As they prepare to enter June, the Mets are not yet where they want to be – and that’s putting it mildly.
It’s 10 games under .500, about to fall so far from the third Wild Card spot in the National League that another sellout in the summer could mean another losing streak.
If that wasn’t enough, the performance on the field after Wednesday’s defeat became theater off the field Jorge Lopez firing his glove into the stands after an ejection, showing no remorse afterwards, lying about a meeting with Mets brass (he said he didn’t, but had done so), and saying something that may have been at least partially lost had gone into translation.
That the Mets followed Wednesday’s disaster with a players-only team meeting and a comeback win over the Arizona Diamondbacks may have turned the tide for now.
But even after that win, the Mets made a slew of roster moves — a sign of where the team is right now, but also the latest example that president of baseball operations David Sterns will not hesitate to make quick, bold changes when he believes they are necessary.
And while Stearns has moved quickly when it comes to roster reshuffling this season, none of the changes the Mets have made have been hasty — even Lopez’s DFA.
Before we get to Lopez and the players the Mets left for him this season, let’s discuss the last thing: the demotion of Brett Baty and DFA van Omar Narvaez that came down Friday morning.
The writing was on the wall as it related to both.
Stearns spoke earlier this week about the unsustainability of transporting both Baty and Mark Vientos (two corner infielders without much versatility) while going without a backup middle infielder.
It went without saying that Narvaez was nearing the end of his tenure with the Mets.
A .376 OPS this season, a .580 OPS last season, an inability or unwillingness to properly block pitches in the mud, an expiring contract and the impending return of Francisco Alvarez made Narvaez’s removal from the selection inevitable.
The situation with Baty was more difficult and unfortunate, but Stearns made the right decision there too.
In 168 games and 600 at-bats over parts of three big league seasons, Baty has hit just .214/.281/.325, including a .225/.304/.325 line this season. There have been too many strikeouts, too many balls hitting the ground and not nearly enough power.
To take a step back for a moment, it should be noted that Stearns is – for the most part – working with a big-league roster he inherited.
Of the “big” acquisitions he made this past offseason, most of them worked out. That includes Luis Severino (3.22 ERA), JD Martinez (123 OPS+), Sean Manaea (3.16 ERA), and Jake Diekman (3.57 ERA).
And the Stearns acquisitions that didn’t work out have, for the most part, been removed from the roster or had their roles changed.
Adriaan Huiser was moved to the bullpen while Joey Wendle, Michael TonkinAnd Julio Tehran (remember his brief Mets moment?) were DFAs.
Stearns has also moved quickly when it comes to rewarding players, exemplified by the promotion of Christian Scott to the majors after making it clear that staying in Triple-A was pointless.
Scott was sent back to Triple-A on Friday, but that’s because the Mets don’t need a fifth starter for the time being, and his innings needs to be managed. And his stay in Syracuse is expected to be short-lived.
Since we are talking about the players who are no longer with the Mets, there is no joy to be had in people losing their jobs. But there should be appreciation for the fact that Stearns doesn’t hesitate to make changes if he thinks they will put the team in a better position.
Which brings us back to Lopez.
The situation was unfortunate, and whether Lopez said he was on the “worst team” in the MLB or whether he was the “worst teammate” in the MLB is important to know. But even without that comment, his actions beforehand — throwing his glove into the crowd, saying he had no regrets, and lying about a meeting with management — were enough to warrant the DFA.
Going forward, this season will follow one of two routes.
In one scenario, the Mets dig themselves out of this hole and hold on to their free agents at the trade deadline.
The other lets them sink further or doesn’t do enough to prevent a sell-off.
Whatever happens, the Mets appear to be in very good hands with Stearns at the helm.
He has been deliberate and calm for the most part, but bold and quick when necessary. That should be a plus for the Mets at the trade deadline (whichever way they go) and during a 2024-2025 offseason when big moves are expected.
