Lifetime Allegiance – Amazin!

Here I am, sitting before my computer for a few minutes, thinking about how to start this blog. Usually, it comes to me quickly, as I already know where the blog is going and how to get it there.

I started the last one by talking about the insane payroll, and how the Mets just keep losing. Well, not much changed, except for the six guys the Mets traded at the deadline. The Mets are 0-6 since the deadline, to put them at 11 games under .500. But the Nationals are so bad that the Mets have some space between them and Washington, right? Just 1.5 games.

Things have gotten so bad that a few days ago the Mets had Jonathan Arauz playing second base for them. I’ve been an avid Mets fan for 16 years now, and I know just about everyone that has stepped onto the field for the Mets over the last ten years, but I have never heard of Arauz, not in the Mets organization, not for another team, not even in the World Baseball Classic. But hey, he’s played 70 games across four years in the MLB, I haven’t. 

The only capable pitcher in the rotation is Kodai Senga, as they traded away Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, the rest of the rotation will give up five runs each start. Everyone’s saying that the Mets are tanking, or should tank for the rest of the season, and I’ve written about tanking in past blogs, and how it doesn’t make too much sense to me, especially in baseball. In football and basketball, you can tank because you get a lower draft pick, who comes out of college, or another league overseas, immediately ready to play, usually as a starter. But in baseball, you tank for a lower pick and draft an 18-year-old that has a slim chance of ever making it to the major leagues, and being that superstar that he was projected to be.

It also doesn’t make sense for the players, why would Pete Alonso, in the prime of his career, want to tank? Take Jeff McNeil for example, he’s going to be 32 next year, and having a fairly off year this year, but a consistently solid player. The Mets also just acquired Luisangel Acuna from the Rangers, a middle infielder, whose best attribute is his bat. Jeff McNeil won’t be tanking, because he’s playing for his next contract, wherever that is, and there’s a good chance the Mets don’t resign him as Acuna inevitably takes his spot.

The casual Mets fan can’t name more than a couple of Mets pitchers now. The rotation is lacking, and the bullpen is more than lacking, except Billy Eppler only traded for three pitchers, one of whom isn’t even in the top 30 prospects for the Brewers, Justin Jarvis, and another, Phil Bickford, already gave up six runs in three outings out of the bullpen.

The Mets do have a plethora of position players, though, eight of the first nine best prospects in the farm system are hitters. We may see Ronny Mauricio this season, although he has not only come back down to earth, he nose-dived and face-planted back down to earth from his insane tear at the beginning of the season.

We might see Acuna next season, but everyone else has an ETA of 2025 and beyond. Which makes me wonder what the new and improved direction of the team is. Take all of the prospects and dump them for a superstar and make one final push? This would inevitably lead to dropping down and hanging out with Basement Bertha for two decades.

Or, do they keep their prospects, wait a couple of years and pray that all of them pan out? But what should the Mets do about pitching? Realistically? Eppler will ignore the glaring need for another offseason and trade for yet another shortstop. 

What on earth was I thinking sixteen years ago when I followed my father’s footsteps and signed the contract in my heart that swore allegiance to this team for the rest of my life?