Palladino: It's Obvious Mets, Yankees Have Waved White Flag On 2016
By Ernie Palladino
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By the end of business Monday, both the Yankees and Mets may have reached for the white linens and hung them high on the clotheslines for all to see.
What seemed like flagging chances at a run at a postseason spot a mere week ago will have turned into give-up moves on both ends as they begin a Subway Series that just doesn't have the oomph this time around. Not that that's a horrible thing on its face, considering the prospects the Yankees received from the Cubs for Aroldis Chapman and the haul the Indians handed them Sunday for closer Andrew Miller.
They've made an investment in the future, which is never a bad thing unless you're blowing up your current season.
So here they sat Sunday, the Yanks and Mets, both in the throes of losing streaks and disadvantageous enough standings positions to have their respective managements thinking this is not their year.
So look to the next. Or two years down the road.
At least the Mets tried. Their move to sign Jose Reyes about five seconds after the Rockies made him a free agent paid off until a strained ribcage landed him on the DL on Saturday. In addition to him, Juan Lagares' thumb surgery will cost him six weeks, which will probably turn him into a nonentity the rest of the season.
Who knows how long the once-durable Asdrubal Cabrera will sit with the strained patellar tendon he suffered while rounding third during Sunday's win. And let's not overlook the incredible care Terry Collins must take with Yoenis Cespedes' strained quad.
Add to that their third-place standing, seven games behind NL East leader Washington and 2 1/2 back of the second wild-card spot, and the picture gets as dark as a Taylor Swift breakup song.
To further shade those possibilities, not only is there not another Cespedes out there. Coveted Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy vetoed a done deal with the Indians, giving some hope there that the Mets will land him for Travis d'Arnaud, Brandon Nimmo, and other farmhand. But the Rangers remained in play, too.
Lucroy was never going to get them to the promised land alone, however. And neither will Reds outfielder Jay Bruce if he comes in for a last-minute landing.
Given the state of the roster and the paucity of the trade market, the Mets might as well give up on 2016.
The Yanks are in a more dire situation. Giving up Miller just a week after Chapman means they've blown up their back-of-the-bullpen progression. Only Dellin Betances remains from the original Big Three that gave opposing lineups fits from the seventh inning.
Chapman was expendable, given his upcoming free agent status.
Miller, under a reasonable contract for two more years, was not.
As attractive as getting the Indians' top prospect, outfielder Clint Frazier, and three other minor leaguers may seem, unloading Miller ranks as the penultimate give-up move. If Carlos Beltran and/or Brian McCann go next, the white ensign on 2016 will take its rightful place atop the flag pole.
After all, Alex Rodriguez isn't going to lead anyone anywhere anymore. Their habit of following modest winning streaks with losing streaks of equal length, like the current four-game slide that continued with the Rays' three-game sweep over the weekend, left them once again at .500.
If McCann goes, highly regarded farm hand Gary Sanchez will get some extended experience at the end of a lost season.
At this point, there is no veteran move that will transform either the Mets or the Yanks into a wild-card team.
Whatever their plans for the final minutes leading into Monday's trade deadline, they have clearly given up on the season. Unless, that is, some poor misguided soul believes ex-Diamondback and ex-Met Tyler Clippard, procured Sunday, is going to somehow rescue Joe Girardi's club.
The white flag officially goes up at 4:01 p.m.
Follow Ernie on Twitter at @ErniePalladino
