Hitch

I think people need to get off Anthony. Way, way too much pressure has been put on him. He's looked very good in his first spell up. Let's take the temperature out of what we're expecting of him and just let him play without expecting absolute eliteness in his first full year.

Well this is a little more enjoyable. Better at bats all round tonight for most.

I still have some hope he'll start hitting again.

I'd be very surprised to see that this year.

Go where, though? They aren't eating his contract. Nobody is taking him. I really like what I see from Mona.

Fred currently waiting for something bad to happen so he can come in and say 'just tuned in...'

Yup the guy at the end of the phone blew that one.

Got to challenge there!

Exciting times ahead.

I'm good with Monasterio starting (I like what I see with him), but surprised to see him at SS.

Line up is in - J. Duran LF W. Contreras 1B R. Anthony DH W. Abreu RF C. Rafaela CF M. Mayer 2B C. Durbin 3B C. Wong C A. Monasterio SS C. Early SP

I've heard a lot over night/this morning that it was a possibly Henry call. And Henry has been around the team a suspicious amount of time recently. I never thought Kennedy had anything to do with it regardless. But seems to confirmed now - Brez made the call. If it doesn't lead to change for the rest of the season we will find out how long it takes to replace him.

Because he is still young and very highly thought of in the league. In a perfect world he would have stayed in AAA and worked on his deficiencies. It's not just lefties, he has a fair bit to work on in general hitting wise. That doesn't mean he isn't an enticing prospect. And yes, I wasn't suggesting switching hitting. I have more faith in Durbin hitting for average than I do Mayer. But Mayer will likely have more power. Neither are playing well enough to be given full time roles right now.

Sounds like I did...

Can't wait to see this first line up.

If I just heard the question correctly - Kennedy just confirmed that this decision was a Brez decision and they backed him.

But with a guy to which money is no issue. Whether he'll keep doing that is another question, mind.

Why? Mayer hasn't proven he can hit consistently on either side of the plate yet. I have no issue platooning him. Which is why I was arguing to trade him in the winter when his stock was still very high.

No idea how close it was but I was really hopeful we'd trade Bello in the summer. If there was interest then, there won't be as much now. That was the time to cash in.

Apparently it's a very strong relationship according to pretty much all the journos. My worry with the Phillies from a going there pov is that they have a very high payroll and a good chunk of aging players on long contracts ballooning that payroll. I could see them getting into a bad place in the next few years.

I'd live with Story and platoon Mayer/Durbin.

Sure, but it's the younger/developing rosters he has an issue with I'd say. There's a lot of superstars at the Mets that would love his way of managing. Not to mention he won't get any heat for how this season goes. I'd pick the Mets over Philly any day. That said he has a great relationship with DD which will count for a lot.

Mets and Phillies rosters are built for him.

I don't like celebrating people losing their jobs, but from a purely sporting lens, I really like these moves. This team has been under prepared coming into seasons for years. The defence has been absolutely awful, there's been idiocy on the basepaths and the hitting as has been terrible for years. Yes some of that is the roster supplied. But I put a lot of it on the way the players are prepared. This is not my point but I wholly agree with it - Cora is one of the best managers you can get when you've got a monster roster full of winners. He is able to manage those egos and that talent exceptionally well. He's less good when it's a young/developing team. I love the promotion of Tracy. This is a guy that has a long history with a lot of these guys and is used to dealing with youth. There'll be learning mistakes as he makes decisions on the fly rather than being told how to manager the youth player schedules, etc. But you got to start sometime, and expectations are rock bottom now, so it's a good as time as any. As for Brez, he'll rightly get at least until the end of the season (or close thereof). Then they will re access. if it comes around and the team starts hitting and pitching better, he'll get another go at it. If they don't they have clear air to say 'sorry, this failure is on you, now, too.' But overall - I'm just glad we did something because this has not been fun for a while now.

He's been laying this at the feet of the roster construction, and has been routinely (and correctly) laying that at Brez's feet.