It feels like just yesterday that the New York Mets had orchestrated a coup, signing Carlos Correa, and putting the other 29 clubs on notice that there’s a new titan of spending in the Northeastern Corridor. Then Correa failed his physical, the deal went belly up, the season started, and the Mets reverted to the Mets; so much so that owner Steve Cohen waved the white flag early this year, and has declared the team sellers.
After Friday’s game, pitcher Max Scherzer expressed frustration with his and the club’s play, took ownership of the situation, but said he and Cohen “need to have a conversation” following the trade of closer David Robertson to the Miami Marlins on Thursday.
Manager Buck Showalter said he wasn’t sure who would replace Robertson, and then recalled his favorite fortune cookie quote.
“All options are on the table,” Showalter said. “Never overlook an orchard while searching for a rose. You might be surprised who might emerge.”
I don’t know what that means, especially since his orchard is about to be severely picked over.
Burn it all
At 49-54 and 6.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot (currently occupied by fellow NL East foe Miami), the Mets are a $343 million novelty cigar. They’re hitting .237 as a team (21st in the majors), while scoring 4.42 runs per game (18th), with a staff ERA of 4.31 (18th). Pete Alonso leads the team in home runs (30) and RBI, but has the worst batting average (.220) of anyone in the starting lineup. (Don’t worry, Mets fans, Alonso is off limits.)
There’s been trade chatter about pitcher Justin Verlander, and outfielders Tommy Pham and Mark Canha. That Scherzer quote sounded ominous, and it should be considering his age and competitiveness.
With the deadline fast approaching, it’ll be interesting to see how well the front office does amid the time constraints and Cohen’s constant meddling. I honestly don’t know why the league was in such a huff before the year when the Mets were throwing irresponsible amounts of cash around.
Spending absurd sums of money doesn’t guarantee a World Series title, or a contender for that matter, and Mets fans will tell you, to a man, to never assume success with this franchise — especially after a shopping spree. There is a bright side to all of this however, and it’s not in the form of a haiku: It could’ve been worse.
Remember Carlos Correa? The guy who was a healthy physical away from signing a 12-year, $315 million deal with the Mets? He’s hitting .229 for the Twins, and leads the league in double plays grounded into. You’re welcome, New York.
