The Mets have played respectable baseball over the first 6 weeks of the 2013 season, but have not changed the consensus belief that they will not be going anywhere this season.
The players, fans, coaches, and owners know that the Mets are building for the future. That future is fast approaching. With the financial situation improving, the farm system getting deeper, the top prospects nearing their MLB debuts, and promising play from some of the young guys already in Queens, the Mets are almost “there”.
This season could come to be viewed as a mirror image of the 2004 season, in which the Mets began to assemble the pieces they would use to compete over the ensuing years.
With any luck, 2014 and 2015 will be our 05 and our 06, bringing competition and respect back to baseball in Flushing. Which current Mets are part of that future, and which will be watching the team’s development from the outside? Who should stay and who should go?
1. Pitchers
Matt Harvey: When he stares at the sun, the sun blinks. Keep.
Jon Niese: Has taken a small step back, but still a solid pitcher with a promising future and No. 2 potential. Needs to use his curveball more. Keep
Dillon Gee: Has shown signs of being a quality pitcher, could stick around as a No. 5 guy. Keep
Jeremy Hefner: He is not a part of the rotation’s future, but the Mets should let him stick around as their long-relief man at a very low cost. Keep
Shaun Marcum: Hasn’t shown signs of being healthy, durable, or effective. Move
Zack Wheeler: The future of the Mets depends largely on him. Keep
Rafael Montero: Electric, effective, and young. Worth keeping, could become trade bait. Keep, consider trading
Noah Syndergaard: Has shown signs of being a potential 3rd ace. Could be used in a trade for a big bat. Keep
Jenrry Mejia: Hasn’t been able to stay healthy. Probably won’t work out as an SP. Keep him around as a reliever, hope trade value increases. Keep, consider trading
Jeurys Familia: Throws hard, great stuff. Could be a big piece of the bullpen. Keep
Bobby Parnell: Very good pitcher, could become a great closer. Keep
Brandon Lyon: Proven reliever. No reason to get rid of him. Keep
Frank Francisco: Injury-prone, not very good. Move
Josh Edgin: Promising but inconsistent. Let’s see if he figures it out. Keep, for now
Robert Carson: Hasn’t shown much so far, makes a lot of mistakes. Move
Scott Rice: Decent, but spent 14 years in the minors for a reason. Move
Greg Burke: Throws like Chad Bradford. Doesn’t produce like Chad Bradford. Move
Domingo Tapia: Probably won’t have a spot in the rotation. He could be used in the pen, but should be moved for a bat. Move
Johan Santana: Out for 2 years, forget him until ‘15 if he wants to come back. Move
2. Hitters
David Wright: Team captain on an 8 year deal. What do you think? Keep
Ike Davis: Great power, great fielder. Can become a star if he improves his average by moving closer to the plate. Cost-effective. Keep
John Buck: A great story so far, but probably not a part of the future. Try to trade him at the deadline. Move.
Lucas Duda: Gets on base, hits for power. Slowly developing into a competent fielder. Cost-effective. Keep
Ruben Tejada: Shortstop is a shallow position. Tejada plays great defense. Keep him unless a better option comes along. Keep
Daniel Murphy: Good hitter. Great contact, no power. OK fielder. Little speed. Could be used as trade bait if Mets pursue Cano, whom the Mets would be wise to pursue. Keep unless Cano hits open market.
Wilmer Flores: Blocked by Wright. Wilmer doesn’t have a position. Good trade bait. Move
Travis d’Arnaud: The best catching prospect in baseball. Should be called up in a couple months. Hope he can stay healthy Keep
Kirk Nieuwenhuis: Great fielder, good speed. Struggles at the plate. Give him at-bats at AAA and hope he can develop. But trade him if you can. Move
Juan Lagares: Great fielder, decent hitter. Some power. Keep
Marlon Byrd: Old, inconsistent, not a part of the future. Move.
Colin Cowgill: Has shown signs of being a productive hitter. Keep
Brandon Nimmo: Hopefully a future cornerstone of the lineup. Keep
Gavin Cecchini: We should have drafted Jose Fernandez, but Gavin has potential. Hopefully he can eventually provide an upgrade over Tejada. Keep
Jordanny Valdespin: Could be a poor man’s Jose Reyes. A very poor man’s Jose Reyes. Has speed, power, and energy. Keep
The Mets have the makings of a competitive team that should begin to contend in the near future. The starting rotation is mostly set, the bullpen has a few good pieces, and the infield is solid.
The outfield is weak. There are still a few moves the Mets need to make in Free Agency and on the trade market. If the Mets can get a few more solid relievers, a big outfield bat, maybe one more good starter, and good health from their key guys, the Mets would have a very dangerous roster.
The Mets should throw all they can at Robinson Cano this winter, and consider bringing in Sin-Soo-Choo, Carlos Gonzalez, Jacob Ellsbury, or (dare I suggest it?) Giancarlo Stanton.
Pay attention to the growing crop of international stars in Cuba and Japan. Take a flyer or two on some injured guys who don’t have contracts. (Roy Halladay, in 2014, anyone?).
Try to get a game-changing force in the bullpen. Trade from surplus to fill in the holes, and spend some of the money that is starting to become available. Things in Flushing should turn around soon.
