This Week in Mets Quotes: There are more important things in life than baseball

Your 2020 New York Mets: I thought we played a pretty good game.

“Mike [Conforto] made a great throw and Roman Quinn, he’s so fast. He just got under the tag. I thought we played that pretty well. I thought we played a pretty good game. That’s a tough loss right there.” -Seth Lugo [MLB]

Luis Rojas if the team was concerned about traveling to Miami.

“We’re going to stay in our bubble.” -Luis Rojas [Twitter]

Here’s Doc Gooden’s thought on Cespedes’s opt out.

“Number one, [Cespedes’] put [himself] in that position by the stuff you’re doing off the field. Now you miss two, three years when they said throughout baseball don’t give this guy a contract and the Mets did it anyway, and that’s the way you show them. You owe those guys. You owe your teammates, bro. That was a weak move.” -Doc Gooden [New York Post]

Oh good, he’s not wishing bad on him...

“Now with your reputation, with everything that’s going on you, might get a team that will invite him to spring training. I don’t know. I’m not wishing bad on anybody, but that was just bad.” -Doc Gooden [New York Post]

...except he’s okay if he collusion causes him to be unemployed.

“He may get blackballed next year and I’m OK with that.” -Doc Gooden [New York Post]

‘Guys going down or being sore and things like that’ is one way to describe the 2020 Mets rotation.

“It’s tough, I’m not going to lie to you. Guys are coming in and making spot starts or whatever. We’ve had some unfortunate things with guys going down or being sore and things like that, so as far as the momentum of the rotation goes and having those same five go out there and take the ball every day, that’s not happening for us. But it doesn’t mean that we can’t build off one another no matter who’s on the mound.” -Rick Porcello [MLB]

Zack Wheeler describes his probably accurate feelings of the Mets front office during the offseason...

“It was basically just crickets. [He added that the silence is] how they roll.” -Zack Wheeler [MLB]

...which of course led to a very ‘on-brand, petty’ response from the top of Mets leadership.

“[Brodie Van Wagenen was] “surprised” and “disappointed” at Wheeler’s comments after the Mets “helped him parlay two good half-seasons over the last five into $118 million.” -Brodie Van Wagenen

I’ll give you one guess as to which party had the professional and, honestly adult, response to the situation.

“I’m not trying to prove anybody wrong. Just go out there and just pitch my game and just try to get a win for us. And I was able to do that.” -Zack Wheeler [MLB]

Got to love that confidence ballplayers have that fans absolutely do not.

“Is it bitter that we just got swept? Absolutely. It’s unacceptable. I hate losing. And everybody in that locker room hates losing, and especially getting swept by the Phillies. It’s unacceptable. But at the same time, there’s positivity in all of us. We know that we can bounce back.” -J.D. Davis [MLB]

Dom Smith on his experience training at the Urban Youth Academy as a kid.

“It was really cool to learn about that stuff, especially at a young age because when I did play at the academy, I did see a lot of more diverse kids, and there were a lot of African American kids out there. And then when I go play travel ball, it’s a 60-team tournament and I’m the only Black kid, it kind of really sets in and hits home, and raises understanding a little bit more and you appreciate it more.” -Dom Smith [MLB]

Dom Smith is the best.

“My only goal is I just want to help kids who want to learn and who want to better themselves. There are a lot of talented kids from the inner city who just don’t get the chance, don’t get the opportunity, or don’t get the proper coaching or training or just mental skills, life skills that you need to be successful. … That’s something that I wanted to change. I wanted to show the kids that I am here for you guys, I do care about you guys, I want to see you guys be successful in life whether it be professional baseball or any other avenue. You can be anything in this world, and no dream is too big to achieve.” -Dom Smith [MLB]

Another example of Cano being one of Alonso’s biggest fans.

“It was great to see [Alonso] come out tonight in that way, in a big way, and hit two homers. I’m so happy for him. And I can’t wait to see him be the same guy that he was last year.” -Robinson Cano [MLB]

There was just no way a sale of a multi-billion dollar asset in the Mets wouldn’t turn into Page 6 ‘he said/she said’ bullshit.

“Jeff Wilpon hates Steve Cohen. He wants A-Rod to come away with the team or make Cohen pay double the nearest offer. This has been a squeeze job for weeks now.” -Anonymous person who is def not Steve Cohen or associate of Steve Cohen [New York Post]

Doesn’t seem optimal.

“I found out I was starting when I got to the ballpark today. I was excited getting out there, especially a start. I’ve been in roles like this before, so that helped me.” -Corey Oswalt [MLB]

Guy with a 159 OPS+ approach is ‘still a work in progress’.

“It’s still a work in progress, but we’re definitely making a few positive strides. I’m trying to put the ball in play a little bit better in early counts when I get the pitch; I was able to do that tonight, so that’s a positive move. … Because I’m feeling a little bit better at the plate, I’m able to attack a little bit better earlier in the count.” -Brandon Nimmo [MLB]

Guy who went 6 innings giving up 4 hits, no walks, no runs and 7 strikeouts was ‘a little rusty.’

“I felt pretty good; not pitching in 10 days, a little rusty. I felt better as the game went on, had a better feel for my changeup and even the slider. At first I was spiking some, floating some in there, but I was fortunate enough that the bad ones I threw weren’t close enough to swing at. I was able to kind of make the adjustment as the game went on.” -Jacob deGrom [MLB]

This whole Q&A with Cliff Floyd was fun. Though I might be biased as Floyd’s jersey is the only jersey I own.

“Q: Who would you rather hit against, Cole or Jacob deGrom?

A: Neither. But if I had to pick one, I would say Gerrit, because I think Gerrit’s gonna say, “Here. I think I can overpower you.” Jake is gonna be like, “I got everything in the kitchen sink just in case you think you could hit me.” Gerrit Cole’s gonna challenge you, and not to say Jake is not, ’cause Jake will too. But I think Jake is like, “I can make you look bad if I want or I could just throw this 99 mile an hour fastball on the black and you’re gonna sit down anyway.” -Cliff Floyd [New York Post]

SiteBot Quote of Week

“preach MF4D! Stroman , and Ces used the Mets to get free health care for injuries, and when the going got tuff went home. Ces didn’t want to play for reduced salary plus his ego was taking a hit from his failures when he did play. Stroman used the Mets to rehab, and then decided when the Mets looked bad, that pitching back into shape in front of that defense was not going to help his free agency this offseason.” -cschulznym

AA Quote of the Week

“I find in comical how the owners suddenly care about a person’s integrity Especially when the light is being shined on someone else.” -Ravi33