This season, despite spending $359 million on player salaries, the New York Mets’ 2023 season has been a disappointment. They currently sit fourth in the NL East and are 15 games out of first place. While there is a lot of blame in Queens, it ultimately falls on the shoulders of manager Buck Showalter. For the Mets to live up to the money they spent, I think the Mets need to hire a new manager at the end of the season.
called it from the start
Before the season began, I wrote that Buck Showalter would not be the manager to lead the Mets back to the World Series. After all, he has never been able to win when it matters. Naturally, the “Buck Backers” scorned me on the internal networks of Twitter defending their man of honor. Oh what fools they look now given how bad their team has been this season. Now, for those who continue to defend Showalter, don’t use the “Edwin Diaz is injured” excuse because David Robertson has certainly been a capable replacement this season.
Relationship
-Ryan (@Rkeary23) February 17, 2023
Yeah, you don’t know anything.
— Jay Patel 🟧🏳️🌈 (@JackDoe351) February 17, 2023
Buck Showalter is similar to the last season of Joe Girardi
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Buck Showalter now finds himself in a similar situation to former rival manager Joe Girardi. While Girardi’s Phillies had two seasons outside the playoffs, both situations have their similarities. Like the Mets, the Phillies invested a significant amount of money in their player roster ahead of the 2022 season. Like the Mets now, the Phillies battled to a 22-29 record at the start of last season. After almost two and a half seasons, Girardi would be fired. The common thread Showalter shares with Girardi is that, like the Phillies, the Mets have invested a significant amount of money in their player roster. The expectations of bringing home a championship are enormous; owner Steve Cohen and the fans demand it. Currently, Showalter’s team is not living up to that expectation, with the amount of money that has been invested in this club.
Showalter can’t win when it matters
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Firing Showalter during the season won’t solve anything. I can’t see anyone on the staff changing this season like Rob Thomson did last year with the Phillies. Buck is too respected to be fired during the season anyway. However, a $359 million team should be winning division titles and competing for championships. So far, Showalter’s Mets have had an early exit from the playoffs and could miss the postseason entirely this year.
The Mets need a proven winner and Showalter has shown that he can’t win when it matters. There will be plenty of experienced captains available in the clubhouse who know how to win when it matters. Showalter is the Marty Schottenheimer of Major League Baseball. Like Schottenheimer, Buck has been great at turning teams around and turning them into playoff contenders. When it comes to the postseason, however, Showalter’s teams have always seemed to come up short.
Buck’s flaws have popped up all season
Showalter has also been stubborn in the way he manages the team. He has insisted on continuing to put Daniel Vogelbach and Jeff McNeil in the lineup. This despite having the boys Luis Guillorme and Mark Vientos on the bench. Guillorme has been productive when called upon to play and Vientos is a promising young prospect who just needs playtime.
Another problem that has plagued Showalter in past stops and now with the Mets is his poor pitching management. This season, we’ve seen Showalter keep his starting pitchers on one hitter too long or select the wrong reliever even though better ones are available. While no coach is perfect, it has happened consistently with Buck Showalter this season.
While the New York Mets’ $359 million disaster isn’t just Buck Showalter’s problem, he certainly has something to do with it. The almighty dollar rules in this situation, a team that spent $359 million on the 26-man roster shouldn’t be in fourth place. It cost Joe Girardi his job last season in Philadelphia and Buck Showalter’s fate should be the same this season. As I said before the season began, Buck Showalter is not going to lead the Mets back to the World Series. For the Mets to return to the promised land, it’s time for them to ditch Grandpa Buck.
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