Baseball Reflections

Nine Innings/Questions with Mets Hot Corner

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If you like what you read below, check out more from Mets Hot Corner at thier site, http://wwe.metshotcorner.com:  Mets blog giving opinions and unique views about the latest news concerning the NY Mets, as well as team nostalgia.

 

This is a continuation of our series of articles where I ask fellow bloggers from the Baseball Bloggers Alliance (BBA) 9 innings worth of questions about their team. The goal is to do this for as many teams as possible (all 30 would be ideal) a few times a season. This one is a pre-All Star edition, then a post-All Star edition, another down the stretch (towards the end of the season) and then either a playoffs edition or off season edition or both!

 

So, without further ado …

 

  1. How are the Mets offseason acquisitions working out so far? Any concerns?

The best acquisition offensively has been Yoenis Cespedes. Currently leading MLB with 15 HRs and batting .309, he is definitely one of the driving forces.

Defensively, trading for Neil Walker and signing Asdrubal Cabrera seems to be one of Sandy’s best moves. I’ve never been so excited over double plays, but with those two on the field I can’t help it – it hasn’t looked that pretty in a long time in Queens!

Bartolo Colon. Do I really need to get into this one? Dude is practically a legend since becoming a member of the Mets, and being he actually hit a home run this season just makes the story even better. Oh yeah, holding the Nationals to one run the other night was pretty swell also, especially since the prior outing was a game I would rather forget.

Bastardo was one of the signings that many in the media called the best move that didn’t get enough attention. Through he has shown brilliance at times, I don’t know if it will last. He’s already shown kinks in his armor but we can only wait and see for now.

[graphiq id=”gCTO40VyUw5″ title=”Asdrubal Cabrera” width=”600″ height=”601″ url=”https://w.graphiq.com/w/gCTO40VyUw5″ link=”http://baseball-players.pointafter.com/l/2266/Asdrubal-Cabrera” link_text=”Asdrubal Cabrera | PointAfter” ]

  1. Who has been the most disappointing player so far this season? Will they improve as the season goes on?

Matt Harvey. These past two games against the Nationals simply haven’t been good. The confidence level is pretty much gone and he lets almost anything get to him. He’s already been compared to Strasburg during his off years, but that’s just not acceptable in my book.

Will he get better? I really don’t know. My heart says yes, but my mind is telling me that this will not be fixed this season and the right move may just be to get him on the DL so he can pitch a few rehab starts. Sending him down to AAA would destroy him, so that option needs to be made only if there is absolutely no other way to go.

As far as 2016, if he is going to contribute, he needs to figure it out and fast or the Mets may actually be in a bit of trouble. Their strength is their pitching, and without that, you can forget about a repeat appearance in the postseason.

 

  1. Who has been the most surprising player so far this season? Can they sustain this pace?

In my opinion, it would have to be Asdrubal Cabrera. I know Mets fans were thinking, “Meh. It’s an okay signing, an upgrade from what we had.”, but it’s been better than expected. He’s hitting .283, 17 RBIs, 3 HRs and again, the defense. I’ve seen some great stops at shortstop and he still surprises me with his defense. You heard stories of how he was maybe washed up and his best years behind him, but so far it’s looking like he’s still got it – and can maybe even get better as long as he can stay healthy.

 

  1. What top prospects might we see before the All Star break (What type of player are they: 5 tool player, speedster, defensive, power hitter, etc.)? What will be their impact on the team?

My feeling is that none of the listed top 10 prospects will make the show this year for the Mets. Though they all show potential, their skills at the moment don’t shout big leagues. If anyone does make it, it will be due to injuries on the current roster. Also, I don’t count Steven Matz. He’s number one on the list, but we all know that story.

 

  1. What top prospects are currently being blocked by current players on the big club? Will this make them trade bait, will they switch positions or will the vet eventually be traded?

I don’t think any of the prospects are being blocked at the moment. If the situation allows it, Sandy will make a move to bring up the right prospect to fill a spot or move them to bring in what we need like he did to grab Yoenis Cespedes.

 

  1. What is the team lacking that either wasn’t addressed in the offseason or the offseason acquisition isn’t cutting it?

Well, when the offseason was over, I thought we were looking pretty good. But now that we’re almost in June, it looks like the bullpen can come into question, as well as our offense. I know in baseball, performances go up and down all season long, but you do tend to worry at times. Out of the two, it’s more the offense that scares me. If our pitching doesn’t hold up – Harvey never comes back or Wheeler isn’t what he used to be – it can get ugly real quick in Queens.

 

  1. Are they better or worse off now than they were at the end of last season?

Definitely better off. The middle infield is leaps and bounds better, and Lagares seems to be back to his old self, which gives me the confidence in the later innings when it comes to defense.

 

  1. What is your predicted outcome for the team this season? Why?

I see the postseason being a real possibility, especially watching these pat two series with the Nationals. I felt like these two series would define the whole season, and being the Mets were able to come away with wins – outside of Harvey’s struggles – gives me the confidence that if Harvey doesn’t come back, we can skip his start against the Nationals and win. Will that happen? Doubtful, but if Terry can set up the rotation so Harvey sees them less, the Mets should be just fine.

 

  1. What players need to go (traded, released, etc.) & why?

Hmmm, I really don’t have an answer as of yet, I haven’t seen enough to say anyone has to go at all, but I will tell you one thing: If you think David Wright has to go, you need a bat to the face.

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