More On: andres gimenez
The only way Mets can salvage destructive Jarred Kelenic trade: Sherman
Mets’ thrilling comeback win marred by Jacob deGrom injury
Michael Conforto, Pete Alonso heroics lead Mets to wild win
Seth Lugo give Mets’ rotation big lift in win over Phillies
Andres Gimenez, Tomas Nido out for ‘undisclosed reasons’ after Mets coronavirus break
You ask, we answer. The Post is fielding questions from readers about New York’s biggest pro sports teams and getting our beat writers to answer them in a series of regularly published mailbags. In today’s installment: the Mets. If they are going to try to squeeze as many games as possible into this season (doubleheaders, …
You ask, we answer. The Post is fielding questions from readers about New York’s biggest pro sports teams and getting our beat writers to answer them in a series of regularly published mailbags. In today’s installment: the Mets.
If they are going to try to squeeze as many games as possible into this season (doubleheaders, very few off days), who are the sixth and seventh starters? — @TommyS6797
Michael Wacha is now in the rotation along with Steven Matz, following Noah Syndergaard’s Tommy John surgery, leaving big question marks about starting pitching depth. As it stands, Walker Lockett, Corey Oswalt, Stephen Gonsalves, Franklyn Kilome and David Peterson are among the names next in line.
Peterson and Kilome might be the most intriguing of the group. But the lefty Peterson still hasn’t pitched above Double-A and ideally would receive seasoning at Triple-A Syracuse before he is tested at the major league level. Kilome, who arrived from the Phillies in the trade for Asdrubal Cabrera two years ago, missed last season rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and also hasn’t pitched above Double-A. That could leave it to holdovers from last season, Lockett and Oswalt, to fill the gaps early. If the Mets want to gamble, they could add Seth Lugo or Robert Gsellman into the rotation, but such a move would be contingent on the premise the team has suitable bullpen depth.
What is the Mets’ plan for shortstop Andres Gimenez? — @elaih123
Gimenez had a disappointing 2019 season offensively at Double-A Binghamton, where he posted a .695 OPS, but in a small sample size, looked better in the Arizona Fall League, winning the batting title with a .371 average. Gimenez, once regarded as the organization’s top prospect, is still only 21 years old and figures to spend a full season at Syracuse playing every day unless there’s an injury that sidelines Amed Rosario for a significant stretch. The Mets’ preference at this point is to keep Gimenez in the minor leagues, playing every day, over putting him on the bench in the big leagues. Behind Gimenez in the system, the Mets have highly regarded shortstop Ronny Mauricio, who likely would begin the season at High-A St. Lucie.
If the season started today, how many wins do the Mets get without Noah Syndergaard for the year? — @MannyIssacVelez
Over the winter, Baseball Prospectus’ PECOTA projection was 88 wins for the Mets, placing them first in the NL East. Syndergaard had a bWAR of 2.5 last season, but was also something of a disappointment, with a career-worst 4.28 ERA. If you operate under the assumption Syndergaard was going to be better this season, it’s probably a safe guess his absence lowers the projection by two or three wins, based more on the fact the Mets’ starting pitching depth is thinner than the idea of, say, Wacha representing a significant drop-off. In other words, replacing the rotation depth probably hurts more than substituting for Syndergaard.
Is there anything Jacob deGrom can improve on, or are we looking at the best pitcher in the National League for a third straight year? — @oneybars
DeGrom is aware of the history, and will likely use that to motivate him in his attempt to win a third straight National League Cy Young award. Greg Maddux and Randy Johnson, who each won four straight, are the only other pitchers to have won as many as three in a row. DeGrom had a rough early-season stretch last year that realistically ended his chances of approaching his 2018 heights, when he led the major leagues with a 1.70 ERA, but the ball was also jumping at a historic rate. DeGrom allowed 19 homers last season, up from 10 the previous year. Will we get the same ball in 2020 that was used in 2019? Pitchers everywhere are hoping the answer is no.
What is the plan for Dominic Smith? Do they trade him for another starting pitcher now? — @nickytapas71
In a condensed season, starting pitching will be more valuable than ever, meaning the Mets might have to wait until the trade deadline (whatever date that might occur in a reconfigured schedule) to find another decent arm. As it stands, the Mets don’t want to trade Smith or J.D. Davis, both of whom figure into the left-field mix. The equation would become more muddled if Yoenis Cespedes returns and shows he can play on a regular basis, perhaps allowing the Mets to consider dealing Smith or Davis. With baseball taking a significant financial hit during this layoff, the X factor is whether the Mets (or any team) will trade for a player if it means increasing the payroll.
Who gives you the most interesting interviews? — @Trickyy16
Pete Alonso is so brutally honest — with a limited filter — that he probably tops the list of most reporters covering the team. But the Mets have a largely affable group of players, with Brandon Nimmo, Michael Conforto, Wilson Ramos, Smith, Davis and Lugo among the players who provide thoughtful responses on a regular basis.
