Shortly after the New York Mets fell to 34-46 on the season via a 10-5 home loss to the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night, it was learned that the Mets had agreed to trade struggling left-handed starting pitcher David Peterson to the Cubs for infield prospect Cole Mathis.
Before word of that trade went public, those associated with the Mets sounded like broken individuals as it pertains to a campaign that has become a complete disaster for the last-place club.
Mets’ psyche is “not good” amid latest woes
“It’s not good,” starting pitcher Sean Manaea responded when asked about the “psyche” of the Mets’ clubhouse, per Ben Pawlak of SNY. “We’re not playing up to our capabilities. We know we’re better than this, but right now we’re playing some really bad baseball.”
While an injury crisis helped sink a Mets team that ended April 7 with a record of 7-4, it also can’t be denied that the way team president of baseball operations David Stearns dismantled the club’s core this past offseason has produced poor results. New York’s rotation has routinely failed the team over the past two months, and the Mets’ lineup has often come up short in key moments.
On Wednesday, the Mets dropped both games of a doubleheader against the Cubs. In total, New York committed a whopping six errors in the nightcap.
“It’s embarrassing,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said after the team’s second loss of the day.
What’s next for the Mets after David Peterson trade?
According to Will Sammon of The Athletic, the Peterson trade “does not indicate that the Mets are starting a sell-off.” Logic suggests it’s a matter of when and not if such a sell-off will begin.
As far back as May, it was rumored that the Mets could begin taking calls about the availability of starting pitcher Freddy Peralta before June wrapped up. Since such stories popped up, things have gone from bad to worse for the National League East club.
“The season’s definitely testing our mental fortitude for sure,” Mets starter Nolan McLean admitted, per David Lennon of Newsday.
At this point, it’s fair to wonder when Mets fans will start chanting during games for team owner Steve Cohen to fire both Stearns and Mendoza. Mendoza may not be the person to blame for the state of the current Mets roster, but he seemingly has no answers for how to fix what is ailing his squad.
“Everybody is pi—-, everybody is frustrated,” Mendoza added during his postgame comments on Wednesday night, according to Sammon. “Simple as that.”
That includes members of a fanbase who may soon tap out on following the rest of the season.
