Category Archives: 2019 Mets

Now Sporting 5.67 ERA, Edwin Diaz Could Be Removed From Closer Role

6 Jul

Edwin Diaz
MLBTradeRumors.com:

Mickey Callaway has little choice but to consider removing Diaz from the closer role. Diaz now carries a 5.67 ERA, a far cry from the 1.96 ERA he put together last year en route to 57 saves for the Mariners. The situation is further pressurized by the prospects whom the Mets surrendered for Diaz, who continue to climb up prospects boards as they near their new futures in Seattle. Robinson Cano, either the tax in the deal or Diaz’s sidekick, depending on your perspective, hasn’t helped matters either. Hampered by injuries, Cano has produced just a .244/.292/.368 batting line while drawing boos from the New York crowd.

The devolution of Cano isn’t all that stunning – though Brodie Van Wagenen clearly did not see this coming – but few expected Diaz to stumble into the All-Star break such as he has. How bad Diaz has been is a matter of debate, as he’s been worth -0.4 wins above replacement by measure of rWAR, whereas Fangraphs takes a brighter view, putting his worth on the year at a positive 0.4 fWAR. Neither are what the Mets hoped for, but by Fangraphs measure there is some hope that Diaz hasn’t lost what made him so special last season.

No one expected this, especially with a reliever who had so much success in the AL coming over to the DH-less NL. So what now? Make Seth Lugo the closer?

Noah Syndergaard Dumps on Wilson Ramos

2 Jul

Noah Syndergaard Wilson Ramos
NYPost.com:

Noah Syndergaard returned from the injured list wanting Tomas Nido as his personal catcher and was granted his wish by Mets officials in recent days.

That has left Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom as members of the starting rotation with Nido as their personal catcher, placing Wilson Ramos — signed in the offseason to a two-year contract worth $19 million — in a job share.

Before the Mets faced the Yankees at Citi Field on Tuesday, manager Mickey Callaway explained to The Post the decision to pair Nido with Syndergaard.

“With what we’re trying to do with Syndergaard, keeping the ball down, [Nido] is a good complementary catcher for him,” Callaway said. “He receives the ball down better, so it’s something we have to continue to do.”

Blocking balls in the dirt has been a challenge for the 31-year-old Ramos, whose nine passed balls entering play were most in the National League. Mets pitchers had also been charged for 17 wild pitches with Ramos behind the plate.

Brodie Van Wagenen Getting Wilmer Font To Help The Bullpen Was The Icing On The Cake For The 2019 Season

25 Jun

Wilmer Font
Newsday.com:

And then Tuesday night happened. In one-third of an inning during the Mets’ 7-5 loss to the Phillies, Wilmer Font allowed two inherited runners and three of his own to score and nearly hit Scott Kingery in the head with a pitch, triggering warnings to both teams, who have already cleared the benches this season.

The Mets (37-43) have dropped three in a row and are six games below .500 for the first time this year.

It was a harsh reminder that Font, 29, has a 6.09 career ERA, and this bullpen is a lot more than a couple of good weeks from a journeyman swingman away from turning itself around. Mets relievers have a 5.48 ERA this year, 28th in the majors. In June, that mark is 7.44.

I’m not hip to everyone who might’ve been available at the time, but I’m 99.9% sure that the GM across the river, Brian Cashman, wouldn’t have acquired a guy with a lifetime 6-plus ERA to ‘help’ his beleaguered bullpen.

The Mets Should Let Mickey Callaway Finish The Season

25 Jun


I just don’t see any turnaround to this team. They’re 5 games under .500 as I write this and 9 games out of first place. The bullpen for the most part sucks. Why Robinson Cano is hitting No. 3 in the lineup while batting .230 is beyond reason. Cespedes gets into a freak accident and is done for the season. Dominic Smith is coming back down to earth. The starting pitching is maddeningly inconsistent. And if they’re going to be sellers soon, they might as well try to get the best trade possible for Zack Wheeler. That said, Sunday’s incident with Mickey Callaway and Jason Vargas just highlights, once again, the bleak attitude that this team has dealt with for 30-plus years. And since ownership and the new GM aren’t going anywhere soon, why not just let Mickey finish the season, fire him afterwards and hire Joe Girardi.

The Mets Bullpen Is Killing The Team

15 Jun


Why your set-up man, who happens to have a 6-plus ERA, is still being used in tight situations is beyond me.

NYPost.com:

In the span of 24 hours, they went from feeling good, headed to what looked like their sixth victory in eight games, to getting swept in a makeshift doubleheader and once again fading away from .500 and falling a season-high 7¹/₂ games behind the red-hot Braves in the NL East.

“In the moment, obviously, it brings you down,” manager Mickey Callaway said. “I’m sure everybody’s feeling pretty crappy right now, but they’ll come in tomorrow like they always do and battle and grind.”

In both instances, the bullpen delivered the dagger, ruining potential victories. First it was closer Edwin Diaz, who coughed up the lead Thursday night before the game was suspended due to heavy rain, and then, after the game was resumed Friday, allowed a run-scoring single to Paul DeJong in the 10th inning of a 5-4 gut-punch defeat.

DeJong got to another of the Mets’ arsonists in the nightcap, homering off Jeurys Familia to pull the Cardinals even in the eighth, and Dexter Fowler followed soon after with a three-run shot off the former closer to cap the ugly inning and send St. Louis to a 9-5 win.

RELATED: Five Mets bullpen options to target in a trade this summer

Pinch-Hitting Jeff McNeil For Amed Rosario Was A Bold Move By Mickey Callaway

7 Jun


This is the type of situational managing that you like to see. Sure, Rosario is your starting shortstop and he’s been hitting well all year long. But he also strikes out a lot and with the Mets behind a run with two runners in scoring position in the 7th inning, the scenario screamed for putting up somebody with a batter chance of putting the ball in play. And even with the risk of hurting Rosario’s ego, Callaway made the right move by pinch-hitting him with McNeil and it paid off.

Mickey Callaway Really Screwed Up Last Night

5 Jun

Noah Syndergaard Mickey Callaway
NYPost.com:

Mickey Callaway referred to the rotation as the Mets strength yet again before Tuesday night’s series opener against the Giants, and he indicated how important it was for the starters to get on a roll of excellence to carry the team.

A few hours later, Noah Syndergaard was on an excellent roll and the Mets manager was removing him from the game, the latest evidence that even nearly 1 ¹/₂ years into the job, Callaway still has trouble making decisions under stress. You know who agrees with that assessment?

Mickey Callaway.

Because after what turned into a 9-3, 10-inning loss, Callaway first gathered his players to express in Syndergaard’s word “remorse” about the decision while taking responsibility for the loss and then publicly conceding, “I’d like to have that [decision] back.”

That might be true about the Wilpons and Brodie Van Wagenen when it comes to their choice to stick with Callaway as manager. Three days after removing Jacob deGrom over the ace’s objections and going to a sketchy bullpen that would end up blowing the game, Callaway did the same Tuesday with Syndergaard with the same results. This is the Robinson-Cano-not-running-out-balls-twice of managing. Once, you are not crazy about it, but the second time reaches inexcusable.

Honestly, while I was surprised when Callaway came out to pull Syndergaard last night, I thought that with Lugo having pitched so well of late, we’d be ok. Well, not only was I wrong, but with Gary Cohen reminding us that the Giants one strong point was their bullpen, I just knew that the Mets were likely going to lose. What’s also disturbing tho is Callaway’s lack of being aware in the moment and that’s the biggest reason to ax him.

That Was A Painful Loss To The Dodgers Last Night

30 May


That 9th-inning meltdown by Edwin Diaz was not only shocking, but it took away all the feelgood moments from the game. Including a solid, 7-inning start from Noah Syndergaard, 2 HR’s from Pete Alonso and Dominic Smith proving once again that somehow, someway, the Mets need to find a way to keep him in the starting lineup. Of course, if the Mets can come back today and get a split of this series, it’d erase the bad taste in my mouth.