The improbable run to the 2015 World Series by the New York Mets was truly amazin’. They weren’t supposed to be able to usurp the Nationals in the NL East. Hell, they weren’t even projected to beat out the Marlins for the a Wild Card spot. They bested both and then some. Once they reached the postseason, the Mets just had to get through the NL’s three best pitchers over their first two series. That was a task too simple for them. Though they weren’t able to bring home the World Series trophy to Flushing, New York had a new king. But their reign as the kings of the NL may be shorter than many their fans are hoping. There will be plenty to cheer about at Citi Field this season, but the clock is ticking on the Mets’ title hopes.
This isn’t a team that will be sneaking up on anybody this year. An already stacked rotation just gets stronger with the return of Zack Wheeler before Independence Day. The bullpen now has the lefties it lacked a year ago. The lineup stays ferocious in the resigning of Yoenis Cespedes and the trade for Neil Walker. While he has drawn criticism during his tenure with the Mets, GM Sandy Alderson knew what he had to do to optimize his organization’s potential for success in a dwindling window.
That window is rapidly closing due to their various situations with their starting pitchers. Having a crop of young fireballers like the Mets do is a tremendous asset, but it is one with a short shelf life. Arbitration is coming up swiftly for the latest generation of phenoms in orange and blue. Matt Harvey will be asking for a king’s ransom in 2017, and may be the first to be jettisoned before agent Scott Boras slaps a Clayton Kershaw-eqsue price tag on the right hander in 2019. Jacob deGrom is the next arm eligible in 2018. If he continues on his current trajectory, he may even be in line to ask for more than Harvey come the summer of 2021. 2018 is also the first year that Noah Syndergaard is arbitration eligible. The Mets have one more year of control over Thor though than they do over the Degrominator.
Now these issues seem far off for the Mets at the moment, but with clubs buying out arbitration with greater frequency, these pitchers are going to expect big paydays sooner rather than later. Hence the ticking clock. New York knows what they have at their disposal. That is why they overspent in the short term to bring back Cespedes. That is why they’ve revamped an already potent pen. They do not want to waste the opportunity they have to make a mini-dynasty in an era where good teams get broken up just as quickly as they are assembled.
The Mets should be favorites to take home the NL East crown this season. In fact, they could very well possibly be one of the favorites to once again represent the National League in the World Series. They’ll once again be met with stiff competition from the Dodgers as well as a troublesome triumvirate of NL Central clubs. It is a situation that loyal supporters haven’t been accustomed to for a good while. They have planted the seeds of success, but once those seeds sprout those plants are finding new homes. Mets fans know deep in their hearts that their time with their world class rotation is limited. The Wilpons are not owners that can be trusted on to spend money in the name of an extended period of glory.
2016 may just end up being championship or bust for the Mets. It is a sad state of affairs that a team in the country’s biggest market can’t be expected to maintain a roster of this caliber, but it is the truth that the fanbase and players have resided themselves to. Nothing lasts forever, even more so when it is a rotation comprised of phenomenal, cost-effective hurlers. Tick, tock.