JR (Vegas)
It's obvious the Mets aren't contenders this year, so why stick with playing veterans like Byrd, Ankiel, etc. on a regular basis? They probably aren't any better than Lagares and Valdespin, but at least find out. With the young guys, there is hope of some upside or that they will figure it out with regular playing time. There is no chance of that with the vets.
Adam Rubin (12:36 PM)
I agree. There are only a couple of plausible explanations for playing veterans: You're in denial about contention this year and you feel like the vets give you the best shot to win. Or, you are concerned that the young players are not ready, so you just need placeholders. I imagine it's the latter, that they just don't think Juan Lagares can succeed right now and they are concerned either they'll devalue him or ruin his confidence, which could have long-term repercussions. I was speaking with C.J. Nitwkowski on Twitter last night, and he noted in his career he was rushed when he wasn't ready, and it took him two or three years to get his head back on straight after he struggled. I watched that with the Mets with outfielder Jeff Duncan in 2003. He was up way too soon, had a horrific 0-for-something slump and never recovered psychologically, at least according to my amateur analysis.
