It's 10:39 on a Monday night and I've worked 19 of the last 21 days -- my apologies if I can't put together a piece that flows from one paragraph to the next. Shootin' from the hip...
1. Signing Todd Frazier makes it nearly impossible for Jose Reyes to work his way into the Mets' starting lineup, and that is most certainly a good thing. Reyes should already have been behind Asdrubal Cabrera and Wilmer Flores in the 2B/3B platoon situation, but Frazier's full-time occupation of the hot corner pushes Jose, Jose, Jose into a deep hole on the depth chart. I've had enough of his laughable at bats with runners in scoring position. He doesn't hit, he doesn't walk, he gets thrown out stealing and makes a ton of blunders in the field. Enough of this guy already. My hope is somehow, someway he eventually ends up getting cut.
2. Frazier is a respectable major league ballplayer, but he's also an easy out. This is a veteran who strikes out a ton. Like my great friend and fellow Mets enthusiast Steven Summer, I would have preferred Eduardo Nunez to Frazier. Nunez has a much, much higher contact rate, steals bases efficiently and would have fit perfectly atop Mickey Callaway's batting order. Right now, we don't have a leadoff hitter on the active roster. Michael Conforto could eventually fit the bill when healthy -- though do you really want to waste his potential RBI opportunities? -- but in the meantime we're talking about Amed Rosario, Cabrera, Juan Lagares and Brandon Nimmo as leading candidates for the 1-hole. Against right-handed pitchers, I'm sad to say I'd probably lean in Nimmo's direction. Yikes. We'll see what Callaway sees in Spring Training.
4. With Conforto expected out until late May or early June, here's the lineup I'd like to see against righties: Nimmo, Cabrera, Cespedes, Bruce, Gonzalez, Frazier, Rosario then d'Arnaud.
5. Here's the lineup I think we'll see: Rosario, Cabrera, Gonzalez, Cespedes, Bruce, Frazier, d'Arnaud, Nimmo. I think Callaway is a manager who is going to show excessive confidence in his guys, which means he may want to pump Rosario up from the outset. I'd rather not rush him. I'd like to see a nice, comfortable approach hitting behind seasoned vets Cespedes, Bruce, Gonzalez and Frazier. I also think most big league managers are more likely to stagger righty-lefty than I am. I'd rather get Cespedes to the plate more often; I don't care if that leaves Bruce and Gonzalez (two lefties) back to back.
7. What the helllll happened with Malcolm Butler? Do we have any more solid information now, than we did five minutes before kickoff or an hour after the game? Ian Rapoport, one of the best and most reliable reporters in the game, offers a reasonable and well-researched explanation. He refers to it as a "perfect storm of issues" including illness, poor play and a costly violation of team rules. Former Patriot Brandon Browner thinks Butler was caught in possession of marijuana. That's loosely consistent with Rapoport's reference to a "minor violation" of team rules. Perhaps most importantly, Butler is now an unrestricted free agent. To me, it was just another example of Bill Belichick making a statement. If your performance is slipping and you're careless enough to be smokin' weed on gameweek, you haven't earned playing time in his Super Bowl. You certainly haven't earned a new, lucrative contract. I know what Belichick was doing, but I don't agree with it. I think a first quarter or -- at the most -- a first half benching would have been sufficient. Why cut off your nose to spite your face?
8. In hindsight, I kind of feel like the Patriots outplayed the Eagles. Philly's D was just downright awful. That may have been the worst defensive performance of all time. Everything Tom Brady, Josh McDaniels and Belichick did worked. Rob Gronkowski was somehow uncovered half the time. Danny Amendola was seemingly wide open every, single play. Chris Hogan was getting free releases downfield. On the flip side, Nick Foles really had to earn it. The Patriots covered the Alshon Jeffery touchdown well -- it was simply a spectacular hookup between The Iceman and his No. 1 receiver. The same goes for the Corey Clement TD; two defenders right on top of the play. It was an absolutely PERFECT throw. I like Nick Foles. I always have. He's a solid NFL football player. Calm demeanor, good leadership, above-average talent for his position. But I NEVER thought he could repeat that lights-out performance against the Vikings. I mean, the guy was droppin' dimes everywhere. Down the field, into extremely small windows with defensive help over the top. And what does he do? Goes and does the exact same thing in the Super Bowl. Give this man the respect he deserves! What a legendary individual performance for the history books.
10. I mean, was Eric Rowe really that bad? I truly don't think he was. He had 4 solo tackles and 2 passes defensed, including perfect coverage on a dangerous endzone fade to Jeffery. Sure Doug Pederson and Frank Reich picked on him (and rightfully so), but Matt Patricia's defense put together a poor performance on the whole. Eric Rowe didn't give up 41 points. Foles and Pederson earned this thing, and yet Belichick is taking the hit for benching Butler for Rowe. I honestly don't believe it had as big an impact as pundits are saying. Pederson made aggressive playcalls, Foles made big-time plays and the Eagles' D came away with a strip-sack at exactly the right time. Philly earned this. I don't think Malcolm Butler changes the outcome.
11. The controversial calls went in favor of the Eagles. Belichick is the scapegoat. Patricia is gone. McDaniels is gone. Jimmy Garoppolo is gone. Gronk mentioned the word "retirement."
The Philadelphia Eagles beat the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.
Life is good.
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