A Matter of Taste

Let’s get this part out of the way first and say if Robinson Cano wants his old No. 24 back he can go talk to Willie, and if he wants 22 he can talk to Dom Smith. As to Edwin Diaz, the best closer nobody ever heard of wears 39 in Seattle; the same digits belonging last to the presumably departing free agent Jerry Blevins.

Now let’s get to the part where I explain why even though this trade could presumably help the Mets get better a lot faster, how I don’t much like it in a matter of taste. As a fan, I don’t want to cheer for a 36-year-old former Yankee steroid cheat, especially one presumably taking over the position of one of the only guys on the club I was excited to see playing every day next year in Jeff McNeil. Yeah I know there’s still much detail to work out, there’s always a role for a good bat, guys get hurt, Frazier could still be traded, and so on, but I don’t have to like it that McNeil looks like the first victim here.

As for Edwin Diaz, well, he’s a relief pitcher, relief pitchers are unpredictable and erratic by nature, and I strongly believe the way to get them is to make them (Jeurys Familia) and not not buy them, even if and when they are cheap and controllable. When they’re cheap and controllable is when you trade them. Even a washed-up bullpenner like Jerry DiPoto (a former Met 45, doncha know) knows that!

So those are the new guys, we cough up capable-but-expendable Jay Bruce, who was a kind of bad-penny Met whom they never really wanted but kept going out and getting; the alleged best return of the Addison Reed trade booty in Gerson Bautista (watch him blossom into Seattle’s next closer); last year’s top draft pick, Jerred Kelenic, who if nothing else seemed like a hitter, and Anothy Swarzak, aka Exhibit A in the don’t-go-get-relievers-based-on-one-season-of-goodness department. Swarzak will presumably bounce in Seattle back too, then go at the summer deadline, probably to a win-now dreamer, like the Mets. And if he doesn’t rebound, then he’ll be out of a job.

Maybe the principals mentioned above will change, but if you needed evidence the Mets were back in control of Omar “Big Splash” Minaya there you have it. Move heaven and earth for 60 innings of relief and a veteran with “talent.” Yuck.

The question is, what’s next? Well if they’re truly serious about contending let’s see them really strap one on, go sign Bryce Harper, keep Syndergaard, sign Nathan Eovaldi and trade Steven Matz for that catcher instead. What are you, scared? If this didn’t do it, what will?

 

 

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13 comments

  1. Chris says:

    I’ve long thought that the Mets should either set a date to retire #24, or return it to the rotation. The man is not getting any younger.

  2. Richard says:

    I hope Cano gets #24. Enough of keeping it in limbo. He’s not a Met and he’s not a Mets legend. He played for the Giants and they have appropriately retired his number. We already have #37 retired for a Yankee. Should we retire #8 for Berra next?

    Joan Payson hasn’t been involved with the team for a long time now and we can’t have her ghost hovering over who can wear #24.

    My guess: Cano gets #24 just b/c he has the cache (although not at the level of Rickey Henderson) to ask for it and get it.

  3. Richard says:

    Ken Rosenthal reported Cano will wear #24.

  4. 9th string catcher says:

    24 has always gone to players with clout. I would imagine the 36 year old we’re paying $63M for has that. I mean, the reality is that we need a closer, one that comes pretty cheaply, so that’s good. Hopefully they won’t screw up McNeil in the process, but he sure seems unflappable so far. Just leave the starters alone, please. And DON’T give 4 to a coach!

  5. Matt B says:

    Great article here why the Mets should NOT retire #24 for Mays and put it back in circulation for good, even after Cano.

    https://uni-watch.com/

  6. Matt B says:

    Diaz in #39

  7. Gene F. says:

    The two most talked about Mets targets this week, JT Realmuto and AJ Pollack share not only their use of initials as a first name, but also a number – they both wore #11 most recently. 11 has been mostly vacant since Joey Bats went cheesesteak, but it did make a very brief appearance on call-up coach Tony DiFrancesco on the last homestand of 2018.

  8. Arthur Malkin says:

    I think #24 should hae been retired to avoid any future controversy, not even because of Mays. Although Mays spent only a short time as a Met at the end of his career, the current ownership should have respected Ms. Payson’s promise to him. the Wilpons have little regard for the team’s previous ownership, as evidenced by their failure to invite Mrs. Payson’s daughter and successor owner, Mrs. De Roulet to the final game at Shea stadium in 2008. Mrs. Payson’s promise to Willie was class, the Wilpons deciding suddenly not to honor it (again) is crass.
    Furthermore, Willie did not want the number issued to Rickey Henderson, and apparently was not even consulted about it.

  9. Chris says:

    Well, we know who’ll be sporting #27 in the spring.

  10. Matt B says:

    I say Ramos gets #40 from Vargas, and he goes back to #43, his original Mets number.

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