Who should be the next Mets manager?

Author: Frank Caggino

Editor: Fran Attie

After the New York Mets finished the season with a losing record, some changes had to be made. The first one, was deciding not to bring back Luis Rojas. This does not come as a surprise, as Rojas made several mistakes during the past two seasons. Whether it was his use of pinch hitters, pitching decisions or his conservative mentality, it was clear he should not be the manager anymore. Firing Rojas will not automatically make the Mets a playoff team, because they still have to select a new manager. Unfortunately, there is no obvious selection for who the next manager should be. There are multiple candidates available that all have positives and negatives.

The person that many Mets fans want to be the next manager is Carlos Beltran, even though he did not get to manage a single game. He was the manager that Luis Rojas took over from. Beltran was one of the managers that got punished due to the Astros stealing signs scandal. The other managers that lost their jobs were A.J. Hinch and Alex Cora, who are both managing again. Beltran does have some good qualities, and he was a player in New York for several years, which will help him relate to the players. If the Mets retain Javier Baez, Beltran can hopefully get Baez to be the player he was in September on a relatively consistent basis. The problem with Beltran, is he would be the third straight rookie manager that the Mets have hired. The main issue with a rookie manager is they are very unpredictable. Carlos Beltran can be a solid manager, but he also could be a subpar manager, since he is inexperienced. The Mets are not in a position to be taking another risk with the manager, which is why Beltran is not a good fit.

In an ideal world, Bob Melvin would be the next manager of the New York Mets. He is much more experienced than the previous two managers. His teams usually finish with better records than the Mets, despite having a lower payroll. Melvin’s managing mentality is different than Luis Rojas’ since he is more aggressive when it comes to stealing bases. Melvin managed this year’s stolen base leader Starling Marte, who stole more bases in Oakland despite playing more games in Miami. The Mets did not attempt to steal enough bases despite having players such as Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, Javier Baez, and Jonathan Villar. The problem is that Melvin is still under contract and the Mets would have to perform a trade in order to acquire Melvin. Manager trades are rare which makes it unlikely that Melvin will be the Mets manager.

A name that is intriguing is Miguel Cairo. Cairo has a very similar resumé to Red Sox manager Alex Cora. Cora and Cairo were both utility players that played for several teams and were active players as recently as 2011. Miguel Cairo played for the Mets and Yankees which gives him some familiarity with New York. Cora was a rookie manager when the Red Sox hired him, but he was a bench coach for the Houston Astros the year before. Cairo is currently the White Sox bench coach and is learning under Tony La Russa. Cairo would be a rookie manager but at least he will have some coaching experience.

Other names that the Mets can consider are Ron Washington, who has plenty of managing experience and Joe Espada who has never managed, but has been a coach since 2010. The other issue that the Mets might run into, is the front office positions that still have to be filled. The new president of baseball operations might not want the same manager that Sandy Alderson does. The present of baseball operations should be the one that makes the decision, since this could be Sandy Alderson’s last year with the Mets.

The New York Mets have a lot of important decisions to be made and now all we can do is hope that the decisions they make will help this team finally become a sustained winner.

SPORTS ARE OUR UNIVERSE

The Mets Need a Center Fielder

Author: Frank Caggino

Editor: Brian Symons

The month of May has been a challenging one for the Mets with all of the injuries they have suffered. The position that has the most injuries, is the outfield and in particular centerfield. New York’s starting center fielder Brandon Nimmo has been out for weeks and it is not clear when he will return. When Nimmo was playing rehab games, he suffered a setback. Other center field options have suffered unfortunate injuries such as Kevin Pillar getting hit in the face with a pitch. Albert Almora and Johneshwy Fargas got hurt running into the outfield wall on separate occasions. The Mets made a move for a center fielder by acquiring Cameron Maybin, who still has not gotten a hit yet. Center field was a position fans wanted the Mets to address, because they have not had a true center fielder for a long time.

The Mets tried to get George Springer in the offseason, but Toronto’s six year offer was difficult for the Mets to top for a player over 30 years old. The Mets knew that they still need a long term solution. They hope young prospect Pete Crow Armstrong can be the player they have been looking for, but he is out for the year following shoulder surgery. The Mets are fortunate to be in first place, despite all the injuries they have endured. All of their games have been tight because of how low scoring they are. This team can use a boost in the lineup in for order them to stay in first place with the tougher schedule coming up.

A very intriguing name is Byron Buxton because of how talented he is. However he is very injury prone, and that is the one thing the Mets have to avoid. Ramon Laureano is a good defensive center fielder who is competent offensively. Oakland is known for trading their players away and Sandy Alderson has an Oakland Athletics connection. Since the Mets have multiple injuries, a player with defensive versatility would be ideal.

With all of the injuries the Mets have, a player with defensive versatility would be ideal. Joey Gallo stands out because he is a very good defensive outfielder, and can also play the corner infield positions. This team has struggled with hitting for power, and Gallo has tremendous power. The downside is he strikes out a ton and would be another left handed bat. He might be attainable because of how poorly the Rangers have played. Kris Bryant would be another option, but the Cubs are playing too well for them to trade him right now. Another player worth mentioning is Ketel Marte who is a young switch hitter that has position versatility and is not on a great team.

Nonetheless, the Mets have to do something because they need to score more runs and Cameron Maybin is not getting the job done. The Mets will also need a two way center fielder for next year, especially if there is a universal designated hitter. Steve Cohen wants to win and hopefully the front office can find the right player who can perform in New York. It is unknown what player will be able to perform as a Met and all we can do as fans is hope the Mets front offie makes the right decision.

SPORTS ARE OUR UNIVERSE

The Mets are...Injured

Author: Billy Taylor

Editor: Brian Symons

Injuries have been rampant in Major League Baseball this year, and many big-name players are going to be watching from the sidelines for an extended period. But no team has had quite the luck the Mets have had in terms of the sheer number of injuries they have endured. At the time of writing, the Mets have sixteen major league players on the injured list (yes, 16!). With seven out of the nine Opening Day starters sidelined. Yet, they continue to stay afloat at the top of the weak, yet talented NL East.

The slew of injuries for the Mets started when J.D. Davis and Brandon Nimmo landed on the I.L. with finger and hand injuries, respectively. It was unfortunate to lose the two hottest hitters in the Met lineup, but that was just the beginning for the New York Mets. Albert Almora Jr. then ran face first into the outfield wall, attempting a valiant effort to make a play. Luis Guillorme was sidelined with an oblique injury, Michael Conforto and Jeff McNeil are on the I.L. with hamstring and quad injuries. Taijuan Walker suffered a “side” injury, which he reportedly had been dealing with for a couple of weeks. This came off the heels of Jacob DeGrom going on the IL with lat tightness and back issues. As if that wasn’t ridiculous enough, Pete Alonso and Tommy Hunter landed on the I.L. May 21st with hand and back injuries.

And of course, the scariest injury the Mets endured was to Kevin Pillar who took a pitch to the face from Jacob Webb on May 17th against the Braves. It was a scary situation for everyone involved and certainly put a damper on the rest of the game. Pillar is fine, thankfully. It also helps that he is tough as nails, it took Pillar less than one minute to get back up after taking 94 MPH to the face. According to Marcus Stroman’s Twitter, Pillar came into the locker room the next day and said, “Am I in the lineup today or what?”. If Pillar could see out of both his eyes, I truly believe he would’ve convinced Luis Rojas to play. According to Tim Healey of Newsday, Pillar underwent surgery on May 21st to repair his broken nose and will be able to resume baseball activities in 10-14 days.

This could certainly be interpreted as the lowest point of the season, especially coming off two ugly losses to the Miami Marlins. But it doesn’t really feel that way, at least for me personally. Considering how the Mets are currently constructed, they could be performing a lot worse as a team. The Mets are made up of a plethora of veterans on one-year deals, AAAA players, and prospects with potential talent ranging from low to somewhat highly regarded. Johneshwy Fargas, Brandon Drury, Jake Hagar, Jonathon Villar, Kevin Pillar, Khalil Lee, Cameron Maybin, Wilfredo Tovar, Patrick Mazeika. You get the idea. Some names you recognize, others you’ve never heard before, and some you will never hear from again. Despite this, these Mets have a real competitive drive and will to win. With veterans like Marcus Stroman, Francisco Lindor and Dominic Smith leading the enthusiastic vagabond crew, players coming through in big spots, and rallying behind the warrior mentality of Kevin Pillar, this team has undeniable chemistry.

Many Met fans are frustrated, and I get it. But this can be a completely new team when they get healthier; God willing. Not only are the aforementioned players injured, but they also have very important pieces like Noah Syndergaard, Seth Lugo, and Carlos Carrasco still on the shelf. There should be a ton of reinforcements on the way for the Mets. If they can find a way to carry the vibe they have right now as a team and get healthy, they could end up being one of the best teams in the franchise’s history.

METS ARE OUR UNIVERSE