The Put it in the Books Show – S9 E4: Mets Wake Up, Soto Down, and Now What?

Well well… look who decided to show up. The Mets finally remembered how to hit a baseball out in San Francisco, taking 3 of 4 and giving us just enough hope to start believing again — which, if you’ve watched this team long enough, is always a dangerous game. Farace tries not to overreact (he will), Rodriguez will pretend he saw this coming all along, and Producer Joe will be behind the wall nodding like he’s the smartest one in the room without saying a word.Of course, because this is the Mets, the good vibes last about five minutes before getting punched in the face — Juan Soto is now out 2–3 weeks with a calf strain. Timing? Impeccable. We’ll get into what this means for the lineup, who needs to step up (spoiler: everyone), and how long it takes before Rodriguez starts blaming the training staff and Farace starts blaming the universe.Meanwhile, the organization is out here actually doing something right for once — adjusting start times due to freezing temps and even giving away tickets. Mets caring about fans? Somebody check if Steve Cohen got hacked. Farace will take credit for it somehow, Rodriguez will still find something wrong with it, and Joe will just shrug behind the wall like he approved it personally.We also dive into Carlos Beltran getting his number retired on 9/19 against the Phillies — and yes, we’ll remind everyone how great he was… right before someone inevitably brings up that one moment and ruins the vibe. You already know it’s coming. Rodriguez probably has it bookmarked.Rodriguez is already fired up about the starting pitching needing to be better — which is rich considering he panics after two bad innings like the season’s over. We’ll talk Sean Manaea’s potential to stabilize this staff and turn the bullpen into a real weapon… assuming we don’t burn it out by May like we usually do.And then we get into the stuff that drives you insane — mental mistakes. The kind that Little Leaguers get yelled at for. The kind that make Farace lose his mind mid-show while Joe quietly laughs and Rodriguez tries to explain it away like he’s on the coaching staff.We’ll also ask the uncomfortable question — is Carlos Mendoza already on the hot seat? Too early? Probably. But that’s never stopped this show before. If the Mets sneeze wrong, Rodriguez’s already got a replacement lined up and Farace’s halfway through a rant.At the plate, the approach is… confusing. Patience is great… until you’re watching strike three go by like you’re admiring the view. There’s a balance here, and the Mets are still trying to find it. And yes, Rodriguez will say “I like the approach” while also complaining about it in the same breath.And speaking of reality… here it comes fast. Two more with the Diamondbacks, then three with the Athletics — including a reunion with Jeff McNeil, which is either going to be emotional or just awkward depending on how he plays. Then it’s back out West again, this time to Los Angeles to face the back-to-back champion Dodgers. So yeah… that “we’re back” feeling? Let’s see how long that lasts.So the Mets are trending up… kinda. But there’s still a lot to clean up before we start planning anything beyond April optimism. We’ll break it all down the only way we know how — loud, honest, sarcastic, and with just enough chaos to keep it real. #PiitB #Mets