The New York Mets have gotten off to an inauspicious start to the 2024 MLB campaign, and things don't seem to be getting any better.
The Mets are just 21-27 entering Wednesday's action and sit 13.5 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies for first place in the NL East. They are still very much alive in the NL Wild Card hunt, but does anyone actually believe this team has a chance of making the playoffs?
New York was actually a respectable 12-8 at one point earlier this year, but it has gone just 9-19 since then. The Mets have also lost nine of their last 12 games.
The ballclub has a plethora of issues, ranging from starting rotation depth to less-than-stellar offense to a shaky bullpen.
However, there are a few players in particular that Mets fans have already grown tired of in 2024.
Edwin Diaz
The Mets initially acquired closer Edwin Diaz in a trade with the Seattle Mariners back in December 2018, hoping that he would solidify the back end of their bullpen.
Instead, Diaz has taken Mets fans on a tumultuous ride that never seems to end.
Diaz has been the definition of an every-other-year player since arriving in the Big Apple. He was brutal in his debut campaign in 2019. He was then lights out in the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. He was pedestrian in 2021 and then enjoyed the best year of his career in 2022, leading to a massive five-year, $102 million contract with New York.
The 30-year-old then injured his knee during a celebration in the World Baseball Classic, causing him to miss all of 2023.
The Mets were eagerly awaiting Diaz's return in 2024, but he has already treated them to three blown saves and a 5.50 ERA. Most recently, he surrendered four runs in a loss to the Miami Marlins last week. He has since been demoted from the closer role.
In 18 innings of work this season, Diaz has already allowed five home runs.
The problem for New York is that Diaz is virtually untradeable because of his contract, of which there are three years left until the Mets have a club option for 2028.
Starling Marte
Speaking of bad contracts, how about the four-year, $78 million deal the Mets handed Starling Marte in November 2021?
Marte's first season in New York was impressive, as he slashed .292/.347/.468 with 16 home runs and 63 RBI en route to an All-Star appearance. There was clearly a significant dropoff for Marte defensively, but his bat was good enough to compensate for it.
Back then.
Now, Marte is nothing short of a disaster for the Mets.
He slashed .248/.301/.324 with five homers and 28 RBI in an injury-riddled 2023 campaign and was also terrible in the outfield, posting a minus-11.7 UZR/150 and minus-7 DRS. Overall, he recorded a minus-0.3 WAR.
This year, Marte hasn't been much better at the plate, slashing .261/.311/.386 with five dingers and 18 RBI across 191 plate appearances. Defensively, he has been even worse, registering an abysmal minus-20.1 UZR/150 thus far.
The worst part about all of this for New York is that Marte still has another year remaining on his deal and is slated to earn $20.8 million in 2025. Unless Marte is able to pick up his offensive production between now and the Aug. 1 MLB trade deadline, it would be very surprising if anyone trades for him.
Marte is now 35 years old, so at this point, it seems hard to imagine the veteran turning things around.
Francisco Lindor
That brings us to what has probably been the worst contract in Mets history: Francisco Lindor.
New York initially acquired Lindor in a blockbuster trade with the Cleveland Indians back in January 2021 and proceeded to hand him a gargantuan 10-year, $341 million contract. This even though Lindor exhibited some concerning offensive signs during his final season with the Indians in 2020.
Well, Lindor's struggles continued into 2021, as he slashed just .230/.322/.412 with 20 home runs and 63 RBI in his debut campaign with the Mets. He bounced back a bit in his second season, totaling 26 homers and 107 RBI, but the rather pedestrian .788 OPS was still not what New York expected from him at the plate.
The 30-year-old finally showed signs of getting back on track in 2023, slashing .254/.336/.470 with 31 long balls and 98 RBI. He also stole 31 bases. Plus, he was playing some terrific defense, so Lindor was actually a 5.6 WAR player last season.
But in 2024, Lindor's bat has completely betrayed him.
The 10-year veteran lays claim to a miserable slash line of .198/.271/.349 thus far this season. He has put together a couple of multi-hit performances over his last three games, so perhaps Lindor is breaking out of it, but his overall history in the Big Apple says otherwise.
Lindor posted an OPS of over .800 in four of his first five big-league campaigns in Cleveland. He is now in his fourth season with the Mets, and he has only done it once. He has also only achieved that feat once overall in the last five years, so it stands to reason that his bat simply isn't the same anymore.
Like Diaz and Marte, the Mets are stuck with Lindor. They are just going to have to hope he turns things around.
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