Unsolicited Mets mailbag: The Daniel Vogelbach mistake, thoughts on Carlos Correa

Welcome to another untimed, unplanned, and completely unsolicited version of answering reader questions and/or statements. If you weren’t around last time, a question came in about Eduardo Escobar and whether or not getting rid of him was the prescription the New York Mets needed to solve theirs and every problem in the world. More than anything, it was a chance to reference an old SNL gag a whole generation doesn’t know a thing about.

Today’s unsolicited Mets mailbag is more of a statement with a passive question. The reader writes, “It would take 100 Daniel Vogelbach mistakes to make up for the Carlos Correa pass. Not to mention the ripple effects. Curious where you were on getting Carlos.”

Thank you for your question. Let’s grab a spoon and dig in.

What does the Daniel Vogelbach mistake have to do with Carlos Correa?

I’ve read the email a couple of times and I’m not quite sure exactly what the reader thinks of Correa. He must be a fan, right?

It’s a strange time to admit you wanted the Mets to sign Correa given how poorly he has played with the Minnesota Twins. His foot isn’t holding up well and it’s only year one of his new deal. It’s understandable why the Mets felt he wasn’t the right guy for the job. Picture him on the current team making over $30 million with a whole lot more to go and their record being what it is and him slumping his way through.

Assuming this reader thinks it was a mistake to pass on Correa, I suppose we can answer the question.

Yes, I got caught up like everyone else in the excitement of Correa. The Mets needed a hitter like him on the roster. They also needed to do something better than to carry Vogelbach and platoon him with any right-handed hitter. It didn’t work in 2022. I wasn’t a fan of trying it again in 2023.

Clearly, the Mets were correct to pass on Correa and also wrong to hold onto Vogelbach. He’s on the roster bubble at the moment and it’s hard to see how they can justify keeping him for the full season under any scenario barring some sort of a massive change in the next few weeks if not days.

If the reader’s email is saying what we think it is, I agree with all of the statements except for one. Right now I wouldn’t want Correa. The mistake the Mets made was waiting until he became unexpectedly available and then going after him. They should’ve been all over other free agents or trade targets on his tier well beforehand. Content with what they had, the Mets’ mistake wasn’t passing on Correa. Their error was being his rebound destination and not landing someone else prior.