The Mets are set to give Robert Gsellman the start for tonight’s game, but it’s more than just an “opener” assignment for the righty, it seems. Manager Luis Rojas said in an appearance on WFAN 660 AM today that Gsellman will be stretched out to work as a starter moving forward (Twitter links via MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo). The plan is for him to pitch in the rotation for the remainder of the year.
The Mets were bullish on their rotation depth after signing Rick Porcello and Michael Wacha over the winter, but the lack of options beyond their top six starters has become a glaring deficiency in 2020. Noah Syndergaard will miss the entire season due to Tommy John surgery, while Marcus Stroman just opted out of the 2020 season earlier this week, citing health-and-safety uncertainties while playing amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Wacha, meanwhile, is on the injured list with another bout of shoulder troubles.
Despite the fact that Jacob deGrom is dominating (as usual) and former first-round pick David Peterson has impressed in his first three MLB outings, Mets starters have the sixth-worst earned run average (5.18) in all of baseball. Some of that is due to a porous defense that ranks near the bottom of the league in both Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating — Mets’ starters have a much-better 4.14 FIP — but the team simply hasn’t gotten much help from Porcello, Wacha or Steven Matz to date.
The 27-year-old Gsellman is no stranger to starting games. He came up through the system as a starter and made 29 starts for the Mets across his first two big league seasons. He’s been better as a reliever — 4.60 ERA, 4.31 FIP in the rotation vs. 4.25 ERA, 3.97 FIP out of the ‘pen — but the Mets are thin on alternatives at this point. Right-hander Walker Lockett could’ve been an alternative, but it seems he’ll continue in a long relief role for now. It’s possible that Lockett will piggyback off Gsellman’s starts early in the transition. Gsellman will be limited to about 45 pitches tonight, per DiComo.
Over at their alternate training site in Brooklyn, the Mets have right-handers Erasmo Ramirez, Corey Oswalt, Ariel Jurado and Yefry Ramirez as options with big league experience. Of that bunch, only Oswalt and Jurado are on the 40-man roster.
In parts of five big league seasons, Gsellman has tallied 309 innings of 4.43 ERA ball (4.14 FIP) with averages of 7.5 strikeouts, 3.2 walks and 0.96 home runs per nine innings pitched. He’s been clobbered when facing opponents a third time in a game (.329/.393/.537), so the Mets could look to limit him to two trips through the order more often than not even when he’s sufficiently stretched out.
Lugo could be a #2 or 3 starter but the Mets are dumb
Lugo’s more valuable as the closer right now
A closer is useless without leads to protect.
Got that right!!!
Top starters are far more valuable than relievers
that’s assuming he’s proportionally good in the rotation as he has been in the pen which isnt a given. not a shot at his ability to start,but rather a recognization of his ability in the 9th.
Diaz has a better track record as a closer, is younger, and is looking good. Career-wise, that makes Lugo’s options starter and set-up man. I get that he can be outstanding as a set-up, but the Mets have serious rotation issues. How to best utilize Lugo is a difficult call, He will be 31 in November and will head into 2021 having never pitched more than 101 innings in a season. Expecting him to suddenly turn into a reliable starter is a lot to ask. Longterm, the closer is probably Diaz. That makes Lugo’s best spot on the Mets a set-up man. Otherwise, the best option is trading him now to a team that will use him as a closer. If I’m the Mets, I would look to move him because his value is high. He would fit nicely with the Cubs. The problem is the guy calling the shots for the Mets already has a shaky trade history.
The Mets are probably not making the playoffs, so why not experiment? I’m personally skeptical that Lugo’s ceiling as a starter is any higher than what he’s already done in that role, but there’s only one way to get to a conclusion on it.
gameofdegroms, Exactly. Aside from the obvious rotation help, the Mets’ biggest need is improving their up-the-middle defense. I’m convinced they have found their SS in Gimenez. They are also in reasonably good hands with McNeil and Cano at 2B. McNeil’s flexibility enables him to play elsewhere on occasion while Cano can split time at DH if the rule sticks. That leaves CF, where Nimmo is clearly not the answer defensively, and C, where the fading Ramos will be a FA. Filling both spots in one winter will be difficult. So why not try Rosario at CF to see if he’s capable? If he can do it, then they can make C their priority this winter. Also, Nimmo can become an oft-used fourth OF, which would serve him better than being an everyday CF.
why not start Edwin then? he started as a prospect and coulf be better earlier in the game.
Bc the bats and Phillies are doing amazing.. it’s been 18 gams calm down….
NO NO NO He’s more valuable in the pen. With an elbow issue he cannot go that long.
Looking at Lugo’s splits he had a 4.76 ERA in 2017 and a 3.91 ERA in 2018 as a starter. He is definitely more effective as a reliever and the bullpen needs help as well. As a reliever he’s dominant. It might be difficult weakening one position to only modestly improve another.
Let’s not forget that Seth Lugo still has a partially torn UCL. He is going to eventually need Tommy John surgery. That is going to happen a lot sooner if he starts.
Does he really?!?! He had that in 2017. So it’s partially retorn? I would imagine that by itself would make this subject case closed.
A UCL tear never heals on its own. It can be replaced with Tommy John surgery or a player can try to live with it. Lugo has been living with it. But by making him a starter and tripling his innings he would be very likely to turn the existing partial tear into a complete tear.
Exactly. There’s no reason to risk losing your most valuable RP to TJ for a year and a half just to experiment. It’s not like it’s an experiment that hasn’t been done before. He was a starter in 17 and wasn’t exactly stellar.
As a Braves fan, looking forward to torching him as well.
Braves fans should be the last ones gloating about a thin rotation. A front three of deGrom, Porcello, and Peterson is better than what the Braves currently have,
Look at the records of both teams. Braves can gloat a bit.
Terrible division. No one should be gloating in this season.
Phillies split with your Yankees. Marlins and Phioes were sidelined a bit. Mets, Braves and Nats dealing with injuries. I expect a turnariybd.
Jesus. That isn’t even English. Please ignore and delete. lol
After 18 games…..???
which is 1/3 of the season this year
@Cey Hey And yet, Braves have whipped the Mets this season
Congratulations on beating the Mets….when’s the banner going up the flagpole?
As soon as your birds do, I imagine.
They celebrated by giving Soroka the next year-plus off.
I’m a Braves fan and I won’t be doing any gloating even if the Braves win the world series. At this point the team that wins the NLE will probably be the one that can keep a relatively intact team on the field. The favorite in this division has done a lot of flip flopping and despite our winning record, the rotation is quite terrifying.
If you are an honest Braves fan than you can’t be too excited at the prospect of Ynoa pitching against the Yankees when they have a red hot Tanaka on the mound. That’s what the rotation has come too.
Damn. My comment above is in the wrong place.
Nice post. If I’m a Braves fan, I’m optimistic about the future. The young talent and payroll flexibility give them room to maneuver and stay relevant for years to come. They have an excellent shot at landing Lindor if they want to go that route, mainly because they can tie a proven everyday SS in Swanson to any prospect package. What other teams can do that?
So the Mets are gonna lose tonight? Man it’s hard to watch this Mets pitching.
Porcello has pitched well his last two starts and Peterson has been solid. They aren’t a good team, but at least have found a legit shortstop in Gimenez. Now they need to try Rosario in CF to determine if that is a position of need for 2021.
Yankees aren’t a good team bc they lost 5 of 8 games. Ik their record is good. I’m saying you can’t judge a team based on 18 games…
Look at their roster and compare it to others. The Mets are not a good team, though at least they now have one good defensive player in Gimenez. Nimmo is terrible in CF. As bad as anyone in MLB.
Looking at actual numbers you would see they have the best lineup in the NL east…
Mets should trade Dom Smith for Mike Minor. I agree why not move Lugo in the rotation.
Minor turns 33 in December, has been struggling and will be a free agent after this season. Smith is 25 and has power potential as an everyday player. This is exactly the kind of trade the Mets need to stop making.
Cey Hey, cmon man. I’m trying to work a trade to unload Odor! Help me please.
Will the Mets take Odor in that trade?
Interesting note: the Rangers didn’t want Minor to go on the injured list despite his sudden loss of velocity this season (he had been around 89 early on when he is normally sitting 92), nor did they want to skip his start yesterday. So in turn, they made him pitch around 75 pitches. He went four scoreless, and his velocity sat around 91-92 on his fastball. If we don’t look to contend this season, I totally expect Minor to get traded, but more like the Pomz deal to the Brewers last season. If the Rangers want a good haul they need to trade Lynn. He’s pitched like an ace, and his contract runs through next season. We could get a Dom Smith for Lynn, but IDK what we get if we package Lynn and Odor @toooldtocare.
I agree, but with Minor being FA after this season, not sure in this abbreviated season what kind of deal other teams might be interested in…..I was generally kidding around trying to throw Odor in. Rangers just need to cut bait with him. Same old story year after year, “ If he doesn’t produce, playing time will be reduced”. Need to install Solak at 2nd base, and quit screwing around with him by moving him around the diamond. Also need to see what Heiniman can do in CF if we can’t trade a Lynn or Minor for one.
No room for Odor. Granted, there was no room for Cano either.
Lynn is good, but has just a year remaining on his deal and will turn 34 next May. If I was a Mets fan, that’s a trade I wouldn’t want to see. What they need to do is get Smith as many at-bats as possible in this short season to further enhance his value. Then make a smart decision on him over the winter.
@Rangers29, I proposed to a Yankee fan yesterday a trade of Lynn for Clint Frazier. Consensus was that Lynn didn’t pitch well while with the Yankees, so not much trade potential there. I say sit Odor, Solak to 2nd, and see what Heiniman can do in CF unless the Rangers can work a trade for an outfielder.
toooldtocare, The way pitchers are going down, Lynn has plenty of value for a team that wants to win in 2020 and 2021. Atlanta?
What are your thoughts on the Rangers’ possible pursuit of Springer? Keep in mind he turns 31 in September.
Cey Hey, I’m sure the Rangers will certainly give him a look. Bottom line is what the market will bear for him whether or not the Rangers get serious. He would be. good add, batting leadoff, especially since Choo won’t be around.
What’s weird @Cey Hey is that Texas has Leody Taveras, who they are very high on for playing center field. His eta is 2021, and if we sign Springer, that would block him. Though Springer could play left field (since Choo is leaving after this season, probably), and then since Taveras is terrific defensively, he would stay in center. I say we have a decent chance of signing him with that logic.
Rangers29, I was thinking of Taveras. Since baseball is cyclical, it’s possible his type of offensive player returns to the game. Look at what the speed has added to the Padres lineup. And defense up-the-middle is still the way to build. The question is whether you overpay for Springer and put him in left, or go for a younger, less-expensive option like Joc Pederson? Joc doesn’t hit lefties at all but works as a platoon bat. As a Dodger fan, I appreciate him. A caveat is that he seems to have taken a step back defensively. He came up as CF with a 30/30 season in the minors. At age 28, he doesn’t resemble that player at all. It comes down to how the Rangers want to allocate their financial resources. I tend to prefer long haul over trying to catch lightning in a bottle now. How many good years can they reasonably expect from Springer or even Pederson?
I personally, would sign Pederson for 3 or so years, and stick him right behind Gallo in the Rangers lineup. Reason being is that Gallo has big time reverse splits against lefties (all of his homers have came off lefties this year), so even though it would be two lefties in a row, Gallo would have some good protection. Plus, we could put Pederson in left field. What we need though, is a first baseman. I hope Guzman puts it together at the plate, but like Odor, he gets in his own head too much. We’d probably acquire a 1b via trade, but I’m not sure who we could target. I want Andujar, but I’m not sure if he could play first.
Why do people all of a sudden assume that Dom Smith has value? He is a 1B/DH. He has slightly less value than Frazier and Andujar. Nobody is looking for a bat only player with a .235/.296 lifetime BA/OBP. He certainly does not have the value of a quality starter.
except the poor numbers he put up in 2017/2018 shouldn’t hold as much weight as the better ones he’s posted since. sure he’s defensively limited, but any team without a clear 1B option would consider adding a young bat with the power upside that Smith has.
He has 332-AB of crappy production and 212-AB of good but not special production. I think teams will want more than 212-AB to make a major investment. Besides which, this is just like the Yankees with Andujar and Frazier. Nobody is going to trade high quality pieces for a DH only unless he gives you JD Martinez type of production. Every team in mlb has multiple players who can hit but cannot field. Nobody wants to trade for more.
want VV or Pivetta, Mets?
A copy of “Reflexions on Jurisprudence Ethics” by Michael Cohen will get you any Red Sox starter.
What happened to Porcello? I thought he was good in even numbered years.
he is, what the boxscores, 2 good starts in a row, one bad outing is skewing his era
Gsellman still sounds like a third-rate Superhero.
Yankees will take Odor only if Rangers take Stanton. Odor could be a productive lefty hitter in Yankees stadium
Or Tom Brady’s wife with a gender reassignment.
Yes, sent to this planet to rescue Giselle Maxwell from prison.
Enough is enough already. Lugo needs to go back in the rotation ASAP. Diaz has been actually good this year outside of 2 games. Think he can reclaim closer role. Mets really need starters for this year and next. Not a lot of good options in FA. Much easier to get bullpen arms than starters.
Freddie, Agreed. Not a Mets fan though I watch their games before the Dodgers come on. For once, I would like to see the Mets build the proper way, which is starting pitching and up-the-middle defense. Continuing with Lugo as closer would mean they have given up on Diaz, which is foolish. Diaz’s slider seems to have returned and that fastball…wow. Plus, Lugo wants to start and can see with his own eyes the explosive potential of Diaz. The bullpen would not take a major hit if Lugo joined the rotation. Hughes appears to be an excellent pickup. He throws grounders, which is a plus with Gimenez now installed as SS. They didn’t hit last night. But defensively, it was fun to watch. Gimenez was superb.
Don Smith value is at a high. I say they move him for a potential 3 spot pitcher with some upside
Oakland for Christmas Basset
Houston for maybe someone like Urquidy
Detroit for Boyd or maybe turnbill. METS WOULD HAVE TO BUCK UP MORE FOR BOYD but Inthink those 3 teams can certainly use Smith for 1b/OF
Kc too but I don’t know their farm systems and if they have a talented arm almost ready.
A young potential good/great bar for the same in pitcher sound like a win win trade that can be pulled off probably with relative ease.
Just my opinion.
I agree why not trade Dom Smith while his value is high. Don’t make the same mistake the Yankees did holding onto Frazier and Andujar and now no one wants them. If the Mets need starters I’ll give you Paxton and Happ for a few bucket of balls.
It’s not that no one wants Frazier or Andujar. It’s that the Yankees refuse to use them or trade them so teams are a little skeptical
I think you are greatly overestimating Dom Smith’s value Krujo.
With the way Kay has been pitching………..
even if Stroman didnt opt out that move would have been a head scratcher. not a bad value trade on the virtue of value purely, but it coulr have been figured that Kay would have been morw valuable this year then Stroman given his injury history and general up-and-down history. giving up SWR on top of that just makes it make less sense. im sure there was some intention of resigning him too, but the principle of giving up assets to get a leg up on resigning a player is a bit of a contested principle anyway.
Wheeler got a ton of money from the Phillies, But as it looks now, the Mets would be in much better shape today had they just given him the money and not made the Seattle and Toronto trades. Better rotation, better organizational depth, and Lugo to do Diaz’s job of closing. The two trades were statements that the Mets were in a win-now mode, yet they allowed a valuable rotation piece to sign with a division opponent. Terrible asset management. That Cano move, ugh. As Cano’s agent, BVW must have realized that contract was untradeable. The only way Cano was ever going to be traded was if his agent somehow became a GM. Meanwhile, the Mets had already given McNeil a long, successful audition at Cano’s position. Hideous trade that somewhat forced BVW’s into making the Toronto trade in an attempt to make the playoffs.
Lugo’s got to be a little upset..
Where BARTOLO? Sign him he could be our #4 behind. DeGrom,Peterson,Gsellman
How about Dom Smith,Matz and Rosario to the BrewCrew for Burnes and Corey Ray
Cut sewald!!!!