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Stop the presses, but the New York Mets may actually make it
to the postseason this year. After a pretty dismal first couple of months, the
team turned things around and is now on the cusp of a wild-card berth. While
it looked as though early on the Mets were punting on this season, some savvy moves
actually made them into contenders.
The additions of Luis Severino and Harrison Bader in the offseason have proven to be very beneficial, and getting Jesse Winker before the trade deadline has given the offense some punch. But, it could be what the Mets did — and didn’t do — in 2023 that has helped them have success in 2024.
After Jacob deGrom had another injury-shortened season in 2022, the
Mets had a major decision to make with one of the best pitchers
in team history. But instead of bringing him back and hoping his arm would hold
up, they chose to let him go, and he signed with the Texas Rangers. Now the
move looks brilliant as deGrom has pitched a total of six games in almost two
full seasons with the Rangers. He is currently recovering from another elbow
surgery that has kept him out all year.
deGrom’s de facto replacement in 2023 was Justin Verlander,
who was coming off an exceptional year with the Houston Astros. He didn’t
however, have the same success in New York, and he was shipped back to Houston
midseason. In return, the Mets received two top prospects. The Mets also sent Max
Scherzer to the Lone Star State at the trade deadline, getting Ronald Acuna’s
little brother Luisangel from the Rangers.
While the Mets could receive help from the young players down the road, it was the removal of two pitchers in their 40s that was the
savvier aspect of the move. This season has not been kind to either Verlander or Scherzer,
and they both began the year on the injured list. While Verlander is now back
in the Astro’s rotation, Scherzer recently had to return to the IL due to a
shoulder issue.
It’s safe to say that if any of these three pitchers were
still on the Mets (having ridden the pine for the majority of the year), the
fans in New York would be calling for the head of somebody. There is also a
strong possibility that the team would have been out of contention a long time
ago.
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