35 Years of Misery & Counting
After Friday’s loss ended their 7-game winning streak, one couldn’t but get a little worried once they lost the first game of this series. But now that we got this important win out the way, we can concentrate on winning the series.
And with Wilson Ramos behind the plate too…very impressive.
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.
D’Arnaud said he had completed all the steps necessary to get back on the field and Callaway added that the final steps included “live throwing, [facing] live runners, getting his footwork synced up. He’s doing really well.”
The catcher’s status remains uncertain, even if he does prove himself to be healthy.
The Mets added Wilson Ramos in the offseason on a two-year deal worth $19 million and signed Devin Mesoraco, a favorite of NL Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom, late in the offseason.
D’Arnaud was tendered a contract worth $3.52 million, but if the Mets let him go before the end of spring training, they’d have to pay just 25 percent of that amount.
Is it possible that the Mets could keep all 3 catchers on their roster for Opening Day? Other teams have done it and I believe that Mesoraco and even D’Arnaud could play some 1st base.
It was a no-brainer adding Ramos. Over the years Plawecki and d’Arnaud were each given too many chances to be ‘The Guy’ behind the plate and for one reason or another, it just never happened.
The Mets addressed another one of the areas they targeted for improvement this off-season, reaching an agreement on Sunday with the two-time All-Star catcher Wilson Ramos.
The deal is for two years with $19 million guaranteed, according to two people familiar with the negotiations who requested anonymity because the contract was pending Ramos’s medical review. After that is complete, the Mets may introduce Ramos, 31, at a news conference later this week.
You gotta love this deal. Ramos is a veteran player who can hit and play adequate defense and the JT Realmuto saga was getting long-winded anyway. With the injury-prone Travis d’Arnaud as Ramos’ backup, playing only 40 or so games a year, the catcher position looks set.
