About the only thing the Mets & Yankees had in common this past offseason was that both had changed managers. Terry Collins had broken Dave Johnson's club record as the team's longest tenured manager, leading the team to the World Series in 2015 (lost to Kansas City) and to the wild card round the next year before an epic epidemic of injuries led to a pink slip at the end of last year. Joe Girardi was sent packing from the Bronx after 10 years and a World Series title (2009), a sign that the Steinbrenner brothers hadn't inherited their late father's penchant for impatience and impulsiveness. Girardi had actually worn out his welcome before last year, but an unexpected LCS run wasn't enough to save him.
When it came to new managers, the Yankees opted to pry former post-season hero Aaron Boone from the ESPN booth, then went out and dealt infielder Starlin Castro to Miami for NL home run champ Giancarlo Stanton. Putting Stanton in the middle of a youth-centric lineup that includes AL Rookie of the Year and reigning Home Run Derby champ Aaron Judge and 3rd year players Gary Sanchez & Greg Bird virtually makes the Yankees a consensus favorite to win the AL East. There will also be a pool on how often radio play-by-play commentator John Sterling screws up potential home run calls that aren't as obvious.
The only mistake the Yanks seemed to make was not retaining local product Todd Frazier, who simply moved across town to the Mets as a free agent. The pitching is still formidable, with a rotation headlined by Masahiro Tanaka & CC Sabathia, and a bullpen with David Robertson & Aroldis Chapman figuring to be around for the full season this time.
Meanwhile, the Mets heisted Cleveland pitching coach Mickey Calloway to be their new skipper, and former Yank Dave Eiland replaces Dan Warthen as their pitching coach. That's the good news. The bad? Injuries, of course continue to plague the Mets. I needn't say much more than that. I'm still trying to find the person responsible for the curse that has been placed on Citi Field since it opened in 2009. Just 2 playoff appearances in 9 seasons since the new joint opened? Personally, I'd say that curse was the result of management choosing to be fleeced by Scott Boras and retaining Oliver Perez over Pedro Martinez going into the '09 season. If anyone can corroborate that....!
In essence, the Mets swapped reserve players with Washington. They signed backup catcher Jose Lobaton to be the 3rd wheel behind Travis d'Arnaud & Kevin Plawecki (Rene Rivera is now in LA with the Angels), and welcomed back outfielder Matt den Dekker, while utility man Matt Reynolds was cut, then signed with Washington. That will come back to haunt the Mets, though not as much as the Nats getting Daniel Murphy two years ago has. They had a chance to bring back pitcher Bartolo Colon, but Colon opted to accept a minor league deal with Texas.
In 2 spring training games this week, the Yankees outscored the Mets, 21-7. Ouch. Harbinger of things to come? You bet. The annual Subway Series this summer figures to be just as one-sided. Remember, Stanton has owned Mets pitching in recent years.
Predictions:
Yankees: 1st in AL East.
Mets: 3rd in NL East.
Of course, I could be wrong.
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