The Mets have had a rough go of it lately, both record wise and injury wise. While it’s never fun to watch your team lose (especially when its offense is anemic), fans should realize that what they’re watching at the moment isn’t a reflection of what this team will be come 2014 (or even what it was a few short weeks ago). In other words, keep things in perspective.

August 27, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Mets catcher Travis d

Over the last month or so, the Mets have lost their closer (Bobby Parnell), their main offensive threat and team Captain (David Wright), and the majority of their starting rotation (Jenrry Mejia, Jeremy Hefner, and Matt Harvey) to injury. In their stead, the Mets have watched ninth inning leads disappear, seen their offense go from mediocre to borderline unwatchable, and have been forced to send out Daisuke Matsuzaka to eat up innings.

A few days ago, in a smart, forward thinking move, the Mets dealt Marlon Byrd and John Buck to the Pirates for 19 year old second base prospect Dilson Herrera and hard throwing reliever Vic Black. Byrd being gone weakened the offense further, but sending him to Pittsburgh was the right move (and the return Sandy Alderson got was tremendous).

The final month or so of the season may be painful to watch at times, but with the exception of Harvey (who may yet avoid surgery) and Hefner (who just underwent Tommy John surgery), all of the injured players should be good to go by the time Spring Training rolls around in February. To repeat, keep the eye on the prize here. Do not become disillusioned by watching a watered down version of the Mets compete in September.

It’s been a tough few days to be a Mets fan, but the potential absence of Harvey for 2014 does not erase all of the good things the Mets have going for them. Moreover, the trade of Byrd and Buck for Herrera and Black isn’t a white flag. In order for it to have been a white flag, the team would still have had to be in contention. They weren’t.

By trading Byrd, the Mets weakened their offense for the next five weeks, while adding an impact second base prospect and a 25 year old reliever who could be used in a setup role in the bullpen for years to come.

In the wake of the Harvey news, there were fans (and some in the media) who began to wonder whether the potential absence of Harvey would alter or derail the Mets’ plans going into 2014. While speaking with reporters yesterday, General Manager Sandy Alderson emphatically stated that the plan remains intact.

The Mets will enter the offseason with the intent of acquiring the outfield bats they need (whether via trade, free agency, or both) and potentially upgrading the shortstop position. Additionally, they’ll need to reach decisions regarding arbitration eligible players such as Ike Davis and Daniel Murphy.

Before Matt Harvey‘s injury and the revelation that he could potentially miss most, if not all of the 2014 campaign, there were lots of people (including Adam Rubin, not one of the most optimistic reporters out there) who felt the team would be able to contend in 2014. Guess what? The team can still contend in 2014, even if Harvey isn’t a part of it.

So, while you’re watching the team play the remainder of the season severely undermanned, don’t fret. The future is still bright, and the waiting will be worth it.

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