-Mets and Neil Walker's people are talking extension. Walker and Sandy expected to sit down directly shortly.
- Sandy says Mets are "all in" regards to the payroll. The Mets can add or adjust over the course of the season regardless of Bruce. (I maintain the early spring stuff was a negotiating ploy while he was still engaged in talks with Blevins and others and it worked)
-Wright made 30 throws today and felt good
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Obviously I love Holdschmidt but his contract is absolutely incredible to the point the price to obtain him would be mindblowing (Think Matz+ Rosario +). Injuries change things but for now bullpen and guys with "expiring" deals would be the most realistic targets I would think. Bench likely too. Catcher would be another possibility obviously
So many factors right now I have a hard time looking at any actual targets at this point. We look great on paper if everyone's healthy. Injuries will dictate how far we go and I'm guessing Sandy will react based on what our needs are at the time of the deadline. If Duda has 17 HR at the deadline and Smith is killing it in Vegas, Goldy wouldn't make much sense. If Duda is injured again and Smith is struggling of course he does then. Just have to wait and see.
I don't know the Mets match up well with them, but I'd rather trade for him now than at the deadline when his price will be higher. He is signed for two years though.
Familia, Robertson, and Reed is what I'm looking for in the back of the bullpen and Robertson provides the type of insurance I'd like while Familia is suspended.
Plus as reported the Nats were pretty far down the trade path with CHW before they reached a stalemate trying to acquire Robertson. Would be preemptive.
Sean Kelley is not a reliable closer IMO.
Side note...I'd check in on Jonathan Papelbon and see his interest in a one year deal. From a peripherals standpoint last year was maybe a blip in his career. I know he's a douche but hard to claim the high road on a team with two wife beaters.
I don't know the Mets match up well with them, but I'd rather trade for him now than at the deadline when his price will be higher. He is signed for two years though.
Familia, Robertson, and Reed is what I'm looking for in the back of the bullpen and Robertson provides the type of insurance I'd like while Familia is suspended.
Plus as reported the Nats were pretty far down the trade path with CHW before they reached a stalemate trying to acquire Robertson. Would be preemptive.
Sean Kelley is not a reliable closer IMO.
Side note...I'd check in on Jonathan Papelbon and see his interest in a one year deal. From a peripherals standpoint last year was maybe a blip in his career. I know he's a douche but hard to claim the high road on a team with two wife beaters.
PJ, IIRC the rumor was that they would need to give up Conforto to get Robertson.
They don't have an OF prospect close enough to consider but a top 10 prospect gets it done for me possibly.
Mets need to seize this current situation with their starting pitching. Let's say Conforto is in AAA this year, I'd deal him for Robertson, if the White Sox sent back a decent prospect.
another year the Mets don't win, makes it another year less likely they ever do with this cast.
Of course the Mets would say no. The Sox just received huge packages for Sale and Eaton so they are going to continue asking for huge returns. They don't need to trade Robertson now but by the deadline they should be able to receive a nice prospect or two for him.
His value may never be higher.
If you go off his latest season, he's a platoon player, with average to below average corner OFer power who might play passable defense.
Conforto is not 19 years old, he'll be 24 in two weeks, he should be projectible at this point, but he's not even expected to be on the major league roster.
bullpen is the way to shore up this team to contend for a title, not Conforto in AAA. He's 25 next year before the season starts.
People grow too attached to prospects. Seen it with Escobar, Payton, Milledge, F-Mart, Humber, Pelfrey, Davis, etc.
Mets fans defended turning down Milledge for Manny. Some people get blinders when it comes to their own home grown prospects.
all those guys more highly regarded/rated than Conforto all pretty much flamed out (though Payton had some good seasons; none like the elite prospect he was expected to be though).
I view bullpen as the Achilles heel of the team right now, maybe some don't care, but that's my opinion. If I could get Robertson + a prospect for Conforto I'd do it in a second.
Maybe he ends up like Ike Davis or Milledge, but 2 years of Robertson isn't worth giving up the potential that he's really the guy we saw in 2015 + April 2016 (who looked like he was going to be our 3 hitter for the next decade).
His value may never be higher.
Im sorry, but that's just ridiculous. He DOES play good defense for a corner and many still believe he has future all-star ability. Conforto and Rosario is who we are building our team around going forward as Granderson, Bruce, Duda, Wright, Cabrera, and eventually, Walker go the way of the DODO. Conforto went through one brutal cold streak last year before destroying Vegas and finishing strong in the majors (HE STILL FINISHED almost league average with the bat and would have been well over a 2 WAR player if he had played a full season. You want to give him up for a 32 reliever coming off his worst season in 7 years when our bullpen was ranked number 2 in baseball last year and arguably got better over the offseason?? Hey everyone's allowed an opinion. Not in my world, though.
Maybe he ends up like Ike Davis or Milledge, but 2 years of Robertson isn't worth giving up the potential that he's really the guy we saw in 2015 + April 2016 (who looked like he was going to be our 3 hitter for the next decade).
I find myself agreeing with you 100% lately. Well done Eric.
Simply looking at the facts.
Robertson on the Mets roster does more for the Mets, the team trying to win the World Series in 2017 than Conforto in Vegas.
I am in win-now mode. Before you know it Harvey could be gone, Matz could be in the pen or who knows with his durability issues, deGrom who knows with his injury history, and we'll be looking back at these guys like Generation K.
Strike while you can. A championship to me is worth more than rolling the dice on Conforto panning out.
I'm certainly not building my team around Conforto. If that were the case the Mets wouldn't have exercised Bruce's option or at least would be willing to give Bruce a $13M utility role and start Conforto as the "everyday" RFer.
I'm building my team around the starting rotation which is the strength today and the next couple years.
PJ, I agree that the Mets window is now as you mentioned even the most optimistic fan has to admit that nobody knows how long Harvey and Matz will hold up or even Degrom for that matter.
There's huge potential there and I think we've got to just let it develop.
ZERO chance Conforto isn't on the postseason roster THIS year and I'd field bets on that if anyone's interested.
There's huge potential there and I think we've got to just let it develop.
I said I'd want a prospect back. I'd be feeling pressure to win a title if I were the Mets.
and I kept hearing about the potential with TDA until finally people are starting to think there's not so much potential as there is "this is what we're likely going to get from TDA".
potential doesn't win World Series. Need more Dave Dombrowski and less people holding on to prospects forever.
Look at all the talent the Red Sox gave up this off-season because they're in win-now mode, look what the Nats gave up because they're in win-now mode, I maintain the Mets should be feeling the same urgency.
And IMO that DOESN'T mean mortgage the future. I wouldn't trade Rosario, I doubt I'd trade Szapucki, Lindsay, Smith even or Dunn unless it's a Stanton coming back and then still would prefer not trade Rosario.
But Conforto doesn't give me the same confidence he gives some of you. He seems destined to be a platoon player, I don't give his defense the same grade some of you do, and I think the latter part of the 2016 season is more what he is than the latter part of 2015 when no one had really faced him.
And I think Vegas is the worst thing for him, but it's likely where he'll be, not developing or working on any flaws.
That's the kind Omar logic that put us in a huge hole for 5+ years.
Conforto I think just needs regular PT at the MLB level and he will become an excellent hitter. I know that's the major issue.. we don't really have a way to get him that right now.
I still would be very hesitant to deal him though.
His worst trades were Heath Bell and Brian Bannister off the top of my head, but he also traded away the prospects some of you hold so dearly for Johan Santana.
Minaya's flaws were FA's like Jason Bay.
My POV is the Mets are in fact in win-now mode because pitching breaks. It's not magically found and I still believe in the old school pitching and defense wins championships.
Conforto helps less with this box score than Robertson IMO.
As we saw last year Thor can't win by himself.
And as a sidenote. Im a much bigger believer in Conforto's bat at this point then I am with Rosarios. Rosario has a LONG way to go before he proves he can handle major league pitching let alone Vegas pitching.
His worst trades were Heath Bell and Brian Bannister off the top of my head, but he also traded away the prospects some of you hold so dearly for Johan Santana.
Minaya's flaws were FA's like Jason Bay.
My POV is the Mets are in fact in win-now mode because pitching breaks. It's not magically found and I still believe in the old school pitching and defense wins championships.
Conforto helps less with this box score than Robertson IMO.
As we saw last year Thor can't win by himself.
Comical. A one game sample proves a 23 year old cant win by himself? Syndergaard has never pitched a complete game before and never will going forward? LOL. And once again... FAMILIA blew the game and he is better than Robertson. There is nothing we can do about excellent players not performing when called upon over one game samples. Not everybody performs on a dime every single time. Which sport fo you think this is? As for Omar, it was all about winning now. Huge contracts to free agents at the tail end of their careers, rushing prospects through the system at historic rates, and yes... trading players like Gomez who actually outperformed what Santana gave us in terms of WAR. Omar absolutely tried to build a team up to win over a short period which is the exact opposite of what Sandy is about.
If you disagree with a move I would make, so f-ing what? Just say you disagree and move on. You don't need to make a federal case out of it. I do not think relying on Sewald who was available for nothing for anyone, and Smoker, a 29 year old lottery ticket and not having the closer for an undisclosed period of time and all the other fringy guys/role players like Salas and Blevins is a winning strategy, I think it's settling because they didn't want to pay, not because they thought it was a "very good pen"
and you are on an island with Rosario's bat, the only question out of any of the "experts' I've read is about how much power he develops.
To say you're more confident about Conforto's bat who we've all seen be abysmal at the major league level than Rosarios is questionable.
It pretty much made the contenders and encouraged other important players to come to Queens.
it was critical and highlighting Gomez fWAR is also laughable. Gomez lasted two awful seasons in MIN and was traded for JJ Hardy who lasted one. Gomez did go on to flourish in MIL, but not for 5 years until after the trade.
He was referencing the payroll lol. He said the Mets will be able to add players regardless of Bruce which was meant to quite the everlasting concerns there. And of course we are trying to win a WS this year but that does not mean he is mortgaging the future.
If you disagree with a move I would make, so f-ing what? Just say you disagree and move on. You don't need to make a federal case out of it. I do not think relying on Sewald who was available for nothing for anyone, and Smoker, a 29 year old lottery ticket and not having the closer for an undisclosed period of time and all the other fringy guys/role players like Salas and Blevins is a winning strategy, I think it's settling because they didn't want to pay, not because they thought it was a "very good pen"
and you are on an island with Rosario's bat, the only question out of any of the "experts' I've read is about how much power he develops.
To say you're more confident about Conforto's bat who we've all seen be abysmal at the major league level than Rosarios is questionable.
Im on an island in regards to Rosario's bat?? Rosario is more proven than Conforto TODAY? WTF are you talking about? Rosario has done NOTHING at the major league level where Conforto has a wRC+ of 109 TODAY.
It pretty much made the contenders and encouraged other important players to come to Queens.
it was critical and highlighting Gomez fWAR is also laughable. Gomez lasted two awful seasons in MIN and was traded for JJ Hardy who lasted one. Gomez did go on to flourish in MIL, but not for 5 years until after the trade.
Literally has NOTHING to do with my point. Omar was about creating a small window to win NOW and that was what I just said. Trading Gomez, who outperformed Santana, was part of a bigger explanation that I just outlined for you. I had no problem trading Gomez because Delgado, Wagner, Pedro and the rest of Omar's geriatric signings were about to expire and we had no other choice.
You probably felt the same way about Milledge, and F-Mart, players they did trad like Gomez, and Humber, and Guerra and Mulvey.
And you probably felt that way about Fulmer and Mesiner and the other what seems like 10 pitchers the Mets traded away for relievers or role players the past few years.
Sometimes you can trade a prospect for a roster player and it's not mortgaging your future.
Mike Puma ✔@NYPost_Mets
The feeling from the Mets side is the Neil Walker contract extension discussions are probably dead.
You probably felt the same way about Milledge, and F-Mart, players they did trad like Gomez, and Humber, and Guerra and Mulvey.
And you probably felt that way about Fulmer and Mesiner and the other what seems like 10 pitchers the Mets traded away for relievers or role players the past few years.
Sometimes you can trade a prospect for a roster player and it's not mortgaging your future.
Ummm. You've been here the whole time and Ive never mentioned any of those players in that light except maybe Milledge and I would have traded him for the right player too. Conforto is the most polished position player we have had since Wright IMO. He has future all-star ability and there is nothing we have seen in the majors (except a cold streak) that should persuade anyone from thinking he's still not on the right track.
but his 348 PA 2016 is a cold streak.
Even with his good April in 2016, his May and June were so awful I have no idea why those are the outliers and not 2015.
If he's on the Mets I'll obviously hope for the best, but the bullpen is the Achilles heel and Conforto has the most tradeable value IMO. If there's a better player the Mets could get for him than Robertson, fine with me, but I don't see it.
but his 348 PA 2016 is a cold streak.
Even with his good April in 2016, his May and June were so awful I have no idea why those are the outliers and not 2015.
If he's on the Mets I'll obviously hope for the best, but the bullpen is the Achilles heel and Conforto has the most tradeable value IMO. If there's a better player the Mets could get for him than Robertson, fine with me, but I don't see it.
2015 is not his floor in my mind. His overall sample is. Overall, Conforto is a wRC+ 109 player and overall Bruce is a wRC+ 107 player and Conforto's defense is MUCH better (not that I care about CO defense that much but it's still relevant to the discussion). Sandy is doing the right thing. There is nothing wrong with keeping depth in play and holding an all-star (from last year) a little longer until somebody bites.