You ask, we reply. The Put up is fielding questions from readers about New York’s greatest professional sports activities groups and getting our beat writers to reply them in a collection of recurrently printed mailbags. In immediately’s installment: the Mets.
Whether or not or not it’s in 2020 or 2021 is it price giving Matt Harvey a shot on a minor league deal? — @aschorling
The Mets ought to completely give their former ace one other shot. Not that Harvey is owed something by the group, however he additionally may have taken the Stephen Strasburg route and shut down earlier than the 2015 postseason, trying to shield his surgically repaired elbow. Harvey pitched and helped the Mets get to the World Collection. He underwent surgical procedure for thoracic outlet syndrome the next 12 months and hasn’t been the identical pitcher since.
The “Darkish Knight” persona is useless, and judging by the feedback the 31-year-old Harvey just lately made to colleague Dan Martin, he sounds humbled and would be glad about one other probability. The Mets may use rotation depth. There isn’t a lot of a draw back. If Harvey is completed so be it, however bringing him house for probably a final alternative to show himself, with out a lot monetary dedication, can be a pleasant gesture by the Mets.
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If the Wilpons need to promote the workforce, however not SNY, may the following proprietor of the Mets get a contract with one other community? — Barbara Grimaldi
The contract between the Mets and SNY runs by means of 2030, so not instantly. It’s been estimated that SNY (through which the Wilpons and Saul Katz maintain roughly a 65 p.c stake) generates income north of $100 million yearly whereas the workforce is dropping cash, solely complicating a possible sale of the membership, because the Wilpon and Katz households need to maintain the community.
These circumstances are what made Steve Cohen’s $2.6 billion provide for the membership so extraordinary — he’s rich sufficient to run the workforce at a loss without having the SNY income. On this financial nightmare for skilled sports activities, Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz are going to have a tough time promoting the workforce for something near what Cohen provided with out together with the community.
Submit your Mets questions right here to be answered in an upcoming Put up mailbag
What do you consider transferring Amed Rosario or one of many different shortstops to heart area? — Myles
It’s price contemplating. Staff brass mulled the thought final season of making an attempt Rosario in heart, however the experiment by no means began. Now the Mets have Andres Gimenez, who might be the higher pure shortstop defensively, however nonetheless has to show he can hit sufficient. One other chance can be taking the group’s high prospect, 19-year-old shortstop Ronny Mauricio, and transferring him to heart. The Mets took an analogous strategy with Juan Lagares early in his profession. Lagares turned a Gold Glove heart fielder, although he by no means developed sufficient offensively.
Do you suppose Carlos Beltran secretly feared for his job safety at his introductory press convention? Or was he genuinely shocked on the sensation the Astros dishonest scandal in the end turned? — William Kreudl
Beltran was Joe Theismann, and the repercussions of the Astros’ unlawful sign-stealing scheme had been Lawrence Taylor coming from the blindside. Beltran didn’t notice the magnitude of the state of affairs till after The Athletic reported Mike Fiers’ allegations in mid-November, two weeks after Beltran was launched as Mets supervisor.
Right here’s a wierd situation to contemplate: A.J. Hinch was fired as Astros supervisor within the fallout, however his one-year MLB suspension concludes after this season whether or not it’s performed or not. May normal supervisor Brodie Van Wagenen, who was one of the best man at Hinch’s wedding ceremony, rent his previous Stanford teammate? Following a canceled season, that may give the Mets two straight managers, Beltran and Luis Rojas, who departed with out really managing a sport.
If the Mets win the “2020 World Collection” does it blow their possibilities to win an actual World Collection within the subsequent 20 years? — @Johnnystig
I’m sufficiently old to recollect the Dodgers profitable the 1981 World Collection in a strike-shortened season, and that title doesn’t appear illegitimate. The Redskins profitable the Tremendous Bowl in a season that included scab gamers has withstood the check of legitimacy. So if the Mets win all of it this season, and also you root for the workforce, get together prefer it’s 1969.