The Mets are 4-16 since May 22, during which they've become the first team in modern history to score fewer than 15 runs during an 11-game stretch, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Interestingly, the Nationals, Marlins, and Phillies immediately follow the Mets on the list of worst-scoring teams during the last three weeks...
Unfortunately, these other three teams are finding ways to do just enough to win a a bit more than the Mets and so the standings today are as follows...
The Mets now hit the road to play seven games against the D-backs and Rockies...
Arizona is playing well, winning seven of their last 10 to move in to first place in the NL West. On the other hand, the Rockies are 12-19 since sweeping the Mets at Citi Field in early May. They've lost nine of their last 12, are one game under .500 and now five games back in the Wild Card race...
Sadly, unless they make a handful of major changes, I think it's fair to project the Mets will be roughly 34-44 on July 1, considering how they've been playing and given their competition.
If that's the case, it'll be hard for anyone in the organization to honestly argue against trading at least Zack Wheeler, Jeurys Familia, Jerry Blevins, and Asdrubal Cabrera.
The Mets were 38-42 on July 1 last season when they decided to trade off multiple soon-to-be free agents, such as Jay Bruce, Lucas Duda, Neil Walker, and Addison Reed.
Speaking of Bruce...
I like Joel Sherman's idea of trading Bruce for Rockies reliever Bryan Shaw, which published earlier today in the New York Post.
The Mets reportedly had interest in Shaw this past offseason, but he eventually signed a three-year contract to pitch for the Rockies. Similarly, Bruce signed with the Mets also for three years. Bruce will earn $39 million, whereas Shaw will earn $27 million.
Shaw was one of several high-profile relievers acquired by the Rockies this past winter. However, as is usually the case, it has so far been a total disaster for them. At the same time, Colorado is getting zero production from their outfield.
The Mets, on the other hand, desperately need a proven, veteran relief pitcher. At the same time, given how well Brandon Nimmo is playing, Bruce could theoretically be expendable after Yoenis Cespedes returns from the disabled list.
The thing is, who knows when Cespedes is coming back? Also, it's fairly obvious that Bruce is playing through and being impacted by plantar fasciitis and a back issue.
By the way, I hate to be an alarmist, but Bruce is on record complaining about pain in his lower back, upper buttocks and hip. Muscle pain in the lower back is common and easily treated, but when it is referred to as traveling pain it's almost always spine related and requires a more comprehensive rehab plan. Believe me... or just ask David Wright.
The point is, given Bruce's health, and given there is a $12 million difference in the duo's salary, swapping Bruce for Shaw is probably more difficult to pull off than it seems.
Speaking of injuries...
I'm beginning to worry Cespedes is dealing with a wider-scale hip issue than is being reported or discussed with the media.
In the weeks and months before Alex Rodriguez shut down his 2013 season to have intensive hip surgery, he struggled to perform and missed time the previous two seasons with a series of repeated leg injuries. He experienced calf strains and knee pain, issues with his oblique and all sorts of trouble with his hip flexor (which is what initially put Cespedes on the disabled list this season). In the end, it was revealed that Rodriguez had a hip impingement that needed to be surgically corrected or else continue to fight sporadic pain in his leg. He had the surgery, missed an entire season, but returned to bat .250 with 33 HR and 3.0 WAR in 2015.
My fear is that part of what is taking Cespedes so long to return may be a debate about whether he is needing a more invasive, holistic approach to whatever is causing him repeated leg issues. And, if it's a hip impingement similar to A-Rod, does he go under the knife now and return half way through 2019? Or, does he return this season in hopes of a team-wide turn-around, have surgery during the winter and be out longer?
Again, I have no reason to think the above is at play, I'm simply reading between what I see in him and previous players that have experienced the same issues, while also considering what Sandy Alderson said about Cespedes earlier this month...
"My understanding is this hip flexor thing is somewhat chronic," Alderson said June 1. "It's something that has to be managed."
Then, Cespedes made comments about how impactful his return might be given how poor the team has been playing during his absence...
"Even if I'm doing very well, if the team remains playing this way, I don't think [my return is] going to help," he explained. Nevertheless, he added, "I'm eager to get back."
This statement was jumped on by over-reactive fans and media, but Cespedes was simply being honest and not saying anything we weren't already thinking...
Also, if the hip issue is chronic -- and worse, in need of surgery -- it's all the more reason to think his return will either be underwhelming (as he suggested) or, worse, short-lived...
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!