Albany Times Union

Disappoint­ing season at end

Little went according to plan, so new ownership could result in upheaval

- By Mike Fitzpatric­k

Like so many things in everyday life this year, little went according to plan for the New York Mets.

And with a change in ownership pending, more upheaval could be coming soon.

After starting 2020 with such high hopes, the Mets finished 26-34 under rookie manager Luis Rojas in a rocky season cut short by the coronaviru­s. They tied Washington for last in the NL East and missed the playoffs for the fourth straight year — even with the field expanded to eight teams per league.

“That’s pretty frustratin­g,” said ace Jacob degrom, who delivered another stellar performanc­e on the mound. “There’s a lot of disappoint­ment.”

With slugger Pete Alonso powering a young corps of rising hitters, a second-half surge last year propelled New York to an 86-76 record and generated optimism. Former star Carlos Beltran was hired as manager to replace Mickey Callaway, and the Mets set

about beefing up their pitching staff in free agency.

That’s when everything went haywire.

Beltran was let go after 21⁄

2 months without managing a single game because he got implicated in Houston’s signsteali­ng scandal from his time as an Astros player.

New York quickly turned to Rojas and went to spring training in February with six establishe­d starters — six All- Star selections and three Cy Young Awards between them — for five spots in what appeared to be a deep rotation.

Then the pandemic hit, and No. 2 starter Noah Syndergaar­d had season-ending Tommy John surgery. Marcus Stroman was supposed to slide into that role, but he got injured in summer camp and later opted out of the season because of COVID -19 concerns. Veteran newcomers Rick Porcello and Michael Wacha went a combined 2-11 in just 93 innings, and the rotation ended up in shambles.

A mediocre bullpen got taxed as the Mets compiled a 4.98 ERA that ranked 22nd in the majors and 12th in the National League.

Coming off a long injury layoff, Yoenis Cespedes seemed to be a perfect fit for the new designated hitter slot in the National League. The enigmatic Cespedes played eight games, then abruptly left the team unannounce­d in Atlanta and opted out of the remainder of the season, also citing coronaviru­s concerns, according to his agent.

And that was just the beginning in a somber season marked by the death of franchise icon Tom Seaver.

In the end, the Mets stumbled backward to their ninth losing season in 12 years despite bounce-back campaigns from Robinson Cano and closer Edwin Diaz.

“Our defense compromise­d a couple of games,” Rojas said.

New York still had a chance to

sneak into the playoffs on the final weekend, but lost its last three to the Nationals.

“Not the season that we anticipate­d,” Rojas said. “This is a talented team.”

“‘ We’re a lot better than that. We’re a lot better than what the result was this year,’ ” the manager said he told his players. “We’ve just got to show up next year and correct some of the things that kind of like stopped our momentum, didn’t let us get hot in this type of season.”

Money talks

Mets fans are hoping a new owner with deep pockets will reverse the organizati­on’s fortunes.

Billionair­e hedge fund manager Steve Cohen recently reached an agreement to purchase the franchise from the Wilpon and Katz families in a deal that values the club at about $2.4 billion.

Cohen announced if the transactio­n is completed — it is subject to approval from at least 23 MLB owners — longtime baseball executive Sandy Alderson will return to the Mets as team president to oversee all baseball and business operations. The 72-year-old Alderson was New York’s general manager from 2010-18 before stepping down after a cancer diagnosis.

 ?? Nick Wass / Associated Press ?? Seth Lugo had some success as a starter, but not on Sunday, when he was pulled in the second inning.
Nick Wass / Associated Press Seth Lugo had some success as a starter, but not on Sunday, when he was pulled in the second inning.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States