Mets questions answered about Francisco Lindor, Mark Vientos and the future of the front office | Mets Mailbag
On this edition of Mets Mailbag, SNY's Michelle Margaux is joined by SNY MLB Insider Chelsea Janes to take on fan questions about the team's disappointing season so far, Francisco Lindor, the play of Mark Vientos, the reasons for Bo Bichette's struggles, and the unknown Flushing future for both David Stearns and Carlos Mendoza.
Video Transcript
I just don't think Bobo Chet is, like, overwhelmed by New York.
I think if anything, he's overwhelmed by coming to a new team for the first time in his career, working with new coaches in a clubhouse where he doesn't know- quite know where he fits, and then he started slow.
Welcome to Mets Mailbag, the show where we answer your questions.
I'm your host Michelle Margaux, and today I'm joined by SNY MLB insider Chelsea Janes.
Hello, Chelsea.
Hello.
Welcome to my- Welcome- unpacked home here.
Yeah, I see some boxes.
thank you so much for taking the time out of your extremely busy schedule to do this.
Just a reminder before we get started, every week you can go to Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to look for a post from SNY's account to submit your questions to the show.
If you're watching on YouTube, you can also drop your questions in the comments section below.
So we're gonna go, straight into it from FUBAR1 on Twitter/X, "When, oh, when is the Mark Vientos experiment going to end?
At 28, it's not going to happen."
that's a great question.
I think the answer to this, and almost every other question, is gonna be who else, you know, who else?
I mean, I know Ryan Clifford's there, but you know, Vientos, despite what it feels like, because I do understand the feeling that every time he's come up in a big spot it hasn't gone well, he's produced.
Like, there's, there's been some runners in scoring position there, production.
You know, he's been as productive as anyone they've had available to fill that spot, so it's kinda like everything else.
It's like, that's who they have right now.
And you know, maybe at some point you go to Clifford and give that a shot, but I don't think you're quite there yet.
But you know, I think you ride the hot streaks of Mark Vientos when they come right now because frankly, any hot streak you get from anyone, justifies putting that person in the lineup given how many injuries they have.
MrAnthonyD0415 on Twitter/X, "The Mets are underperforming in hitting and pitching across the board.
When will the new pitching and hitting coaches go under the microscope and get held accountable as well?"
It's interesting.
It is.
I always wonder what held accountable means, right?
Does it mean has to talk?
Does it mean, you know It, it's a complicated question, but I get it.
I was actually kind of talking to some people about this yesterday, and I think it's a, it's kind of a fascinating question, 'cause I think these, these, this group of coaches, especially the new ones, largely came here expecting to coach a very different group of players than that, that they've been tasked to coach at the Major League level.
Which isn't an excuse, but it means that they've had a lot of churn, right?
They've had a lot of different people in.
They've had a lot of different pitchers up here, pitchers who, Jonah Tang for example, were supposed to be working on these things in the minor leagues.
So, you know, I think it's kind of a, a fascinating question because I think so much of these first few months has been, like, getting to know you.
You know, how, how much trust does a player have in a coach, no matter who that coach is, if he's only kinda just met him and just, you know, and, and things aren't going well for the team?
And it's very hard to throw yourself into someone, you know, that I, that you don't know that well.
So it's a really interesting question, one I think, you know, we and others will be asking.
but I think the, the continual answer is here, it's really hard to evaluate, you know, what they've done with the options they've had.
You know, Bobo Chet has obviously underperformed.
I don't know how much that's a coaching thing.
I don't know how much coaching affects Bobo Chet, you know.
He's got his own style, you know.
And then after that it's like, well, Vientos kinda is who Vientos is, as I think it was FUBAR or whoever it said earlier.
You know, it's just, it's a lot to kind of assess.
So I think those questions will start to get asked, now.
I think people are kind of already, you know, people have already tried to kinda talk to the hitting coaches, to Jeff Albert, their hitting director, and stuff like that.
But I just think it's really hard to assess, and I'll be interested to see, you know, a month from now and as we get to the trade deadline, you know, what, who's kind of really underperformed and, you know, who's kinda stabilized.
And then you can kinda take stock of, of what those coaches have really done.
I think it's so interesting because it does feel natural to kind of look at, well, all these coaches are new and, you know, why Th- they're almost like the scapegoat.
But talking with a couple of guys, they, they really don't blame the coaches at all.
in fact, they blame the injuries, which would lead us to our next question.
Flobovoice on Facebook, "Did the Mets truly feel like they had the answer to Louise Roberts' injury woes?"
And I feel like that's a very fair question.
Yeah, I think they thought it was worth a try.
at $20 million, it's a big gamble.
I do think, you know, given the way the White Sox have been run in recent years, that it was fair to wonder if maybe they could unlock something health-wise, offensively, whatever it was, that the White Sox had it.
'Cause with all due respect to the people there now, you know, kind of what was happening before was not unlocking much of anything in anyone.
So I think it was a reasonable thing to wonder, but obviously they didn't, right?
Obviously there's more going on with Louise Robert Jr.'s body than, you know, tight hamstrings and legs that need to be strengthened.
I mean, when you get into the lower back, it's, it's just, it seems like the whole kinetic chain, you know, is a problem for him.
There are people like that, you know.
There are people who just can't stay healthy.
You know, I covered one of them with Stephen Strasburg, obviously a different situation, but very similar in DC where it was like no matter what he did, the injury was coming.
You were just kinda waiting and trying to stave it off.
so yeah, I think maybe they, they overestimated their ability to, to get him healthy.
But I don't think that the Mets, you know, traded for him thinking, "This guy's gonna play 162 and we're smarter than everyone else in that way."
I just think they thought they could get 100, 120 good games out of a guy with superstar potential.
It looks like that's not gonna happen, so I guess, you know, the answer is that they, they miscalculated there.
But I think it was a fair, a fair gamble.
maybe, they counted a little bit too much on having him in the lineup instead of maybe considering him a bonus, if they could keep him healthy.
Oh, we got a cat, I'm sorry.
Yeah, it's a very cute cat.
I think you're absolutely right.
I think that they knew they weren't gonna get him for 162, and they felt like having him for, I don't know, 80 to 100 games at his level was going to be better than someone else at 162.
And I remember, us talking in spring training about it and trying to kind of guess how many games we felt like he was gonna end up playing this year, and obviously we don't know 'cause it's end of May.
Thomas P. Hun on Twitter/X, "Is a Ryan Clifford call-up in the near future?"
You kind of mentioned him earlier.
I, you know, maybe.
I would have said no for sure a few weeks ago.
I still think barring an injury to Vientos or Beatty or someone like that, you know, especially with Polanco seemingly coming off the IL, I don't think you need, you know, first base help right now.
but I do think that it seems like what David Stearns and the whole crew are trying to do is just see whatever they have in the system and use it, right?
Like Jonah Tang, for example, I think pretty clearly had work to do in the minors, and they're like, "No, he can get some outs for us here.
We got to use that."
So if they think Ryan Clifford can help, especially if there's an injury or Polanco just can't get back on his feet, which I think is a possibility, then yeah, I think maybe because I don't think we're gonna see the big trade, you know?
I don't think we're gonna see them surrender in the next month either.
So it's like, what do you have in the system and what can you get out of it at the big league level?
And obviously Clifford's got the power.
Maybe it would be a little bit early, but that's got to be an answer if, if there are continued questions at first, I think.
I just think that I, I just want to kind of tamper the expectations for, for Mets fans that not every guy that's gonna be, a prospect in the minor leagues is gonna come up and perform like AJ Ewing or, or be like Carson Bench.
Like, some of these guys aren't gonna be superstars.
I'm not saying that Ryan Clifford's not going to be, but I just wouldn't expect that, oh, call up this guy, call up this guy, call up this guy because they're not all going to be like that.
Which kind of sort of leads us to our next fan question.
Bill Andreas on Facebook said, "Is the Mets farm system depleted after last year's trade deadline deals?"
I don't know if it's the trade deadline that depleted it.
I think honestly they've just needed a lot of the prospect depth already this year, right?
You know, Nolan McLain, Jonah Tang, AJ Ewing, Carson Bench, you know, Morabito.
You know, you know the names.
so I think, you know, if you look at prospect rankings and stuff like that later this year, they're probably not gonna be, you know, as highly rated as a farm system as they were.
and I know Joe DeMaio has covered this a lot as well.
Like, they've just had a lot of guys graduated, graduating, sorry.
They, they've needed a lot of that depth.
You know, I don't think they've, you know, totally sold the farm by any means.
I think one of the things David Stearns sort of purports to be building here is, is depth, and that depth is probably more at the lower levels right now, you know, in places we don't necessarily see it.
So I think there's probably still talent at the lower levels, but they've certainly had to pluck what they've got from the higher levels, and I would expect them to continue to do that on the pitching side, you know, as their depth gets tested.
So I don't think they've been depleted by the trades.
I think they've been depleted by, you know, the injuries and just way more need at the big league level than they anticipated this year.
Yeah, I feel like your cat, by the way, came into the picture, realized we were talking Mets baseball, and then just sauntered- out of the frame and was like, "I'm good."
Herded himself out of the room, yeah.
There are other Yeah.
I'm gonna exit, see myself out.
Tony Rossi on Twitter/X, "Should the Mets consider bringing Bartolo Colon, out of retirement?
He may not be dominant, but he sure would be fun."
I mean, if they can eliminate it early, absolutely.
I mean, imagine how that would go.
I, I mean, I'd pay to see it, so I can't imagine.
I mean, I love the question.
I And he seems to want to.
I mean, his social media presence is incredible, so yeah.
Y- I think that you should definitely consider that if you're out of it.
But I, I, I It's hard to imagine how out of it you would have to be to do something like that.
Right.
But just from a pure entertainment standpoint, I would absolutely love, love, love, love to see it.
There's also a team called Savannah Bananas if we really just wanted to be, like, pure entertainment- Yes and not being- Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
That's probably where he belongs, yeah.
by the way, we're gonna go all in on Bartolo here, so check out this question.
The, the name is Bartolo Semi Colon on Twitter/X.
"Which injury return do you think will make the most immediate impact on the team?"
All.
Like, I just think every Major League hitter that gets back in this lineup, and that's no disrespect to the people who are there, right?
I think everyone's done almost a better job than you could have expected.
You know, MJ Melendez, for example, like, they've leaned on him in ways that, you know, they never anticipated, and frankly, he has not been terrible.
but, like, if Jorge Polanco can come back next week and be anything like Jorge Polanco, he's not an all-star, but that's a- another Major League hitter behind Juan Soto, right?
That helps.
obviously, I think Lindor is, you know, one of the top, you know, 20 players in baseball.
Like, that's gonna have a huge impact.
But I think the way this team has suffered injuries, every Even AJ Minter coming back the other day.
You know, Brooks Raley was joking in the d- in the, in the clubhouse yesterday.
Like, AJ Minter was joking, "Oh, I'm gonna take a few days off."
He's like, "Don't joke about that," you know?
Because, like- Brooks Raley has had to wear it as the only lefty.
And it's a- Yeah huge relief to have AJ Minter back in that bullpen for them, and you're not, we're not even thinking about him, right?
So I think, like, Jorge Polanco makes a big difference.
That's a switch hitter who can walk behind Soto.
Lindor, I mean, just one after the other will make a huge impact.
And who knows if it helps Bob Bichette.
You know, who knows?
But I, I just think all.
Like, I think e- everyone they get back is gonna feel like such a lift after what they've been through.
Yeah.
The, the hope is that people come back and more people don't go out, 'cause they just haven't ha- I think there's We read a statistic that said there's been nine games where Soto, Lindor, and Bichette have all played together this whole season, which is just nuts.
If you get all three of those guys going, then it's game over, in my opinion, as long as they're all healthy.
Okay.
Rick B. on Twitter/X, "Do you have the same effect on rain in Flushing as you did in DC?"
Elaborate?Ugh.
Yeah, in DC I had a knack for showing up to games and it raining.
I Yeah, like when there was a drought in Cal- it was so powerful that when there was a drought in California, people were tweeting at me like, "Can you get out here?"
Like, and it was, you know- I considered it.
DC's very rainy, so I will, I will say that.
But- yeah, I've had people who work for teams say, "Please do not come to the stadium today 'cause we need to get this game in."
So- That's funny so far, so good in Flushing.
it's been really cold, I'll say that- Yeah until recently.
Now it's beautiful.
But so far, it's kind of been okay on the rain front, so you know, we'll see.
But, but no, and thank you for asking because, it's one of my only skills in this life- We're calling it that is making it, making it rain, I guess.
I don't know how it happens, but it does.
Make it rain.
Yeah, not like that.
Yeah.
Johannesburg Swenson, "Hi, Chelsea.
Do you think the Mets should try and trade Lindor?"
Oof.
at a point, yeah, I do.
I mean, it's not now.
That point is not now.
But, you know, he hasn't reached 10 and five, you know, 10 years of service, five with one team that, that gives you the right to veto any trade, right?
I believe he reaches that next year.
So, if you get to the end of the season and you feel like this roster is deeply, deeply flawed, I mean, that's somebody who has value.
that's somebody who might be entering a less durable phase of their career.
I think it's like insert that player, you know, take Francisco Lindor's name off his statistics, and if you told any team, especially one that's trying to rebuild quickly, that like this player, the last time you can trade him wherever you want is this year, you know, I think you have to think about it.
Now, does that mean it's definitely the right thing to do?
A guy who, you know, until recently played every day, I think cares a, a great deal, is a good producer at a prime position.
Maybe that's not the right move, but I think you have to ask yourself the question of like, if we're gonna start over, do we have to really start over?
and so I, I don't know.
I don't know that I'd do it necessarily.
I don't know what you'd get back.
But I think if, if this continues to go south for them, and they feel like they've gotta kind of clean the slate, then yeah, he's one of the people you would think about.
and one of the people I think other teams, I think would be, you know, open to considering, especially, you know, if the Mets took on a big contract in return to offset his.
So my answer is like, yeah, you have to think about it, but do I think it's gonna fix the New York Mets to, to con- talk about trading him in the next few months?
Like, no.
I think he's a really good player, and I think, you know, should be appreciated for that.
But, but he's just baseball-wise, if you get there, it's something you have to, to put on the table.
So speaking of next few months, Ant on Twitter/X said, "If the Mets continue to lose, who are the Mets selling at the trade deadline, and what is the plan for Stearns and Mendoza after this season?"
That's a two-part question.
Yeah, I think you sell anyone you can.
you know, I, right, like that's where like the Lindor question gets really interesting is like if they're really out of it and you see a deal there, like do you make it?
I don't know.
But I think obviously, right, Freddy Peralta.
I think even if he has not returned yet, I think Clay Holmes has value.
it's less than it was before the injury, which is like a dark reason why that injury really hurt the Mets.
Obviously, it hurts them 'cause you'd rather have him on the field.
But if you get there to the trade deadline, you know, now his value's lower, so that's But I think he still has it, so I think you could trade him.
Relievers always, you know, you think about I don't, you know, I don't know who for sure, but like a Raley I think would have a lot of value.
Minter, I believe is in the last year of his deal.
Like, those are guys you could get something for.
And then, you know, the guys who haven't hit, you know, free agency yet, like the Batys and Vientos, if someone wants them, I'm certain that, you know, they've been available before, so maybe that's not you know, something you're getting a lot for.
But like, yeah, I think you just trade whoever you can.
So, I think those are the big names that I'm thinking of right now.
Peterson maybe before free agency if there's interest.
but yeah, I think we- it, it's pretty much everyone who's in the last year of a deal and, and they've got some value there.
You know, you're not gonna get huge things for Freddy Peralta, you know, a few months of Peralta or a few months of Holmes or whatever.
But, you know, take a flyer on a prospect or two and, and that always helps.
Yeah, I think you just have to do that.
As far as Stearns and Mendoza, I don't know what happens if they keep losing.
I have tried to get a sense of Basically, here's how I see that, right?
If you're Steve Cohen and you keep losing, do you trust David Stearns to tear things down at the deadline and then rebuild them again?
Like, do you trust a guy who has missed the postseason, in that case it would be two out of three years, to rebuild?
If not, then I think you have to fire him.
And if you fire the GM, I don't think you keep the manager and coaching staff, right?
I think you just kind of, I think that's how that generally goes.
If someone new coming in, they're gonna bring all their people.
But I think there's a world, you know, in which, yeah, Steve Cohen's impatient, and you know, yes, he is annoyed and went out of his way to say in spring training like, "We gotta make the playoffs."
But Stearns has been his guy, and while I might not give someone the chance again after missing the playoffs two out of three years with this payroll, I'm not Steve Cohen and I don't see as much as he sees, right?
So I think there's a world in which he keeps him and says, "Do what you think is right at the deadline and let's build moving forward."
Now, what I don't think will happen is that David Stearns will be willing to tear things down at the deadline without some kind of guarantee from Steve Cohen that like, "You're not gonna fire me after this," right?
Like, "I'm gonna do this 'cause I believe it's best for a future that I'm gonna be a part of.
We're not gonna do this and then you're gonna let me go in the off-season."
So I Maybe that happens, but I That seems unlikely to me.But to me, I just, I sense more patience on the part of Steve Cohen than I anticipated, and maybe that'll change.
Oh, cat.
You know, maybe there's- maybe he's hopeful that this turns around and, and we don't have to get to that point.
But I think while maybe there wouldn't be a world for me, you know, maybe I'd be more impatient and say, "I've given you all this money to, you know, for the last few years and we haven't made the playoffs, let alone made a run."
I don't know.
I don't think it's a sure thing that Stearns goes.
If he does, I think Mendoza goes and they start over, but I'm less sure than I've ever been that that would be the answer Steve Cohen, is, is looking at.
I didn't realize that all we needed to do was talk about something juicy to get the cat back.
Um- I know.
She's awesome so let me get this straight.
Well, first of all, I, I actually agree with you.
I think Steve Cohen has been more patient, than I would have expected, especially to this point in the season with everything that's transpired.
But so let me just get this straight.
In your opinion, you think if Stearns and Mendoza would be gone, or Stearns specifically, you think it would happen before the deadline so that whoever would take over would start their process then?
I don't know.
Like, I That's how I would do it, because I don't know why- Okay you would let, let someone, you know, handle this again.
And I also don't know why David Stearns would punt on a season with his job on the line, right?
I think if, if he knew that this was his last shot, you'd keep everyone and just say, like, "Let's cross our fingers."
Um- Yeah but all of this reflects sort of like I think the thing we don't know, fully is how much Steve Cohen looks at this roster and says, "If we had the group that we were supposed to have, you know, we'd be fine."
And my sense is that he's, like f- decently fair-minded from talking to people and being around- Yeah about the fact that, like, injuries happen, right?
And there's only so much you can do.
And, and yeah, maybe you, you know, maybe you evaluate risk differently, but at some point, like, it happens.
And I, I just don't think he is as quick on the trigger as maybe you would think.
that's something I've kind of learned since being here.
I just don't get the sense that he's very reactionary.
So I think he's a process-oriented person.
I think he believes David Stearns is, too.
And I think they have reason to believe internally that, you know, it's less a process problem and more of an injury problem.
Now, whether you think the process, you know, needs to handle injuries better, I think that's a fair question and one they'll probably look at.
But I do not think they look at this season and say, "Man, you built a terrible team."
Like, I think they look at this season and say, "Man, if we had the team we wanted, this would be different."
And so for that reason, I think Stearns probably gets a longer leash than people expect.
But I do think if it comes to the point where, you know, you fire one, you're firing both.
So maybe they, maybe they hire a GM to kind of bring in a new voice.
That's something I had kind of dismissed early on, but I, you know, that's a lever they could pull that doesn't blow the whole thing up.
So that's kind of maybe something to look for.
But yeah, I, I, I think there's more patience there because of the injuries, than people might expect.
I do agree with you.
I think that Steve Cohen is very reasonable, especially, you know, relative to the, the George Steinbrenner type- Right mentality of, you know, just rip off the Band-Aid.
King_Pink on Twitter/X said, "Is New York too big of a stage for Bo Bichette?"
You know, I know you know Bo as well.
I don't think so.
I really don't.
I don't think that's what's happening here.
I think, I think the transition has been really hard.
I think it would have been hard anywhere.
I just don't think Bo Bichette is, like, overwhelmed by New York.
I think if anything, he's overwhelmed by coming to a new team for the first time in his career, working with new coaches in a clubhouse where he doesn't know, quite know where he fits, and then he started slow.
And it's like, how do you be yourself when you can't prove yourself on the field the way you want, and you don't kinda know who can help you or who thinks what about you, or, like, what kind of teammate you're supposed to be?
Like, I would find that really hard, you know?
And I've brought this up a lot, but, like, starting a new job is hard.
You don't know all the characters.
You don't know where you belong, you know?
You kind of are, are trying to fit rather than just kind of play your game.
And I would imagine if I started, you know, a new job and w- we could talk about whether this has happened or not, but, like, and was absolutely horrible at the first, you know, few months, like, that'd be really difficult.
And, and I think he's felt the weight of that.
Like, I think that part of Bo is very human.
But I just, I can't, I can't unsee what I saw in the World Series with Bo Bichette where he just took Ohtani deep, you know, on the biggest possible stage with the biggest possible swing.
Like, that guy is not intimidated.
I think he's uncomfortable.
And I, I think, you know, hitting better will help.
I think other guys coming back around him will help, but I don't think it's too big a stage.
And, and maybe I'm wrong, but I, I just don't.
No, I think you're absolutely correct.
I think, I don't think it's too big of a stage at all.
I think he is uncomfortable, and I think, honestly, if there's anyone meant for the stage of New York, I think it's Bo.
I think, and this might be a hot take, but I think if you took Bo Bichette and s- you know, sign him as a free agent and put him on last year's team with, you know, the, the Brandon Nimmo, the Pete Alonso, the Jeff McNeil, like, you had all those guys in place and he was just the only new person on the team, I think he performs a little bit better.
I still think he'd be uncomfortable, but I think there's It's just so difficult when there's so many moving parts and so many moving pieces on a bas- a basically rehauled team.
so I, I completely agree with you.
There's no part of me that thinks the stage is too big for him in New York.
David Levinson on Facebook, "To end this episode, Chelsea, please, please give us a shred of hope."
Well, I mean, the, there's hope because, like-People come back from this all the time.
I mean, like, you know, I was talking to Kai Correa, their bench coach yesterday.
I mean, the Guardians were 15 and a half games out in the Central, with basically one big name on their team, Jos Ramrez, and came back to win that division.
Now, yeah, you get a lot of help from a, a front, but teams, teams freak out.
I mean, like, the Mets freaked out at the beginning of the year.
So, like, the Braves can do it at the end of the year, you know?
Like, it's, it's possible.
The Nats, Juan Soto knew this, right?
We talk about 19 and 31 all the time.
That's the number that the Nats were at in May before they won the World Series.
So he knows this.
The Rangers that Marcus Semien was on, when they won the World Series in '23, they were dead, like, six different times.
I mean, there were times they looked like they were gonna miss the playoffs.
So, like, realistically, like, it is absolutely doable to come back from this.
Now, the problem is that those teams, like, were healthy.
this one is not.
Those teams had played together before, and so they kind of knew the history was there.
This one has not.
That doesn't mean it can't happen, but it's like, yes, it is possible, and there are some roadblocks.
But if Lindor comes back in the next couple weeks, you know, I would expect him to be back by the end of June certainly, if not sooner.
You know, Polanco comes back.
If you can get, you know, the rotation stabilized a little, I think that's gonna be the hardest part.
The bullpen has looked great.
you know, yeah, it's, it's totally doable.
I think the manager has handled things in a way that has kept things really even keel and been very realistic about that, right?
I think they all know, you know, we can do it, but it's hard.
And you know, they're not trying to pull the wool over anyone's eyes in that clubhouse and be like, "Everything's great."
I think they're very much like, "We gotta find a way to hang in there."
All of that is true, but teams do it, you know?
It, it happens almost every year that someone who you thought was dead, kind of comes back.
And with so many playoff spots, you know, it doesn't take much.
They've been really injured.
Other teams are gonna get injured as we go.
So yeah, I think it's, it's, it's 100% possible.
Now, whether it's probable or not, you know, it doesn't feel it, but that doesn't mean it can't happen.
Well, I think the underlying question is, is the foundation there?
And that's just a question- Right that I don't know if any of us have the answer to.
and time will kind of tell if they can pick it up and keep it up.
wow.
Well, this was a great episode, Chelsea.
Thank you so much for watching this edition of Mets Mailbag.
Like we said before, we're gonna be with you every week of the Mets' 2026 season to answer your questions.
Submit your questions for next week's episode on SNY's Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram account, or drop them in the YouTube comments below this episode.
For Chelsea Janes and her cat, who made two different cameos in this episode, I'm Michelle Margaux.
We will see you next week.
