It won't be difficult to contend in the NL East for the foreseeable future.

I have no idea why Reyes is still on this team, but I understand why the pitchers are still on this team:

"Steven Matz, one of the core four of pitchers the club refused to part with due to delusions of grandeur that they can contend in 2019 with this roster as currently constituted, got lit up by the Nationals. He didn’t make it out of the first inning, allowing eight hits and seven runs and recording just two outs."

Snark is easy enough when a baseball team loses by 21 runs, but the Mets surely don't have delusions of grandeur just because they held onto their pitchers.

1) The 2019 team won't have the roster "as currently constituted." Current is 2018. 2019 is an entirely different year than 2018, also known as the future.

2) The quickest path to contention is good starting pitching, even if Matz stunk it up today.

3) As for contending in the NL East in 2019, what is that going to require? 83 wins or so?

They're only 12.5 games back now.

I'd say 2018 contention is a pipe dream, but this current roster with a productive Cespedes, Bruce, and Conforto? That team would be in contention. If you're a .500 team in the NL East, you're in contention.