Author: Billy Taylor
Editor: Fran Attié
Pitchers and catchers have reported to Spring Training and the hopes of a new season grow for all thirty organizations in the MLB, particularly for the New York Mets (although many would disagree).
Yes, there have been many disappointments this offseason. The Mets didn’t get Springer and haven’t exactly upgraded at center field or third base, Trevor Bauer essentially trolled the entire fanbase, Ken Rosenthal jumped the gun on Brad Hand coming over (who instead ended up in a division rival), and, of course, the Jared Porter bombshell. So while there definitely are reasons to be upset with the first offseason under Steve Cohen’s ownership, there are also ample reasons to be very excited.
The Mets started their offseason by signing reliever Trevor May to a two-year deal. Trevor isn’t a guy who will blow you away, but he is much needed for a bullpen that has quite a few question marks. They then signed catcher James McCann to a four-year deal. And while he is no Piazza, he has a solid bat and is an A+ defender behind the plate. He should help out this pitching staff with his ability to throw out runners, which the Mets have struggled with for a while. And though the pitching staff still needs to do their job holding runners on, having a catcher with a rocket arm sure could help those woes.
The Mets then started the New Year with a blockbuster trade by acquiring shortstop Francisco Lindor from Cleveland. Lindor should be the best hitter on an already stout lineup, and he is also exceptional in the field. So not only did they acquire a superstar player, but they also got Carlos Carrasco, who will be a very nice anchor to have in the middle of the rotation.
Later, the Mets acquired left-handed starter, Joey Lucchesi, from the Padres in a three-team deal. Lucchesi has been shaky at times, but he has some really nice makeup, specifically with his “churve” pitch, which is a combination of a changeup and a curveball. And though he may be out of the rotation when Noah Syndergaard comes back from rehabbing his elbow, he is a nice placeholder for the time-being and great insurance in the event there is an injury in the rotation. Taijuan Walker also recently signed a two-year deal, which gives the Mets more depth, which is never a bad thing.
Speaking of which, while negotiating with top free agents, the Mets also added solid depth with signings like Jose Martinez, Jonathon Villar, Albert Almora, Kevin Pillar, Mike Montgomery, and Tommy Hunter. These aren’t amazing signings by any stretch of the imagination, but injuries happen across the course of a season, and having these low-risk-high-reward players to pair with the bigger moves they made this offseason is really nice. If we were still under previous ownership, these signings would be the “big moves” and we would have to hold our nose and hope for the best. Some people don’t seem to realize that, but I digress.
This Mets team still has some holes, particularly with pitching, and there are questions as to how big of a detriment J.D. Davis and Brandon Nimmo’s defense will be to the team as a whole.
Despite some of the issues, however, the 2021 New York Mets are a much-improved team from the previous year. Winning the National League East with the Braves ultimately having the same team will be tough, but it’s definitely not out of the realm of possibility. And while the Phillies and Nationals have their problems, I wouldn’t count them out completely. Still, the Mets lineup is in the conversation for best in the MLB, even if the bench still leaves something to be desired, especially being in the National League. But barring something catastrophic; Villar, Pillar/Almora, Martinez, Guillorme and Nido can fill in nicely.
Overall, I think the biggest concern for the Mets is their bullpen. Dellin Betances, Jeurys Familia, and Edwin Diaz pose a lot of questions, and Seth Lugo will miss the first two months, at minimum, to a bone spur, though considering he has a partially torn UCL, it could have been so much worse. When he comes back though, the bullpen will get a nice boost and there’s always the possibility of moves being made during the season.
There are also valuable free agents still available like Roberto Osuna, Jeremy Jeffress, and Shane Greene. Personally, I think it is a necessity to add another arm to the pen through free agency before opening day, but Andy Martino of SNY reported that the offseason for the Mets is essentially done.
With an entire schedule of Spring Training games to play, there’s potential for eye-opening play as well as bigger names going down to injury, so things may change quickly and drastically. For now, let’s hope for the former. LFGM!
METS ARE OUR UNIVERSE
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