Mets manager Buck Showalter spoke with reporters about the team’s decision to option Dominic Smith to Triple-A this week, calling it a “difficult” conversation to have with the first baseman (link via Newsday’s Laura Albanese). “You always try to put yourself in their shoes knowing that, in a lot of cases, you can’t,” Showalter said of his conversation with Smith. “It’s one of those cases where someone says, I know what you’re feeling. No, you don’t. No, you don’t, so don’t act like you do. I’ve learned in situations like that, you’re better off listening than you are talking.”
Smith will play primarily first base in Syracuse, and Showalter voiced confidence in the 26-year-old’s ability to find his swing with the help of regular at-bats and to get back to the Majors sooner than later. For the time being, however, with a banged-up pitching staff, the Mets needed a extra arm. Smith had minor league options remaining and had been struggling through infrequent usage. The former first-rounder hit .299/.366/.571 from 2019-20, but he batted just .186/.287/.256 in 101 plate appearances this year. Smith told SI.com in March that he played through a small tear of the labrum in his right shoulder last year, and it’s certainly possible there are (or were) some lingering effects of that issue.
A few more notes out of Queens…
- Former Mets lefty Aaron Loup chatted with SNY’s Andy Martino about his decision to sign with the Angels over the winter, revealing that the Mets indeed made an offer but did not match the two-year, $17MM terms he received from the Halos. Loup details that the Angels were aggressive from the jump, while the Mets took their time in putting together an offer as they sorted through front-office and managerial searches. Loup acknowledges that he and his agents “tried to stall the Angels as long as we could” while waiting to see if the Mets would match the offer. Ultimately, the Mets came in the $12-12.5MM range with a two-year offer, per Loup, who unsurprisingly opted for the larger guarantee in Anaheim. Loup has already allowed more runs in 18 2/3 innings with the Angels than he did in 56 2/3 frames as a Met last year, though the bulk of the damage against him has come over his past four appearances. No one expected the 34-year-old to replicate last year’s immaculate 0.95 ERA in the first place, and the fact that he’s sporting nearly identical strikeout, walk and ground-ball rates suggests that Loup ought to bounce back from this rough patch before long.
- Showalter told reporters, including Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, that Francisco Lindor has “a form of” fracture in his finger. However, it doesn’t seem to be terribly serious, as Lindor is in tonight’s lineup, hitting third and playing shortstop. The injury came about in an unusual fashion, as he got his finger stuck in a hotel door. The shortstop seems to be in good spirits about the situation, joking with reporters about keeping the door open from now. “I ain’t touching that door,” Lindor said, per Tim Healey of Newsday. “It can stay open.” Lindor has been a key part of the club’s tremendous start to the season, as he’s hitting .261/.345/.442 for a wRC+ of 126. He’s also added seven steals and quality defense, accumulating 2.1 fWAR already with less than a third of the season played.
Basking in the tears of so many Lindor haters coming into the year.
Uh, ok.
@You Can Put Hes getting paid 341 million to have an ops under .800, he deserves to be critisized
I gotta agree with you on this, LFGM
Dombrowski and the Phillies Nation give out money for OPS without regard for catching the ball, throwing the ball, and running the bases, it’s a Philly thing. Doesn’t apply to the other 29 teams…….and he has an impressive 126 OPS plus
At least he dyes his hair different colors to look like a clown for his pre-teen fans. Otherwise, most ppl acknowledge the guy was always overrated and undeserving of a 300+ mil contract.
When you’re the third highest paid player in the game while not even being a top 3 player at your position, you’re going to be criticized
Lol. “Laughing at the haters because the Met’s aren’t overpaying as much they did last year”
Fangraphs has him ranked 3rd at SS, and the latest MLB.com poll has Lindor at number 6 for NL MVP.
Lindor doesn’t rate to reach 5 WAR for the entire season, and isn’t close to being in the NL top 10 for WAR (1.6 v the current 10th place resident Keegan Thompson, with 2.2 WAR).
To put him at #6 in the NL MVP race is simply absurd.
Dude’s hitting .260..lol..
But I’m sure he’s tooooootally worth the contract…
Well, he’s disappointing but batting average alone tells us nothing. Plenty of great hitting seasons include a batting average like that. (And I’m not really “disappointed, I expected this).
As an Angels fan, I would love a middle infielder that slashes .250/.350/.450 w/ an OPS+ of 126. However, with the Angels top heavy payroll and annual need for pitching, they can’t pay him $34M to do it.
Both of those statements of yours are true. He very good, you’d generally love to have him. But not at that price.
You mean the Lindor who only plays hard when he’s in the mood. There’s very few Cleveland fans with baseball sense who would reverse that trade even if they had the chance.. Met fans will be booing their heads off way before that $340 mill contract expires.. lol
Just take the L.
Let’s face the real facts..Linder is a 12m/yr guy..The Mets screwed themselves on that one, just as the Tigers did on Baez..
@tippin He’s a lot better than a 12m / yr player, but the signing was still a blunder.
He’s been in steady decline since 2018, and clearly is at best a 5 win player as he goes into the long, long downslope of his career at age 28. The Mets are fools to not be giving him a day off every ten days, and it’s going to catch up with him. During the 2020-21 offseason, 8/$200m would have been a sane if somewhat player friendly extension for 2022-2029, given Lindor’s decline in 2019-2020 and the uncertainty over whether it would continue at that pace, and after his weak 2021 something like 6/$140m would have made more sense.
Lindor will be far from the first player in baseball to have peaked at age 24. He’s never going to be a superstar again. The real question is, if he weren’t playing in New York, would he ever make an All-Star team again?
On merit so far he’s an All Star this year. Turner is a little ahead of him offensively, but Lindor’s defense is better so I’d say it’s a wash. I think they’re clearly the top 2 guys this year even with Swanson off to a hot start.
There are so many arbitrary factors to who gets to be an All Star. Like if Tatis is healthy, where will Swanson and Turner sign for next year, will Correa opt out and come to the NL, etc… Really depends on a lot of those factors, but being a 5 win player might get you in the all star game in that league
Thoughtful comment. Thanks.
Quick note–the forgotten man in the Lindor trade, Andres Giminez, is outperforming Lindor this year
Giminez 2.2 rWAR — .307/.329/.540/.869 — 148 OPS+ $800k
Lindor 1.7 rWAR — .258/.339/.442/.781 — 123 OPS+ $34.1
Just saying, and it’s only a third of a season, but Giminez was always a good-quality ballplayer. A fleet defender w a chance to fill out and really slug while giving you above average and even elite defense. He’s currently +5 OAA at 2B and SS vs. Lindor’s +2 OAA.
—Greene’s also coming along; Wolf, less so.
Depends on how you look at it. I love having him and I do feel we overspent. However, the signing was a statement signing by Cohen. It signaled to Met fans that we would no longer be the big market team that pinched pennies. It also signaled to future free agents that the Mets will be competing with the Dodgers, Yankees, and Sox for your services.
I wanted Loup back but not for the money the Angels gave him. Huge overpay since they’ve had no bullpen for a couple years now.
Yeah, you had to believe Loup was at least half way b/t his 2021 and his career stats. Still, his FIP is perfectly okay this year, peripherals are solid. He’s had a little bad luck.
Even with the boost in payroll it looked like the Mets were going to try to live with their pen pretty much as is, figuring the easiest thing to do as the season went along was find a couple-three decent arms to relieve.
Just as expected, the trolling is good today my friends. So many tears over Lindor… lol
Glad you made it back, hero.
The hero you deserve, Big Willie (but not the one you need right now)
Reads like Dominic got a little chippy with Buck. 9 years in Baltimore, can’t recall one malcontent in Buck’s clubhouse. Tight group that played loose. Regardless of how Smith performs at AAA, I’d be surprised to see him back up with the big club. That said, hope Dominic rights the ship and finds a home.
The Smith demotion has reestablish value to get traded for some pitching written all over it.
Lol @resident..Dom’s value is about 1 C level prospect. Don’t fool yourself. He’s damn near PTBNL status.
What part of “reestablish” did you miss?
At this point dealing Smith for a respectable middle reliever might be the way to go, to a team willing to let him just DH his way to adequacy while hoping he finds that lightning again.
It’s too bad. Mets fans were anointing Dom the next Barry Bonds and extolling his ‘professional hitter’ approach just before his 2021 collapse. Mets should never have tried him in a full-time role, or even 3/4 time. He’s just not built for it.
Yeesh. Thank God the comment section doesn’t automatically appear anymore.
At a certain point it’s only trolls pissing off trolls. So what’s the point?