“It felt like the right time to do it" - Mets OF Brandon Nimmo opens up on players-only meeting after slipping further in standings
Following another meltdown which pushed them to 22-33 and 16 games out of first spot in NL East, the New York Mets held a players-only meeting. It came after the now-viral Jorge Lopez incident, but it was more in line with another collapse and another loss. Things are not looking good, and so the team had to meet to talk.
Outfielder Brandon Nimmo, one of the longest-tenured players on this roster and a leader in the locker room, revealed that most players spoke up after their latest loss.
Nimmo said, via MLB:
“It just felt like a boiling-over point. It felt like the right time to do it. You try and give space.”
The Mets were swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday. Lopez's incident, which involved an ejection and a hurled glove into the stands, was called inappropriate by manager Carlos Mendoza, but it speaks to the frustration the team has over the losses.
Adam Ottavino, who allowed four runs to score in his relief outing and took the loss, added that the team just isn't doing what they need to win:
“We’re just not getting it done. We’re not throwing up zeroes when we need them, and we’re not getting the hits when we need them. And we’re not putting the at-bats together, we’re not playing the defense. It’s really all over the board. We stink right now.”
The Mets have seen their playoff chances drop to 7.2% according to Fangraphs. If they don't stop the losing soon, it may be over early in Queens.
Mets know they need to turn it around
The Mets have lost a lot this season, and their core players know they can't withstand much more. Front office executive David Stearns was brought in to make tough choices to better the team. That may include some trades.
Francisco Lindor opened up on that. He has been the subject of trade rumors and he's aware that they have to play better if they want to stick around:
“Before the All-Star break and before the Trade Deadline, you’ve got to stay above the water. You can’t have the water nose-deep. I’m not a good swimmer. So we’ve got to find ways to get the water to at least our shoulders. Because then that’s when the decisions come in, and it’s the ones we don’t want.”
Lindor, Pete Alonso, and several others could be traded if things don't turn around quickly.