The Mets 2021 season – let’s face it – was a matter of smoke and mirrors until reality set in. But no one should think it was all for naught.
The Mets 2021 season is falling apart.
Nevertheless, who can say they can compete (today) with the Giants, Dodgers, Padres, and the Brewers.
Because if you think they can, you have blinders on and are immersed in the ’69, ’73, and 1986 “Ya Gotta Believe” spirit that simply doesn’t equal what this Mets team is capable of achieving.
So what? I’ve committed a mortal sin, and you’ll stop reading at this point? Hold on, though, because this Mets season points the way forward, and the front office has had a chance to separate the men from the boys for next year and beyond.
Whether Mets fans buy into Steve Cohen’s three-year plan to host a parade in Manhattan, the reality is staring at them in the face.
The Mets farm system is in shambles and needs the intense focus of Cohen and his staff, and automatically, this spells tomorrow and not today.
For most Mets fans, however, this falls silently on the ears of those who had hoped and believed they had escaped the dysfunctional years of a team led by the Wilpons, and a new day was on the horizon.
Hope heightened when the team worked themselves into first place in the NL East division in early May, a status they did not relinquish until last weekend.
Along the way, the Atlanta Braves and for a while, the Phillies emerged as teams declaring their right to the throne, a status Atlanta has clearly claimed.
The Mets “reached their Harvard” when the schedule turned to the real power teams in the National League, the Dodgers, and Giants.
Mets: The Cup Is Half Full
The positive factor, though, is this team’s front office has been granted a close-up opportunity to evaluate the players who have played or pitched in a good number of games for the team.
We’ll save the “Report Cards” for another time, but there are only a few players the Mets brass needs to get together on as they plan for 2022.
First, consider this. The Mets committed payroll for 2022 leaves them with $100 million in space before they exceed what is expected to be the threshold before the luxury tax kicks in.
Add to the mix Dominic Smith, Jeff McNeil, Pete Alonso, Edwin Diaz, J.D. Davis, and Seth Lugo, all of who are arbitration-eligible for the 2022 season.
Who, among them, does the Mets brass say, “Yes, you’ve earned a healthy raise”?
Each time they say yes, though, that cuts into the “surplus,” decreasing the opportunity for the front office to dig deep into the formidable Class of 2022 Free Agents.
The discussion can always be erased if Mets’ owner Steve Cohen says the hell with it and the team goes all in, joining the Dodgers with money be dammed philosophy.
But Cohen is not a man who earned billions by acting rashly.
Mets: Steve Cohen Is On The Record…
Steve Cohen is not in a position to lie after Mets fans have endured the Wilpons and their legacy of unfulfilled promises.
He said it, and we need to believe him…this is a three-year project. And while the Mets have given us an entertaining season, and one in which they continue to compete at a high level, when all is said and done, they are over-matched, though only for this year.
If you are a Mets fan, you shouldn’t be chastising the recent demise of the team.
The Mets continue to be a scrappy team, playing head to head with the best in the National League, as they did yesterday in another loss to the Dodgers by a single run, with Pete Alonso striking out with the tying run on second to mark the game as another Mets loss?
The salient point, though, is the Mets are a good team, but they need to get better to compete and win these games.
They’re not there yet, as the 2021 season has proven, but they’re damn close.
Rome Wasn’t Built Over Night…
Close, as we know, is only good in horseshoes, and this is why my attention (already) is turned to the offseason.
I know there’s X number of gamers left in the season but let’s get real. The Mets will not be playing baseball in October.
And I don’t see that as a crime at all…
Here’s What Readers Are Saying…
Izzy Rodriguez It’s not over so I will hold Judgement till it is…
Deborah Crane Failure? No! Triage unit? Absolutely! Despite the injuries, deGrom, 56 players, and a trade bust(jury is still out) we were in 1st place from May-August. A very measurable feat considering the fates thrown at us. It would eventually take its toll. However, as the song goes, “See You in September.” Lindor/Baez could be a 1/2 punch, deGrom maybe 3-4 starts, Pete goes on a HR tear, and maybe Thor back. As always, optimistic for a good run down the stretch. Keep Cohen off Twitter. That is just bad juju! I am not even going into the off-season – still a ton of baseball to be played! LETS GO METS!
Monica Coyle Well said!!
Theresa Curro Ptasnick Very Very Disappointing!!! To think that there is nothing they can do about timely hitting!! That is a complete injustice to a professional baseball team!! They need to make a complete sweep of management and those that are not producing!! Put the Replacements in, they really can’t do any worse!! If they had knowledgeable trainers they should be at their peak of performance coming into the end of the season!! What happened??? They need to answer this question and many more!! They just haven’t trained right so you get injured players, lackluster players, poor attitude players and out of shape players. That is exactly what happened!! LFGM!!!
Drew Rodgers When you’re in first place for 3.5 months and don’t win, it can’t be considered anything other than a failure
Vinny Mangano They never adjusted their approach to at-bats. Successful teams adapt they were stuck in the all-or-nothing philosophy. Most of the year it was nothing. As soon as our pitching came back to earth it was over.
Travis Jackson We played double-header games back-back then singles I think we had the most double-header games this season. The team is tired and drained but now is the time to pick up the slack a whole month left we can still make playoff if we win the whole month of September
Steve Contursi Yes. 7 games back in the division and the second place wild card. With 39 games left. And? Steve Contursi
Closing Published Comments And Final Thoughts
Page length restrictions close published comments.
I should not have been surprised by the reaction of loyal Mets fans. There can still be a whisper of hope…
Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona. Not all holes, or games, are created equal.
