Rating the Mets Trade Deadline Move (and Lack of Others)

Javy Baez Image Source: Cubbiescrib.com.

By Ethan Marshall

There was no question the New York Mets had to be active during Friday’s trade deadline. While the addition of Javy Baez adds another strong bat to the lineup and a great glove on the infield, the Mets failed to strengthen their bullpen. Trevor Williams certainly helps provide a better option of rotation depth over Jared Eikhoff, but with Jacob deGrom likely sidelined until September, the team could’ve used another frontline starter. Williams, who has a ERA of 5.06 this season after posting a 5.38 and 6.18 ERA in 2019 and 2020 respectively, doesn’t fit that mold. Despite the fact Acting General Manager Zack Scott was made aware of deGrom’s setback just two hours before the deadline, there were still plenty of starters available for him to attempt to acquire.

Zack Scott said the Mets got Jacob deGrom’s MRI results back at 1-2 p.m. today, a couple of hours before the trade deadline.

But it didn’t change their plans, he said, adding “You can’t replace Jacob deGrom.”

— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) July 30, 2021

The Mets reportedly checked in on starting pitcher Kyle Gibson with the Texas Rangers, but felt they couldn’t match the offer from the Philadelphia Phillies that was ultimately agreed upon. The Colorado Rockies continued to show how incompetent their front office was by refusing to take calls on starting pitchers Jon Gray and German Marquez. The Mets talked a lot with the Minnesota Twins about Jose Berrios, but the price tag was very high, with the Twins reportedly asking for a package of Jeff McNeil, top catching prospect Francisco Alvarez and another top seven prospect within the organization. Berrios ended up going to the Blue Jays for two of their top four prospects: Austin Martin and former Mets farmhand Simeon Woods-Richardson, who was the centerpiece in the Marcus Stroman trade in 2019. However, the Mets and Twins almost came to an agreement on a deal right before the deadline that would’ve sent third baseman Josh Donaldson and pitcher Kenta Maeda to the Mets, but the teams couldn’t agree on salary coverage in time.

MLB Source: Mets and Twins were close on a deal for Kenta Maeda and Josh Donaldson going to New York.

Mets wanted more salary covered than Twins were willing to do and deal didn’t get done.#LGM #MNTWINS

— Ari Alexander (@AriA1exander) July 30, 2021

While the Mets bullpen already has several capable arms in Edwin Diaz, Trevor May, Aaron Loup, Seth Lugo and Jeurys Familia, the team could’ve used another arm to make it even deeper, especially with Miguel Castro being very inconsistent after a strong start to the season and Robert Gsellman’s return from a lat strain still up in the air. The Mets expressed interest in Craig Kimbrel before he was traded to the White Sox for a big haul that included highly touted second baseman Nick Madrigal and reliever Codi Heuer. Still, the Mets could’ve made a push for Angels reliever Raisel Iglesias, who was made available in the final hours of the trade deadline. They also could’ve looked to acquire former Mets farmhand Michael Fulmer from the Tigers. Fulmer, who was the centerpiece of the 2015 trade at the deadline that gave the Mets Yoenis Cespedes, has struggled to stay healthy and effective since his 2016 season, in which he posted a 3.06 ERA en route to winning Rookie of the Year. However, Fulmer has found some success this season as a reliever, posting a 3.38 ERA with six saves out of the bullpen in 2021.

As for the one move the Mets did make at the deadline, Javy Baez’s bat will especially come in handy against left-handed pitchers. This season, Baez is hitting .301 with a .603 slugging percentage and .965 OPS against them. His defense should also be a huge benefit to the Mets at shortstop until Francisco Lindor returns from his oblique strain, at which time Baez could shift to second base and form one of the best defensive double play combinations in the MLB. It will also be interesting to see at that point who will get the most reps at third base. The logical answer would be Jeff McNeil, with JD Davis acting as a big bat off the bench. However, with Michael Conforto currently in a 13 for 77 slump at the plate, another option could be to put McNeil in right field if his leg fatigue is no longer an issue and Conforto is still struggling offensively by the time Lindor returns. That may be a controversial move, but right now Conforto is doing more harm than good every time he steps to the plate. This would also allow the Mets to platoon Davis and Luis Guillorme at third base, with Guillorme also presenting an option as a late-game defensive replacement.

Overall, the Mets did a good job at the deadline by adding an impact bat in Baez, but there was so much more left to be desired, as they didn’t bolster the pitching besides adding depth in Trevor Williams. Until Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard come back, the Mets will have to rely on a rotation of Marcus Stroman, Taijuan Walker, Carlos Carrasco, Rich Hill and Tylor Megill to keep them above water. With Walker struggling since the all-star break and Carrasco having just made his Mets debut, they’ll need to step up if the Mets hope to maintain a lead in the NL East. Hill, who was acquired at a time when the Mets were desperate for starting pitching, may need to prove he can pitch a third time through an opposing team’s lineup in order to put less pressure on a bullpen that could use the rest.

The Mets once again will have to hold the line until reinforcements arrive in the forms of deGrom and Syndergaard. They’ll also need more offensive contributions from players other than Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil and Pete Alonso. If Baez can bring even a fraction of the impact on the Mets offense that Cespedes brought in 2015, the team should be in good shape. August could prove to be a critical month in the 2021 season for the New York Mets.

What to Expect from the Mets at the Trade Deadline

Andrew Chafin image source: Marqueesportsnetwork.com

By Ethan Marshall

The New York Mets’ acquisition of starting pitcher Rich Hill is likely just the beginning of a busy trade deadline for the team. While the team hopes for reinforcements to be on the way for the starting rotation in the forms of Jacob deGrom and Carlos Carrasco, there are still areas in which the team can improve.

Perhaps the three most likely spots the Mets will look to improve ahead of the deadline are in the bullpen, starting rotation and at third base. The Mets have already been linked to several players likely to be dealt, including Trevor Story, Josh Donaldson, Kris Bryant, Tyler Anderson and Asdrubal Cabrera. They’ve also shown interest in Minnesota Twins ace Jose Berrios, who is arbitration-eligible next season. Additionally, with the Mets reportedly being one of a few teams sending scouts to watch the Cubs/Diamondbacks game today, they could also be interested in Craig Kimbrel, Andrew Chafin, Ryan Tepera, Merrill Kelly and Eduardo Escobar.

When it comes to relievers, Kimbrel may be the sexy name to go for, but the most sensible name for the Mets is likely Chafin. He’d bring a second lefty arm to the bullpen, complimenting Aaron Loup, and is capable enough to get righties out as well. In 39.1 innings this season, Chafin has pitched to a 1.37 ERA and held left-handed hitters to a .150 average and right-handed hitters to .135. The Cubs also likely wouldn’t be asking for as much in return compared to Kimbrel, Bryant and Kyle Hendricks.

It will be interesting to see how aggressive the Mets are in pursuit of a starting pitcher. On paper, they could have a capable rotation by the day of the deadline, consisting of deGrom, Marcus Stroman, Taijuan Walker, Carlos Carrasco and Tylor Megill, plus Hill. They also expect David Peterson and Noah Syndergaard to return later this season. However, injuries can be unpredictable, and with Carrasco and deGrom rehabbing through injuries right now, the Mets are presently short on starting pitchers.

They could go after someone who can make a few starts as the rotation gets healthy before being moved to the bullpen. Anderson, who’s pitched to a 4.35 ERA, would fit that mold. Alternatively, they can make a big splash and go after Berrios, Max Scherzer, Hendricks or Luis Castillo. With the exception of Scherzer, each of these pitchers are signed through at least next season. However, Scherzer may have the highest asking price, as the Nationals may be more reluctant to trade him to a team within their own division and are only now considering the idea of trading him. Additionally, Scherzer would have to waive his no-trade clause for a deal to be finalized.

With a Cubs rebuild looking more and more likely, they may be willing to part with their ace in Hendricks, who is under contract through the 2023 season, plus a vesting option in 2024. Mets pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, who worked closely with Berrios in 2019 as the Twins’ assistant pitching coach, has urged the front office to pursue him. The Reds may be a bit reluctant to trade Castillo now due to the rough season he’s had, but after posting a 1.71 ERA in June and 1.82 ERA so far in July, they could look to trade him while he’s hot.

In order to acquire any of these pitchers, the Mets would likely have to part with at least one of their top prospects. While Francisco Alvarez, Matt Allan and Brett Baty may be viewed as untouchable, it’s possible the Mets could be willing to part with players like JT Ginn, Mark Vientos, Pete Crow-Armstrong or even Ronny Mauricio for the right player.

If the Mets are to add any big bats at the deadline, it most likely would be at third base. While JD Davis’ return has helped give them more offensive production from the position, his defense there leaves much to be desired. It’s likely that the Mets would only trade for a third baseman if it’s one of the bigger names available. The main candidates are Kris Bryant, Josh Donaldson and Trevor Story. If the Mets were to acquire any of those three, it’s possible Davis is traded too, either in a deal involving these players or one for a pitcher. The Mets have reportedly shown interest in Bryant for a while, so he could be their main target among the three names. As for Story, he could fill in at shortstop until Francisco Lindor returns from his oblique strain, at which point he’d likely shift to third base. Despite the fact Donaldson, unlike Story and Bryant, is under contract beyond the 2021 season, he may have the least expensive trade value of the three due to his age (35), the fact he’s due $21 million each of the next two years and his offensive production decreasing exponentially since signing with the Twins prior to the 2020 season. The Mets may be better off trading top prospects for Bryant or Story than acquiring a player on the decline with an albatross contract.

Mets Team President Sandy Alderson and Acting General Manager Zack Scott will have their work cut for them over the next seven days. It’ll be interesting to see just how aggressive they are in their trade pursuits. If there’s one thing the Steve Cohen era has taught us about the Mets so far, it’s to not be surprised if they end up making a huge trade.

Now is a Good Time for the Mets to Engage in Extension Talks

As much of the United States continues to engage in self-quarantine in order to help flatten the curve of coronavirus cases, most major sports leagues continue to keep their seasons suspended until further notice. This includes the MLB, which still hopes to have around 100 regular season games in 2020.

One thing teams like the New York Mets can do to take advantage of this delay is to engage in contract extension talks with players whose contracts may be expiring within the next few seasons. Specifically, the Mets should be focusing on extensions with starting pitchers Marcus Stroman and Noah Syndergaard and outfielder Michael Conforto. Stroman would become a free agent at the end of the 2020 season and Syndergaard and Conforto would be free agents following the 2021 season.

According to Spotrac, the team’s active payroll for the 2020 season stands at just over $177 million, giving them about $30 million to work with before reaching the luxury tax threshold. That should be enough room to allow for at least one extension to be agreed upon this year with a player. Even if an extension isn’t reached with Syndergaard and Conforto, it would benefit both sides to at least begin discussing it. As it stands now, the Mets’ active payroll will drop to a little under $86 million in 2021. With that much money available, the team can certainly afford to get extensions done with both Conforto and Syndergaard while also being competitive in the free agent market.

Syndergaard has expressed interest in signing an extension in the past and the fact that he’ll miss the 2020 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery may provide an incentive for both the Mets and Syndergaard to get a deal done. Syndergaard would likely miss at least the first few weeks of the 2021 season and also be held to an innings limit. The fact that he’d be one season removed from Tommy John surgery by the time he hits free agency would likely lower his free agent price. An extension would ensure Syndergaard gets paid well while also benefiting the Mets by not having to compete with other teams for the starter and filling a big piece of their starting rotation for the future. While the Mets could be concerned about how Syndergaard would pitch after Tommy John surgery, he is aware of that too, which could help drive the asking price down. The Mets should be willing to take the risk, especially after seeing how Jacob deGrom, Steven Matz, Zack Wheeler and even Matt Harvey pitched after they recovered from Tommy John surgery.

Since arriving via trade shortly before the deadline last season, Long Island native Marcus Stroman has been productive both on the mound and in the dugout. After struggling with his new team in August, Stroman was dominant for the Mets down the stretch, pitching to a 2.91 ERA in September. He was also one of the team’s biggest cheerleaders on the bench, constantly jumping around and pumping up his teammates. With Syndergaard out for the 2020 season, Stroman is expected to step up as the number two pitcher in the rotation. It would certainly benefit the Mets to ensure Stroman sticks around in his home town for the long-term while making sure the starting rotation remains deep and strong. With the Mets lacking many internal options to replace Stroman in the rotation and the 2021 MLB free agent starting pitching market being thin, locking Stroman up with an extension should be in the Mets’ best interests. Additionally, the team may already have to replace Michael Wacha and Rick Porcello following the 2020 season, as both are scheduled to be free agents. If the Mets do end up pursuing free agent starting pitchers like Trevor Bauer, Robbie Ray, Masahiro Tanaka or James Paxton, it should be to replace Wacha and Porcello, not Stroman.

Getting an extension done with Michael Conforto may end up costing the most, as the outfielder is represented by Scott Boras and coming off a 30 home-run, 90 RBI season. Conforto had a tremendous 2019 season, looking completely healthy for the first time since dislocating his shoulder late in the 2017 season. Considering how much money the Mets will have available following the 2020 season and the fact that the tight-pursed Wilpons are still determined to sell the team as soon as possible, it may be worth the price to have Conforto continue being a big presence in the middle of the lineup alongside Pete Alonso for the foreseeable future.

While there’s still plenty of time left to work out extensions with Conforto and Syndergaard, the fact that everyone is literally just sitting at home waiting for this COVID-19 pandemic to end makes this a good opportunity to at least begin exchanging dialogue. However, Stroman should be the first priority since his contract expires first. The Mets may as well try to make the best of this bad situation. Hopefully, at least one extension can be done before the end of the 2020 season, if and when that takes place.

Fred Wilpon is Scrooging the Mets and Their Fans Over

By Ethan Marshall

 

Fred Wilpon may very well be responsible for turning a talented Mets team that’s a few pieces away from being World Series contenders into a franchise in no-mans land.

Despite a high amount of ticket sales in 2017, including at the minor league level (thanks to Tim Tebow), the Mets expect to have a much lower payroll in 2018, down from $155 million to around $130-135 million.  This announcement came after the team traded away most of their pending free agents around the deadline for basically nothing.  Rather than taking on at least a portion of the remaining salary from players like Jay Bruce and Neil Walker in exchange for better prospects to replenish a dried up farm system, the Mets took no-names and long-shots while their trade partners took on the remaining salaries.

Why, then, are the Mets lowering their payroll at a time where they’re doing well financially and have a great opportunity to be contenders?  The blame can be placed on owner Fred Wilpon, who, unlike Derek Jeter, refuses to face his critics or even explain his actions to the New York media.  According to a New York Post story, Fred Wilpon gets upset whenever the Yankees make a big move, like their acquisition of 2017 N.L. MVP Giancarlo Stanton.  While this alone frustrates Mets fans to no end, as the team has done nothing but sign reliever Anthony Swarzak, Wilpon managed to make himself look worse.  Wilpon apparently believes the Yankees’ willingness to spend money in excess in order to compete almost every year is not a good long-term formula for financial success.  The Yankees have been doing this for the last 20-30 years, and show no sign of slowing down.  They are the definition of success.  Wilpon’s logic makes zero sense!

If this is Wilpon’s best argument for refusing to allow general manager Sandy Alderson to even know how much money he has to spend this off-season, then he shouldn’t be the owner of a major league baseball team at all, let alone one in the big market of New York City.

 

Mets owners (from left to right): Jeff Wilpon, Saul Katz and Fred Wilpon.   Photo credit: Mets Merized Online.

The Mets should be pursuing free agents like Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer.  While they’ve been attached to free agents like Jay Bruce and Addison Reed, who could both be very useful, they’ve shown a reluctance to spend big on these candidates, to the point they haven’t even made any offers.  Instead, the player the Mets have been most closely attached to at this stage of the off-season has been Adrian Gonzalez, who will be 36 next season and is coming off a season in which he suffered major back injuries, because he’d only need to be paid the major-league minimum.  Additionally, the Mets may have wasted their opportunity to acquire second baseman Jason Kipnis from the Indians, who are now more reluctant to trade him than during the winter meetings.  Negotiations stalled when the Mets were reluctant to take on most, if not all, of the $30.5 million on Kipnis’ remaining contract through 2020.

There is still plenty of time left this off-season for the Mets to fill the holes needed to be corrected, but with only $10 million believed to be left to spend, this wouldn’t be enough to inspire much optimism for a big signing any time soon.  There has been no reason given as to why the Mets are cutting their payroll, which was just the 12th-highest last season, by $20 million.  The Mets window of competing won’t last much longer.  If the reason behind this is because Fred Wilpon doesn’t think the starting rotation can live up to expectations or stay healthy, this is not a good excuse.  Regardless of how the rest of the rotation performs, Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom can be one of the best one-two starters in the MLB.

Several Mets fans, upset at ownership’s lack of confidence and financial investment in the team, are considering boycotting the team if nothing is done this off-season to inspire confidence.  These fans are talking about cancelling their season-ticket orders and not tuning into Mets games on TV or the radio.  While the Wilpons have never been liked by Mets fans, they are facing hostility from their team’s fanbase not seen since the fallout from the Madoff scandal, which left the owners in financial ruin.  With the Wilpons acting as though they are in financial trouble, fans have again called for them to sell the team, so that both sides may benefit.

There is no reason a New York baseball team that was in the World Series just two years ago should be run like a small-market team.  There is no reason the Mets shouldn’t be in the market for players like Eric Hosmer or Mike Moustakas.  There is no reason for money to get in the way from signing Jay Bruce and Addison Reed, with the former providing a solution at both first base and right field and the latter being perhaps the final piece to a potentially strong bullpen that would also consist of Jeurys Familia, AJ Ramos, Jerry Blevins and Anthony Swarzak.  There is no reason small-market teams like the Colorado Rockies and Kansas City Royals, and rebuilding teams like the Philadelphia Phillies, should be out-spending the Mets.

Mets fans are under the impression that most of the money coming towards the team is just ending up in the Wilpons’ bank vault, where there is enough money for them to dive into and swim in, similar to Scrooge McDuck.  If the Mets’ needs aren’t addressed this off-season, there is a good chance that this time, the fans will fight back by not spending on a team whose owners refuse to spend on.  Fred Wilpon needs to stop questioning the Yankees’ model for success, and start following it.

Panic Time for the Mets’ Rotation?

By Ethan Marshall

 

The disaster that has been the 2017 Mets season thus far has fans thinking “How can this get any worse,” every day.  With Yoenis Cespedes and now Noah Syndergaard sidelined indefinitely with injuries, the Mets need to right the ship without their best pitcher and hitter.

Noah Syndergaard walks off the field with trainer Ray Ramirez after suffering a partial tear of his right lat muscle yesterday in Washington.  Photo credit: AP Photo/Nick Wass.

Syndergaard’s injury may prove more costly in the long run.  With Seth Lugo and Steven Matz still weeks away from returning from their own injuries, the Mets are without a decent replacement.  The current plan for Friday is for Rafael Montero to start, but he’s failed to prove he belongs in the big leagues time and time again.

Assuming the Mets sign free agent Doug Fister (which they should), he would likely need two or three weeks to get himself ready to pitch in a major league game.  As early as it is, the Mets could explore the trade market for a pitcher that can eat up innings.

Bartolo Colon, who the Mets let go in the offseason because they felt they already had enough pitching depth, could be a suitable target for Sandy Alderson.  The Braves are in rebuilding mode, and with Colon signed on a one-year deal, he seems likely to be traded at some point this season.  Colon proved incredibly reliable in his Mets tenure, eating up innings while pitching well.  The Mets could really use a pitcher with a rubber arm like Colon’s right now.  With the Mets beginning their first series at SunTrust Park in Atlanta tonight, this could be a good time for Alderson to talk with Braves general manager John Coppolella about working out a deal for Colon.

Bartolo Colon pitching at Citi Field against the Mets.  Photo credit: Getty Images.

 

The Mets and Braves have gotten along well in recent years on the trade front.  In July 2015, the Mets traded minor league pitchers John Gant and Rob Whalen for Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson.  In June 2016 the Braves again traded Johnson to the Mets, this time for minor league pitcher Akeel Morris.

Of course there may be problems in negotiating a deal for Colon.  The Braves may try to take advantage of the Mets’ desperation by asking for higher tier prospects in exchange for Colon.  Additionally, Colon has an ERA of 5.59 in 29 innings pitched.

The Mets can’t afford to throw Montero out to the mound every five days for at least the next three weeks.  Whether it’s through the waiver wire, free agency or trading, the Mets need to find a replacement that can give them a quality outing each start.

Perhaps one way to negotiate with the Braves is to consider offering media magnet Tim Tebow.  The Braves just opened a new stadium, and need a way to sell more tickets.  Arguably nobody draws as much a crowd as Tebow.  While he alone wouldn’t be nearly enough for the Mets to give up for Colon, he could still draw the attention of the Braves if he continues to produce in the minor leagues.  While he is only batting .237 for the Class A Columbia Fireflies, he did go 6-21 last week, posting a .285 average.  Trading Tebow for Colon may just be stupid enough to work.

 

 

Mets’ Fab Four Won’t Pitch in a Game Until March 5th: By Ethan Marshall

The Mets have and will continue to be cautious in the workload of their young starting rotation.  Terry Collins told reporters today that Noah Syndergaard, Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, and Steven Matz won’t be appearing in a spring training game until as early as March 5th, and that Zack Wheeler could be seeing action in the Grapefruit League as early as March 8th.  In an effort to keep them healthy, the Mets’ starting rotation has been kept to a lighter workload so far this spring.

Each of the young starters dealt with injuries in 2016 following their run into the 2015 World Series.  Harvey was very ineffective before he was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, requiring season-ending surgery.  deGrom experienced fatigue early in the season, with his fastball velocity decreasing from the mid-to-upper-90s to the lower 90s. deGrom would catch the injury bug in September when he required elbow surgery to move the ulnar collateral ligament.  Matz was diagnosed with a large bone spur in his pitching arm early last season.  He attempted to pitch through it, but was eventually shut down in September after missing about a month due to a shoulder impingement.  Wheeler hasn’t pitched in a major league game since September of 2014.  After undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2015, Wheeler suffered a series of setbacks in his rehab in 2016, before being shut down.  Syndergaard was the only one from the young staff able to make it through the season, though he did so with a small bone spur in his pitching arm.  There is also worry that Syndergaard may one day require Tommy John surgery.  He is the only one of this young and dynamic rotation to have never had the surgery.

The Mets understand that they need to be conservative in how they use their starters this spring.  They need to make sure the rotation is healthy and fresh, but not rusty.  The Mets’ 2015 pennant-winning run likely contributed to at least some of the injuries on the starting core.  With a whole offseason to recuperate, the Mets are optimistic that their rotation can stay intact this year and possibly lead them back to the World Series.  There is no need to rush these pitchers into games.  They don’t need to be throwing every single workout day.  2017 would mark the first time that all five of the Mets’ prized pitchers would be healthy and active at the same time.

Still a Billion-Dollar Rotation? Who can the Mets Keep Long-Term?

During the 2015-2016 MLB offseason, 5 of 6 MLB executives pegged the value of the young Mets starting rotation as being worth at least a billion dollars.  However, this came after the young studs helped to lead the Mets to the World Series.  Since then, the value of some of these pitchers has likely diminished.  All of them dealt with injuries to some degree last season.  The real question the Mets need to ask themselves is who they want to sign to extensions in the near future, and who they will be willing to part with in trades or free agency.

Matt Harvey may be the least likely to land an extension with the Mets.  Despite the fact that he had a miserable 2016 due to the fact that he was pitching with thoracic outlet syndrome, he would still be likely to ask for a long and expensive contract.  Harvey will be the first of the young studs to be eligible for free agency, with his contract ending after the 2018 season.  Perhaps the biggest obstacle that the Mets would face if they were to try to re-sign him or give him an extension is Harvey’s agent, Scott Boras.  Boras is known to try to get his clients deals that would be considered by many to be valued much higher than what the player may deserve to get.  He also notoriously screwed the Mets over when he represented Oliver Perez and got him to re-sign with the Mets for a three-year, $36 million contract after the 2008 season.  Perez underperformed, showed less effort, and refused to be sent to the minors when he struggled in the majors.  The contract Boras got for Perez became a headache for the Mets organization.  Additionally, Boras is known to prefer that his clients opt to go for free agency rather than to sign extensions.  The few extensions signed by Boras clients include Jered Weaver’s 5-year, $85 million extension in 2011 (in which he went against the advice of Boras) and Stephen Strasburg’s 7-year, $175 million contract in 2016.  It wouldn’t surprise me if the Mets attempt to trade Harvey after the 2017 season in order to gain value back for a player they know they probably won’t be able to re-sign.

Zack Wheeler would become a free agent after the 2019 season.  He may be of the least value of the Mets starting rotation at the moment, mostly due to the fact that he hasn’t pitched in a major league game in September of 2014.  As a result of him being undervalued at the moment, the Mets may have a chance to lock him down long-term within the next few years.  Wheeler was at one point viewed by scouts to be better than Matt Harvey.  For him, he just has to be able to stay healthy and consistent.  2017 may be a very important season for Wheeler in order to prove himself as a talented major league pitcher.

Jacob DeGrom is scheduled to be a free agent following the 2020 season.  He, along with Noah Syndergaard , have been the most open to talking about contract extensions with the Mets.  Considering how many years DeGrom has left on his current contract, the Mets don’t seem to be in too much of a hurry to start talking extensions with him.  Injuries led to some poor performance for DeGrom in the 2016 season.  Despite this, DeGrom still had an ERA of 3.04, including tossing his first career complete game, a one-hit shutout against the Phillies.  It can be argued that DeGrom may have been the most affected by the World Series hangover, considering his velocity early in the season was lower than normal for him.  Regardless, he stands as the second ace of the talented rotation at this point, showing that he has been able to pitch well even when he doesn’t have his best stuff.  He has quietly become one of the best pitchers in baseball, and hopefully the Mets reward him soon with a long-term deal.

Noah Syndergaard, arguably the most talented of the rotation, is due to become a free agent following the 2021 season.  As it stands now, he is the guy that would likely get the ball on opening day.  Despite the health concern with him due to the fact that he is the only one in the rotation not to get Tommy John surgery, Syndergaard was the healthiest of the young starting pitchers in the 2016 season.  Despite being diagnosed with a small bone spur on his pitching arm, Syndergaard continued his stellar pitching, even earning the ball for the Wild Card game against the Giants.  Syndergaard showed in that game and in the 2015 postseason that he can be trusted to take the ball in big situations.  Despite the fact that the Mets lost the Wild Card game to the Giants, Syndergaard was able to match Madison Bumgarner, not allowing a hit until two outs in the 6th.  Syndergaard would end up allowing just two hits and three walks while striking out ten batters in seven shutout innings.  He has the potential to be the next Nolan Ryan.  The Mets hope that since Syndergaard is built like Ryan, maybe he can avoid needing Tommy John surgery like Ryan as well.  It’s no secret that Syndergaard enjoys being in New York.  Hopefully, the Mets can keep him in New York.  In my opinion, he is the one that the Mets can’t let get away from them more than anyone else.  There aren’t many pitchers with the talent and ability that Syndergaard has displayed.

Steven Matz, like Syndergaard, will be a free agent following the 2021 season.  Matz’s value has likely been lowered since the 2015 World Series, not due to his performance, but due to the fact that he has yet to be able to stay healthy.  Throughout his pitching career, Matz has dealt with several different injuries in his journey to the majors.  Matz started his 2016 season looking like he might take the Rookie of the Year award from Cory Seager.  Unfortunately, after a game in which he shut out the rival Nationals over 8 innings, Matz was  diagnosed with a large bone spur in his pitching arm that would require surgery at some point.  While Matz would try to pitch through the injury, he wasn’t as effective for the rest of the season.  After an August game in which he carried a no-hitter into the 8th inning against the Padres, Matz was unable to pitch for the rest of the season due to issues with his shoulder.  While the Mets still have plenty of time before they need to think about discussing a contract extension with Matz, one advantage that they may have is that Matz may be willing to take a slight home-town discount due to the fact that Matz was born and raised in Long Island and grew up a die-hard Mets fan.  He is living his boyhood dream right now as a stud pitcher for the Mets.  He just needs to stay healthy.

The Mets still have plenty of time before they need to worry about contract extension talks with most of these pitchers.  Unless they are willing to spend a lot of money, the odds are that the Mets won’t be able to keep one or two of these pitchers.  The Mets window to win is basically as long as these young starters are able to perform to what is expected of them while staying healthy.  The billion dollar rotation has the potential to win the Mets at least one World Series title.  We’ll see if they can prove their potential value come 2017.

10 of the Biggest Sports Moments of 2016: Part 1

Many would agree that 2016 has been a very difficult year.  From all the celebrity deaths to the U.S. presidential election, many people just can’t wait for the year to end.  But through this difficult year came many fascinating moments in the world of sports.  Here are 10 of many notable events that occurred in the world of sports in 2016.

#10: The Rio Olympics

Many were expecting the Olympic Games in Rio to be a disaster, given the troubles facing the country, from pollution in the water to the high crime rates to the fear of the spread of the Zika virus, many athletes were hesitant to participate.  The Olympics went surprisingly well (unless your name was Ryan Lochte).  Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt continued their utter dominance in their respective categories.  Phelps broke an Olympic record dating back over 2,000 years when he won his 13th individual Olympic medal, passing Leonidas of Rhodes for the most by any Olympian.  Leonidas won 12 individual Olympic medals from 164 B.C. to 152 B.C.

Ryan Lochte became one of the most hated Americans when he, along with some swimming teammates, vandalized a gas station bathroom after getting drunk.  He later claimed that he and his friends were robbed at gunpoint.  Shortly after this incident, he got on a plane and went back home to America.  While in America, it was revealed through security footage by the gas station that Lochte was lying.  Lochte’s teammates were detained while they were still in Rio.  Lochte’s lies and his abandonment of his teammates led to him being scorned by many in the world.

#9: A Cespedes for the Rest of us

When Yoenis Cespedes was traded to the Mets at the 2015 trade deadline, nobody would have expected him to carry the team as much as he did.  Cespedes ended up batting .287 while hitting 17 homers while driving in 44 runs in his two months with the Mets.  At one point, there was even talk of him being considered for the N.L. MVP despite the fact that he had only played two months in the N.L.  He quickly became a fan favorite thanks to his clutch hits and ability to perform under the bright lights of New York.  While many Mets fans wanted him back for 2016, the ownership and management didn’t expect to get him.  Luckily for them, Cespedes fell into their laps late in the offseason.  The Mets signed him to a 3 year, $75 million contract with an opt-out after the first year.  Cespedes continued to entertain Mets fans.  In spring training, he made daily headlines thanks to his tricked out rides that he would take to the field.  At one point, he and Noah Syndergaard even rode Cespedes’s horses around the spring training facility.  When the season began, Cespedes was able to prove to fans as well as players around the league that he wasn’t a one-trick pony, batting .280 while hitting 31 homers and driving in 86.  Cespedes was rewarded by the Mets this offseason with a four year, $110 million contract, with a no-trade clause.  Ceaspedes will be sticking around in Flushing for quite awhile.

 

#8: The Rise Of Lugo and Gsellman

Nobody doubted that the Mets starting rotation entering the 2016 season was one of the best, if not, the best in the MLB.  The Mets had Matt Harvey, Jacob DeGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz, and Bartolo Colon, with Zack Wheeler scheduled to return around July.  Unfortunately, the Mets 2015 run to the World Series appeared to have a hangover effect on many of the pitchers.  Harvey struggled in 2016 before being diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome in July.  His season ended when he elected for surgery to fix it shortly after the diagnosis.  Syndergaard and Matz were both diagnosed with bone spurs in their pitching arms, with Matz’s being large and requiring surgery at the end of the season.  While Syndergaard was able to pitch through the season with little to no effect on him from the bone spur, Matz struggled to pitch as well as he did before the diagnosis, as well as to stay healthy.  Matz was eventually shut down in late September.  DeGrom had issues with his velocity early in the season.  While he eventually recovered from this, he was eventually shut down in September when he needed surgery to repair an ulnar nerve.  The 43 year old Colon would end up being the healthiest and most consistent of the Mets starting rotation in 2016.

Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman were eventually brought on to try to replace Harvey and Matz.  From the moment that they joined the rotation, they shined brightly.  Many fans had not even heard of these two pitchers before they were brought in as reinforcements.  Gsellman ended up going 4-2 with a 2.42 ERA while Lugo went 5-1 with a 2.68 ERA since joining the starting rotation.  Both pitchers were key reasons as to why the Mets clinched a playoff birth for a second straight season for only the second time in franchise history despite all of the injuries that the team suffered.

#7: The Sanchize?

Gary Sanchez burst onto the scene with the New York Yankees in 2016 after making his season debut with them in early August.  In 53 games, Sanchez batted .299 with 20 homers and 42 runs batted in.  He tied Wally Berger as the fastest player to hit 20 homers to begin his career, at just 50 MLB appearances.  Yankees fans consider him a catalyst for the upcoming youth movement for the franchise.  The fans and organization hopes that Sanzhez will continue his strong play in 2017, and that some of the other top prospects in the organization can show promise just as Sanchez did in 2016.

 

#6: The Farewell Tours of Kobe and Big Papi

2016 saw the end of an era in Los Angeles and Boston.  Kobe Bryant announced that his 20th season in the NBA, all of which were with the Lakers, would be his last.  Bryant won 5 NBA championships as a member of the Lakers, winning MVP in 2 of the finals.  He was an 18 time NBA all star, including 4 all star game MVP awards.  He won the 2008 NBA MVP award.  Throughout the 2015-16 NBA season, he was greeted cheerfully by opposing players and fans in opposing arenas.  Kobe added to his hall of fame career in his final game when he led the Lakers to a victory over the Utah Jazz by scoring 60 points in the Staples Center in Los Angeles.  He ended his career with one last legendary performance, cemented his status as one of the greatest to ever play the game.

Shortly before the start of the 2016 baseball season, Red Sox star David Ortiz said that this would be his final season.  He then went on to have one of the greatest final seasons by an athlete.  Ortiz batted .315, hitting 38 homers, and leading the league in doubles with 48, runs batted in with 127, slugging percentage at .620, and OPS at 1.021.

In his 14 seasons as a member of the Boston Red Sox, Ortiz was a 10 time all star, 7 time silver slugger award winner, and 3 time World Series Champion, winning World Series MVP in 2013.  Ortiz played a critical role in ending the curse of the Bambino in 2004 when he led the Red Sox to a comeback to beat the Yankees after trailing them 3 games to none in the ALCS.  Ortiz hit the walk-off homer in the 12th inning of game 4 that extended the series, and hit a walk-off single in the 14th inning of game 5.  In the 2004 ALCS, Ortiz became the first DH to win the ALCS MVP award, batting .387 with 3 homers and 11 runs batted in.

Ortiz became the face of the Red Sox franchise in his years there.  It was only fitting that he give a powerful speech in the first Red Sox game at Fenway Park following the Boston Marathon bombings in 2013.  He concluded his speech as any Bostonian would- by swearing like a sailor.  He told the fans “This is our fucking city, and no one is going to dictate our freedom.  Stay strong.”  Ortiz and the Red Sox would face off against the Detroit Tigers in the 2013 ALCS.  Ortiz had another dramatic moment in him when he stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and two out in the bottom of the 8th inning of game 2, representing the tying run.  Ortiz belted a game-tying grand slam homer that was just out of reach of the leaping Torii Hunter in right field.  The image of the ball landing in the bullpen and the raised hands and joyous expression of a Boston police officer in the bullpen became very iconic for the city of Boston.  The Red Sox would go on to win the game, and later, the series against the Tigers, before beating the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series.

David Ortiz established himself as one of the most clutch hitters in postseason history.  He finished his career with a .289 batting average in the playoffs (including a .455 average in 59 plate appearances in the World Series), with 17 homers and 61 runs batted in during the playoffs.  He transformed the Red Sox from a team that was cursed into one of the most dominant franchises of the 21st century.

 

 

Stay tuned tomorrow for the rest of this list.