Tag Archive for Danny Young

The Road to SHaMbala

I found it a little presumptuous at first for Phil Maton to walk in, take 88 off the back of coach Mike Sarbaugh, then go out there and be the first guy ever to wear 88 in a game in Mets history. Then I found out Maton has a demonstrated fondness for 88 since having it issued to him as a Padre, and that he was friendly with Sarbaugh from their time together in the Indians’ organization. Sarbaugh by the way is now suited up in 86.

There’s only 14 never-issued-to-a-player numbers left and that’s before we give anything to Alex Young, the lefty bullpenner waivered away from the Giants and assigned to Syracuse (for now). 69, 78, 79. 80, 82, 83, 84, 90, 92, 94, 95, 96, 97 and 98.

Who knows with the bullpen but I’m glad we’re making some choices beyond the Tyler Jay, Ty Adcock, Danny Young and Matt Festa rotation. Also, great to see Jose Butto doing his thing only now in relief. He’s got some bulldog in him. The other guy to look out for (perhaps) is Shintaro Fujinami, who struck a buncha guys out wearing 19 in Spring Training. He might come back with Kodai Senga, who knows.

It’s all pretty positive for the Mets lately but we also know what they’re capable of. There are 67 games remaining. If the SHaMs (Second HAlf Mets) play .600 ball (that’s less than their .650-ish June-July pace) they’ll go 40-27 and finish with 89 wins. That would mean we’d be going to the playoffs. But 55% would probably do it as well.

For now it might be fun just to catch the Braves and see where it goes.

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Great Scott

Promising pitching prospect Christian Scott is arriving even sooner than I would have guessed and without an obvious need for a starter (unless they cut bait on Adrian Houser or something). Clubhouse video from Florida, where Scott will start tomorrow, shows he will wear No. 45, which belonged last to Sam Coonrod (it belonged to Cole Sulser in Spring Training, only to see him turn up in 54 for his ineffective appearances).

I’m glad they are giving Scott a pitcher number to begin his career and so won’t have him looking like a clown as they’ve forced Jose Butto into with that unseemly No. 70. Butto should go to the clubhouse and demand No. 21 while its still available. He’s a good enough pitcher to pull that off.

Yesterday we saw Danny Young become the all-time Mets leader in wins by a guy wearing No. 81. If you remembered that Johneshwy Fargas was the first to wear 81, you win a prize of some kind.

These Mets have a little scrappiness about them that I like, with a better-than-expected bullpen and a streaky offense that’s not afraid to come from behind like inferior versions of the Mets. But I’m concerned with offense out of the catching position, we were much better off before Alvarez went down and he wasn’t even hot.

Catching up on the downroster churn:

Michael Tonkin was DFA’ed for Julio Teheran, and traded to the Twins

Yohan Ramirez was DFA’ed for Cole Sulser, and signed with the Orioles

Julio Teheran was DFA’ed for Dedniel Nunez and wound up with the Cubs

Tyler Jay was DFA’ed for a returning Michael Tonkin, and re-upped with Syracuse

Kolton Ingram was DFA’ed for Tomas Nido, and re-upped with Syracuse

Michael Tonkin was DFA’ed a second time as Sean Reid-Foley returns, and lands with the Yankees

Zack Short was DFA’ed as JD Martinez arrives,

 

 

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