Flushing, NY- The Mets continued to see their tragic number towards elimination from the postseason become more realistic after losing their fourth straight Friday night, 4-3 to the Phillies at Citi Field.
Though the Mets say it’s not over until it’s over, odds are against them with 14 games remaining. Any slim hope for a Nl wild card was contingent on this three game series, bypassing the Phillies. and three other teams vying for a wildcard. .
But as the Mets battled back against the Phillies bullpen, they came up short after scoring three runs in the eighth inning. Javier Baez, though, continued to be a bright spot for the Mets going 1-for-3 with an RBI single.
And when the offseason begins, which is inevitable in two weeks, the Mets will have many decisions before pitchers and catchers report in five months down in Port St. Lucia Florida.
Baez is one of those important decisions. He has been the Mets consistent hitter as they continue to fade out of playoff contention. Baez, acquired from the Cubs during the late July trade deadline, will be a free agent and it’s a question of how much his value is.
“He’s been a clutch for us,” said manager Luis Rojas about Baez after another Mets loss placed them 6.0 games from a wild card.
It is the baseball things that Baez does which makes the process to re-sign him an important off season decision. He has been more patient with his at bats, and has ability to generate runs with aggressive base running.
Baez, overall, is an excellent defensive infielder while commanding second base over his natural position at shortstop.
He was the only Met to drive in a run off Phillies starter Zack Wheeler and got on base with a walk, his seventh as a Met. Friday night, he extended his on base streak to 14 in his last 14 starts. In 35 games with the Mets, Baez has hit .306, with 28 runs scored, seven doubles, nine home runs, 19 RBI, and ten walks.
Though, his strikeout ratio is one of the top three in the National League, Baez, lately, has been more patient at the plate and is not chasing pitches as he was with the Cubs and in his early tenure with the Mets.
“Think a lot of guys are feeding off of that,” Rojas said about his clutch play “He’s showing he’s that playoff type of player.”
Again, Baez is considered one of the top shortstops in baseball. And with Francisco Lindor at the shortstop position, for the long haul, if Baez is retained, the Mets will have an awesome infield duo.
These are decisions that will be addressed, and in all probability with a new Mets’ hierarchy at the top. It is expected thatSandy Alderson will remain with the organization as the Mets search for a new general manager and director of baseball operations.
Rojas said, things are slipping away for the Mets but there is always a chance. More likely, though, the Mets could have a better chance at assuring that Javier Baez has a future at Citi Field.
Rich Mahcuso: Twitter@Ring786 Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso
