MLB
Mets Looking For Help In Bullpen and Behind the Plate
With the MLB offseason underway, free agents will quickly come off the market. In the case of the New York Mets, there are many areas that need to be addressed. Two of the biggest areas for the Mets are their problems in the bullpen and the catching situation. Many names have been thrown around, but two of the biggest names on the Mets radar are reliever Andrew Miller and catcher Yasmani Grandal.
The Mets Bullpen Situation
The Mets bullpen was a giant struggle for fans to watch. In New York, they could have easily had a record above .500 if their bullpen did not struggle in games they should have won. The back-end of the Mets bullpen (Ramos, Familia, and Blevins) was expected to dominate the National League at the end of games. Familia was traded to Oakland, and Ramos and Blevins struggled a lot throughout the season. Heading into his first season at the helm, GM Brodie Van Wagenen plans to address the Mets bullpen for 2019.
Is Andrew Miller the Answer for the Mets?
Assuming the Mets bullpen from 2018 all come back healthy, the Mets could still use some bullpen help. Andrew Miller has been brought up with the Mets; a lot. One of the most dominant lefty relievers in baseball is on the free-agent market. Miller finished the 2018 season with a record of 2-4 with a 4.24 ERA and 45 strikeouts. Though injuries have been a constant problem for Miller as of late, he has shown, when healthy, that he his the best in the business. Andrew Miller should be realistically affordable for the Mets and would be a great get for the team.
The Mets Catching Situation
Ever since the era of Mike Piazza, the Mets have really never had a catcher that they can rely on. Mets fans have seen numerous catchers since then; nearly 30 to be exact. The Mets planned on having Travis d’Arnaud (who they acquired in the R.A. Dickey trade with the Blue Jays that also gave the Mets Noah Syndergaard) be their future catcher. However, d’Arnaud hasn’t exactly panned out as expected. Injuries have been a major issue, and his offensive production has been inconsistent. Going into the 2018 season, the Mets planned on platooning d’Arnaud with Kevin Plawecki behind the backstop. After d’Arnuad suffered an injury that required Tommy John Surgery, the Mets used Kevin Plawecki as their primary catcher until May.
Once the month the May came, the Mets were ready to part ways with starter Matt Harvey. They finally dealt Harvey to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for catcher Devin Mesoraco. Mesoraco came to Flushing, and again, was expected to split time with Plawecki. The Mets finished out the season with Mesoraco and Plawecki behind the plate and their future of the position uncertain.
Is Yasmani Grandal the Answer for the Mets?
One of the most rumored names on the Mets radar is Yasmani Grandal. Grandal, 30, has been with the Dodgers since the 2015 season. Though J.T. Realmuto is the better option, every team is after him, and the Mets are most likely at the bottom of the Marlins list for a trade partner. With the Dodgers in 2018, Grandal hit .241 with 24 homers and 68 RBIs. Certainly, Grandal provides a huge offensive upgrade behind the plate (and he should be 100% affordable for the Mets). His bat is inconsistent at times, but Grandal can be a huge offensive threat in the heart of the Mets order. Grandal serves as a much more affordable and realistic option for the Mets.
Overall
The Mets are expected to have a huge offseason to prepare for the 2019 season. Though getting both Miller and Grandal were make Mets fans ecstatic, just one of these guys would be a great get for the Mets. The front office would show the fans that they are ready to win and ready to win now. If the Mets manage to get just one of them, or get both, expect a huge boost to their lineup.
Photo Credit to Ian D’Andrea via Flickr
