EXPECTATIONS FOR 18: Rafael Montero

[Edgy MD]

I'm, like, the most popular Met ever. I check my name on #MetsTwitter and you know what I see? TRENDING! I hear talk of trades and I'm still here. POPULAR

Even in other teams' parks I cause a fuss. We played St. Louis and I heard everyone buzzing, "Is that Molina? WHERE'S Molina?"

But am I starter or am I a reliever? And am I gonna stick, because I came up on the same day as Jacob deGrom, and he's got like 100 career wins and I'm still trying to figure it out.

Will I figure it out in 2018? Because this sizzling popularity is only going to get me so far.

[fimg=326:w0q0pczi]http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1812534.1401563033!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_970/monteroweb1s-1-web.jpg[/fimg:w0q0pczi] [fimg=374:w0q0pczi]http://www1.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Rafael+Montero+1Sgf9OCOKfmm.jpg[/fimg:w0q0pczi]
[fimg=342:w0q0pczi]http://metsmerizedonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/USATSI_9523896_154511658_lowres-e1487869790364.jpg[/fimg:w0q0pczi] [fimg=358:w0q0pczi]https://d3d2maoophos6y.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/05113028/296082614059_Braves_at_Mets.jpg[/fimg:w0q0pczi]

Good morning, good afternoon, and good night!

[youtube:w0q0pczi]8v5OW0uBkz0[/youtube:w0q0pczi]

[MFS62]

My kid will finally put it together and win the Schaefer Award this year.
He will be the Terry Leach of the 2018 Mets, dazzling us when nobody expected it.
Later

[A Boy Named Seo]

I think he's amongst the last cuts this spring, but does not clear waivers. He gets claimed by the Rockies and pitches with an Anthony Young-like mix of brilliance and frustration, finishing the year with an ERA of 4.65, but tantalizing the Rox when he throws a 2-hit shutout in August. He will throw a freak no-hitter in 2020 for the Orioles! The Mets will re-aquire him in 2022! He will quietly retire in 2023. Good night, sweet prince

[Edgy MD]

Longterm expectations! Good for you!

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

ABNS' outlook sounds astonishingly plausible to these ears.

I think he survives for a month and a half, starting reasonably well-- mid-3s ERA, decent GB/K numbers-- in relief, then getting blown up in a pair of May spot starts for Matz. DFA before getting claimed by Pittsburgh or Seattle.

[A Boy Named Seo]

Or maybe he tears his UCL and has to get Tommy John surgery...

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I predict he pitches like shit for awhile then it's revealed he has an elbow injury.

[smg58]

Ugh. I've always felt he's never been healthy enough for long enough to really show what he's got at this level. A full UCL tear won't help him any in that regard. I wasn't ready to give up on him, and I guess I'm still not, but I can't see him taking a spot on the 40 over the next offseason if he's still months away.

[Guest d'Kong76]

I'm falling behind but I'll mark him off my list - nothing Metly in 2018.

[Lefty Specialist]

Every time you think, 'that's it, Montero is toast, we'll never see him again', something happens. So this means he'll at least technically be a Met until mid-2019.

[Ceetar]

Lefty Specialist wrote: Every time you think, 'that's it, Montero is toast, we'll never see him again', something happens. So this means he'll at least technically be a Met until mid-2019.

Well, he's under control through 2021 and he's probably done for 2019 too, given the 18 month timeline that's become the standard. Wheeler basically didn't come back for two years after spring Tommy John.

I wonder if they DFA him in 2019 and try to remove him from the 40 man? would anyone claim him?

[Edgy MD]

None of us got that TJS prediction in under the wire, though.

[MFS62]

A Boy Named Seo wrote: Or maybe he tears his UCL and has to get Tommy John surgery...

So sad.
Come back home, kid.
Mom's chicken soup will heal 'ya.

Later

[Benjamin Grimm]

I hope you didn't bet too much money down on him winning that Schaefer award!

[MFS62]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I hope you didn't bet too much money down on him winning that Schaefer award!

Nahhh. It was 100-1, so I didn't bet much.

Later

[Centerfield]

What was that year he said he was hurt all year and the Mets told him to toughen up? You wonder what really happened.

Would be something if he was just hurt this whole time and came back throwing awesome.