New York Mets: Ricco, Mets not making any sense with recent statements

John Ricco of the New York Mets held a conference call recently, making statements that make no sense for the organization.

On Tuesday, New York Mets acting GM John Ricco made a few announcements regarding the rest of the season that make very little sense.

First, Ricco stated that the team will not be calling up Peter Alonso this September. Alonso, who has had one of the most productive seasons in minor league history, is naturally upset at this decision.

Alonso, who said the organization’s decision is “disheartening and disappointing”, deserves a shot in the majors after hitting for more than 30 home runs and 100 RBI in 125 games in AAA.

Among the excuses Ricco gave was that they did not want to call Alonso up and have him sit on the bench, and that they feel his time is better spent getting rest after the minor league season. So instead, the Mets decide to leave one of their most exciting prospects unhappy, and send him home until Spring Training.

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What is the harm in bringing up Alonso to get at least a look in the major leagues? It is clear that he has a major league ready bat.

The Mets, who have been out of contention for the better part of the summer, should be using this time to see how players like Alonso will fair in the majors, with an eye on next season.

Alonso could fill the void at a position that has troubled the Mets in recent years.

Alonso’s defensive struggles are likely a leading factor in the decision. It would, however, make sense to give him more work at the position to help him improve.

Having the major league experience while also getting the chance to learn from the team’s veterans will go a longer way in his development than having him watch from home.

Alonso even said himself that his defense has improved since the start of the year saying, “I figured a lot of things out.” Alonso even went as far as to say “one day I am going to win a Gold Glove.”

However, the Mets have made it apparent by this decision, and by others, that Alonso doesn’t seem like an option at 1B to start next year either. The organization said at the trade deadline that one of the reasons they didn’t want to trade any of their young starters was because they think they can compete in 2019.

At the same, the Mets have said that in September, they will be giving chances to Jay Bruce, Dom Smith, and Wilmer Flores at first base, instead of their young, shining prospect.

I am not sure what the Mets have seen from that trio that gives them enough confidence to seemingly exclude Alonso from consideration at the position at this time. Bruce, Smith, and Flores all have struggled, at bat and in the field,  for an extended period of time.

Alonso could be what the Mets need in a right-handed power hitter, but the Mets will not even give him a chance to prove himself in the meaningless last month of the season.

Secondly, Ricco noted that with the promotion of David Wright to AAA Las Vegas, the team see it as “unrealistic” that Wright get promoted “any time soon” to the Mets based on a lack of consistency with his “quantity and quality of play.”

Huh? A lack of “quantity and quality of play?” Those comments sound like they came from a GM whose team is in the thick of a pennant race, not almost 20 games under .500.

David Wright, the only current MLB team captain, has been the heart and soul of the Mets for most of his career. He has battled injury for the better part of four years just to try to make a comeback to the team that he has been so faithful to for his entire career.

Just as it appears Wright is on the brink of finally making it back to the big leagues, the Mets do not find his consistency sufficient enough.

What a disgrace.

Everyone knows, including David Wright, that his comeback is not met with expectations of MVP type performance. David Wright wants to make a return to end his outstanding career on a high note, not on the disabled list as an injury ridden veteran.

With the Mets so far out of contention, this is the perfect time to give Wright the time in the league he needs in order to end his career on his own terms.

Instead, the Mets look like they will choose not to bring up Wright, which is insulting for the years of hard work that Wright has suffered through just for the opportunity to make it back to the Mets.

Marc Carig recently wrote a piece outlining the struggles Wright goes through on a daily basis just to see if he is able to play that day. It would be easy for Wright to hang up the cleats and retire, but he wants nothing but to play baseball again.  

Meanwhile, the Mets at one point debated a “timely release” of Reyes because they want to make sure they go out on right terms with respect to his history with the organization. Why do we give more respect to Reyes, who left the team for more money, then returned to the Mets after a domestic violence case ended his career as a Colorado Rockie?

The Mets released Adrian Gonzalez at a time when his production was way higher than that of Reyes, yet Jose still holds a spot on the roster. Their response to David Wright’s situation is completely hypocritical of Jose Reyes recent tenure on the Mets.

If Wright were to take the place of a developing player or if the Mets were not so far out of contention, this might make sense. But, neither of those are the case. I am certain there are financial incentives for the Mets surrounding Wright’s insurance policy, which would force the Mets to pay Wright his September salary if he were to play in a game this season.

Per David Lennon, Wright is owed $3.21 million in September, which the Mets would have to pay if he were removed from DL. in t If that is the reason for not bringing Wright to the majors, then why not say that? At the very least, the organization should communicate that to David Wright, who is suffering to make a return to the team and may never even be given the chance because the organization wants to save money.

Regardless of how cheap the Wilpons can be, Wright’s final return is something that the fan base would embrace in the final weeks of the season. I can guarantee that for every game David Wright is in the lineup at Citi Field, there will be a different atmosphere in the crowd than if he wasn’t.

This is something the Mets fans want. Mets fans care about seeing Wright end his career the right way, something the Mets organization apparently does not care about.

David Wright himself deserves whatever he wants from the Mets organization. Wright has been through it all with the Mets, as he suffered through some of the lowest points the organization has ever seen.

The Mets named him captain for his loyalty and leadership, as well as a reward for his performance on the field.

As Wright is on the brink of what could be his last chance to ever play in the MLB again, the Mets owe it to Wright to promote the guy who wants nothing more than to play for the Mets one more time.