Mets Mailbag: What does the future hold for Brandon Sproat, Pete Alonso and José Buttó? (2024)

The Mets rebounded from a subpar series over the weekend with an important win in their one-day layover in St. Louis — precisely the type of game that’s easy to lose. They have six more left on this four-city, 10-game road trip, as they head back west to Denver for three before closing it out in Seattle this weekend.

With the trade deadline in the rearview and the offseason just beyond the horizon, Tim Britton and Will Sammon took your questions to see where things stand with various aspects of the Mets’ operation.

Do you see Brandon Sproat getting called up to either the bullpen or rotation before this season ends? — Frank D.

WS: For now, I am going to stick to what I originally reported a couple of weeks ago, which was that it sounded more likely he’d stay in the minor leagues for 2024. However, things change and developments occur.

Sproat dominated in Double A and capped off his time there with 13 strikeouts in five scoreless innings (two hits, no walks). He was promptly promoted a few days ago to Triple-A Syracuse. Clearly, if he continues to show that the minor leagues are no place for him, then it would make sense to give him a look in the majors, even if it’s in a short-inning role. But, speculatively speaking, Sproat is already up to 87 2/3 innings this year, his first in pro ball, without throwing a single pitch in Triple A. Like many teams these days, the Mets have been reluctant to place innings caps on pitchers, but they’re still mindful about workload. Let’s see how Sproat does in Triple A. I’ll revisit the topic after his first turn or two in Syracuse.

Do you think Mark Vientos’ emergence has actually made Pete Alonso more expendable this coming offseason? Without him, we would be desperate to know where any power would come from. But now, we won’t have that question heading into next year and maybe Stearns would prioritize defense at the corners? — Anon.

TB: I think the broad development of power around Alonso in the lineup has made him less indispensable than in, say, 2022. Two years ago, Alonso was responsible for nearly one-quarter of the Mets’ home runs (23.4 percent). This year, it’s just 16.2 percent of their long balls. Mets not named Alonso hit 131 homers that year and have 119 this year. There’s Vientos, as you mention, who has 16 homers — but also Francisco Lindor’s 22 (after hitting 30 last year), Brandon Nimmo with 16, and Francisco Alvarez as someone you expect to hit 20 in the near future.

Vientos’ emergence gives the Mets more options when it comes to building their roster for next season. They can view him as the everyday third baseman, they can shift him to first if Alonso leaves, or they can plan for him to be a regular at DH if they want to strengthen the defense. That provides New York with a little bit more leverage at the negotiating table than it might have had after previous seasons.

How has new third-base coach Mike Sarbaugh been received/evaluated by Mets players/coaches as well as media? — Paul F.

WS: Sarbaugh is a great coach. He has a steady yet friendly personality. He’s easy to talk with, and I’ve learned small details about positioning and pre-pitch decisions. There was a play several weeks ago where Jeff McNeil ranged to his left on a grounder and made a great play to help win a game. In the days and weeks leading up to that specific game, McNeil had spent a considerable amount of time working with Sarbaugh on better positioning himself to convert that very play. Before games, Sarbaugh works daily with Vientos for extra work and then usually does the same thing with Alonso. I have heard only positive reviews.

Which of the guys the Mets drafted last month has the best chance of becoming the next Sproat/Christian Scott? — Frank D.

WS: I interpreted this question as: Which pitcher drafted last month has a shot to be the Mets’ top pitching prospect within a year? Both rival evaluators and people within the club would point to Nate Dohm, the 21-year-old right-hander drafted out of Mississippi State in the third round. He owns a fastball with all the characteristics scouts want along with solid breaking pitches. Also, he throws a ton of strikes (four walks in 29 1/3 innings in his final season in Starkville, Mississippi).

With the Mets concerned about innings pitched already by each of their starters compared to their prior years, why is Joey Lucchesi regularly overlooked despite respectable outings? — Bob E.

TB: The Mets don’t think Lucchesi has good enough stuff to get major-league hitters out consistently. They don’t think he strikes out enough guys, they don’t think he can work through a lineup more than two times given his limited mix, and they don’t think he’s adaptable enough to work out of the bullpen.

Lucchesi defied those expectations last season when he was quite good in a nine-start sample in the majors. This year his one big-league start was rough, and he’s had a rougher go of it at Syracuse, which is why he was designated for assignment last month. He went unclaimed on waivers, which tells you that the Mets are not alone in their evaluation of the lefty.

Any update on Matt Allan or Ronny Mauricio? — Joe A.

WS: Mauricio had arthroscopic surgery to remove scar tissue in his right knee last week, per the Mets. The club says, “he remains on pace to be back to competition this offseason and will progress his rehab as tolerated.” It was a follow-up procedure after he tore his ACL over the winter. Whatever slim hope existed that he’d return in the regular season is gone. It’s possible he plays in the Arizona Fall League or in winter ball again, but it’s still too early to commit to that.

Allan, who hasn’t appeared in a minor-league game since 2019, is throwing and progressing well. It remains unclear, however, when he will make an appearance.

José Buttó has been great in the pen. Despite the Mets acquiring all these fresh arms don’t you think it’s a waste to make him a starter? — Mark P.

TB: The first road trip I made as a beat reporter was to Oakland with the 2011 Red Sox. In the first game, Boston had a comfortable lead in the middle innings when Clay Buchholz started struggling in the sixth inning with his command. His last pitch of the afternoon was a 3-2 changeup to the No. 8 hitter for a walk that loaded the bases, and Professional Baseball Writer Tim thought it was ridiculous that Buchholz didn’t throw a fastball in that situation. (Looking back, the tying run was at the plate; it was not a ridiculous pitch choice.) So after the game, I asked Terry Francona if he was “frustrated” by the way Buchholz’s start finished.

“Whoa whoa,” Francona said. “Frustrated? You said that, not me. Don’t you go putting words into my mouth like frustrated.”

I think of this when I read questions phrased with “don’t you think” or “wouldn’t you agree.”

No, I don’t think it’s a waste to make Buttó a starter. I think a pitcher has more value in the rotation than he does in the bullpen if that pitcher has enough of a pitch mix to make it work in the rotation. Look around at the other longer-term relievers turned starters having success in 2024: Seth Lugo, of course, but also Reynaldo López and Jordan Hicks.

You can make a case that on this specific Mets team, as constituted, Buttó is more valuable in the pen than as a starter, especially since he’s no longer stretched out. But the Mets’ longer-term plan with Buttó is to see what he can be as a starter, and I think that’s wise.

(Top photo of Brandon Sproat: Richard Rodriguez / Getty Images)