NY Mets player on the roster fringe would’ve been cut yesterday if fans ran the team

In a sense, fans do run the New York Mets. Steve Cohen and David Stearns grew up cheering for the Metropolitans. To have them calling the shots makes us all feel a little more trustworthy of the actions they take. This isn’t merely a business venture for Cohen. Stearns is doing things his way, now for the team he always wanted to help lead.

They’re the uncommon fan put into a position of power with true buttons to push. If far less qualified Mets fans ran the team, one player would’ve been cut from the roster yesterday because of one errant pitch.

In a now deleted tweet, Sean Reid-Foley was seen delivering a pitch a little too close to Francisco Lindor. Understandably, there was immediate backlash (mostly of the cheeky variety) hurled the way of SRF. Even if it was in jest, the deletion of a post showing our captain (he doesn’t need a letter on his chest) nearly getting hit with a pitch suggests someone took things a little too far with their reaction. This is Twitter/X after all. You’ll find more generosity on the sharp end of a rusted nail. A quick search of his name provides some context into what people are saying can give you your own conclusions to draw.

Sean Reid-Foley is probably one of the last players we want throwing to Francisco Lindor in mid-February

Reid-Foley did quickly apologize to Lindor. But the damage was already done. The living daylights were scared out of us. If it were up to the fans, Reid-Foley’s distant attempt at making the club would be over before it even got started.

Out of minor league options, Reid-Foley entered camp as a dark horse candidate to make the team. Signed to a split contract back in November, the higher than usual minor league salary could help him more safely pass through waivers. The injury to Frankie Montas might allow him to sneak in there as the Mets could conceivably have Paul Blackburn and Griffin Canning in the rotation rather than shoving one into the bullpen.

During the first full week of spring training, there are far better choices to throw to Lindor. Control has been an issue for Reid-Foley throughout his career. A career walk rate of 5.7 per 9 yet only 4 hit batters in his career plus at least this one terribly close call in the preseason, could we please be a little more careful with who is throwing to the most irreplaceable player on the roster? Let’s at least give SRF a little more time to find his control.

Fans are quick to react and to the extreme. Would you cut a pitcher because he hit a batter in practice? It depends who the pitcher and batter are. Kodai Senga isn’t losing his job if he hits Rafael Ortega with a wild pitch. There's a double standard when this much is on the line and the fans would've hit the eject button on SRF yesterday.