Worries Here

[Edgy MD]

The Mets have depth. The Mets' depth has depth. They are four deep at catcher and six deep or so at every other position.

That is, except shortstop. They have two shortstops, and one of them is a guy you'd rather see at second or third. Their de facto third shortstop is Eric Campbell, and if he is in the game over there, something has gone very wrong, and something else very wrong might soon follow. And in fact, if he makes the post-season roster, not a few things have gone startlingly wrong. So, this is how they've mostly gotten through the season, and this is how they intend to make it through the post-season � assuming there is one.

But wait, there's more. In order to beef up their roster, the Mets had to add the two remaining shortstop-first players on their roster to the 60-day DL. So Danny Muno and Wilfredo Tovar are ineligible to be activated in any emergencies that might happen over the next 20 games. If the Mets find a sudden need for a shortstop, some crazy roster machinations will have to take place in order for them to activate Matt Reynolds (probably) and his zero games of MLB experience. Reynolds or whoever might end up making his big league debut in the post-season. Like Matt Kiger.

I'm trying to see all the angles here. And Sandy, God bless him, has most every angle covered with redundancy. Except at shortstop.

Worrying won't help. But I worry.

[dinosaur jesus]

Uribe? Or does that thought just add to your worries?

That would be kind of like when Paul Molitor hadn't played third base for about for years, and suddenly had to play it in the World Series.

[Benjamin Grimm]

David Wright has appeared at shortstop a few times. And maybe Kelly Johnson can play there in a pinch?

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Frankly, I was a little shocked they didn't bring up Reynolds for this very reason, if only for a little major-league-pitching footwetting.

[Elster88]

Kurt Abbott

[RealityChuck]

Don't worry. Just look up Mickey Stanley in 1968.

So there's always Lagares.

[Ceetar]

RealityChuck wrote: Don't worry. Just look up Mickey Stanley in 1968. So there's always Lagares.

and deGrom.

Flores and Tejada are both pretty healthy guys. Granted anything can happen, but in a crazy emergency you put Uribe there or activate Uribe if he's a healthy cut.

[Farmer Ted]

Bor-Dick.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Bartolo can play emergency SS, because there's nothing
that Bartolo can't do!

[Chad ochoseis]

I worry about what Megdal is going to do now that he's out of material.

[Lefty Specialist]

Shortstop depth chart:

Flores
Tejada
Uribe
Johnson
Wright
deGrom

Six deep. No worries.

[Edgy MD]

Uribe? Or does that thought just add to your worries?

Is Uribe at short with a post-season game on the line a palatable thought to you? I imagine not!
(And just now a double-play ball goes through the wickets of Uribe at third.)

That would be kind of like when Paul Molitor hadn't played third base for about for years, and suddenly had to play it in the World Series.

Except far worse. Molitor was twice the athlete Uribe is now. And it's not like he ever played himself off the position. He was moved to DH because of a propensity for getting injured. And third ain't short.

David Wright has appeared at shortstop a few times. And maybe Kelly Johnson can play there in a pinch?

No, no, no! Worrisome!

Shortstop depth chart: Flores Tejada Uribe Johnson Wright deGrom Six deep. No worries.

Six deep... or deep six!

[Edgy MD]

RealityChuck wrote: Don't worry. Just look up Mickey Stanley in 1968. So there's always Lagares.

Not my ideal model!

[Edgy MD]

Turns out I was wrong about Muno. He wasn't 60-Day'd but rather removed from the roster entirely. I suppose that makes him just as eligible as Reynolds if an emergency should arise. /notsoworriedanymore

[Edgy MD]

Here's a worry...

Finishing the season against teams dragging their asses across the finish line seemed an advantage a month and a half ago. And indeed it is, as the Mets currently blow the Nats out of the water.

But is competition against teams who've frequently traded away their best parts, and are now dragging their asses to the end of the season with lineups populated by the too-young and the too-old, like the Germans at the end of World War II... does it have the effect of softening the Mets before the big battle instead of hardening them?

In this spirit, the Yankees will be an important test, no? I guess that's why they want to throw Harvey then.

[Gwreck]

Yes.

Most important games played against the Yankees since...well, you know.

[Gwreck]

Should we worry about our starting pitching?
I don't actually worry much about Harvey. I bet the rest will do him good.

But deGrom and Syndergaard are reaching the point where they're throwing more innings in a season than they've ever thrown before. deGrom's ERA is up 0.65 from a month ago. Syndergaard has those starts where he throws 90+ pitches through 5 innings and then is done.

The offense has bailed out the team a few times now against crappy teams but are they going to be able to do that in the postseason? If we don't have deGromination from our starters, are we looking at a first-round exit?

[/irrational panic]

[duan]

you have to start worrying about DeGrom a bit. I didn't see last night past the 2nd inning so I don't know whether it looked like he was unlucky or whether he was getting knocked around, but you have to think he's getting gassed.
I didn't understand not calling up Dillon Gee, roster wise Johnny Monell has had ONE at bat. Dillon Gee could have been on tap to be a tandem starter to De Grom or even to replace him for a turn through the 6 man rotation. Now we're left with a situation where all of our pitchers are question marks of one form or another and despite all the callups we've got Familia and Clipard still looking a bit overused

[Benjamin Grimm]

Yeah, the starting pitching hasn't been strong lately, especially the last two outings of deGrom and Harvey.

How's this for an idea? Switch to a five-man rotation of Niese, Colon, Matz, Verrett, and Stauffer. In that last series against Washington you can then give deGrom, Harvey, and Syndergaard each one tune-up start.

[TransMonk]

deGrom looks tired. He's either over-throwing or missing in a lot of cases. I won't really panic until we see how he fares after his next start gets pushed back or skipped. The season-long fatigue of our top 3 pitchers was my biggest worry over a month ago when it was becoming more evident that the Mets were probably going to make the postseason.

As for Gee, that bridge has been burned from both ends. It is more likely no longer a matter of his ability but of the bad blood between him and the club. I'm sure he's pissed over how he has been handled over the past nine months and, from what I understand, he has internally voiced his pissiness, about which the team is pissed. I don't see Gee pitching for the Mets again.

New-ish worry: Is Lucas Duda ever going to start contributing again?

[seawolf17]

None. Zero worries.

WE'VE GOT THIS.

YA. GOTTA. BELIEVE.

[Gwreck]

TransMonk wrote: I'm sure he's pissed over how he has been handled over the past nine months and, from what I understand, he has internally voiced his pissiness, about which the team is pissed.

I suppose we don't have full details (specifically because Gee didn't air his complaints publicly) but this sort of thing just makes me mad at the Mets. They could use Gee; they obviously could have added him to the roster; they chose not to.

Gee didn't complain to the press, which I suppose is why we only have vague reports that he voiced his complaints "internally." Call me crazy, but that's exactly what a disgruntled employee is supposed to do (rather than, say, complaining publicly).

[Ceetar]

I've got the pitcher fatigue and Duda's little funk after getting so hot and Murphy's still hurt leg with pins in them to be worried about in a few weeks if they don't resolve, so much time to resolve.

I do suspect, if random shut-downs and too much rest don't lull them into more fatigue, that the pitchers will all get a second wind, particularly as the idea of the playoffs really starts to sink in.

[nymr83]

The Mets are treating the 2nd half of September like its Extended Spring Training. FUCK YEAH!! quit worrying!

[Ceetar]

Nymr83 wrote: The Mets are treating the 2nd half of September like its Extended Spring Training. FUCK YEAH!! quit worrying!

And they came out of Spring Training 14-3 this year!

[Lefty Specialist]

deGrom could use a few extra days of rest before his next start. He's simply not sharp right now. It's certainly doable.

Syndergaard looked dynamite after skipping a turn. Playoff schedule will help him.

Harvey, they're piggybacking Verrett. It'll be interesting to see how that goes with a real major league team like the Yankees as the opposition.

Colon, no inning or eating limits. Matz just needs work to round into form (hopefully not Bartolo's form).

Duda, unless there's another injury, you have to keep running him out there so he can get his timing back.

Wright looks like he might be getting his stroke back. Spot starts for Uribe every few games and he'll be fine.

Wilmer/Tejada/Johnson rotation seems to be working, as does the Conforto/Cespedes/Lagares rotation.

Coach Cuddy available to back up first and spell Grandy against the occasional lefty.

There's no real LOOGY in the pen, which is a concern. O'Farterty not doing it. Alvarez hurt. Gilmartin not suited to the role. But if that's the biggest problem they have I can live with it. Worry-meter set to minimal.

[dgwphotography]

Worries? They've far surpassed anything I could have hoped for. They're playing with house money as far as I'm concerned.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I definitely understand that sentiment. But I'd still hate to see the Mets have an 0 and 3 postseason.

[Lefty Specialist]

Yeah, while it's house money, I'd like to see at least one series victory, just to prove they belonged.

[dgwphotography]

I want them to win the whole thing. I just won't be too upset if they don't