BEHIND THE BAG

Mets Should Hire Robin Ventura As Manager

2017-10-06T12:58:00.001-04:00

Of all the candidates the Mets are supposedly looking at, to me, this one is a no-brainer. Ventura played for the Mets, he has the most experience managing, he would have a better overall roster with the Mets to work with than he ever did in Chicago and he can certainly handle the rigors that come with dealing with the press every day. Just give him a quality pitching coach and he should be fine. Either Ventura or, as Bobby Valentine suggested, Joe McEwing should get the job.

Bartolo Colon Has Been Designated for Assignment

2017-06-30T18:16:00.001-04:00

Can't believe that I'm saying this, but considering just how awful Colon's been this year, I'd rather stick with Rafeal Montero and possibly Tyler Pill than a give a most-likely-done Big Sexy a try.

R.I.P. Anthony Young

2017-06-29T23:38:00.000-04:00

Damn, those were some bad Met teams and I hated those uniforms even more. Still, regardless of that infamous losing streak, unlike some of his teammates, you never had to question Anthony Young's desire to win.

FiveThirtyEight.com:

Long before the win became the most universally derided statistic in baseball, there was New York Mets pitcher Anthony Young. Young, who died this week at the age of 51, is most often remembered for the longest losing streak by a pitcher in MLB history — dropping 27 consecutive decisions. For sabermetricians, however, Young has another significance altogether — he’s the perfect example of why pitcher wins and losses are utterly meaningless. From May 6, 1992 to July 24, 1993, Young appeared in 77 games, starting 17 of them and finishing 37.

He notched 16 saves and four holds — but he just couldn’t catch a break when he was awarded the decision. He lost low-scoring nail-biters; he lost games in relief; he lost after throwing a lot of pitches and after throwing very few. A total of 448 days went by without Young’s name next to a “W” in the box score. Young finally broke through at Shea Stadium on July 28, 1993, when the Mets pulled out a 5-4 walk-off victory in the bottom of the ninth against the Florida Marlins.

Mets Can't Be Taken Seriously Until They Reach .500

2017-06-25T20:13:00.000-04:00

After the Dodger debacle, they needed this sweep of the Giants. But they're still 7 games under .500 and more than 10 games out of the last wild-card spot. Still, the All-Star break isn't here yet, so barring other significant injury to a key player, Terry Collins finally taking Jose Reyes out of the starting lineup and learning how to use his bullpen properly, I say that the 2017 season isn't quite over just yet.

Asdrubal Cabrera Is Being A Little Selfish Right Now

2017-06-24T12:21:00.001-04:00

CBSLocal.com:

Asdrubal Cabrera played part of one season with the Nationals.

During those 49 games in 2014, Cabrera hit .229 with five home runs. He mostly played second base, as Ian Desmond was the incumbent shortstop, and he was a fine second baseman. However, he always made it perfectly clear he saw himself as a shortstop, not a second baseman,

After the season, Cabrera moved on to the Tampa Bay Rays, where he played shortstop and hit .265 with 15 home runs in 2015, then he traveled north to the New York Mets. He’s played with the Mets the past two seasons, mostly playing shortstop.

Now, the Mets want to move him to second base, and the 31-year-old veteran isn’t thrilled about it, reportedly asking for a trade. Mike Puma of the New York Post has comments from Cabrera saying, “If they don’t have a plan for me, I think it’s time to make a move.”

Upon hearing this news, I can presume that there's two things going on with Carbrera right now: 1) his ego is bothered at the idea that Mets management doesn't think that he has the range to play shortstop anymore and 2) while the guy replacing him, Jose Reyes, might be the better defensive shortstop right now, for Chrissakes, Reyes is currently hitting .193. Either way, with the Mets 8 games under .500 and like 12.5 games out of a wild-card spot, the last thing they need is a veteran player, who's still starting by the way, requesting a trade. To think too, this Cabrera stuff comes not long after the Braves All-star 1st baseman Freddie Freeman offered to move to 3rd base (a position he's never played before on the major league level) in order to keep hot-hitting first baseman Matt Adams in the lineup regularly.

In other words, Asdrubal Cabrera needs to put his ego aside and do what's best for the team.

The Mets Should Not Call Up Amed Rosario

2017-06-16T18:24:00.000-04:00

NJ.com:

Sandy Alderson hears you loud and clear, Mets fans.

The Mets general manager is aware that your desire to see top prospect Amed Rosario in Flushing is at an all-time high, especially with second baseman Neil Walker (left hamstring) hitting the disabled list on Thursday.

After all, it's hard to ignore Rosario's dominant Triple-A stat line: .333 batting average, seven home runs and 45 RBIs.

But Alderson doesn't want to rush the 21-year-old shortstop's development.

"First of all, we have some good players here," Alderson said ahead of Thursday's series-opener with the NL East leading Nationals. "(Jose) Reyes is playing currently at shortstop, (Astrubal) Cabrera is coming back. It's not like we have a big hole in our lineup. If not more importantly, we review Rosario as a possible long-term answer for us."

Finally, something that I can agree with when it comes Mets management: leaving Amed Rosario alone and not bowing to pressure from fans and the media to call him up. I don't care how great Rosario is racking it up in Triple-A, it's still Triple-A and frankly speaking, even if Rosario got called up and he continues to hit like he's doing now, that ain't saving the 2017 Mets. Because injuries have just about killed this team.

From Noah Syndergaard to Yoenis Cespedes to Steven Matz to Lucas Duda to Seth Lugo (and now the trio of Neil Walker, Matt Harvey and Juan Lagares are each heading to the DL too), this team just can't catch a break. And no potentially superstar SS is going to save them. Better to just let the veteran Asdrubal Cabrera play out what's left of his contract this year, hope against hope that Jose Reyes has something left in the tank and that Cespedes along with the rest of the pitching staff can stay healthy for the rest of the year. Then too, there's always Brandon Nimmo...I'm just saying.

By Forcefeeding Us Rafael Montero, Mets Show That They Don't Take 2017 Season Seriously

2017-05-26T20:12:00.001-04:00

NJ.com:

There are a lot of players who would love to have the chances that Rafael Montero has had in the big leagues. It's clear that Montero, a prospect who was once thought to be better than Jacob deGrom, is not panning out the way he was projected to.

The Mets may be privately admitting that, but for now, they probably have no choice but to stick with him.

Montero made his second major league start of the season on Thursday night and the 14th of his career. Most of the 26-year-old right-hander's starts have gone about the same: Gives up walks, big hits and suddenly the Mets find themselves in a big hole. While the damage was minimal in the Mets' 4-3 loss to the San Diego Padres on Thursday, his command was also minimal and it seems to be that way nearly every time he takes the mound in a major league game.

A guy by the name of Tyler Pill is tearing it up in Triple-A and yet the Mets continue to force us to watch ne'er-do-well Rafael Montero start games and give us little to no chance of winning....sad, just sad.

Michael Conforto Is Not On The All-Star Ballot

2017-05-24T22:13:00.000-04:00

AmazinAvenue.com:

Yesterday, Major League Baseball released the ballot for the 2017 All-Star Game, which will be played at Marlins Park on July 11. A fan vote will determine the eight starters on each side and the designated hitter for the American League. The ballot features eight Mets and includes breakout players, long-shots, no-shots, and one notable omission.

Notable Omission: Michael Conforto

.333/.308/.700, 0.8 bWAR, 1.3 fWAR

In a season that’s seen injury after injury, Michael Conforto not being on the All-Star ballot only feels like a gut punch. Thus far, Conforto has been the Mets’ most dangerous hitter, driving the ball to all fields with a swing as sweet as cotton candy.

Jeurys Familia Diagnosed With Arterial Clot In Right Shoulder

2017-05-11T22:16:00.003-04:00

If Matt Harvey Wants To Keep Dating Supermodels...

2017-05-09T20:43:00.003-04:00

....he needs to start taking baseball more seriously and start pitching better, because once those big checks stop coming, let's just say that they won't be sticking around just for his good looks.

RELATED: ‘Windows close fast’: For Matt Harvey and the Mets, it may soon be time to move on

It's Time To Bench Curtis Granderson for Juan Lagares

2017-05-01T20:53:00.000-04:00

I heard Gary Cohen mentioned on the broadcast of yesterday's game that Granderson's April is the 6th-worst in Mets history. I'm not saying that Granderson's done and I'm well aware of how much of a streaky player he is, but I'm long past tired of looking at his name in the starting lineup. In other words, it's time to start Juan Lagares.

After Refusing MRI, Noah Syndergaard Leaves Game in 2nd Inning with "Possible Lat Strain"

2017-04-30T20:36:00.002-04:00

I just can't believe that Noah wasn't called out more by the press on what a dumb decision it was to not get the MRI in the first place. I mean, to use the excuse that he's so 'in tune' with his body that he doesn't need a MRI was just ass-backwards as well as putting himself before the team...and now this.

Mets Lose 3 Out Of 4 To Marlins

2017-04-16T19:20:00.000-04:00

Your No. 1, 2 and 3 starters all pitch great and you lose all three games anyway?! Smh.

Mets Have To Be Really Concerned About Jose Reyes

2017-04-13T12:41:00.001-04:00

Deadspin.com:

Mets converted third baseman Jose Reyes is absolutely lost at the plate so far this
season, and Terry Collins seems like he’s ready to pull out his hair over the slumping veteran. The Mets are only nine games into the season, and small sample sizes can render early season trends meaningless by September, but Reyes is really stinking up the place.

In 38 plate appearances, Reyes has had two hits, one walk, and 11 strikeouts. Collins initially had Reyes batting leadoff, but he was dropped to the seven-spot Tuesday and Wednesday, and looks headed to the bench for at least the next two games against their division rivals in Miami.

One of those hits was off Clay Buchholz during a game in which the Phillies’ pitcher gave up eight hits to the 16 batters he faced in two-and-a-third innings before leaving the game with a forearm injury. A hit is a hit, but that one doesn’t inspire much confidence.

Reyes is putting a ball into play in only 7.7 percent of opportunities, the lowest in the league among qualified players who’ve had a hit (Russell Martin and Austin Hedges, we see you). He’s not even making productive outs, if you believe in that type of thing. He’s bad. You get the point.

I know that it's only been 9 games and there have been a few times where he's been a little unlucky, but I've never seen Jose Reyes look more awful than he has at the start of this season. Of course, the easy answer is to give Wilmer Flores more at-bats and play him at 3rd, but Reyes is better defensively and obviously gives you more speed on the bases too. Then too, I hate seeing Reyes bat 7th in the lineup--the guy's a certified leadoff hitter.

RELATED: Why Jose Reyes might not be long for Mets

For Now, We're Stuck with Zack Wheeler

2017-04-08T13:50:00.003-04:00

NYPost.com:

Zack Wheeler had a forgettable return to the mound Friday, surrendering five earned runs over four innings on a brutally cold and windy night at Citi Field that had no semblance to the tropical paradise in which he had won his job this spring.

Wheeler’s fastball had early juice, but commanding his offspeed pitches was a challenge, and pretty soon the Marlins were jumping on his heat.

It’s a performance Wheeler should discard, right after he appreciates the fact he was back pitching for the Mets following two frustrating years of rehab from Tommy John surgery.

Not every comeback will be a success story from the start. Matt Harvey, returning from surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome, was terrific in his 2017 debut a night earlier, but Wheeler is clearly at a different place.

“I wanted to come out here and dominate today,” Wheeler said after the Mets’ 7-2 loss. “Just put my foot that I’m back and I belong here. But something as small as controlling your offspeed [pitches], that is easy to fix. I’m not that down. It stinks that I lost, but it’s a long season and I will be better. ”

The worst thing a starting pitcher can do is not give his team a chance to win and give Zack Wheeler credit for owning up to that last night. And granted it's only one start that you hope he can learn from, but with Matz and Lugo down, it's extra emphasis on hoping for the best from Wheeler.

RELATED: Mets’ expectations of Zack Wheeler should fall back down to earth following lackluster debut

Matt Harvey Leads Mets to Victory

2017-04-06T20:35:00.000-04:00

Doc Gooden and Darryl Strawberry Are Friends Again

2017-04-03T21:29:00.000-04:00

Newsweek.com:

Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry have ended their public feud from last summer and attended Monday’s Mets opener together at Citi Field.

Gooden posted a picture of himself with Strawberry and former Mets closer John Franco on Twitter, and Strawberry retweeted it.

This came a day after both Gooden and Strawberry turned to social media to say they’re no longer at odds. “Life is too short for madness,” Gooden wrote on Twitter.

Gooden, reached by phone, declined to comment. Strawberry hasn’t returned messages seeking comment.

The two former Mets stars from the 1980s feuded last August when Strawberry publicly accused Gooden of a drug relapse. Gooden denied it at the time, then said during a surprise appearance at Mets spring training that he no longer was angry with Strawberry.

“Maybe one day we get together and talk, but right now’s not the time,” he said.

This is good news as these two will always be attached via their long history together in New York sports lore. Still, if and when there's another time Strawberry thinks Doc using drugs, hopefully he'll go to Gooden privately instead of through the press.

Jay Bruce Doesn't Care If He Stays A Met

2017-04-02T21:06:00.001-04:00

Newsday.com:

For Bruce, those boos for a childhood hero served as an eye-opener. They would be behind the first steps in an ongoing journey toward emotional detachment.

It is a strategy born not from bitterness but from pragmatism. The method may be cold. But the years have taught Bruce that to endure the wild swings of this game, it is necessary.

“First of all, and this is with all due respect to everyone reading this, how the fans think I feel — or how they create to themselves how I feel or how I look — could not have less of an impact on my day-to-day life. Someone the other day was like, ‘Oh, I could see it.’ No, they couldn’t. They assumed. They assumed that because I had a bad stretch, it’s ‘Oh, the market, New York City is too big.’ Oh, like I’m not able to perform under this pressure. Well, they’re lying to themselves.”

------------------

“I believe that teams care about their players to the extent that they are required to, essentially. I believe that every team, every smart team, should always be looking to improve upon what they have. And if trading me helps you improve your roster, then I say go for it. I don’t care, I really don’t.”

What a dumb thing to say. I get that he's frustrated with all the trade talk and critics saying that he can't handle the spotlight of playing in New York. But why not let your bat do the talking and prove them wrong, instead of letting the fans think that you don't care if you play well or don't. Jay Bruce gets paid millions of dollars to play baseball, pretending like you don't give a shit just sends the wrong message.

Mets Break Camp with 26-Man Roster

2017-04-01T16:51:00.000-04:00

Mets Add Zack Wheeler and Robert Gsellman to Rotation

2017-03-31T16:49:00.000-04:00

NYTimes.com:

The Mets answered most of their lingering roster questions on Thursday, and in doing so gave a big morale boost to Zack Wheeler, who missed the past two seasons after Tommy John and forearm surgery and, at least for now, is in the starting rotation.

Sandy Alderson, the Mets’ general manager, told reporters in Port St. Lucie, Fla., that Wheeler and Robert Gsellman would form the back end of the rotation — behind Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom and Matt Harvey.

The Mets had been waiting for clarity on Steven Matz’s status to complete their pitching staff. After irritation and soreness in Matz’s throwing elbow persisted early this week, the Mets sent him for a magnetic resonance imaging examination. The results did not show structural damage, Alderson told reporters.

Personally, as a big Seth Lugo fan, I would've preferred hi min the rotation. But the WBC messed things up for Lugo's chances, Wheeler made it known he'd prefer to start and Gsellman's been sterling during spring rotation, so it is what it is. Either way I'm sure that Lugo will get his opportunity to be a regular starter soon enough.

Jeurys Familia Violates Domestic Violence Policy, Suspended 15 Games

2017-03-29T20:33:00.001-04:00

Sandy Alderson on Steven Matz’s Latest Injury: ‘It’s Worrisome’

2017-03-27T21:50:00.000-04:00

Newsday.com:

It was accidental Sunday morning that Steven Matz wound up pinned against the brick wall outside the Mets’ clubhouse, where he fielded questions about the elbow discomfort that scratched him from Monday’s start.

But the uncomfortable locale was a fitting metaphor for his increasingly tenuous standing in this rotation, a situation caused by frequent injuries that are testing the team’s patience with the former Ward Melville ace.

Bottom line, the distance between what the Mets dream for Matz, and the reality of what he actually is capable of giving them, stretched even further Sunday with this latest episode of elbow tenderness, which is very likely to land him on the disabled list to start the season.

Yet another sudden malady, seemingly out of nowhere, also raised the same familiar question: What good is Matz’s elite-level talent if he can’t be trusted to pitch on a consistent basis? Unfortunately, the Mets know the answer.

“It’s worrisome that he continues to be injured, off and on,” Sandy Alderson said. “That’s the difficulty. We don’t think it’s serious. On the other hand, we have to be able to, with starting pitchers, to rely on them every five days. We’re not sure exactly where this is going to take us.”

Damn season hasn't even started yet and we get this news. Still, with Matz s history of injuries, the Mets can't afford to take any risks which in turn means that Gsellman and Lugo need to be our No/ 4 and 5 starters till Matz is fully healed. The ides that they're still thinking about Wheeler for a rotation spot needs to be nixed.

Who Will Be the 5th Starter for the New York Mets in 2017?

2017-03-26T21:41:00.002-04:00

Former Mets Manager Dallas Green Dies at 82

2017-03-22T22:01:00.002-04:00

Wilmer Flores Could Probably Be The Starting 2nd Baseman For a Lot of Teams

2017-03-19T12:03:00.000-04:00

NYDailyNews.com:

This isn’t exactly what Wilmer Flores wanted. The Mets’ infielder, who broke into tears at the thought of being traded out of the organization two years ago, is not comfortable with his role, or more precisely, his lack of a consistent role.

“It’s gonna be hard if you don’t play for three days and you got to go out there and do your thing,” Flores said. “The only thing I can do is get ready to play.”

Flores is most comfortable playing at second base, but he went all in when the Mets asked him to become their everyday shortstop before the 2015 season. When the team then went out and signed veteran shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera before the 2016 season, Flores was pushed into a utility role, benched and used as a platoon player against lefthanded pitchers.

It’s not a comfortable role for him, but he has to deal with it.

“The one thing about his situation is you don’t have to like it,” Mets manager Terry Collins said Friday. “You just have to accept it and be ready to play.”

A starting 2nd baseman who could give you 20 dingers and 70 to 80 RBI's over a full season while playing steady defense is not something that should be taken for grated in the major leagues. And while Wilmer Flores could probably bring that palette to a handful of MLB teams, barring a major injury to one of the infield starters, it's just not going to happen with the Mets. Should Flores think about that more the next time he's a free agent? Sure. Till then, like Terry Collins, he just needs to chill out and accept his backup/utility role with the team.

RELATED: Wilmer Flores should get a lot of playing time in 2017