(Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
On Sunday, the New York Mets sent struggling infielder Mark Vientos to Triple-A Syracuse.
There are two ways to view things and, as always, it will depend on perspective.
The team probably considers that the player just wasn’t good enough to warrant a roster spot; whereas fans feel that Vientos should have gotten many more opportunities at the expense of some struggling veterans.
The only thing we know for sure is that the Mets sent him back to the minors.
Manager Buck Showalter shed some light into the situation with a curious phrase.
“Showalter on Vientos: ‘If it’s meant to be, it will happen. Billy Martin told me a long time ago, you can’t mess up the good ones,’” Mets insider Mike Puma tweeted with some quotes from the skipper.
Showalter on Vientos: “If it’s meant to be, it will happen. Billy Martin told me a long time ago, you can’t mess up the good ones.”
— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) June 18, 2023
That quote certainly raises everybody’s attention.
The “you can’t mess the good ones” is probably because a portion of the fanbase might feel the Mets, and Showalter, interfered with his development by playing him sparingly.
Indeed, young players need playing time to succeed, fail, and make adjustments.
The Mets just weren’t too eager to give it to him.
And yes, depending on the case, you can “mess up the good ones”.
That’s definitely up for debate.
The player, however, failed miserably in the few chances he received: he hit .178/.224/.244 in 49 plate appearances after slugging .333/.416/.688 in 166 trips to the plate in Syracuse prior to being called up to the majors.
He could be back soon in the event of an injury, but he doesn’t really has much left to prove in the minor leagues.
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