Back Up The Truck?

[seawolf17]

So -- it's the end of May, and we're nine back of Washington and eight back in the Wild Card race. Some end-of-season-FAs that might be appealing to a contender, maybe, if we hide some lines on the back of their baseball cards:

Bruce (FA)
Granderson (FA)
Reyes (FA)
Cabrera ($2M buyout/$8.5M option)
Walker (FA)
Reed (FA)
Duda (FA)
Blevins ($1M buyout/$7M option)
Salas (FA)
Rene Rivera (FA)

plus a bunch of arb-eligibles like Harvey/deGrom/Flores/d'Arnaud.

Do you back up the truck, have a fire sale, and restock?

[Benjamin Grimm]

Maybe in late July, but not now.

[Frayed Knot]

Too early to decide.

[Guest themetfairy]

I'd keep Duda.

I can live with selling the rest.

[Centerfield]

Love to hear the pitch on Blevins.

LEFTY AVAILABLE. ALREADY PITCHED A SEASON'S WORTH IN 4 MONTHS BUT I'M SURE HE'S GOT SOMETHING LEFT IN THE TANK. JUST DON'T TALK TO THE MFY'S ABOUT PEDRO FELICIANO. TOP 5 PROSPECT OBO.

[Centerfield]

But on a more serious note, yes, you wait until the end of July, and then you also factor in:

1. If we've had any other soul-crushing injuries
2. How are our starters looking (has Harvey bounced back? deGrom still inconsistent)? Etc.
3. Prognosis on Noah and Familia

If we are within 5 games, and Noah and Familia are on the road back, I think you have to go for it.

Which doesn't mean you can't still sell off a few pieces. Bruce/Granderson are expendable if the rest of the OF is healthy. And if we call up Rosario or Smith, that can mean you sell on Cabrera or Duda. I would keep Duda, but I guess the Mets have to listen to offers.

[Lefty Specialist]

Too early to back up the truck, but the driver is in the cab and about to turn on the ignition.

I think there'll be some takers on Reyes. He's dirt-cheap, for one thing.

[MFS62]

I'm not sure you can deal someone on the DL(i.e.- Matz, Cespedes) , but if you want to pull the trigger now (no PTBNLs), other than Rosario and Smith, you'd have to pry Conforto, DeGrom, Wilmer and TJ from my cold, dead fingers.
Everyone else is negotiable.
Later

[Ceetar]

You can't punt when you are so much in control yet.

But the Mets are likely to pull a big twist this year, and if the pitching can stay healthy and round out, they'll actually be pretty fine.

Granderson, Bruce, Reyes, Flores, TJ Rivera, Cabrera, Walker. You could move most of these with almost no problem (Barring injury obviously) You pick up some other pieces here and there that work out, you play Lagares and Rosario and you've suddenly got a not horrible defensive team that's both scoring runs and pitching.

Big roster shake up is coming without punting. the playoff team is going to barely resemble the opening day one.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Do nothing, heal and hope.
Note to self: bump this thread after 4th of July...

[Methead]

Lefty Specialist wrote: Too early to back up the truck, but the driver is in the cab and about to turn on the ignition.

He'll just hurt his wrist doing that. Better to wait til our minor league truck drivers have had more seasoning.

[Lefty Specialist]

Days like today don't help with truck maintenance.

[Edgy MD]

Centerfield wrote: Love to hear the pitch on Blevins. LEFTY AVAILABLE. ALREADY PITCHED A SEASON'S WORTH IN 4 MONTHS BUT I'M SURE HE'S GOT SOMETHING LEFT IN THE TANK. JUST DON'T TALK TO THE MFY'S ABOUT PEDRO FELICIANO. TOP 5 PROSPECT OBO.

With any luck, it'll be the Yankees making the best bid.

[ashie62]

We should know what to do or not do by about mid-July.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

I remember when this season looked promising. Then they actually started the season and it didn't take long for the season to start unraveling.

If the team is still struggling to reach .500 at the All Star Break, then I say it's time to unload many of the veterans, assuming anyone wants them.

[ashie62]

I agree.

[RealityChuck]

One of the scary things about that list is that it includes seven of the nine players in the opening day lineup.

Even if the team wins the World Series this year, they're going to be decimated in the offseason. The only one they can definitely bring back is Cabrera, but are they willing to pay him that much with Rosario in the wings?

Reyes is an interesting case. He's probably going to have to take a massive pay cut no matter where he goes, but if the Mets sign him, they're going to be giving him a big raise (from their point of view).

Unless things turn around quickly, I'm seeing a fire sale.

[Benjamin Grimm]

RealityChuck wrote: Even if the team wins the World Series this year, they're going to be decimated in the offseason.

I agree.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Ceetar wrote: Big roster shake up is coming without punting. the playoff team is going to barely resemble the opening day one.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think I'm TeamCee on this. I'm not sure the playoffs actually happen, but I think a shakeup AND correction are both in the offing.

[Centerfield]

Fuck this team. Trade everyone and fire Terry.

[Guest d'Kong76]

As hard as it is to watch games like this, I have to think they have
a small run or two in them with some other teams losing to make it
interesting come mid-July.

What's the GB over-under on 7/15 to mail it in I guess is my question
tonight... aggravated-over-current suckitude aside?

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

I'm waiting for them to get to .500 for the season, before I begin worrying about potentially earning a wild card spot. It's not just that the Mets are 9 games back in the wild card standings, but there are 6 teams in front of them.

[Lefty Specialist]

(Beep.......beep.......beep.......)

[Centerfield]

Lefty Specialist wrote: (Beep.......beep.......beep.......)

Yeah. I get the feeling that there is going to be no turnaround. This year pretty much sucks. Of course, anything can happen, but I think I've moved on from getting frustrated that it isn't happening, to expecting nothing from this season and will be pleasantly surprised if they make a run.

I wonder when this happened in other disappointing years. 1993. 2002. Probably around this time I would guess.

[Ceetar]

d'Kong76 wrote: As hard as it is to watch games like this, I have to think they have a small run or two in them with some other teams losing to make it interesting come mid-July. What's the GB over-under on 7/15 to mail it in I guess is my question tonight... aggravated-over-current suckitude aside?

I'm gonna say 8.5. 6 head to head +1 game per month puts it at about 8.5.


I do think this team is going to have a solid second half, but they seem to be digging themselves a nice pit where it'd have to be more than solid. Like Thor and David Wright healthy solid.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Hard for me to imagine Wright providing all-star quality solidness and it will
have to come from elsewhere. I thought Bruce was back, but fizzled...

[seawolf17]

Let 'em go, Sandy. Get something of good value for them and set the market.

[Ceetar]

d'Kong76 wrote: Hard for me to imagine Wright providing all-star quality solidness and it will have to come from elsewhere. I thought Bruce was back, but fizzled...

Bruce is garbage and has always been garbage. They need to stop punting defense.

[Frayed Knot]

I've had no issues with Bruce's defense. He's not been great but he's been fine.

[Ceetar]

he's poised to have the least bad season he's had since 2013 but I can't help but wonder if some of that is favorable park factors