N.Y. Mets: When Trade Deadline Strategy Meets Myth

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

One of two scenarios must first play out before the Mets make any decisions regarding this month's upcoming trade deadline.

1. They either continue playing subpar ball and end up pitching a tent at the sellers market.  
2. Or via some dramatic turnaround creep a few games above .500 and potentially become buyers.  

However, the likelihood of the latter occurring is slim to none.  They are now 13 games out of first, and way behind the Wild Card pack.  In fact, the Mets now own the National League's second worst record to date, only 5.5 games better than the moribund Marlins.  With Friday's 2-7 loss against the Phillies the Mets fall ten games under .500 (39-49) for the season.  They need to post a 14-4 (.778) record over their next 18 games in order to wake up on trade deadline day with a par 53-53 record.

Good luck with that ...

In the meantime, nothing changes.  The Mets are 2-8 over their last ten.  They are faced with their 42nd save opportunity Friday evening against the Phillies, and for the 22nd time this season blow it up like a Grucci fireworks show.  SNY booth said Mets relievers have now yielded 35 earned runs over their last 35 innings pitched.  So far they've handed the ball to 24 different relievers this season.  And therein lies the biggest reasons why the Mets find themselves toiling in the second division.

The question which begs asking: is the New York Mets 2019 season salvageable?  If they stop blowing more than half their saves, maybe.  Otherwise, my answer is an emphatic no.  This is a poorly constructed roster and the results bear this out.

Wilson Ramos, defensively speaking, is proving a liability behind the plate.  It's mid-season and Mets pitchers are lobbying in favor of Tomas Nido.  Second base is an issue because of among other things Robinson Cano's lack of production, and because an unproductive Cano prevents Jeff McNeil from settling into a regular position.  For what ever reason the position of shortstop presents Amed Rosario more problems than a math book.  The club may need to rethink Rosario all together.  Shifting him to center field is not the answer; in fact it strikes me as downright stupid.  In defense of the Mets, they could never have anticipated this level of MLB grade incompetency.  However, third base is an intriguing situation.  As @MetsDaddy2013 points out on our recent podcast due to Todd Frazier's expiring contract Cano can shift over to third providing McNeil well deserved regularity at second.

Like Keon Broxton and Rajai Davis, Carlos Gomez is the most recent outfield reinforcement to don a Mets uniform and fail.  Now Brodie Vann Wagenen seems to think Aaron Altherr, claimed off waivers in May from the San Francisco Giants, is the next potential stepping stone towards Amazin' days ahead.  In the meantime, Brandon Nimmo remains unavailable, and Juan Lagares has gone missing.

What the Mets do have going for them is Michael Conforto, whom is arguably underachieving; they have a dynamic tandem of Jeff McNeil and Pete Alonso; and a reinvested Dom Smith whom is hitting and fielding a new position with commendable efficiency.  And after Jacob deGrom the Mets feature a starting rotation of pitchers whom have yet to distinguish themselves.

The next question which begs asking is do the Mets have the organizational temerity to sell off popular assets?

Brodie Van Wagenen's options are three:

• Blow it up.
• Status quo.
• Enhance the team.

If he blows it up, he's admitting to a failed and false narrative.  Outside of playing the old player three-card-monte, the only practical way of enhancing the team involves extracting money from the Wilpons which recent history says is highly unlikely.  That leaves us with status quo.