Editor's Note: For the next few weeks, Mets360 will be a free site, one open to everyone. They’ve been a membership site since January of 2021. So, if you like the Mets and great Mets analysis, check out the site at the link below.
By Brian Joura
UC Berkeley Free Speech Movement leader Jack Weinberg famously uttered the phrase, “Don’t trust anybody over 30,” when he was being hounded by a reporter wanting to know who was behind these student protests. When assembling their pitching staff for 2023, the Mets turned that phrase on its head. In all, the Mets used 14 pitchers over the age of 30 and six others who were exactly 30 this past season. The expected starting rotation featured four guys 34 and up along with the pup of the group, Kodai Senga, who was 30.
Carlos Carrasco was terrible all year. Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander missed time due to injury and took awhile to hit their stride. Jose Quintana missed 3.5 months. It’s pretty easy to make the case that relying on these old pitchers was a failure. But what about the bullpen?
Again, you’d have no trouble rattling off relievers on the wrong side of 30 who stunk up the joint, especially the option-reliever ones. But should we be surprised when the group of aged-30-and-above relievers, a gaggle that includes Jeff Brigham, Sam Coonrod, Jimmy Yacabonis and numerous others, who weren’t any good previously, continued to be lousy?
No comments:
Post a Comment