New York Mets will change focus to prepare for next season

New York Mets fans should be preparing for a complete change in focus as the team needs to make arrangements for next season.

As I write this article and comment on what the New York Mets have become, I have to ask myself what it will take to prepare the Mets for 2020? But we are still in July, you say. I say it is over — nothing more to add to this. The Mets need to decide what they plan to do before the July 31 trade deadline. Are they buyers, sellers, or stand down and do nothing?

Buyers? That is a far off notion that was answered the night Edwin Diaz came in to shut the door on the Los Angeles Dodgers only to get his lunch handed to him. What could have been the moment the Mets would back up what Met General Manager, Brodie Van Wagenen, boldly proclaimed, “Come and Get us!”, was more like they came, they saw, and they conquered us.

Met fans can criticize BVW for being so bold and brash. He’s a sports agent. Of course, he’s going to talk like that. What did you expect him to say?  The truth?  We stink, and we are going to go through the motions while we give out bobbleheads and sell you gourmet food by the Shea Bridge?

I believe BVW believed what he said. I saw a change in attitude at Port St. Lucie this past spring. Changes were made. This is what fans, I included, were crying out to happen. We needed depth, and BVW made trades and signings. Even experts said the Mets were the most improved, on paper anyway.

Remember? Jeff McNeil will be our version of Ken Zobrist He’ll do Mambo Number 5, a little here, a little there, he’ll be your man. A jack-of-all-trades and master of none. He was the regular second baseman after the Mets were out of the playoff picture and he impressed with his bat and glove.

How about Pete Alonso. The question at the time was what do we do him. Was he ready for Major League pitching? Will his bat cover his defensive shortcomings at first? Should he be held down at Syracuse until May the way the Cubs did to Kris Bryant so the Mets can hang on to Alonso for another year?

These two, with a lot of questions, going into the season, were named to the All-Star game, joining the 2018 Cy Young Award winner, Jacob deGrom.

So do the Mets become sellers? Yes, but to sell, you need buyers. Like a garage sale, you put out things that are dated, of little use, and are throwing out, so you can get money while cleaning out your garage.

So the Mets may put out Todd Frazier, Jason Vargas, Juan Lagares, Steven Matz, Noah Syndergaard, and Zack Wheeler. Frazier hasn’t impressed much so that you won’t get much for him, same with Lagares. The pitchers can bring a nice bounty but what buyer is willing to meet the price the Mets are expecting to get for them? There is a strong possibility Wheeler will get traded. He is a free agent at the end of the season. He can be a valuable addition to any team in the playoff hunt.

So likely, the Mets will wind up standing down and finishing the season with the players they started with this year. Frazier and Lagares will not be offered another contract and will be free agents.

For the rest of the season, Matz should go to the bullpen and complement Diaz on the left side of the mound. Syndergaard needs to become a pitcher. Ahmed Rosario switch to centerfield. This may be what the doctor ordered.

J.D. Davis should be the regular third baseman.

Finally, since the manager, Mickey Callaway is going to finish out the season, it is time the Mets hire Joe Girardi. I don’t care that he was a former Yankee manager, as was Yogi Berra. As a former catcher and successful manager, Girardi is New York proven, and he is capable of handling a pitching staff in dire need of leadership.

We shall see what transpires in the coming days, be it, buyers, sellers, or just standing pat. Enjoy the rest of the season watching the future talent on display. There is a core of talent headed by Alonso and McNeil.

We can learn from Mariano Rivera‘s Hall of Fame induction speech when he said he failed miserably as a starting pitcher. Both he and Derek Jeter were sent back down to the minors. He’s a Hall of Famer and Jeter will be inducted next year.

That should give the Mets and the fans a lot of hope. I certainly feel good about it, and hopefully, very soon, I will see the turnaround.