New York Mets 2018 season thread

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

There's 31 games left to this lost season.  The Mets can't convince me that 31 more games of Bautista is worth more than anything that they might get back.  I don't kid myself in the slightest, even a little...I know that if they get some low-A arm that only has a slight chance of being a decent major leaguer someday, they did great.  But might as well get SOMETHING.  I'll take that over 31 more games from a declining .200 hitter (yes, he does draw walks) who could call it quits after this year.  There's just no reason to botch this.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Mets get a player to be named later or cash considerations from the Phillies.  Knowing the Mets, it will be cash considerations I'm sure.  Still, better than nothing at all...Bautista had absolutely zero value for the Mets at this point, and they got something more than zero, so it's a win.  And we didn't need to see any more of him to close out 2018, especially since he was slashing .146/.290/.258 over his last 107 PA.  Would be nice if Reyes was somehow excised next, but nope, sure he'll get to finish this season out in a Met uniform...because the brain-dead Wilpons actually think that what their fanbase is clamoring for. 

BTW Cabrera hasn't worked out well at all for the Phils so far...he had an .817 OPS with the Mets this season, and has managed a .613 mark in 109 PA as a Phillie.  Makes sense...he was definitely due for some regression.

Edited August 28, 2018 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[NJDevs4978]

And...here we go again lol.  Another day another punchless offensive performance for deGrom and of course having Bruce at 1B affects the tying run.

['7']

1 minute ago, NJDevs4978 said:

And...here we go again lol.  Another day another punchless offensive performance for deGrom and of course having Bruce at 1B affects the tying run.

And the inning before we had a man on 3rd zero outs, hit TWO laser beams that found gloves. Just unreal the luck this team gets. But yea looks like another brilliant deGrom L or ND. Disgraceful

['7']

Well Callaway had to bring him out for the 8th. Now he's getting the loss. 

[NJDevs4978]

Only thing that would have made tonight more fitting is if the rain came in the bottom of the 9th and Lugo gave up a HR a la Familia in 2015 against the Padres in that infamous pre-deadline game

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

11 hours ago, NJDevs4978 said:

And...here we go again lol.  Another day another punchless offensive performance for deGrom and of course having Bruce at 1B affects the tying run.

I remember when Nolan Ryan went 8-16 one year with the Astros...and led the NL in ERA (2.76, in 1987).  I never thought I'd see anyone be unluckier than he was that season.  But I think deGrom has him beat in that department, hands down.  Jake has made 16 starts where he's allowed 1 ER or less, and was eligible for a win (based on pitching 5+ innings)...he allowed a total of 10 ER in those starts.  TEN!  His ERA over those 16 games, covering 114 IP, is 0.79.  His record in those games?  7-2.  Doesn't sound completely horrible, but the poor guy should probably have had at least 11 wins in those 16 games...and that's being conservative.  I'd say you can make a case for 12 or 13 pretty easily, he was that good in those starts. 

When he allows two or three ER (total of 8 starts) and pitched long enough to qualify for a win?  He's pitched 57 IP in such games, and allowed a total of 20 ER...that's a very respectable 3.16 ERA.  Somehow he's friggin' 1-6!  How?  WHY?!   

He's allowed four ER ONCE all year...and somehow got a ND.  I'm surprised the Mets didn't find a way to get him two losses for daring to allow so many runs in that game. 

Edited August 29, 2018 by Colorado Rockies 1976

['7']

8 hours ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

I remember when Nolan Ryan went 8-16 one year with the Astros...and led the NL in ERA (2.76, in 1987).  I never thought I'd see anyone be unluckier than he was that season.  But I think deGrom has him beat in that department, hands down.  Jake has made 16 starts where he's allowed 1 ER or less, and was eligible for a win (based on pitching 5+ innings)...he allowed a total of 10 ER in those starts.  TEN!  His ERA over those 16 games, covering 114 IP, is 0.79.  His record in those games?  7-2.  Doesn't sound completely horrible, but the poor guy should probably have had at least 11 wins in those 16 games...and that's being conservative.  I'd say you can make a case for 12 or 13 pretty easily, he was that good in those starts. 

When he allows two or three ER (total of 8 starts) and pitched long enough to qualify for a win?  He's pitched 57 IP in such games, and allowed a total of 20 ER...that's a very respectable 3.16 ERA.  Somehow he's friggin' 1-6!  How?  WHY?!   

He's allowed four ER ONCE all year...and somehow got a ND.  I'm surprised the Mets didn't find a way to get him two losses for daring to allow so many runs in that game. 

And Vargas stumbles through 5.1 (only 1ER but just basically looked like a back end of the rotation crafty lefty with not much stuff wise left) and they put up 10 runs today. Just aggravating. I hope they at least get deGrom to 10 wins this year.  

['7']

Totally on Alonso's side here regarding not being called up, but for the love of god YOU HAVEN'T PLAYED AN INNING IN THE BIG LEAGUES. Stop chirping regarding your disappointment. That reeks of immaturity 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

13 hours ago, '7' said:

Totally on Alonso's side here regarding not being called up, but for the love of god YOU HAVEN'T PLAYED AN INNING IN THE BIG LEAGUES. Stop chirping regarding your disappointment. That reeks of immaturity 

Alonso and his agents REALLY need to get the fvck over themselves...especially with the "historically great year" or whatever crap their spewing...he had a fine year overall, but it was far from historic.  Wow, he destroyed AA (plenty of meh-ish major leaguers have done that), and then when he got promoted, he hit a whopping .246 in a hitter's league...Rosario shredded it in the PCL too.  A .904 OPS is really not that amazing in the PCL...Dominic Smith put up a .905 mark last year (Travis Taijeron was at .907).  And apparently Alonso is an absolute butcher in the field.  He strikes out a ton too (though not like he's alone on that one in 2018). 

Sure, it would've been nice to see if he could do anything up here, but there were roster implications too (Mets would've lost a slot to protect a potential Rule V draftee...it's not a huge deal, but there is that)...and though I'm not much of a Smith guy anymore, might as well see if he fits into 2019 or not and play him at first.  But the entitled millennial crap really gets old after a while.  All Alonso has done is make himself look like a whiny spoiled brat, and Met fans are going to be on him in a hurry if he comes up and doesn't do much.

[NJDevs4978]

21 hours ago, '7' said:

Totally on Alonso's side here regarding not being called up, but for the love of god YOU HAVEN'T PLAYED AN INNING IN THE BIG LEAGUES. Stop chirping regarding your disappointment. That reeks of immaturity 

At least it's not as bad as Eloy Jimenez who wrote a column in the players' tribune titled 'I'm ready' and whose agents are considering a grievance cause he hasn't been called up yet lol...granted Jimenez is one of the best prospects in baseball and is absolutely raking it at AAA (plus fellow wunderprospect Michael Kopech got promoted a couple weeks ago for the White Sox), but still it's a little much, especially with it being near impossible to prove service time collusion since they didn't keep Kopech down.

Edited August 30, 2018 by NJDevs4978

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Yanks finalize a deal for McCutchen.  He's clearly not what he was in his peak years, but seems like a solid reinforcement, and for a team dealing with injuries galore, McCutchen is a nice guy to have in that he doesn't miss games.  He's played in 153 games or more in seven out of the last eight years, and in the one year he didn't in appear in that many, he played in 146.  And with Judge's future in 2018 being questionable, Yanks could've done worse than Cutch.

[NJDevs4978]

Of course no further Met trades with Blevins, Mesoraco or Flores even though all cleared waivers.

And things are getting a little interesting with Wright at this point with management all but admitting they don't want to activate him because of the $2.4 million in insurance money they'd have to pay out if he was taken off the DL.

Edited September 1, 2018 by NJDevs4978

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Jay fvcking Bruce.  Yet another of Sandy's parting gifts.

Feel for Wright, in that the Mets suddenly play the Money Card.  Did they think he's been killing himself trying to get back onto the field for his fvcking health?!  Mets are always gonna Met.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Right, Loser Reyes was really going to get the tying run home there.  By all means Mickey, keep giving him ABs.  Almost every other team would've cut him back in May.  Not our awesome franchise.

Edited September 1, 2018 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

At least Mickey woke up long enough to rescue Gsellman.  

['7']

Games like this is what you really hope for with Syndergaard. Giants are not a good hitting team but, complete game 1 run, only 2 hits. 11k's Absolute domination.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

23 hours ago, '7' said:

Games like this is what you really hope for with Syndergaard. Giants are not a good hitting team but, complete game 1 run, only 2 hits. 11k's Absolute domination.

Yeah, Noah has the stuff to have these kinds of starts more often than he does.  What's funny is that his quick-glance numbers aren't bad...10-3 record, 3.33 ERA.  Crazy that he actually has more wins than deGrom. 

Will be so interesting to see how the Mets approach this offseason, now that the starting pitching has gotten its collective sh!t together.  More and more I think they're going to double-down on this team for next year...maybe they go out and try to get a catcher, but I think the MO will be to hope for big things from the rotation as a whole and hope that the young guys like Conforto and Rosario improve offensively, and vets like Frazier and Bruce play better/stay healthier.  And yeah, this will probably blow up in the Mets' faces.

['7']

5 hours ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Yeah, Noah has the stuff to have these kinds of starts more often than he does.  What's funny is that his quick-glance numbers aren't bad...10-3 record, 3.33 ERA.  Crazy that he actually has more wins than deGrom. 

Will be so interesting to see how the Mets approach this offseason, now that the starting pitching has gotten its collective sh!t together.  More and more I think they're going to double-down on this team for next year...maybe they go out and try to get a catcher, but I think the MO will be to hope for big things from the rotation as a whole and hope that the young guys like Conforto and Rosario improve offensively, and vets like Frazier and Bruce play better/stay healthier.  And yeah, this will probably blow up in the Mets' faces.

I always think of that great Lamoriello quote when watching Syndergaard muddle through a 6 inning 3 run meh performance. Good is not good enough when better is expected.

Oh yea it always does. And let's just write off Cespedes for all of 2019 too. I'm sure there will be setbacks. He will try to run, then the papers will reports soreness/stiffness and it will be another soap opera. And in the April/May these vets like Frazier and Bruce will get tight in the early baseball cold weather months, pull up lame lame at 1st and the whole situation will snowball. Bruce I want to get rid of he doesn't even look in shape. I could definitely see 2019 as another sub 100 game season for him

With Wheelers value as sky high as it is we really need to explore the market for him. I just wish we had the capability of trading him for something useful (good young catcher and relief prospect) and then turning around and signing a veteran middle of the rotation inning eating starter. If Wheeler gets dinged up next year we would've really  missed a golden opportunity to turn him into assets.

Edited September 4, 2018 by '7'

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

10 hours ago, '7' said:

I always think of that great Lamoriello quote when watching Syndergaard muddle through a 6 inning 3 run meh performance. Good is not good enough when better is expected.

Oh yea it always does. And let's just write off Cespedes for all of 2019 too. I'm sure there will be setbacks. He will try to run, then the papers will reports soreness/stiffness and it will be another soap opera. And in the April/May these vets like Frazier and Bruce will get tight in the early baseball cold weather months, pull up lame lame at 1st and the whole situation will snowball. Bruce I want to get rid of he doesn't even look in shape. I could definitely see 2019 as another sub 100 game season for him

With Wheelers value as sky high as it is we really need to explore the market for him. I just wish we had the capability of trading him for something useful (good young catcher and relief prospect) and then turning around and signing a veteran middle of the rotation inning eating starter. If Wheeler gets dinged up next year we would've really  missed a golden opportunity to turn him into assets.

You know how I feel about Noah these days...I'm tired of his cartoon character act.  A guy with his ability should never be as underwhelming as he often is.  Guy should not be allowing a hit per inning...not with his stuff.  Maybe he's finally starting to get it, but it was just one big start.  Let me see what kind of a September he has.

Mets are now 18-12 in their last 30.  If they continue to win at that pace over their final 25 games, that will give them a 33-22 record over their last 55 GP (and a final record of 77-85 for the season...still bad, but better than truly awful).  If this happens, you just KNOW the Mets will try to sell us on these final 55 games as being the "real" Mets, and that if they can be more consistent next season (with a massive list of other "ifs" of course), they should be a 90+ win team without making any significant changes to the roster.  I call bullsh!t on that one...at the very least, the BP needs serious help.  Sandy mailing it in really screwed the Mets, as far as Jay Bruce goes...of course we all want to see him gone, but no one's taking him on for two more years of what they just saw in 2018.

The sooner the Mets realize that Cespedes doesn't really want to play, the better off they'll be, in that they'll be able to plan better for the future.  Cespedes isn't David Wright...for all of my criticisms of Wright, no can say that that guy didn't try his absolute best to get back on the field.  I don't think Cespedes cares one way or the other...I'm really to the point where I wonder if he even really enjoys the game, has any real genuine passion for it...maybe he did in 2015.  I think he'll be happier just hanging out with his toys, building a beach physique, and playing golf at his leisure.  MLB and the mega-dollars that came with it were more of a means to an end for him, a way to fund the stuff he actually enjoys. 

And yeah, I think you gotta sell high on Wheeler.  He may never have a stretch like this again. 

 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Keep rooting for Vargas to have outings like last night's.  That's the only way that there's any chance at all that HE won't get a second chance in the Land of Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Chances. 

Mets actually have a legit shot at a winning trip...I was thinking 3-6 or so going in. 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

BTW Vargas' numbers since July of last season...they're consistently hideous:

2017:  16 GS, 78.1 IP, 92 H, 58 ER, 19 HR, 34 BB, 60 K, 6-8 record, 6.66 ERA, .926 OPS Against, 1.61 WHIP

2018:  17 GS, 73 IP, 91 H, 55 ER, 16 HR, 26 BB, 63 K, 5-9 record, 6.75 ERA, .903 OPS Against, 1.60 WHIP

You basically have a full season's worth of God-awful performance...he occasionally strings together a few good outings, but that just shows how terrible he's been the rest of the time...he's allowed over 2 HR per 9 IP during these stretches...no one is overcoming that.  Don't bring him back because the idiot GM who signed him decided to screw the franchise over with an untradeable contract.  Cut him.  There is NOTHING there, and NOTHING to suggest that he'll magically become a passable 5th starter in what will be his age 36 year next season. 

Edited September 5, 2018 by Colorado Rockies 1976

['7']

On 9/5/2018 at 10:04 AM, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

BTW Vargas' numbers since July of last season...they're consistently hideous:

2017:  16 GS, 78.1 IP, 92 H, 58 ER, 19 HR, 34 BB, 60 K, 6-8 record, 6.66 ERA, .926 OPS Against, 1.61 WHIP

2018:  17 GS, 73 IP, 91 H, 55 ER, 16 HR, 26 BB, 63 K, 5-9 record, 6.75 ERA, .903 OPS Against, 1.60 WHIP

You basically have a full season's worth of God-awful performance...he occasionally strings together a few good outings, but that just shows how terrible he's been the rest of the time...he's allowed over 2 HR per 9 IP during these stretches...no one is overcoming that.  Don't bring him back because the idiot GM who signed him decided to screw the franchise over with an untradeable contract.  Cut him.  There is NOTHING there, and NOTHING to suggest that he'll magically become a passable 5th starter in what will be his age 36 year next season. 

He's coming off a very brief uptick and then promptly threw up all over himself again in LA. I've seen a lot of guys continue to be crafty lefties well into their late 30's. But this guys ball just doesn't have the movement of somebody like a Moyer. You could just see from the first inning when Vargas pitches the hitters eyes light up and they start taking massive cuts. They see there's nothing there.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

You'd think the Mets were handling this:

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/baseball-fans-ripped-the-angels-after-shohei-ohtani’s-tommy-john-recommendation/ar-BBMVkXE?ocid=iehp

 

On another note, Zack Wheeler's last 20 starts:  129.1 IP, 101 H, 38 ER, 8 HR, 35 BB, 130 K, 2.64 ERA, 1.05 WHIP

Compare this to Jacob deGrom's last 20 starts:  143.2 IP, 107 H, 26 ER, 7 HR, 28 BB, 174 K, 1.63 ERA, 0.94 WHIP

Obviously Jake's been better, but did we ever think that Zack could ever pitch this well for so long that he would even be within sniffing distance of deGrom's 2018 dominance?  Zack's only walked 2.44 hitters per 9 over this sample...that I NEVER saw coming. 

Oh , and since "Thor" has made 20 starts on the season:  121.1 IP, 121 H, 45 ER, 6 HR, 26 BB, 128 K, 3.33 ERA, 1.21 WHIP

Until further notice, he's clearly an underachieving #3 on this staff.  Maybe the other two pushing him get him to build off that two-hitter. 

Sad that Sandy put together such an awful offense (and completely blew it with Vargas) that even if Noah hadn't missed so much time, this team would still be well under .500. 

 

 

Edited September 6, 2018 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Amed's slashing .358/.378/.526 in his last 21 GP.  His .425 BABIP and poor K-to-BB ratio (19-to-3) over that stretch suggest good fortune as much as anything else, but at least it's something for him to build on.  It would be nice if he had better bats in the lineup with him to "hide" him, but he doesn't.  Hopefully he can become a low-to-mid .700s OPS guy in the future...I think we'd have to be pretty happy with that.