Image credit: Chris Simon
For all intents and purposes, after being swept at home against the St. Louis Cardinals this week, the sun has pretty much set on the New York Mets’ postseason chances.
Is a miracle still mathematically possible? Of course. It’s just as likely as you batting 1.000 on your NFL pick-em ticket this weekend. Tougher yet, as 162 has been whittled down to 15, this group hasn’t provided much reason to believe.
There have been high points and plenty of chances to make a mark on this year, but more often than not, opportunities have been allowed to simply walk on by. Just like the [insert New York football team name here]’s offensive line.
During crunch time alone, the Mets have watched Atlanta (5-5 over their last 10), Philadelphia (4-6), Cincinnati (3-7), and San Diego (4-6) basically kick open the door for them. New York went 3-7 over that span and it’s essentially sealed their fate.
The Cardinals, 7-3 over their last 10, have leapfrogged the pack and currently sit a game ahead of San Diego. The Mets are five back with three teams between them and St. Louis. Sigh.
Though, now that the book on 2021 is mostly closed, a new chapter of speculation begins.
This offseason is set to be a wild one for the Mets. Team owner Steve Cohen’s plate figures to be piled high with to-dos this winter, from revamping the front office to upgrading the on-field product.
The Mets have 10 free agents to be in Marcus Stroman, Michael Conforto, Noah Syndergaard, Javier Báez, Jeurys Familia, Jonathan Villar, Brad Hand, Aaron Loup, Rich Hill, and Heath Hembree. Prioritizing that list is fairly easy.
They have a manager in Luis Rojas who, despite keeping his players motivated and the team afloat through an injury-plagued first half of the season, has appeared overmatched at times down the stretch. Gambles will be taken and lost as an MLB manager, it’s part of the job. It’s kinda been an ongoing thing, though.
There will be a lot of decisions to make very soon for this franchise, and it could very well shape the next decade or so in Flushing. As for the Metsies’ final 15 games this season, there is still some time to change narratives.
The postseason ship may have sailed (not past the horizon yet, but damn close), but guys finishing with a flourish can certainly set the tone for themselves and this team heading into a long winter. Most already have, leaving the ball in the Mets’ court.
Will Conforto’s strong second half (.271/.381/.459 since August 1) change his fortunes with regards to a long-term deal? Does his story even continue in Flushing?
Will the Mets reward Stroman’s outstanding 2021 season (2.88 ERA over an MLB-leading 31 starts after not pitching at all in 2020) with a contract offer to keep him in New York through his early thirties?
Has Javy Báez proven beyond a doubt that he’s indeed the game-changer that he was advertised?
Can Syndergaard parlay a few outings at the end of this season into a strong 2022 a la his battle back from a torn lat in 2017 to pitch to a 3.03 ERA in 2018?
Are the Mets willing to wait out the 2021 downturns of guys like Jeff McNeil, Dominic Smith, and J.D. Davis? Much to discuss.
We’ll be breaking down the Mets’ offseason plans a bunch over the next few weeks. On Friday’s Simply Amazin’, we’ll review which way Mets fans leaned in America’s favorite game, Run It Back or It’s A Wrap!
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