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Those who pile into Busch Stadium Saturday for a matchup between the New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals do so at their own peril, as there is bound to be ladders and broken mirrors everywhere. Both teams have endured enough mishaps and calamities in 2023 to last multiple seasons, but it is the Mets who are making fans' scratch their heads this time.
The team is optioning pitcher Joey Lucchesi to Triple-A, according to Tim Healey of Newsday Sports, less than 24 hours after he threw 5 2/3 shutout innings in a 7-1 win over the Cards. Adam Kolarek and Vinny Nittoli are both being called up and Dennis Santana is being designated for assignment in a series of corresponding moves, It is a questionable decision, but one that feels perfectly in line with this merciless 2023 campaign.
It should be noted that the 30-year-old lefty is almost guaranteed to return to the club in the next two weeks when rosters expand and can even reappear sooner. The demotion might be just to add immediate reinforcements since the Mets are so short-handed. None of that explains why Lucchesi is viewed as being more expendable than Carlos Carrasco, though.
Batters have absolutely been crushing Cookie, hitting .293 and slugging .500 against him this season. Carrasco's 6.40 ERA and impending free agency makes him a puzzling choice to keep on the roster while the visibly improving Lucchesi (3.54 ERA in six starts) heads to Syracuse.
Billy Eppler, New York's beleaguered general manager, has likely left this fan base feeling even more exasperated and perplexed than they already were. At a time where the organization's sole focus should be about preparing for next year, the Mets are seemingly living in the past.
