NIAGARA FALLS, NY – Happy First Monday of August! I can’t believe we are entering the final few months of the year already. At least, it’s still warm out – although that is probably global warming. Anyway, before we become an uninhabitable fireball, let’s focus on today’s topics via your Sports Rain Man: Rating Mets Trades & Update, Women’s World Cup
Rating Mets Trades
The New York Mets may have actually made the right moves at the MLB Trade Deadline. It was bittersweet because there were high hopes but the decision was clear and it was made. In a rare bright moment, the Mets got a decent haul for their talent. Beginning with jettisoning David Robertson and concluding by 6 PM last Tuesday. In the process the Mets also offloaded Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Tommy Pham, Mark Canha and Dominic Leone.
In return, the Mets managed to go from a bottom 10 farm system to a top 10 farm system. They acquired players that were in the top 30 of each level of Minor league ball (A, AA, AAA). the Mets landed a pair of top-ranked outfielders in Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford, infielder/outfielder Luisangel Acuna, infielders Marco Vargas, Jeremy Rodriguez, Jeremiah Jackson, catcher Ronald Hernandez and righty Justin Jarvis. When the rosters expand, you will likely see guys like Gilbert and Acuna promoted with current minor league starlet Ronny Maurico. The hope is next season, the Baby Mets will be in full swing as 3 or more of these guys will join Vientos, Alvarez and Baty on the roster. If the backup spots can be filled by up and coming young talent that would be huge for the team going forward and bring down the wage bill.
Weekly Mets Update
The New York Mets went 0-6 in their last six games. The trades hurt their momentum and seems that the replacement bats and arms were not ready. I think the team was just a bit dejected. The veterans like Pete Alonso, Fransisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil, who all under preformed as a whole this season seemed try and be professionals and said all the right things. I think, the Mets might as well call up a couple of the kids now and just let them have fun. Maybe their energy can infect the whole squad and we can see a strong finish. I am not expecting a lot of winning as the season winds down but I would like to see the Mets get to .500 or as close as possible. Going into the week, they were 5 games and there was hope they would figure things out. That obviously didn’t happen as the trades were hurt momentum but now that is behind them, lets see them get back there.
Women’s World Cup
The Women’s World Cup will have a new champion. The USA was eliminated on Saturday in Penalty Kicks. There has been a lot of consternation about the team and them not singing the National Anthem with enough emotion. That is just people wanting to find something wrong with athletes. They found a reason not to like Simone Biles and now they want to find a reason to not like these women. What is a legitimate complaint is that this was the wrong coach for this team. The group wasn’t short on passion or effort but was lacking in tactics and adjustments. I think something to consider is the top coach and multiple champion in the NWSL (The USA Women’s Pro League) was made national team coach and found wanting. Assembling a national team is not like a club team and requires a bit more nuance. I think the USWNT should look to the USA Basketball team and how they picked a college coach for their redeem team. Despite the rise of professional women’s teams and leagues in the USA and Europe, a lower level like a college coach has to work on tactics and team synergy in a way a pro coach and maybe that is what is needed to get the most of a team stars.
Thanks for reading and feel free to comment below.
