Turd In The Punchbowl

The now 0-3 Mets have had opportunities to win each of their three games so far this season. Each time, their bullpen, which has proven itself to be completely non-Major League quality has managed to ensure that the Mets would have no opportunity to win these games.

It's way too early in the season to be as frustrated as Mets fans already are, but after so many seasons of losing and being spoon-fed the tale of the great turnaround of 2014 only to have nothing new on the field is kind of galling. The offensive ineptitude was bad enough. But how much longer are we going to hear about all the great pitching up and down the organization and then go watch Scott Rice and Carlos Torres walk batters and then Jeurys Familia and John Lannan allow them all to score. That's basically the story of this 3-game Opening Washout the Mets puked up. The Mets broke camp this season without a Major League relief pitcher on the roster (except for an injured Bobby Parnell), which has to be some kind of a violation of Player's Association conduct.

The solution here shouldn't be so hard for Alderson and company to grasp. In fact, I don't think he needs me to tell him, but I'll tell him anyway. If the Mets are going to stink, why not let them stink with a bullpen that features some of this exciting young talent we keep hearing about. Instead of the second coming of the Aaron Heilman brigade, why not let Jacob deGrom, Jack Leathersich, Rafael Montero, Vic Black and/or Jeff Walters up here and at let them get their ears wet. How bad could it be? At absolute worse, they'll be as unreliable as the guys that are already here except that unlike the current bunch, there's some degree of upside, plus the team's not going anywhere anyway, and at best, they all work out and the pitching staff ends up being as good as we're being led to believe they can be. Hell, Aaron Heilman himself is starting to look good after three days of this shit stew.

Look, I know that nothing on earth is quite the inexact science of relief pitching in the Major Leagues. Guys catch lightning in a bottle for one season and then the next year they're giving up free steaks in Durham, NC. But I digress. There's still 159 more games for the Mets to get their act together. However, they're not inspiring much in the way of confidence thus far.