Sunday, June 26, 2016

Mets Demote Michael Conforto, Promote Brandon Nimmo


I love Conforto, seems to be a great guy, plenty of potential, had a very nice 2015, got off to a great start this season and who didn't love that throw he made the other day to throw out Emilio Bonifacio in Atlanta for an inning-ending DP? But damn, if Confronto hasn't been slumping at the plate lately, especially against left-hand pitching. And you can't just bench him. So sending him down and giving him consistent at-bats in the minors so he can hopefully work out his issues and come back later, while giving Brandon Nimmo a shot definitely seems like the wise move right now.

Saturday, June 25, 2016

I Don't Want Jose Reyes Playing in the Outfield


So the Mets put a stop to all the rumors and speculation and finally sign Jose Reyes and now we gotta hear about the possibility of them turning Reyes into a jack-of-all-trades, including possibly playing in the outfield?!? Can Reyes learn how to play 3rd base (a position he's never played before either) first? Then too, recalling the Daniel Murphy and Todd Hundley disastrous turn's in the outfield, can the Mets please put a stop to this infielder-to-outfielder experimentation? If heproves capable, then let Reyes hit leadoff and play 3rd and keep it moving. After all, we're supposed to learn from our past mistakes, not repeat them.

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Lineup-wise, Jose Reyes Just Isn't A Good Fit For Mets


I honestly don't care about the domestic violence charge. The guy screwed up and paid the price with his suspension--is he not entitled to a second chance in a professional sports world where athletes have done far worse and been given second chances? I think Reyes would be highly motivated to comeback and play for the Mets and Lord knows that we could use his speed. But where exactly is he gonna play? Asdrubal Cabrera and Neil Walked have made for tremendous tandem, offensively and defensively for the Mets. Wilmer Flores is hitting and playing pretty well at 3rd since David Wright went down. And Walked hasn't played 3rd base in like 6 years. So yeah, Reyes costing a penny and coming back to the Mets is certainly intriguing, but you're not bringing him back to come off the bench and be a pinch-runner.

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Mets Should Definitely Have A Tom Seaver Statue Outside Citi Field


Yet another example of the ineptness of the Wilpon's when it comes to public relations and team history. I mean, this is a no-brainer that only Fred and Jeff could turn into an issue. Hall of Famer. Best player to ever put on a Mets uniform. The Franchise. 3 Cy Young's. 1969. Do the right thing and give the G.O.A.T. a statue already.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Cuban Slugger Yulieski Gourriel To Privately Work Out For Mets


ESPN.com:
NEW YORK -- Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said team officials plan to work out Cuban defector Yulieski Gourriel, who has been declared a free agent by Major League Baseball.

ESPN's Jim Bowden reports that the Los Angeles Angels, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees and Houston Astros also are interested in the 32-year-old infielder. The Mets have lost David Wright, potentially for the season and beyond, after the captain underwent a discectomy and fusion to address a herniated disk in his neck on Thursday.

"We're going to do our due diligence on that player," Alderson said Tuesday about Gourriel. "So we've made arrangements to do that. At the same time, this player hasn't seen live pitching for weeks if not months. It's not clear how long a player in that situation would take to be ready. And, of course, there is the investment and all the other issues -- and making an evaluation currently of the player based on workouts and not game competition. But we're going to go through that process."

The Mets have not participated in the market for players directly from Cuba during Alderson's six-year tenure as general manager, but the team is now getting more serious about that route.
The Mets need another big bopper in the starting lineup....badly. I say that if Gourriel is in shape and can hit major league pitching, you have to sign him.

Sunday, June 19, 2016

Mets Swept By Braves, Fall To 3rd Place, 6.5 Games Behind Nationals


No expects you to win every game and go 19-0 against the pitiful Braves, but getting swept bt ATL at home? There's just no excuse for that. Then too, you can't pin this hitting slump on Wilmer Flores or James Loney, who've both played really well since becoming fixtures in the starting lineup. Hell, even Curtis Granderson's finally come around and hitting like he should of late. The starting pitching has been fine, but the relief needs a tuneup, namely Antonio Bastardo and Hansel Robles. And let's face it: Michael Conforto just can not hit left-hand pitching. The All-break isn't here and they're only 6.5 games out, but if sending Conforto down to the minors and giving Brandon Nimmo a shot can help turn things around and boost the lineup then I'm all for it. Travis D'Arnaud is coming back next week, but with his track record, it's only a matter of time before he gets injured again. Still, with a series against the Nats soon coming up and Zack Wheeler's impending return getting closer and closer, I wouldn't panic or look to make a big trade just yet as the Braves sweep could just be an aberration.

Thursday, June 16, 2016

David Wright To Have Neck Surgery, Could End His Season



Great guy, hard worker, great Met and the team captain. But spinal stenosis and now a neck injury/surgery, in addition to looking like he's on the downside of his career anyway...just equates to the idea that chances are likely that it might be best for Wright to put his long-term health first and retire after the season.

Friday, June 10, 2016

Is Carlos Beltran a Hall of Famer?


What with Carlos Beltran being 39 and currently leading the Yankees in home runs, there's been some talk lately on whether or not he's a Hall of Famer. Looking over at his career stats, I granted Beltran with about 10 HOF seasons entering 2016. And he's had a couple of great postseasons (one with Houston in 2004 and the other with St. Louis in 2012), but unless he does something incredible with the Yankees before his career is over, unfortunately he'll be remembered mostly for this moment to us Met fans. But he's also an 8-time All-Star, won a Rookie of the Year, has 3 Gold Gloves and finished in the Top 10 in MVP voting twice. I don't like that Beltran's been on so many teams (6) and he's never struck me as a 'great' player (more like 'pretty good'). So all in all, I'd say that Beltran is a borderline HOF'er.