Justin Turner Strikes The Match, So Let It Burn … Burn Baby Burn

Justin Turner

There’s two things that come out of Sunday’s game that are of vague note. And we’re not going to do this chronologically, so you’re just going to have to deal with it.

First: Justin Turner shoved it up our butts with an 11th inning home run to win the game and sweep the series for the Dodgers over the Mets, who are 20-43 in their last 63 games. You know what, good. I hope Justin Turner can play every game against the Mets this season. I hope whichever Mets source (who may or may not be the son of the owner of the team) let leak that Turner was released because he didn’t hustle feels a sharp pain in his appendix every time Turner gets a hit off a Mets pitcher. Maybe between this and our GM making comments about Yoenis Cespedes’ health after making him play through injuries two seasons in a row, the suits in this organization will stop making snotty comments for the sake of it. Go Justin!

Second: Brandon Nimmo, one of the two shining lights on this team, was hit in the pinky by a pitch which forced him to leave the game. X-rays were negative, but they were also negative for Kevin Plawecki before he missed a month. This season has officially become a nightmare, and it’s time to embrace it. Unfortunately, the 11-1 stretch is the worst thing to happen to this team, as it will probably stick them in the 3rd or 4th spot for next season’s draft. Without 11-1, we’re within spitting distance of the Royals and the Orioles. Now, we might have to settle for catching the Marlins.

Justin Turner Strikes The Match, So Let It Burn ... Burn Baby Burn
Jun 24, 2018; New York City, NY, USA; New York Mets center fielder Jose Bautista (11) pitches during the eleventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

But this can change. Let it burn to the ground. And I’m being quite serious about this.

  • Sign deGrom to a long term deal like you should have done two years ago. Same with Syndergaard. You’re not fixing the farm system by trading either one of these guys. Don’t fall into that trap. The Mets would need the four best prospects in all of baseball to have a chance to justify a trade like this. Those top four prospects don’t all play in the same organization. So forget it. It’s not happening. Build around these two pitchers.
  • Second thing you do is let Cespedes heal until March. Let him work on his cardio in Florida until March and make sure he drinks a gallon of water every day.
  • Then, make Jay Bruce roll his feet on tennis balls until he’s healthy to come back after the all-star break. Let him go on one of his tears to end the season, then trade him in the off-season to the losers of the Bryce Harper sweepstakes after he’s officially in the second season of his deal so that he can’t opt out.
  • Trade Jeurys Familia somewhere for nothing, as long as they absorb Jason Vargas’ contract. The Wilpons can have a salary-relief party. It’s not quite like a Christmas party … more like Arbor Day. Or take Marwin Gonzalez’s expiring contract back in a trade to the Astros if that gets them a better prospect. Maybe the Astros can introduce Vargas to the wonders of pine tar and re-invent his career.
  • Trade Asdrubal Cabrera tomorrow before he collapses and dies. Pay the freight, get the prospect.
  • Trade Devin Mesoraco for something. He has a .787 OPS. Get something for him while that lasts. Let Kevin Plawecki, Jose Lobaton and Tomas Nido not hit the rest of the season.
  • Call up Tebow. Give him at-bats too. Get that paper. Rack up those losses. This organization is a circus anyway. Let’s sign the Big Top.
  • Let Jose Reyes get as many at-bats as possible. Give Chris Flexen all the innings that the starters don’t pitch. Spot start him against the Yankees. Bring up all the horrible relievers to torpedo every deGrom start so that he can win the Cy Young with a losing record. Maybe, just maybe, the Mets will have the number one pick by punting the rest of this season. Nobody is paying attention anyway. Not even the fans that are in the park. It’s over. Tank. Hell, sign Todd Pratt.
  • Then, with that number one pick … and he’s a novel idea … take the best player in the draft. Pour your savings into scouting and development so that you can spot more accurately who the number one pick is, and develop him correctly so that he’s not Kirk Presley or Lastings Milledge. Jarred Kelenic might be a good major league player. But no more under-slot guys in the first round. No more “mights”. More “will-bes”.
  • Also, hire more major league scouts so that you don’t have to depend on dumpster diving for the 2012 All-Star team for your 2019 bench.

These are just some of the things the Mets can consider. As long as they sign the two pitchers long term, cut bait with as many of the older players as possible, set the rest of this season on fire, draft as high as possible, and sign better players to round out a roster and the Mets have a chance to get out of this mess sooner rather than later.

Not that the Mets will listen to me.

Today’s Hate List

  1. The unnamed source that bitched about Justin Turner
  2. The unnamed source that bitched about Marlon Byrd overcoaching
  3. The unnamed source that bitched about Carlos Beltran’s surgery
  4. Jerry Manuel, who bitched about Ryan Church having a concussion
  5. Jeff Wilpon, who I’m sure bitches about everything else

Your Bonus Moment Of The Day

Justin Turner Strikes The Match, So Let It Burn ... Burn Baby Burn
Hansel Robles gives up a tenth inning home run to Kendrys Morales. Robles points to remind the fan in the third row to be ready. Never change, Hansel. Never change.
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