Cold Start For the Mets as the Edwin Diaz Saga Continues

Published by Fran Cava

Simply put, it’s been an incredibly mediocre and frustrating start to the Metropolitans 2020 campaign. Besides deGrom who continues to dominate every start year in and year out, the team just looks fundamentally unsound. Already a handful of games in, the Mets have blown 3 very winnable games with the blame mainly being handed to the bullpen. A real shocker I know. It seems like Groundhog Day every year for the Mets; good outing for a starter then the bullpen blows it in dramatic fashion. Before the bullpen gets ripped even more it has to be understood that it’s not only their fault. A huge problem thus far is that the “stacked” Mets lineup has been unable to drive runners in, leaving an unfathomable number of runners on base. Guys like McNeil, Davis, and Nimmo are getting on base but this team has zero clutch hitting. Alonso looks like he’s swinging for the fences every rip at the plate, and the teams IQ overall on when to swing is just at an elementary school level. Céspedes and Conforto draw 2-0 counts and just swing at curveballs slammed into the dirt the next pitch, like plate discipline was never taught to them. Fielding has also been an issue with McNeil just forgetting how to play third, and no matter who is put in left seems to have a problem tracking balls.

But back to the main topic – Edwin Diaz is perhaps the most hated person in New York besides Cuomo right now. Mets fans universally thought that the bullpen as a whole was ready for a bounce back season, especially from Diaz and new addition Dellin Betances. From already 2 innings of work Diaz has impressively proved the entire fan base incorrect showing he still maintains the masterful ability to blow games with a smile. After an opening day save with only a walk that surely sent heart palpitations through the TV to every viewer’s couch, Edwin said lets get back to normal and proceeded to blow the next game while being one strike away from a save. Then came last nights Red Sox game debacle which pretty much sums up Edwin’s career in blue, white and orange. Two walks and a single loaded the bases with none out, but he bounced back with a strikeout so there was hope. That hope was brutally crushed when Diaz hit the next batter that forced a run in, but at this point its what is expected of him. Its clear after last night the guy just doesn’t have it. He hasn’t had it for the past year and he’s not going to have it in the future.

Edwin Diaz in 9th inning with Mets:

44.2 IP
7.25 ERA
16 HR allowed
79 baserunners allowed
.978 OPS allowed
8 blown saves

— Paul Hembekides (@PaulHembo) July 31, 2020

Yeah last night wasn’t the 9th inning but still it showed the Mets cant even bring this guy in to hold a run 1 deficit. If you cant pitch with a lead, or when your team’s down when will you be effective? Obviously you cant release the guy, and if you trade him you’ll get a bag of chips. They cannot afford to continue to deploy this guy out there in games of importance, which in a 60 game season is every single game. From now on its best if Rojas brings him in to work when they have a lead of at least 4 runs, because Edwin is very capable and willing to give up a grand slam when presented the opportunity. It should be obvious at this point that the 8th should belong to Dellin, with the 9th going to Lugo. Its common knowledge that Lugo is longing to be a starter but the guy simply is more effective in the pen then he ever was in the rotation. Moving forward he should without a doubt be the closer, and as for Diaz… maybe go see a sports psychiatrist.