Five second-half questions for the Mets
Mets starting pitcher Max Scherzer works the first inning of a game against Atlanta on July 11 in Atlanta. Credit: AP/John Bazemore
With the Mets kicking off the second half — really more like last two-fifths — of their season Friday against the Padres, here are five questions to set the stage for the months to come:
1. What will they do at the trade deadline?
With a later-than-normal All-Star break, the trade deadline is going to sneak up. It is 4 p.m. on Aug. 2 — just nine games away. By now, the Mets’ areas of need are clear: help in the bullpen (maybe more than one reliever) and for the lineup.
For the former, take your pick of any of the bunch of relievers available; the Cubs’ David Robertson, Rockies’ Daniel Bard and Tigers’ Andrew Chafin (a lefthander) might be the best rental options.
For the latter, they need someone who will help them be productive out of the DH spot. How about the Royals’ Andrew Benintendi (an outfielder who would allow the Mets to give Mark Canha, Brandon Nimmo and Starling Marte DH days)? Mark down Juan Soto as a longshot.
2. How many starts will Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom make?
The aces are central to the Mets’ quest for a division title and deep playoff run. Of a possible 64 starts (assuming a full season from each), they have combined for 11 so far. Those are all from Scherzer, of course, since deGrom still is working his way back from a stress reaction in his right shoulder blade.
What deGrom will contribute, and for how long, is anybody’s guess. Scherzer, though more reliable, also deals with his fair share of “hiccups,” as he called his early-season hamstring issue, so another episode or two like that wouldn’t surprise.
3. Can Taijuan Walker avoid a repeat of 2021?
Last year, Walker had a 2.66 ERA in the first half and earned his first All-Star nod. This year, he has a 2.55 ERA and had another strong All-Star case.
Last year, Walker had a 7.13 ERA in the second half. This year . . . we’ll see.
It was easy enough to attribute his regression in 2021 to a gigantic innings jump after several injury-plagued seasons. He won’t have to deal with that this time around. Walker has been the Mets’ most reliable and effective starter so far, so if he maintains any semblance of that level of performance — and has Scherzer and deGrom with him in the rotation — the Mets will like their chances.
4. What happens with the lefty reliever situation?
Coming out of spring training, the Mets settled on carrying two lefthanded relievers: Joely Rodriguez, acquired from the Yankees for Miguel Castro near the end of camp, and Chasen Shreve, who was on a minor-league deal and won a major-league job. Rodriguez has a 4.67 ERA and didn’t pitch in the last week and a half before the break, while Shreve struggled and got cut.
The trade deadline may bring an answer to this question. But if not, maybe David Peterson can fill that role. He has been excellent — 3.24 ERA in 13 starts and two relief appearances — and deserves to stay in the majors, even when deGrom is back. The Mets, though, might prefer that he stay a starter in the minors, remaining ready for if and when they need him.
5. Will we get any fun prospect debuts?
Of the Mets’ top prospects, two have a realistic (if unlikely) shot at the majors this year: catcher Francisco Alvarez and third baseman Mark Vientos.
Alvarez is the sexier name but a longer shot. Since getting promoted to Triple-A Syracuse this month, he has a .087/.324/.130 slash line in eight games. The Mets aren’t going to rush him to the majors if he isn’t ready. He’ll prove he is ready by crushing in Triple-A.
Vientos has done well with Syracuse — .255/.339/.498 — after a slow start and might be worth a near-term look as DH. The problems in his game are he strikes out a lot (more than 30% of his plate appearances) and hits the ball on the ground a lot (more than 50% of his balls in play).
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
