-Jarrod Washburn, OF- Jermaine Dye, SP- Paul Byrd, RP- Chad Bradford, 1B- Hank Blalock, RP- Joe Beimel, SP- Pedro Martinez, RP- Scott Eyre, SP- Kip Wells, OF- Johnny Damon, OF- Rocco Baldelli, and C- Paul Bako are just a few of the names that are still out there unsigned.

Most of them have something that makes them interesting to the Mets, but there’s a difference between window shopping and going inside with a credit card in hand. Some even have blatant “buyer beware” tags on them for recent extensive health, durability, or poor defensive issues. Some are just not considered to be very good. Depends on who you ask. Still, a few of these players could probably fill gaping needs in the rotation, the bullpen, and on the bench.

Who do you like? Who has the best chances of helping our team take a few steps forward?

If I had a choice, I would grab Russell Branyan over Hank Blalock. I think Blalock is too one-dimensional right now, while Branyan would give the Mets some added pop in their lineup along with a .867 OPS.

I like Smoltz if as a fifth starter if absolutely needed, but more so for bullpen depth. He brings intangibles that the younger pitchers can glean from as well.

Chad Bradford was always a favorite and I don’t think we should have ever let him go in the first place, but that’s just me. I also like Joe Beimel for depth (decent ERA and strikeout numbers) with Scott Eyre not too far behind. 

Get Rod Barajas so he can bring that “fight” to the team and challenge those younger pitchers with the “yips”. He’s got a history of managing these types of situations unlike Omir Santos who is currently the favorite to play full time right now. Felipe Lopez works since O-Dog is history for yet another year. A case can also be made for Washburn. I’m just not the one to make it. This is what it has come down to. Who knows until the season officially starts, what a minor change here and there can do to help our team in the long term. So…….Buy or don’t buy?

The post The Best Of What’s Left appeared first on Metsmerized.