I'm totally befuddled by what is going on with the Mets. I sit here to write each day and often just stare at the screen, feeling disoriented, as if under water, not sure where the surface is located, where to get air, or where is up or where is down...

I have no idea how or why things changed so much since 2015, but the last two seasons have been among the most bizarre and confusing I have written about since starting MetsBlog in 2003.

For instance, Sunday's scheduled starting pitcher, Jason Vargas, hurt himself running before last Wednesday's game in Colorado. The Mets put him on the disabled list three days later and 24 hours before needing to replace him in the rotation for Sunday. Nevertheless, his teammates reportedly arrived Sunday to Citi Field with zero idea who would be taking his place in the rotation.

In the end, situational left-handed reliever Jerry Blevins was asked to throw the game's first pitch. It was the first start in his 11-year big-league career and only the third start of his professional career, the last of which occurred 13 years ago in Single-A.

It didn't help that Blevins gave up back-to-back home runs to start the first inning, and then joked with reporters about the entire situation after the game.

I understand it is a nuisance and logistical hurdle having to urgently get a player to New York from Las Vegas, where the team's Triple-A affiliate is (they'll be moving to Syracuse next season). However, they still had 24 hours to make a better choice than Blevins -- not to mention four days to weigh their options.

None of this good.

It's possible the team didn't want to cut someone to add a one-time player to the 40-man roster because they had no ideal option given when other pitchers had last thrown.

In either case, all of the above is sign of poor preparation or poor options ... or both.

It's easy to blame payroll. But, time and time again it is proven that teams can repeatedly win with what the Mets have been spending the past few seasons, which is roughly $160 million.

This is because consistently winning -- year in, year out -- is much more than just spending on free agents, especially since less and less quality talent hits the open market each season.

It is true that a team's chance of yearly success increases with every dollar it spends on payroll. However, this is mostly because it creates more options and room to fail.

For instance, for all of the praise media and fans give to the highest revenue teams such as the Yankees, Cubs, Red Sox and Dodgers, a big part of their success is because they can more easily use money to eat bad contracts in a way the other 27 teams will not do.

This means that the rest of the league, including mid-to-upper revenue teams that earn between $300-$400 million and spend more than $150 million, such as the Mets, Nationals, Astros, Phillies, and Cardinals, all need to be more economical and more efficient with what they spend and the decisions they make about their roster.

This is where the Astros, Phillies, Braves and Brewers are excelling. I'm willing to bet most Mets fans would gladly swap wins, rosters and farm systems with all four of the above teams, despite each franchise spending less this season on payroll than the Mets.

These four teams, who play a in significantly smaller media markets, have a seemingly endless supply of young talent. And they have been making proactive, efficient, and effective decisions the last few years about their rosters and the future of the franchises.

The Mets, on the other hand, have appeared to be disorganized and reactionary. And they don't have much to show for it. Prior to 2015, the Mets had only made the playoffs seven times, before or after which there were multiple seasons of losing and rebuilding.

I thought 2015 was going to be different, though, because of the progressive front office, young pitching staff and momentum building around them in New York City. It finally felt like the franchise was taking its first step on a ladder of what would be a multi-year boom cycle. Instead, here they are again, 101-136 since the 2016 Wild Card Game, a roster in shambles for the second-straight season, a top-heavy farm system, a front office that is making repeated rushed and odd decisions, a rookie manager, negative press, and several key players on the DL...

This may not be the start of another bust cycle, but it also isn't the foundation for a boom cycle. And, at the very least, it isn't a recipe for success.

I realize teams get caught flat-footed every day, including teams that get to the postseason. However, a consistent stretch of finishing above .500 (let alone getting to the postseason) will continue to be impossible if these guys are always having to lean on career minor leaguers in big spots because every roster in the system is depleted and the DL looks like a carousel.

Again, winning and losing is not only about spending money on the big-league roster, it's also about the strategy and choices being made about this year's and future rosters. This is why, as I write this, I'm far more concerned with the future of the franchise than I am with whether they can turn things around in 2018. Instead of wins this season, I'd much rather see an influx of new talent, a well articulated set of goals, and a plan for how and why things will be different and better next season. Otherwise, we're just killing time between cycles...

Matthew Cerrone (Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Contact) is lead writer of MetsBlog.com, which he created in 2003. He also hosts the MetsBlog Podcast, which you can subscribe to here. His new book, The New York Mets Fans' Bucket List, details 44 things every Mets fan should experience during their lifetime. To check it out, click here!

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