Yoenis Cespedes

Mets News: Van Wagenen on Girardi, Cespedes and the starting rotation

by
Simeon Woods-Richardson

New York Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen was proud to introduce Carlos Beltran as the team’s new manager on Monday, but he knew there’d be more than just questions about Beltran.

For instance, like why he passed on Joe Girardi, the man who seemed to be the most natural fit for the job.

“There were a lot of qualified candidates that brought different things to the table,” Van Wagenen said. “I thought that we considered all of those candidates and their strengths and ultimately it was Carlos’ strengths that won the day. It was less about where other candidates fell short and much more specifically about what Carlos’ leadership brings to our team, what his leadership brings to the organization and we had a great deal of confidence in that.”

The truth is he wanted a first-time manager and not one he inherited, such as Mickey Callaway.  He wanted his own. Beltran has other qualities that won him the job, but still, Met fans are leery. He will have earn their trust.

Cespedes’ Return Still Unknown

Outfielder Yoenis Cespedes is still a Met. Maybe you forgot. No one can blame you for that. Cespedes has not played since July 20, 2018 when it was decided that he needed surgery on both heels. That surgery was successful but his comeback last was then thwarted by an ankle fracture he suffered on his ranch in May. That’s the Mets’ story and their sticking to it.

Van Wagenen was asked on Monday what Cespedes’ status was. He wasn’t sure. I believe him.

Since Cespedes signed a four-year, $110 million extension with the Mets (with a no-trade clause) in November of 2016, he’s played in just 119 games. 2020 will be his last year under contract at a salary of $29.5 million.

Lugo, Gsellman could be starters again

With Zack Wheeler headed for free agency and a longshot to be re-signed by the Mets, the starting rotation will take on a different look in 2020. BVW did mention that the Mets would make a qualifying off to Wheeler, but the general consensus is that Wheeler will opt for free agency.

Jacob deGrom, Markus Stroman, Steven Matz and Noah Syndergaard – providing the team doesn’t trade him – will all be back but extra arms will be needed and Van Wagenen isn’t ruling out two players already on the staff that have started in the past in Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman.

Is this a subtle hint that BVW will be looking to futz with the bullpen again this offseason? You can almost bet on that he will. He is likely in the market for a closer and a setup man from each side of the mound. In short, he’s back to where he started from.

Yoenis Cespedes Done for the Season, Maybe More

by

On Wednesday, the New York Mets announced slugger Yoenis Cespedes will miss the rest of the season to get surgery on both of his heels. This came as no surprise after he broke the news of surgery possibly needed to heal the lingering pain he has dealt with. Cespedes missed over two months with the injury this season and only returned for one game before landing on the DL again.

Maybe Cespedes Should Have Rested

Cespedes barely made it through one game as a designated hitter before feeling soreness the next day. When trying to score on a single from second base, he was not running well and could not slide as well. The surgery on his heels will take 8-10 months to recover from and could take even longer. The surgery will be done in two segments with each heel being done at separate times.

If the Mets were still in contention it would make sense to try to get Cespedes back into the lineup even if he was not 100 percent. After spending two months on the shelf the Mets quickly fell out of contention and the pain continued to linger. The combination of Cespedes keeping quiet and the Mets rush to get him back for just one game makes the last two months look like a waste of time.

How Much Did The Organization Know?

Things would likely be different if the organization had a grasp of how severe the injury to Cespedes was. They could have opted for surgery at the end of May and potentially have Cespedes ready for Opening Day in 2019. Opting for surgery now puts Cespedes at a May/June return at best. This makes for an interesting shake up if Jay Bruce, Brandon Nimmo and Michael Conforto are all producing in 2019.

For the time being, the Cespedes contract is comparable to the David Wright contract as Cespedes has only played 119 games over the last two seasons. Cespedes will definitely miss more time to start the 2019 season and will have to be healthy for the last two seasons of his huge contract to prove his worth. The Mets will always be a better team when he is in the lineup and it will be interesting to see how the Mets approach the start of 2019 without him.