New York Mets 2018 season thread

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

22 minutes ago, '7' said:

With Conforto he has to carry this over into next season. We cannot afford to have him hit the occasional garbage time home run and otherwise maintain a 200k pace with a .210 batting average. This year he gets a mulligan. He suffered a strange injury for a hitter and wasn't himself until fairly recently. For this team to succeed the Michael Conforto we see now has to be the real Conforto

Even this version is a little misleading...yeah, he's definitely been better since the ASB...he has a .278/.346/.547 overall since 7/20, but a big chunk of that was from 7/20 - 8/16...he slashed .320/.400/.570 in that stretch.  Since then he's at .241/.295/.527 (30 games...it's his 9 HRs that are propping this 30-game stretch up)...I get that there's ebb-and-flow, and you can absolutely live with his overall post-ASB slash, but even now, I'm not sure who the real Conforto is. 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

And on the pitching front, Vargas has actually been pretty good over his last 6 starts:  32 IP, 27 H (5 HR allowed though), 11 ER, 8 BB, 27 K, 3.09 ERA...he's also 4-2.  This is bad because if he manages to do this for two more starts (he figures to get a couple more), the Mets will almost undoubtedly buy in and not try to upgrade the back end of the rotation.  Not good (unless they're considering giving Lugo and/or Gsellman another chance to crack the rotation next season). 

[NJDevs4978]

Not like they really CAN get rid of Vargas though, unless he pitches better.  He’s obviously not going to the pen and we both know they’re not eating the $8 million lol. The most we can hope for is he pitches well enough so some pitching desperate team takes him in exchange for an expensive expiring contract in the pen/another position player. A Harvey-Mesoraco type deal if you will.

Edited September 18, 2018 by NJDevs4978

['7']

Wheeler has been shut down for the season.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

7 minutes ago, '7' said:

Wheeler has been shut down for the season.

Yeah, had a feeling that was coming.  Something kind of annoying about it (there's NO evidence to suggest that the babying prevents injuries in the slightest), but it is what it is.  Hell of a second half for Wheeler.  Didn't think he ever had that in him.   

Could've done without seeing Corey Oswalt take his spot though...he's had some decent starts, but there's nothing about that guy that excites anyone. 

Edited September 19, 2018 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

20 hours ago, NJDevs4978 said:

Not like they really CAN get rid of Vargas though, unless he pitches better.  He’s obviously not going to the pen and we both know they’re not eating the $8 million lol. The most we can hope for is he pitches well enough so some pitching desperate team takes him in exchange for an expensive expiring contract in the pen/another position player. A Harvey-Mesoraco type deal if you will.

It's deals like that that REALLY want to make me strangle Sandy...who the fvck was he bidding against?  Who else was signing Vargas to two years, off such an awful second half?  I could've understood taking a one-year flyer, but man it still feels like Sandy was outright trying to fvck the Wilpons.  His offseason was that bad. 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Speaking of pitchers, this is interesting...looks like the BBWAA (not exactly the most "with it" bunch sometimes) recognizes that wins and losses will never be the best measure of how a starting pitcher is doing:

https://metsmerizedonline.com/2018/09/degrom-wins-cy-young-with-ease-in-new-bbwaa-poll.html/\

Also nice to see that they're not confusing a Cy Young with a pitcher MVP, which many voters seem to do.  It's supposed to go to the best pitcher.  You can make a case for Scherzer, but deGrom simply gives up considerably less runs (especially dingers), and most games is pitching with zero support.  Think deGrom is the guy. 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Yet another underwhelming evening from "Thor".  Not like we haven't seen our share of that in 2018.

[NJDevs4978]

Arthritic knees for a non-catcher who's under 30...this would happen to a Met though, poor Wilmer

 

 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Feel for Wilmer, but for once, hopefully the Mets simply move on, instead of forever crossing their fingers and hoping for the best.  This is obviously something that's not going to improve in the years to come.

Vargas pretty much ensuring that he'll be the 5th starter next year...because the Mets will happily ignore the awfulness of last year's second half and this year (though mid-August) and try to tout this relatively small, pure garbage time sample as the "real" Vargas.  Guy still has an ERA of well over 6.00 since he slumped last season...is anyone going to be surprised if he's lousy to start next year?

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

deGrom actually has a shot at 10 wins and a winning record...people will look back and wonder how the hell he could've been 9-9 as the 2018 season wound down.  Fine fine offense you assembled Sandy.  So SO glad you're not here to poison this roster any longer.

I know Oswalt wasn't too bad today, and he's actually turned in some pretty good starts, but I'll be happy when guys like him aren't taking turns in the rotation.  When he's making 10 starts or so, some things have clearly gone wrong. 

[NJDevs4978]

Random ex-Met note for 2018: Apparently old friends Endy Chavez and Francisco Rodriguez have both resurfaced in the Atlantic League playoffs (Chavez for the Somerset Patriots).  I would have gotten out there to one of the finals games for the hell of it next weekend if Somerset had won lol, it's only about a half hour from where I live.

Edited September 26, 2018 by NJDevs4978

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

I saw Endy there early this season (my daughter's softball team and her league went early in the season).  You can tell the guy still loves the game.  

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Just six games left in this season.  Mets are 27-18 since the last time they hit their worst games-under-.500 record (19 under, 46-65 record on 8/5).  That's a 97-win pace over a full season.  No, I'm not at all convinced that it means anything, or is something to build on.  I just wish I knew what the Mets were thinking.  In a way, a 6-game losing streak to close out the season would probably be MUCH better than anything else (except for deGrom of course...I'd love to see him at least finish the season with a winning record).  Even winning four out of six gives the Mets a 31-20 record to close out the season.  I've obviously brought this up multiple times lately, but it's flat-out scary that such a "surge" could potentially have the Mets thinking that they're a 90+ win team next season, even if they do next to nothing in the 2018 offseason.   

['7']

58 minutes ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Just six games left in this season.  Mets are 27-18 since the last time they hit their worst games-under-.500 record (19 under, 46-65 record on 8/5).  That's a 97-win pace over a full season.  No, I'm not at all convinced that it means anything, or is something to build on.  I just wish I knew what the Mets were thinking.  In a way, a 6-game losing streak to close out the season would probably be MUCH better than anything else (except for deGrom of course...I'd love to see him at least finish the season with a winning record).  Even winning four out of six gives the Mets a 31-20 record to close out the season.  I've obviously brought this up multiple times lately, but it's flat-out scary that such a "surge" could potentially have the Mets thinking that they're a 90+ win team next season, even if they do next to nothing in the 2018 offseason.   

With the way this franchise thinks no doubt they've bought into this positive garbage time record is somehow representative of what they really are. They've played a lot of deflated clubs. But at least we've seen something out of guys like Conforto and Rosario. Nimmo looks like he may have a bright future. Even Bruce has shown some life lately. But the facts remain that when the going got tough for this team they wilted and died like I've seen no Met team do before. It was beyond sickening

A lot in 2019 is going to hinge on if McNeil is the real deal. Of course he's not going to be a .340 guy. But can he be a .290 hitter that gets on base at a Nimmo-ish clip? That would help a lot. Can Rosario learn more plate discipline? What the heck are we going to get out of d'Arnaud? If anything.

Also we desperately need to hire a GM from outside the organization who can come in here, get guarantees for minimal Jeff/Fred interference, and instill a thorough culture change. Lots of buzz around the name Mike Chernoff. Supposedly Fred likes some guy named Gary Larocque from the Cards organization. He is 65 though so I would stay away from potential passive/low energy fading GM.

Edited September 24, 2018 by '7'

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Re:  Rosario, for me it keeps coming back to the same thing.  Over his last 41 GP, he's slashing .324/.351/.483.  Sounds good, but only 7 BB and a .371 BABIP over that stretch makes me wonder how much of that is based on luck.  And who the "real" Rosario will ultimately be.  Is he really going to be a long-term viable option in the leadoff spot? 

And agree with you fully on the "wilted and died" point...when it really counted, this team largely vanished.  It's a reason I'm more annoyed than anything else that guys like Conforto and Bruce are suddenly hitting.  I know there were extenuating circumstances with Conforto, but at the same time, let me see in games that truly mean something.  These guys are all playing with ZERO pressure on them, and have been since that June Swoon from Hell. 

If the Mets are for real about getting a young and energetic GM, and to stop being "those" Mets, I don't want to hear a peep about d'Arnaud being part of the 2019 picture in any way.  Been there done that.  I don't give a flying fvck about the promise he showed in 2015...the guy can't stay healthy, will be 30 years old this offseason, and has been given six years to prove himself.  His lifetime OPS+ is 96.  And oh yeah, he's pretty crappy defensively.  Stop trying to make him happen.  Because it's not happening. 

Like the potential of a Nimmo/McNeil 1-2 punch.  Nimmo is interesting because he seems to find his way on base whether he's hitting or not.  McNeil in his short sample is a guy who pretty much has to hit his way on...if his BA falls below .300, he may only get on base 33-34% of the time.  But I'd definitely start next season with the two of them at the top of the lineup, and give them at least 3-4 weeks there. 

Edited September 24, 2018 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[NJDevs4978]

Well assuming they are going to go with same old same old pretty much everywhere in the lineup other than maybe catcher, it'd be nice to spend some money on the bullpen since Sandy's dumpster diving and prospect speculating hasn't worked 

With our luck they'd just bring Familia and Addison Reed back and hope to recapture the magic of 2-3 years ago lol

Edited September 26, 2018 by NJDevs4978

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Heh heh...whatever Matt...not like the Mets want you either:

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/matt-harvey-open-to-signing-with-all-but-one-mlb-team-in-free-agency/ar-AAADZiC?li=BBnbfcL&ocid=iehp

I'll give him this...he showed just enough that someone (probably a non-contender) will sign him to a one-year deal and see if he can have a solid year for them.  But as a Red, he was basically a 5-6 IP starter who was pretty mediocre, incredibly prone to giving up dingers, and not terribly consistent.  He went from being hopeless as a Met to a "who knows what you're getting from today" guy with the Reds.  Guess that's some level of improvement.

14 hours ago, NJDevs4978 said:

Well assuming they are going to go with same old same old pretty much everywhere in the lineup other than maybe catcher, it'd be nice to spend some money on the bullpen since Sandy's dumpster diving and prospect speculating hasn't worked 

With our luck they'd just bring Familia and Addison Reed back and hope to recapture the magic of 2-3 years ago lol

That's really all I'm asking out of the Mets this year.  Yeah, they'll be cheap and tone deaf this offseason.  Yeah, there will some a lot of same ol same ol.  But for fvck's sake, spend some goddamn coin on the bullpen.  They can't tell me that they can't afford to put some nice money into the pen. 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Can you garbage-time dipsh!ts just fvcking support deGrom for this one game?  Must you always disappear when this guy pitches?

I will SO not miss the Todd Frazier kind of hitter that Sandy couldn't sign up fast enough.  Those guys just never come up with a damned hit when you really need one.

 

Man, I had totally forgotten about Jake having that hyperextended elbow that looked like a season-ender at the time it happened.  Makes what he's done this season even more special.

Edited September 27, 2018 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[NJDevs4978]

This WOULD be a fitting end for the strangest Cy Young season ever though 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

6 minutes ago, NJDevs4978 said:

This WOULD be a fitting end for the strangest Cy Young season ever though 

Sure, but man is that crap infuriating.  It's INSANE that he might finish the season with a losing record. 

[NJDevs4978]

I mean really now...

 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

One more time:  Thanks for nothing Sandy.  The above is what we'll remember you for.  Have someone write a book about that.  Awful awful AWFUL GM.  Thief.

Dom Smith of all people gets a run home. 

Edited September 27, 2018 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[NJDevs4978]

They better let deGrom finish this game unless he's at like 125 pitches.

[NJDevs4978]

And even though it's obvious we're going to have to deal with Mickey as manager again no matter who the GM is, how the hell do you hit Austin Jackson third and Nimmo 9th?  Some of these decisions are just mind-bogglingly bad.