- Stearns to open things up at 3PM addressing the media
- Mets can play players (Mauricio/Peterson) on the 60 day on Wednesday
-Austin Adams cleared waivers and has been invited to ST as a NRI
Looking forward to one of the first signs of spring...pitchers and catchers.
Everyone is 0-0 to start the year, though really just put the Mets down for 1-0, as the always win on opening day. It's the other 161 we have to worry about!
Let's see what happens over the next 6 and a half weeks or so. I hope they sign another arm for the bullpen at the least. Ryne Stanek would be e big help as a bridge to Sugar in the 9th.
Jon Matlack did a live interview over Zoom for SABR’s Oral History Committee earlier this week, and the entertaining exchange included his memories of a hit he surrendered on September 30, 1972. It was the last of Roberto Clemente’s career, and one whose circumstances caught the then-22-year-old southpaw by surprise.
“I was a wet-behind-the-ears rookie that did not know that the famous Clemente needed one more for 3,000,” admitted Matlack, who was with the New York Mets. “I was having a tough day. I walked too many guys. I’m getting beat [and] was just trying to get another out… I tried a backdoor curveball, and when it [leaves] my hand I know it’s not going to be a strike; I’m mad at myself because of how it came out. Somehow he rifles it one hop off the left-centerfield wall for a double. They present him with the ball at second base and I’m going, ‘Wait a minute, we’ve got a ballgame here to play. Why are you giving him the ball?’ Then I see the 3,000 flashing on the scoreboard. It dawned on me that I was going to be in the history books.”
@mets
system so far has been ranked 11th by ESPN/@kileymcd
15th by @keithlaw
and 8th by @BaseballAmerica
im a fan of the methodology kiley uses (the guy who developed it at FG actually now works for MLBPA) and here's how the systems in the division stack up:
1. Mets - 235m worth of prospects (11th overall)
2. Washington - 203m worth of prospects (16th overall)
3. Philly - 158m worth of prospects (23rd overall)
4. Atlanta - 87m worth of prospects (28th overall)
5. Miami - 82m worth of prospects (29th overall)
pretty amazing bc the mets also graduated like 100m worth of prospects last year just between alvarez (6th overall last year, 60grade) + baty (20th overall last year, 55 grade).
getting player development back on track is probably the most important storyline of the season. literally like 300-400m of present day value riding on it (that if developed will be worth multiples higher in the future).
if 2 more of baty/vientos/acuna/gilbert join alvarez trending toward locking down spots by the end of this year, that is such a huge development. hopefully get at least 1 arm in rotation too.
think you're giving player development WAY too much credit here. Where would the system rank if not for deadline deals for Gilbert/Clifford/Rodriguez/Vargas/Hernandez? Easily bottom 10 in the league.
I'm assuming this is a reset for tax purposes until the kids come up/come back next year, including Mauricio, the SPs at Syracuse, Acuna, and Gilbert (not including Clifford or Jett yet since 2026 looks more likely as an ETA date for them than 2025 does).
#3 Gilbert-trade
#4 Acuna-trade
#5 Clifford-trade
#8 Houck (HS player, only had a dozen ab's)
#11 Sproat (didn't pitch yet)
#15 McLean
#18 Rodriguez-trade
#19 Vargas-trade
#21 Morris (3.1 innings)
#23 Baro (HS player, dozen or so ab's)
#25 Hernandez-trade
Were all either via trade or just drafted and didn't play at all or barely played so the Mets system is absolutely in better shape than it's been but hardly from "improved player development" to this point. The system was quietly in pretty shit shape before the deadline.
I'm assuming this is a reset for tax purposes until the kids come up/come back next year, including Mauricio, the SPs at Syracuse, Acuna, and Gilbert (not including Clifford or Jett yet since 2026 looks more likely as an ETA date for them than 2025 does).
Stearns said they are "never done" looking for pitching. They are more likely done with major league deals than not. I wouldn't expect a major signing of any kind.
at conceivably lower price points (5m or less) here's who i'd have
Longoria
Urshela
kike hernandez (sorry not sorry, played 98 innings at 3b for lad last year)
Pham (seems unlikely but still)
Winker (also seems unlikely but probably be a camp invite)
Pollock (also prob a camp invite)
Lauer
Loup
barnes
hendriks and woodruff too depending on price (they would each be more than $5m).
think you're giving player development WAY too much credit here. Where would the system rank if not for deadline deals for Gilbert/Clifford/Rodriguez/Vargas/Hernandez? Easily bottom 10 in the league.
?? where did i give player development any credit?
I literally wrote an entire post last deadline about the $ value gained (same methodology used by Kiley) because of the trades they made.
think you're giving player development WAY too much credit here. Where would the system rank if not for deadline deals for Gilbert/Clifford/Rodriguez/Vargas/Hernandez? Easily bottom 10 in the league.
?? where did i give player development any credit?
I literally wrote an entire post last deadline about the $ value gained (same methodology used by Kiley) because of the trades they made.
i specifically said "they need to get player development back on track" so they don't squander the value they have in the system any more than they may already have. https://thecontractdispute.substack.com/p/trade-deadline-2023-that-escalated - ( New Window )
Eric,
My apologies. I misread what you were trying to say here. It was quietly ignored that the Mets system was in pretty dire straits. Yeah, they did graduate Alvarez/Baty but the non-2023 draft picks/trade additions top prospects was pretty mediocre
Williams
Mauricio
Scott
Tidwell
Parada
Hamel
A. Ramirez
Reimer
Baez
Butto
last year at the deadline - which i calculated as somewhere between 80m-150m (so basically half of their system).
i used the prospect grades at the time from a combination of pubs but the methodology is the same as kiley's (except for the fact that he uses his own grades vs. a blended average).
I'm assuming this is a reset for tax purposes until the kids come up/come back next year, including Mauricio, the SPs at Syracuse, Acuna, and Gilbert (not including Clifford or Jett yet since 2026 looks more likely as an ETA date for them than 2025 does).
Stearns said they are "never done" looking for pitching. They are more likely done with major league deals than not. I wouldn't expect a major signing of any kind.
Wet day dream:
They sign Stanek for the pen, Monty for this rotation, and Martinez for DH. Fiction can be fun, I know.
league pitchers who either missed all or most of 2023 due to injury or will miss time in 2024
Dylan Ross (TJ 2022, hasn't been heard from since, very odd)
Robert Dominguez (same. Formerly a top 10-15 prospect in the system)
Matt Allan
Joel Diaz
Raimon Gomez
John Valle
Chris Santiago
Connor Brandon
Zebullon Vermillion
Javier Atencio
Troy Miller
Wilmer Lugo
Daviel Hurtado (hasn't been seen in DSL camp, was supposed to be their "best" P signed last signing period out of Cuba)
Dylan Tebrake
Jace Beck
Eli Ankeney
and actually updating those amounts based on kiley's new top 100
Marceaux, Jarvis are likely closer to organizational filler than legitimate prospects but you need that depth too and you never know when a player like this might help. They spun Crow into 2 legitimate big leaguers (Taylor/Houser) which was a no-brainer move. System is 100% looking up right now. Player development has to take a step forward, hopefully Andy Green will end up being a strong hire.
"Big Game Offer, last chance! Purchase a single game ticket and receive a digital gift card in the amount of $34 to be used on food at merch at the game." Link - ( New Window )
is green noted for anything specific in player development?
if vargas and jrod are 45 grade that's another 12m or so combined.
so the midpoint of the range i came up with ended up pretty close to accurate.
how much did those three actually cost in cash in the trades?
I would do those trades over 100 times out of 100, but if the prospects pan out it would make it even better (captain obvious?) just curious if you knew how much salary the Mets had to retain to get back $102M of prospect value.
Not exactly dominant numbers but once Junior Santos moved to the bullpen he was pretty solid. 22.2 innings 22 hits 10 walks 18 k's 3.97 era. He's still only 22 years old. I would not count him out as a potential big leaguer for the Mets
hopefully Andy Green will end up being a strong hire.
i remember when they brought him the reception was generally positive and the resume is good?
this is a link to an interview he did at WM - didnt realize he'd also been a candidate for the manager job. Sr. VP of Player Development Andy Green talks David Stearns and learning the Mets' system | SNY - ( New Window )
He is not. On paper Green was a sort of odd hire. Well regarded baseball guy, considered very smart but as for his player development background... pretty vague.
RE: RE: and actually updating those amounts based on kiley's new top 100
if vargas and jrod are 45 grade that's another 12m or so combined.
so the midpoint of the range i came up with ended up pretty close to accurate.
how much did those three actually cost in cash in the trades?
I would do those trades over 100 times out of 100, but if the prospects pan out it would make it even better (captain obvious?) just curious if you knew how much salary the Mets had to retain to get back $102M of prospect value.
sort of in the chart above - the first column is how much the mets paid them (which includes the $ included in the trades).
then you need to remember those guys also produced value as mets, 1 fwar generally = 8-10m, so i included how much on-field value they produced as well.
so if you take the total amount they paid all those guys (around 218m)
subtract the value of the 15 fwar they got (*8m = 120m)
then there is about 100m worth of $ value they essentially converted into prospect value.
since most of it was in JV/MS a simpler way may be to add the ~40m they kicked in last year to the ~55m they are kicking in this year and there's your 102m worth of acuna/gilbert/clifford.
the more skillfull trades were j-rod and vargas because the $ was negligible and they got back legitimate prospects who could hit top 100 lists in the next year or 2 for pure rentals.
would not give any DH more than 1 year personally. No, I'm not talking about some odd situation like Ohtani or even if a guy like Schwarber became available but my general policy would be 1 year deals for DH's.
would not give any DH more than 1 year personally. No, I'm not talking about some odd situation like Ohtani or even if a guy like Schwarber became available but my general policy would be 1 year deals for DH's.
agree. especially mid-late 30's, injury issues, etc.
mean if I made every "DH only" or "basically can only DH" type bat available, how many of them would you want to commit 1 year to? Even a guy like Yordan Alvarez is a push fielder (-1 DRS). Can't be more than a handful and even then, how many will hit FA in their primes? DH isn't a spot to go years on, high AAV? Sure.
think you're giving player development WAY too much credit here. Where would the system rank if not for deadline deals for Gilbert/Clifford/Rodriguez/Vargas/Hernandez? Easily bottom 10 in the league.
If things were different, things would be different. They did make those deals. They get credit for making them. Now we have to see how they develop those prospects. Hoping they're better at coaching guys up than they have been.
The Mets system wasn't just very weak; it was starved for resources. Cohen & co. are addressing that but it's not going to be a quick fix. They have a lot of work to do, and not all of it will be apparent to fans soon, if ever. Fans don't necessarily see the infrastructure. They see the results.
The "Cohen tax" has also hurt their draft position and that makes the job harder.
think you're giving player development WAY too much credit here. Where would the system rank if not for deadline deals for Gilbert/Clifford/Rodriguez/Vargas/Hernandez? Easily bottom 10 in the league.
If things were different, things would be different. They did make those deals. They get credit for making them. Now we have to see how they develop those prospects. Hoping they're better at coaching guys up than they have been.
The Mets system wasn't just very weak; it was starved for resources. Cohen & co. are addressing that but it's not going to be a quick fix. They have a lot of work to do, and not all of it will be apparent to fans soon, if ever. Fans don't necessarily see the infrastructure. They see the results.
The "Cohen tax" has also hurt their draft position and that makes the job harder.
Huh? I was responding explicitly to "player development". What do the trades have to do with player development? Nothing.
can infer that an organizational weakness has indeed been... player development given the fact they hired Jared Banner in 2018, fired him in 2021, hired Kevin Howard in 2021, fired him after 2023.
not a ton notable about gamel except that he's a big line drive hitter
over career his exit velo is league average, walks a little more than typical (10%), k's a little more than typical (24%).
he seems to generally be good at hitting the sweet spot on the bat and not chasing. ok runner bad fielder. played most of last year in AAA for tampa/sd (hence 2022 statcast data). 4-A OF depth like trayce/stewart, not as much power upside as those guys but probably safer floor too.
can infer that an organizational weakness has indeed been... player development given the fact they hired Jared Banner in 2018, fired him in 2021, hired Kevin Howard in 2021, fired him after 2023.
100%. i dont remember who it was in the 2010-2018 time frame pre-BVW but it was a lot better. all the pitchers obviously but also nimmo, conforto, alonso, mcneil, turner, etc. flores spent a lot of time in the system even though he improved elsewhere (similarly TDA/JDD). i dont think they did anything particularly special in those years, they seemed to just promote guys once it seemed like they were mastering levels.
the biggest frustration of the cohen era is not having gotten that part right in 2021 or at least league average. i dont remember howard's backstory, but presumably that was where they made an error (along with the powers above him who didnt recognize/fix it earlier).
Anthony DiComo
@AnthonyDiComo
The Mets have signed outfielder Ben Gamel to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
gamel is whatever but much better to add extra OF this way than trading prospects for them like eppler and bvw.
If Gamel sees meaningful time with the Mets, things went very wrong. Trayce Thompson is more interesting in the filler OF department.
obviously but if 2 guys run into each other in the OF and they need a depth call up for 10 days it's possible thompson is hitting like .200 with a 40% k-rate even at AAA. no downside to having options.
Levin was the farm director for a number of years and then he was promoted to a more general baseball operations title (and now assistant GM) with Banner taking his place, and then Howard taking Banners place and now Andy Green.
in an emergency situation depth that you can DFA has value but he's a pretty bad player. If he's playing a lot for the big club, the Mets were likely crushed by injuries.
Vientos get the year getting a lot of time at DH. I'm a believer. I think his end of year splits when he was getting some regular run were fairly encouraging from an OPS perspective.
David Lennon
@DPLennon
Edwin Diaz, who threw a bullpen earlier today at the PSL complex, said he was ready to pitch for #Mets at end of last season but "the team wasn't playing good baseball and they backed it off." Feels totally confident and healthy for start of spring training.
It bears repeating... Alonso, Raley, Quintana, Narvaez, D. Smith, Fujinami, Severino, Bader, Houser, Lopez, Lucchesi, Wendle, Ottavino are all FA's after 2024. Manaea (PO), Diekman (VO) + a few clear non-tender candidates. Roster turnover could be substantial #Mets
Tim Healey
@timbhealey
David Stearns said the Mets will have “some level of competition” at third base but they’re confident in Brett Baty. He also mentioned Mark Vientos, Joey Wendle and Zack Short.
Jon Morosi
@jonmorosi
Free agent RHP Jake Odorizzi, an All-Star starter in 2019, is throwing without restrictions and looking to sign a major league deal in the coming weeks.
Odorizzi, 33, has pitched off the mound this offseason in front of evaluators from 10 to 12 teams. .
It bears repeating... Alonso, Raley, Quintana, Narvaez, D. Smith, Fujinami, Severino, Bader, Houser, Lopez, Lucchesi, Wendle, Ottavino are all FA's after 2024. Manaea (PO), Diekman (VO) + a few clear non-tender candidates. Roster turnover could be substantial #Mets
mets 2025 pitching staff under contract
senga
diaz
(end of list)
this is still my biggest gripe of the offseason. maybe like alonso they figure they can afford to bring back whoever they want but if they end up needing to fill 11 slots, that seems like a lot for 1 offseason.
JJ Cooper
@jjcoop36
This year is the first year of a 175-player offseason and a 165-player inseason limit for domestic MiLB rosters. According to multiple agents and front office officials it's having an effect on veterans landing MiLB deals with non-roster invites.
also said the bullpen is all but set except the final 2 spots. Fujinami has an option but gotta figure he has a major leg up on one of the final 2 if not a lock.
also said the bullpen is all but set except the final 2 spots. Fujinami has an option but gotta figure he has a major leg up on one of the final 2 if not a lock.
To be clear, he didn't mention Fujinami's option, I'm adding that.
Diaz, Ottavino, Raley, Diekman, Smith, Lopez, Fujimani have guaranteed contracts, so it's really 1 spot unless Fujinami is terrible in ST and they send him down. Obviously, injuries happen but that's clearly not what he's talking about in regard to "2 spots".
offer QO, set a value and make a contract offer, let him test the market see if someone wants to overpay, and if so, sayonara, if not, he's back on Mets terms (IMO at least that is what this means).
GENY Mets Report
@genymets
David Stearns said that the “most likely outcome” is that Pete Alonso will hit free agency after this season. #LGM
argue it's the only approach that makes sense. If Alonso and Boras decide they want to chat, it's not as if Stearns/Cohen won't listen/engage. If Alonso thinks he's going to set the market for 1b, find that kind of offer via FA, not as if Cohen is unable to match/surpass the top offer.
for both sides at this point. At least to test the market - and this assumes the Mets even offer a LT contract.
I can see a scenario where the Mets offer the QO and don't even try and match. I would expect to see Vientos with a 1B glove in spring training quite a bit.
can infer that an organizational weakness has indeed been... player development given the fact they hired Jared Banner in 2018, fired him in 2021, hired Kevin Howard in 2021, fired him after 2023.
Downhill since Bernazard was hulking up and ripping his shirt off to fight prospects. Need that dog eat dog attitude back!
how they are very, very publicly daring Boras to take Alonso to FA.
This is the one time as a Mets fan I agree completely with not extending a home grown All Star. He stunk last year. If he can't turn it around in a contract year, then there is no way he would probably ever regain his stud offensive abilities as a Met again. Does that mean he couldn't thrive on a west coast team, no... but as a Met he needs to show he has that NYC magic again.
stunk in comparison to the contract of a mega star
A ton of variable this year. That said, maybe we strike gold on a few players.
it's an interesting thing to consider. even though there are more players in common with 2022/2023, going back 5 years I think this roster is most comparable to the 2021 team (OD roster quoted below). the top 3 SP on that team were supposed to be JDG/Stroman/Carrasco. Thor hopefully back midseason from TJS. Senga obviously not JDG but this year's rotation has a similar dynamic. 1 ace and then a bunch of mid-rotation types behind. Quintana, Severino, Manaea not so meaningfully different than Stroman, Carrasco, Walker.
Quote:
Pitchers (13): RHP Jacob Barnes, RHP Dellin Betances, RHP Miguel Castro, RHP Jacob deGrom, RHP Edwin Díaz, RHP Jeurys Familia, RHP Robert Gsellman, LHP Aaron Loup, LHP Joey Lucchesi, RHP Trevor May, LHP David Peterson, RHP Marcus Stroman, RHP Taijuan Walker
Catchers (2): James McCann, Tomás Nido
Infielders (6): Pete Alonso, J.D. Davis, Luis Guillorme, Francisco Lindor, Jeff McNeil, Jonathan Villar
Outfielders (5): Albert Almora, Jr., Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo, Dominic Smith, Kevin Pillar
with the benefit of hindsight i think id argue the reason that team most failed was because player development failed. specifically conforto, mcneil, dom, jdd all regressed even though lindor/alonso/nimmo were their usual selves. zack scott and chili had their blow out early in the year.
that team also had a first time manager, which ended up not working out with a veteran team. just all around a promising season spent mostly in first place lost to chaos/injuries.
stearns' ability to make moves that have an impact on the margins is what this year will sink (5-10 games under) or swim on (5-10 games over). defense, bullpen, depth, development of the talent already here.
going into 2021 we were probably rightfully more excited because it was cohen year 1 and he spent more than the wilpons right away, got lindor, etc. i think the roster quality is similar though and even some aspects of the roster construction. https://www.fangraphs.com/teams/mets/stats?season=2021 - ( New Window )
think you're giving player development WAY too much credit here. Where would the system rank if not for deadline deals for Gilbert/Clifford/Rodriguez/Vargas/Hernandez? Easily bottom 10 in the league.
If things were different, things would be different. They did make those deals. They get credit for making them. Now we have to see how they develop those prospects. Hoping they're better at coaching guys up than they have been.
The Mets system wasn't just very weak; it was starved for resources. Cohen & co. are addressing that but it's not going to be a quick fix. They have a lot of work to do, and not all of it will be apparent to fans soon, if ever. Fans don't necessarily see the infrastructure. They see the results.
The "Cohen tax" has also hurt their draft position and that makes the job harder.
Huh? I was responding explicitly to "player development". What do the trades have to do with player development? Nothing.
Fair.
I guess there's a difference between player acquisition and "player development." Doesn't player development specifically refer to something separate from player acqusition? The Mets have meh at both for a long time, though they managed to develop some pretty nice players: Alonso, Nimmo, Smith (for a while), Conforto (for a while), Alvarez, the "baby Mets."
They've acquired a decent pipeline. Now they have to develop them. I agree that the development of those prospects so far isn't to the Mets' credit. But if Luisangel Acuña becomes a HOFer, for example, the Mets are going to be due some credit for developing him from a nice prospect to an elite player. Yes?
Course they will deserve credit but by any measure the last 8-10 years have been really poor in terms of the Mets development of prospects. Thay doesnt mean 5 years from now we aren’t saying “wow, Stearns is really churning them out” but the past is the past and the recent past has been really poor for the Mets which is a major reason why their payroll is 1st in baseball and their talent clearly isn’t or why the bullpen is routinely horrible. Onward and upward.
Eric so you are saying that this is a 77 win team?
If so, I agree. That's about what it looks like. But again, that's mostly because there's so much variable, especially in the rotation. If we hit on Severino, Manaea, and Houser of course we could surprise. I just hate stacking too many "best case scenarios" in a row. It's usually a recipe for disaster.
I think the lineup is a bat short too (JDM would have been perfect) but it's not bad as is.
RE: Eric so you are saying that this is a 77 win team?
If so, I agree. That's about what it looks like. But again, that's mostly because there's so much variable, especially in the rotation. If we hit on Severino, Manaea, and Houser of course we could surprise. I just hate stacking too many "best case scenarios" in a row. It's usually a recipe for disaster.
I think the lineup is a bat short too (JDM would have been perfect) but it's not bad as is.
yes sort of bc i dont think there's much of a talent difference between any team from 75-85 wins. i dont know what dictates teams with good vibes vs bad vibes, but whatever it is is usually worth a bunch of close wins (or the inverse crushing losses).
the 2021 team went from the good vibes bench mob that was 8 games over to imploding even after getting their "1 more bat" who played at a 6-win pace for the last 2 months.
i think the expectations are low and they did some smart things (defense, bp, depth) so it wouldnt surprise me if they ended up overachieving instead of underachieving for once. also wouldnt surprise me if mendoza has some issues and within a month we are saying 'why did we fire buck again?'
im with u on jdm - he could be a delgado like piece in middle of lineup that makes everyone else better but i also understand not wanting to go 2 years for him since he looked cooked with the back issues in 2022. if he comes down to 1 year id be all over it.
RE: Eric so you are saying that this is a 77 win team?
If so, I agree. That's about what it looks like. But again, that's mostly because there's so much variable, especially in the rotation. If we hit on Severino, Manaea, and Houser of course we could surprise. I just hate stacking too many "best case scenarios" in a row. It's usually a recipe for disaster.
I think the lineup is a bat short too (JDM would have been perfect) but it's not bad as is.
Welcome home Z, great to see you ch8ming in. Hope you’ve been well, and look forward to seeing you around here again.
finally got around to it, not to put too fine a point on it but intelligence wise he seems on another planet from eppler/scott/porter.
a few notable things (not exact quotes but close enough):
"when you have players who have pretty consistently performed at AAA eventually you have to give them a chance. i fully understand that it may not go perfectly but the organization will be better for it" (amen)
do u have a set budget?
"i dont think steve operates with a hard line"
would you consider signing a veteran if the prices come down?
"sure that's not out of the question"
called out zack short's defense at 3b "played at a very high level in the past" (mention this bc im still surprised he's stuck on the 40 man all offseason)
At times be over the top (for me really only when defending wilpons who I loathed), I am not ready for a world where Z is a pessimist. Z we need you to go to spring training, watch Baty and Vientos have big games and come back here and believe that we are about to see the beginning of our own murderers row. We need someone to argue that marte turns back the clock and severino is a cy young candidate. It’s February hope springs eternal.
Short career negative 1.3 fWAR which includes -3 DRS and -2 OAA at 3B. He’s soon to be 29 years old with a career 58 wRC+ over 179 games. If he sees significant time at 3B for the Mets they are in major, major trouble. This sounds like an artificial attempt to give Baty some “competition”.
Assuming some combo of Nimmo, Lindor, McNeil, Marte (if healthy) are 1-3 and Alonso is 4, who hits 5?
Pete may not see many fastballs.
He puts a lot of pressure on himself, with no protection behind him, well....not good, but if he wants the big $, maybe he just needs to figure it out...
Assuming some combo of Nimmo, Lindor, McNeil, Marte (if healthy) are 1-3 and Alonso is 4, who hits 5?
Pete may not see many fastballs.
He puts a lot of pressure on himself, with no protection behind him, well....not good, but if he wants the big $, maybe he just needs to figure it out...
Alvarez will get some MVP votes, and next year we will ask who hits behind him?
it is so bizarre to see these guys sit all winter then end up getting basically what was projected all along (in soler's case actually a little more- his median was 3x38m).
Short career negative 1.3 fWAR which includes -3 DRS and -2 OAA at 3B. He’s soon to be 29 years old with a career 58 wRC+ over 179 games. If he sees significant time at 3B for the Mets they are in major, major trouble. This sounds like an artificial attempt to give Baty some “competition”.
he noted that there basically is no competition for 3b ("we believe in brett" or something like that), think he was talking about short in the context of final bench spot up for grabs.
short is just an odd one in that i think some of their other claims seemed more interesting than him. he hasnt even hit at AAA when he's been there the last several years. Castillo seemed like a more interesting claim. Hummel too.
Assuming some combo of Nimmo, Lindor, McNeil, Marte (if healthy) are 1-3 and Alonso is 4, who hits 5?
Pete may not see many fastballs.
He puts a lot of pressure on himself, with no protection behind him, well....not good, but if he wants the big $, maybe he just needs to figure it out...
if i were them id actually consider hitting alonso higher this year. his best year as a rookie he mostly hit 2nd. not sure id have the courage to do that, but maybe hit him 3rd with lindor 2nd.
though i also dont hate 1 nimmo - 2 lindor - 3 mcneil because that should get lindor some extra righty at bats or nimmo/mcneil extra righty at bats. then alonso 4.
vogelbach hit 5th for like 100 games in the last 1.5 years, somehow i imagine they will be able to do better than that with someone whether it's marte, alvarez, vientos, baty or mcneil if he's not hitting top 3.
Short career negative 1.3 fWAR which includes -3 DRS and -2 OAA at 3B. He’s soon to be 29 years old with a career 58 wRC+ over 179 games. If he sees significant time at 3B for the Mets they are in major, major trouble. This sounds like an artificial attempt to give Baty some “competition”.
he noted that there basically is no competition for 3b ("we believe in brett" or something like that), think he was talking about short in the context of final bench spot up for grabs.
short is just an odd one in that i think some of their other claims seemed more interesting than him. he hasnt even hit at AAA when he's been there the last several years. Castillo seemed like a more interesting claim. Hummel too.
I don't see how they can carry Wendle AND Short (with Narvaez being on the bench as well) unless they want the worst bench in baseball offensively.
really good article by britt ghiroli on early impact of young players
Young players are reshaping the game. Last year, rookie hitters amassed a 68.6 WAR, the second-most ever, according to FanGraphs (behind 2015’s 75.1). Along with rookie pitchers’ 46.3 WAR, the combined impact on the sport is 114.9 WAR, which also trails only 2015 (a class led by Kris Bryant and Carlos Correa) as the best of all time. There has been no recent change in the average age of hitters (27.8), and only a six-month dip for pitchers (from 28.5 to 28 years old), but first-year players are increasingly making their presence felt.
note here on this chart 2022 where the mets chose vogelbach/naquin/ruf over their young hitters in AAA? that's literally what it looks like to be behind the curve (and why Stearns' approach is something that was needed).
some quotes from 2 of our almost-gm's:
Quote:
Current Pirates general manager Ben Cherington was the Boston Red Sox farm director from 2002-05 . Back then, “we weren’t thinking about skill development in the major leagues,” Cherington said. “Now there’s so much more awareness of what’s possible for a player to keep getting better — of course you have to continue (developing up here). If the industry decided we are going to do all that in the minor leagues, players would be in the minor leagues a lot longer.”
When the Pirates were weighing whether infielder Ke’Bryan Hayes would make their Opening Day roster, Cherington said part of the discussion around Hayes — who debuted as a 23-year-old during 2020’s shortened season — was that he needed to be in the big leagues to accelerate his growth. Some members of the Pirates front office believed Hayes could get better quicker if he saw big-league pitching, not Triple A, every day.
“There’s significant upside to having guys who you can plug in and then they take the next step up here and get to be All-stars sooner in their career,” said Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes. “We talk about this a lot: you can get really close in player development in Triple A, but I’m not sure you can put the ball in the end zone.”
I don't see how they can carry Wendle AND Short (with Narvaez being on the bench as well) unless they want the worst bench in baseball offensively.
i agree. if i could add longoria (or JDM), short is the obvious dfa i think. sanchez/iglesias are both at AAA and seem like easy emergency options if they need a backup IF who cant hit.
Nimmo
McNeil
Lindor
Alonso
Alvarez
Marte
Vientos
Baty
Bader
Marte could easily move down. Vientos, Baty if hot could hit 5th. Just go with the hot hand to hit behind him. As noted above, Vogelbach "protected" him last year. Can't get much worse. Heck, at times last year, Stewart was hot and was the best Alonso protection.
The development of younger kids in the US the past decade is incredible. Kids are living. breathing the game more than ever. have access to more/better training at 12 than colleges used to offer.
But, it is starting to shift to really bad habits with the next wave. Everyone is chasing Velo and EV. No one is teaching the fundamentals anymore, they are all chasing the PG measurements now. A one time max number is all that matters anymore.
In a sense, it will make old school scouting important again. And drafting a good player out of HS and into your system ASAP - before they chase their max metrics.
In Cohen’s first three years the Mets made a lot of well-intentioned decisions that seemed wise (or at least they did at the time). However, the all-time financial whiz wanted to win so badly he dug a financial hole that is unprecedented, and by some estimates reached a $200M loss in 2023. (Cohen has only admitted in past interviews the loss was “bigger than a bread box.”) Nobody can accept losing that much money, no matter how filthy rich. I can’t blame him a bit for this one-year pullback.
read on sinkers which features one of the Mets newest pitchers (Michael Tonkin) Link - ( New Window )
i mostly havent invested the time in understanding pitch characteristics and trends, but it seems to me at a macro level these things are just cyclical like anything else.
pitch A becomes fashionable because hitters haven't seen much of it, and it counters some adjustment they've made and it's effective for 1-2 seasons. or some time interval where the majority of the league has been able to adjust so it flips from being an above average effective pitch to below average.
pitch B then becomes a counter adjustment to whatever adjustment hitters have made. same cycle repeats.
obviously there's a top 10-20% on both sides who are good enough with their velocity or command that the cycles dont matter too much.
for the more median talents however being adaptable enough to stay on top of the cycles is probably the difference between multi-year contracts and year to year deals.
i think this is probably a big part of determining between which pitchers are worth going long term with and which arent.
FCL season will begin a month earlier than last season (and duh, end a month sooner) 5/4-7/25 this year
I don't like this. Less or no time for same year draftees.
Yup. This closes the door on 99% of HS players playing during their draft year. we are likely to see less 2024 draftees participate in games in general
FCL season will begin a month earlier than last season (and duh, end a month sooner) 5/4-7/25 this year
I don't like this. Less or no time for same year draftees.
Yup. This closes the door on 99% of HS players playing during their draft year. we are likely to see less 2024 draftees participate in games in general
You'd think for development purposes you'd want as much camp time as possible and then games. With this after the games they just go back into camp if not promoted? Seems odd to have 2 months of camp time after games. Was a reasoning given?
-The weather in Arizona
- the lack of viable P to get through an entire season, the new setup will mean DSL pitchers from the previous year will fill up the rosters and presumably be able to shoulder innings vs. HS kids just drafted
". With tighter rosters, having a group of pitchers who count to the 165-player roster limits who weren’t getting into games would potentially cause problems."
In Cohen’s first three years the Mets made a lot of well-intentioned decisions that seemed wise (or at least they did at the time). However, the all-time financial whiz wanted to win so badly he dug a financial hole that is unprecedented, and by some estimates reached a $200M loss in 2023. (Cohen has only admitted in past interviews the loss was “bigger than a bread box.”) Nobody can accept losing that much money, no matter how filthy rich. I can’t blame him a bit for this one-year pullback.
if you add up the cash payroll ($330m) and the taxes (105m) they paid out (435m) more than 100m more than the next closest team which was nyy (278m+31m tax = 309m) even if you discount what they got paid back for Diaz bc of his injury.
their attendance was actually pretty comparable to 2022 but im sure there was a significant cash loss. in march last year forbes had their revenue at 374m and operating income at -138m, so not too hard to see how they could have ended up -200m having spent more. though how much of that was a cash loss to cohen personally is a little murkier than that especially since he has so many other projects tied in with mets. https://www.forbes.com/teams/new-york-mets/?sh=796af9d32154 - ( New Window )
Jeffrey Paternostro
@jeffpaternostro
Going to be a a lot of overmatched prep and IFA guys in A-ball now I suspect.
Jeffrey Paternostro
@jeffpaternostro
This is also gonna create a situation where you just have to start cutting guys as you sign draftees to stay under the 165 in-season limit.
FCL season will begin a month earlier than last season (and duh, end a month sooner) 5/4-7/25 this year
I don't like this. Less or no time for same year draftees.
Yup. This closes the door on 99% of HS players playing during their draft year. we are likely to see less 2024 draftees participate in games in general
is that part intentional? i feel like when HS debut we are usually discounting that first year as almost meaningless anyway.
not particularly. It's more about the smaller rosters allowed starting this season and the lack of available arms to cover the season. They weren't looking to avoid playing time for the 2024 draftees but this will be a byproduct. Instead, intrasquad games, drills etc.
Off the top of my head last year the following 2023 draftees spend time in the FCL. Maybe a few more I'd have to look.
Houck
McLean
Morris
Ewing
Troesser
Baro
Pregent
Time? Or significant time? I’m open to,learning all about how this works.
Some more than others depending on when they signed and got into it. This year there will be none of it so really depends on how the organization thought about getting them game time the same year. I would think it helps so they see what they need to work on in the off-season.
you will likely see if HS players who really impress in the complex, get a little taste in the FSL, but that won't be the norm by any stretch. We will also see more players cut by organizations that go on to success with other teams.
Some more than others depending on when they signed and got into it. This year there will be none of it so really depends on how the organization thought about getting them game time the same year. I would think it helps so they see what they need to work on in the off-season.
We’ll color me impressed.
I thought Dan was the biggest draft and lower level minor league guru around here. But to whip out the draft class like that. Off the top of your head. Mind blowing. 🤯
you will likely see if HS players who really impress in the complex, get a little taste in the FSL, but that won't be the norm by any stretch. We will also see more players cut by organizations that go on to success with other teams.
Let’s see who the shrewd GMs are who can pick off 3/1s and added throw ins to trades from the deeper farms this summer.
interview with Dan Kantrovitz who the Mets tried prying away from the Cubs this off-season Link - ( New Window )
this was interesting:
Quote:
Laurila: That’s a good segue to one more thing I want to ask you about. Having held top scouting roles with three different organizations over the past two decades, you’ve seen firsthand how the job has evolved. What most stands out in that regard?
Kantrovitz: “Over time, I think we’ve seen the role of a scouting director evolve quite a bit in terms of just needing to understand how to take scouting evaluations to a financial valuation. Managing the department, optimizing scouting coverage, developing and retaining good scouts… all those things are as important as ever. But since executing the draft is still arguably the most impactful part of the job, I think it is more important than ever to have a knowledge base in player valuation. I mean, I’ve found that most of the scouting disagreements — in terms of where a player is on the board — stem from the valuation component and its corresponding adjustments more so than the actual scouting evaluations. So, not just interpreting what the scouts are saying but also understanding how to take the model output and make a decision.”
kind of crazy how big of a leap has occurred in just the last 5 years from public places like fangraphs/savant. it feels like just yesterday we were all arguing over things like cuddyer and flores and ra dickey trades, and i feel like in doing so i was so much less knowledgeable than today.
Some more than others depending on when they signed and got into it. This year there will be none of it so really depends on how the organization thought about getting them game time the same year. I would think it helps so they see what they need to work on in the off-season.
We’ll color me impressed.
I thought Dan was the biggest draft and lower level minor league guru around here. But to whip out the draft class like that. Off the top of your head. Mind blowing. 🤯
Dan is the ultimate guru. I will pretty much always defer to him.
A few of the college guys I can see going straight to FSL. Will be a shame we won't get to see HS same year debuts unless they are really special.
byproduct is going to be that indy leagues are likely to land younger, and "better" talent so teams (likely) are going to ramp up scouting in those areas. The Ducks and Ferryhawks tend to load up (Ferryhawks this will only be year 2) on recognizable names (and I'm sure they still will) but we may well see some younger, more recently drafted/signed players land there.
great article. these high velocity stats are obviously SSS but interesting given that he also had the highest bat speed on the team last year (cant find it on savant anymore but i have it exported). he clearly has raw power talent that can play in games, just a question of whether or not he can acclimate it consistently enough.
.179 iso in the 184 2nd half PAs last year is above average so while there's holes the power is showing up already more than people realize. needing to make more soft contact seems like an easier ask than vice versa.
Assuming some combo of Nimmo, Lindor, McNeil, Marte (if healthy) are 1-3 and Alonso is 4, who hits 5?
Pete may not see many fastballs.
He puts a lot of pressure on himself, with no protection behind him, well....not good, but if he wants the big $, maybe he just needs to figure it out...
Whoever it is, he (they) can’t be any worse than last year. Mets wee dead last in MLB in OPS from the 5-hole. That has to get better. It’s amazing Pete hit as well as he did.
this were the 2023 team I'd be yelling and screaming for JDM or Soler or even Matt Chapman. It's not. It's time to give the kids a look (I'm still in favor of a Belt or Longoria type depth add).
@BaseballAmerica's "next 10" @mets prospects
Joel Diaz, Saul Garcia, Layonel Ovalles, Daiverson Gutierrez, Justin Jarvis, Nick Morabito, Christopher Larez, Jordany Ventura, Felipe De La Cruz and William Lugo
this were the 2023 team I'd be yelling and screaming for JDM or Soler or even Matt Chapman. It's not. It's time to give the kids a look (I'm still in favor of a Belt or Longoria type depth add).
True Dat. the trade deadline (on July 30th this season) will be interesting again this season. Would not be surprised to see Marte and Quintana dealt, perhaps even McNeil if things are out of whack--or even if they're not.
not to put you on the spot, but if peterson and mauricio are both IL moves (which I think stearns confirmed) and fujinami takes 1 spot, do we expect there's another not yet reported move for the other spot?
not to put you on the spot, but if peterson and mauricio are both IL moves (which I think stearns confirmed) and fujinami takes 1 spot, do we expect there's another not yet reported move for the other spot?
It’ll be busy league wide most likely.
But I kinda hope the FAs get the cold shoulder instead
And it’s more centered on foundations of trade talks instead.
Astros RHP Justin Verlander said he’s a couple of weeks behind and his timetable is TBA.
“When I first started playing catch I usually shut it down for a while and this time when I shut it down and picked a ball back up, my shoulder didn’t feel so great so I kind of had to take a step back,” he said.
Astros RHP Justin Verlander said he’s a couple of weeks behind and his timetable is TBA.
“When I first started playing catch I usually shut it down for a while and this time when I shut it down and picked a ball back up, my shoulder didn’t feel so great so I kind of had to take a step back,” he said.
Astros RHP Justin Verlander said he’s a couple of weeks behind and his timetable is TBA.
“When I first started playing catch I usually shut it down for a while and this time when I shut it down and picked a ball back up, my shoulder didn’t feel so great so I kind of had to take a step back,” he said.
If that happens, that would be the first bit of luck this franchise has had since winning the Ordonez lottery lol
but some names still on trade market. Red Sox Remain Open To Offers On Jansen, Martin, Schreiber - ( New Window )
Don't see much of a fit. Martin is a pending FA who will soon be 38 years old, the article notes Boston isn't looking to include money with Jansen and if they did include significant money, that would just mean the Mets would be giving up a "good" piece/pieces for a pending FA 36 year old and Schrieber is of a similar quality of what they currently have in-house. 4.52 FIP in 2023. If Boston wanted to give him away at a "give away" price, sure, but why would they? He's making 1.2 million and signed through 2026.
have to think houston feels somewhat incentivized to save the $
not popping bottles on that option just yet. Verlander didn't make his first start until 5/4 (missed the first 31 games) and still cleared 140 by 22 innings.
and Miami have discussed Edward Cabrera per Jason Mackey
not sure how we could get him but id love to add someone with upside like cabrera. wouldnt do baty or mauricio, probably wouldnt do vientos unless they signed jdm. parada or ramirez or both probably not enough but id do it. maybe vasil plus parada enough?
Unrelated to right now @mets but I was unaware the 60 day IL can only be used if your 40 man is at 40, or the corresponding move would put said team over 40
We'd have two old aces. One already slated to miss a ton of time, another questionable.
And we'd have a really low ranked system with no help on the way in the near future.
Imagine the pressure on Baty/Vientos/Alvarez in that situation?
Those that think 24 looks bleak already - the alternative could have been soooo much worse today & tomorrow.
in that scenario though I feel like the Mets would have gone out and added Snell and/or Montgomery and maybe a bat plus.
that could have been pouring gas on a fire and made things worse (to your point), but in your scenario they've kind of committed to "going for it" in 2024 so I think it's what they would have kind of had to do - IOW - they would not have had this off-season IMO if they still had Scherzer and Verlander - they would have added.
RE: Can you imagine if Cohen didn't sell at the deadline?
We'd have two old aces. One already slated to miss a ton of time, another questionable.
And we'd have a really low ranked system with no help on the way in the near future.
Imagine the pressure on Baty/Vientos/Alvarez in that situation?
Those that think 24 looks bleak already - the alternative could have been soooo much worse today & tomorrow.
in the hypothetical with JV + Verlander I'd imagine they would be here instead of Manaea and Severino, which would only be a net increase of about $5m or so on the payroll.
I don't think they'd have signed a different big time SP but I imagine they would have aggressively signed a 1-2 year DH like JDM.
Maybe that makes Vientos expendable for someone like Cabrera. I think they still would have done that Houser trade.
So in terms of differences, I think we'd be looking at a rotation something like:
JV - Senga - Scherzer - Quintana - Houser w/ Megill/Cabrera/Lucchesi as your first half fill ins while Peterson/Scherzer recover.
More starpower if/when healthy, certainly if healthy for a 7 game series, but zips ironically projects both scenarios similarly.
so reality ended up cheaper, plus Gilbert/Acuna/Clifford.
that's why for all the "lolmets biggest payroll flop ever", those signings were still a big success. scherzer was a big part of 2022, there was a chance 2023 could have gone much better than it did, and if that happened 2024 would have set up decently as well.
2023 obviously went off rails but their pivot converted the value into prospects so it may have ended up their best case scenario for long term sustainability.
estimated values aren't totally far off and id imagine if there was even a decent hitter avail for cabrera (like vientos) the marlins would have done that trade a while ago since they have been shopping him/pitching for hitting seemingly forever with cabera easily the most likely of their arms they'd be willing to give up.
in some ways he's kind of like their version of megill or peterson, and i wouldnt expect mets to get much for either of them. zips actually has his projection lowest of the 3 this year. though he's the youngest and with the most years of control left i think (so i agree with the trade simulator in this case that he is worth more than them, just seems like MLB doesn't totally agree)
I think you misread what I posted. He’s claiming *one* of the 3 would be the headliner. Not that they would get all 3.
no i understood i posted all 3 just to show their 3 values (vs having do 3 separate visuals).
i think functionally prospect value estimates between 10-20 are similar and variable in the eye of the beholder. as an example since we are all familiar with mets system here are their prospect values in that range, i think different people would value these guys in all sorts of different orders (including all of us):
and alonso's 1 remaining year is valued at 11m worth of surplus, so by that methodology he's got less value left in his 1 year than what remains for all those guys (which i actually think is probably right bc i think alonso as a rental probably brings back less than scherzer or jv did with 1.5 years).
but with prospects/young players beauty is in the eye of the beholder so who knows.
Is the 4th OF for the Pirates for 2024, posted a 66 wRC+ in 2023, negative 0.2 fWAR. He would be a laughable headliner for multiple years of Cabrera. ZIPS projects an 80 wRC+ , 0 fWAR.
a lot like megill he has never shown he can handle innings. 90 in 2021, 100 in 2022, 130 in 2023. megill almost the same in all those years. they have the same career fips (cabera a lower era though and +1mph but also 2 more walks per 9 at 5.37).
i like the idea of trading for someone else's megill especially since he's 3 years younger and higher upside. in cabrera's case since he's likely been shopped for a while with no takers id imagine whatever return he brings looks underwhelming.
a lot like megill he has never shown he can handle innings. 90 in 2021, 100 in 2022, 130 in 2023. megill almost the same in all those years. they have the same career fips (cabera a lower era though and +1mph but also 2 more walks per 9 at 5.37).
i like the idea of trading for someone else's megill especially since he's 3 years younger and higher upside. in cabrera's case since he's likely been shopped for a while with no takers id imagine whatever return he brings looks underwhelming.
Peterson or Megill with extra years of control (which Cabrera has) at 26 for the entire 2024 season (which Cabrera will be) for a package headlined by a player whose absolute best case is a solid 4th OF who has 30 power and 70 speed would be absolutely awful and Stearns would be ripped to shreds a for it.
wonder if that would mean if Sixto Sanchez could be available as well.
Sixto is probably done. Low 80’s during his one appearance last season and legitimately 30+ pounds overweight. It was sad to watch and then he was shut down
Matt Gelb
@MattGelb
Zack Wheeler and the Phillies have started negotiations on a potential contract extension, Wheeler said. It's early in the process. Can it happen before spring ends? "Hopefully it does," Wheeler said. "I love it here. We're happy here."
Anthony DiComo
@AnthonyDiComo
In his second spring training as an MLB pitcher, Kodai Senga says he's working on something new, but "it's still a work in progress."
"So maybe we'll find out soon," Senga said through an interpreter.
Jeff Passan
@JeffPassan
Reliever Liam Hendriks has multiple offers and has set a deadline of Thursday to sign with a team, sources tell ESPN. If Hendriks doesn't sign now, he would keep rehabbing from Tommy John surgery on his own and throw for teams in late July before signing for the stretch run.
"With incentives, Kershaw can make up to $12 million total in 2024, and another $25 million in 2025. Kershaw can earn these incentives in 2024 by making a start or relief appearance for at least three innings. If Kershaw does this six times, he will earn $1 million. If he makes this start/appearance seven, eight or nine times, he’ll earn $1.5 million in incentive. He’ll make $2 million for 10 such starts/appearances.
Each of these incentive figures will double if Kershaw is healthy and takes the player option in 2025, which would give him $2 million for six starts or relief appearances, $3 million for seven, eight or nine appearances, and $4 million for 10 such appearances, via the Associated Press."
"With incentives, Kershaw can make up to $12 million total in 2024, and another $25 million in 2025. Kershaw can earn these incentives in 2024 by making a start or relief appearance for at least three innings. If Kershaw does this six times, he will earn $1 million. If he makes this start/appearance seven, eight or nine times, he’ll earn $1.5 million in incentive. He’ll make $2 million for 10 such starts/appearances.
Each of these incentive figures will double if Kershaw is healthy and takes the player option in 2025, which would give him $2 million for six starts or relief appearances, $3 million for seven, eight or nine appearances, and $4 million for 10 such appearances, via the Associated Press."
when push comes to shove very few take less than whatever the market rate would be.
Jeff Passan
@JeffPassan
Reliever Liam Hendriks has multiple offers and has set a deadline of Thursday to sign with a team, sources tell ESPN. If Hendriks doesn't sign now, he would keep rehabbing from Tommy John surgery on his own and throw for teams in late July before signing for the stretch run.
hopefully the seat being kept warm for the peterson 40 man slot if he goes on IL, though i guess hendriks would end up on the IL himself pretty quickly too.
the median projection on hendriks is 2 years @ 5.5m per, 11m total. would really like that type of gamble.
The Yankees have acquired left-hander Clayton Andrews from the Brewers in exchange for minor league righty Joshua Quezada, the teams announced Wednesday. New York transferred righty Scott Effross, who’s recovering from December back surgery (that was just announced today), to the 60-day injured list. Milwaukee designated Andrews for assignment last week.
should probably point out that despite liking that type of gamble
they usually dont work out. greg holland sort of did in colorado even though he never got back to what he was prior. different injury but betances was a total bust. probably campaigned for some others im forgetting over the years. but for 5-6m per year, id roll the dice.
The Yankees have acquired left-hander Clayton Andrews from the Brewers in exchange for minor league righty Joshua Quezada, the teams announced Wednesday. New York transferred righty Scott Effross, who’s recovering from December back surgery (that was just announced today), to the 60-day injured list. Milwaukee designated Andrews for assignment last week.
very easily could have been the type of trade shecky was referencing, also the countermove for peterson to IL.
That bump figures to keep Peterson sidelined until at least May, knocking him out of a Grapefruit League season that otherwise would have seen him compete against Tylor Megill, Joey Lucchesi, José Butto and Max Kranick for positioning on the Mets’ rotation depth chart. Peterson remains a significant part of New York’s plans, but it could be close to midseason by the time he’s ready to contribute in a meaningful way.
For now, Peterson isn’t putting a timeline on his own progress. In Port St. Lucie, he’s been working out and playing catch off flat ground, without immediate plans to graduate to mound work.
That bump figures to keep Peterson sidelined until at least May, knocking him out of a Grapefruit League season that otherwise would have seen him compete against Tylor Megill, Joey Lucchesi, José Butto and Max Kranick for positioning on the Mets’ rotation depth chart. Peterson remains a significant part of New York’s plans, but it could be close to midseason by the time he’s ready to contribute in a meaningful way.
For now, Peterson isn’t putting a timeline on his own progress. In Port St. Lucie, he’s been working out and playing catch off flat ground, without immediate plans to graduate to mound work.
no reason not to play safe. hasnt gone over 140 innings as a pro.
hopefully megill/lucchesi/butto can fill in effectively as needed in march/april/may and then beyond that peterson + kids.
maybe get lucky if 1 of the AAA kids is an option in May.
still wouldnt hate signing someone like lauer if possible too but would think he'll get more of a role than competing for 6th man/bp somewhere else. maybe not though.
given how the offseason ended up unfolding seems like teams are learning from LAD/ATL.
Quote:
As the Boras Four linger on the free-agent market, it’s somewhat odd that two of the game’s biggest powers — the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves — currently feature only two Scott Boras clients combined on their projected Opening Day rosters.
The two, left-handed starter James Paxton and righty reliever Brusdar Graterol, both play for the Dodgers. Neither is a star. But before drawing sweeping conclusions, understand we’re looking at a snapshot in time. Neither the Dodgers nor Braves harbor antipathy toward Boras. Both pursued Boras players in the past, and surely will again in the future.
Both teams’ current lack of Boras clients, however, reflect in part their respective approaches to roster construction — approaches that do not always jibe with the way Boras does business.
The Dodgers, setting aside the rather large exceptions of Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, generally avoid massive commitments in free agency, seeking to be opportunistic at their preferred price. The Braves, meanwhile, generally strike quickly during the offseason, sign key contributors to extensions and refrain from granting opt-outs and no-trade clauses.
That bump figures to keep Peterson sidelined until at least May, knocking him out of a Grapefruit League season that otherwise would have seen him compete against Tylor Megill, Joey Lucchesi, José Butto and Max Kranick for positioning on the Mets’ rotation depth chart. Peterson remains a significant part of New York’s plans, but it could be close to midseason by the time he’s ready to contribute in a meaningful way.
For now, Peterson isn’t putting a timeline on his own progress. In Port St. Lucie, he’s been working out and playing catch off flat ground, without immediate plans to graduate to mound work.
no reason not to play safe. hasnt gone over 140 innings as a pro.
hopefully megill/lucchesi/butto can fill in effectively as needed in march/april/may and then beyond that peterson + kids.
maybe get lucky if 1 of the AAA kids is an option in May.
still wouldnt hate signing someone like lauer if possible too but would think he'll get more of a role than competing for 6th man/bp somewhere else. maybe not though.
with DP back 2nd half and assuming some AAA promotions, could pave the way for another big SP sell off at the deadline
(He’s less high on the system than others thus his #15 system ranking) Link - ( New Window )
he seems to be a lot lower on gilbert (100th overall) and clifford (8th behind parada) and also seems to not grade low levels as highly as others (vargas #14 and j-rod not mentioned).
he's also sometimes the last the swayed on players he likes (i.e. he is the high writer ive seen on parada and houck because i believe he liked both a lot in draft). i like law because his lists have become the least cookie cutter, but sometimes bc of that his ranks seem a little random. i would guess that he wasnt all that high on gilber his draft year and that's part of why he isnt higher on him now (which he may be right about).
The Astros got a small steal with Tennessee centerfielder Drew Gilbert (1) at pick 28. A former two-way prospect in high school, Gilbert is a plus defender in center with a 6 arm (on the 2-8 scouting scale), and he has good feel to hit with a gap-to-gap approach right now. He’s just 5-9, but I think can get to power in the near future, even though it’s more doubles than homers right now. He has a good chance to be a regular with ceiling beyond that.
Francisco Lindor shares what his goals are for this season:
"I want to win... Nobody was expecting the Diamondbacks, but I'm sure they were. Not too many people were expecting the Rangers either, but I'm sure they were... It's what you believe and what you think you can do."
The Astros got a small steal with Tennessee centerfielder Drew Gilbert (1) at pick 28. A former two-way prospect in high school, Gilbert is a plus defender in center with a 6 arm (on the 2-8 scouting scale), and he has good feel to hit with a gap-to-gap approach right now. He’s just 5-9, but I think can get to power in the near future, even though it’s more doubles than homers right now. He has a good chance to be a regular with ceiling beyond that.
from what remember of houck's write up last year he saw that as a bigger steal, which is why i presume he has them ranked really close together at 4/5 even though gilbert seems to be tapping into his potential at upper levels while scouts were down on houck. all the other services have at least 5 guys ranked in between them right?
Else had them particularly close and BP mentioned some of the concerns regarding Houck’s swing that Law did.
-he confirmed what both Shecky and I have said previously, Ramirez very poor reports off the field. Not coachable, aloof, if he doesn’t have a good season he’s going to be traded or DFA’ed.
So what we've found out in the last five minutes in summary is...
Bradish - right UCL sprain, open the season on IL
Means - month behind, might miss OD
Henderson - oblique aggravation, likely for OD
Basallo- stress fracture, won't catch till April
Mets great Lenny Dykstra suffered a stroke and has been hospitalized in Los Angeles, a source confirmed to The Post.
News of Dykstra’s health issues first popped up on social media after “Dolan’s Bar,” a Ridley Park, Pennsylvania business, posted on X that Dykstra had a “mini-stroke” and that the ex-MLBer’s family was around him.
“He is in good spirits, he’s doing decently and we just wanted to let him know our thoughts and prayers are with him,” owner Patrick “PJ” Dolan said in a video.
Rangers fans have been holding out hope for a reunion with left-hander Jordan Montgomery, but general manager Chris Young threw plenty of cold water on that possibility Wednesday, telling the team’s beat that any notable acquisitions are unlikely at this point (link via Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News).
“I don’t think there are any additions coming at this point,” Young candidly stated. While he maintained that the Rangers will “keep an open mind” on free agents (including Montgomery), he also noted that long-term uncertainty regarding the team’s television contract “is real” and has impacted spending this offseason — even on the heels of a World Series win.
and it's going to drive an even bigger wedge between the richer teams and the rest. There's going to be a ton of pressure with this when the next CBA comes up. The revenue sharing/competitive balance stuff is going to be a contentious intra-owner fight.
RE: Have a “keep 6 guys forever” high stakes fantasy league
with scoring skewed to SPs and Bradish was one guy in the mix as a keeper. Might have to rethink that now. Still have 4/5 weeks to decide.
Same for me (but 3 keepers) I had settled on Eury Perez as a 12th round keeper, but Bradish, who could have also been a 12th round keeper, ranks ahead of Perez in every projection, so I had been second guessing it.
and it's going to drive an even bigger wedge between the richer teams and the rest. There's going to be a ton of pressure with this when the next CBA comes up. The revenue sharing/competitive balance stuff is going to be a contentious intra-owner fight.
On the RSN discussion. The one they had is still owned by former owners and is paying an under market rate to the Mets. However all of that is expiring in what 28/29 I think so would they launch a new RSN or sign rights over to MLB despite likely making more on their own.
To grow the sport MLB desperately needs to be able to market TV and streaming rights like the NFL, but I cannot imagine Red Sox and Yankees ever sign up for that.
The starting pitchers of the Marlins have been popular in trade rumors and the Orioles showed the most interest in left-hander Jesús Luzardo, per a report from Barry Jackson and Craig Mish of the Miami Herald. It’s unclear exactly when the trade talks took place.
3rd highest source behind ticket sales at 31% and national tv $ at 26%.
so with 1/3 of the league down 20%+ of their revenue (some got stiffed last year too) and not having a lot of cost certainty going forward, that's probably the big chunk.
in 2022 the texas rangers revenue was reported at 366m. that was 70m of revenue they expected last year and didnt get in full without certainty about this year. they were probably one of the biggest markets impacted so other markets are probably less impacted but the total offseason $ counts multi-year deals whereas those losses are all present day cash flow right now.
Per @JonHeyman Billy Eppler’s “whistleblower” was indeed a team employee and not a player. It was previously reported a trainer voiced concern so one can probably guess that trainer alerted the league. Heyman also says Eppler acknowledged he broke the rules when confronted
Complete guess but the Mets had a new assistant trainer in 2022 who came over from Houston. He may well have seen things that didn’t go down in Houston and reported it.
The Mets are believed to have used as guideposts recent deals for star first basemen such as Freddie Freeman’s heavily deferred $162 million, six-year deal and Paul Goldschmidt’s $130 million, five-year deal, but Boras prefers much older deals, including two he negotiated — Mark Teixeira’s $180 million deal and Prince Fielder’s $214 million deal — as comps.
The Mets are believed to have used as guideposts recent deals for star first basemen such as Freddie Freeman’s heavily deferred $162 million, six-year deal and Paul Goldschmidt’s $130 million, five-year deal, but Boras prefers much older deals, including two he negotiated — Mark Teixeira’s $180 million deal and Prince Fielder’s $214 million deal — as comps.
where each side comes into a negotiation matters but a big part of either sides gamble is also however the market evolves.
last offseason the market looked great for pete. this offseason's market going so far backwards is a big negative for him.
as is stearns vs eppler probably. wouldnt shock me if eppler was willing to do a deal last year for more than stearns is right now just because of how different the environments are (and how much more disciplined stearns appears).
There’s no doubt that Alvarez has great power. He’s got plus raw power as evidenced by his 114.1 mph, and last year he tapped into that power to the tune of 25 homers. Looking at his minor-league numbers and the promise he showed as a prospect, the big questions are obvious. Can he cut the strikeout rate at all? Can he show more patience? Is there another level for the power?
The first couple of questions are probably more important than the last one since he hit more homers than any catcher not named Cal Raleigh. Adding a little more patience and contact could make him one of the best two or three offensive catchers in the game, even with his demonstrated power, rather than a guy who hits a lot of homers while batting .209 with a suboptimal on-base percentage.
Seen through the lens of swinging aggressively in the zone (just above league average) and not swinging at balls (just below average), he’s got a decent foundation. The next step is to lay off pitches he doesn’t do much with. With a cursory look at his FanGraphs heat maps, an old question from his scouting reports pops up. Does he have a bit of a hole up in the zone? Look at where he swings at fastballs (left) and where he does damage (right), and it seems like there might be something here.
The good news is Alvarez slugged 1.000 in September on pitches up and in and pitchers adjusted, instead trying to hit high and middle away and avoid his nitro zone in. That means Alvarez isn’t terrible across the entire top of the zone, and pitchers have been forced into a tougher strategy. Given his decent eye, this late-season adjustment by the 22-year-old catcher could be the key to getting to a positive answer for all three of the questions inspired by his decent debut.
here were the metrics that informed his methodology:
Quote:
Four metrics — zone minus outside zone swing rate, maximum exit velocity, barrel rate, and swinging strike rate — into the blender. That should help us understand these young players in terms of their plate discipline, raw and game power, and hit tool, to some extent.
since mets had 4 young hitters, here are those numbers comparing alvarez to baty/vientos/mauricio.
player / zone-chase% / swinging strike% / barrel% / hard hit % / max EV
He was 21 all last baseball season. Judge didn't make his single-A debut until 22. Considering his age, I was beyond elated with his season last year. He was streaky, as can be expected of any young player, but he made it clear he would be one of the top catchers in the league for a long time. Johnny Bench is the only catcher in baseball history with more HRs before the age of 22 than Alvarez.
Alvarez had 25 HR in 123 games. Bench had 16 in his first season and cup of coffee (180 games), and didn't hit 25 HR until 40 games into the next season. So it took Bench 220 games to reach 25 HR, whereas Alvarez only 123 games.
He was 21 all last baseball season. Judge didn't make his single-A debut until 22. Considering his age, I was beyond elated with his season last year. He was streaky, as can be expected of any young player, but he made it clear he would be one of the top catchers in the league for a long time. Johnny Bench is the only catcher in baseball history with more HRs before the age of 22 than Alvarez.
Alvarez had 25 HR in 123 games. Bench had 16 in his first season and cup of coffee (180 games), and didn't hit 25 HR until 40 games into the next season. So it took Bench 220 games to reach 25 HR, whereas Alvarez only 123 games.
to this point:
Alonso didn't play his first big league game until he was 24.
Conforto debuted "early" straight from AA at 22 and had to go back down to minors at 23, made first ASG at 24
Nimmo was 23 at his debut and broke out at 25 (still hasnt made an ASG)
young hitters are hard to predict and often take time to figure things out.
He was 21 all last baseball season. Judge didn't make his single-A debut until 22. Considering his age, I was beyond elated with his season last year. He was streaky, as can be expected of any young player, but he made it clear he would be one of the top catchers in the league for a long time. Johnny Bench is the only catcher in baseball history with more HRs before the age of 22 than Alvarez.
Alvarez had 25 HR in 123 games. Bench had 16 in his first season and cup of coffee (180 games), and didn't hit 25 HR until 40 games into the next season. So it took Bench 220 games to reach 25 HR, whereas Alvarez only 123 games.
He’s an animal and will be the leader they desperately needed. IMO.
He was 21 all last baseball season. Judge didn't make his single-A debut until 22. Considering his age, I was beyond elated with his season last year. He was streaky, as can be expected of any young player, but he made it clear he would be one of the top catchers in the league for a long time. Johnny Bench is the only catcher in baseball history with more HRs before the age of 22 than Alvarez.
Alvarez had 25 HR in 123 games. Bench had 16 in his first season and cup of coffee (180 games), and didn't hit 25 HR until 40 games into the next season. So it took Bench 220 games to reach 25 HR, whereas Alvarez only 123 games.
that's some great info, KDavies. Dang.
2024 zips prospects projection has some good mets stuff
a little bit of a mixed bag as zips is lower on the number of top 100 prospects mets have, but the big positive is that they are tied for the 2nd most prospects in the top 500 with 23. tampa and pitt are #1 with 24 each.
@AnthonyDiComo
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24s
Jeff McNeil, who ended last season on the IL due to a partial UCL tear in his left elbow, says his follow-up MRI in December revealed the continued presence of a tear -- which is normal. Doctors cleared him for full activity, and he's a healthy player here in spring training.
For a team that’s bottom heavy, it’s nice to,point out. Only lacking a player on each positional list at C and 3b. Where we JUST graduated three top 100 guys in the past year.
And SP, where we have a slew of future MLers potentially up and coming.
Team is only missing an ace or two, which almost every franchise can say every single year. Difference is, few franchise have the capital, $ or tradeable, to acquire them.
Just noticed he'll be 24 at the end of the season...
If you're throwing the season to the youngins', and committing to Baty and Vientos, both only a year older, not to mention Alvarez who is 22, wouldn't Gilbert offer a higher offensive ceiling than Bader/Tayor?
Doesn't seem like a kid afraid of the bright lights...
Just noticed he'll be 24 at the end of the season...
If you're throwing the season to the youngins', and committing to Baty and Vientos, both only a year older, not to mention Alvarez who is 22, wouldn't Gilbert offer a higher offensive ceiling than Bader/Tayor?
Doesn't seem like a kid afraid of the bright lights...
He's yet to play in AAA, he posted a 91 wRC+ with Houston (AA_ pre-trade (in part due to his elbow) and played 35 total games with Bing,he's improved vs. lefties but still a hole in his game. No real argument to have him skip AAA at this juncture. They have Nimmo, Taylor, Bader, Stewart, Marte, McNeil as OF option aka no real path to him playing every day right now either.
"Bohan Adderley the $350K IFA Prospect getting some outfield work at the DSL Mets Complex. I was told he will get SS and OF work during the DSL season. "
Somewhat surprising @mets won't give Acuna some CF reps in ST. Either they are extremely confident he will pick up CF "quickly", or they don't think CF will be a 2024 need with Bader/Taylor/Nimmo or they do not view Acuna's future in the OF and rather at 2b #Mets
Somewhat surprising @mets won't give Acuna some CF reps in ST. Either they are extremely confident he will pick up CF "quickly", or they don't think CF will be a 2024 need with Bader/Taylor/Nimmo or they do not view Acuna's future in the OF and rather at 2b #Mets
Acuna has more INF instincts/quickness. If you had to choose one to keep on the dirt, it's him.
But, considering there seems to be more Inf than OF talent still in the system - I'd try both tbh.
Will Sammon
@WillSammon
I think Williams will eventually see time at 2B in the minors; only logical to get him reps there at some point, though common thought is if you can handle SS, you can play 2B. Think people around Mets suspect Acuna can play CF, though time will tell if/when/how much.
@AnthonyDiComo
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24s
Jeff McNeil, who ended last season on the IL due to a partial UCL tear in his left elbow, says his follow-up MRI in December revealed the continued presence of a tear -- which is normal. Doctors cleared him for full activity, and he's a healthy player here in spring training.
I'm definitely not a medical expert, but this doesn't give me confidence or make me not ask questions.
Isn't it more normal not to have a tear in your UCL?
In comment 16400880 pjcas18 said:
[quote] In comment 16400586 DanMetroMan said:
Quote:
Anthony DiComo
Verified
@AnthonyDiComo
·
24s
Jeff McNeil, who ended last season on the IL due to a partial UCL tear in his left elbow, says his follow-up MRI in December revealed the continued presence of a tear -- which is normal. Doctors cleared him for full activity, and he's a healthy player here in spring training.
I'm definitely not a medical expert, but this doesn't give me confidence or make me not ask questions.
Isn't it more normal not to have a tear in your UCL? [/]
Why can players keep hitting with a torn UCL, such as Bryce Harper last year or Ohtani this year?
The instability that results from a UCL tear is most evident with extremes of range of motion that overhead throwers subject their elbows to. If the elbow isn't out in that extreme position, the instability isn't symptomatic, kind of like when an athlete with a torn ACL can walk normally and tolerate straight ahead activity, but their knee gives out with cutting/twisting. The swing doesn't stress the elbow nearly as much, especially in the right arm of a left-handed hitter, as in Ohtani and Harper's cases.
to have more time adapting to the position that's more different from the one he is playing now.
keeping acuna at SS/2b is probably simpler for him, and helpful if he ends up in the big league mix in the not too distant future. if something were to happen to lindor, acuna may be first guy up at SS since mauricio is out of commission.
Got a pretty decent arm in David Sandlin. Potential #4 SP, probably a RP but a solid get. Wouldn’t have been happy with the Mets giving up a similar quality arm
It probably won't matter, but this trade doesn't make any sense for KC.
- KC isn't good.
- Sandlin might be a big league starting pitcher in a few years.
- Schreiber is fine RP, but he'll be 30 in a few weeks, has had one season that would justify this trade, and it wasn't 2023.
Per @JonHeyman Billy Eppler’s “whistleblower” was indeed a team employee and not a player. It was previously reported a trainer voiced concern so one can probably guess that trainer alerted the league. Heyman also says Eppler acknowledged he broke the rules when confronted
Complete guess but the Mets had a new assistant trainer in 2022 who came over from Houston. He may well have seen things that didn’t go down in Houston and reported it.
We should all send him a gift card to his favorite restaurant. That trainer did us all a favor getting rid of Inepptler.
Per @JonHeyman Billy Eppler’s “whistleblower” was indeed a team employee and not a player. It was previously reported a trainer voiced concern so one can probably guess that trainer alerted the league. Heyman also says Eppler acknowledged he broke the rules when confronted
Complete guess but the Mets had a new assistant trainer in 2022 who came over from Houston. He may well have seen things that didn’t go down in Houston and reported it.
We should all send him a gift card to his favorite restaurant. That trainer did us all a favor getting rid of Inepptler.
yeah, but you also kind of have to find a convenient way to get rid of the trainer without drawing legal or other consequences. no one likes a narc in the ranks.
think i would have preferred winker bc he has higher upside than platoon bat if he ever gets his swing back but choi seems to not be considered a jerk so i understand that part of it. both are sort of enigmatically trending in the wrong direction, but there's probably a little more tangible hope with choi.
last year in small sample last year he posted his highest expected slg% and his 93.4 mph avg ee was same as jdm with higher hard hit %/barrel%. the results werent good and the sample size is small enough to not be qualified but he made a lot of quality contact. theme of the offseason continues to be getting the closest versions of the players at the top of market for like 1/10th the cost.
on a minor league deal nothing to dislike here. good competition with dj stewart, good depth option if he's healthy and finds a groove.
here's a good FG article on him from 15 months ago when tampa traded him to pitt.
Quote:
Choi is a good player, but he doesn’t exactly offer much in the way of versatility. He’s limited to first base and he’s best used as a platoon bat. His career splits are extreme (insert another splits joke here). Against right-handed pitching, he has a career 125 wRC+; against left-handed pitching, his career wRC+ is just 71. To roster Choi, the Rays have needed to pair him with an additional first baseman. That wasn’t a problem over the past four seasons, with guys like Nathaniel Lowe, Yandy Díaz, and Harold Ramírez seeing significant time at first base. But given the Rays’ roster crunch, it makes sense that Choi would be one of the first names to go.
will be interesting to see where the $ ended up on this one (no median projection from FG) but hard to not really like what the Brewers have done this offseason. they really repositioned themselves nicely.
thinking about the non-tender, they declined him at 11m and had they done that they would have been able to qualify him, which i kind of think he'd have taken off surgery. So that would be around 2 years 30m. id guess he ended up getting less than that and more like 2 years 20m-25m. anything more than that seems risky.
you have to appreciate the sincerity of his comments, but on the other hand, especially as a fan, you have to hate your team paying this guy $38M per year the next three years (plus all the money before that)
Quote:
Sam Blum
@SamBlum3
Anthony Rendon on playing pro baseball:
"It’s never been a top priority for me. This is a job. I do this to make a living. My faith, my family come first before this job. So if those things come before it, I’m leaving."
Jeeho Yoo
@Jeeho_1
Looks like Hyun-Jin Ryu will sign for about $12.7 million over 4 years with the Hanwha Eagles in the #KBO. That's 17 billion Korean won.
That'd be the biggest contract in KBO history, both in AAV and total amount.
Gomez citing a "source" claims Alvarez is close to an extension with the Mets. Considering the source... grain of salt.
Martino says this is false.
Andy Martino
@martinonyc
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3m
An extension with Francisco Alvarez would definitely make sense for the Mets at some point, but people who would know say there’s nothing doing on the front at the moment.
@mets have released RHP William Woods and RHP Aaron Martinez. Woods was claimed off of waivers from the Braves in 2022 and Martinez was signed as an IFA 1/2021 and hasn't appeared in a game since 2021 #Mets
Gomez citing a "source" claims Alvarez is close to an extension with the Mets. Considering the source... grain of salt.
Martino says this is false.
Andy Martino
@martinonyc
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3m
An extension with Francisco Alvarez would definitely make sense for the Mets at some point, but people who would know say there’s nothing doing on the front at the moment.
I think they have time since he's a catcher. The only catcher over $100m is JTR (115m). 2nd highest is Wilson Contreras at $87.5m. Both UFA deals obviously.
Murphy extended early for 6x73m (12m AAV) a lot closer to FA.
Ruiz extended at age 23 for 8x50m with some team options for an AAV of 6.25m. Interestingly he's a Boras guy too. His $50m guaranteed is 5th most among catchers.
If Alvarez stands up his first season and improves this season I think there's probably still an extremely team friendly extension that makes sense for both sides. maybe an 8x80m with team options or something like that? And I think that's what it would look like if he has an improved all star type season. Anything less than that would probably still be north of Ruiz but not by as much.
Zack Scott
@ZackScottSports
Steve Cohen once told me he would like to be more like the Rays. I painted a picture of that world - frequent roster churn with a disciplined, primary focus on future value. Then I asked, "Do you really want that?" He laughed and said no. I pointed to the Dodgers instead. #Mets
Gomez citing a "source" claims Alvarez is close to an extension with the Mets. Considering the source... grain of salt.
Martino says this is false.
Andy Martino
@martinonyc
·
3m
An extension with Francisco Alvarez would definitely make sense for the Mets at some point, but people who would know say there’s nothing doing on the front at the moment.
I'd do a backflip, okay - I'd ATTEMPT to do a backflip if they locked him up!!!!!
Jeff Passan
@JeffPassan
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Infielder Amed Rosario and the Tampa Bay Rays are in agreement on a one-year, $1.5 million contract, sources tell ESPN. Rosario, 28, will bring a strong bat against left-handed pitching and should get at-bats at shortstop, second base and potentially corner-outfield spots.
Rosario to the Rays, 1 year 1.5. Zero risk, decent upside.
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!
By FAR the steal of the offseason. Unreal...
I would have certainly spent the Wendle $2 million on him, though he probably sees more PT possibilities with the Rays with the Wander Franco situation.
and they are only just barely at the cohen tax. so in a dream world where the mets give soto almost as much as ohtani and pete almost as much as yamamoto, and another pitcher as much as glasnow, they could still be under the cohen tax by enough to extend alvarez without nearly as much of a penalty.
always appreciate your financial posts, as I don't dig into them as much anymore.
thanks kd, i know some hate it and prefer sports w/o $ but i find it to be the most predictable way to understand what's going on and anticipate what will or wont happen.
extending alvarez at $10m per year today would add 11m in tax penalties - which is basically 10% of the biggest C contract in baseball (JTR) full contract just in penalties this year. that is a pretty big disincentive. the mets could put more money in alvarez pocket AND save money themselves by waiting until next year if they are in a lower tax bracket.
certainly now, one of the biggest issues with the Mets
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Francisco Alvarez and the Mets have not had any “concrete” discussions about a long-term contract, a person familiar with the situation said Tuesday, but representatives from both sides say they are open-minded to such a deal.
Further, they have expressed to each other an intention to talk about it — at some point, a source said, whether that is during camp, next offseason or later.
Spring training is a popular time for clubs to sign productive, high-ceilinged pre-arbitration players such as Alvarez to multiyear pacts. But since Alvarez, 22, wouldn’t be a free agent until after the 2028 season, there is of course no timeliness pressure on anybody.
“Right now, my only goals are to go out there to go play, go do what I need to do,” Alvarez, who is represented by Rimas Sports, said through an interpreter Tuesday. “The idea of a contract — that’s really in the hands of my agent and in the hands of the organization. If they think that that’s the best course of action, then that’s a conversation they need to have. Right now, I’m just focused on winning games and working hard.”
involves the luxury tax and whether they will reset it. Add in the possibility of an international draft, where there could also be penalties.
im not sure they will or wont reset the luxury tax.
but if they get under the cohen tax that will reduce their penalty payments by about half from $77m in tax this year.
and they could do that while still putting more $ on the field than they are this year since the payments for max/mccann will expire and verlander will either expire or be a lot less.
Amed Rosario career .298/.339/.467 vs. LHP. There is a 0% chance TB regrets that deal. I guess he's really betting on himself with an eye towards the 2025 FA market.
Amed Rosario career .298/.339/.467 vs. LHP. There is a 0% chance TB regrets that deal. I guess he's really betting on himself with an eye towards the 2025 FA market.
i still think he could have a post-hype breakout similar to didi gregorious. he is a solid hitter and has good raw power if he can figure out how to harness it. his career ops+ is only 6 points lower than didi's (89 vs 95), so he just hasn't had the "career year" yet but he only just turned 28.
he is going to be tampa's next TDA. really really love that signing/fit.
cant believe first game is this weekend. there's more at link but these were the 3 most notable blurbs imo.
Quote:
• Francisco Lindor is developing into the type of leader the Mets have long hoped he could be. He wasn’t that sort of presence back in 2021, when the Mets drew criticism for their clubhouse culture. But Lindor has since realized what leadership at the highest level entails. This winter, he invited Brett Baty and Mark Vientos to his Orlando home to work on their defense. He attended a minicamp at the Minor League complex with prospect Luisangel Acuña and others. He has gone out of his way to make teammates feel welcome. On a roster that also includes other Type A veterans in Brandon Nimmo and Pete Alonso, Lindor has stood out for his willingness to take on additional responsibility.
• There’s lots of pure stuff coming out of the bullpen -- probably more than at any point in the past few years. In addition to hard throwers Jorge López and Jake Diekman, who are on Major League deals, roster hopefuls Shintaro Fujinami, Yohan Ramírez, Sean Reid-Foley, Reed Garrett and Yacksel Ríos are among those who have been throwing smoke in the early days of camp. And that’s without mentioning Edwin Díaz, who approached 97 mph in his first live batting practice session despite dialing things back to an estimated 80-85% effort level.
• This year’s “Best Shape of My Life” award goes to Joey Lucchesi, who reported to camp 25 pounds lighter. He says he shed some of that weight soaking in cold tubs, which can help the body burn off fat. Lucchesi is part of a rotation depth group that also includes Tylor Megill, José Butto and Max Kranick.
cant believe first game is this weekend. there's more at link but these were the 3 most notable blurbs imo.
Quote:
• Francisco Lindor is developing into the type of leader the Mets have long hoped he could be. He wasn’t that sort of presence back in 2021, when the Mets drew criticism for their clubhouse culture. But Lindor has since realized what leadership at the highest level entails. This winter, he invited Brett Baty and Mark Vientos to his Orlando home to work on their defense. He attended a minicamp at the Minor League complex with prospect Luisangel Acuña and others. He has gone out of his way to make teammates feel welcome. On a roster that also includes other Type A veterans in Brandon Nimmo and Pete Alonso, Lindor has stood out for his willingness to take on additional responsibility.
• There’s lots of pure stuff coming out of the bullpen -- probably more than at any point in the past few years. In addition to hard throwers Jorge López and Jake Diekman, who are on Major League deals, roster hopefuls Shintaro Fujinami, Yohan Ramírez, Sean Reid-Foley, Reed Garrett and Yacksel Ríos are among those who have been throwing smoke in the early days of camp. And that’s without mentioning Edwin Díaz, who approached 97 mph in his first live batting practice session despite dialing things back to an estimated 80-85% effort level.
• This year’s “Best Shape of My Life” award goes to Joey Lucchesi, who reported to camp 25 pounds lighter. He says he shed some of that weight soaking in cold tubs, which can help the body burn off fat. Lucchesi is part of a rotation depth group that also includes Tylor Megill, José Butto and Max Kranick.
Observations from the 1st week of Mets camp - ( New Window )
That Type O has me choking on my water, that was awesome!!
Some early DSL assignments- SS Leiner Ramirez, 3B Roybert Herrera and C Josmir Reyes to DSL Mets Blue, OF Jonnhan Sanchez and OF Fidel Pinango to DSL Mets Orange #Mets
Susan Slusser
@susanslusser
Pete Putila speaking at the Cactus League media day says Bryce Eldridge also is no longer a two way guy. He’s a first baseman for now.
if they extend him once the season starts, his salary for this year doesnt change and it kicks in next year. I assume they could still give him a signing bonus if they wanted to in the present as a way to pay him now but avoid extra tax this year.
if he has a good first half, i bet they extend him around the all star break. that would presumably be a win/win for everyone, it may even give them a little extra leverage in alonso negotiations knowing they have lindor, alvarez, nimmo each locked in for 7 years (along with the option of spending big $ on whatever position player they want to join that group in the offseason like soto).
The Rays deepened their infield mix with yesterday’s signing of Amed Rosario to a one-year contract, but despite the 28-year-old’s experience as a starting shortstop in both Cleveland and in New York, he’ll be ticketed for a multi-position role with his new club. Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander tells Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times that Rosario will likely see time at both middle infield spots and in the outfield corners. Trade acquisition Jose Caballero, meanwhile, is still viewed as the starter at shortstop due to his superior glovework.
is probably going to be one the Mets regret. Such a team friendly deal.
if senga ends up out for the year, they basically end up having to buy a multi-year option from somewhere.
which shows what i think was the huge flaw in their strategy this offseason. getting 1 more multi-year, reliable SP was necessary.
i get that "manaea and severino may not be so far off guys who cost 5-10x more", but if you believe in the talent to that extent, then sign 1 of them for 2 or 3 years without opt outs.
or are they really comfortable having to sign 2-4 new SP every offseason just to preserve some injury risk? that seems like to much to expect of what is realistically attainable in FA any given year.
MLB this year reduced the number of active minor league players an organization can have under contract from 180 to 165. The 15-player reduction applies to organizations’ domestic minor league rosters and does not include Dominican Summer League players.
Even the old limit of 180 players, which was enacted in 2021, was a dramatic change from the previous model. Before the pandemic, an organization could effectively roster as many minor league players as it wanted by adding affiliates—and thus roster spots—to its farm system.
The Yankees in 2019, for example, had four minor league clubs below the full-season level: two Rookie-level Gulf Coast League affiliates, one in the Rookie-advanced Appalachian League and a fourth in the short-season Class A New York-Penn League. Today, the Yankees are permitted only one such domestic short-season club, their Florida Complex League affiliate. Link - ( New Window )
Woodruff ended up with basically 2x17.5m plus an extra $10m mut option
weird deal but very creative for milwaukee punting most of the money to 2026. not sure how it would have computed for CBT purposes for mets. i think the 20m mutual option would made the AAV around 9m so a 10m tax penalty this year.
Jon Becker
@jonbecker_
Per the AP, Brandon Woodruff's deal is for $17.5M guaranteed and is heavily backloaded:
Be prepared to Fak, in love with Álvarez. By next year, I think he’s the #1 jersey in sales for the Mets. I hope there’s no skeletons in any closets, because he’s damn near perfect!!!
And I think Pham would have really liked this group so far.
33. Diosmerky Taveras, SIRP
Signed: July 2nd Period, 2017 from Dominican Republic (HOU)
Age 21.6 Height 6′ 3″ Weight 248 Bat / Thr R / R FV 35+
Tool Grades (Present/Future)
Fastball Slider Changeup Command Sits/Tops
60/65 45/50 40/50 20/35 94-97 / 98
Diosmerky is still a premium arm strength flier type. He was sitting 94-97 as a teenager in the 2019 GCL and was once again in the mid-to-upper-90s during 2020 instructs. Despite his age, Taveras is not a projectable sort; his frame is maxed out and then some. His slider is also still a 40-grade pitch. He has a relief shot, and the eventual quality of his breaking ball will dictate his role. (Fall Instructional League)
Jeff Passan
@JeffPassan
Infielder Gio Urshela and the Detroit Tigers are in agreement on a one-year, $1.5 million contract, sources tell ESPN. Urshela, 32, should help at third base and can play a variety of positions. And his ability to hit left-handers suited what Detroit has sought this winter.
remains the one Stearns move that looks like an odd move. Rosario and Gio got LESS than Wendle guaranteed.
I didn't understand the rush to sign Wendle. Would much rather have the guys signing this week.
Hindsight says either Anderson or Rosario would have been much, much better ways to spend the money. But who in their right miond would have guessed you could have had both of them for $7mm. They can both be DFA's in June - but how do you NOT take the chance??
Two absolute steals.
the question is if they would have gone somewhere to play behind
lindor, mcneil, and in all likelihood baty, vientos, marte, nimmo. even if both were open to utility roles playing every non-catcher position, there wasnt a ton of playing time up for grabs here.
and the DFA possibility also higher in an org that has 2 top prospects at AAA who could be pushing for 2b or OF reps by May/June.
in comparison the rays starting SS is 27 and has 132 big league innings at the position. marlins was Berti (now 34). would not be surprising at all if rosario and anderson are those teams opening day SS.
Mauricio tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in December while playing in the Dominican Winter League, so he has been plenty busy anyway, going through early stages of a long rehabilitation process at the minor-league complex and the Mets’ facility in the Dominican Republic.
But now he has joined the big-league club, just as manager Carlos Mendoza wanted.
“The connection with the boys, the connection with the coaching staff — it’s important for him that he feels [involved],” Mendoza said Thursday. “Because he’s a big part of what we’re trying to do here moving forward.”
Mauricio, 22, will attend team meetings and — Mendoza hopes — be a part of the general team comradery despite being so far away from returning. A cameo in September is his best-case scenario, but far from a given.
obviously the primary interests are Burnes, Buehler, Fried and Cole if he opts out but did some reading on Roki Sasaki
Quick summary of what I read: High 90s Fb and a splitter/fork, 22 years old, recovering from oblique injury. Dodgers already show interest.
Anything realistic about him getting posted next year? Posting fee could be high like Yammamoto again.
under 25 years old he wouldnt be posted, it would be international free agent rules where the bonus is capped around $6m for every team.
given how well yamamoto did on his contract, if sasaki comes over before he turns 25 it would be insanely stupid (imo). no team would have any $ advantage and he'd be leaving literally $300m-400m on the table.
Beat him at his own game
In public, welcome and challenge him to have a great season and shop as a FA
Which is why they loved Petes press conf where he sounded like he wanted to cry. When he kept saying. Nope, we are waiting for Mets to make the first call. And they’re losing the game of chicken lol
Mike Puma
@NYPost_Mets
Shintaro Fujinami's return home to Japan is visa related, according to a source. He faced the same situation last year with Oakland, had to return home to receive his visa, but that was before camp began.
Venezuelan RHP Jermayne Verdu (pretty cool name) has been assigned to DSL Mets Orange
Beat him at his own game
In public, welcome and challenge him to have a great season and shop as a FA
Which is why they loved Petes press conf where he sounded like he wanted to cry. When he kept saying. Nope, we are waiting for Mets to make the first call. And they’re losing the game of chicken lol
these quotes from cohen were so perfectly crafted on all levels:
“We’re always open to conversation, but he’s earned the right to explore his value,” Cohen said on “Meet at the Apple.” “I’m highly supportive of all players doing that. Just like we ended up figuring it out with Edwin Díaz and Brandon Nimmo, it would be my hope that we do the same with Pete.”
“We want to keep him,” Cohen said. “He’s an important part of our team today and hopefully in the future.”
“I hope he hits 55 home runs and makes it so difficult on me in free agency. I would call that a great outcome.”
answer could not have been more perfect. Stated he wanted to keep Alonso, cited the Nimmo/Diaz situations and how he felt Pete deserved the right to see his value aka... "go find a monster deal, nobody can outbid me if I want you back." Always the correct move but he flat out stated that's the plan, shuts down conspiracy theories.
answer could not have been more perfect. Stated he wanted to keep Alonso, cited the Nimmo/Diaz situations and how he felt Pete deserved the right to see his value aka... "go find a monster deal, nobody can outbid me if I want you back." Always the correct move but he flat out stated that's the plan, shuts down conspiracy theories.
yep like shecky said, it completely disarms boras. his empty threats are hollow when you have an owner who has proven he is willing to spend whatever he has to. the best quote was him saying pete having a monster year and raising his value was cohen's best case scenario.
if pete wants to extend early, which obviously anyone on the cusp of getting hundreds of millions of dollars guaranteed would, he has to make the first move. and even if he does im not sure there's an obvious compromise that makes sense for either side. but that's the path he chose with boras. it could end like nimmo or it could end like conforto. it's entirely on pete and how he performs.
Mike Puma
@NYPost_Mets
Fixing from earlier: Fujinami will attend to his visa issue while he's back in Japan, but he had a personal matter that caused him to leave in the first place.
No one has a crystal ball and somehow these "chance to match" scenarios don't always work out as you expect (see Steven Matz - and probably others).
Let's say Cohen's best case plays out, Pete hits 55 HRs and is meeting with teams in free agency, he could decide - this new place is for him and be comfortable with the money and just sign a deal.
period. He isn't obligated to give the Mets the chance to match. Cohen's $$$ couldn't do a thing with Ohtani and Yamamoto.
Pete may decide F-the Mets since they let it get to the point of FA.
Everyone says the right things now, but when it comes time to do a deal, people look out for themselves sometimes.
So, if the Mets are intent on signing Alonso there is some risk by letting him test the market. it's not a simple as they can outbid anyone, he has a say in it once it gets there.
Also, I wouldn't sign Pete long-term to a huge deal.
There’s a good chance Pete wants to go to a quieter town.
Butttttt
How many teams are able to pay the contract he is looking for? Ten in the sport?
How many of that ten, have an opening at 1B/DH?
Of those, how many are willing to pay top Boras Dollar on that position?
And if they are willing to give the money, will they go the AYEARS too?
And let’s say all of that does happen. And Coehn falls out of his chair and thinks it’s insane to lay10/$300or whatever insane number it becomes…
Is that a bad outcome for the franchise? To let him walk, take the picks? And spend the money elsewhere?
Devils advocate. What if Vientos hits 250/25/80…. Which let’s be honest. In 500+ ABs would absolutely not shock anyone, would it.
And the team says we love ya Pete, buttttt
This is an absolute master stroke by Cohen. Publicly calling out Boras, when he can’t respond publicly. Beating him at his own game. Daring him publicly. Threatening Boras to go to FA. Publicly stating their preferred outcome is he has a monster year 😂
Pete’s presser played absolutely right into their hands.
is it's not as simple as saying you can outbid anyone.
as we witnessed this past off-season.
So, yes, Boras is neutered a little, but it still doesn't mean the Mets get the outcome they want. Hence why I said there is still risk.
And I've made my comments known that I am not a fan of ponying up a massive contract for Alonso. Vientos is a good reason why - maybe that plays out.
I think this is correct - and correct both ways. If Vientos hits 30 homers the Mets probably like preserving the option to not have to pay Alonso and instead put that money elsewhere (Soto, bregman, burnes, whoever).
The more Alonso is worth the more I think the Mets keep him bc that probably means he had an mvp type season a la judge, but arson also came very close to leaving nyy.
In 2 innings megill had 3k’s, got 6 swings and missed, hit 95.8 on gun.
Baty had a 105mph single.
Ramirez had 2 singles 94 & 97 mph.
Vientos a weak contact single.
Cortes 2 hard hit singles also.
Gilbert and acuna got in (nothing specifically notable in box)
Free-agent super-utility man Kiké Hernández is choosing between four teams, according to sources briefed on his discussions. The finalists, in no particular order, are the Los Angeles Angels, Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants.
Will Sammon
@WillSammon
An update on Kodai Senga: he received a PRP injection in his shoulder in New York and then returned here to FL. Mets expect his shutdown period to last three weeks before he resumes throwing (typical spring ramp up is six weeks).
said acuna had an inning where he made 3 good plays at short and looks very natural, gilbert has a big arm and started a relay play that threw a runner out.
bellinger deal interesting less bc of the deal (seems like a ++pillow deal for both sides) but because of whatever it may mean for the other boras 3 (or 4 if you count jdm).
bellinger got his exact median projected AAV (26.5m). he got 3 years of it guaranteed but with a 1 year opt out.
bellinger was projected to get the longest deal of the 5.
it's probably not boras' style, but i think the opportunity for mets on montgomery would be if they can get him for 5-6 year term but at a lower AAV to offset taxes. Link - ( New Window )
RE: RE: RE: optimus slacking wheres the GDT thread ;)
Rival agents and some club officials will question whether Boras overplayed his hand, not just with Bellinger but also the other members of the Boras Four – left-handers Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery and third baseman Matt Chapman. Boras’ initial expectations for Bellinger are not known, but it’s reasonable to ask: What if he had aimed lower? Could he have secured four years, $120 million? Five years, $145 million? An even longer deal with a lower AAV?
Now that Bellinger’s terms are public, it would not be surprising for Snell, Montgomery and Chapman to settle for similar “bridge” contracts. San Francisco Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi, whose team could use one of the pitchers as well as Chapman, does not figure to budge in his staredown with Boras. Other clubs also could be less likely to relent.
he is my favorite upside signing of the offseason i think.
Quote:
“My struggles last year were really different from where I used to be,” Lopez says. “My walks didn’t help me. My velo wasn’t down. It was the same, but I just couldn’t get people out.
“I couldn’t say that the struggle was because of this or that. I attacked guys, but to put away guys, that 0-2, 1-2 pitch where you want to at least receive weak contact, I couldn’t get it consistent like I did in 2022. I’m a ground ball pitcher with [high] ground ball percent, but they were just getting through the infield.”
Quote:
Mets infielder Joey Wendle, who has faced Lopez more than any other player on the roster (8-for-22) -- and who played with Lopez last year in Miami -- has his own ideas of what makes Lopez dominate or struggle.
“Command is definitely one of the big things,” Wendle says. “And also conviction of his pitches, and that comes with command. When you’re jumping out ahead in the count, you can throw your other offspeed pitches with more confidence. The stuff is obviously there, but when you’re falling early in the count, and then you have to come in the zone and you’re catching too much of the plate -- even with the plus stuff, it’s going to get hit at this level. When he’s really good it’s when he’s getting ahead early, and the hitters don’t know what’s coming. Then he can feel free to expand the zone a little bit.
“Everybody saw what was capable of two years ago, and as far as I’m aware the stuff isn’t any different. And when a player gets to another organization, they can see something [new]. So that part is exciting, as well."
Anthony DiComo
@AnthonyDiComo
Ready for the season already? Francisco Alvarez opens spring training with a single in his first at-bat and this opposite-field, two-run homer in his second: link - ( New Window )
Anthony DiComo
@AnthonyDiComo
Ready for the season already? Francisco Alvarez opens spring training with a single in his first at-bat and this opposite-field, two-run homer in his second: link - ( New Window )
i know spring training is the time of year where we all occassional shot gun some hopium, so at the risk of doing that:
2022 team top 9 every day players by fwar:
6.7 lindor (still here)
5.7 mcneil (still here)
5.2 nimmo (still here)
3.8 alonso (still here)
2.9 marte (still here)
2.7 canha (replaced by bader)
2.2 escobar (replaced by baty)
1.3 guillorme (replaced by wendle)
.9 vogelbach (replaced by vientos)
notice what position isn't listed? the top 5 are all still rostered and alvarez even last year was already more valuable than anyone outside the top 6. if he takes a step forward or if any of the other kids step up, this could be a really solid every day group.
the bp still has otto/diaz so in terms of talent deficiency its all in the rotation.
Jorge López has impressed some team officials, leading them to believe the veteran right-hander at least looks capable of claiming a vital role in the bullpen. Lopez kept his entire repertoire from his time as a starting pitcher, even though those days ended a few years ago. Team evaluators checked off Lopez’s two-seamer, slider and changeup as pitches that appeared sharp. Some rival scouts have gone as far as to say Lopez’s pure stuff ranks near the top in the Mets’ bullpen — it’s a question of whether he can harness it and locate pitches.
“It’s only been some bullpen sessions and a couple of live BPs, but I see a lot of confidence and conviction behind every single pitch,” Mets bullpen coach José Rosado said. “That’s something we are all excited about. I really like where he’s at, and I think he’s in a good spot.”
Wow. LHP Kolton Ingram was a 37th round pick who signed for a minuscule $1,500 (not a typo) and ascended all the way to the big league level in 2023. Scouting report linked Link - ( New Window )
@BaseballAmerica ranks Ryan Clifford the #5 1b prospect in baseball. Ronny Mauricio and Luisangel Acuna #5 and #7 2b prospect respectively, Colin Houck #25 SS prospect, Jett Williams #8 in CF, and Christian Scott #26 RHP prospect #Mets
one- year deal, and speculations rumbling that Boras may be willing to do the same with Snell and Montgomery, I wonder if the Mets may be more willing to entertain signing either of them?
one- year deal, and speculations rumbling that Boras may be willing to do the same with Snell and Montgomery, I wonder if the Mets may be more willing to entertain signing either of them?
I read the Red Sox are looking to sign Montgomery.
gets Noah Miller. 2021 1st round pick but only ranked #24 prospect in the Twins system
Headshot of Noah Miller
24. Noah Miller
SS
Ht: 5'11" | Wt: 190 | B-T: S-R
Age: null
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: The younger brother of Brewers infielder Owen Miller, noah has been one of the smoothest, slickest-fielding shortstops in pretty much every league he’s played in. That was the case again in 2023 as Miller helped lead Cedar Rapids to the Midwest League title with his range and reliability at shortstop. His bat has yet to catch up to his glove.
Scouting Report: Miller is a joy to watch play defense. He has above-average range, smooth and flowing actions, soft hands and an innate understanding of where everyone is and where they are going when the ball is put in play. His plus arm allows him to make the play deep in the hole that many shortstops know better than to even attempt. His body control also allows him to quickly get rid of the ball if he leaves his feet. If the Twins needed a shortstop to step in and play solid defense in an emergency role, Miller could handle the job capably. He’s also an excellent baserunner despite having only average speed. At the plate, Miller doesn’t make pitchers sweat. He can hit a fastball, but even then, he’s likely to just line a single. He has a lot of work to do at recognizing and making better contact against breaking balls and changeups and he has very little power.
The Future: Miller’s defense is hard to criticize, but if he doesn’t learn to make a little more offensive impact, it’s going to be hard to get to the big leagues. Even defensive wizards like nick Ahmed and Jose Iglesias showed some offensive acumen in the minors.
Fabian Ardaya
@FabianArdaya
Dodgers close to bringing back Kiké Hernández assuming the Manuel Margot deal goes through, sources tell me and @Ken_Rosenthal
.
Jon Becker
@jonbecker_
The $4M that the Rays sent the Dodgers, by rule, has to follow Margot to Minnesota; trade cash is attached to a player and you can't pocket the difference. The question is if the Dodgers are kicking in even more
not putting a ton of stock into one appearance but it’s more about the limited arms that have options left. Megill has options left too but is probably making the team. If a guy *like* Kranick impresses, those with options are going to be the ones who lost their spots at least initially
Pitchers who can't be optioned without being subject to waivers
except for injury. I really don't see a spot for him as of now.
SP even with Senga and Peterson out:
Quintana
Manaea
Sevy
Houser
Megill
BP:
Diaz
Otto
Raley
Smith
Diekman
Lopez
Fujinami
Tonkin
as a SP, no room for him. As a reliever, I guess he could beat out Tonkin as a multi-inning guy. If Fujinami's issue lasts long enough, it looks like his spot is the best bet if Fujinami isn't ready by opening day. He has 3 options left.
if montgomery took a pillow deal he'd be at risk of QO hurting his market next year, on top of being 1 year older and probably also unlikely to be coming off a career year where he helped a team win a ws.
sounds like he has multi-year offers (probably in the bassitt range or maybe 4 years?) but obviously not the one he wants yet. anything under 100m seems like a screaming steal if that's where it ends up.
Quote:
Now that one of the unsigned free agents represented by Scott Boras accepted a pillow contract, what are the chances his other clients follow suit? Is there any chance the Cardinals sign Jordan Montgomery to a similar deal — maybe something like a four-year, $85 million contract, with year one at $25 million, then three consecutive player options at $20 million per year. Montgomery’s time in St. Louis helped him build his value and (Busch Stadium) is a pitcher’s park, which should keep his numbers strong. — Dan S.
From what I’m hearing in conversations with major-league sources, it doesn’t sound like Montgomery will accept a pillow contract like the one Bellinger signed. I’m told there are multiple teams that would give Montgomery a longer-term contract. The Red Sox had a video call with Montgomery recently and I’m told the conversation went well. The Red Sox have plenty of financial flexibility and at this point must be considered the front-runner to land him. However, it’s believed Montgomery would prefer to re-sign with Texas and if he were to accept a shorter-term deal, I think the Rangers are the only team where that could happen and he’d at least consider that type of offer. Also, it doesn’t sound like Montgomery is interested in a return to St. Louis, and the Cardinals have already signed three free-agent starters (Sonny Gray, Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn) this offseason.
I would appreciate some insight into the thought process that goes into how the Yankees compare and assess a choice of signing Blake Snell versus Montgomery. According to reports, they have made a significant offer to Snell. But there are no reports of an offer to Montgomery by the Yankees. — Lee G.
The Yankees really believe in the adjustments that Snell made last year on the mound, which led to him winning the NL Cy Young Award, and they think he has a higher ceiling than Montgomery. That doesn’t mean they wouldn’t necessarily bring back Montgomery, but it’s believed that he does not prefer a reunion with the Yankees. However, you can’t rule it out until he signs somewhere else.
I missed a rule change, Montgomery can have it written into his contract that his new team can't offer him a QO.
if it were a pillow deal in the form of opt outs, not sure a team would be that generous at this point. obviously anyone can do whatever they want but i dont believe bellinger (or conforto) got that in prior boras pillow deals? from a teams standpoint if the player is opting out they obviously had a really good year, so to give in on the QO would seem like a lot since the extra years they are committing to protect the player in a down year.
anything is negotiable obviously (unless it's against the rules) but given the way the market seems, id guess it's a buyer's market and montgomery has a hard time getting that.
checked and it's 100% allowed per the CBA, now how likely a team would be willing to do that, different story.
was it stroman or e-rod who got it in a recent contract? i remember it happening once before and i think if im remembering right it was a player whose market had kind of cratered relative to expectation so he signed back for a lot less than projected but got that out of it.
i guess it's not totally impossible to envision that with montgomery but if bowden is right that multiple teams are interested in signing him for multiple years id guess against.
if his price ends up ridiculously low id love to see the mets get creative on a pillow deal + no QO opt out that minimizes their tax burden.
4x21m, with 25m cash year 1, opt out at year 2 with no QO attached, seems like the best version of a pillow deal Montgomery could get. he'd get $59m of protection, and he'd very likely opt out to get a bigger deal than 3x59m.
and mets get him at 21m AAV to reduce tax burden. basically bassitt deal but with a 1 year pillow deal up front.
montgomery would probably have to have a very very good season to opt out of that.
checked and it's 100% allowed per the CBA, now how likely a team would be willing to do that, different story.
was it stroman or e-rod who got it in a recent contract? i remember it happening once before and i think if im remembering right it was a player whose market had kind of cratered relative to expectation so he signed back for a lot less than projected but got that out of it.
i guess it's not totally impossible to envision that with montgomery but if bowden is right that multiple teams are interested in signing him for multiple years id guess against.
if his price ends up ridiculously low id love to see the mets get creative on a pillow deal + no QO opt out that minimizes their tax burden.
4x21m, with 25m cash year 1, opt out at year 2 with no QO attached, seems like the best version of a pillow deal Montgomery could get. he'd get $59m of protection, and he'd very likely opt out to get a bigger deal than 3x59m.
and mets get him at 21m AAV to reduce tax burden. basically bassitt deal but with a 1 year pillow deal up front.
montgomery would probably have to have a very very good season to opt out of that.
In some cases players have used NTC's to negotiate teams not being able to use a QO on them in the future. It's obviously not very common. I wasn't really saying Montgomery would do this, sort of just thinking out louad.
PORT ST. LUCIE — At 61 years old, Darryl Strawberry looks like he could still bang a few homers in batting practice, and perhaps even the game itself.
More than a few players, coaches and reporters suggested on the field at Clover Park Tuesday morning that Strawberry do just that, but he laughed it off. His hitting days are long over. But the Mets icon has as meaningful a presence around here as he has in years, thanks to a burgeoning relationship with Alex and Steve Cohen.
Both Strawberry and another former star, Gary Sheffield, have been getting to know the Cohens, according to people around the team -- and both players feel respected by the owners’ interest in learning about the game from people who played it.
Not looking to join the dump on Parada bandwagon, but I would be curious to see @mets
move him to 2b (as has been suggested by scouts). A brand new position for him but without the rigors of catching and quite frankly a far less taxing position (mentally and physically)
Not looking to join the dump on Parada bandwagon, but I would be curious to see @mets
move him to 2b (as has been suggested by scouts). A brand new position for him but without the rigors of catching and quite frankly a far less taxing position (mentally and physically)
Hopefully at least one of him or Ramirez can have a big rebound year and get themselves established as a major prospect. I'd sign him for one of em being a bust if it meant we got a real rebound with the other.
Parada's value is obviously higher as a C than elsewhere, but the point is pretty moot if he can't hit in the low minors. Really need to see his bat turn into a force before I start thinking too much about how he's struggling to stay at C.
checked and it's 100% allowed per the CBA, now how likely a team would be willing to do that, different story.
was it stroman or e-rod who got it in a recent contract? i remember it happening once before and i think if im remembering right it was a player whose market had kind of cratered relative to expectation so he signed back for a lot less than projected but got that out of it.
i guess it's not totally impossible to envision that with montgomery but if bowden is right that multiple teams are interested in signing him for multiple years id guess against.
if his price ends up ridiculously low id love to see the mets get creative on a pillow deal + no QO opt out that minimizes their tax burden.
4x21m, with 25m cash year 1, opt out at year 2 with no QO attached, seems like the best version of a pillow deal Montgomery could get. he'd get $59m of protection, and he'd very likely opt out to get a bigger deal than 3x59m.
and mets get him at 21m AAV to reduce tax burden. basically bassitt deal but with a 1 year pillow deal up front.
montgomery would probably have to have a very very good season to opt out of that.
In some cases players have used NTC's to negotiate teams not being able to use a QO on them in the future. It's obviously not very common. I wasn't really saying Montgomery would do this, sort of just thinking out louad.
i think you are right though, it has the be a very big concern for him.
his desired/projected AAV this offseason was very close to the QO amount, and without a QO penalty attached he cant find a deal yet off a career season. if he gets a QO attached next year it could entirely defeat the purpose of a pillow contract because he is entering the market a year older and with a higher penalty if signed.
hadnt really thought about that angle so much, but more than any other FA left on the market of substance, he is probably going to be forced to just take the biggest offer on the market whatever it is. so he could end up an extreme value for someone (which i would argue Bassitt was last year for TOR).
Not looking to join the dump on Parada bandwagon, but I would be curious to see @mets
move him to 2b (as has been suggested by scouts). A brand new position for him but without the rigors of catching and quite frankly a far less taxing position (mentally and physically)
Hopefully at least one of him or Ramirez can have a big rebound year and get themselves established as a major prospect. I'd sign him for one of em being a bust if it meant we got a real rebound with the other.
Parada's value is obviously higher as a C than elsewhere, but the point is pretty moot if he can't hit in the low minors. Really need to see his bat turn into a force before I start thinking too much about how he's struggling to stay at C.
There is a theory ( I want to say put forth initially by John Sickels, but don't quote me on that) that young catchers often take so much toll on their bodies that they are unable to handle the rigors enough to hit. BA had a thing about Diego Cartaya and how that *could* be what happened with him and in the Mets chat somebody posted it regarding Parada and it wasn't shot down.
There is a very low chance Parada improves enough defensively to ever be an "asset" back there and after reading Tim Brown/Erik Kratz's "The Tao of the backup C", it really opens your eyes to how unusual it is for a team to carry a young backup C, especially one that isn't a plus fielder. The backup tends to do all of the grunt work, the side work, the pre-work, the extra BP sessions and veteran pitchers want to throw to somebody who has "done it" before even at the expense of lessor hitting ability.
An offense first backup C isn't really a common thing in baseball. Scouts for other teams suggested to BA Parada could/should be given a look at 2b, and I think that's a pretty decent idea. He would never be an asset in the OF since he's a below average runner, at 2b, maybe the hitting comes along/back and he's passable offensively (Dan Uggla was a a 10 year veteran and very good MLB player despite being a mediocre or worse 2b).
Ke'Bryan Hayes finished 28th/30 amongst 3b in terms of LA in 2022 (5.2), in 2023 he finished 15th (13.2), in 2022 Brett Baty finished 25th/27 in LA (6.6)... fingers crossed for similar gains in 2024!
watched the highlights from today iglesius can still pick it
=I've mentioned this before but Garrett is slightly more interesting than you'd think. 108 stuff+, sat 97 during his brief look. Career 46% GB rate. He's probably nothing but he was a top 25 prospect in the Tigers system back in 2019
no doubt this idea probably germinated from bora$ but he has good reason to plant the seed.
Quote:
It is believed Montgomery wanted to be compared financially to Aaron Nola (seven years, $172 million) while the industry was more thinking Eduardo Rodriguez (four years, $80 million). The Mets are definitely monitoring whether Montgomery’s ask falls — $150 million, $140 million, $130 million … but there is probably a number before the Mets’ comfort level that another team steps in such as the Red Sox or Giants, who are still strongly considering Snell.
Quote:
I respect that Stearns is trying to impose discipline and patience for a franchise that has had too little. That Steve Cohen, despite his wealth, is not going to just throw money at a problem to make outside noise stop. But I do think the Mets should stretch to, say, five years at $115 million with an opt-out after three years and see if any club beats that. Here is why:
1. Since the Mets are prioritizing the big picture, let’s begin there. If Sean Manaea has even a good year, he will opt out of his contract, thus joining Luis Severino, Jose Quintana and Adrian Houser in free agency. So the Mets are going to be looking for at least two starters next offseason, maybe more if youngsters do not step up.
In my scenario, the Mets would be paying Montgomery a $23 million annual average, which would mean an additional $25.3 million in luxury-tax penalty. The Mets could argue that for that total outlay of nearly $50 million they will find good solutions next offseason, when their tax burden also might be lessened with dead money coming off for Max Scherzer and perhaps Justin Verlander too.
It is easy to spend other people’s money, and Cohen after the faulty investments of 2023 can justifiably suggest sticking with a more measured plan. But …
2. The Mets are not punting on 2024 and insist the goal is to make the playoffs. But I think they have a tough 1,450-ish inning pitching path this year. Even if Senga returns by early May, the Mets will be offering a rotation that hardly promises big innings combined with a bullpen currently filled by relievers with no options. It is a marriage that threatens a lot of burnout and churn.
Stearns showed in Milwaukee he can build strong pens as a season progresses. But Montgomery (ninth most starts from 2020-23) can be a stabilizer to lessen the burden. There are no certainties with pitching, but Montgomery is durable, plus New York- and playoff-tested. Carlos Mendoza, the Yankees’ former bench coach, effusively lauded Montgomery for his tenacity and how good a teammate he is. Yes, he costs more now, but he comes with so much less doubt for this environment than just about any starter who will be available next offseason — and how much would you pay for that?
A healthy Senga/Montgomery combo would be a cornerstone to try to make the playoffs this year and to build around going forward. And one more item with Montgomery: He could not be made the qualifying offer, so there is no draft pick compensation tied to him; another element that does not disrupt the Mets’ big-picture plans.
i dont have any expectations of most of them, but i like a lot of the fringe roster moves stearns has made. he's added interesting players with some legitimate skills as pure depth. kind of like the dj stewart add last year. that's an area the mets as an org are getting better at and an easy spot where cohen's money should give them the pick of whoever they want in the AAAA bucket.
with another single. I'm rooting for him but singles don't do much for me when he slugged .317 last season. Obviously, hits are hits but hopefully the player that was expected headed into 2023 shows up and not 2023 Alex Ramirez. Huge year for him, he's a prime DFA candidate without a good season.
"The New York Mets have recently checked in on free-agent starters, including Michael Lorenzen, league sources said, though the communication likely reflects a desire to stay connected if they have another injury rather than imminent, serious interest."
"The Mets have never been in on top free agents like Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, and won’t sign either unless the prices sink lower than anyone imagines they will. New York is also likely taking a pass on another tier of veteran starters still available like Mike Clevenger and Michael Lorenzen, unless their asking prices drop.
But what they will do is be very active in adding to their depth by keeping a close eye on pitchers with opt-outs, and those who might become available due to roster crunches in other camps." #LGM
~ @martinonyc
on the #Mets persuit of more pitching depth.
i think that one is going to be ichiro all over again. i hope not but i think wolfe was right that there has never been a player more popular in free agency, and given what we saw the rest of free agency there must be very good reasons why.
i think it's only a matter of time before i start a "should have bid $375m" post lol.
i think that one is going to be ichiro all over again. i hope not but i think wolfe was right that there has never been a player more popular in free agency, and given what we saw the rest of free agency there must be very good reasons why.
i think it's only a matter of time before i start a "should have bid $375m" post lol.
I will say right now I would have done $400 million over 12 years. Easy to say when it's not my money, I guess, but he has all the signs of being an ace pitcher and is only 25. $33.3 million a year is an absolute bargain if he pans out and stays healthy.
i think that one is going to be ichiro all over again. i hope not but i think wolfe was right that there has never been a player more popular in free agency, and given what we saw the rest of free agency there must be very good reasons why.
i think it's only a matter of time before i start a "should have bid $375m" post lol.
I will say right now I would have done $400 million over 12 years. Easy to say when it's not my money, I guess, but he has all the signs of being an ace pitcher and is only 25. $33.3 million a year is an absolute bargain if he pans out and stays healthy.
i think 400x10m is something i broke down in one of the offseason threads because you can even make an argument on value he will be worth that much. i think that amount and value ends up mirroring exactly what Yu Darvish has done, even missing a few years with injuries and never pitching a ton of innings.
he's been worth fwar pitching in mlb from age 25-37, only once over 200 innings, only twice over 190, career era of 3.59.
34 wins is currently worth about 340m as a free agent pitcher, so that's pretty close to how MLB value him but Darvish is still going with a 2.5 fwar projection this year, so add another 25m to that amount.
so 12 years later yamamoto got a near 40% raise. but as a business i think baseball has grown by more than 40% so that's probably just about keeping up with inflation.
yu has twice come in 2nd for CY, 5x all star in 11 seasons, so it's a pretty good baseline. if yamamoto lives up to the hype he could very easily end up better than yu and anything worse would obviously be a major disappointment.
btw if he had given mets a chance to counter, id bet they would have increased their offer to 350 or 375 to get it done. the lad may have also done so but we will never know.
Branny De Oleo led the organization in BA (.313) off-season praise from @BaseballAmerica
Jefry Rosa led the organization in wRC+ (166) and slugging (.669) and also received off-season praise from BA #Mets
Jett Williams led the organization in SB's (45) and was only caught 7 times. Rowdey Jordan went 30/35 stealing bases in 2023, while also collecting 39 extra base hits and walking 65 times
At only 19 years old Wilfredo Lara finished 8th in the organization in HR's (14), with a 12.2 BB%, 21.8 K%, chipping in 17 steals while seeing time at every position except C and P
Alex Pavlovic
@PavlovicNBCS
Giants say Tristan Beck was diagnosed with an aneurysm in his upper arm. He went to Stanford to see a vascular specialist and will weigh his treatment options over the next few days. Beck had been penciled in as their No. 5 starter.
Mets: Raimon Gomez, RHP
Gomez looked primed for a breakout in 2023 with a fastball that was averaging 100 mph in Spring Training backfields outings, but Tommy John surgery ended that after three High-A starts. The 6-foot-2 right-hander was generally closer to 96-98 mph in regular-season outings before the procedure, and he had the ride up in the zone to get whiffs (12 in seven innings). Keep an eye on Gomez’s post-TJ return this summer before he becomes Rule-5 eligible in the offseason.
see how he looks in a few months but this doesn't make me all warm and fuzzy over potentially adding Buehler in the off-season. Link - ( New Window )
that's been a big part of my point re montgomery/snell this year (and even why i thought going absolutely insane on the yamamoto overpay made sense).
i dont see anyone less flawed out there next year. even if buehler did everything perfect in his year back like harvey in 2015, a recent TJS is a big red flag.
biebers velo drop is a red flag.
heck even burnes, arent the amount of innings he's thrown a red flag considering the price is likely to be record setting? is a 30 year old burnes worth paying more in total than a 25 year old yamamoto?
i promise im not scott boras, but paying montgomery 100m seems like a great deal compared almost every alternative next year - maybe even burnes if the price is 325m+.
is my #1 SP want but is he significantly better than Montgomery? Not sure. Fried will be 31 (like Montgomery) and cost picks and IFA money.
my worry there is he extends in atlanta. between the lines they've had discussions and he's been very public that's his preference. agent isn't boras. morton's 20m expires next year, along with 16m they can decline on ozuna.
would not shock me in the slightest if it's announced shortly after OD for tax purposes. with a cold pitching market it would be perfect time for atlanta to strike and give him a similar deal to what LAD just gave glasnow.
this is the 2nd article ive seen re ottavino attacking the runner prob
feels like the right way to bolster depth for 2025.
Mets have a dearth of IF talent which has to be appealing to them.
What does a mid season Luzardo or Cabrera trade look like?
luzardo will be expensive (top prospects). if baty and vientos are both hitting, maybe you could get him for a package headlined by 1 of them.
cabrera the cost should be more reasonable, but i think right now similarly 1 of vientos or baty or mauricio would be the price (difference being that right now all 3 are unknowns).
if they could get cabrera for parada, id do that. but im not sure they can.
feels like the right way to bolster depth for 2025.
Mets have a dearth of IF talent which has to be appealing to them.
What does a mid season Luzardo or Cabrera trade look like?
luzardo will be expensive (top prospects). if baty and vientos are both hitting, maybe you could get him for a package headlined by 1 of them.
cabrera the cost should be more reasonable, but i think right now similarly 1 of vientos or baty or mauricio would be the price (difference being that right now all 3 are unknowns).
if they could get cabrera for parada, id do that. but im not sure they can.
and to be clearer re luzardo, i mean if both baty and vientos are hitting in-season, not spring training. and hitting well enough that we wouldnt want to trade them (800+ ops).
is my #1 SP want but is he significantly better than Montgomery? Not sure. Fried will be 31 (like Montgomery) and cost picks and IFA money.
my worry there is he extends in atlanta. between the lines they've had discussions and he's been very public that's his preference. agent isn't boras. morton's 20m expires next year, along with 16m they can decline on ozuna.
would not shock me in the slightest if it's announced shortly after OD for tax purposes. with a cold pitching market it would be perfect time for atlanta to strike and give him a similar deal to what LAD just gave glasnow.
feels like the right way to bolster depth for 2025.
Mets have a dearth of IF talent which has to be appealing to them.
What does a mid season Luzardo or Cabrera trade look like?
luzardo will be expensive (top prospects). if baty and vientos are both hitting, maybe you could get him for a package headlined by 1 of them.
cabrera the cost should be more reasonable, but i think right now similarly 1 of vientos or baty or mauricio would be the price (difference being that right now all 3 are unknowns).
if they could get cabrera for parada, id do that. but im not sure they can.
No chance they get Cabrera for Parada. I couldn't even see Parada headlining a deal. I am hoping the Marlins flounder (pardon the pun) a bit this season, as they do look like a good opportunity for a trade. However, pretty good chance they are close to the Mets.
I wonder if something like Acuna plus Mauricio would do it
but that still could be a tough sell with Mauricio since he's out in 2024 and Acuna's bat is still a question mark.
It's hard making trades like this because the guys the other team is going to want are the guys you don't want to trade and the guys you're willing to get rid of aren't the types that they'll trade somewhat proven young MLB arms for.
RE: I wonder if something like Acuna plus Mauricio would do it
but that still could be a tough sell with Mauricio since he's out in 2024 and Acuna's bat is still a question mark.
It's hard making trades like this because the guys the other team is going to want are the guys you don't want to trade and the guys you're willing to get rid of aren't the types that they'll trade somewhat proven young MLB arms for.
That would likely get it done in a midseason trade. Marlins could use some young IF options besides Arraez. Acuna could play SS, as Anderson is on a 1 year deal. Mauricio could eventually be the 3B, as Berry is not looking good defensively. I don't think the Mets would give up that much. Something more like an Acuna/Parada combo.
feels like the right way to bolster depth for 2025.
Mets have a dearth of IF talent which has to be appealing to them.
What does a mid season Luzardo or Cabrera trade look like?
luzardo will be expensive (top prospects). if baty and vientos are both hitting, maybe you could get him for a package headlined by 1 of them.
cabrera the cost should be more reasonable, but i think right now similarly 1 of vientos or baty or mauricio would be the price (difference being that right now all 3 are unknowns).
if they could get cabrera for parada, id do that. but im not sure they can.
No chance they get Cabrera for Parada. I couldn't even see Parada headlining a deal. I am hoping the Marlins flounder (pardon the pun) a bit this season, as they do look like a good opportunity for a trade. However, pretty good chance they are close to the Mets.
when you hear cabrera, substitute his name for what we think we'd get for peterson or megill. that is about what he's done over the years and with the way the marlins have shopped SP for 2+ years now, if they could have gotten a good return for him by now they would have.
dan had some of the names that were supposedly in the discussions between pittsburgh and miami a few weeks ago when the rumors were a deal was close for cabrera - i am by no means an expert but think they were all generally rated even worse than parada has fallen.
for Luzardo, off one career season with over 100.1 innings pitched, I'd prefer to see if any of the Mets minor leaguers can break out (Vasil, Tidwell, Scott, Hamel, Stuart - even Sproat who is similar in age to all of them). Unlikely but you never know.
in the end though it's probably a trade they'll have to make (or similar).
for Luzardo, off one career season with over 100.1 innings pitched, I'd prefer to see if any of the Mets minor leaguers can break out (Vasil, Tidwell, Scott, Hamel, Stuart - even Sproat who is similar in age to all of them). Unlikely but you never know.
in the end though it's probably a trade they'll have to make (or similar).
A trade's gonna have to be made either way withing the next year. Luzardo's my guy. Those 5 (plus Sproat) that you mentioned are key though. We need to find out what they are this year down in the minors.
bummed Matt Rudick hasn't been seen in camp, have to believe his shoulder is still an issue. He was maybe the #1 breakout in the system first half of last season.
The new Mets manager is already showing why he won the interview process over veteran skipper Craig Counsell. Back in November, Mendoza impressed Steve Cohen and David Stearns with his passion and authenticity, and became the team’s first choice to succeed Buck Showalter, as evidenced by Cohen’s low offer to Counsell.
Now at camp, Mendoza is setting a lively, inclusive culture. He takes time to engage players at all levels of the organization.
One morning earlier this week, he stopped minor league reliever Nate Lavender on Lavender’s way to the backfield. "Hey," Mendoza said. "How long have you been doing that little hesitation?"
As Lavender told how he developed his Nestor Cortes-like windup, the manager looked at him with genuine interest and engagement. This is just one of countless such moments that have nearly everyone at camp, from minor league-bound youngsters like Lavender to icons like Darryl Strawberry and Carlos Beltran, impressed with Mendoza’s energy and human touch.
One morning, as I was walking into the clubhouse for media access at 8 a.m., Mendoza was visible in the food room through a door that isn’t typically open. He was a kinetic presence – laughing, backslapping, joking in both English and Spanish. He looked like a person who was exactly where he belonged. Link - ( New Window )
The Mets are also excited about Acuña, acquired last year for Scherzer. Acuña, along with Gilbert and Jett Williams, is one of several highly athletic prospects in camp – a more valuable, versatile type of player to collect than slugging corner guys.
Coaches speak of Acuña as a hardworking young man with strong makeup. They do believe he has work to do with fundamentals, like where to stand on relay plays.
Acuña is also trying to refine his swing decisions, work that was evident within the first handful of spring training games. Mixed in with unwise chasing were more judicious takes, including a few last-second check swings that impressed the staff.
Anthony DiComo
@AnthonyDiComo
Mets pitcher Max Kranick has a left hamstring strain and will "be down a while," per Carlos Mendoza. That takes him out of the fifth starter competition.
In camp? I thought he was back to throwing but haven’t seen him mentioned anywhere.
I have not seen/read a peep about Matt Allan since he has TJ last January. Mike Mayer asked his sources for an update and was unable to get a clear once which prompted him to remove him completely from his top 75 prospects.
And cannot be a good sign (not that we should have expected good signs given the injuries). But almost 14 months he should be throwing off a mound at this camp. It’s so weird to me no one has even asked sterns or any of the other brass about him.
And cannot be a good sign (not that we should have expected good signs given the injuries). But almost 14 months he should be throwing off a mound at this camp. It’s so weird to me no one has even asked sterns or any of the other brass about him.
When we think about projecting ahead to the upcoming season, we usually think team win/loss records, or what individual pitchers and hitters may do. But defense is an important part of those projections too, even if it’s a little harder to model than pitching or hitting. After all: How can you estimate what a team might do for the upcoming season if you don’t include how it might catch the ball, especially in a post-shift world?
Fortunately for us, the best projections do exactly that. To find out, we’ll use the ZiPS projections for 2024 combined with FanGraphs’ manually curated depth charts, which provide an estimated playing time at each position and positionally adjust for difficulty, which is to say that it’s more valuable to be a good shortstop than it is to be a good first baseman or left fielder. Finally, we’ll take the proportion of a player’s time expected to be at DH and remove it from the projections, because while that might matter for a player’s overall value, it doesn’t do us much good when we’re only looking at fielding.
of the spotlight entirely. just let him work his way back in extended ST once everyone associated with the big club (specifically the media) since he's likely got a pretty low innings limit after so much time off any way.
that martino article dmm posted is full of good stuff
Drew Gilbert stands out
Now to the field, where no player has captured attention in the early games like Gilbert. The outfielder, acquired by Eppler and Cohen along with corner INF/OF prospect Ryan Clifford last July for Verlander, has an electric skill set and a precocious approach at the plate.
Like Daniel Murphy, a fellow left-handed hitter, Gilbert tries to pull the ball until he is in a two-strike count, then shortens up and aims to use the whole field. The most impressive at-bat of early camp came Tuesday when Gilbert batted with the bases loaded, fell behind 0-2, and fought off a slider into left field to drive in two runs.
Defensively, the former pitcher has flashed what one evaluator calls a "plus to double-plus arm." He has the speed for center field and the arm for right field. That’s a good problem to have.
i was meh on gilbert when they got him from houston, but that seems pretty wrong. sounds a lot like brett gardner, and also like he's going to be the first guy at cuse pushing for the call up.
Quote:
Carlos Beltran’s meaningful role
Beltran has been watching closely and offering detailed feedback to players like Mark Vientos, Brett Baty, and anyone who asks. He is an important elder statesman to Francisco Lindor, as Lindor continues his adjustment to life as a highly-paid New York star. Beltran has been there, and Lindor looks to him with great admiration.
Mendoza wants Beltran around the major league club far more than Showalter did. Last summer, Eppler sent Beltran to work with and evaluate minor leaguers. This year, Beltran will have a significant presence around the Mets, especially on the road, where opportunities to engage in deep conversations with players are easier to come by.
perfect role for beltran, also interesting buck didnt want him around big club.
Quote:
Pitching overconfidence?
The Mets' front office genuinely believes that it has built a playoff-caliber team capable of winning at least the 84-ish games that publicly available metrics like Baseball Prospectus’ PECOTA projections have them winning. I was with them, because of how easy it is to sleep on their excellent defense and run prevention. Maybe I still am.
But the loss of Kodai Senga for a few months exposed real issues with rotation depth, according to outside evaluators.
Without access to the Mets’ internal data, it’s hard to analyze their optimism with the ideal level of specificity. But it doesn’t take a genius to see that Luis Severino and Sean Manaea are additions that carry both upside and downside. Adrian Houser, another newcomer, looked so-so at best in his first Grapefruit League outing.
We’ve long since seen the pros and cons of Tylor Megill, Joey Lucchesi and the rehabbing David Peterson. The Mets have a few pitching prospects who project to be solid big leaguers, but need to draft and/or trade for more pitching upside in the coming years.
Sorry to end on a downer. There really are good vibes at Mets camp, and the team is extremely fortunate to have the smart and accessible pitching coach Jeremy Hefner leading the staff. But they do seem more exposed on pitching than they are willing to acknowledge.
was looking at Brett Gardner a few days ago randomly... somehow he posted 48 DRS over a 2 year span.. 48! lol
some historical DRS stuff is very wonky so its not always trustworthy.
a few years ago they published an article about how at like 1/3 of stadiums, the tape feeds they were using had a delay, which made them grade a bunch of players worse than they should over a span of years. i dont think they went back and re-graded but when they adjusted that 1 component of the grade to a more default measure all those players numbers changed.
defensive stats are still new enough that i think their are big refinements they make each year that make them better, but when you go far enough into the past the numbers before those refinements end up being apples/oranges. directionally im sure they are still close enough (gardner was a good fielder) but whether or not he was better than whoever has the best recent DRS numbers? kind of impossible to say even though it's in theory the same metric.
be clear, my Gardner comment had nothing to with Drew Gilbert, I was looking for something else and noticed Gardner's DRS and I almost couldn't believe it.
be clear, my Gardner comment had nothing to with Drew Gilbert, I was looking for something else and noticed Gardner's DRS and I almost couldn't believe it.
i cant remember who it was but i saw someone else who had a total like that recently too. i think it was a 1b when i was looking up alonso or something and it was so far beyond belief i thought of the article about their video mistake.
with nyy. last year there were only 6 players at any position +17 or better, so color me skeptical any 1b can ever be one of the top 10 best defensive players in mlb.
SNY
@SNYtv
Carlos Mendoza talks more about Max Kranick's injury:
"Feel for the kid, after battling Tommy John and working really hard to get back on the mound. With the two innings that we saw the other day, we were encouraged with his velo."
Fujinami hasn’t been around the team due to a family matter and a potential visa issue. Manager Carlos Mendoza told the media that he was told the issue was resolved and that the right-hander is expected to be back with the team this week.
As for how long the Mets expect Fujinami will need to get ready to play in a spring training game, they won’t know until he arrives.
“He’s been telling us he’s been doing bullpen while he’s down there but we have to put our eyes on it,” Mendoza said. “He’ll have to throw a bullpen or two, live BP, before we see him in games. And then we’ll go from there. The thing is we have to get him here and start his build-up.”
Sign Jon Duplantier. Back in 2018 he was Arizona’s #1 prospect . Shoulder problems zapped him of his already below average velocity. Organizational filler at almost 30 but still zero risk
Speaking of this anyone remember Bill Pechora as aNYM? Particularly when he tried to throw the ball to first base circa 1992and it flopped out his hand like a toddler and went about 4 ftinto the ground? Ahhh so many good Mets seasons to talk about.
Speaking of this anyone remember Bill Pechora as aNYM? Particularly when he tried to throw the ball to first base circa 1992and it flopped out his hand like a toddler and went about 4 ftinto the ground? Ahhh so many good Mets seasons to talk about.
Sweet Jesus why is it so hard to not have text errors on this message board via a tablet?
BILL PECOTA
nice puff piece on nimmo taking on a leadership role
the emotional fan part of me really hopes the team starts strong because i think almost as much as stearns wants to see what he has with the young vets like baty/vientos, he wants to see the core group show they can match their headlines and play winning baseball here (nimmo, alonso, mcneil, lindor etc).
the emotional fan part of me really hopes the team starts strong because i think almost as much as stearns wants to see what he has with the young vets like baty/vientos, he wants to see the core group show they can match their headlines and play winning baseball here (nimmo, alonso, mcneil, lindor etc).
if not it wouldnt shock me if they contemplate moving more than just alonso if they can get value. Brandon Nimmo takes up Mets team bonding role in footsteps of Max Scherzer, ex-vets - ( New Window )
Never ina million years did I think Nimmo would become a leader. Great to see him embracing it.
Baty needs a stron tart, mentally, more than anyone. But he looks so stiff with his swing this spring. I’m afraid it won’t click early enough for him
And everyone is probably sick of hearing it, but this will become Álvarez team before you know it.
is practically the only person left in major league baseball who runs to first base on a walk.
it's one of the first things you're taught in little league yet today you have guys who walk, stand at home plate, stare at the pitcher a little, take in the attention for their feat, and slowly take their armor off and leave it at home plate for some bat boy to pick up and then they maybe lightly jog to first base. Sometimes I think there should be a clock on that like the pitch clock. You have 10 seconds from the time the ump says ball 4 to reach first base or it changes to an out.
maybe you couldn't see a "rah rah" guy, but if that doesn't scream leadership not sure what you were looking for - maybe just more by example than words.
a lot easier being confident they will get this going in the right direction with stearns here since he did it effectively in milwaukee. Notes from inside the Mets’ pitching lab: ‘It looks like a pitcher’s playground’ - ( New Window )
This is one of the bigger story lines of the season that no one will talk about. We'll see what pitchers seemingly develop out of no where in the minors this year.
Tim Healey
@timbhealey
Luis Severino's line against the Cardinals: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.
He threw 30 pitches (18) strikes and reached 97.8 mph with his fastball.
Sevy is the key player to the season for me, due to the wide variance in outcomes for him. If he is what he was last year, Mets could be in for a poor season. If he gets back to what he was before the season, the Mets should be a playoff team.
This is a very encouraging sign against much of the Cardinals normal lineup
on twitter. 2-0 count off liberatore. Mike Mayer @mikemayer22 · 2m Impressive home run by Mark Vientos through the wind. - ( New Window )
My favorite part of the HR (at least the video on SNY I watched) was that the announcers were talking about how the Mets hadn't gotten a "real" DH yet. Then Vientos jacks one.
on twitter. 2-0 count off liberatore. Mike Mayer @mikemayer22 · 2m Impressive home run by Mark Vientos through the wind. - ( New Window )
My favorite part of the HR (at least the video on SNY I watched) was that the announcers were talking about how the Mets hadn't gotten a "real" DH yet. Then Vientos jacks one.
friend I speak to strongly thinks Tidwell ends up in the pen but thinks he could be a very good RP. Maybe not a closer but a good 7th-8th inning type, reminds him of ex-Met Addison Reed (who yes, was a closer for part of his career)
friend I speak to strongly thinks Tidwell ends up in the pen but thinks he could be a very good RP. Maybe not a closer but a good 7th-8th inning type, reminds him of ex-Met Addison Reed (who yes, was a closer for part of his career)
Yup I'm going off a few innings I saw in person last year and his couple innings now but he has major league offerings. Depending on how the season goes I wonder if he they would call him up and try him in the pen late in the year if he is near any type of innings limit.
Since he’s being discussed, and most will look at the boxscore and wonder why the praise…
Strikes out a good hitter in Walker - Navaerez misses it, and a lazy chase and throw
Next batter 3-2 weak single inches over Lindor glove
Next batter bunts, 2b terrible job and late covering 1b
Next batter good first pitch single for a ribbie
Crazy Goldschmidt play next, they get the out…
Some great off speed pitches to K a good hitter in Gorman
Fools Arenado with an outside fastball for the K
What’s that, seven batters. Some real MLers. One routine single.
Not bad for an A baller
tip of the hat to Walker driving a down and away pitch to the gap in LCF. Should have been a double, bobble he gets to third.
Removed, and gervase gives up a soft bloop over 3b - so an "earned run" against Tidwell. Though, he would have scored anyway on gervase second hit allowed. Which was an incredibly weak grounder that barely made it up the middle lol
@mets have released LHP Angel Alfonseca. Alfonseca signed 3/20. He made 16 appearances in 2023 across 2 levels posting a 4.88 era with a whopping 25 walks over 27.2 innings #Mets
statcast posted vientos homer at 105.5mph off 94.5mph pitch
lindor's double was 110mph off the bat
marte had a 100mph ground out
clifford got an 8th inning at bat and hit a 106mph ground out
jeremiah jackson hardest hit ball of the game, 110.6 mph single in the 9th
severino peaked at 97.8 mph.
tidwell led mets with 7 swings/misses, peaked at 96.6mph.
Anthony DiComo
@AnthonyDiComo
Infielder Joey Wendle is dealing with some right shoulder soreness, but he's been building back up and should make his spring debut toward the end of next week.
out of all the guys who had quiet markets chapman surprises me the least i think. so much value in his defense, offense looks better than it is bc he has a lot of swing miss (he's hit in the .220s with a near 30% k-rate if you combine his last 3 years).
that is not a great profile to age well 31+. so i think he got what is ultimately a fair contract.
The Athletic
@TheAthletic
Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. will have his sore right knee examined Monday after an MRI on Friday revealed irritation around the meniscus in his knee.
David O'Brien
@DOBrienATL
Now updated with quotes from Snitker, including: “Right now we’re trying to be optimistic. ... But honestly, I don’t know until we get what the doctor out there says.”
Perez has best pitcher in baseball upside. I'm not saying he gets there but that kind of ceiling.
-Mason Miller touched 103 yesterday.
totally agree re eury. pure stuff he may be the best sp in mlb. if there was a draft of every SP in mlb not sure id take anyone over him. upside just too high.
honestly probably has a fair reason since he's in a walk year.
chapman obviously better defensively but jdd improved a lot last year (sucked by DRS but +6 OAA) and offensively there may not be 2 more comparable players.
i would think they will find ways to get both plenty of at bats, just hurts JDD to not be able to try to stand up his defensive improvements last year. his bat is a lot less valuable if he's not considered a competent every day defensive 3b.
Cole needs to chillax. That Vogey HR was a moonshot and yea I know he slightly flipped his bat and had a fist pump around the bases but guys a good dude and knows he could be getting to his end in this league. Let the guy have his moment.
tweet mets cut all these players from major league camp (no surprises IMO)
• C Kevin Parada
• INF Jett Williams
• INF Luisangel Acuña
• OF Drew Gilbert
• RHP Christian Scott
• RHP Mike Vasil
• RHP Eric Orze
• RHP Cam Robinson
• LHP Danny Young
• LHP Kolton Ingram
Cole needs to chillax. That Vogey HR was a moonshot and yea I know he slightly flipped his bat and had a fist pump around the bases but guys a good dude and knows he could be getting to his end in this league. Let the guy have his moment.
You’re frickin Gerrit Cole.
yea i mean especially given all the soto shuffle talk last week. vogelbach is on a st invite trying to earn a job hes entitled to some small celebration.
LOL, Snell and Montgomery are saying the same thing now.
Good for Wheeler. He proved a lot fo people wrong. I was always a doubter myself.
i thought aj burnett was a fair best case. didnt think he'd end up best pitcher in mlb.
crazy irony that the guy who had the most health complications of the 5 aces went on to have the most durable career. it is very mets that the moron gm who let him walk took shots at him on the way out the door.
@mets have released 2 RHP's. RHP Jose Gomez (signed 11/2021) posted a 4.67 era with the organization with 50 k's over 44.1 innings finishing his 2023 with @stluciemets and RHP Brawny Reyes (signed 7/2021) 9.25 era over 27 appearances, most recently @stluciemets #Mets
Wilpon story that still upsets them but for me its def not giving Wheeler the 5 year 118 Philly gave him in 2020.
He wanted to be here so who knows maybe he would have accepted a lower AAV.
Cohen would have done 24M a year for 5. One last EFFU by the cheapskates.
the worst part of that was that wheeler had repeatedly said publicly he was willing to extend early (so it would have been a lot cheaper than that if they'd extended him in say 2019 offseason)
AND
they traded for stroman in 2019 as a "replacement" and ended up scheduled to pay him 12m in 2020 and paying him 19m in 2021 (so basically 1/3 of the Wheeler contract).
so they traded for a total jerk who wasnt as good as wheeler and paid him not that far off from what Wheeler made on the philly deal. just ridiculously stupid and predictable decisions we all hated at the time.
@ProspectsLive Top 100 #34 Jett Williams, #48 Drew Gilbert, #78 Christian Scott, #87 Luisangel Acuña
Healey-
Choi and Voit both said they have opt-outs in their contracts around the end of camp, which is common for experienced players on minor-league contracts.
A handful of Grapefruit League games isn’t enough to tip the scales in anybody’s favor, and Mets officials have said they don’t want to rely on exhibition performance. The righthanded-hitting Voit and lefthanded-hitting Choi had track records of offensive success until last year, when their struggles coincided with a solid run from the lefty-hitting Stewart.
“[Defensive versatility] matters, but it comes down to the whole 13 position players,” Mendoza said last week. “Who’s breaking camp with us? Who provides what? There’s a lot of different routes that we could go here. We’re still early in camp. I’m pretty sure we’ll start having these conversations as we move forward in the next couple of weeks. Again, we decide to go with versatility, defense or we’re looking for a lefty bat, righty bat — not sure where we’re going to be at when we’re having these conversations. A lot goes into it.”
Wilpon story that still upsets them but for me its def not giving Wheeler the 5 year 118 Philly gave him in 2020.
He wanted to be here so who knows maybe he would have accepted a lower AAV.
Cohen would have done 24M a year for 5. One last EFFU by the cheapskates.
the worst part of that was that wheeler had repeatedly said publicly he was willing to extend early (so it would have been a lot cheaper than that if they'd extended him in say 2019 offseason)
AND
they traded for stroman in 2019 as a "replacement" and ended up scheduled to pay him 12m in 2020 and paying him 19m in 2021 (so basically 1/3 of the Wheeler contract).
so they traded for a total jerk who wasnt as good as wheeler and paid him not that far off from what Wheeler made on the philly deal. just ridiculously stupid and predictable decisions we all hated at the time.
just the worst. A clearly awful decision at the time, which only gets worse every year.
there were some INCREDIBLE pics taken with an old school camera this weekend. Not sure what the plan is, but hoping they use them in one way shape or form.
At a minimum, I hope a reporter can nab a few and post them.
nypost.com/2024/03/05/spo… On Post+, imagine if you were told in '17 what Wheeler would become - and how much he was going to earn. Also: Max Kranick received a 4th option (valuable to NYM), so I got the list of everyone in MLB who received 1. Diekman on Rays pitching magic. More
Also just random but saw Megill on the mound today against Yanks. Think this one is being televised
The team claims they believe he has enough time to be ready for OD. That being said if they feel he’s behind he does have 3 options left so they likely aren’t going to force it. He should be ready but if he’s not it won’t be by much.
Bob Nightengale
@BNightengale
The Boston Red Sox, who have engaged in discussions with agent Scott Boras about free agent starter Jordan Montgomery, now will be without starter Lucas Giolito to start the season. Giolito will undergo tests to determine discomfort in his elbow, manager Alex Cora announces.
Jeff Passan
@JeffPassan
Brutal news: Initial imaging showed Boston Red Sox starter Lucas Giolito likely has a partially torn UCL and flexor strain and could miss the 2024 season, league sources tell ESPN. Giolito, who signed a two-year deal with Boston, may need surgery to repair the right-elbow damage.
Jeff Passan
@JeffPassan
Brutal news: Initial imaging showed Boston Red Sox starter Lucas Giolito likely has a partially torn UCL and flexor strain and could miss the 2024 season, league sources tell ESPN. Giolito, who signed a two-year deal with Boston, may need surgery to repair the right-elbow damage.
there is going to be a march on fenway if they dont sign montgomery now, but i wonder if now they feel even less incentive to do it?
giolito probably not even going to be ready for OD next year.
Bob Nightengale
@BNightengale
St. Louis Cardinals ace Sonny Gray has mild hamstring strain, John Mozeliak tells reporters in Cardinals' camp.
He originally was announced as their opening-day starter against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but now likely will open the season on the IL.
Zack Scott
@ZackScottSports
Hopefully, the changes to stuff (especially SL) didn't push the ligament over the edge. Sometimes optimizing stuff doesn't align with optimal health. Worth keeping an eye on as the Sox change their pitching infrastructure and may be eager to see impactful gains. #RedSox
looks like today may be worth trying to catch on ESPN
im trying to get in the first hour or so and if i do ill post anything interesting here. im sure most of it will be same as whatever hits twitter anyway.
megill with a good first going - alvarez just made a good throw on
volpe stole base attempt, ball hit him in the leg before he got to the back - he slid feet first so lindor stayed behind his path to avoid getting cleated but in a real game i think he gets in front and probably catches the ball right on runner's leg.
megill hit 95 and got 3 swings and misses (2 k's were grisham and pereira).
Giants' Tristan Beck Won't Throw For Eight Weeks; Sean Hjelle Diagnosed With Elbow Sprain
Another injury for a high-end player came to light Monday. Blue Jays ace Kevin Gausman apparently has shoulder fatigue.
this was a clip from sny yesterday, with wheeler extending and some rumors baltimore could have the $ to extend burnes after the season everyone is finally starting to realize there may not be better starters to sign next year too. if fried extends the market could be almost empty. https://x.com/SNYtv/status/1764810558795329937?s=20 - ( New Window )
lindor a 96 mph double off the wall to drive in nimmo,
he got on with a 97 mph double,
vientos and bader each had hard outs (100mph ground out, 97 mph fly out). vientos had a 54% hit probability and would have driven in a run without a nice play by volpe.
megill up to 10 swings/misses but not facing many regulars. 3 innings, 6 k's, 0 hits allowed.
For every SP that’s off next years market,mits also one less team looking to replace a top,pitcher they lost.
Injuries and this year…
We are a few weeks into spring.
How many teams woke up today and changed their mind. Suddenly they are willing to overpay dollars and years?
Sure,mifnyoure a mil a year apart.
Or a year.
And you lose a top SP.
And still have the room in payroll
And the roster spot
like to see that. vientos a 94.7mph flyball out. i have no issues with however long the leash is on both of them this year, the talent is there to do damage if they can adjust to mlb pitching.
like to see that. vientos a 94.7mph flyball out. i have no issues with however long the leash is on both of them this year, the talent is there to do damage if they can adjust to mlb pitching.
Vientos has looked so comfortable all spring.
And Baty has looked so stiff and pressing. That HR the other day might have been like a balloon releasing all that pressure.
Both kids just being adequate would be such a huge boost for the franchise.
Bob Nightengale
@BNightengale
·
Yoshinobu Yamamoto struggles with control in his second outing with the Dodgers:
3 innings
6 hits
5 runs
5 earned runs
3 walks
4 strikeouts
58 pitches
Pham reportedly hasn't received a single offer, I don't see how Boras has anything to do with him. More likely, teams concerned with his off-field fit (and I like Pham).
As spring training progresses, Tommy Pham has not yet received an offer from a major league team.
At 36, Pham is looking to start his 11th season. Since 2018, he has played for seven teams, including stints with the Cardinals, Rays, Padres, Reds, Red Sox, Mets, and most recently, the Arizona Diamondbacks.
In the 2023 postseason, Pham had two 4-hit games, one against the Dodgers in the NLDS and another against the Rangers in the World Series. He has a career .313 batting average in playoff games.
But, despite his experience in October, and ability to play anywhere in the outfield, Pham has been sitting patiently in his house in Las Vegas, working out, and still waiting for some team to send him an offer, per ESPN.
The Rays signed Amed Rosario for $1.5 million.. he homered off Paul Skenes on Monday. Homered again today and added a double and a single. Two of the batted balls had EVs of 102 mph and 103.2 mph.
As spring training progresses, Tommy Pham has not yet received an offer from a major league team.
At 36, Pham is looking to start his 11th season. Since 2018, he has played for seven teams, including stints with the Cardinals, Rays, Padres, Reds, Red Sox, Mets, and most recently, the Arizona Diamondbacks.
In the 2023 postseason, Pham had two 4-hit games, one against the Dodgers in the NLDS and another against the Rangers in the World Series. He has a career .313 batting average in playoff games.
But, despite his experience in October, and ability to play anywhere in the outfield, Pham has been sitting patiently in his house in Las Vegas, working out, and still waiting for some team to send him an offer, per ESPN.
I'd sign him to a 1-year deal. He can backup at all three OF positions. You just KNOW that the new CF is gonna be out a lot---he always is. Marte is also a question mark health-wise. The Mets could get him ABs as well at DH occasionally. He can start 3 or 4 days a week here easily and come off the bench in late innings as a defensive replacement, punch hitter, or pinch runner. Pretty valuable gut to have IMO. He was excellent here last season. Go get him back.
The Rays signed Amed Rosario for $1.5 million.. he homered off Paul Skenes on Monday. Homered again today and added a double and a single. Two of the batted balls had EVs of 102 mph and 103.2 mph.
i think that is going to end up best signing of offseason.
Mike Mayer
@mikemayer22
Roster is updated. The first one put out incorrectly by MLB had Yovanny Rodriguez. The third catcher will be Ronald Hernandez. Right-hander Blade Tidwell is on the roster.
Kiley McDaniel
@kileymcd
Right-hander Brayan Bello and the Boston Red Sox are in agreement on a six-year, $55 million contract extension that includes a seventh-year club option for $21 million, sources tell ESPN.
Who are scouts saying “they may have something there” about? — Doug B.
Will: Two relievers each generated multiple votes from three scouts who have watched the Mets in spring training: Sean Reid-Foley and Yohan Ramírez. Both players are on the 40-man roster and cannot be optioned to the minors. The Mets appear to have two openings in their bullpen; both pitchers are among the contenders vying for the spots.
Reid-Foley picked up where he left off late last season and has continued to rack up strikeouts (six in three scoreless innings), leaning on his fastball. Ramírez has impressed evaluators with his 97 mph fastball. The Mets acquired him in December for cash from the Chicago White Sox.
Elsewhere, many people in the industry loved the one-year deal for Luis Severino, who has looked sharp. Inside the Mets’ clubhouse, Shintaro Fujinami intrigued a couple of veteran pitchers because of his velocity; he’s set to pitch in a game for the first time this spring on Thursday. Link - ( New Window )
Here's the Mets' Spring Breakout roster with MLB Pipeline's rankings:
PITCHERS
Brandon Sproat, RHP, No. 13
Dominic Hamel, RHP, No. 14
Tyler Stuart, RHP, No. 18
Nolan McLean, RHP, No. 19
Calvin Ziegler, RHP, No. 22
Paul Gervase, RHP, NR
Daniel Juarez, LHP, NR
Wilkin Ramos, RHP, NR
Ben Simon, RHP, NR
CATCHERS
Kevin Parada, C, No. 9
Yovanny Rodriguez, C, No. 17
Vincent Perozo, C, NR
INFIELDERS
Jett Williams, SS, No. 1 (MLB No. 45)
Luisangel Acuña, SS, No. 3 (MLB No. 66)
Colin Houck, SS, No. 7
Marco Vargas, INF, No. 8
Jeremy Rodriguez, SS, No. 12
Jacob Reimer, 3B, No. 15
Jesus Baez, SS, No. 21
William Lugo, INF, NR
Junior Tilien, INF, NR
OUTFIELDERS
Drew Gilbert, OF, No. 2 (MLB No. 53)
Ryan Clifford, OF, No. 4 (MLB No. 97)
Alex Ramírez, OF, No. 16
Nick Morabito, OF, No. 26
Rhylan Thomas, OF, No. 30
13. New York Mets
Top 100 Prospects: 2
Notable Stars: Jett Williams, Drew Gilbert, Ryan Clifford, Luisangel Acuña, Colin Houck, Jeremy Rodriguez, Alex Ramirez, Blade Tidwell, Kevin Parada.
Intrigue Factor: 60
While the Mets only have two Top 100 Prospects on the roster, it’s a deep group with a handful of players on the periphery of the Top 100. Jett Williams and Drew Gilbert provide star power with well-known names like Alex Ramirez, Kevin Parada, Colin Houck, Luisangel Acuña and others behind them. The pitching lacks depth but there’s plenty of stuff in the mix and a few guys who can light up radar guns.
pretty surprising stearns wasnt willing to beat a minor league deal post-senga injury. id imagine that says all we need to know about how he views lauer.
Joe now works for SNY, this answer is probably pretty welling re Matt Allan
“ There is a chance he pitches some time in the second half this year off his Tommy John revision. If he doesn’t, he will be 6 years between pitching in a professional game.”
Not welling. Unfortunately, it appears Matt Allan’s career is probably over before it started. You never know but I’m not expecting to see him ever pitch for the Mets
some good ones this year. here are his projections for potential extensions around mlb including some for mets - i think an alvarez extension happens in-season:
Alvarez:
Extension projection: Eight years, $96 million
Alsono:
Extension Projection: Seven years, $190 million
Burnes:
Extension projection: Eight years, $260 million
Soto:
Extension Projection: 14 years, $540 million
Bregman:
Extension projection: Seven years, $210 million
Fried:
Extension projection: Seven years, $195 million
i dont hate that idea at all. putting him #2 with lindor and alonso right behind is the best 3 run producers collectively together and gives nimmo more chances with runners on base.
i also dont hate that as the #1-3. but if marte is getting on base and healthy, hitting him 1st should give those 3 more run producing opportunities. mcneil could be another sneaky candidate for leadoff, but id actually like him better 2nd in between nimmo/lindor i think.
RE: mendoza talking about maybe moving nimmo out of leadoff
i dont hate that idea at all. putting him #2 with lindor and alonso right behind is the best 3 run producers collectively together and gives nimmo more chances with runners on base.
i also dont hate that as the #1-3. but if marte is getting on base and healthy, hitting him 1st should give those 3 more run producing opportunities. mcneil could be another sneaky candidate for leadoff, but id actually like him better 2nd in between nimmo/lindor i think.
He added Nimmo will leadoff if everyone is healthy
Mike Puma
@NYPost_Mets
Carlos Mendoza acknowledged he had "informal" conversations with Brandon Nimmo at the start of camp about potentially moving in the batting order but added: "If everybody is healthy Nimmo will be in the leadoff spot."
Early season hesitancy and stiffness are now healthy aggressive hacks
Vientos still looks so comfortable, need these kids!!
vientos 2/3 with 3 hard hit balls. 99 mph single, 104.9 mph double that traveled 379 feet. another 104.9 mph groundout. 3 of the 4 hardest hit balls in game by any player.
9 swings and misses from manaea who has peaked at 95 mph a few times. also threw 11 sweepers. 4 innings 0 runs, 2 hits.
Early season hesitancy and stiffness are now healthy aggressive hacks
Vientos still looks so comfortable, need these kids!!
vientos 2/3 with 3 hard hit balls. 99 mph single, 104.9 mph double that traveled 379 feet. another 104.9 mph groundout. 3 of the 4 hardest hit balls in game by any player.
9 swings and misses from manaea who has peaked at 95 mph a few times. also threw 11 sweepers. 4 innings 0 runs, 2 hits.
marte with a pretty healthy looking play in RF too (linked). SNY @SNYtv Starling Marte on the move to track this one down in shallow right - ( New Window )
Got an earful for light jog out of the box on his double.
Batt conversely with a heads up hustle to take second on a single
sim Juan with a nice AB !!
Juan and Fanas had deals with the Angels that fell through and Eppler signed them here. Both have been extremely disappointing. Neither are top 30-40 prospects in the system despite their bonuses. At least Juan still has age on his side, Fanas is already 20 and put on significant weight to the point he's no longer even a plus runner.
Holderman was a tjStuff+ standout last season, and he has carried those grades into Spring. His Sweeper has seen a nice bump in effectiveness as he as added a lot more sweep
i dont hate that idea at all. putting him #2 with lindor and alonso right behind is the best 3 run producers collectively together and gives nimmo more chances with runners on base.
i also dont hate that as the #1-3. but if marte is getting on base and healthy, hitting him 1st should give those 3 more run producing opportunities. mcneil could be another sneaky candidate for leadoff, but id actually like him better 2nd in between nimmo/lindor i think.
I love it. I think Nimmo would excel in the 2-hole. Question is, who’s leading off?
JDD is nothing special but he posted 2.2 fWAR, 104 wRC+ with 18 homers in 2023. Gotta wonder if his comments indicating he was upset with the Chapman signing had an impact here.
JDD is nothing special but he posted 2.2 fWAR, 104 wRC+ with 18 homers in 2023. Gotta wonder if his comments indicating he was upset with the Chapman signing had an impact here.
100%. he is entering his first FA year. he wants to play 3b every day. even a 2 year 20m contract would be life changing money for him/family. his career earnings over roughly a decade before this season were 11m.
mlbtr wrote up a pretty good explainer on how the SFG may be trying to screw JDD and a bunch of SFG beats are calling the team out over it.
it's pretty crazy to me that the MLBPA allowed a rule like this to screw guys who actually went to ARB and won.
Quote:
Marty Lurie
@baseballmarty
Somehow the JD Davis move doesn’t sit well with me..he goes to arbitration over 390K..wins a hearing..Giants can now release him and because he won the hearing they are only on the hook for a small portion of his salary..trade him and eat some of the contract so his 💰 is secure
Guy and really overachieved defensively when with the Mets. Hope he gets picked up somewhere, wonder if Houston would consider bringing him back since Abreu is always a question mark.
MARCH 8: The Mariners and right-hander Ryne Stanek have agreed to deal, reports Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. It will be a $4MM guarantee for Stanek, per Feinsand, with $2MM in bonuses also available. Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports that the MVP Sports Group client will report to Peoria tomorrow to take his physical and sign the contract. Divish also relays that it will be a one-year deal. The Mariners will need to make a corresponding 40-man roster move whenever the Stanek deal becomes official.
His agent? He took a chance, and got burnt. It’s 100% legal.
And I’d be highly surprised if a team claims him at $7mm. Which if they don’t, Giants are proven correctly that no other team in MLB thinks he’s worth seven mil either.
But if someone claims him, he gets paid and has no grievance.
Doesn’t end well for him. He will be awfully vocal about it. And no one will offer him much next year either…
Craig Mish
@CraigMish
Marlins starter Edward Cabrera left today’s game during warmups with what the club is calling right shoulder tightness. Calling it precautionary. All of a sudden the names Ryan Weathers and Max Meyer become way more important than they were 90 minutes ago.
Apparently Bauer pitched for a team,against the Dodgers minor leaguer.
Then puffs his chest..l. Once a douche…
@BNightengale
Trevor Bauer after dominating Dodgers minor leaguers in 3 innings: ‘Hopefully people will remember I’m still one of the best pitchers in the world.’
His agent? He took a chance, and got burnt. It’s 100% legal.
And I’d be highly surprised if a team claims him at $7mm. Which if they don’t, Giants are proven correctly that no other team in MLB thinks he’s worth seven mil either.
But if someone claims him, he gets paid and has no grievance.
Doesn’t end well for him. He will be awfully vocal about it. And no one will offer him much next year either…
from the mlbtr post i linked:
Davis might well have grounds for a grievance if the Giants try this tactic, as he has been tearing it up at the plate in Spring Training, and could therefore argue that he isn’t being released “for failure to exhibit sufficient skill or competitive ability,” as detailed in the CBA wording.
MARCH 8: The Mariners and right-hander Ryne Stanek have agreed to deal, reports Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. It will be a $4MM guarantee for Stanek, per Feinsand, with $2MM in bonuses also available. Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports that the MVP Sports Group client will report to Peoria tomorrow to take his physical and sign the contract. Divish also relays that it will be a one-year deal. The Mariners will need to make a corresponding 40-man roster move whenever the Stanek deal becomes official.
Apparently Bauer pitched for a team,against the Dodgers minor leaguer.
Then puffs his chest..l. Once a douche…
@BNightengale
Trevor Bauer after dominating Dodgers minor leaguers in 3 innings: ‘Hopefully people will remember I’m still one of the best pitchers in the world.’
What a douche. Would still be the best pitcher on the Mets.
were smart they would sign Bauer. Just add a bunch of conduct clauses to the contract.
I find the people who are so supportive of cancel culture are in most cases worse than the people being canceled. No one can tell me what Bauer did, other than he's a douche. the one accusation I saw was very clearly and without a doubt debunked via provable facts.
were smart they would sign Bauer. Just add a bunch of conduct clauses to the contract.
I find the people who are so supportive of cancel culture are in most cases worse than the people being canceled. No one can tell me what Bauer did, other than he's a douche. the one accusation I saw was very clearly and without a doubt debunked via provable facts.
Agreed, and you may be able to get him relatively cheap
were smart they would sign Bauer. Just add a bunch of conduct clauses to the contract.
I find the people who are so supportive of cancel culture are in most cases worse than the people being canceled. No one can tell me what Bauer did, other than he's a douche. the one accusation I saw was very clearly and without a doubt debunked via provable facts.
Your perspective is noted, but let's not beat around the bush. Suggesting we just slap some 'conduct clauses' on Bauer and call it a day is missing the forest for the trees.
My take on accountability isn't about cancel culture; it's about not excusing or glossing over actions that clearly cross the line.
If standing up for basic decency and respect makes me 'worse' in your eyes, I'll wear that badge with honor.
were smart they would sign Bauer. Just add a bunch of conduct clauses to the contract.
I find the people who are so supportive of cancel culture are in most cases worse than the people being canceled. No one can tell me what Bauer did, other than he's a douche. the one accusation I saw was very clearly and without a doubt debunked via provable facts.
Your perspective is noted, but let's not beat around the bush. Suggesting we just slap some 'conduct clauses' on Bauer and call it a day is missing the forest for the trees.
My take on accountability isn't about cancel culture; it's about not excusing or glossing over actions that clearly cross the line.
If standing up for basic decency and respect makes me 'worse' in your eyes, I'll wear that badge with honor.
You are entitled to your opinion, but I have asked you multiple times to share the actions that led you to form your opinion and you never do or you reply with vagaries or innuendo.
Tell me what he did, why you feel so honorable to draw the line at this guy for a team that brought Jose Reyes back after domestic violence.
I respect you tremendously as a poster here. And we all agree that Bauer the pitcher is/was great. But we differ on our view of him as a person and fit.
Let’s just agree that we disagree and move on. I’ll try not to give my opinions of him moving forward, and please call me out if/when I do again.
Just wish we could fast forward a few weeks to opening day already.
to see if Fujinami's late start and struggles = an excuse for him to open in Syracuse.Lucchesi apparently being "behind" probably closes the door on him winning a rotation spot (so he too could open in Syracuse). Didn't see Mendoza speaking on it but the written quote made it sound like they may be a bit annoyed with him.
I respect you tremendously as a poster here. And we all agree that Bauer the pitcher is/was great. But we differ on our view of him as a person and fit.
Let’s just agree that we disagree and move on. I’ll try not to give my opinions of him moving forward, and please call me out if/when I do again.
Just wish we could fast forward a few weeks to opening day already.
Respect is mutual, I think where we differ is I don't care about the people aspect in sports. I decided long ago I would put my own personal morals aside when it came to sports team personnel and allow the league, the law and the team to make the decisions on who to "hire" and represent them. I epitomize "root for laundry". I don't put players on pedestals, I don't expect them to be role models (nor do I care if they are or not) and I don't follow their personal lives except when its plastered in the media.
I found that by growing up loving players like Lawrence Taylor, Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry, Lenny Dykstra, etc. I would have to fight a hypocritical moral fight with myself or continually create a line in pencil that I wouldn't cross and erase it and move it all the time. So, I made it easy on myself.
if the law allows the person to roam free, and the league hasn't suspended the person and my team signs them - good enough for me.
I respect your right to feel differently. And we can move on if you're not comfortable sharing details of why you feel how you feel.
to see if Fujinami's late start and struggles = an excuse for him to open in Syracuse.Lucchesi apparently being "behind" probably closes the door on him winning a rotation spot (so he too could open in Syracuse). Didn't see Mendoza speaking on it but the written quote made it sound like they may be a bit annoyed with him.
Christian Scott, RHP, Mets: One of the biggest breakouts of 2023 was the Mets’ Scott. A reliever over three seasons at Florida, the Mets’ player development looks to have a victory with Scott, who climbed his way from a late start in Low-A early May to Double-A by mid-June. Scott’s four-seam fastball generated one of the highest run values of any fastball in the minor leagues in 2023 with a 16.23 accumulated run value.
Scott generates 6-foot-5 feet of extension, while releasing his fastball from a 5-foot-5 release height. This allows Scott to generate a flatter vertical approach angle (-4.3 degrees) helping his mid-90s fastball to play up. Scott’s primary secondary is a changeup with heavy tumble and fade, helping to change eye levels. He’s also not averse to throwing the pitch right on right. Scott’s breaking balls are fringe with a mid-80s cut-gyro slider that generates limited whiffs against it. Developing a better breaking ball is a major point of emphasis for Scott going forward, as it will define his success as a starter. Link - ( New Window )
I was at the game; pretty cool seeing Sugar jog in from the bullpen with "Narco" blaring...the crowd, even for a spring training game, was really loud when we heard the trumpets.
No runs scored, but seeing Diaz made the trip down from Vero all worth while.
BTW, pretty funny seeing even Nimmo jog to first on ground balls.
At one point, Marte was taking it real slow and someone yelled "run!" We were all like, "no Starling, don't hurt yourself!"
havent caught up on everything because of nfl free agency but i think im understanding correctly based on the rules that a team could in theory manipulate their arb submission low to ensure that a player "wins", and activates their option to dump the player later in ST. if you were planning to eventually consider adding a player at the same position like Chapman but unsure whether or not you'd be able to afford him in the first place, sure seems like something you might do.
i saw a comment from JDD's agent saying that they only made 1 offer to settle, 1 hour before the hearing. obviously it was low because they lost their case.
no matter what this is the type of thing that you would think every agent and player pays attention to because its just exceedingly scummy. feel pretty bad for JDD if he gets screwed out of $6m+. he's already going to have to scramble to find a team mid spring training. i will be rooting for him wherever he ends up this year and against sfg.
Bob Nightengale
@BNightengale
The Yankees, while awaiting news on Gerrit Cole, have re-engaged with the Chicago White Sox and made a new proposal for ace Dylan Cease, but the new offer once again did not include prized outfield prospect Spencer Jones.
Bob Nightengale
@BNightengale
The Yankees, while awaiting news on Gerrit Cole, have re-engaged with the Chicago White Sox and made a new proposal for ace Dylan Cease, but the new offer once again did not include prized outfield prospect Spencer Jones.
assume it would almost have to include dominguez if not jones right?
Bob Nightengale
@BNightengale
The Yankees, while awaiting news on Gerrit Cole, have re-engaged with the Chicago White Sox and made a new proposal for ace Dylan Cease, but the new offer once again did not include prized outfield prospect Spencer Jones.
assume it would almost have to include dominguez if not jones right?
Don't think so/ The Yankees still have a very strong farm. Some combination of Warren, Arias, Hampton, Lalane, Lombard Jr. has to be enticing for the White Sox.
Bob Nightengale
@BNightengale
The Yankees, while awaiting news on Gerrit Cole, have re-engaged with the Chicago White Sox and made a new proposal for ace Dylan Cease, but the new offer once again did not include prized outfield prospect Spencer Jones.
assume it would almost have to include dominguez if not jones right?
Don't think so/ The Yankees still have a very strong farm. Some combination of Warren, Arias, Hampton, Lalane, Lombard Jr. has to be enticing for the White Sox.
if cease gets dealt it will bring back more than the burnes deal since he has the extra year of control. are any of those guys on the level of hall or ortiz?
Arias a top 50-75 prospect in baseball, BA just projected Lalane to be a top 10 prospect in the sport at this time next season. FG's has Hampton #82 prospect in baseball, Will Warren #99
Henry Lalane, LHP, Yankees — Lalane was the best pitching prospect on an absolutely stacked Florida Complex League team. The lefthander complemented a mid-90s fastball with a devastating slider and a potentially plus changeup and tied the mix together with control that could reach plus as well. His present stuff, big-time athleticism and remaining projection could lead to a prospect who fits in the front of a first-division rotation.
Henry Lalane Reaches Triple-A And Becomes A Top 10 Prospect
Prospect buzz has an interesting way of percolating through the baseball world. If you listen and follow people who cover the games at ballparks, they’ll often share what people inside baseball are telling them, and you can pick out the guys that the industry is buzzing about. One of those guys is Henry Lalane, who is universally praised and has the type of profile that can make a huge leap, with enough of a stateside track record to have confidence in the projection. Plus command, with good shape and velo on the fastball, a present breaking ball, and a tall athletic frame all point toward a player with a lot of upside.
given what we know about the white sox ask and the amount burnes brought back with half as much control, a cease return should be very very big.
i would expect a met offer to have to be something like jett, gilbert, mauricio to win. so basically a better return than JV deal with at least 1 extra meaningful piece (mauricio). might even need a 4th piece. i think seidler said the mets burns trade as acuna, scott, houck so im upgrading that with better prospects assuming jett/gilbert would have to be the 2 main pieces with a strong 3rd or 4th piece.
Quote:
Andy Martino
@martinonyc
·
5m
There is a ton of industry chatter today about better offers for Cease from other clubs.
Henry Lalane, LHP, Yankees — Lalane was the best pitching prospect on an absolutely stacked Florida Complex League team. The lefthander complemented a mid-90s fastball with a devastating slider and a potentially plus changeup and tied the mix together with control that could reach plus as well. His present stuff, big-time athleticism and remaining projection could lead to a prospect who fits in the front of a first-division rotation.
Henry Lalane Reaches Triple-A And Becomes A Top 10 Prospect
Prospect buzz has an interesting way of percolating through the baseball world. If you listen and follow people who cover the games at ballparks, they’ll often share what people inside baseball are telling them, and you can pick out the guys that the industry is buzzing about. One of those guys is Henry Lalane, who is universally praised and has the type of profile that can make a huge leap, with enough of a stateside track record to have confidence in the projection. Plus command, with good shape and velo on the fastball, a present breaking ball, and a tall athletic frame all point toward a player with a lot of upside.
That’s an interesting blurb there at the end. I know one old scout, well consultant now. He refuses to read upon or listen to any talk about any of the kids. Instead he likes to show up at Hs, college and lower level games and just observe.
It’s mind blowing how different his opinions are than the “industry”, literally as old school as it comes. Watches warm ups, body language, how they interact etc. wish he’d write a book
and to be clear not saying mets should make that offer
the Yankees are willing to offer and what they can offer are two different matters. Cease had worrisome numbers vs. the AL East in 2023 (one red flag for sure).
I’ll preface that I know absolutely nothing here. But based on experience.
1) why are the Cease rumors out? Who benefits from that leak?
Not Boras, that’s who. It helps the Yanks leverage against the FA pitchers. It helps the Sox drum up Cease interest and raise the stakes. It hurts Biras.
So we know where it DIDNT come from
The Yankees? If they want Snell, makes sense. But no one even knows if Cole is hurt or not. So unless the Yankees know it’s TJS and being proactive with the leak o gain leverage against Sox and Biras,I’m not so sure.
I’d assume this is a Sox leak. To get another team to up the offer as a last ditch effort before waiting till the deadline.
If it was a Yankee leak, it wouldn’t be detailed that it wasn’t enough and other teams have better offers…
He can file, but unlike arb, I don’t think he’s got a shit at winning. And will only piss off the PA and other teams.
There’s a reason so few go to arb. And why the few that go through the process despise it.
Sign your deal, and keep the situation in your memory bank for when FA comes around.
but unless im misunderstanding his agent, they had no deal to sign until less than an hour before the hearing?
i know its probably agent speak but his agent said something to the effect of he had never seen anything like that from a team before.
remember the arb guarantees were new for the players and a win in the last CBA. if there was language put in the CBA to protect players against this exact scenario, and this is almost certainly the first case in the new cba that could test it. I think the PA is going to want to fight this pretty damn hard to make sure it doesnt become a regular occurrence in future years where teams think they can just jam their arb guys risk free last minute on bad deals and if they dont take them they risk their whole salary.
good as Nathan Lavender has looked, I'm kind of surprised how many Mets fans on twitter don't understand that EVERY team in baseball tries to make use of players having options and hoarding arms. The Mets don't have many BP arms with options so that's what is keeping Lavender in AAA to start. You can bet the house there will be injuries and under performance. He'll get his shot and likely pretty early on.
I highly, highly doubt the PA wants to be forced to defend Davis on this
you think? it seems like a gaping loophole against the intent of what they negotiated for in the last CBA. they specifically negotiated to get those arb awards protected.
think about how the wilponzi's would have used this loophole. they would have low balled every single arb player last minute so they could reserve the right to cut for free.
i think at least 1/3 and maybe closer to 2/3's of the leagues current owners are just as cheap as the wilponzis, many cheaper.
I highly, highly doubt the PA wants to be forced to defend Davis on this
you think? it seems like a gaping loophole against the intent of what they negotiated for in the last CBA. they specifically negotiated to get those arb awards protected.
think about how the wilponzi's would have used this loophole. they would have low balled every single arb player last minute so they could reserve the right to cut for free.
i think at least 1/3 and maybe closer to 2/3's of the leagues current owners are just as cheap as the wilponzis, many cheaper.
That’s JDD side of things. And I’d take his views with a big grain of salt. He still thinks he’s a more valuable player than he is.
Where is the grievance? Giants did everything by the book.
Only “manipulation” someone could point at is say they signed JDD in bad faith, knowing they were signing Chapman. . But why pay Davis $1mm when you allegedly knew you were signing him?
The reality is, Giants did nothing out of the ordinary in the arb offer or hearing.
He was shopped, and not one team made an offer to trade for him.
And then as a waiver, not one team valued him at $7mm to pick him up for free.
Those last two are extremely telling positions on his “value”, no? Not one team in baseball, felt he was worth $7mm - how do you argue in a case that the Giants were wrong then?
Why won’t the Pa fight this? Or not want to? One, it’s egg on their face. Two, they’d rather help the Carlenters sign FA deals than protect the JDDs.
12 team, 25 round, 3 keepers. My keepers are Elly, Eury, and Diaz.
Does Wyatt Langford count as a sleeper?
Will Jackson Holliday make the O's out of camp?
James Wood?
I know it's hard to answer but the best sleepers are the guys who will start in the minors but get called up during the year so you can draft them late (like Elly last year. I have him as a 21st round keeper for the next 3 years).
there is a big difference between nobody spending $7m in ST
when they've spent whatever they budgeted over the offseason and nobody spending $7m in November if he'd have gotten non-tendered before all of baseball spent their money. he may not have gotten $7m then but he would have gotten more than $1m and he (likely) would have been able to choose a destination where he could play 3b every day in his walk year.
he was worth 2.2 wins last year and 4 over the last 3 seasons. gallo got 5m and he's been worth less than 1 win each of the last 2 years (and cant play 3b).
again this was a specific thing that was part of the CBA and from MLBTR's reporting there is language in the CBA that is supposed to protect teams from being able to manipulate guaranteed ARB into non-guaranteed by "losing". I cant find the CBA or that exact language anywhere but this seems like a pretty wide reaching issue the PA wouldnt want to become common practice whatever they think of JDD.
RE: there is a big difference between nobody spending $7m in ST
when they've spent whatever they budgeted over the offseason and nobody spending $7m in November if he'd have gotten non-tendered before all of baseball spent their money. he may not have gotten $7m then but he would have gotten more than $1m and he (likely) would have been able to choose a destination where he could play 3b every day in his walk year.
he was worth 2.2 wins last year and 4 over the last 3 seasons. gallo got 5m and he's been worth less than 1 win each of the last 2 years (and cant play 3b).
again this was a specific thing that was part of the CBA and from MLBTR's reporting there is language in the CBA that is supposed to protect teams from being able to manipulate guaranteed ARB into non-guaranteed by "losing". I cant find the CBA or that exact language anywhere but this seems like a pretty wide reaching issue the PA wouldnt want to become common practice whatever they think of JDD.
Everything above, says JD should be able to file a complaint against his agent, not the team
Them the rules, his agent blew it. Thought he’d call Giants bluff, and they didn’t blink.
A better player was signed
If you are worth your salary, a team will keep you or you will sign elsewhere for the same or more.
It sucks, but it’s a business. As fans, we always forget that.
Am I correct in assuming that if he lost his arb case
If so I am not sure what the basis of the claim would be but it’s clearly a massive loophole that the Players Union screwed up on.
the basis of the claim would be this language that is supposedly in the CBA:
Quote:
However, in going to a hearing, Davis could be subject to the CBA clause stating that San Francisco can part ways with him for a prorated portion of his $6.9MM salary. That prorated sum will be 30 days’ worth of termination pay if Davis is released earlier than 16 days prior to the start of the Giants’ season (their first game is on March 28), and 45 days’ worth of pay if he is released after that 16-day checkpoint. Davis might well have grounds for a grievance if the Giants try this tactic, as he has been tearing it up at the plate in Spring Training, and could therefore argue that he isn’t being released “for failure to exhibit sufficient skill or competitive ability,” as detailed in the CBA wording.
i cant find the exact CBA language and this is the first time this has happened since this new CBA so however it goes i think anyone is guessing right now.
i agree with you that this seems like a massive loophole MLBPA will try to resolve however they can. it's not about JDD even though he does get screwed by winning, it is about stopping every cheap owner from down the same thing to every arb eligible guy and them not having any alternative except taking low offers or else risk their full guarantee.
Mike Rodriguez
@mikedeportes
Breaking News: According to sources, MLB returns to the Dominican Republic for 2025 with a match between two National League teams with great and attractive players. The probability that it will be again at the Quisqueya stadium is extremely high. Team names mentioned #Mets and #Phillies but that may change.
Honestly, kind of weird choices (if it's Mets/Phillies). The Mets "top" stars from the DR are Severino (who may not be back), Marte, Mauricio and the Phillies don't really have top DR players either. You'd think they would want to showcase a DR superstar or 2.
just did the unthinkable and traded Ohtani in my keeper league lol
which? in my league he is in their twice - separate as a hitter and pitcher. Do you just have one?
In my league you can use him as either one (he's considered "1" player, but can be a DH or P) but lineups lock weekly so it's a one or the other decision weekly, I wasn't getting both pitching and hitting stats every week, I would get one or the other based on my lineup for the week.
Fuck it, this aint Mets info, so I won't get in trouble lol
But someone who 100% knows what went on
Giants made an offer to JDD, he rejected, asked for way more. Giants RARELY go to arb, and agents know they NEVER negotiate once the dealine hits and both sides file.
Guess what, the agent fuckin called them after the dealine and was ready to negotiate. Does that say anything?
A lot of teams do this, and agents know.
Agent is compaining Giants did something that has never happened before - they fied a higher number than their last offer. This is so fucin ridicuous on numerous levels
1) They did, and it's routine.
2) SO DID THE AGENT!!!!!!!!! He filed a lower number than his final ask lol
Okay, but still, right?
No, Giants spoke with JDD when Chapman rumors were there. Told him they like him, etc. But they were HONEST with him that they could sign him. SO JDD KNEW CHAPMAN WAS A POSSIBILITY AND WENT TO ARB!!!!! Soooo, where's the grievance?
If the Giants planned to lose and manipulated the system, why didn't they offer him a dollar? Why did they raise they're file over last offer if they wanted to lose? They didn't want to lose. This wasn't planned, I will leave that at that...
At the end of the day, his agent screwed up. They wanted the arb win, even stupidly celebrated the win.
FYI - JDD told people after he would have been happy to take the Giants offer and avoid arb - before Chapman signed he said this.
Remember, he went to arb with the Mets a couple of years ago too? How common is it for a player to go to arb TWICE??
Fuck it, this aint Mets info, so I won't get in trouble lol
But someone who 100% knows what went on
Giants made an offer to JDD, he rejected, asked for way more. Giants RARELY go to arb, and agents know they NEVER negotiate once the dealine hits and both sides file.
Guess what, the agent fuckin called them after the dealine and was ready to negotiate. Does that say anything?
A lot of teams do this, and agents know.
Agent is compaining Giants did something that has never happened before - they fied a higher number than their last offer. This is so fucin ridicuous on numerous levels
1) They did, and it's routine.
2) SO DID THE AGENT!!!!!!!!! He filed a lower number than his final ask lol
Okay, but still, right?
No, Giants spoke with JDD when Chapman rumors were there. Told him they like him, etc. But they were HONEST with him that they could sign him. SO JDD KNEW CHAPMAN WAS A POSSIBILITY AND WENT TO ARB!!!!! Soooo, where's the grievance?
If the Giants planned to lose and manipulated the system, why didn't they offer him a dollar? Why did they raise they're file over last offer if they wanted to lose? They didn't want to lose. This wasn't planned, I will leave that at that...
At the end of the day, his agent screwed up. They wanted the arb win, even stupidly celebrated the win.
FYI - JDD told people after he would have been happy to take the Giants offer and avoid arb - before Chapman signed he said this.
Remember, he went to arb with the Mets a couple of years ago too? How common is it for a player to go to arb TWICE??
i buy all of that shecky. still think it's a loophole in the system even if it wasnt used as a loophole in this instance and the PA probably cant like it. i know they want to discourage going to arbitration but it's counterintuitive to win your arbitration and then get penalized for that. arbitration isnt necessarily supposed to project the market value in real time, especially not halfway through ST after rosters have been filled, isnt it based on the value of whatever the prior performance was?
I am still assuming if you lose arbitration it’s guaranteed (if that’s not that case this is moot).
However yo your point Shecky (and thank you so much for sharing), it’s clear JDD and his agent messed up and as I said before I think it’s a tough one for the union to win on a grievance.
That said - it’s clearly a massive error that if a team wanted to be shady they could totally take advantage of. It’s also massive egg in the face of the union that I am sure they don’t want to have to explain to their constituents.
at what # per year is montgomery for 7 years too good of a value?
$15m per yer = $105m total, so it's basically a 5 year deal with 2 years deferred to save money against luxury tax. $5m less per year = 10m less in tax payments this season.
Robert Brender
@robertbrender
If the Mets can find a way to sign JD Martinez and Jordan Montgomery I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility they can compete for a playoff spot. They need power and pitching.
Jon Heyman
@JonHeyman
Mets are among teams to have reached out on old friend JD Davis, Jays seem like a logical fit but he’d help his former team in Queens, too.
i would think jdd wants to play 3b and not be stuck behind baty, but you never know.
Andy Martino
@martinonyc
·
16m
They see Davis more of a roster fit than Martinez because he owns a glove. JDM would box out Vientos. There could be a price at which JDM becomes impossible to pass up but that has still not happened.
targeting SPing in any deal for Cease. Brock Porter being one of the names mentioned from Texas. Mets just don't match up particularly well for Cease. For Texas, an older team (despite having arguably the #1 or #2 prospect in baseball) and a few other nice prospects, it sure does make some sense for them.
targeting SPing in any deal for Cease. Brock Porter being one of the names mentioned from Texas. Mets just don't match up particularly well for Cease. For Texas, an older team (despite having arguably the #1 or #2 prospect in baseball) and a few other nice prospects, it sure does make some sense for them.
*White Sox targeting SPing but you knew what I meant lol
targeting SPing in any deal for Cease. Brock Porter being one of the names mentioned from Texas. Mets just don't match up particularly well for Cease. For Texas, an older team (despite having arguably the #1 or #2 prospect in baseball) and a few other nice prospects, it sure does make some sense for them.
Rosenthal mentioned Duran, Porter, and Leiter as a deal that might get it done or something similar.
is hitting .313/.476/.625 this Spring, DJ Stewart is 3/20
id prefer choi but this is another area where mcneil injury kind of snafu's things since he's also OF depth if you send stewart down, but if he's hurt there's no other 5th OF. short has played out there some so i guess he's an emergency option but not really a good one.
think worrying about the *5th* OFer (Short and Wendle both have some experience out there) seems like a poor reason to potentially lose Choi and carry Stewart when Stewart is a poor OFer to begin with. McNeil's injury is in his non-throwing arm anyway, if he can play 2b, I find it hard to believe he can't track down fly balls in the OF.
think worrying about the *5th* OFer (Short and Wendle both have some experience out there) seems like a poor reason to potentially lose Choi and carry Stewart when Stewart is a poor OFer to begin with. McNeil's injury is in his non-throwing arm anyway, if he can play 2b, I find it hard to believe he can't track down fly balls in the OF.
agree i meant if mcneil's injury was bad enough he wasnt ready for OD. then all of a sudden short or wendle may be the starting 2b and the other the 5th OF and only backup IF.
this is where the mauricio injury sucked for depth purposes. they didnt prefer all the young guys necessarily in OD lineup but he was an easy next guy up if any starter got hurt.
@mets or not, Jose Quintana has to be one of the most underrated SP of the last decade or so. 34.2 fWAR, 3.74 era/3.61 FIP, 1,799 innings pitched. 2013-2023 (at least 1000 innings) ranks- fWAR 10th, era 29th, FIP 15th, innings- 9th, starts 6th #Mets
if JDD is willing to take a bench role all for it but i assume he'll get a better opportunity than that.
Quote:
All winter, the Mets have been guided by two strong principles: Maintain roster space for young players to sink or swim in 2024, and minimize the 110 percent luxury tax penalties they incur on every dollar for exceeding the highest luxury tax threshold.
For both reasons, talks with star designated hitter J.D. Martinez, a free agent, have never become serious.
And for the same reasons, the team is still talking with free agent J.D. Davis, according to league sources.
The Mets do not want to box out Mark Vientos as DH this year, and have a hard time seeing a path to regular at-bats for Vientos if they sign Martinez (the same went for Jorge Soler, before he signed with the Giants, and veteran hitters like, say, Tommy Pham, who remain free agents).
Davis, however, comes with versatility, and can serve as an insurance policy at third base if Brett Baty struggles. He is hardly the ideal defensive infielder, and obviously not the hitter that Martinez is. But he does, at least, own a glove. And he will be less expensive than Martinez.
Do you think he opens in the rotation for the Marlins?
As of right now per Craig Mish their rotation without Cabrera would be Luzardo, Perez, Puk, Rogers, Weathers. Sixto has only thrown 5 total innings so it seems hard to believe he'll be OD ready if they want to use him as a SP.
I’ll preface that I know absolutely nothing here. But based on experience.
1) why are the Cease rumors out? Who benefits from that leak?
Not Boras, that’s who. It helps the Yanks leverage against the FA pitchers. It helps the Sox drum up Cease interest and raise the stakes. It hurts Biras.
So we know where it DIDNT come from
The Yankees? If they want Snell, makes sense. But no one even knows if Cole is hurt or not. So unless the Yankees know it’s TJS and being proactive with the leak o gain leverage against Sox and Biras,I’m not so sure.
I’d assume this is a Sox leak. To get another team to up the offer as a last ditch effort before waiting till the deadline.
If it was a Yankee leak, it wouldn’t be detailed that it wasn’t enough and other teams have better offers…
But just a 100% speculative guess here.
Sometime those little tea leaves, they read themselves.
Does the pick compensation and IFA money go away if he signs after a certain date?
Not until after the draft so basically... no.
I didn't know if it would extend until 2025 say. I wonder if Snell is crazy enough to wait until after and then sign a prorated deal and then try again next year with nothing attached. As of now he's going to miss regular season time as is even though not months worth.
Sammon names McLean, Suero, Ziegler, Baez, Vargas as 5 "under the radar" prospects who could break out. Not sure how under the radar Ziegler/Vargas are but I like all 5.
the other met SP prospects? was he a level behind scott/tidwell and more on the vasil/hamel tier? or somewhere in the middle?
where do you see sproat in that group?
Ziegler is a very hard one for me to rank due to how few innings he's thrown and the extremely high bullpen risk associated. He's 21 years old and due to the Covid year and injuries has 47 career innings (and low mileage in HS, again in part thanks to Covid, in part thanks to being in a cold weather climate for most of it (Canada). If you're talking about max upside then yeah, he's probably in tier 2 behind Scott/Tidwell, if you're taking into account his build, his lack of innings, his durability, then he and Hamel are probably more likely RP's (both could be good ones). As for Sproat, the Mets have really been talking him up this off-season. He too has high RP risk (throwing a number out there, I'd say 60% chance he ends up a RP) but I'm also not privy to whatever changes have been made since he's been drafted.
I think Christian Scott is going to be a #3 type MLB SPer, I see Vasil as having high odds of being a solid/good 4, once you get past those 2 you start seeing more RP risk. That's not to say Vasil is clearly the #2 best arm in the system, he's probably not. Just starts becoming "best realistic case" "What if they max out?" etc. I will say, I think they head into 2025 with the "no pitching in the system" label officially discarded. Now do they have a bunch of high end arms? No, probably not. But they have legitimately 10ish arms in the system who without a crazy projection COULD be MLB SPers.
Tim Britton
@TimBritton
Jeff McNeil is playing defense in a minor-league game today. Plan is for him to face velocity (in like a live BP setting) tomorrow with a chance he gets into a Grapefruit League game as early as Sunday.
Should be interesting to see what Voit does on the 23rd. He's 2/20 with 7 k's this Spring. Not sure there are many teams with less depth at DH/backup 1b than @mets so he may well agree to extend his opt-out date and wait it out
Anthony DiComo
@AnthonyDiComo
I've heard lots of recent praise from both inside and outside the organization regarding José Buttó, who was up to 97 mph today during four shutout innings against a representative Cardinals lineup.
Buttó's spring ERA is 0.90 and in another world, he'd probably be on the team.
Anthony DiComo
@AnthonyDiComo
I've heard lots of recent praise from both inside and outside the organization regarding José Buttó, who was up to 97 mph today during four shutout innings against a representative Cardinals lineup.
Buttó's spring ERA is 0.90 and in another world, he'd probably be on the team.
This is one of the ways we have to hope that Cohen's money helps NYM out. Haven't seen any true evidence of this yet, and not saying Butto is going to be an example of it, but it would be great to see the Mets investment in coaching and player development pay off and see a few "nothing into something good" stories.
Butto is considered by most to be a JAG/replacement level arm I'd say. If you can turn him into a legit 4th starter type, it's a huge deal. NYY seems to do this with RP every year (turn random guys into stud RPs). Would be great to see the Mets pipeline start to get this type of thing going.
waiver claims,
real prospects,
fringe prospects,
fringe MLBers,
bounceback MLBers,
are all looking good this spring gives me some real hope that the convergence of stearns arrival and the pitching lab going operational this offseason are leading to some kind of meaningful impact.
no predictions on that can get quantified even if it's true, but if a few guys on the staff have good years for them (like severino or manaea) or beakout years we aren't expecting (like a butto or megill), that will go a long way to the team living up to the expectations they've set.
RE: the fact that so many pitchers across different ends of the 40 man
waiver claims,
real prospects,
fringe prospects,
fringe MLBers,
bounceback MLBers,
are all looking good this spring gives me some real hope that the convergence of stearns arrival and the pitching lab going operational this offseason are leading to some kind of meaningful impact.
no predictions on that can get quantified even if it's true, but if a few guys on the staff have good years for them (like severino or manaea) or beakout years we aren't expecting (like a butto or megill), that will go a long way to the team living up to the expectations they've set.
To be fair, Megill and Butto were excellent down the stretch last year.
waiver claims,
real prospects,
fringe prospects,
fringe MLBers,
bounceback MLBers,
are all looking good this spring gives me some real hope that the convergence of stearns arrival and the pitching lab going operational this offseason are leading to some kind of meaningful impact.
no predictions on that can get quantified even if it's true, but if a few guys on the staff have good years for them (like severino or manaea) or beakout years we aren't expecting (like a butto or megill), that will go a long way to the team living up to the expectations they've set.
To be fair, Megill and Butto were excellent down the stretch last year.
they were, that's fair. neither had numbers on the season even in AAA but they definitely looked like they were trending in the right direction.
UPITER, Fla. — Talk to a Mets official and they will publicly praise the work of Brett Baty and Mark Vientos. They will say both are making the team out of spring training regardless of if they make a late addition.
And yet, they are, at minimum, considering a late addition.
Top team executives met again Thursday to discuss if J.D. Davis fit their roster and 2024 agenda — and they are not doing it just as a due diligence exercise. They have real interest in a reunion with the righty-swinger, who was officially released on Monday by the Giants not long after they signed Matt Chapman to play third base. The Mets had spoken multiple times to Davis’ representative, Matt Hannaford. A decision where Davis goes is expected in the next few days.
i say this as someone who was surprised for like 2-3 years that JDD
didn't have more trade value when the mets kept trying to trade him, id be surprised if he cant find a team willing to let him play 3b a lot more than mets look to be able to.
rosario supposedly turned down more money a lot of other places to go somewhere where he can play.
senzel got 2m and he's currently at the top of nats 3b depth chart and the worst projected every day 3b.
urshela only got 1.5m in detroit he's toward the bottom.
the blue jays have justin turner and IKF on their depth chart.
add in teams that have more paths to time at 1b and dh, just seems like there will be a better opportunity for him elsewhere.
seems like a strong fit for JDD. They have Burger who really should DH as much as possible (and can also play some 2b) and horrendous Garcia as their full-time DH.
But keep an eye on Choi, a late signing who has impressed team officials with his batting eye, power and first-base defense. Including him on the roster would likely mean bumping DJ Stewart off it. But the latter has an accessible Minor League option, giving the Mets license to carry Choi if they think he’s their best option.
i'd take JDD over choi because he can backup 3b and is a better hitter
they both K a lot. comparable power. choi walks more but not enough of a difference to overcome the areas where jdd is better.
is he willing to take the last guy on the bench choi role without knowing he will play more than once a week?
I find that very, very hard to believe.
1) "Lost" roughly 6 million dollars
2) Pending FA
3) Has openly complained about role
4) Has openly said he doesn't think he's best suited to move around the field.
Now, I think they may in fact sign him, but I think he's going to play a LOT more than Choi would
they both K a lot. comparable power. choi walks more but not enough of a difference to overcome the areas where jdd is better.
is he willing to take the last guy on the bench choi role without knowing he will play more than once a week?
I find that very, very hard to believe.
1) "Lost" roughly 6 million dollars
2) Pending FA
3) Has openly complained about role
4) Has openly said he doesn't think he's best suited to move around the field.
Now, I think they may in fact sign him, but I think he's going to play a LOT more than Choi would
we agree on 1-4, but coming in here before taking a swing or grounder in ST, what can he bank on?
1 per week that would have been Choi 1b/Alonso DH games, maybe 1 more in place of vietos DH, and 1 more at 3b relieving baty?
but also knowing if either of vientos or baty plays well enough he could be boxed out of any bigger role. or if he just doesnt perform better than them.
it's close enough that if there's no other good options for him it may be doable, but id be surprised if someone like toronto didnt offer him a bigger role at 3b. he could be their starter over IKF.
suspect Davis would play 2-3 times per week to begin with and that would increase if Baty/Vientos struggle. Choi on the other hand is probably a once per week starter and that would increase if Vientos struggles and they have to go with more of a platoon DH situation. I understand "why" they are considering Davis, I just don't think he's a great fit and had they been so "concerned" about Baty/Vientos, they probably should have aimed higher than Wendle.
kind of a sad moment for Noah Syndegaard. Padres only team that showed interest probably are set now with Cease. Have to assume minor league deals are all that's left.
Sat in the putrid heat in Jupiter yesterday to watch the Mets and Cardinals...
The second game I've been to this week where the Mets scored zero runs...
With the understanding that this is spring training, it seems the Mets really need another bat; specifically someone to hit behind Alonso.
Butto looked good and wiggled out of a few jams with well placed off speed pitches...Ottavino also looked good.
Luke Voit was 0-3 with 3 K's and looked pretty frustrated.
Harrison Bader also looked bad at the plate...I'm concerned about how much production they will get from him should he get 400 plus AB's. Currently below the interstate at .077.
Baty was not much better though he made a number of nice plays in the field.
Again, it's spring training, but the Mets, as currently constructed are going to have a lot of quick/empty innings.
The need a bat, and JD Martinez would help a lot more than JD Davis....
Sat in the putrid heat in Jupiter yesterday to watch the Mets and Cardinals...
The second game I've been to this week where the Mets scored zero runs...
With the understanding that this is spring training, it seems the Mets really need another bat; specifically someone to hit behind Alonso.
Butto looked good and wiggled out of a few jams with well placed off speed pitches...Ottavino also looked good.
Luke Voit was 0-3 with 3 K's and looked pretty frustrated.
Harrison Bader also looked bad at the plate...I'm concerned about how much production they will get from him should he get 400 plus AB's. Currently below the interstate at .077.
Baty was not much better though he made a number of nice plays in the field.
Again, it's spring training, but the Mets, as currently constructed are going to have a lot of quick/empty innings.
The need a bat, and JD Martinez would help a lot more than JD Davis....
Yes and no, I agree...
If they expect togo far int he playoffs, they need another bat - but where do you puth him? And at what cost? That's the catch 22.
The reality is, everyone is looking for a DH or 3B. but they need an OF way more.
I have way more faith in Baty/Vientos than Bader/Marte (and I love Bader). Floor vs. ceiling, it'snight and day with those two pairs. And Bader/Marte have no future here anyway.
But, everyone focused on how horrible the pitching will be this year. Lost the ace right off the bat. And SSS, but the pitchign has looked good, so far. So in a month we may be praising the O and bashing the P once again.
Heard from Mets folks that Hamel has looked great this spring with a little uptick in fastball velo.
He finished off last season winning Eastern League Pitcher of the Month in September. He didn’t allow a run in his last four starts, including 7 2/3 innings in playoff game.
If you asked me right now who gets more at bats/games this year in RF, Marte or Taylor/Gilbert, I would take the latter.
i think marte is cano part 2. hope im wrong but that's what im expecting. if he is under .250 with weak contact and bad defense i think it's possible he's a may DFA just like Cano was if Acuna or Gilbert are pushing for a call up.
Do we want a thread for this? Optimus could be your spring training as well.
1. Jett Williams CF
2. Drew Gilbert RF
3. Luisangel Acuna SS
4. Ryan Clifford 1B
5. Kevin Parada C
6. Alex Ramirez LF
7. Colin Houck DH
8. Jesus Baez 3B
9. Marco Vargas 2B
Do we want a thread for this? Optimus could be your spring training as well.
1. Jett Williams CF
2. Drew Gilbert RF
3. Luisangel Acuna SS
4. Ryan Clifford 1B
5. Kevin Parada C
6. Alex Ramirez LF
7. Colin Houck DH
8. Jesus Baez 3B
9. Marco Vargas 2B
Do we want a thread for this? Optimus could be your spring training as well.
1. Jett Williams CF
2. Drew Gilbert RF
3. Luisangel Acuna SS
4. Ryan Clifford 1B
5. Kevin Parada C
6. Alex Ramirez LF
7. Colin Houck DH
8. Jesus Baez 3B
9. Marco Vargas 2B
gotta think if houston spends big on snell for a few years they will be less likely to want that 17m for JV next year unless he's pitching closer to what he did in 2022. more likely to try to keep him under the innings threshold.
RE: know im late to this but seeing clips of sproat/maclean and wow
very sensible landing spot. doesnt even need to move. will get to play 3b a lot. playing time is a lot more important for him this year than an extra 1-2m.
RE: With Gerritt Cole’s injury, the Yankees tapped on Marcus Stroman
to be the opening day starter……..and he declined 🤣🤣
Good luck with that, Yankee fans lol.
is that serious? he is so odd. i cant believe nyy chose paying him when for a comparable amount they could have gotten hader or 2 cheaper mid range options.
Yankees have some good young P that should be able to step in. Obviously, none of them are Gerrit Cole but Luis Gil in particular looks ridiculous this Spring.
Mike Mayer
@mikemayer22
Sean Reid-Foley reported some arm fatigue recently and was shutdown. He played catch today and they hope he will pitch in a game next week.
with a shoestring budget preller has done some real good judo this offseason.
who knows what they get out of Yu but musgrove, king, cease is a credible rotation if king comes anywhere close to his offseason pr hype. they have half the nyy bp reassembled plus matsui and suarez. if yu is healthy that is a quality rotation.
and if there were any team built to withstand soto leaving it was them with bogaerts, tatis, and machado. i could see profar/pham type signings having nice bounce backs there in managed roles. FG projects them 82-80 and i agree with that, they should be in the mix for WC. a lot like mets lowered expectations could be a real positive.
Hudepohl didn't make his pro debut in 2023 post-draft after being picked 4th round. Good frame (6'4" 220). 11 k/9 at UNC Charlotte last year. Mid 90's FB, good CB. We'll see what tinkering @mets
have done with his pitch mix soon enough
with a shoestring budget preller has done some real good judo this offseason.
who knows what they get out of Yu but musgrove, king, cease is a credible rotation if king comes anywhere close to his offseason pr hype. they have half the nyy bp reassembled plus matsui and suarez. if yu is healthy that is a quality rotation.
and if there were any team built to withstand soto leaving it was them with bogaerts, tatis, and machado. i could see profar/pham type signings having nice bounce backs there in managed roles. FG projects them 82-80 and i agree with that, they should be in the mix for WC. a lot like mets lowered expectations could be a real positive.
with a shoestring budget preller has done some real good judo this offseason.
who knows what they get out of Yu but musgrove, king, cease is a credible rotation if king comes anywhere close to his offseason pr hype. they have half the nyy bp reassembled plus matsui and suarez. if yu is healthy that is a quality rotation.
and if there were any team built to withstand soto leaving it was them with bogaerts, tatis, and machado. i could see profar/pham type signings having nice bounce backs there in managed roles. FG projects them 82-80 and i agree with that, they should be in the mix for WC. a lot like mets lowered expectations could be a real positive.
Their farm remains strong as well
im very impressed with preller and i really applaud his aggressive approach.
people have seemed really quick to forget that they went on a run in 2022 that got pretty darn close.
here's a random thought experiment, if i told you mets would get to NLCS this year but it would cost them acuna or gilbert would you do it?
you mean they give up Acuna or Gilbert and lose in the NLCS then no but I'm not one for getting too excited about a successful season where they are successful but don't win anything. Caveat would be, is the piece they traded one of them for with the 2025 team? If not, hard pass. Especially Gilbert.
you mean they give up Acuna or Gilbert and lose in the NLCS then no but I'm not one for getting too excited about a successful season where they are successful but don't win anything. Caveat would be, is the piece they traded one of them for with the 2025 team? If not, hard pass. Especially Gilbert.
lets say they get at least to NLCS but final outcome beyond that unknown. they could get swept or win WS. this "trade" only guarantees final 4.
for 2025 id say the piece they trade for is definitely back - but remember however much control they get at the time of trade doesnt matter bc of cohen. if the player helps them win we know cohen will spend to bring back. if there's a final arb year left it wont be cheap any way, so practically speaking not that much different if the player is a rental or 1 year left in this hypothetical since we know the trade works out.
I make the trade to be guaranteed NLCS if, big if, I have a team I think I can win with.
The Texas Rangers just won the world series, so there is an element of "just get there" but I would like to know my team has the pitching and hitting to win, you know not just guaranteed to have a shitty team make it because of some fictitious or flukey scenario.
you mean they give up Acuna or Gilbert and lose in the NLCS then no but I'm not one for getting too excited about a successful season where they are successful but don't win anything. Caveat would be, is the piece they traded one of them for with the 2025 team? If not, hard pass. Especially Gilbert.
lets say they get at least to NLCS but final outcome beyond that unknown. they could get swept or win WS. this "trade" only guarantees final 4.
for 2025 id say the piece they trade for is definitely back - but remember however much control they get at the time of trade doesnt matter bc of cohen. if the player helps them win we know cohen will spend to bring back. if there's a final arb year left it wont be cheap any way, so practically speaking not that much different if the player is a rental or 1 year left in this hypothetical since we know the trade works out.
Then yes. Only so many shots at a title. But a guaranteed loss in the NLCS but they “got there”? Pass from me. If recent baseball has shown anything the best team doesn’t always go far or win the WS, I don’t look back on 2015 fondly and I doubt many do.
I make the trade to be guaranteed NLCS if, big if, I have a team I think I can win with.
The Texas Rangers just won the world series, so there is an element of "just get there" but I would like to know my team has the pitching and hitting to win, you know not just guaranteed to have a shitty team make it because of some fictitious or flukey scenario.
Rangers won as 5 seed WC over AZ who got in as 6th seed WC, and advanced over 4 seed WC phillies in NLCS.
2 years ago 6 seed PHI only lost 2 games before WS & beat 5 seed SD in NLCS.
if you are a bad team without any prayer of course you dont make a move but in the new format so far it's hard to argue any mid-80s win team doesnt have a chance.
the intent of the question wasnt so met focused as much as whether or not giving up a top 2 or 3 prospect was worth it if you get to the final 4 like SD did with Soto year 1 (the delta between what they gave up for him and got back is something like 1 top prospect). I agree with you that it's almost certainly a yes.
you mean they give up Acuna or Gilbert and lose in the NLCS then no but I'm not one for getting too excited about a successful season where they are successful but don't win anything. Caveat would be, is the piece they traded one of them for with the 2025 team? If not, hard pass. Especially Gilbert.
lets say they get at least to NLCS but final outcome beyond that unknown. they could get swept or win WS. this "trade" only guarantees final 4.
for 2025 id say the piece they trade for is definitely back - but remember however much control they get at the time of trade doesnt matter bc of cohen. if the player helps them win we know cohen will spend to bring back. if there's a final arb year left it wont be cheap any way, so practically speaking not that much different if the player is a rental or 1 year left in this hypothetical since we know the trade works out.
Then yes. Only so many shots at a title. But a guaranteed loss in the NLCS but they “got there”? Pass from me. If recent baseball has shown anything the best team doesn’t always go far or win the WS, I don’t look back on 2015 fondly and I doubt many do.
i actually look back on 2015 fondly. the ending sucked but it was a fun ride. same with 2022 actually.
i also look back on 1999 fondly, 2000 is maybe the only one i dont look back on so fondly because they cheaped out on hampton/a-rod a few weeks later which then wasted the last few years of piazza's prime. also the clemens thing and the non-reaction.
Joey Lucchesi situation is odd. Came to camp talking about how he dropped weight, feels great and yet was behind in throwing (to the point Mendoza seemed a bit annoyed) and then was topping off at 89 (and sent down). You’d think the guy would have felt more urgency with a rotation spot potentially up for grabs.
the arrogance seidler has in his certainty that vientos sucks
feels so much like high profile investors who stake big short positions and then act like nothing unexpected ever happens in the stock market. they are never wrong, the market was wrong, and they werent even wrong to blindly ignore the reality that the market is wrong all the time.
i sure as shit dont mind strong informed opinions but 0 humility for the unknown usually doesnt lead to great judgements.
he'd also be the first guy to criticize the mets development if they gave up on any prospect who went on to succeed anywhere else.
i find it very hard to believe that if stearns were anywhere near as confident vientos would fail he'd have been more aggressive with any number of alternatives in FA.
Joey Lucchesi situation is odd. Came to camp talking about how he dropped weight, feels great and yet was behind in throwing (to the point Mendoza seemed a bit annoyed) and then was topping off at 89 (and sent down). You’d think the guy would have felt more urgency with a rotation spot potentially up for grabs.
his weight loss story was a bit odd too because he was never a guy who seemed like he needed to lose weight.
if memory serves didnt harvey lose weight 1 year then gain it back the next year because he thought it hurt him? i dont think pitchers losing weight is as cut and dry good/bad physiologically.
Damn. I viewed him as the perfect setup man. Gonna be interesting to see how this guys. I know the Braves signed him with giving him a shot in the SR in mind, but I didn't think he'd actually make it.
names 6'7" Franyel Diaz as a P with a good slider to follow in 2024. FB only 88-90 right now so the upside is probably limited to the bullpen unless that creeps up but still a name to file away.
With Fuji most likely to start AAA. Lavender get the spot?
What is the proposed market/interest on Evan Longoria. 7m last year but assuming limited/part time role ...maybe could get away with half on a 1 year deal.
With Fuji most likely to start AAA. Lavender get the spot?
What is the proposed market/interest on Evan Longoria. 7m last year but assuming limited/part time role ...maybe could get away with half on a 1 year deal.
No. SRF and Ramirez are both out of options, one of them would take Fujinami's spot.
FYI: Article XX(B) FA signed to MiLB deals have a universal opt-out on 3/22 at 2PM EST; the team then has until noon EST on 3/24 to add the player the 40-man or release him.
Megill won the 5th spot in rotation. Jose Button sent down and will be next man up.
maybe it's spring training hopium, but im feeling reasonably confident in the pitching staff. none of the starters looked like carrasco.
diaz looked like diaz, the depth of the BP is far improved from carrying nogosek, hunter, curtiss santana on OD last year (yuck).
the biggest hole on the roster appears to be mcneil needing to hit cleanup and marte hitting 5th behind him, but hopefully 1-2 of alvarez/baty/vientos can make that short lived.
Megill won the 5th spot in rotation. Jose Button sent down and will be next man up.
maybe it's spring training hopium, but im feeling reasonably confident in the pitching staff. none of the starters looked like carrasco.
diaz looked like diaz, the depth of the BP is far improved from carrying nogosek, hunter, curtiss santana on OD last year (yuck).
the biggest hole on the roster appears to be mcneil needing to hit cleanup and marte hitting 5th behind him, but hopefully 1-2 of alvarez/baty/vientos can make that short lived.
Agreed. You can see how Stearns teams outperform expectations. No glaring weakness. Solid starting pitching throughout, depth if one falters/injury. Same with the bullpen. Improved OF defense. Very solid team. If they are well in the playoff hunt, they can trade for a TOR starter to pair with Senga and/or a bat and/or a top bullpen arm as needed.
Mets minor leaguers placed on the 60-day injured list:
RHP Dylan Tebrake
RHP Matt Allan
RHP Raimon Gomez
RHP Roberto Dominguez
RHP Zebulon Vermillion
RHP Chris Santiago
RHP Ricardo Baptist
RHP Brian Metoyer
Mets minor leaguers placed on the full-season injured list:
RHP Jace Beck
LHP Eli Ankeney
RHP John Valle
RHP Landon Marceaux
LHP Luis R. Rodriguez
RHP Jean Calderon
think this qualifies as news? boras mouthpiece reporting jdm offer
seemingly implying they have bid somewhere south of 15m?
Quote:
The Angels and Mets bid for free agent DH J.D. Martinez, and while he likes both teams, apparently the offers were too low for his liking.
Martinez declined a $15M bid from the Giants because he didn’t think the expansive ballpark was a good fit, and he probably understood he wouldn’t be able to match that bid elsewhere. But he’d like to come close.
this is a major move if he swings the bat the way he did last year. feel for vientos but last year's JDM is probably the best hitter that's ever hit behind Pete. heck JDM last year may have hit better than pete himself. at this $ there is zero downside.
Jon Heyman
@JonHeyman
Breaking: JD Martinez to Mets. $12M
seemingly implying they have bid somewhere south of 15m?
Quote:
The Angels and Mets bid for free agent DH J.D. Martinez, and while he likes both teams, apparently the offers were too low for his liking.
Martinez declined a $15M bid from the Giants because he didn’t think the expansive ballpark was a good fit, and he probably understood he wouldn’t be able to match that bid elsewhere. But he’d like to come close.
Mets’, Angels’ J.D. Martinez offers aren’t quite there yet - ( New Window )
Well there you go.
if JDM plays like he did last year that's the best value signing
of the entire offseason. they got him off one of his best seasons for almost the same amount he got last year off one of his worst.
let stearns cook i guess.
The first word that came to mind for this off-season was methodical. He was patient and hit certain deals at his terms only. As a get to know the team year I've really loved what he did. We haven't been in such good hands in a long time if not ever between the ownership and new man in charge. I don't care if I sound hyperbolic on that.
If he stays healthy, that's a huge addition to the line-up...
5 hole protection for Pete...Alanso may be the happiest person of all that Martinez is hitting behind him..
.893 OPS last season...
Vientos will get his AB's...perhaps play 3rd against lefties, play left when Bader needs a day off, or if Bader gets hurt again, or just plain doesn't hit at all...
Again, if he stays healthy, this is a terrific addition!
RE: RE: if JDM plays like he did last year that's the best value signing
of the entire offseason. they got him off one of his best seasons for almost the same amount he got last year off one of his worst.
let stearns cook i guess.
The first word that came to mind for this off-season was methodical. He was patient and hit certain deals at his terms only. As a get to know the team year I've really loved what he did. We haven't been in such good hands in a long time if not ever between the ownership and new man in charge. I don't care if I sound hyperbolic on that.
hard to argue hyperbole/optimism after the way spring has gone.
organizationally the pitching looks very much trending in the right direction across all levels.
defense way better. bullpen depth a lot better. now lineup a lot better.
stearns showed a good grasp of the market and seemed to get the guys he wanted. i think this is going to be a solid team.
DiComo got some info on Allan. The UCL revision surgery is a longer rehab than regular TJ.
Quote:
In recent weeks, Allan has been playing catch with the hopes of climbing back on a mound in May.
“He wants to be where his feet are,” Green said. “He wants to be focused on just getting back and just doing what’s in front of him and not looking too far out in the future.”
Quote:
The question now is whether Allan can still salvage his career. According to Dr. Matta, the same factors that put him at risk for a UCL revision -- primarily, his youth -- give him a better chance to return to top form in the future. But the average return from a revision is 18-20 months, as opposed to 15-18 months for an initial Tommy John.
That could mean another lost season for Allan, who no longer rates among the Mets’ Top 30 prospects. Allan recently passed the three-year mark of his last competitive pitch, and the Mets won’t even begin to have a gauge on his future prospects until he becomes a healthy pitcher again.
Perhaps at this time next year, the situation will be different. For now, Allan is doing what he can to give himself a chance.
the price of switching from DirectTV to YTTV (no SNY). I've watched some highlights on YT and tried to watch the game on ESPN (those guys are painful to listen to).
Anywho, I'm glad they signed JDM and it's great to see that pic above.
short still seems like a strange guy who has hung around but cant argue that he performed in the spring. 16% walk rate, 14% k-rate, and .278 batting average. you can hit 0 xbh and do good things if that kind of approach works.
strange player because even in minor leagues he's had K rates under 20 and over 30.
stewart appears to have done nothing in the spring but my guess there is they like having a 5th OF with mcneil coming back from injury so they arent forced to put him out there. i hadnt really thought of it but i wonder if mcneils elbow injury is going to make it hard for him to throw in OF since those are much longer throws than 2b.
RE: damn thought they'd give vientos opening day and a few weeks
short still seems like a strange guy who has hung around but cant argue that he performed in the spring. 16% walk rate, 14% k-rate, and .278 batting average. you can hit 0 xbh and do good things if that kind of approach works.
strange player because even in minor leagues he's had K rates under 20 and over 30.
stewart appears to have done nothing in the spring but my guess there is they like having a 5th OF with mcneil coming back from injury so they arent forced to put him out there. i hadnt really thought of it but i wonder if mcneils elbow injury is going to make it hard for him to throw in OF since those are much longer throws than 2b.
Zack Short is awful. Don't know why he's on the roster. I don't put much into his numbers this spring with his track record in the majors.
his MLB track record isn't that many plate appearances
last year's 253 were most of them and he actually wasn't terrible. 11% walk rate, 16 xbh (32 over a full year isnt that bad for a plus MI defender, guillorme has 40 in his whole career).
he hit .205 but it was with a .255 BABIP. his MLB career BABIP is .214. his xba was .210 so that wasnt necessarily an aberration, but if he somehow found a way to get a BABIP closer to league average he is a .250-.270 hitter with an obp almost 100 points higher with the good walk rate.
his savant profile generally sucks so i am not optimistic, but if i am squinting for reasons why they like him it's that he's a good defender (as Stearns has said publicly), he doesn't chase bad pitches so he knows how to draw walks, and flashed a little pop (the xbh's last year).
irritates me (Vientos) because he seems to be held to a higher standard where he needs to earn his spot but someone like Short doesn't. Neither one covered themselves in glory this Spring.
the only way I can rationalize it is that Short won't see many AB's and the Mets still view Vientos as part of the future and want him to play everyday. Vientos is 24 though. He's not that young anymore and the future is fleeting so you have to figure either he forces his way into the lineup soon (sometimes this year) or he won't (at least not with the Mets).
I also think JDM kind of sealed Vientos' fate, without JDM I think Vientos was a lock or had a better shot at least.
irritates me (Vientos) because he seems to be held to a higher standard where he needs to earn his spot but someone like Short doesn't. Neither one covered themselves in glory this Spring.
the only way I can rationalize it is that Short won't see many AB's and the Mets still view Vientos as part of the future and want him to play everyday. Vientos is 24 though. He's not that young anymore and the future is fleeting so you have to figure either he forces his way into the lineup soon (sometimes this year) or he won't (at least not with the Mets).
I also think JDM kind of sealed Vientos' fate, without JDM I think Vientos was a lock or had a better shot at least.
i tend to agree, the only silver lining is that vientos has typically been a slow starter, but since he should be beyond the talent level at AAA now he should mash to open the year there no matter what.
id have given him opening day and the 10 days or so every day before JDM activates though. even if they want short for defensive reasons there is no need for DJ stewart on the roster. short or wendle could go to OF in an emergency (that is unlikely to happen in the first 10 days).
and whatever happened in those first 10 days, you can decide what to do with JDM when you get there. if Vientos hits well that's a good problem to have. if he doesnt then you send him down then.
RE: RE: if JDM plays like he did last year that's the best value signing
of the entire offseason. they got him off one of his best seasons for almost the same amount he got last year off one of his worst.
let stearns cook i guess.
The first word that came to mind for this off-season was methodical. He was patient and hit certain deals at his terms only. As a get to know the team year I've really loved what he did. We haven't been in such good hands in a long time if not ever between the ownership and new man in charge. I don't care if I sound hyperbolic on that.
Can we also add that it would be so old Mets to cave early in fear of public backlash with the Alonso extension, pay premium dollar and do nothing after.
Instead Cohen/Stearns goes the other way and encourages a career season out of him upgrades the roster in other ways then right at the last min doubles down and gets him the protection they need in the lineup.
irritates me (Vientos) because he seems to be held to a higher standard where he needs to earn his spot but someone like Short doesn't. Neither one covered themselves in glory this Spring.
the only way I can rationalize it is that Short won't see many AB's and the Mets still view Vientos as part of the future and want him to play everyday. Vientos is 24 though. He's not that young anymore and the future is fleeting so you have to figure either he forces his way into the lineup soon (sometimes this year) or he won't (at least not with the Mets).
I also think JDM kind of sealed Vientos' fate, without JDM I think Vientos was a lock or had a better shot at least.
Jim Bowden said they could be attempting to build his trade value then make him available at the deadline
stewart played some 1b in ST and id imagine wendle/short could play there if needed. narvaz played there once in 2017.
i think beats have said 1 position spot open too, stewart hasnt been sent down but he's been told he hasnt necessarily made the roster yet, presumably in case there's someone they like who shakes free from another team.
stewart played some 1b in ST and id imagine wendle/short could play there if needed. narvaz played there once in 2017.
i think beats have said 1 position spot open too, stewart hasnt been sent down but he's been told he hasnt necessarily made the roster yet, presumably in case there's someone they like who shakes free from another team.
Well not great for when Pete needs a rest. I know he plays a lot but still.
stewart played some 1b in ST and id imagine wendle/short could play there if needed. narvaz played there once in 2017.
i think beats have said 1 position spot open too, stewart hasnt been sent down but he's been told he hasnt necessarily made the roster yet, presumably in case there's someone they like who shakes free from another team.
Well not great for when Pete needs a rest. I know he plays a lot but still.
i think based on how they've handled, they have things they specifically want vientos to work on and dont want him to have to do it in a limited role.
than to learn from the hip?
And then ask that vet their opinion on him?
And I have to say, the vet leadership for thekids in AAA is not by accident, and I love it. Is this the best blend of inury/AAA calup protection that they ever had, between vets and kids?
Told you since Dec if Stewart makes OD, something went horriblye wrong.
Pat Ragazzo
@ragazzoreport
Per club sources: David Stearns & Mets made an offer to Justin Turner during Winter Meetings. He signed 1 yr, $13 mill w/ TOR instead
Stearns/Mets waited it out & landed All-Star J.D. Martinez at a lower price, 1 yr, $12 mill
Pat Ragazzo
@ragazzoreport
Per club sources: David Stearns & Mets made an offer to Justin Turner during Winter Meetings. He signed 1 yr, $13 mill w/ TOR instead
Stearns/Mets waited it out & landed All-Star J.D. Martinez at a lower price, 1 yr, $12 mill
big W for stearns there. i was as impatient as anyone but he read the room.
Peterson is recovering from left hip surgery in November and can’t return from the 60-day injured list until May 27. Mets officials have mentioned June as a reasonable return for the lefthander, but he said he is aiming for the first day he is eligible.
Having recently advanced to bullpen sessions, Peterson is slated to start facing batters in a couple of weeks.
“It’s starting to feel closer to the end than the beginning, which is good,” he said.
Yakyu Cosmopolitan
@yakyucosmo
·
12h
MLB has terminated its relationship with international leagues including NPB to avoid pre-negotiation tampering between players and MLB teams.
MLB employees will now be prohibited from data sharing, personnel exchange, etc. with non-MLB players/teams.
Yakyu Cosmopolitan
@yakyucosmo
Teams that engaged in personnel exchange (DeNA Baystars & Arizona Dbacks, Nippon-Ham Fighters & Texas Rangers, etc.) will be required to end their partnership immediately.
This could potentially impact Japanese MLB players training in the offseason with NPB players as well.
irritates me (Vientos) because he seems to be held to a higher standard where he needs to earn his spot but someone like Short doesn't. Neither one covered themselves in glory this Spring.
the only way I can rationalize it is that Short won't see many AB's and the Mets still view Vientos as part of the future and want him to play everyday. Vientos is 24 though. He's not that young anymore and the future is fleeting so you have to figure either he forces his way into the lineup soon (sometimes this year) or he won't (at least not with the Mets).
I also think JDM kind of sealed Vientos' fate, without JDM I think Vientos was a lock or had a better shot at least.
Jim Bowden said they could be attempting to build his trade value then make him available at the deadline
I think that would be a big mistake. Unless other teams project Vientos as a 3B, he is going to have limited trade value as a DH/1B. One of those guys who would be more valuable to the team that controls him than he would net in a trade.
Yakyu Cosmopolitan
@yakyucosmo
·
12h
MLB has terminated its relationship with international leagues including NPB to avoid pre-negotiation tampering between players and MLB teams.
MLB employees will now be prohibited from data sharing, personnel exchange, etc. with non-MLB players/teams.
Yakyu Cosmopolitan
@yakyucosmo
Teams that engaged in personnel exchange (DeNA Baystars & Arizona Dbacks, Nippon-Ham Fighters & Texas Rangers, etc.) will be required to end their partnership immediately.
This could potentially impact Japanese MLB players training in the offseason with NPB players as well.
Yakyu Cosmopolitan
@yakyucosmo
·
12h
MLB has terminated its relationship with international leagues including NPB to avoid pre-negotiation tampering between players and MLB teams.
MLB employees will now be prohibited from data sharing, personnel exchange, etc. with non-MLB players/teams.
Yakyu Cosmopolitan
@yakyucosmo
Teams that engaged in personnel exchange (DeNA Baystars & Arizona Dbacks, Nippon-Ham Fighters & Texas Rangers, etc.) will be required to end their partnership immediately.
This could potentially impact Japanese MLB players training in the offseason with NPB players as well.
😮
wtf???
Won't impact the posting system (at least not directly).
Jeff Passan
@JeffPassan
Important clarification on this: New rules restrict the relationships between MLB teams and their foreign counterparts. In other words, no more partnerships like the one Arizona had with Yokohama. But agreements between MLB and foreign leagues, like the posting system, remain.
84.8% // DJ LeMahieu
76.1% // J.D. Martinez
75.8% // Trey Mancini
75.8% // Nick Castellanos
75.7% // Tommy Pham
75.1% // Bo Bichette
Of hard-hit balls hit at least 300 feet, min. 250
one of the first things i thought of was the homer vientos hit to center vs TB that got out somewhat surprisingly last year. i dont know how to sort his flyballs only or his minors stats, but over his 2 years of big league at bats he has a 65% center/oppo rate and that's where 6 of his 9 homers went out. his 1 homer in 2022 was also oppo.
hopefully he and jdm really do stay attached at the hip. 2 talented power hitters with a chance to solve DH in a meaningful way is better than 1.
to be difficult for Vientos/JDM to be attached at the hip with Vientos now in Syracuse.
isnt that where JDM is starting the year for 10-15 days too?
They will have about a week of overlap and have already worked out together previously so I don't really see how a week-10 days is going to make much of a difference
didn't even "allow" for the possibility of Vientos beating out Baty this Spring. Leads me to believe the Mets are just not particularly high on him and the numbers James Schiano posted regarding Vientos vs. premium velocity are likely a massive reason why.
James Schiano
@James_Schiano
Vientos has a problem with velocity
find it hard to believe suddenly 10 days of time in Syracuse together is going to make any tangible difference.
"The addition of Martinez squeezes out Mark Vientos, a hitter Martinez has known for years with both of them having grown up around the same area and training at the same offseason facility. "
didn't even "allow" for the possibility of Vientos beating out Baty this Spring. Leads me to believe the Mets are just not particularly high on him and the numbers James Schiano posted regarding Vientos vs. premium velocity are likely a massive reason why.
James Schiano
@James_Schiano
Vientos has a problem with velocity
didn't even "allow" for the possibility of Vientos beating out Baty this Spring. Leads me to believe the Mets are just not particularly high on him and the numbers James Schiano posted regarding Vientos vs. premium velocity are likely a massive reason why.
James Schiano
@James_Schiano
Vientos has a problem with velocity
And 97 Fastballs:
.115/.172/.269
42.4 Whiff%
47.5 Chase%
25.5 Z-Contact%
Per Schiano, Vientos saw 71 FB's 95+ in AAA and did not have a single hit. Seems like that's going to be an extremely hard issue to overcome.
i dont have access to any database but pretty sure that's not entirely right. didnt athletic have numbers that he was mets best hitter of high velocity last year in big leagues?
Ahh, the joys of an expanded postseason. Knowing that 84 wins was good enough for not one but two playoff teams in the National League last season sure makes it easier for the Mets to pull off the offseason approach they just did. Following a massively disappointing 87-loss season and a trade-deadline sell-off, New York under new exec David Stearns tinkered on the edges of its roster. The team added 16 players to its 40-man roster, only one of whom (Sean Manaea) is guaranteed money in 2025.
Since Aug. 1, the Mets have made it clear the goal here in 2024 is not a division title — they're still very much looking up at Atlanta and Philadelphia — but a roll of the postseason die. Because they know as well as anyone how that's worked out for the last two No. 6 seeds in the National League.
Austin Mock's odds
🎟️ Make postseason
25.1%
🏅 Win division
3.4%
🚩 Win pennant
2.4%
🏆 Win World Series
1.0%
didn't even "allow" for the possibility of Vientos beating out Baty this Spring. Leads me to believe the Mets are just not particularly high on him and the numbers James Schiano posted regarding Vientos vs. premium velocity are likely a massive reason why.
James Schiano
@James_Schiano
Vientos has a problem with velocity
And 97 Fastballs:
.115/.172/.269
42.4 Whiff%
47.5 Chase%
25.5 Z-Contact%
Per Schiano, Vientos saw 71 FB's 95+ in AAA and did not have a single hit. Seems like that's going to be an extremely hard issue to overcome.
i dont have access to any database but pretty sure that's not entirely right. didnt athletic have numbers that he was mets best hitter of high velocity last year in big leagues?
He pulled the numbers directly from baseball savant
James Schiano
@James_Schiano
Baseball savant
Setting metric range->pitch velocity-> greater then or equal to 95 MPH Link - ( New Window )
PRO: Vientos provides something the Mets otherwise lack: power against high velocity.
The sport has undoubtedly moved in the direction of harder throwers. The percentage of pitches thrown 97 mph and above has jumped from 3.5 percent in 2017 to 5.7 percent last season. (The first year Statcast measured pitch velocity was in 2017. Pitch F/X goes back to 2008 when only 1.6 percent of pitches were 97 and up.)
Vientos is as good at hitting that velo as anyone else in the Mets lineup. Since arriving in the major leagues, Vientos has slugged .769 against pitches thrown 97 or harder. Here’s how his numbers stack up against returning Mets, bearing in mind the sample is much smaller for Vientos:
this may seem unsurprising given priors but I think the lengths the mets were willing to hold out on JDM (and JDD before that) show that they were really very willing to go with Vientos at DH unless there was a substantial upgrade at a substantial discount (which JDM @ basically 9m AAV represents).
JDM is getting paid less by the mets than he made last year as LAD coming off a much better season. There were likely fair numbers in the 1 year 12-15m range they could have arrived at weeks ago if they didnt have faith in vientos (not to mention JDD at a fraction of that). Should Mark Vientos be the Mets’ DH? Examining the pros and cons - ( New Window )
And 97 Fastballs:
.115/.172/.269
42.4 Whiff%
47.5 Chase%
25.5 Z-Contact%
Hard to fix this in AAA but almost impossible to be productive in the majors
Show more
Quote
Mets'd Up Podcast
@MetsdUp
·
Mar 24
Mark Vientos will not be on the Opening Day roster per Davis Stearns
Image
SteveG
@shield1062
·
Mar 25
So, he's chasing fastballs off the plate at 41-48% ? These stats seem to support him being a pure guess hitter that's late on his swings and doesn't cut down to make contact. Hopefully some 1-1 coaching can help him. Maybe its a vision issue??
James Schiano
@James_Schiano
Fastballs that are at least 95 MPH yes. I think the biggest thing is a swing that doesn't let him get to those fastballs but there could be a guessing element
He was the host of the official Mets sanctioned Podcast, he's not just some random dude
Thomas Nestico
@TJStats
I was deceived by Vientos' AAA results where he was keeping his Whiff% away from league worst.
His results in MLB are significantly worse and his plate discipline and contact skills are very poor.
Similar to what Nae is saying, Vientos is not the answer for the Mets in 2024.
Thomas Nestico
@TJStats
Ya, it's all part of the non-linear development path of MLB players. Vientos has the raw tools to be an effective power hitter, but at this moment he can't succeed strictly off of power like he did in the minors.
Adjustments will be made, but the effectiveness varies.
and i know from what i saw with my own eyes he hit an XBH off bautista at 101mph last year and he was i think the only batter to do so off bautista over 100 mph last year (one of GKR made a comment i think in broadcast).
was looking for a clip of the bautista hit from broadcast to find that stat and instead found a YT highlight on his 5 hardest hits last year, 4 were off pitches 96 mph+. the 110mph double off bautista at 101mph is the second clip. a 114.9mph single off cole at 96 mph was his hardest hit ball of the year. Mark Vientos Top 5 Hardest Hits of 2023 - ( New Window )
RE: well he and britton have exactly opposite numbers
and i know from what i saw with my own eyes he hit an XBH off bautista at 101mph last year and he was i think the only batter to do so off bautista over 100 mph last year (one of GKR made a comment i think in broadcast).
was looking for a clip of the bautista hit from broadcast to find that stat and instead found a YT highlight on his 5 hardest hits last year, 4 were off pitches 96 mph+. the 110mph double off bautista at 101mph is the second clip. a 114.9mph single off cole at 96 mph was his hardest hit ball of the year. Mark Vientos Top 5 Hardest Hits of 2023 - ( New Window )
Eric,
The graphs I posted above are explicitly from the data, there is no gray area.
From Vientos's INTERNAL BP data aka what's not made public
"Vientos has one of the loudest bats in the league, but his plate discipline is putrid. Not only does he make poor decisions, he also has some of the worst contact rates in the league. Not an ideal combination.Thomas Nestico
@TJStats
Vientos' results aren't related to a small sample size, though. His swing has glaring holes in it, which has led to poor results.
I really hope he pans out, but an overhaul in his swing and approach is much easier said than done."
has Clifford projected to open in Brooklyn but I don't think that's based on actual inside information. The beats were strongly suggesting Bing last week.
DMM i had a back and forth with TJ directly a few months ago
these were charts he posted, his data already projects vientos above league average in terms of slugging, and as i pointed out to him in red, at the end of the year last year when he played every day he was showing the contact improvements TJ said he needs to make (which TJ conceded in bold):
Quote:
Thomas Nestico
@TJStats
He is still 24 which gives him plenty of time to improve. My charts show a very slight improvement which may simply be noise, it's not a large sample.
I won't write him off because he has the raw power to be effective, especially at his age. He has some holes he needs to address
forgetting however any of us want to guess on projecting future improvement (an unknown) this is the most meaningful thing TJ posted - which as i said above shows that in terms of expected power Vientos has already shown to be 60th percentile. This is real data based on the real contact vientos has made and shows real upside.
The question of whether or not he will get better in terms of consistency is real, but the only way to know the answer to that is to give him regular at bats at the MLB level. At the expense of an impact player like JDM on a steal of a contract it wasn't worth it, but for pretty much anyone else it was (which is why the mets passed on everyone else all offseason).
Quote:
Thomas Nestico
@TJStats
·
Feb 7
I have Vientos in the 60th% in my xSLG/BBE metric.
PRO: Vientos provides something the Mets otherwise lack: power against high velocity.
The sport has undoubtedly moved in the direction of harder throwers. The percentage of pitches thrown 97 mph and above has jumped from 3.5 percent in 2017 to 5.7 percent last season. (The first year Statcast measured pitch velocity was in 2017. Pitch F/X goes back to 2008 when only 1.6 percent of pitches were 97 and up.)
Vientos is as good at hitting that velo as anyone else in the Mets lineup. Since arriving in the major leagues, Vientos has slugged .769 against pitches thrown 97 or harder. Here’s how his numbers stack up against returning Mets, bearing in mind the sample is much smaller for Vientos:
this may seem unsurprising given priors but I think the lengths the mets were willing to hold out on JDM (and JDD before that) show that they were really very willing to go with Vientos at DH unless there was a substantial upgrade at a substantial discount (which JDM @ basically 9m AAV represents).
JDM is getting paid less by the mets than he made last year as LAD coming off a much better season. There were likely fair numbers in the 1 year 12-15m range they could have arrived at weeks ago if they didnt have faith in vientos (not to mention JDD at a fraction of that). Should Mark Vientos be the Mets’ DH? Examining the pros and cons - ( New Window )
They also offered Justin Turner 12 million in December which almost certainly would have resulted in the same impact on Vientos (AAA) only sooner. JDD passed on the Mets over playing time guarantees. He's the A's starting 3b. The Mets couldn't "match" the A's offer without pulling the plug on Baty. Doesn't really say much about their view of Vientos either way.
For a year+ everyone’s begging for Vientos to be called up. I kept saying he needs to make adjustments.
All spring, I said he looked too comfortable, and jogged to first and got a lashing about it.
Attached by the hip will help him, and the stat guy mentions “maybe one on one coaching can help him”
like Matt McLain may miss all of 2024. Big loss for the Reds. Already down Marte 80 games (suspension), Friedl (broken wrist), Sam Moll (shoulder), Williamson (shoulder). They should still be a good team but that's a rough go of it before the season even begins.
For a year+ everyone’s begging for Vientos to be called up. I kept saying he needs to make adjustments.
All spring, I said he looked too comfortable, and jogged to first and got a lashing about it.
Attached by the hip will help him, and the stat guy mentions “maybe one on one coaching can help him”
Who knows where this goes…
well tbf i was misunderstanding the comfortable comment as a positive "comfortable in a good way" not "too comfortable" for most of spring.
And Baty has looked so stiff and pressing. That HR the other day might have been like a balloon releasing all that pressure.
Both kids just being adequate would be such a huge boost for the franchise.
vientos not working to their satisfaction is something that has always made sense as a reason for why he didnt get more chances but i dont recall it ever being reported. he had always been portrayed as the good soldier who just went about his business (and continued producing) whenever sent down.
i said it at the time btu the interview after they signed JDM was not a good look. he was visibly shaken, but maybe that's part of what he needed.
Oramas to the 60 day. Had some light buzz in 2022, got hurt in 2023 (believed to be TJ, but never announced). Signed for only 10K. A shit down of pitchers on the 60 day or season long IL to open
03/25/24 FCL Mets placed RHP Juan Oramas on the 60-day injured list.
03/24/24 FCL Mets placed RHP Dylan Ross on the 60-day injured list.
03/24/24 Syracuse Mets placed RHP Bryce Montes de Oca on the 60-day injured list.
03/20/24 Binghamton Rumble Ponies placed RHP Dylan Tebrake on the 60-day injured list.
03/20/24 Brooklyn Cyclones placed RHP Jace Beck on the full-season injured list.
03/20/24 Brooklyn Cyclones placed RHP Matt Allan on the 60-day injured list.
03/20/24 Brooklyn Cyclones placed RHP Raimon Gomez on the 60-day injured list.
03/20/24 Brooklyn Cyclones placed LHP Eli Ankeney on the full-season injured list.
03/20/24 FCL Mets placed RHP John Valle on the full-season injured list.
03/20/24 St. Lucie Mets placed RHP Robert Dominguez on the 60-day injured list.
03/20/24 St. Lucie Mets placed RHP Zebulon Vermillion on the 60-day injured list.
03/20/24 St. Lucie Mets placed RHP Landon Marceaux on the full-season injured list.
03/20/24 St. Lucie Mets placed LHP Luis R. Rodriguez on the full-season injured list.
03/20/24 St. Lucie Mets placed RHP Chris Santiago on the 60-day injured list.
03/20/24 St. Lucie Mets placed RHP Ricardo Baptist on the 60-day injured list.
03/20/24 St. Lucie Mets placed RHP Jean Calderon on the full-season injured list.
03/20/24 Syracuse Mets placed RHP Brian Metoyer on the 60-day injured list.
They also offered Justin Turner 12 million in December which almost certainly would have resulted in the same impact on Vientos (AAA) only sooner. JDD passed on the Mets over playing time guarantees. He's the A's starting 3b. The Mets couldn't "match" the A's offer without pulling the plug on Baty. Doesn't really say much about their view of Vientos either way.
signing Turner would have hedged 3b and created more DH flexibility. I agree JDD was unlikely to come here because of Baty and said so before he signed in OAK.
all offseason we have been consistent in wanting them to pursue roster upgrades if meaningful (JDM and Turner included). before ST happened how those additions would have changed playing time was unknown. i had/have no problem if ST was a competition between baty and vientos for 3b that baty won and sent the loser down to AAA. that is perfectly fair. losing out on playing time to another quality prospect or in the case of JDM a DH who hit cleanup in the ASG last year does not meaningfully change anything we didnt already know about vientos (or that stearns didnt say publicly). he needs to make improvements to be an MLB'er but the only way to do that is probably with mlb at bats which will require growing pains whenever he gets those at bats.
A former Mets pitcher was arrested for an alleged drunk driving incident last week only 24 hours into being sworn in as a Nevada police officer.
Chasen Bradford, 34, who spent one year in Queens as a reliever, was still a probationary officer with the Henderson Police Department when he was charged with one count of driving while under the influence, a misdemeanor.
The department had just welcomed 14 newly graduated officers from the police academy on March 21 before Bradford was arrested the following day.
MLB Pipeline
@MLBPipeline
The Marlins are acquiring Yankees No. 28 prospect John Cruz and Rays outfield prospect Shane Sasaki in a three-team trade, with the Yankees acquiring Jon Berti and the Rays getting Ben Rortvedt.
This spring, I saw some things that were encouraging. I will admit I don't get to see every Spring game down here in CHS, just what the MLB Network broadcasts.
The Spring Breakout Game was a fun watch, the big name prospects were active. The top of the batting order was exciting to see. Clifford was dynamic, as were Jett and Drew Gilbert. The Booth interview with Andy Green was enlightening too. Andy is the Senior VP for Player Development, and he outlined some good ideas about, well....developing players. He mentioned the new Pitching Lab with Eric Jagers in charge. I'm hoping there will be a lot less arm troubles with our young pitchers.
Speaking of -- Christian Scott looks good. That's some big league stuff right there. He might get a mid-season callup.
But Hamil and Vasil need a little more time in the minors. There are a few more hurlers behind them, maybe bullpen arms like Sproat and Tidwell. If the Mets can bring up a few rookie pitchers, they can afford to add a high-dollar FA on the staff next year.
In a late Spring game, I watched Stanley Consuegra have a great at-bat vs Washington's Schultz. 13 pitches, worked the count full, fought off a few tough pitches, and then slugged a bases clearing double. Me Likey.
Not saying they're going to set the NL East on fire this year. But there is reason to be hopeful. Give Jett a shot at CF, give Clifford a 1B glove. Acuna says he 'likes' to play 2B...get out there Luis.
Jarrett Seidler
@jaseidler
just pretend this is 6/135 for the sake of evaluating it because I'm sure that's roughly how the Dodgers did (except that they pay less in taxes)
not sure they needed another good comp since he has already said he wants to extend, but the mets should be able to do something super team friendly with him, and the next impact on taxes hits next year.
i would guess something like 8x80m with maybe an option year or 2, and id probably guess by the ASB.
not that this is the primary reason, but an alvarez extension (and breakout) also helps mets keep the high ground in an alonso negotiation in the "see they are willing to pay their homegrown guys" sort of way. they'd also have alvarez, lindor, nimmo all under contract for almost a decade.
obviously a big if, but if pete leads a the team to an overachieving first half, boras is perhaps at his weakest point in a long time. may be a good time to try to hash out a reasonable extension and take away any risk of another team doing something foolish next fall/winter.
It’s no secret that Scott is one of the most-improved pitching prospects over the last year. To get there, the Florida alum has used a body and delivery that was always promising and made enough alterations to his stuff to raise his ceiling. The most prominent change is to his slider, which used to have short, early break and now has morphed into a true sweeper. Scott’s changeup has added power as well and now serves as a third potential plus pitch. In evaluators’ eyes, Scott has elevated himself over his peers in the upper levels of the Mets’ system.
More bad prospect news. LHP Javier Atencio will miss the 2024 season with an undisclosed injury. Atencio and Luis R. Rodriguez are 2 of the more talented LHP in @mets system and both will miss 2024. Kyle Crick also moved to the 60 day #Mets
Mets: Drew Gilbert, OF (No. 2/MLB No. 53)
New York acquired Gilbert in last year’s Justin Verlander blockbuster at the Deadline, and the former Tennessee star took off at Double-A Binghamton, hitting .325/.423/.561 over 35 games. His walk-heavy approach and improved loft will be tested at the Minors’ top level, but with above-average speed and plus arm strength, Gilbert has other ways to contribute in Syracuse. Expect the 23-year-old to continue to rotate around the outfield as he works to find a permanent home in Queens.
10 years for a 29-yr old catcher? I’m guessing LAD are expecting MLB to clamp down on deferred payments as a way to avoid the cap tax and are just lumping years to the end of the contract that the player will never see.
10 years for a 29-yr old catcher? I’m guessing LAD are expecting MLB to clamp down on deferred payments as a way to avoid the cap tax and are just lumping years to the end of the contract that the player will never see.
"Fabian Ardaya
@FabianArdaya
·
17h
Will Smith’s 10-year, $140 million contract extension includes 32 percent deferred money (about $44.8 million), source tells The Athletic.
Fabian Ardaya
@FabianArdaya
A slight correction: the deal includes $50 million in deferred money, as @Feinsand
laid out, with the $30 million signing bonus to be paid out over the next two years."
Went into 2023 the #2 ranked prospect in the Blue Jays system by @BaseballAmerica
. Slid to #12 for 2024. Finished the year strong. Might be an interesting grab... #Mets
My first thought (because I'm a weirdo) is that Brandon McIIwain is missing. He's not listed as injured and posted a 104 wRC+ in AAA over 43 games so *if* he's in AA that's gotta be a bit of a tough pill to swallow
My first thought (because I'm a weirdo) is that Brandon McIIwain is missing. He's not listed as injured and posted a 104 wRC+ in AAA over 43 games so *if* he's in AA that's gotta be a bit of a tough pill to swallow
I must be a weirdo as well as my first thought was where is Jose Peroza? 23 now turning 24 and ended the year in AAA last year with a SSS of a wRC+ 178. wRC+ of 106 in AA before that.
Also our major league bench seems really awful. Not sure who they can call on for a hit off the bench.
Have to imagine all these guys will be at AA which sucks for them but also means Binghamton Lineup will be stacked. Clifford and Schwartz will be there as well.
Have to imagine all these guys will be at AA which sucks for them but also means Binghamton Lineup will be stacked. Clifford and Schwartz will be there as well.
These days AA and AAA are interchangeable. Although they are ready to play at AAA there just are not enough AB's to go around and they would rather get them more consistent playing time. Don't see what Gamel or Kohlwey add, but I guess the Mets don't mind if they rarely get AB's.
I'd like to see this team play. So we've got Blade Tidwell and Tyler Stuart in the starting rotation at Double A to start the year too correct Dan?
P.S. Where will the Mets start your guy Jett position-wise down at Double A? SS? 2B? CF? Will they play him at all three of those positions you think?
Yup. Stuart and Tidwell are in Bing. Only threw about 30 innings each in AA last season. Williams will split time at SS and CF with "some" time at 2b (per Williams himself).
Ethan Briggs
@EthanBriggs__
Players who ended 2023 in AAA who arent on this roster:
Brandon McIlwain
David Griffin
Hunter Parsons
Jaylen Palmer
Joe Suozzi
Jose Peroza
Justin Jarvis
Tyler Jay
Wyatt Young
am i crazy or is that syracuse lineup potentially stacked?
choi, vientos, thompson as a middle of the order should do a fair amount of a damage, no?
nido may not have power but he played a lot in big leagues. ritter and cortes were pushing for promotions last year. acuna and gilbert obviously high profile but may need to earn their way up that order.
I'd like to see this team play. So we've got Blade Tidwell and Tyler Stuart in the starting rotation at Double A to start the year too correct Dan?
P.S. Where will the Mets start your guy Jett position-wise down at Double A? SS? 2B? CF? Will they play him at all three of those positions you think?
Yup. Stuart and Tidwell are in Bing. Only threw about 30 innings each in AA last season. Williams will split time at SS and CF with "some" time at 2b (per Williams himself).
Gotta love Da Bing! Stuart and Blade will have a great time there for sure!
Everyone is 0-0 to start the year, though really just put the Mets down for 1-0, as the always win on opening day. It's the other 161 we have to worry about!
LGM
Hopefully the team is competitive. Otherwise, those aren't the only AAs we'll be needing
@mets
system so far has been ranked 11th by ESPN/@kileymcd
15th by @keithlaw
and 8th by @BaseballAmerica
Quote:
Mets have both an Austin Allen and Austin Adams in camp as NRI's.
Hopefully the team is competitive. Otherwise, those aren't the only AAs we'll be needing
I'm optimistic it won't come down to these 2 lol
Shiiiiieet!
How much do you think Stanek goes for? 4 or 5 mill?
Quote:
the luxury tax, it's pretty unlikely the Mets are the team that signs Stanek. 1 year 6 million would cost the Mets 1 year 12.6 (for example).
Shiiiiieet!
How much do you think Stanek goes for? 4 or 5 mill?
If Ottavino at 38 got 4.5, gotta figure Stanek at 32 gets at least 5-6 million. Middleton just got 6.
1 year 1 million
“I was a wet-behind-the-ears rookie that did not know that the famous Clemente needed one more for 3,000,” admitted Matlack, who was with the New York Mets. “I was having a tough day. I walked too many guys. I’m getting beat [and] was just trying to get another out… I tried a backdoor curveball, and when it [leaves] my hand I know it’s not going to be a strike; I’m mad at myself because of how it came out. Somehow he rifles it one hop off the left-centerfield wall for a double. They present him with the ball at second base and I’m going, ‘Wait a minute, we’ve got a ballgame here to play. Why are you giving him the ball?’ Then I see the 3,000 flashing on the scoreboard. It dawned on me that I was going to be in the history books.”
@mets
system so far has been ranked 11th by ESPN/@kileymcd
15th by @keithlaw
and 8th by @BaseballAmerica
im a fan of the methodology kiley uses (the guy who developed it at FG actually now works for MLBPA) and here's how the systems in the division stack up:
1. Mets - 235m worth of prospects (11th overall)
2. Washington - 203m worth of prospects (16th overall)
3. Philly - 158m worth of prospects (23rd overall)
4. Atlanta - 87m worth of prospects (28th overall)
5. Miami - 82m worth of prospects (29th overall)
pretty amazing bc the mets also graduated like 100m worth of prospects last year just between alvarez (6th overall last year, 60grade) + baty (20th overall last year, 55 grade).
getting player development back on track is probably the most important storyline of the season. literally like 300-400m of present day value riding on it (that if developed will be worth multiples higher in the future).
if 2 more of baty/vientos/acuna/gilbert join alvarez trending toward locking down spots by the end of this year, that is such a huge development. hopefully get at least 1 arm in rotation too.
Too much. Thanks Dan.
#3 Gilbert-trade
#4 Acuna-trade
#5 Clifford-trade
#8 Houck (HS player, only had a dozen ab's)
#11 Sproat (didn't pitch yet)
#15 McLean
#18 Rodriguez-trade
#19 Vargas-trade
#21 Morris (3.1 innings)
#23 Baro (HS player, dozen or so ab's)
#25 Hernandez-trade
Were all either via trade or just drafted and didn't play at all or barely played so the Mets system is absolutely in better shape than it's been but hardly from "improved player development" to this point. The system was quietly in pretty shit shape before the deadline.
Stearns said they are "never done" looking for pitching. They are more likely done with major league deals than not. I wouldn't expect a major signing of any kind.
Longoria
Urshela
kike hernandez (sorry not sorry, played 98 innings at 3b for lad last year)
Pham (seems unlikely but still)
Winker (also seems unlikely but probably be a camp invite)
Pollock (also prob a camp invite)
Lauer
Loup
barnes
hendriks and woodruff too depending on price (they would each be more than $5m).
?? where did i give player development any credit?
I literally wrote an entire post last deadline about the $ value gained (same methodology used by Kiley) because of the trades they made.
i specifically said "they need to get player development back on track" so they don't squander the value they have in the system any more than they may already have.
https://thecontractdispute.substack.com/p/trade-deadline-2023-that-escalated - ( New Window )
Quote:
think you're giving player development WAY too much credit here. Where would the system rank if not for deadline deals for Gilbert/Clifford/Rodriguez/Vargas/Hernandez? Easily bottom 10 in the league.
?? where did i give player development any credit?
I literally wrote an entire post last deadline about the $ value gained (same methodology used by Kiley) because of the trades they made.
i specifically said "they need to get player development back on track" so they don't squander the value they have in the system any more than they may already have. https://thecontractdispute.substack.com/p/trade-deadline-2023-that-escalated - ( New Window )
Eric,
My apologies. I misread what you were trying to say here. It was quietly ignored that the Mets system was in pretty dire straits. Yeah, they did graduate Alvarez/Baty but the non-2023 draft picks/trade additions top prospects was pretty mediocre
Williams
Mauricio
Scott
Tidwell
Parada
Hamel
A. Ramirez
Reimer
Baez
Butto
Would be the top 10 (using BA's 2024 list)
i used the prospect grades at the time from a combination of pubs but the methodology is the same as kiley's (except for the fact that he uses his own grades vs. a blended average).
Quote:
I'm assuming this is a reset for tax purposes until the kids come up/come back next year, including Mauricio, the SPs at Syracuse, Acuna, and Gilbert (not including Clifford or Jett yet since 2026 looks more likely as an ETA date for them than 2025 does).
Stearns said they are "never done" looking for pitching. They are more likely done with major league deals than not. I wouldn't expect a major signing of any kind.
Wet day dream:
They sign Stanek for the pen, Monty for this rotation, and Martinez for DH. Fiction can be fun, I know.
Dylan Ross (TJ 2022, hasn't been heard from since, very odd)
Robert Dominguez (same. Formerly a top 10-15 prospect in the system)
Matt Allan
Joel Diaz
Raimon Gomez
John Valle
Chris Santiago
Connor Brandon
Zebullon Vermillion
Javier Atencio
Troy Miller
Wilmer Lugo
Daviel Hurtado (hasn't been seen in DSL camp, was supposed to be their "best" P signed last signing period out of Cuba)
Dylan Tebrake
Jace Beck
Eli Ankeney
acuna = 50 grade = 28m
clifford = 50 grade = 28m
so just those 3 = $102m
if vargas and jrod are 45 grade that's another 12m or so combined.
so the midpoint of the range i came up with ended up pretty close to accurate.
"Big Game Offer, last chance! Purchase a single game ticket and receive a digital gift card in the amount of $34 to be used on food at merch at the game."
Link - ( New Window )
i remember when they brought him the reception was generally positive and the resume is good?
this is a link to an interview he did at WM - didnt realize he'd also been a candidate for the manager job.
Sr. VP of Player Development Andy Green talks David Stearns and learning the Mets' system | SNY - ( New Window )
acuna = 50 grade = 28m
clifford = 50 grade = 28m
so just those 3 = $102m
if vargas and jrod are 45 grade that's another 12m or so combined.
so the midpoint of the range i came up with ended up pretty close to accurate.
how much did those three actually cost in cash in the trades?
I would do those trades over 100 times out of 100, but if the prospects pan out it would make it even better (captain obvious?) just curious if you knew how much salary the Mets had to retain to get back $102M of prospect value.
Quote:
hopefully Andy Green will end up being a strong hire.
i remember when they brought him the reception was generally positive and the resume is good?
this is a link to an interview he did at WM - didnt realize he'd also been a candidate for the manager job. Sr. VP of Player Development Andy Green talks David Stearns and learning the Mets' system | SNY - ( New Window )
He is not. On paper Green was a sort of odd hire. Well regarded baseball guy, considered very smart but as for his player development background... pretty vague.
Quote:
gilbert = 55 grade = 46m
acuna = 50 grade = 28m
clifford = 50 grade = 28m
so just those 3 = $102m
if vargas and jrod are 45 grade that's another 12m or so combined.
so the midpoint of the range i came up with ended up pretty close to accurate.
how much did those three actually cost in cash in the trades?
I would do those trades over 100 times out of 100, but if the prospects pan out it would make it even better (captain obvious?) just curious if you knew how much salary the Mets had to retain to get back $102M of prospect value.
sort of in the chart above - the first column is how much the mets paid them (which includes the $ included in the trades).
then you need to remember those guys also produced value as mets, 1 fwar generally = 8-10m, so i included how much on-field value they produced as well.
so if you take the total amount they paid all those guys (around 218m)
subtract the value of the 15 fwar they got (*8m = 120m)
then there is about 100m worth of $ value they essentially converted into prospect value.
since most of it was in JV/MS a simpler way may be to add the ~40m they kicked in last year to the ~55m they are kicking in this year and there's your 102m worth of acuna/gilbert/clifford.
the more skillfull trades were j-rod and vargas because the $ was negligible and they got back legitimate prospects who could hit top 100 lists in the next year or 2 for pure rentals.
would not do that personally.
i really think the best bang for buck is longoria on a similar deal to last year (4m+incentives).
agree. especially mid-late 30's, injury issues, etc.
@AnthonyDiComo
The Mets have signed outfielder Ben Gamel to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
The Mets system wasn't just very weak; it was starved for resources. Cohen & co. are addressing that but it's not going to be a quick fix. They have a lot of work to do, and not all of it will be apparent to fans soon, if ever. Fans don't necessarily see the infrastructure. They see the results.
The "Cohen tax" has also hurt their draft position and that makes the job harder.
Quote:
think you're giving player development WAY too much credit here. Where would the system rank if not for deadline deals for Gilbert/Clifford/Rodriguez/Vargas/Hernandez? Easily bottom 10 in the league.
If things were different, things would be different. They did make those deals. They get credit for making them. Now we have to see how they develop those prospects. Hoping they're better at coaching guys up than they have been.
The Mets system wasn't just very weak; it was starved for resources. Cohen & co. are addressing that but it's not going to be a quick fix. They have a lot of work to do, and not all of it will be apparent to fans soon, if ever. Fans don't necessarily see the infrastructure. They see the results.
The "Cohen tax" has also hurt their draft position and that makes the job harder.
Huh? I was responding explicitly to "player development". What do the trades have to do with player development? Nothing.
@AnthonyDiComo
The Mets have signed outfielder Ben Gamel to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
gamel is whatever but much better to add extra OF this way than trading prospects for them like eppler and bvw.
he seems to generally be good at hitting the sweet spot on the bat and not chasing. ok runner bad fielder. played most of last year in AAA for tampa/sd (hence 2022 statcast data). 4-A OF depth like trayce/stewart, not as much power upside as those guys but probably safer floor too.
Quote:
Anthony DiComo
@AnthonyDiComo
The Mets have signed outfielder Ben Gamel to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
gamel is whatever but much better to add extra OF this way than trading prospects for them like eppler and bvw.
If Gamel sees meaningful time with the Mets, things went very wrong. Trayce Thompson is more interesting in the filler OF department.
-32 DRS in the OF career, -22 OAA. We should be hoping we don't see him in 2024.
100%. i dont remember who it was in the 2010-2018 time frame pre-BVW but it was a lot better. all the pitchers obviously but also nimmo, conforto, alonso, mcneil, turner, etc. flores spent a lot of time in the system even though he improved elsewhere (similarly TDA/JDD). i dont think they did anything particularly special in those years, they seemed to just promote guys once it seemed like they were mastering levels.
the biggest frustration of the cohen era is not having gotten that part right in 2021 or at least league average. i dont remember howard's backstory, but presumably that was where they made an error (along with the powers above him who didnt recognize/fix it earlier).
Gamel, Thompson, Kohlway, Rudick, Jordan, McIIwain, Cortes, Acuna, Gilbert
Quote:
In comment 16396784 DanMetroMan said:
Quote:
Anthony DiComo
@AnthonyDiComo
The Mets have signed outfielder Ben Gamel to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
gamel is whatever but much better to add extra OF this way than trading prospects for them like eppler and bvw.
If Gamel sees meaningful time with the Mets, things went very wrong. Trayce Thompson is more interesting in the filler OF department.
obviously but if 2 guys run into each other in the OF and they need a depth call up for 10 days it's possible thompson is hitting like .200 with a 40% k-rate even at AAA. no downside to having options.
@DPLennon
Edwin Diaz, who threw a bullpen earlier today at the PSL complex, said he was ready to pitch for #Mets at end of last season but "the team wasn't playing good baseball and they backed it off." Feels totally confident and healthy for start of spring training.
Waiting for Mauricio?
Season ender. He can be added to the 60 day IR on Wednesday
@timbhealey
David Stearns said the Mets will have “some level of competition” at third base but they’re confident in Brett Baty. He also mentioned Mark Vientos, Joey Wendle and Zack Short.
@jonmorosi
Free agent RHP Jake Odorizzi, an All-Star starter in 2019, is throwing without restrictions and looking to sign a major league deal in the coming weeks.
Odorizzi, 33, has pitched off the mound this offseason in front of evaluators from 10 to 12 teams. .
maybe when mauricio or peterson hit IL?
Quote:
Looks like the Fujinami deal has not been made official (not listed on the ST roster)
maybe when mauricio or peterson hit IL?
He's physically in camp (or has been seen arriving) so unless he had something turn up in his physical, that's the only explanation.
mets 2025 pitching staff under contract
senga
diaz
(end of list)
this is still my biggest gripe of the offseason. maybe like alonso they figure they can afford to bring back whoever they want but if they end up needing to fill 11 slots, that seems like a lot for 1 offseason.
https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1mnGepnpeYEKX - ( New Window )
i havent listened to it i only just found the link. i assume its a watered down version of what he said to season ticket holders.
-Thinks Marte looks healthy
-Basically admitted Alonso will follow the Nimmo model FA wise
-DH and bench will be a competition
-Likes their depth
-Expects league wide activity given how many players are still out there
-"We expect ourselves - and our fanbase certainly expects us - to be a championship-caliber organization."
Really run of the mill stuff (not knocking Stearns)
@jjcoop36
This year is the first year of a 175-player offseason and a 165-player inseason limit for domestic MiLB rosters. According to multiple agents and front office officials it's having an effect on veterans landing MiLB deals with non-roster invites.
To be clear, he didn't mention Fujinami's option, I'm adding that.
Diaz, Ottavino, Raley, Diekman, Smith, Lopez, Fujimani have guaranteed contracts, so it's really 1 spot unless Fujinami is terrible in ST and they send him down. Obviously, injuries happen but that's clearly not what he's talking about in regard to "2 spots".
@Joelsherman1
Ben Gamel’s minor league contract with the NYM will pay him $1.2M if he reaches the majors. $35,000 a month at AAA.
GENY Mets Report
@genymets
David Stearns said that the “most likely outcome” is that Pete Alonso will hit free agency after this season. #LGM
I can see a scenario where the Mets offer the QO and don't even try and match. I would expect to see Vientos with a 1B glove in spring training quite a bit.
This roster truly reminds me of those "rebuild" rosters of the mid 90's that followed the Bonilla, Sabe, E Murray, Coleman fail teams.
Downhill since Bernazard was hulking up and ripping his shirt off to fight prospects. Need that dog eat dog attitude back!
This is the one time as a Mets fan I agree completely with not extending a home grown All Star. He stunk last year. If he can't turn it around in a contract year, then there is no way he would probably ever regain his stud offensive abilities as a Met again. Does that mean he couldn't thrive on a west coast team, no... but as a Met he needs to show he has that NYC magic again.
it's an interesting thing to consider. even though there are more players in common with 2022/2023, going back 5 years I think this roster is most comparable to the 2021 team (OD roster quoted below). the top 3 SP on that team were supposed to be JDG/Stroman/Carrasco. Thor hopefully back midseason from TJS. Senga obviously not JDG but this year's rotation has a similar dynamic. 1 ace and then a bunch of mid-rotation types behind. Quintana, Severino, Manaea not so meaningfully different than Stroman, Carrasco, Walker.
Catchers (2): James McCann, Tomás Nido
Infielders (6): Pete Alonso, J.D. Davis, Luis Guillorme, Francisco Lindor, Jeff McNeil, Jonathan Villar
Outfielders (5): Albert Almora, Jr., Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo, Dominic Smith, Kevin Pillar
with the benefit of hindsight i think id argue the reason that team most failed was because player development failed. specifically conforto, mcneil, dom, jdd all regressed even though lindor/alonso/nimmo were their usual selves. zack scott and chili had their blow out early in the year.
that team also had a first time manager, which ended up not working out with a veteran team. just all around a promising season spent mostly in first place lost to chaos/injuries.
stearns' ability to make moves that have an impact on the margins is what this year will sink (5-10 games under) or swim on (5-10 games over). defense, bullpen, depth, development of the talent already here.
going into 2021 we were probably rightfully more excited because it was cohen year 1 and he spent more than the wilpons right away, got lindor, etc. i think the roster quality is similar though and even some aspects of the roster construction.
https://www.fangraphs.com/teams/mets/stats?season=2021 - ( New Window )
Link - ( New Window )
Quote:
In comment 16396601 DanMetroMan said:
Quote:
think you're giving player development WAY too much credit here. Where would the system rank if not for deadline deals for Gilbert/Clifford/Rodriguez/Vargas/Hernandez? Easily bottom 10 in the league.
If things were different, things would be different. They did make those deals. They get credit for making them. Now we have to see how they develop those prospects. Hoping they're better at coaching guys up than they have been.
The Mets system wasn't just very weak; it was starved for resources. Cohen & co. are addressing that but it's not going to be a quick fix. They have a lot of work to do, and not all of it will be apparent to fans soon, if ever. Fans don't necessarily see the infrastructure. They see the results.
The "Cohen tax" has also hurt their draft position and that makes the job harder.
Huh? I was responding explicitly to "player development". What do the trades have to do with player development? Nothing.
I guess there's a difference between player acquisition and "player development." Doesn't player development specifically refer to something separate from player acqusition? The Mets have meh at both for a long time, though they managed to develop some pretty nice players: Alonso, Nimmo, Smith (for a while), Conforto (for a while), Alvarez, the "baby Mets."
They've acquired a decent pipeline. Now they have to develop them. I agree that the development of those prospects so far isn't to the Mets' credit. But if Luisangel Acuña becomes a HOFer, for example, the Mets are going to be due some credit for developing him from a nice prospect to an elite player. Yes?
I think the lineup is a bat short too (JDM would have been perfect) but it's not bad as is.
I think the lineup is a bat short too (JDM would have been perfect) but it's not bad as is.
yes sort of bc i dont think there's much of a talent difference between any team from 75-85 wins. i dont know what dictates teams with good vibes vs bad vibes, but whatever it is is usually worth a bunch of close wins (or the inverse crushing losses).
the 2021 team went from the good vibes bench mob that was 8 games over to imploding even after getting their "1 more bat" who played at a 6-win pace for the last 2 months.
i think the expectations are low and they did some smart things (defense, bp, depth) so it wouldnt surprise me if they ended up overachieving instead of underachieving for once. also wouldnt surprise me if mendoza has some issues and within a month we are saying 'why did we fire buck again?'
im with u on jdm - he could be a delgado like piece in middle of lineup that makes everyone else better but i also understand not wanting to go 2 years for him since he looked cooked with the back issues in 2022. if he comes down to 1 year id be all over it.
I think the lineup is a bat short too (JDM would have been perfect) but it's not bad as is.
Welcome home Z, great to see you ch8ming in. Hope you’ve been well, and look forward to seeing you around here again.
a few notable things (not exact quotes but close enough):
"when you have players who have pretty consistently performed at AAA eventually you have to give them a chance. i fully understand that it may not go perfectly but the organization will be better for it" (amen)
do u have a set budget?
"i dont think steve operates with a hard line"
would you consider signing a veteran if the prices come down?
"sure that's not out of the question"
called out zack short's defense at 3b "played at a very high level in the past" (mention this bc im still surprised he's stuck on the 40 man all offseason)
1 other one where i dont remember the exact context but quote stuck with me - "at some point several months from now i will be much better educated on this roster and in a better position to plot the course forward"
David Stearns on expectations going into 2024 season at Mets spring training | SNY - ( New Window )
Pete may not see many fastballs.
He puts a lot of pressure on himself, with no protection behind him, well....not good, but if he wants the big $, maybe he just needs to figure it out...
Pete may not see many fastballs.
He puts a lot of pressure on himself, with no protection behind him, well....not good, but if he wants the big $, maybe he just needs to figure it out...
Alvarez will get some MVP votes, and next year we will ask who hits behind him?
it is so bizarre to see these guys sit all winter then end up getting basically what was projected all along (in soler's case actually a little more- his median was 3x38m).
he noted that there basically is no competition for 3b ("we believe in brett" or something like that), think he was talking about short in the context of final bench spot up for grabs.
short is just an odd one in that i think some of their other claims seemed more interesting than him. he hasnt even hit at AAA when he's been there the last several years. Castillo seemed like a more interesting claim. Hummel too.
Pete may not see many fastballs.
He puts a lot of pressure on himself, with no protection behind him, well....not good, but if he wants the big $, maybe he just needs to figure it out...
if i were them id actually consider hitting alonso higher this year. his best year as a rookie he mostly hit 2nd. not sure id have the courage to do that, but maybe hit him 3rd with lindor 2nd.
though i also dont hate 1 nimmo - 2 lindor - 3 mcneil because that should get lindor some extra righty at bats or nimmo/mcneil extra righty at bats. then alonso 4.
vogelbach hit 5th for like 100 games in the last 1.5 years, somehow i imagine they will be able to do better than that with someone whether it's marte, alvarez, vientos, baty or mcneil if he's not hitting top 3.
Quote:
Short career negative 1.3 fWAR which includes -3 DRS and -2 OAA at 3B. He’s soon to be 29 years old with a career 58 wRC+ over 179 games. If he sees significant time at 3B for the Mets they are in major, major trouble. This sounds like an artificial attempt to give Baty some “competition”.
he noted that there basically is no competition for 3b ("we believe in brett" or something like that), think he was talking about short in the context of final bench spot up for grabs.
short is just an odd one in that i think some of their other claims seemed more interesting than him. he hasnt even hit at AAA when he's been there the last several years. Castillo seemed like a more interesting claim. Hummel too.
I don't see how they can carry Wendle AND Short (with Narvaez being on the bench as well) unless they want the worst bench in baseball offensively.
note here on this chart 2022 where the mets chose vogelbach/naquin/ruf over their young hitters in AAA? that's literally what it looks like to be behind the curve (and why Stearns' approach is something that was needed).
some quotes from 2 of our almost-gm's:
When the Pirates were weighing whether infielder Ke’Bryan Hayes would make their Opening Day roster, Cherington said part of the discussion around Hayes — who debuted as a 23-year-old during 2020’s shortened season — was that he needed to be in the big leagues to accelerate his growth. Some members of the Pirates front office believed Hayes could get better quicker if he saw big-league pitching, not Triple A, every day.
“There’s significant upside to having guys who you can plug in and then they take the next step up here and get to be All-stars sooner in their career,” said Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes. “We talk about this a lot: you can get really close in player development in Triple A, but I’m not sure you can put the ball in the end zone.”
Behind the unprecedented rise in young impact players in baseball - ( New Window )
I don't see how they can carry Wendle AND Short (with Narvaez being on the bench as well) unless they want the worst bench in baseball offensively.
i agree. if i could add longoria (or JDM), short is the obvious dfa i think. sanchez/iglesias are both at AAA and seem like easy emergency options if they need a backup IF who cant hit.
McNeil
Lindor
Alonso
Alvarez
Marte
Vientos
Baty
Bader
Marte could easily move down. Vientos, Baty if hot could hit 5th. Just go with the hot hand to hit behind him. As noted above, Vogelbach "protected" him last year. Can't get much worse. Heck, at times last year, Stewart was hot and was the best Alonso protection.
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But, it is starting to shift to really bad habits with the next wave. Everyone is chasing Velo and EV. No one is teaching the fundamentals anymore, they are all chasing the PG measurements now. A one time max number is all that matters anymore.
In a sense, it will make old school scouting important again. And drafting a good player out of HS and into your system ASAP - before they chase their max metrics.
enough of my rant lol
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I don't like this. Less or no time for same year draftees.
i mostly havent invested the time in understanding pitch characteristics and trends, but it seems to me at a macro level these things are just cyclical like anything else.
pitch A becomes fashionable because hitters haven't seen much of it, and it counters some adjustment they've made and it's effective for 1-2 seasons. or some time interval where the majority of the league has been able to adjust so it flips from being an above average effective pitch to below average.
pitch B then becomes a counter adjustment to whatever adjustment hitters have made. same cycle repeats.
obviously there's a top 10-20% on both sides who are good enough with their velocity or command that the cycles dont matter too much.
for the more median talents however being adaptable enough to stay on top of the cycles is probably the difference between multi-year contracts and year to year deals.
i think this is probably a big part of determining between which pitchers are worth going long term with and which arent.
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FCL season will begin a month earlier than last season (and duh, end a month sooner) 5/4-7/25 this year
I don't like this. Less or no time for same year draftees.
Yup. This closes the door on 99% of HS players playing during their draft year. we are likely to see less 2024 draftees participate in games in general
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FCL season will begin a month earlier than last season (and duh, end a month sooner) 5/4-7/25 this year
I don't like this. Less or no time for same year draftees.
Reality is, with the draft so late now. How many kids get drafted, signed and jump innto FCL action anyway?
Let them get instructs and acclimate.
Plus, ever watch a noon FL game in August? lol
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In comment 16397810 DanMetroMan said:
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FCL season will begin a month earlier than last season (and duh, end a month sooner) 5/4-7/25 this year
I don't like this. Less or no time for same year draftees.
Yup. This closes the door on 99% of HS players playing during their draft year. we are likely to see less 2024 draftees participate in games in general
You'd think for development purposes you'd want as much camp time as possible and then games. With this after the games they just go back into camp if not promoted? Seems odd to have 2 months of camp time after games. Was a reasoning given?
-The weather in Arizona
- the lack of viable P to get through an entire season, the new setup will mean DSL pitchers from the previous year will fill up the rosters and presumably be able to shoulder innings vs. HS kids just drafted
". With tighter rosters, having a group of pitchers who count to the 165-player roster limits who weren’t getting into games would potentially cause problems."
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In comment 16397810 DanMetroMan said:
Quote:
FCL season will begin a month earlier than last season (and duh, end a month sooner) 5/4-7/25 this year
I don't like this. Less or no time for same year draftees.
Reality is, with the draft so late now. How many kids get drafted, signed and jump innto FCL action anyway?
Let them get instructs and acclimate.
Plus, ever watch a noon FL game in August? lol
A decent amount last year.
if you add up the cash payroll ($330m) and the taxes (105m) they paid out (435m) more than 100m more than the next closest team which was nyy (278m+31m tax = 309m) even if you discount what they got paid back for Diaz bc of his injury.
their attendance was actually pretty comparable to 2022 but im sure there was a significant cash loss. in march last year forbes had their revenue at 374m and operating income at -138m, so not too hard to see how they could have ended up -200m having spent more. though how much of that was a cash loss to cohen personally is a little murkier than that especially since he has so many other projects tied in with mets.
https://www.forbes.com/teams/new-york-mets/?sh=796af9d32154 - ( New Window )
@jeffpaternostro
Going to be a a lot of overmatched prep and IFA guys in A-ball now I suspect.
Jeffrey Paternostro
@jeffpaternostro
This is also gonna create a situation where you just have to start cutting guys as you sign draftees to stay under the 165 in-season limit.
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In comment 16397810 DanMetroMan said:
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FCL season will begin a month earlier than last season (and duh, end a month sooner) 5/4-7/25 this year
I don't like this. Less or no time for same year draftees.
Yup. This closes the door on 99% of HS players playing during their draft year. we are likely to see less 2024 draftees participate in games in general
is that part intentional? i feel like when HS debut we are usually discounting that first year as almost meaningless anyway.
A decent amount last year.
Really? Please educate me
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In comment 16397827 Shecky said:
A decent amount last year.
Really? Please educate me
Off the top of my head last year the following 2023 draftees spend time in the FCL. Maybe a few more I'd have to look.
Houck
McLean
Morris
Ewing
Troesser
Baro
Pregent
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In comment 16397837 GF1080 said:
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In comment 16397827 Shecky said:
A decent amount last year.
Really? Please educate me
Off the top of my head last year the following 2023 draftees spend time in the FCL. Maybe a few more I'd have to look.
Houck
McLean
Morris
Ewing
Troesser
Baro
Pregent
Time? Or significant time? I’m open to,learning all about how this works.
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In comment 16397869 Shecky said:
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In comment 16397837 GF1080 said:
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In comment 16397827 Shecky said:
A decent amount last year.
Really? Please educate me
Off the top of my head last year the following 2023 draftees spend time in the FCL. Maybe a few more I'd have to look.
Houck
McLean
Morris
Ewing
Troesser
Baro
Pregent
Time? Or significant time? I’m open to,learning all about how this works.
Some more than others depending on when they signed and got into it. This year there will be none of it so really depends on how the organization thought about getting them game time the same year. I would think it helps so they see what they need to work on in the off-season.
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In comment 16397890 GF1080 said:
Some more than others depending on when they signed and got into it. This year there will be none of it so really depends on how the organization thought about getting them game time the same year. I would think it helps so they see what they need to work on in the off-season.
We’ll color me impressed.
I thought Dan was the biggest draft and lower level minor league guru around here. But to whip out the draft class like that. Off the top of your head. Mind blowing. 🤯
Let’s see who the shrewd GMs are who can pick off 3/1s and added throw ins to trades from the deeper farms this summer.
this was interesting:
Kantrovitz: “Over time, I think we’ve seen the role of a scouting director evolve quite a bit in terms of just needing to understand how to take scouting evaluations to a financial valuation. Managing the department, optimizing scouting coverage, developing and retaining good scouts… all those things are as important as ever. But since executing the draft is still arguably the most impactful part of the job, I think it is more important than ever to have a knowledge base in player valuation. I mean, I’ve found that most of the scouting disagreements — in terms of where a player is on the board — stem from the valuation component and its corresponding adjustments more so than the actual scouting evaluations. So, not just interpreting what the scouts are saying but also understanding how to take the model output and make a decision.”
kind of crazy how big of a leap has occurred in just the last 5 years from public places like fangraphs/savant. it feels like just yesterday we were all arguing over things like cuddyer and flores and ra dickey trades, and i feel like in doing so i was so much less knowledgeable than today.
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In comment 16397939 Shecky said:
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In comment 16397890 GF1080 said:
Some more than others depending on when they signed and got into it. This year there will be none of it so really depends on how the organization thought about getting them game time the same year. I would think it helps so they see what they need to work on in the off-season.
We’ll color me impressed.
I thought Dan was the biggest draft and lower level minor league guru around here. But to whip out the draft class like that. Off the top of your head. Mind blowing. 🤯
Dan is the ultimate guru. I will pretty much always defer to him.
A few of the college guys I can see going straight to FSL. Will be a shame we won't get to see HS same year debuts unless they are really special.
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Link - ( New Window )
great article. these high velocity stats are obviously SSS but interesting given that he also had the highest bat speed on the team last year (cant find it on savant anymore but i have it exported). he clearly has raw power talent that can play in games, just a question of whether or not he can acclimate it consistently enough.
.179 iso in the 184 2nd half PAs last year is above average so while there's holes the power is showing up already more than people realize. needing to make more soft contact seems like an easier ask than vice versa.
Pete may not see many fastballs.
He puts a lot of pressure on himself, with no protection behind him, well....not good, but if he wants the big $, maybe he just needs to figure it out...
Whoever it is, he (they) can’t be any worse than last year. Mets wee dead last in MLB in OPS from the 5-hole. That has to get better. It’s amazing Pete hit as well as he did.
Joel Diaz, Saul Garcia, Layonel Ovalles, Daiverson Gutierrez, Justin Jarvis, Nick Morabito, Christopher Larez, Jordany Ventura, Felipe De La Cruz and William Lugo
True Dat. the trade deadline (on July 30th this season) will be interesting again this season. Would not be surprised to see Marte and Quintana dealt, perhaps even McNeil if things are out of whack--or even if they're not.
not to put you on the spot, but if peterson and mauricio are both IL moves (which I think stearns confirmed) and fujinami takes 1 spot, do we expect there's another not yet reported move for the other spot?
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an active day tomorrow
not to put you on the spot, but if peterson and mauricio are both IL moves (which I think stearns confirmed) and fujinami takes 1 spot, do we expect there's another not yet reported move for the other spot?
It’ll be busy league wide most likely.
But I kinda hope the FAs get the cold shoulder instead
And it’s more centered on foundations of trade talks instead.
Carlos Mendoza’s Mets job will only get harder after acing Day 1 - ( New Window )
Red Sox Remain Open To Offers On Jansen, Martin, Schreiber - ( New Window )
“When I first started playing catch I usually shut it down for a while and this time when I shut it down and picked a ball back up, my shoulder didn’t feel so great so I kind of had to take a step back,” he said.
“When I first started playing catch I usually shut it down for a while and this time when I shut it down and picked a ball back up, my shoulder didn’t feel so great so I kind of had to take a step back,” he said.
Stay under that 140 Justin!!
“When I first started playing catch I usually shut it down for a while and this time when I shut it down and picked a ball back up, my shoulder didn’t feel so great so I kind of had to take a step back,” he said.
If that happens, that would be the first bit of luck this franchise has had since winning the Ordonez lottery lol
Seriously, this wouldbe monsterous!!
Don't see much of a fit. Martin is a pending FA who will soon be 38 years old, the article notes Boston isn't looking to include money with Jansen and if they did include significant money, that would just mean the Mets would be giving up a "good" piece/pieces for a pending FA 36 year old and Schrieber is of a similar quality of what they currently have in-house. 4.52 FIP in 2023. If Boston wanted to give him away at a "give away" price, sure, but why would they? He's making 1.2 million and signed through 2026.
my god did eppler earn his golden parachute at that deadline. he went out in a true blaze of glory.
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The question is, will these leagues (hockey too) learn/care, or continue to take the most $$
not sure how we could get him but id love to add someone with upside like cabrera. wouldnt do baty or mauricio, probably wouldnt do vientos unless they signed jdm. parada or ramirez or both probably not enough but id do it. maybe vasil plus parada enough?
-Rintaro Sasaki has committed to Stanford
And we'd have a really low ranked system with no help on the way in the near future.
Imagine the pressure on Baty/Vientos/Alvarez in that situation?
Those that think 24 looks bleak already - the alternative could have been soooo much worse today & tomorrow.
@AndreesBolivar
Per sources I can confirm the report that places Edward Cabrera close to joining to Pittsburgh Pirates.
And we'd have a really low ranked system with no help on the way in the near future.
Imagine the pressure on Baty/Vientos/Alvarez in that situation?
Those that think 24 looks bleak already - the alternative could have been soooo much worse today & tomorrow.
in that scenario though I feel like the Mets would have gone out and added Snell and/or Montgomery and maybe a bat plus.
that could have been pouring gas on a fire and made things worse (to your point), but in your scenario they've kind of committed to "going for it" in 2024 so I think it's what they would have kind of had to do - IOW - they would not have had this off-season IMO if they still had Scherzer and Verlander - they would have added.
And we'd have a really low ranked system with no help on the way in the near future.
Imagine the pressure on Baty/Vientos/Alvarez in that situation?
Those that think 24 looks bleak already - the alternative could have been soooo much worse today & tomorrow.
Yep, It was 100% the right move.
@AndreesBolivar
Per sources I can confirm the report that places Edward Cabrera close to joining to Pittsburgh Pirates.
Will wait to see if true. Wish the Mets were in on this. Cabrera is just what they need: a young cost-controlled starter with some upside.
I'm not buying that one.
And we'd have a really low ranked system with no help on the way in the near future.
Imagine the pressure on Baty/Vientos/Alvarez in that situation?
Those that think 24 looks bleak already - the alternative could have been soooo much worse today & tomorrow.
in the hypothetical with JV + Verlander I'd imagine they would be here instead of Manaea and Severino, which would only be a net increase of about $5m or so on the payroll.
I don't think they'd have signed a different big time SP but I imagine they would have aggressively signed a 1-2 year DH like JDM.
Maybe that makes Vientos expendable for someone like Cabrera. I think they still would have done that Houser trade.
So in terms of differences, I think we'd be looking at a rotation something like:
JV - Senga - Scherzer - Quintana - Houser w/ Megill/Cabrera/Lucchesi as your first half fill ins while Peterson/Scherzer recover.
More starpower if/when healthy, certainly if healthy for a 7 game series, but zips ironically projects both scenarios similarly.
JV = 2.1 fwar
MS = 2.4 fwar
JDM = 0.1 fwar
Manaea = 1.4 fwar
Severino = 1.1 fwar
Vientos = 2 fwar
so reality ended up cheaper, plus Gilbert/Acuna/Clifford.
that's why for all the "lolmets biggest payroll flop ever", those signings were still a big success. scherzer was a big part of 2022, there was a chance 2023 could have gone much better than it did, and if that happened 2024 would have set up decently as well.
2023 obviously went off rails but their pivot converted the value into prospects so it may have ended up their best case scenario for long term sustainability.
I'm not buying that one.
estimated values aren't totally far off and id imagine if there was even a decent hitter avail for cabrera (like vientos) the marlins would have done that trade a while ago since they have been shopping him/pitching for hitting seemingly forever with cabera easily the most likely of their arms they'd be willing to give up.
in some ways he's kind of like their version of megill or peterson, and i wouldnt expect mets to get much for either of them. zips actually has his projection lowest of the 3 this year. though he's the youngest and with the most years of control left i think (so i agree with the trade simulator in this case that he is worth more than them, just seems like MLB doesn't totally agree)
no i understood i posted all 3 just to show their 3 values (vs having do 3 separate visuals).
i think functionally prospect value estimates between 10-20 are similar and variable in the eye of the beholder. as an example since we are all familiar with mets system here are their prospect values in that range, i think different people would value these guys in all sorts of different orders (including all of us):
mauricio 22
gilbert 20
clifford 15
scott 15
acuna 14
parada 13
megill 12
and alonso's 1 remaining year is valued at 11m worth of surplus, so by that methodology he's got less value left in his 1 year than what remains for all those guys (which i actually think is probably right bc i think alonso as a rental probably brings back less than scherzer or jv did with 1.5 years).
but with prospects/young players beauty is in the eye of the beholder so who knows.
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i like the idea of trading for someone else's megill especially since he's 3 years younger and higher upside. in cabrera's case since he's likely been shopped for a while with no takers id imagine whatever return he brings looks underwhelming.
i like the idea of trading for someone else's megill especially since he's 3 years younger and higher upside. in cabrera's case since he's likely been shopped for a while with no takers id imagine whatever return he brings looks underwhelming.
Peterson or Megill with extra years of control (which Cabrera has) at 26 for the entire 2024 season (which Cabrera will be) for a package headlined by a player whose absolute best case is a solid 4th OF who has 30 power and 70 speed would be absolutely awful and Stearns would be ripped to shreds a for it.
Sixto is probably done. Low 80’s during his one appearance last season and legitimately 30+ pounds overweight. It was sad to watch and then he was shut down
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Poor guy missed most of 2018 (8 starts), made 7 starts (39 innings) during the 2020 (Covid) season and has pitched 1 inning since
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Was once compared to Pedro, he now looks more like Bartolo Colon (Mets version) Link - ( New Window )
Poor guy missed most of 2018 (8 starts), made 7 starts (39 innings) during the 2020 (Covid) season and has pitched 1 inning since
trade Matthew Allan for him. Sanchez has 1 more inning pitched the past 3 years than Allan has.
Matt Gelb
@MattGelb
Zack Wheeler and the Phillies have started negotiations on a potential contract extension, Wheeler said. It's early in the process. Can it happen before spring ends? "Hopefully it does," Wheeler said. "I love it here. We're happy here."
@AnthonyDiComo
In his second spring training as an MLB pitcher, Kodai Senga says he's working on something new, but "it's still a work in progress."
"So maybe we'll find out soon," Senga said through an interpreter.
Link - ( New Window )
@JeffPassan
Reliever Liam Hendriks has multiple offers and has set a deadline of Thursday to sign with a team, sources tell ESPN. If Hendriks doesn't sign now, he would keep rehabbing from Tommy John surgery on his own and throw for teams in late July before signing for the stretch run.
Jackson Merrill
"With incentives, Kershaw can make up to $12 million total in 2024, and another $25 million in 2025. Kershaw can earn these incentives in 2024 by making a start or relief appearance for at least three innings. If Kershaw does this six times, he will earn $1 million. If he makes this start/appearance seven, eight or nine times, he’ll earn $1.5 million in incentive. He’ll make $2 million for 10 such starts/appearances.
Each of these incentive figures will double if Kershaw is healthy and takes the player option in 2025, which would give him $2 million for six starts or relief appearances, $3 million for seven, eight or nine appearances, and $4 million for 10 such appearances, via the Associated Press."
"With incentives, Kershaw can make up to $12 million total in 2024, and another $25 million in 2025. Kershaw can earn these incentives in 2024 by making a start or relief appearance for at least three innings. If Kershaw does this six times, he will earn $1 million. If he makes this start/appearance seven, eight or nine times, he’ll earn $1.5 million in incentive. He’ll make $2 million for 10 such starts/appearances.
Each of these incentive figures will double if Kershaw is healthy and takes the player option in 2025, which would give him $2 million for six starts or relief appearances, $3 million for seven, eight or nine appearances, and $4 million for 10 such appearances, via the Associated Press."
when push comes to shove very few take less than whatever the market rate would be.
@JeffPassan
Reliever Liam Hendriks has multiple offers and has set a deadline of Thursday to sign with a team, sources tell ESPN. If Hendriks doesn't sign now, he would keep rehabbing from Tommy John surgery on his own and throw for teams in late July before signing for the stretch run.
hopefully the seat being kept warm for the peterson 40 man slot if he goes on IL, though i guess hendriks would end up on the IL himself pretty quickly too.
the median projection on hendriks is 2 years @ 5.5m per, 11m total. would really like that type of gamble.
The Yankees have acquired left-hander Clayton Andrews from the Brewers in exchange for minor league righty Joshua Quezada, the teams announced Wednesday. New York transferred righty Scott Effross, who’s recovering from December back surgery (that was just announced today), to the 60-day injured list. Milwaukee designated Andrews for assignment last week.
The Yankees have acquired left-hander Clayton Andrews from the Brewers in exchange for minor league righty Joshua Quezada, the teams announced Wednesday. New York transferred righty Scott Effross, who’s recovering from December back surgery (that was just announced today), to the 60-day injured list. Milwaukee designated Andrews for assignment last week.
very easily could have been the type of trade shecky was referencing, also the countermove for peterson to IL.
@IanMBrowne
Kenley Jansen has general lat soreness. No throw for now. Injury not believed to be serious at this point.
That bump figures to keep Peterson sidelined until at least May, knocking him out of a Grapefruit League season that otherwise would have seen him compete against Tylor Megill, Joey Lucchesi, José Butto and Max Kranick for positioning on the Mets’ rotation depth chart. Peterson remains a significant part of New York’s plans, but it could be close to midseason by the time he’s ready to contribute in a meaningful way.
For now, Peterson isn’t putting a timeline on his own progress. In Port St. Lucie, he’s been working out and playing catch off flat ground, without immediate plans to graduate to mound work.
That bump figures to keep Peterson sidelined until at least May, knocking him out of a Grapefruit League season that otherwise would have seen him compete against Tylor Megill, Joey Lucchesi, José Butto and Max Kranick for positioning on the Mets’ rotation depth chart. Peterson remains a significant part of New York’s plans, but it could be close to midseason by the time he’s ready to contribute in a meaningful way.
For now, Peterson isn’t putting a timeline on his own progress. In Port St. Lucie, he’s been working out and playing catch off flat ground, without immediate plans to graduate to mound work.
no reason not to play safe. hasnt gone over 140 innings as a pro.
hopefully megill/lucchesi/butto can fill in effectively as needed in march/april/may and then beyond that peterson + kids.
maybe get lucky if 1 of the AAA kids is an option in May.
still wouldnt hate signing someone like lauer if possible too but would think he'll get more of a role than competing for 6th man/bp somewhere else. maybe not though.
The two, left-handed starter James Paxton and righty reliever Brusdar Graterol, both play for the Dodgers. Neither is a star. But before drawing sweeping conclusions, understand we’re looking at a snapshot in time. Neither the Dodgers nor Braves harbor antipathy toward Boras. Both pursued Boras players in the past, and surely will again in the future.
Both teams’ current lack of Boras clients, however, reflect in part their respective approaches to roster construction — approaches that do not always jibe with the way Boras does business.
The Dodgers, setting aside the rather large exceptions of Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, generally avoid massive commitments in free agency, seeking to be opportunistic at their preferred price. The Braves, meanwhile, generally strike quickly during the offseason, sign key contributors to extensions and refrain from granting opt-outs and no-trade clauses.
Rosenthal: Why there aren’t more Scott Boras clients on the Braves and Dodgers - ( New Window )
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like no earlier than June-
That bump figures to keep Peterson sidelined until at least May, knocking him out of a Grapefruit League season that otherwise would have seen him compete against Tylor Megill, Joey Lucchesi, José Butto and Max Kranick for positioning on the Mets’ rotation depth chart. Peterson remains a significant part of New York’s plans, but it could be close to midseason by the time he’s ready to contribute in a meaningful way.
For now, Peterson isn’t putting a timeline on his own progress. In Port St. Lucie, he’s been working out and playing catch off flat ground, without immediate plans to graduate to mound work.
no reason not to play safe. hasnt gone over 140 innings as a pro.
hopefully megill/lucchesi/butto can fill in effectively as needed in march/april/may and then beyond that peterson + kids.
maybe get lucky if 1 of the AAA kids is an option in May.
still wouldnt hate signing someone like lauer if possible too but would think he'll get more of a role than competing for 6th man/bp somewhere else. maybe not though.
with DP back 2nd half and assuming some AAA promotions, could pave the way for another big SP sell off at the deadline
with DP back 2nd half and assuming some AAA promotions, could pave the way for another big SP sell off at the deadline
or give them some expendable trade assets. no downside to depth as long as you can self scout.
(He’s less high on the system than others thus his #15 system ranking)
Link - ( New Window )
(He’s less high on the system than others thus his #15 system ranking) Link - ( New Window )
he seems to be a lot lower on gilbert (100th overall) and clifford (8th behind parada) and also seems to not grade low levels as highly as others (vargas #14 and j-rod not mentioned).
he's also sometimes the last the swayed on players he likes (i.e. he is the high writer ive seen on parada and houck because i believe he liked both a lot in draft). i like law because his lists have become the least cookie cutter, but sometimes bc of that his ranks seem a little random. i would guess that he wasnt all that high on gilber his draft year and that's part of why he isnt higher on him now (which he may be right about).
The Astros got a small steal with Tennessee centerfielder Drew Gilbert (1) at pick 28. A former two-way prospect in high school, Gilbert is a plus defender in center with a 6 arm (on the 2-8 scouting scale), and he has good feel to hit with a gap-to-gap approach right now. He’s just 5-9, but I think can get to power in the near future, even though it’s more doubles than homers right now. He has a good chance to be a regular with ceiling beyond that.
"I want to win... Nobody was expecting the Diamondbacks, but I'm sure they were. Not too many people were expecting the Rangers either, but I'm sure they were... It's what you believe and what you think you can do."
The Astros got a small steal with Tennessee centerfielder Drew Gilbert (1) at pick 28. A former two-way prospect in high school, Gilbert is a plus defender in center with a 6 arm (on the 2-8 scouting scale), and he has good feel to hit with a gap-to-gap approach right now. He’s just 5-9, but I think can get to power in the near future, even though it’s more doubles than homers right now. He has a good chance to be a regular with ceiling beyond that.
from what remember of houck's write up last year he saw that as a bigger steal, which is why i presume he has them ranked really close together at 4/5 even though gilbert seems to be tapping into his potential at upper levels while scouts were down on houck. all the other services have at least 5 guys ranked in between them right?
-he confirmed what both Shecky and I have said previously, Ramirez very poor reports off the field. Not coachable, aloof, if he doesn’t have a good season he’s going to be traded or DFA’ed.
Bradish - right UCL sprain, open the season on IL
Means - month behind, might miss OD
Henderson - oblique aggravation, likely for OD
Basallo- stress fracture, won't catch till April
original sources: @JakeDRill
News of Dykstra’s health issues first popped up on social media after “Dolan’s Bar,” a Ridley Park, Pennsylvania business, posted on X that Dykstra had a “mini-stroke” and that the ex-MLBer’s family was around him.
“He is in good spirits, he’s doing decently and we just wanted to let him know our thoughts and prayers are with him,” owner Patrick “PJ” Dolan said in a video.
chris young basically announced texas is done and their budget is tapped.
i think SF still gets 1 of the boras 4 and bellinger back to chicago probably but where the others go i have no idea.
“I don’t think there are any additions coming at this point,” Young candidly stated. While he maintained that the Rangers will “keep an open mind” on free agents (including Montgomery), he also noted that long-term uncertainty regarding the team’s television contract “is real” and has impacted spending this offseason — even on the heels of a World Series win.
remember that time heyman said there was a one time $100m cash payment coming to texas for their local rights lol.
Young: Rangers Do Not Expect Further Additions - ( New Window )
Same for me (but 3 keepers) I had settled on Eury Perez as a 12th round keeper, but Bradish, who could have also been a 12th round keeper, ranks ahead of Perez in every projection, so I had been second guessing it.
is that 2026? same year as WBC 2026
To grow the sport MLB desperately needs to be able to market TV and streaming rights like the NFL, but I cannot imagine Red Sox and Yankees ever sign up for that.
Kyle Glaser
@KyleAGlaser
Free agent spending the last three offseasons, per @spotrac
.
2023-24: $2,196,060,000
2022-23: $3,698,131,666
2021-22: $3,232,902,000
That's a 68% decrease in free agent spending compared to last year as pitchers and catchers begin to report.
Kyle Glaser
@KyleAGlaser
Free agent spending the last three offseasons, per @spotrac
.
2023-24: $2,196,060,000
2022-23: $3,698,131,666
2021-22: $3,232,902,000
That's a 68% decrease in free agent spending compared to last year as pitchers and catchers begin to report.
That'll go up once the big FA's sign but the TV money missing from Bally's right now is the biggest culprit.
so with 1/3 of the league down 20%+ of their revenue (some got stiffed last year too) and not having a lot of cost certainty going forward, that's probably the big chunk.
in 2022 the texas rangers revenue was reported at 366m. that was 70m of revenue they expected last year and didnt get in full without certainty about this year. they were probably one of the biggest markets impacted so other markets are probably less impacted but the total offseason $ counts multi-year deals whereas those losses are all present day cash flow right now.
Complete guess but the Mets had a new assistant trainer in 2022 who came over from Houston. He may well have seen things that didn’t go down in Houston and reported it.
where each side comes into a negotiation matters but a big part of either sides gamble is also however the market evolves.
last offseason the market looked great for pete. this offseason's market going so far backwards is a big negative for him.
as is stearns vs eppler probably. wouldnt shock me if eppler was willing to do a deal last year for more than stearns is right now just because of how different the environments are (and how much more disciplined stearns appears).
There’s no doubt that Alvarez has great power. He’s got plus raw power as evidenced by his 114.1 mph, and last year he tapped into that power to the tune of 25 homers. Looking at his minor-league numbers and the promise he showed as a prospect, the big questions are obvious. Can he cut the strikeout rate at all? Can he show more patience? Is there another level for the power?
The first couple of questions are probably more important than the last one since he hit more homers than any catcher not named Cal Raleigh. Adding a little more patience and contact could make him one of the best two or three offensive catchers in the game, even with his demonstrated power, rather than a guy who hits a lot of homers while batting .209 with a suboptimal on-base percentage.
Seen through the lens of swinging aggressively in the zone (just above league average) and not swinging at balls (just below average), he’s got a decent foundation. The next step is to lay off pitches he doesn’t do much with. With a cursory look at his FanGraphs heat maps, an old question from his scouting reports pops up. Does he have a bit of a hole up in the zone? Look at where he swings at fastballs (left) and where he does damage (right), and it seems like there might be something here.
The good news is Alvarez slugged 1.000 in September on pitches up and in and pitchers adjusted, instead trying to hit high and middle away and avoid his nitro zone in. That means Alvarez isn’t terrible across the entire top of the zone, and pitchers have been forced into a tougher strategy. Given his decent eye, this late-season adjustment by the 22-year-old catcher could be the key to getting to a positive answer for all three of the questions inspired by his decent debut.
here were the metrics that informed his methodology:
since mets had 4 young hitters, here are those numbers comparing alvarez to baty/vientos/mauricio.
player / zone-chase% / swinging strike% / barrel% / hard hit % / max EV
alvarez / 40.4% / 13.0% / 12.5% / 44.7% / 114.1 mph
baty / 36.7% / 13.2% / 7.7% / 44.3% / 113.7 mph
vientos / 32.9% / 17.7% / 10.7% / 51% / 114.9 mph
mauricio / 25.9% / 16.2% / 5.7% / 38.6% / 117.3 mph
MLB breakout candidates: The young hitters who could make a leap in 2024 - ( New Window )
Wish Baty had more Alvarez in him than Nimmo 😔
Speaking of the kids. 2x yesterday fans thought Vientos was Arod from a distance lol
Wish Baty had more Alvarez in him than Nimmo 😔
Speaking of the kids. 2x yesterday fans thought Vientos was Arod from a distance lol
how many times does that have to happen before they name a field after him at u miami?
Alvarez had 25 HR in 123 games. Bench had 16 in his first season and cup of coffee (180 games), and didn't hit 25 HR until 40 games into the next season. So it took Bench 220 games to reach 25 HR, whereas Alvarez only 123 games.
Quote:
There is nothing about him that gives me anything to not consider hima future superstar. Nothing. And I am understating it.
Wish Baty had more Alvarez in him than Nimmo 😔
Speaking of the kids. 2x yesterday fans thought Vientos was Arod from a distance lol
how many times does that have to happen before they name a field after him at u miami?
he’d be lucky to get Heritage to name their field after him 🤣
Alvarez had 25 HR in 123 games. Bench had 16 in his first season and cup of coffee (180 games), and didn't hit 25 HR until 40 games into the next season. So it took Bench 220 games to reach 25 HR, whereas Alvarez only 123 games.
to this point:
Alonso didn't play his first big league game until he was 24.
Conforto debuted "early" straight from AA at 22 and had to go back down to minors at 23, made first ASG at 24
Nimmo was 23 at his debut and broke out at 25 (still hasnt made an ASG)
young hitters are hard to predict and often take time to figure things out.
Alvarez had 25 HR in 123 games. Bench had 16 in his first season and cup of coffee (180 games), and didn't hit 25 HR until 40 games into the next season. So it took Bench 220 games to reach 25 HR, whereas Alvarez only 123 games.
He’s an animal and will be the leader they desperately needed. IMO.
Alvarez had 25 HR in 123 games. Bench had 16 in his first season and cup of coffee (180 games), and didn't hit 25 HR until 40 games into the next season. So it took Bench 220 games to reach 25 HR, whereas Alvarez only 123 games.
that's some great info, KDavies. Dang.
some other highlights:
clifford #7 1b (#272 overall)
mauricio #4 2b (#65 overall)
jett #9 ss (#29 overall)
gilbert #22 of (#164 overall)
acuna is projected as a SS #91 overall.
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/zips-2024-top-100-prospects/ - ( New Window )
One away from being tops in the damn sport.
And those numbers wil be growing across the board. It’s as deep as I can ever remember in future MLers. Shining bright on the diamonds
Anthony DiComo
Verified
@AnthonyDiComo
·
24s
Jeff McNeil, who ended last season on the IL due to a partial UCL tear in his left elbow, says his follow-up MRI in December revealed the continued presence of a tear -- which is normal. Doctors cleared him for full activity, and he's a healthy player here in spring training.
For a team that’s bottom heavy, it’s nice to,point out. Only lacking a player on each positional list at C and 3b. Where we JUST graduated three top 100 guys in the past year.
And SP, where we have a slew of future MLers potentially up and coming.
Team is only missing an ace or two, which almost every franchise can say every single year. Difference is, few franchise have the capital, $ or tradeable, to acquire them.
If you're throwing the season to the youngins', and committing to Baty and Vientos, both only a year older, not to mention Alvarez who is 22, wouldn't Gilbert offer a higher offensive ceiling than Bader/Tayor?
Doesn't seem like a kid afraid of the bright lights...
If you're throwing the season to the youngins', and committing to Baty and Vientos, both only a year older, not to mention Alvarez who is 22, wouldn't Gilbert offer a higher offensive ceiling than Bader/Tayor?
Doesn't seem like a kid afraid of the bright lights...
He's yet to play in AAA, he posted a 91 wRC+ with Houston (AA_ pre-trade (in part due to his elbow) and played 35 total games with Bing,he's improved vs. lefties but still a hole in his game. No real argument to have him skip AAA at this juncture. They have Nimmo, Taylor, Bader, Stewart, Marte, McNeil as OF option aka no real path to him playing every day right now either.
"
Verified
@NYPost_Mets
·
13m
Jett Williams will get looks at SS and CF in camp. LuisAngel Acuna at SS and 2B.
Acuna has more INF instincts/quickness. If you had to choose one to keep on the dirt, it's him.
But, considering there seems to be more Inf than OF talent still in the system - I'd try both tbh.
@WillSammon
I think Williams will eventually see time at 2B in the minors; only logical to get him reps there at some point, though common thought is if you can handle SS, you can play 2B. Think people around Mets suspect Acuna can play CF, though time will tell if/when/how much.
Anthony DiComo
Verified
@AnthonyDiComo
·
24s
Jeff McNeil, who ended last season on the IL due to a partial UCL tear in his left elbow, says his follow-up MRI in December revealed the continued presence of a tear -- which is normal. Doctors cleared him for full activity, and he's a healthy player here in spring training.
I'm definitely not a medical expert, but this doesn't give me confidence or make me not ask questions.
Isn't it more normal not to have a tear in your UCL?
[quote] In comment 16400586 DanMetroMan said:
Quote:
Anthony DiComo
Verified
@AnthonyDiComo
·
24s
Jeff McNeil, who ended last season on the IL due to a partial UCL tear in his left elbow, says his follow-up MRI in December revealed the continued presence of a tear -- which is normal. Doctors cleared him for full activity, and he's a healthy player here in spring training.
I'm definitely not a medical expert, but this doesn't give me confidence or make me not ask questions.
Isn't it more normal not to have a tear in your UCL? [/]
Why can players keep hitting with a torn UCL, such as Bryce Harper last year or Ohtani this year?
The instability that results from a UCL tear is most evident with extremes of range of motion that overhead throwers subject their elbows to. If the elbow isn't out in that extreme position, the instability isn't symptomatic, kind of like when an athlete with a torn ACL can walk normally and tolerate straight ahead activity, but their knee gives out with cutting/twisting. The swing doesn't stress the elbow nearly as much, especially in the right arm of a left-handed hitter, as in Ohtani and Harper's cases.
keeping acuna at SS/2b is probably simpler for him, and helpful if he ends up in the big league mix in the not too distant future. if something were to happen to lindor, acuna may be first guy up at SS since mauricio is out of commission.
-Williams confirms he will play some 2B as well
I still wish Capone would pop his head in and share some stories, if he could...
Hope it's minor league deal
Quote:
Per Mayer we've signed Ji Man Choi. Not sure if minors deal or not.
Hope it's minor league deal
It is. Before 2023 he could hit so maybe a decent sign if he's over all those injuries.
Also a minor league deal. Wonder if he'll make it.
- KC isn't good.
- Sandlin might be a big league starting pitcher in a few years.
- Schreiber is fine RP, but he'll be 30 in a few weeks, has had one season that would justify this trade, and it wasn't 2023.
Complete guess but the Mets had a new assistant trainer in 2022 who came over from Houston. He may well have seen things that didn’t go down in Houston and reported it.
We should all send him a gift card to his favorite restaurant. That trainer did us all a favor getting rid of Inepptler.
Quote:
Per @JonHeyman Billy Eppler’s “whistleblower” was indeed a team employee and not a player. It was previously reported a trainer voiced concern so one can probably guess that trainer alerted the league. Heyman also says Eppler acknowledged he broke the rules when confronted
Complete guess but the Mets had a new assistant trainer in 2022 who came over from Houston. He may well have seen things that didn’t go down in Houston and reported it.
We should all send him a gift card to his favorite restaurant. That trainer did us all a favor getting rid of Inepptler.
yeah, but you also kind of have to find a convenient way to get rid of the trainer without drawing legal or other consequences. no one likes a narc in the ranks.
last year in small sample last year he posted his highest expected slg% and his 93.4 mph avg ee was same as jdm with higher hard hit %/barrel%. the results werent good and the sample size is small enough to not be qualified but he made a lot of quality contact. theme of the offseason continues to be getting the closest versions of the players at the top of market for like 1/10th the cost.
on a minor league deal nothing to dislike here. good competition with dj stewart, good depth option if he's healthy and finds a groove.
here's a good FG article on him from 15 months ago when tampa traded him to pitt.
Rays Begin Offseason Roster Turnover, Send Ji-Man Choi to Pittsburgh - ( New Window )
this guy is like the Ryan Perilloux of MLB.
@StoolBaseball
It’s been some winter for Diego Castillo….
@ChrisCotillo
Source tells me and @Sean_McAdam
: Red Sox close to adding Liam Hendriks, who is here at Fenway South.
@mikemayer22
Luke Voit is back with Mets on a minor league deal.
Voit hit 14 home runs in 37 games with Triple-A Syracuse last year.
@ChrisCotillo
Source tells me and @Sean_McAdam
: Red Sox close to adding Liam Hendriks, who is here at Fenway South.
2 years $10 million.
Quote:
Chris Cotillo
@ChrisCotillo
Source tells me and @Sean_McAdam
: Red Sox close to adding Liam Hendriks, who is here at Fenway South.
2 years $10 million.
that was the median projection, i would have done that one.
will be interesting to see where the $ ended up on this one (no median projection from FG) but hard to not really like what the Brewers have done this offseason. they really repositioned themselves nicely.
thinking about the non-tender, they declined him at 11m and had they done that they would have been able to qualify him, which i kind of think he'd have taken off surgery. So that would be around 2 years 30m. id guess he ended up getting less than that and more like 2 years 20m-25m. anything more than that seems risky.
@SamBlum3
Anthony Rendon on playing pro baseball:
"It’s never been a top priority for me. This is a job. I do this to make a living. My faith, my family come first before this job. So if those things come before it, I’m leaving."
Here's the full exchange:
That’s awesome. He’d be my first Cubbie I ever pulled for.
@Jeeho_1
Looks like Hyun-Jin Ryu will sign for about $12.7 million over 4 years with the Hanwha Eagles in the #KBO. That's 17 billion Korean won.
That'd be the biggest contract in KBO history, both in AAV and total amount.
Martino says this is false.
Andy Martino
@martinonyc
·
3m
An extension with Francisco Alvarez would definitely make sense for the Mets at some point, but people who would know say there’s nothing doing on the front at the moment.
Quote:
Gomez citing a "source" claims Alvarez is close to an extension with the Mets. Considering the source... grain of salt.
Martino says this is false.
Andy Martino
@martinonyc
·
3m
An extension with Francisco Alvarez would definitely make sense for the Mets at some point, but people who would know say there’s nothing doing on the front at the moment.
I think they have time since he's a catcher. The only catcher over $100m is JTR (115m). 2nd highest is Wilson Contreras at $87.5m. Both UFA deals obviously.
Murphy extended early for 6x73m (12m AAV) a lot closer to FA.
Ruiz extended at age 23 for 8x50m with some team options for an AAV of 6.25m. Interestingly he's a Boras guy too. His $50m guaranteed is 5th most among catchers.
If Alvarez stands up his first season and improves this season I think there's probably still an extremely team friendly extension that makes sense for both sides. maybe an 8x80m with team options or something like that? And I think that's what it would look like if he has an improved all star type season. Anything less than that would probably still be north of Ruiz but not by as much.
@ZackScottSports
Steve Cohen once told me he would like to be more like the Rays. I painted a picture of that world - frequent roster churn with a disciplined, primary focus on future value. Then I asked, "Do you really want that?" He laughed and said no. I pointed to the Dodgers instead. #Mets
So, post Manfred then.
SLC is also the favorite for the Arizona Coyotes if they move out of AZ.
Quote:
Gomez citing a "source" claims Alvarez is close to an extension with the Mets. Considering the source... grain of salt.
Martino says this is false.
Andy Martino
@martinonyc
·
3m
An extension with Francisco Alvarez would definitely make sense for the Mets at some point, but people who would know say there’s nothing doing on the front at the moment.
I'd do a backflip, okay - I'd ATTEMPT to do a backflip if they locked him up!!!!!
Boras leaks Snell/Montgomery in 3... 2... 1...
@JeffPassan
·
Infielder Amed Rosario and the Tampa Bay Rays are in agreement on a one-year, $1.5 million contract, sources tell ESPN. Rosario, 28, will bring a strong bat against left-handed pitching and should get at-bats at shortstop, second base and potentially corner-outfield spots.
mets dont really have an incentive right now. any increase to aav this year is an extra 110%.
next year they may not even reach the 110% threshold even if they spend pretty big.
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!
By FAR the steal of the offseason. Unreal...
Quote:
Rosario to the Rays, 1 year 1.5. Zero risk, decent upside.
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!
By FAR the steal of the offseason. Unreal...
I would have certainly spent the Wendle $2 million on him, though he probably sees more PT possibilities with the Rays with the Wander Franco situation.
this offseason before making all their moves the LAD were somewhere around 120m including arb. then they added:
ohtani 46m aav
yamamoto 27m aav
glasnow 27m aav
teoscar 20m aav
margot 10m aav
heyward 9m aav
kelly 8m
paxton 7m aav
kershaw 5m + incentives
and they are only just barely at the cohen tax. so in a dream world where the mets give soto almost as much as ohtani and pete almost as much as yamamoto, and another pitcher as much as glasnow, they could still be under the cohen tax by enough to extend alvarez without nearly as much of a penalty.
thanks kd, i know some hate it and prefer sports w/o $ but i find it to be the most predictable way to understand what's going on and anticipate what will or wont happen.
extending alvarez at $10m per year today would add 11m in tax penalties - which is basically 10% of the biggest C contract in baseball (JTR) full contract just in penalties this year. that is a pretty big disincentive. the mets could put more money in alvarez pocket AND save money themselves by waiting until next year if they are in a lower tax bracket.
Further, they have expressed to each other an intention to talk about it — at some point, a source said, whether that is during camp, next offseason or later.
Spring training is a popular time for clubs to sign productive, high-ceilinged pre-arbitration players such as Alvarez to multiyear pacts. But since Alvarez, 22, wouldn’t be a free agent until after the 2028 season, there is of course no timeliness pressure on anybody.
“Right now, my only goals are to go out there to go play, go do what I need to do,” Alvarez, who is represented by Rimas Sports, said through an interpreter Tuesday. “The idea of a contract — that’s really in the hands of my agent and in the hands of the organization. If they think that that’s the best course of action, then that’s a conversation they need to have. Right now, I’m just focused on winning games and working hard.”
im not sure they will or wont reset the luxury tax.
but if they get under the cohen tax that will reduce their penalty payments by about half from $77m in tax this year.
and they could do that while still putting more $ on the field than they are this year since the payments for max/mccann will expire and verlander will either expire or be a lot less.
i still think he could have a post-hype breakout similar to didi gregorious. he is a solid hitter and has good raw power if he can figure out how to harness it. his career ops+ is only 6 points lower than didi's (89 vs 95), so he just hasn't had the "career year" yet but he only just turned 28.
he is going to be tampa's next TDA. really really love that signing/fit.
He will cost them near league min. That is the best signing in many, many years by any team.
He will cost them near league min. That is the best signing in many, many years by any team.
im with you shecky. it really shows how little $ must be floating out there. he can also play multiple positions.
his median projection was 1.5 years, 14m. so he was projected to get literally 10x what he got.
id have signed him over choi for the positional flexibility (though im sure he wanted to go somewhere with more of a clear path to playing time).
• There’s lots of pure stuff coming out of the bullpen -- probably more than at any point in the past few years. In addition to hard throwers Jorge López and Jake Diekman, who are on Major League deals, roster hopefuls Shintaro Fujinami, Yohan Ramírez, Sean Reid-Foley, Reed Garrett and Yacksel Ríos are among those who have been throwing smoke in the early days of camp. And that’s without mentioning Edwin Díaz, who approached 97 mph in his first live batting practice session despite dialing things back to an estimated 80-85% effort level.
• This year’s “Best Shape of My Life” award goes to Joey Lucchesi, who reported to camp 25 pounds lighter. He says he shed some of that weight soaking in cold tubs, which can help the body burn off fat. Lucchesi is part of a rotation depth group that also includes Tylor Megill, José Butto and Max Kranick.
Observations from the 1st week of Mets camp - ( New Window )
Quote:
• Francisco Lindor is developing into the type of leader the Mets have long hoped he could be. He wasn’t that sort of presence back in 2021, when the Mets drew criticism for their clubhouse culture. But Lindor has since realized what leadership at the highest level entails. This winter, he invited Brett Baty and Mark Vientos to his Orlando home to work on their defense. He attended a minicamp at the Minor League complex with prospect Luisangel Acuña and others. He has gone out of his way to make teammates feel welcome. On a roster that also includes other Type A veterans in Brandon Nimmo and Pete Alonso, Lindor has stood out for his willingness to take on additional responsibility.
• There’s lots of pure stuff coming out of the bullpen -- probably more than at any point in the past few years. In addition to hard throwers Jorge López and Jake Diekman, who are on Major League deals, roster hopefuls Shintaro Fujinami, Yohan Ramírez, Sean Reid-Foley, Reed Garrett and Yacksel Ríos are among those who have been throwing smoke in the early days of camp. And that’s without mentioning Edwin Díaz, who approached 97 mph in his first live batting practice session despite dialing things back to an estimated 80-85% effort level.
• This year’s “Best Shape of My Life” award goes to Joey Lucchesi, who reported to camp 25 pounds lighter. He says he shed some of that weight soaking in cold tubs, which can help the body burn off fat. Lucchesi is part of a rotation depth group that also includes Tylor Megill, José Butto and Max Kranick.
Observations from the 1st week of Mets camp - ( New Window )
That Type O has me choking on my water, that was awesome!!
@susanslusser
Pete Putila speaking at the Cactus League media day says Bryce Eldridge also is no longer a two way guy. He’s a first baseman for now.
Mets received 0 votes for NL's most improved
5 votes for least improved
Not mentioned in any other category
if he has a good first half, i bet they extend him around the all star break. that would presumably be a win/win for everyone, it may even give them a little extra leverage in alonso negotiations knowing they have lindor, alvarez, nimmo each locked in for 7 years (along with the option of spending big $ on whatever position player they want to join that group in the offseason like soto).
Hope he gets nailed for being over age
if senga ends up out for the year, they basically end up having to buy a multi-year option from somewhere.
which shows what i think was the huge flaw in their strategy this offseason. getting 1 more multi-year, reliable SP was necessary.
i get that "manaea and severino may not be so far off guys who cost 5-10x more", but if you believe in the talent to that extent, then sign 1 of them for 2 or 3 years without opt outs.
or are they really comfortable having to sign 2-4 new SP every offseason just to preserve some injury risk? that seems like to much to expect of what is realistically attainable in FA any given year.
Even the old limit of 180 players, which was enacted in 2021, was a dramatic change from the previous model. Before the pandemic, an organization could effectively roster as many minor league players as it wanted by adding affiliates—and thus roster spots—to its farm system.
The Yankees in 2019, for example, had four minor league clubs below the full-season level: two Rookie-level Gulf Coast League affiliates, one in the Rookie-advanced Appalachian League and a fourth in the short-season Class A New York-Penn League. Today, the Yankees are permitted only one such domestic short-season club, their Florida Complex League affiliate.
Link - ( New Window )
Jon Becker
@jonbecker_
Per the AP, Brandon Woodruff's deal is for $17.5M guaranteed and is heavily backloaded:
2024: $2.5M
2025: $5M
2026: $20M mutual option or $10M buyout
Also includes a full no-trade clause
And I think Pham would have really liked this group so far.
KODAI SENGA EXPECTED TO START SEASON ON INJURED LIST Posted by Michael Mayer | Feb 22, 2024 - ( New Window )
@mikemayer22
Mets have signed right-handed pitcher Diosmerky Taveras to a minor league deal.
The 24-year-old had a 4.66 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 58 innings between A+/AA in the Astros system last year.
33. Diosmerky Taveras, SIRP
Signed: July 2nd Period, 2017 from Dominican Republic (HOU)
Age 21.6 Height 6′ 3″ Weight 248 Bat / Thr R / R FV 35+
Tool Grades (Present/Future)
Fastball Slider Changeup Command Sits/Tops
60/65 45/50 40/50 20/35 94-97 / 98
Diosmerky is still a premium arm strength flier type. He was sitting 94-97 as a teenager in the 2019 GCL and was once again in the mid-to-upper-90s during 2020 instructs. Despite his age, Taveras is not a projectable sort; his frame is maxed out and then some. His slider is also still a 40-grade pitch. He has a relief shot, and the eventual quality of his breaking ball will dictate his role. (Fall Instructional League)
@JeffPassan
Infielder Gio Urshela and the Detroit Tigers are in agreement on a one-year, $1.5 million contract, sources tell ESPN. Urshela, 32, should help at third base and can play a variety of positions. And his ability to hit left-handers suited what Detroit has sought this winter.
Agreed 100%. Would be thrilled to get either of those two for the $2 million
I didn't understand the rush to sign Wendle. Would much rather have the guys signing this week.
Quote:
remains the one Stearns move that looks like an odd move. Rosario and Gio got LESS than Wendle guaranteed.
I didn't understand the rush to sign Wendle. Would much rather have the guys signing this week.
Hindsight says either Anderson or Rosario would have been much, much better ways to spend the money. But who in their right miond would have guessed you could have had both of them for $7mm. They can both be DFA's in June - but how do you NOT take the chance??
Two absolute steals.
and the DFA possibility also higher in an org that has 2 top prospects at AAA who could be pushing for 2b or OF reps by May/June.
in comparison the rays starting SS is 27 and has 132 big league innings at the position. marlins was Berti (now 34). would not be surprising at all if rosario and anderson are those teams opening day SS.
Rosario
vs. lefties
.298/.339/.467 vs. LHP.
Soonish they will add Caminero to the mix (top 3ish prospect in baseball) (horrendous deal by the Guardians)
AND Carson Williams, yet another top 25 prospect who is a SS who is potential superstar.
Wild
@DrJesseMorse
Some clarification:
Most realistic scenario
He’s shut down Feb 22 - March 22
Ramps up March 22 - April 15.
Throws 3-4 minors games.
No setbacks, then he returns in early May.
Any setbacks where he has to slow down his rehab, then June becomes more realistic.
But now he has joined the big-league club, just as manager Carlos Mendoza wanted.
“The connection with the boys, the connection with the coaching staff — it’s important for him that he feels [involved],” Mendoza said Thursday. “Because he’s a big part of what we’re trying to do here moving forward.”
Mauricio, 22, will attend team meetings and — Mendoza hopes — be a part of the general team comradery despite being so far away from returning. A cameo in September is his best-case scenario, but far from a given.
Quick summary of what I read: High 90s Fb and a splitter/fork, 22 years old, recovering from oblique injury. Dodgers already show interest.
Anything realistic about him getting posted next year? Posting fee could be high like Yammamoto again.
Quick summary of what I read: High 90s Fb and a splitter/fork, 22 years old, recovering from oblique injury. Dodgers already show interest.
Anything realistic about him getting posted next year? Posting fee could be high like Yammamoto again.
Not what you'll want to hear but he might get more money because of age. He's also considered a Dodgers lock at this point.
Quick summary of what I read: High 90s Fb and a splitter/fork, 22 years old, recovering from oblique injury. Dodgers already show interest.
Anything realistic about him getting posted next year? Posting fee could be high like Yammamoto again.
under 25 years old he wouldnt be posted, it would be international free agent rules where the bonus is capped around $6m for every team.
given how well yamamoto did on his contract, if sasaki comes over before he turns 25 it would be insanely stupid (imo). no team would have any $ advantage and he'd be leaving literally $300m-400m on the table.
Beat him at his own game
In public, welcome and challenge him to have a great season and shop as a FA
Which is why they loved Petes press conf where he sounded like he wanted to cry. When he kept saying. Nope, we are waiting for Mets to make the first call. And they’re losing the game of chicken lol
@NYPost_Mets
Shintaro Fujinami's return home to Japan is visa related, according to a source. He faced the same situation last year with Oakland, had to return home to receive his visa, but that was before camp began.
Venezuelan RHP Jermayne Verdu (pretty cool name) has been assigned to DSL Mets Orange
Beat him at his own game
In public, welcome and challenge him to have a great season and shop as a FA
Which is why they loved Petes press conf where he sounded like he wanted to cry. When he kept saying. Nope, we are waiting for Mets to make the first call. And they’re losing the game of chicken lol
these quotes from cohen were so perfectly crafted on all levels:
“We’re always open to conversation, but he’s earned the right to explore his value,” Cohen said on “Meet at the Apple.” “I’m highly supportive of all players doing that. Just like we ended up figuring it out with Edwin Díaz and Brandon Nimmo, it would be my hope that we do the same with Pete.”
“We want to keep him,” Cohen said. “He’s an important part of our team today and hopefully in the future.”
“I hope he hits 55 home runs and makes it so difficult on me in free agency. I would call that a great outcome.”
yep like shecky said, it completely disarms boras. his empty threats are hollow when you have an owner who has proven he is willing to spend whatever he has to. the best quote was him saying pete having a monster year and raising his value was cohen's best case scenario.
if pete wants to extend early, which obviously anyone on the cusp of getting hundreds of millions of dollars guaranteed would, he has to make the first move. and even if he does im not sure there's an obvious compromise that makes sense for either side. but that's the path he chose with boras. it could end like nimmo or it could end like conforto. it's entirely on pete and how he performs.
@NYPost_Mets
Fixing from earlier: Fujinami will attend to his visa issue while he's back in Japan, but he had a personal matter that caused him to leave in the first place.
No one has a crystal ball and somehow these "chance to match" scenarios don't always work out as you expect (see Steven Matz - and probably others).
Let's say Cohen's best case plays out, Pete hits 55 HRs and is meeting with teams in free agency, he could decide - this new place is for him and be comfortable with the money and just sign a deal.
period. He isn't obligated to give the Mets the chance to match. Cohen's $$$ couldn't do a thing with Ohtani and Yamamoto.
Pete may decide F-the Mets since they let it get to the point of FA.
Everyone says the right things now, but when it comes time to do a deal, people look out for themselves sometimes.
So, if the Mets are intent on signing Alonso there is some risk by letting him test the market. it's not a simple as they can outbid anyone, he has a say in it once it gets there.
Also, I wouldn't sign Pete long-term to a huge deal.
Butttttt
How many teams are able to pay the contract he is looking for? Ten in the sport?
How many of that ten, have an opening at 1B/DH?
Of those, how many are willing to pay top Boras Dollar on that position?
And if they are willing to give the money, will they go the AYEARS too?
And let’s say all of that does happen. And Coehn falls out of his chair and thinks it’s insane to lay10/$300or whatever insane number it becomes…
Is that a bad outcome for the franchise? To let him walk, take the picks? And spend the money elsewhere?
Devils advocate. What if Vientos hits 250/25/80…. Which let’s be honest. In 500+ ABs would absolutely not shock anyone, would it.
And the team says we love ya Pete, buttttt
This is an absolute master stroke by Cohen. Publicly calling out Boras, when he can’t respond publicly. Beating him at his own game. Daring him publicly. Threatening Boras to go to FA. Publicly stating their preferred outcome is he has a monster year 😂
Pete’s presser played absolutely right into their hands.
as we witnessed this past off-season.
So, yes, Boras is neutered a little, but it still doesn't mean the Mets get the outcome they want. Hence why I said there is still risk.
And I've made my comments known that I am not a fan of ponying up a massive contract for Alonso. Vientos is a good reason why - maybe that plays out.
Yea thats weird. They worked together for a long time. I liked terry so I’d like him back in some capacity.
as we witnessed this past off-season.
So, yes, Boras is neutered a little, but it still doesn't mean the Mets get the outcome they want. Hence why I said there is still risk.
And I've made my comments known that I am not a fan of ponying up a massive contract for Alonso. Vientos is a good reason why - maybe that plays out.
I think this is correct - and correct both ways. If Vientos hits 30 homers the Mets probably like preserving the option to not have to pay Alonso and instead put that money elsewhere (Soto, bregman, burnes, whoever).
The more Alonso is worth the more I think the Mets keep him bc that probably means he had an mvp type season a la judge, but arson also came very close to leaving nyy.
Baty had a 105mph single.
Ramirez had 2 singles 94 & 97 mph.
Vientos a weak contact single.
Cortes 2 hard hit singles also.
Gilbert and acuna got in (nothing specifically notable in box)
Nah, not time yet. Once the games count, I'll get to them. right now, I'm saving my time and energy. We can just keep it all here for now.
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Nah, not time yet. Once the games count, I'll get to them. right now, I'm saving my time and energy. We can just keep it all here for now.
save the energy, this year may need it if they dont get some good breaks early.
@WillSammon
An update on Kodai Senga: he received a PRP injection in his shoulder in New York and then returned here to FL. Mets expect his shutdown period to last three weeks before he resumes throwing (typical spring ramp up is six weeks).
bellinger deal interesting less bc of the deal (seems like a ++pillow deal for both sides) but because of whatever it may mean for the other boras 3 (or 4 if you count jdm).
bellinger got his exact median projected AAV (26.5m). he got 3 years of it guaranteed but with a 1 year opt out.
median aavs projected for the other boras guys:
snell = 29m
montgomery = 24.5m
chapman = 23m
jdm = 12.5m
bellinger was projected to get the longest deal of the 5.
it's probably not boras' style, but i think the opportunity for mets on montgomery would be if they can get him for 5-6 year term but at a lower AAV to offset taxes.
Link - ( New Window )
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In comment 16406901 Eric on Li said:
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Nah, not time yet. Once the games count, I'll get to them. right now, I'm saving my time and energy. We can just keep it all here for now.
save the energy, this year may need it if they dont get some good breaks early.
It's gonna be a LOOOONG year, lol.
Now that Bellinger’s terms are public, it would not be surprising for Snell, Montgomery and Chapman to settle for similar “bridge” contracts. San Francisco Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi, whose team could use one of the pitchers as well as Chapman, does not figure to budge in his staredown with Boras. Other clubs also could be less likely to relent.
Rosenthal: How Cody Bellinger deal could impact Scott Boras’ other top free-agent clients - ( New Window )
“I couldn’t say that the struggle was because of this or that. I attacked guys, but to put away guys, that 0-2, 1-2 pitch where you want to at least receive weak contact, I couldn’t get it consistent like I did in 2022. I’m a ground ball pitcher with [high] ground ball percent, but they were just getting through the infield.”
“Command is definitely one of the big things,” Wendle says. “And also conviction of his pitches, and that comes with command. When you’re jumping out ahead in the count, you can throw your other offspeed pitches with more confidence. The stuff is obviously there, but when you’re falling early in the count, and then you have to come in the zone and you’re catching too much of the plate -- even with the plus stuff, it’s going to get hit at this level. When he’s really good it’s when he’s getting ahead early, and the hitters don’t know what’s coming. Then he can feel free to expand the zone a little bit.
“Everybody saw what was capable of two years ago, and as far as I’m aware the stuff isn’t any different. And when a player gets to another organization, they can see something [new]. So that part is exciting, as well."
Mets reliever Jorge Lopez can be 'as electric as anyone in the game' Francisco Lindor: 'If he locates, he’s as good as anybody' - ( New Window )
Anthony DiComo
@AnthonyDiComo
Ready for the season already? Francisco Alvarez opens spring training with a single in his first at-bat and this opposite-field, two-run homer in his second:
link - ( New Window )
Anthony DiComo
@AnthonyDiComo
Ready for the season already? Francisco Alvarez opens spring training with a single in his first at-bat and this opposite-field, two-run homer in his second: link - ( New Window )
i know spring training is the time of year where we all occassional shot gun some hopium, so at the risk of doing that:
2022 team top 9 every day players by fwar:
6.7 lindor (still here)
5.7 mcneil (still here)
5.2 nimmo (still here)
3.8 alonso (still here)
2.9 marte (still here)
2.7 canha (replaced by bader)
2.2 escobar (replaced by baty)
1.3 guillorme (replaced by wendle)
.9 vogelbach (replaced by vientos)
notice what position isn't listed? the top 5 are all still rostered and alvarez even last year was already more valuable than anyone outside the top 6. if he takes a step forward or if any of the other kids step up, this could be a really solid every day group.
the bp still has otto/diaz so in terms of talent deficiency its all in the rotation.
“It’s only been some bullpen sessions and a couple of live BPs, but I see a lot of confidence and conviction behind every single pitch,” Mets bullpen coach José Rosado said. “That’s something we are all excited about. I really like where he’s at, and I think he’s in a good spot.”
López is scheduled to appear in a Grapefruit League game on Tuesday.
https://theathletic.com/5298905/2024/02/25/mets-francisco-alvarez-carlos-beltran/?source=emp_shared_article - ( New Window )
Link - ( New Window )
I read the Red Sox are looking to sign Montgomery.
Margot traded from LAD to the Twins
Headshot of Noah Miller
24. Noah Miller
SS
Ht: 5'11" | Wt: 190 | B-T: S-R
Age: null
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: The younger brother of Brewers infielder Owen Miller, noah has been one of the smoothest, slickest-fielding shortstops in pretty much every league he’s played in. That was the case again in 2023 as Miller helped lead Cedar Rapids to the Midwest League title with his range and reliability at shortstop. His bat has yet to catch up to his glove.
Scouting Report: Miller is a joy to watch play defense. He has above-average range, smooth and flowing actions, soft hands and an innate understanding of where everyone is and where they are going when the ball is put in play. His plus arm allows him to make the play deep in the hole that many shortstops know better than to even attempt. His body control also allows him to quickly get rid of the ball if he leaves his feet. If the Twins needed a shortstop to step in and play solid defense in an emergency role, Miller could handle the job capably. He’s also an excellent baserunner despite having only average speed. At the plate, Miller doesn’t make pitchers sweat. He can hit a fastball, but even then, he’s likely to just line a single. He has a lot of work to do at recognizing and making better contact against breaking balls and changeups and he has very little power.
The Future: Miller’s defense is hard to criticize, but if he doesn’t learn to make a little more offensive impact, it’s going to be hard to get to the big leagues. Even defensive wizards like nick Ahmed and Jose Iglesias showed some offensive acumen in the minors.
Scouting Grades Hit: 40 | Power: 30 | Run: 50 | Field: 65 | Arm: 60
@FabianArdaya
Dodgers close to bringing back Kiké Hernández assuming the Manuel Margot deal goes through, sources tell me and @Ken_Rosenthal
.
Jon Becker
@jonbecker_
The $4M that the Rays sent the Dodgers, by rule, has to follow Margot to Minnesota; trade cash is attached to a player and you can't pocket the difference. The question is if the Dodgers are kicking in even more
While frustrating, there will be plenty of opportunities for them this season.
I am floored (and I even double-checked) that Kranick has no options. 11 MLB games. Megill even has 2 options remaining.
Kranick
Drew Smith
Bickford
Jorge Lopez
SRF
Tonkin
Y. Ramirez
Rios
Those with options remaining
Megill
Fujinami
Lucchesi
Walker
Ingram
Hartwig
Butto
A guy like Trayce Thompson doesn't have an option left, Stewart does, that could potentially come into play as well.
@timbhealey
Starling Marte is scheduled to make his Grapefruit League debut Wednesday, Carlos Mendoza said.
SP even with Senga and Peterson out:
Quintana
Manaea
Sevy
Houser
Megill
BP:
Diaz
Otto
Raley
Smith
Diekman
Lopez
Fujinami
Tonkin
as a SP, no room for him. As a reliever, I guess he could beat out Tonkin as a multi-inning guy. If Fujinami's issue lasts long enough, it looks like his spot is the best bet if Fujinami isn't ready by opening day. He has 3 options left.
@keithlaw
Doncon was #19 on my Dodgers prospect ranking: https://klaw.me/49qpBJZ
Miller didn’t make my Twins list.
sounds like he has multi-year offers (probably in the bassitt range or maybe 4 years?) but obviously not the one he wants yet. anything under 100m seems like a screaming steal if that's where it ends up.
From what I’m hearing in conversations with major-league sources, it doesn’t sound like Montgomery will accept a pillow contract like the one Bellinger signed. I’m told there are multiple teams that would give Montgomery a longer-term contract. The Red Sox had a video call with Montgomery recently and I’m told the conversation went well. The Red Sox have plenty of financial flexibility and at this point must be considered the front-runner to land him. However, it’s believed Montgomery would prefer to re-sign with Texas and if he were to accept a shorter-term deal, I think the Rangers are the only team where that could happen and he’d at least consider that type of offer. Also, it doesn’t sound like Montgomery is interested in a return to St. Louis, and the Cardinals have already signed three free-agent starters (Sonny Gray, Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn) this offseason.
I would appreciate some insight into the thought process that goes into how the Yankees compare and assess a choice of signing Blake Snell versus Montgomery. According to reports, they have made a significant offer to Snell. But there are no reports of an offer to Montgomery by the Yankees. — Lee G.
The Yankees really believe in the adjustments that Snell made last year on the mound, which led to him winning the NL Cy Young Award, and they think he has a higher ceiling than Montgomery. That doesn’t mean they wouldn’t necessarily bring back Montgomery, but it’s believed that he does not prefer a reunion with the Yankees. However, you can’t rule it out until he signs somewhere else.
The Cody Bellinger contract, Jordan Montgomery’s market and the MLB moves to come - ( New Window )
if it were a pillow deal in the form of opt outs, not sure a team would be that generous at this point. obviously anyone can do whatever they want but i dont believe bellinger (or conforto) got that in prior boras pillow deals? from a teams standpoint if the player is opting out they obviously had a really good year, so to give in on the QO would seem like a lot since the extra years they are committing to protect the player in a down year.
anything is negotiable obviously (unless it's against the rules) but given the way the market seems, id guess it's a buyer's market and montgomery has a hard time getting that.
was it stroman or e-rod who got it in a recent contract? i remember it happening once before and i think if im remembering right it was a player whose market had kind of cratered relative to expectation so he signed back for a lot less than projected but got that out of it.
i guess it's not totally impossible to envision that with montgomery but if bowden is right that multiple teams are interested in signing him for multiple years id guess against.
if his price ends up ridiculously low id love to see the mets get creative on a pillow deal + no QO opt out that minimizes their tax burden.
4x21m, with 25m cash year 1, opt out at year 2 with no QO attached, seems like the best version of a pillow deal Montgomery could get. he'd get $59m of protection, and he'd very likely opt out to get a bigger deal than 3x59m.
and mets get him at 21m AAV to reduce tax burden. basically bassitt deal but with a 1 year pillow deal up front.
montgomery would probably have to have a very very good season to opt out of that.
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checked and it's 100% allowed per the CBA, now how likely a team would be willing to do that, different story.
was it stroman or e-rod who got it in a recent contract? i remember it happening once before and i think if im remembering right it was a player whose market had kind of cratered relative to expectation so he signed back for a lot less than projected but got that out of it.
i guess it's not totally impossible to envision that with montgomery but if bowden is right that multiple teams are interested in signing him for multiple years id guess against.
if his price ends up ridiculously low id love to see the mets get creative on a pillow deal + no QO opt out that minimizes their tax burden.
4x21m, with 25m cash year 1, opt out at year 2 with no QO attached, seems like the best version of a pillow deal Montgomery could get. he'd get $59m of protection, and he'd very likely opt out to get a bigger deal than 3x59m.
and mets get him at 21m AAV to reduce tax burden. basically bassitt deal but with a 1 year pillow deal up front.
montgomery would probably have to have a very very good season to opt out of that.
In some cases players have used NTC's to negotiate teams not being able to use a QO on them in the future. It's obviously not very common. I wasn't really saying Montgomery would do this, sort of just thinking out louad.
Link - ( New Window )
@mikemayer22
Mets relief prospect Nate Lavender has retired all 6 batters he’s faced this spring.
He has struck out 4 of them.
More than a few players, coaches and reporters suggested on the field at Clover Park Tuesday morning that Strawberry do just that, but he laughed it off. His hitting days are long over. But the Mets icon has as meaningful a presence around here as he has in years, thanks to a burgeoning relationship with Alex and Steve Cohen.
Both Strawberry and another former star, Gary Sheffield, have been getting to know the Cohens, according to people around the team -- and both players feel respected by the owners’ interest in learning about the game from people who played it.
Not looking to join the dump on Parada bandwagon, but I would be curious to see @mets
move him to 2b (as has been suggested by scouts). A brand new position for him but without the rigors of catching and quite frankly a far less taxing position (mentally and physically)
Not looking to join the dump on Parada bandwagon, but I would be curious to see @mets
move him to 2b (as has been suggested by scouts). A brand new position for him but without the rigors of catching and quite frankly a far less taxing position (mentally and physically)
Hopefully at least one of him or Ramirez can have a big rebound year and get themselves established as a major prospect. I'd sign him for one of em being a bust if it meant we got a real rebound with the other.
Parada's value is obviously higher as a C than elsewhere, but the point is pretty moot if he can't hit in the low minors. Really need to see his bat turn into a force before I start thinking too much about how he's struggling to stay at C.
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In comment 16409397 DanMetroMan said:
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checked and it's 100% allowed per the CBA, now how likely a team would be willing to do that, different story.
was it stroman or e-rod who got it in a recent contract? i remember it happening once before and i think if im remembering right it was a player whose market had kind of cratered relative to expectation so he signed back for a lot less than projected but got that out of it.
i guess it's not totally impossible to envision that with montgomery but if bowden is right that multiple teams are interested in signing him for multiple years id guess against.
if his price ends up ridiculously low id love to see the mets get creative on a pillow deal + no QO opt out that minimizes their tax burden.
4x21m, with 25m cash year 1, opt out at year 2 with no QO attached, seems like the best version of a pillow deal Montgomery could get. he'd get $59m of protection, and he'd very likely opt out to get a bigger deal than 3x59m.
and mets get him at 21m AAV to reduce tax burden. basically bassitt deal but with a 1 year pillow deal up front.
montgomery would probably have to have a very very good season to opt out of that.
In some cases players have used NTC's to negotiate teams not being able to use a QO on them in the future. It's obviously not very common. I wasn't really saying Montgomery would do this, sort of just thinking out louad.
i think you are right though, it has the be a very big concern for him.
his desired/projected AAV this offseason was very close to the QO amount, and without a QO penalty attached he cant find a deal yet off a career season. if he gets a QO attached next year it could entirely defeat the purpose of a pillow contract because he is entering the market a year older and with a higher penalty if signed.
hadnt really thought about that angle so much, but more than any other FA left on the market of substance, he is probably going to be forced to just take the biggest offer on the market whatever it is. so he could end up an extreme value for someone (which i would argue Bassitt was last year for TOR).
am i wrong or does it seem like more pre-debut prospects are in games so far this spring than others?
or is that just a function of having more prospects on the 40 man?
last year i guess mauricio/alvarez/vientos/baty were involved a lot too, but 3/4 had already debuted in big leagues so that seems a little different.
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AB by Parada has twitter dumping on him.
Not looking to join the dump on Parada bandwagon, but I would be curious to see @mets
move him to 2b (as has been suggested by scouts). A brand new position for him but without the rigors of catching and quite frankly a far less taxing position (mentally and physically)
Hopefully at least one of him or Ramirez can have a big rebound year and get themselves established as a major prospect. I'd sign him for one of em being a bust if it meant we got a real rebound with the other.
Parada's value is obviously higher as a C than elsewhere, but the point is pretty moot if he can't hit in the low minors. Really need to see his bat turn into a force before I start thinking too much about how he's struggling to stay at C.
There is a theory ( I want to say put forth initially by John Sickels, but don't quote me on that) that young catchers often take so much toll on their bodies that they are unable to handle the rigors enough to hit. BA had a thing about Diego Cartaya and how that *could* be what happened with him and in the Mets chat somebody posted it regarding Parada and it wasn't shot down.
There is a very low chance Parada improves enough defensively to ever be an "asset" back there and after reading Tim Brown/Erik Kratz's "The Tao of the backup C", it really opens your eyes to how unusual it is for a team to carry a young backup C, especially one that isn't a plus fielder. The backup tends to do all of the grunt work, the side work, the pre-work, the extra BP sessions and veteran pitchers want to throw to somebody who has "done it" before even at the expense of lessor hitting ability.
An offense first backup C isn't really a common thing in baseball. Scouts for other teams suggested to BA Parada could/should be given a look at 2b, and I think that's a pretty decent idea. He would never be an asset in the OF since he's a below average runner, at 2b, maybe the hitting comes along/back and he's passable offensively (Dan Uggla was a a 10 year veteran and very good MLB player despite being a mediocre or worse 2b).
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well struck opposite field 2 run single
am i wrong or does it seem like more pre-debut prospects are in games so far this spring than others?
or is that just a function of having more prospects on the 40 man?
last year i guess mauricio/alvarez/vientos/baty were involved a lot too, but 3/4 had already debuted in big leagues so that seems a little different.
I think it's mostly #2. Vientos quietly led all Mets hitters in AB's in ST last season, Baty was #5.
MLB Insider Andy Martino says Mets OF prospect Drew Gilbert is 'standing out' | Baseball Night in NY - ( New Window )
Here is the link
Link - ( New Window )
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Brash yet to be announced “major” injury for Seattle. Huge loss for them
Here is the link Link - ( New Window )
Sucks. I have him in my dynasty league and his K/9 is a big help.
Mike Mayer
@mikemayer22
Mets scheduled pitchers for today:
- RHP Reed Garrett
- RHP Grant Hartwig
- LHP Josh Walker
- RHP Austin Adams
=I've mentioned this before but Garrett is slightly more interesting than you'd think. 108 stuff+, sat 97 during his brief look. Career 46% GB rate. He's probably nothing but he was a top 25 prospect in the Tigers system back in 2019
1. Since the Mets are prioritizing the big picture, let’s begin there. If Sean Manaea has even a good year, he will opt out of his contract, thus joining Luis Severino, Jose Quintana and Adrian Houser in free agency. So the Mets are going to be looking for at least two starters next offseason, maybe more if youngsters do not step up.
In my scenario, the Mets would be paying Montgomery a $23 million annual average, which would mean an additional $25.3 million in luxury-tax penalty. The Mets could argue that for that total outlay of nearly $50 million they will find good solutions next offseason, when their tax burden also might be lessened with dead money coming off for Max Scherzer and perhaps Justin Verlander too.
It is easy to spend other people’s money, and Cohen after the faulty investments of 2023 can justifiably suggest sticking with a more measured plan. But …
2. The Mets are not punting on 2024 and insist the goal is to make the playoffs. But I think they have a tough 1,450-ish inning pitching path this year. Even if Senga returns by early May, the Mets will be offering a rotation that hardly promises big innings combined with a bullpen currently filled by relievers with no options. It is a marriage that threatens a lot of burnout and churn.
Stearns showed in Milwaukee he can build strong pens as a season progresses. But Montgomery (ninth most starts from 2020-23) can be a stabilizer to lessen the burden. There are no certainties with pitching, but Montgomery is durable, plus New York- and playoff-tested. Carlos Mendoza, the Yankees’ former bench coach, effusively lauded Montgomery for his tenacity and how good a teammate he is. Yes, he costs more now, but he comes with so much less doubt for this environment than just about any starter who will be available next offseason — and how much would you pay for that?
A healthy Senga/Montgomery combo would be a cornerstone to try to make the playoffs this year and to build around going forward. And one more item with Montgomery: He could not be made the qualifying offer, so there is no draft pick compensation tied to him; another element that does not disrupt the Mets’ big-picture plans.
Mets should offer Jordan Montgomery $115 million and see who blinks - ( New Window )
i dont have any expectations of most of them, but i like a lot of the fringe roster moves stearns has made. he's added interesting players with some legitimate skills as pure depth. kind of like the dj stewart add last year. that's an area the mets as an org are getting better at and an easy spot where cohen's money should give them the pick of whoever they want in the AAAA bucket.
Lorenzen is mediocre.
But what they will do is be very active in adding to their depth by keeping a close eye on pitchers with opt-outs, and those who might become available due to roster crunches in other camps." #LGM
~ @martinonyc
on the #Mets persuit of more pitching depth.
i think that one is going to be ichiro all over again. i hope not but i think wolfe was right that there has never been a player more popular in free agency, and given what we saw the rest of free agency there must be very good reasons why.
i think it's only a matter of time before i start a "should have bid $375m" post lol.
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looked awesome in his Dodgers debut.
i think that one is going to be ichiro all over again. i hope not but i think wolfe was right that there has never been a player more popular in free agency, and given what we saw the rest of free agency there must be very good reasons why.
i think it's only a matter of time before i start a "should have bid $375m" post lol.
I will say right now I would have done $400 million over 12 years. Easy to say when it's not my money, I guess, but he has all the signs of being an ace pitcher and is only 25. $33.3 million a year is an absolute bargain if he pans out and stays healthy.
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In comment 16410874 DanMetroMan said:
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looked awesome in his Dodgers debut.
i think that one is going to be ichiro all over again. i hope not but i think wolfe was right that there has never been a player more popular in free agency, and given what we saw the rest of free agency there must be very good reasons why.
i think it's only a matter of time before i start a "should have bid $375m" post lol.
I will say right now I would have done $400 million over 12 years. Easy to say when it's not my money, I guess, but he has all the signs of being an ace pitcher and is only 25. $33.3 million a year is an absolute bargain if he pans out and stays healthy.
i think 400x10m is something i broke down in one of the offseason threads because you can even make an argument on value he will be worth that much. i think that amount and value ends up mirroring exactly what Yu Darvish has done, even missing a few years with injuries and never pitching a ton of innings.
he's been worth fwar pitching in mlb from age 25-37, only once over 200 innings, only twice over 190, career era of 3.59.
34 wins is currently worth about 340m as a free agent pitcher, so that's pretty close to how MLB value him but Darvish is still going with a 2.5 fwar projection this year, so add another 25m to that amount.
yu has twice come in 2nd for CY, 5x all star in 11 seasons, so it's a pretty good baseline. if yamamoto lives up to the hype he could very easily end up better than yu and anything worse would obviously be a major disappointment.
btw if he had given mets a chance to counter, id bet they would have increased their offer to 350 or 375 to get it done. the lad may have also done so but we will never know.
Branny De Oleo led the organization in BA (.313) off-season praise from @BaseballAmerica
Jefry Rosa led the organization in wRC+ (166) and slugging (.669) and also received off-season praise from BA #Mets
Jett Williams led the organization in SB's (45) and was only caught 7 times. Rowdey Jordan went 30/35 stealing bases in 2023, while also collecting 39 extra base hits and walking 65 times
@PavlovicNBCS
Giants say Tristan Beck was diagnosed with an aneurysm in his upper arm. He went to Stanford to see a vascular specialist and will weigh his treatment options over the next few days. Beck had been penciled in as their No. 5 starter.
I miss these posts!!
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Gomez looked primed for a breakout in 2023 with a fastball that was averaging 100 mph in Spring Training backfields outings, but Tommy John surgery ended that after three High-A starts. The 6-foot-2 right-hander was generally closer to 96-98 mph in regular-season outings before the procedure, and he had the ride up in the zone to get whiffs (12 in seven innings). Keep an eye on Gomez’s post-TJ return this summer before he becomes Rule-5 eligible in the offseason.
that's been a big part of my point re montgomery/snell this year (and even why i thought going absolutely insane on the yamamoto overpay made sense).
i dont see anyone less flawed out there next year. even if buehler did everything perfect in his year back like harvey in 2015, a recent TJS is a big red flag.
biebers velo drop is a red flag.
heck even burnes, arent the amount of innings he's thrown a red flag considering the price is likely to be record setting? is a 30 year old burnes worth paying more in total than a 25 year old yamamoto?
i promise im not scott boras, but paying montgomery 100m seems like a great deal compared almost every alternative next year - maybe even burnes if the price is 325m+.
my worry there is he extends in atlanta. between the lines they've had discussions and he's been very public that's his preference. agent isn't boras. morton's 20m expires next year, along with 16m they can decline on ozuna.
would not shock me in the slightest if it's announced shortly after OD for tax purposes. with a cold pitching market it would be perfect time for atlanta to strike and give him a similar deal to what LAD just gave glasnow.
Mets’ Adam Ottavino knows the stolen base numbers. How he aims to change that in 2024 - ( New Window )
Mets have a dearth of IF talent which has to be appealing to them.
What does a mid season Luzardo or Cabrera trade look like?
Mets have a dearth of IF talent which has to be appealing to them.
What does a mid season Luzardo or Cabrera trade look like?
luzardo will be expensive (top prospects). if baty and vientos are both hitting, maybe you could get him for a package headlined by 1 of them.
cabrera the cost should be more reasonable, but i think right now similarly 1 of vientos or baty or mauricio would be the price (difference being that right now all 3 are unknowns).
if they could get cabrera for parada, id do that. but im not sure they can.
Quote:
feels like the right way to bolster depth for 2025.
Mets have a dearth of IF talent which has to be appealing to them.
What does a mid season Luzardo or Cabrera trade look like?
luzardo will be expensive (top prospects). if baty and vientos are both hitting, maybe you could get him for a package headlined by 1 of them.
cabrera the cost should be more reasonable, but i think right now similarly 1 of vientos or baty or mauricio would be the price (difference being that right now all 3 are unknowns).
if they could get cabrera for parada, id do that. but im not sure they can.
and to be clearer re luzardo, i mean if both baty and vientos are hitting in-season, not spring training. and hitting well enough that we wouldnt want to trade them (800+ ops).
Quote:
is my #1 SP want but is he significantly better than Montgomery? Not sure. Fried will be 31 (like Montgomery) and cost picks and IFA money.
my worry there is he extends in atlanta. between the lines they've had discussions and he's been very public that's his preference. agent isn't boras. morton's 20m expires next year, along with 16m they can decline on ozuna.
would not shock me in the slightest if it's announced shortly after OD for tax purposes. with a cold pitching market it would be perfect time for atlanta to strike and give him a similar deal to what LAD just gave glasnow.
Very well could be the case.
@kikehndez
reveals the teams that bid on him during free agency and breaks down why he chose to stay with in LA, rather than relocate to The Bronx.
Quote:
feels like the right way to bolster depth for 2025.
Mets have a dearth of IF talent which has to be appealing to them.
What does a mid season Luzardo or Cabrera trade look like?
luzardo will be expensive (top prospects). if baty and vientos are both hitting, maybe you could get him for a package headlined by 1 of them.
cabrera the cost should be more reasonable, but i think right now similarly 1 of vientos or baty or mauricio would be the price (difference being that right now all 3 are unknowns).
if they could get cabrera for parada, id do that. but im not sure they can.
No chance they get Cabrera for Parada. I couldn't even see Parada headlining a deal. I am hoping the Marlins flounder (pardon the pun) a bit this season, as they do look like a good opportunity for a trade. However, pretty good chance they are close to the Mets.
It's hard making trades like this because the guys the other team is going to want are the guys you don't want to trade and the guys you're willing to get rid of aren't the types that they'll trade somewhat proven young MLB arms for.
It's hard making trades like this because the guys the other team is going to want are the guys you don't want to trade and the guys you're willing to get rid of aren't the types that they'll trade somewhat proven young MLB arms for.
That would likely get it done in a midseason trade. Marlins could use some young IF options besides Arraez. Acuna could play SS, as Anderson is on a 1 year deal. Mauricio could eventually be the 3B, as Berry is not looking good defensively. I don't think the Mets would give up that much. Something more like an Acuna/Parada combo.
@kikehndez
reveals the teams that bid on him during free agency and breaks down why he chose to stay with in LA, rather than relocate to The Bronx.
i think zack scott chose kevin pillar over him in 2021 when kike put up his 4 win season in CF?
Quote:
In comment 16411543 Rory said:
Quote:
feels like the right way to bolster depth for 2025.
Mets have a dearth of IF talent which has to be appealing to them.
What does a mid season Luzardo or Cabrera trade look like?
luzardo will be expensive (top prospects). if baty and vientos are both hitting, maybe you could get him for a package headlined by 1 of them.
cabrera the cost should be more reasonable, but i think right now similarly 1 of vientos or baty or mauricio would be the price (difference being that right now all 3 are unknowns).
if they could get cabrera for parada, id do that. but im not sure they can.
No chance they get Cabrera for Parada. I couldn't even see Parada headlining a deal. I am hoping the Marlins flounder (pardon the pun) a bit this season, as they do look like a good opportunity for a trade. However, pretty good chance they are close to the Mets.
when you hear cabrera, substitute his name for what we think we'd get for peterson or megill. that is about what he's done over the years and with the way the marlins have shopped SP for 2+ years now, if they could have gotten a good return for him by now they would have.
dan had some of the names that were supposedly in the discussions between pittsburgh and miami a few weeks ago when the rumors were a deal was close for cabrera - i am by no means an expert but think they were all generally rated even worse than parada has fallen.
in the end though it's probably a trade they'll have to make (or similar).
in the end though it's probably a trade they'll have to make (or similar).
A trade's gonna have to be made either way withing the next year. Luzardo's my guy. Those 5 (plus Sproat) that you mentioned are key though. We need to find out what they are this year down in the minors.
Now at camp, Mendoza is setting a lively, inclusive culture. He takes time to engage players at all levels of the organization.
One morning earlier this week, he stopped minor league reliever Nate Lavender on Lavender’s way to the backfield. "Hey," Mendoza said. "How long have you been doing that little hesitation?"
As Lavender told how he developed his Nestor Cortes-like windup, the manager looked at him with genuine interest and engagement. This is just one of countless such moments that have nearly everyone at camp, from minor league-bound youngsters like Lavender to icons like Darryl Strawberry and Carlos Beltran, impressed with Mendoza’s energy and human touch.
One morning, as I was walking into the clubhouse for media access at 8 a.m., Mendoza was visible in the food room through a door that isn’t typically open. He was a kinetic presence – laughing, backslapping, joking in both English and Spanish. He looked like a person who was exactly where he belonged.
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The Mets are also excited about Acuña, acquired last year for Scherzer. Acuña, along with Gilbert and Jett Williams, is one of several highly athletic prospects in camp – a more valuable, versatile type of player to collect than slugging corner guys.
Coaches speak of Acuña as a hardworking young man with strong makeup. They do believe he has work to do with fundamentals, like where to stand on relay plays.
Acuña is also trying to refine his swing decisions, work that was evident within the first handful of spring training games. Mixed in with unwise chasing were more judicious takes, including a few last-second check swings that impressed the staff.
@AnthonyDiComo
Mets pitcher Max Kranick has a left hamstring strain and will "be down a while," per Carlos Mendoza. That takes him out of the fifth starter competition.
@PSLToFlushing
Saturday could be fun
Sean Manaea, Christian Scott and Mike Vasil are all scheduled to pitch
I have not seen/read a peep about Matt Allan since he has TJ last January. Mike Mayer asked his sources for an update and was unable to get a clear once which prompted him to remove him completely from his top 75 prospects.
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It's certainly not the best sign.
Fortunately for us, the best projections do exactly that. To find out, we’ll use the ZiPS projections for 2024 combined with FanGraphs’ manually curated depth charts, which provide an estimated playing time at each position and positionally adjust for difficulty, which is to say that it’s more valuable to be a good shortstop than it is to be a good first baseman or left fielder. Finally, we’ll take the proportion of a player’s time expected to be at DH and remove it from the projections, because while that might matter for a player’s overall value, it doesn’t do us much good when we’re only looking at fielding.
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Now to the field, where no player has captured attention in the early games like Gilbert. The outfielder, acquired by Eppler and Cohen along with corner INF/OF prospect Ryan Clifford last July for Verlander, has an electric skill set and a precocious approach at the plate.
Like Daniel Murphy, a fellow left-handed hitter, Gilbert tries to pull the ball until he is in a two-strike count, then shortens up and aims to use the whole field. The most impressive at-bat of early camp came Tuesday when Gilbert batted with the bases loaded, fell behind 0-2, and fought off a slider into left field to drive in two runs.
Defensively, the former pitcher has flashed what one evaluator calls a "plus to double-plus arm." He has the speed for center field and the arm for right field. That’s a good problem to have.
i was meh on gilbert when they got him from houston, but that seems pretty wrong. sounds a lot like brett gardner, and also like he's going to be the first guy at cuse pushing for the call up.
Beltran has been watching closely and offering detailed feedback to players like Mark Vientos, Brett Baty, and anyone who asks. He is an important elder statesman to Francisco Lindor, as Lindor continues his adjustment to life as a highly-paid New York star. Beltran has been there, and Lindor looks to him with great admiration.
Mendoza wants Beltran around the major league club far more than Showalter did. Last summer, Eppler sent Beltran to work with and evaluate minor leaguers. This year, Beltran will have a significant presence around the Mets, especially on the road, where opportunities to engage in deep conversations with players are easier to come by.
perfect role for beltran, also interesting buck didnt want him around big club.
The Mets' front office genuinely believes that it has built a playoff-caliber team capable of winning at least the 84-ish games that publicly available metrics like Baseball Prospectus’ PECOTA projections have them winning. I was with them, because of how easy it is to sleep on their excellent defense and run prevention. Maybe I still am.
But the loss of Kodai Senga for a few months exposed real issues with rotation depth, according to outside evaluators.
Without access to the Mets’ internal data, it’s hard to analyze their optimism with the ideal level of specificity. But it doesn’t take a genius to see that Luis Severino and Sean Manaea are additions that carry both upside and downside. Adrian Houser, another newcomer, looked so-so at best in his first Grapefruit League outing.
We’ve long since seen the pros and cons of Tylor Megill, Joey Lucchesi and the rehabbing David Peterson. The Mets have a few pitching prospects who project to be solid big leaguers, but need to draft and/or trade for more pitching upside in the coming years.
Sorry to end on a downer. There really are good vibes at Mets camp, and the team is extremely fortunate to have the smart and accessible pitching coach Jeremy Hefner leading the staff. But they do seem more exposed on pitching than they are willing to acknowledge.
i unfortunately concur with that conclusion.
some historical DRS stuff is very wonky so its not always trustworthy.
a few years ago they published an article about how at like 1/3 of stadiums, the tape feeds they were using had a delay, which made them grade a bunch of players worse than they should over a span of years. i dont think they went back and re-graded but when they adjusted that 1 component of the grade to a more default measure all those players numbers changed.
defensive stats are still new enough that i think their are big refinements they make each year that make them better, but when you go far enough into the past the numbers before those refinements end up being apples/oranges. directionally im sure they are still close enough (gardner was a good fielder) but whether or not he was better than whoever has the best recent DRS numbers? kind of impossible to say even though it's in theory the same metric.
i cant remember who it was but i saw someone else who had a total like that recently too. i think it was a 1b when i was looking up alonso or something and it was so far beyond belief i thought of the article about their video mistake.
- Speaking of CU's, saw some clips Drew Thorpe the other day, his CU is absurd, hitters look completely baffled.
@SNYtv
Carlos Mendoza talks more about Max Kranick's injury:
"Feel for the kid, after battling Tommy John and working really hard to get back on the mound. With the two innings that we saw the other day, we were encouraged with his velo."
Fujinami hasn’t been around the team due to a family matter and a potential visa issue. Manager Carlos Mendoza told the media that he was told the issue was resolved and that the right-hander is expected to be back with the team this week.
As for how long the Mets expect Fujinami will need to get ready to play in a spring training game, they won’t know until he arrives.
“He’s been telling us he’s been doing bullpen while he’s down there but we have to put our eyes on it,” Mendoza said. “He’ll have to throw a bullpen or two, live BP, before we see him in games. And then we’ll go from there. The thing is we have to get him here and start his build-up.”
im still annoyed they didnt give him a look at the end of last year.
Sweet Jesus why is it so hard to not have text errors on this message board via a tablet?
BILL PECOTA
if not it wouldnt shock me if they contemplate moving more than just alonso if they can get value.
Brandon Nimmo takes up Mets team bonding role in footsteps of Max Scherzer, ex-vets - ( New Window )
if not it wouldnt shock me if they contemplate moving more than just alonso if they can get value. Brandon Nimmo takes up Mets team bonding role in footsteps of Max Scherzer, ex-vets - ( New Window )
Never ina million years did I think Nimmo would become a leader. Great to see him embracing it.
Baty needs a stron tart, mentally, more than anyone. But he looks so stiff with his swing this spring. I’m afraid it won’t click early enough for him
And everyone is probably sick of hearing it, but this will become Álvarez team before you know it.
it's one of the first things you're taught in little league yet today you have guys who walk, stand at home plate, stare at the pitcher a little, take in the attention for their feat, and slowly take their armor off and leave it at home plate for some bat boy to pick up and then they maybe lightly jog to first base. Sometimes I think there should be a clock on that like the pitch clock. You have 10 seconds from the time the ump says ball 4 to reach first base or it changes to an out.
maybe you couldn't see a "rah rah" guy, but if that doesn't scream leadership not sure what you were looking for - maybe just more by example than words.
Notes from inside the Mets’ pitching lab: ‘It looks like a pitcher’s playground’ - ( New Window )
This is one of the bigger story lines of the season that no one will talk about. We'll see what pitchers seemingly develop out of no where in the minors this year.
Over the Mets over 100K. Odd
no exit velo listed on statcast - maybe he broke the gun.
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Mike Mayer @mikemayer22 · 2m Impressive home run by Mark Vientos through the wind. - ( New Window )
Announcers said he hit into the wind and still went out. They were pretty impressed.
@timbhealey
Luis Severino's line against the Cardinals: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.
He threw 30 pitches (18) strikes and reached 97.8 mph with his fastball.
@timbhealey
Luis Severino's line against the Cardinals: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.
He threw 30 pitches (18) strikes and reached 97.8 mph with his fastball.
That was on the Carpenter K. Mostly sitting 95 early
Wind was from R to L, so not “into it”, but not aided by it either.
@timbhealey
Luis Severino's line against the Cardinals: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.
He threw 30 pitches (18) strikes and reached 97.8 mph with his fastball.
Sevy is the key player to the season for me, due to the wide variance in outcomes for him. If he is what he was last year, Mets could be in for a poor season. If he gets back to what he was before the season, the Mets should be a playoff team.
This is a very encouraging sign against much of the Cardinals normal lineup
My favorite part of the HR (at least the video on SNY I watched) was that the announcers were talking about how the Mets hadn't gotten a "real" DH yet. Then Vientos jacks one.
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on twitter. 2-0 count off liberatore. Mike Mayer @mikemayer22 · 2m Impressive home run by Mark Vientos through the wind. - ( New Window )
My favorite part of the HR (at least the video on SNY I watched) was that the announcers were talking about how the Mets hadn't gotten a "real" DH yet. Then Vientos jacks one.
😂
That’s hysterical but perfect timing then
Yup I'm going off a few innings I saw in person last year and his couple innings now but he has major league offerings. Depending on how the season goes I wonder if he they would call him up and try him in the pen late in the year if he is near any type of innings limit.
Strikes out a good hitter in Walker - Navaerez misses it, and a lazy chase and throw
Next batter 3-2 weak single inches over Lindor glove
Next batter bunts, 2b terrible job and late covering 1b
Next batter good first pitch single for a ribbie
Crazy Goldschmidt play next, they get the out…
Some great off speed pitches to K a good hitter in Gorman
Fools Arenado with an outside fastball for the K
What’s that, seven batters. Some real MLers. One routine single.
Not bad for an A baller
Removed, and gervase gives up a soft bloop over 3b - so an "earned run" against Tidwell. Though, he would have scored anyway on gervase second hit allowed. Which was an incredibly weak grounder that barely made it up the middle lol
lindor's double was 110mph off the bat
marte had a 100mph ground out
clifford got an 8th inning at bat and hit a 106mph ground out
jeremiah jackson hardest hit ball of the game, 110.6 mph single in the 9th
severino peaked at 97.8 mph.
tidwell led mets with 7 swings/misses, peaked at 96.6mph.
Very reasonable deal
@timbhealey
Jeff McNeil has left biceps soreness and is shut down from hitting for a few days, Carlos Mendoza said.
The Mets will reassess Tuesday. They haven’t got an MRI on it yet because they don’t think it’s serious enough for that.
In the meantime, McNeil is doing defensive stuff.
@AnthonyDiComo
Infielder Joey Wendle is dealing with some right shoulder soreness, but he's been building back up and should make his spring debut toward the end of next week.
@mikemayer22
Mets scheduled pitchers for today:
LHP Sean Manaea
RHP José Buttó
RHP Christian Scott
RHP Mike Vasil
RHP Jorge López
RHP Michael Tonkin
LHP Brooks Raley
@timbhealey
The good updates on the Mets: Brandon Nimmo will make his spring-training debut Sunday. Harrison Bader will follow on Tuesday.
that is not a great profile to age well 31+. so i think he got what is ultimately a fair contract.
The Athletic
@TheAthletic
Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. will have his sore right knee examined Monday after an MRI on Friday revealed irritation around the meniscus in his knee.
David O'Brien
@DOBrienATL
Now updated with quotes from Snitker, including: “Right now we’re trying to be optimistic. ... But honestly, I don’t know until we get what the doctor out there says.”
Flip side. Cornrow has got some swagger and swinging the best with confidence and incredibly well
It’s early. There’s my asterisk.
Lol I'm assuming Baty but no idea on the autocorrect for cornrow.
barry for eury ;)
NERD
Joe DeMayo @PSLToFlushing · 28m Brett Baty has been off to a tough start to begin spring training. He jumped all over this one 111.7 MPH off the bat and 383 feet - ( New Window )
-Mason Miller touched 103 yesterday.
-Mason Miller touched 103 yesterday.
totally agree re eury. pure stuff he may be the best sp in mlb. if there was a draft of every SP in mlb not sure id take anyone over him. upside just too high.
I just hope Eury pitches more innings this year and they don't baby him too much.
honestly probably has a fair reason since he's in a walk year.
chapman obviously better defensively but jdd improved a lot last year (sucked by DRS but +6 OAA) and offensively there may not be 2 more comparable players.
i would think they will find ways to get both plenty of at bats, just hurts JDD to not be able to try to stand up his defensive improvements last year. his bat is a lot less valuable if he's not considered a competent every day defensive 3b.
this offseason's pitching market still really confuses me.
You’re frickin Gerrit Cole.
• C Kevin Parada
• INF Jett Williams
• INF Luisangel Acuña
• OF Drew Gilbert
• RHP Christian Scott
• RHP Mike Vasil
• RHP Eric Orze
• RHP Cam Robinson
• LHP Danny Young
• LHP Kolton Ingram
You’re frickin Gerrit Cole.
yea i mean especially given all the soto shuffle talk last week. vogelbach is on a st invite trying to earn a job hes entitled to some small celebration.
Wow. That's a big number
Quote:
Year deal, 42 per season
Wow. That's a big number
LOL, Snell and Montgomery are saying the same thing now.
Good for Wheeler. He proved a lot fo people wrong. I was always a doubter myself.
2. Drew Gilbert
3. Luisangel Acuna
4. Ryan Clifford
5. Christian Scott
6. Ronny Mauricio
7. Colin Houck
8. Marco Vargas
9. Kevin Parada
10. Blade Tidwell
11. Mike Vasil
12. Jeremy Rodriguez
13. Brandon Sproat
14. Dominic Hamel
15. Jacob Reimer
16. Alez Ramire
17. Yovanny Rodriguez
18. Tyler Stuart
19. Nolan McLean
20. Ronald Hernandez
21. Jesus Baez
22. Calvin Ziegler
23. Wilfredo Lara
24. Nate Lavender
25. Boston Baro
26. Nick Morabito
27. Raimon Gomez
28. Joander Suarez
29. Saul Garcia
30. Rhylan Thomas
Quote:
In comment 16415880 DanMetroMan said:
Quote:
Year deal, 42 per season
Wow. That's a big number
LOL, Snell and Montgomery are saying the same thing now.
Good for Wheeler. He proved a lot fo people wrong. I was always a doubter myself.
i thought aj burnett was a fair best case. didnt think he'd end up best pitcher in mlb.
crazy irony that the guy who had the most health complications of the 5 aces went on to have the most durable career. it is very mets that the moron gm who let him walk took shots at him on the way out the door.
He wanted to be here so who knows maybe he would have accepted a lower AAV.
Cohen would have done 24M a year for 5. One last EFFU by the cheapskates.
He wanted to be here so who knows maybe he would have accepted a lower AAV.
Cohen would have done 24M a year for 5. One last EFFU by the cheapskates.
the worst part of that was that wheeler had repeatedly said publicly he was willing to extend early (so it would have been a lot cheaper than that if they'd extended him in say 2019 offseason)
AND
they traded for stroman in 2019 as a "replacement" and ended up scheduled to pay him 12m in 2020 and paying him 19m in 2021 (so basically 1/3 of the Wheeler contract).
so they traded for a total jerk who wasnt as good as wheeler and paid him not that far off from what Wheeler made on the philly deal. just ridiculously stupid and predictable decisions we all hated at the time.
Cole doesn't have a real opt out aka he's not getting a raise. His salary is locked in at 36 million.
Healey-
Choi and Voit both said they have opt-outs in their contracts around the end of camp, which is common for experienced players on minor-league contracts.
A handful of Grapefruit League games isn’t enough to tip the scales in anybody’s favor, and Mets officials have said they don’t want to rely on exhibition performance. The righthanded-hitting Voit and lefthanded-hitting Choi had track records of offensive success until last year, when their struggles coincided with a solid run from the lefty-hitting Stewart.
“[Defensive versatility] matters, but it comes down to the whole 13 position players,” Mendoza said last week. “Who’s breaking camp with us? Who provides what? There’s a lot of different routes that we could go here. We’re still early in camp. I’m pretty sure we’ll start having these conversations as we move forward in the next couple of weeks. Again, we decide to go with versatility, defense or we’re looking for a lefty bat, righty bat — not sure where we’re going to be at when we’re having these conversations. A lot goes into it.”
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So what's Cole looking at when he opts out after this year? $45 per? Believe they're the same age.
Cole doesn't have a real opt out aka he's not getting a raise. His salary is locked in at 36 million.
I see now. Yanks override his opt out by adding one more year at $36 million.
Quote:
Wilpon story that still upsets them but for me its def not giving Wheeler the 5 year 118 Philly gave him in 2020.
He wanted to be here so who knows maybe he would have accepted a lower AAV.
Cohen would have done 24M a year for 5. One last EFFU by the cheapskates.
the worst part of that was that wheeler had repeatedly said publicly he was willing to extend early (so it would have been a lot cheaper than that if they'd extended him in say 2019 offseason)
AND
they traded for stroman in 2019 as a "replacement" and ended up scheduled to pay him 12m in 2020 and paying him 19m in 2021 (so basically 1/3 of the Wheeler contract).
so they traded for a total jerk who wasnt as good as wheeler and paid him not that far off from what Wheeler made on the philly deal. just ridiculously stupid and predictable decisions we all hated at the time.
just the worst. A clearly awful decision at the time, which only gets worse every year.
At a minimum, I hope a reporter can nab a few and post them.
nypost.com/2024/03/05/spo… On Post+, imagine if you were told in '17 what Wheeler would become - and how much he was going to earn. Also: Max Kranick received a 4th option (valuable to NYM), so I got the list of everyone in MLB who received 1. Diekman on Rays pitching magic. More
Also just random but saw Megill on the mound today against Yanks. Think this one is being televised
Also just random but saw Megill on the mound today against Yanks. Think this one is being televised
The team claims they believe he has enough time to be ready for OD. That being said if they feel he’s behind he does have 3 options left so they likely aren’t going to force it. He should be ready but if he’s not it won’t be by much.
@BNightengale
The Boston Red Sox, who have engaged in discussions with agent Scott Boras about free agent starter Jordan Montgomery, now will be without starter Lucas Giolito to start the season. Giolito will undergo tests to determine discomfort in his elbow, manager Alex Cora announces.
@JeffPassan
Brutal news: Initial imaging showed Boston Red Sox starter Lucas Giolito likely has a partially torn UCL and flexor strain and could miss the 2024 season, league sources tell ESPN. Giolito, who signed a two-year deal with Boston, may need surgery to repair the right-elbow damage.
@JeffPassan
Brutal news: Initial imaging showed Boston Red Sox starter Lucas Giolito likely has a partially torn UCL and flexor strain and could miss the 2024 season, league sources tell ESPN. Giolito, who signed a two-year deal with Boston, may need surgery to repair the right-elbow damage.
there is going to be a march on fenway if they dont sign montgomery now, but i wonder if now they feel even less incentive to do it?
giolito probably not even going to be ready for OD next year.
@mikemayer22
Mets scheduled pitchers for today:
RHP Tylor Megill
RHP Austin Adams
RHP Drew Smith
RHP Phil Bickford
RHP Sean Reid-Foley
RHP Yohan Ramírez
RHP Chad Smith
@BNightengale
St. Louis Cardinals ace Sonny Gray has mild hamstring strain, John Mozeliak tells reporters in Cardinals' camp.
He originally was announced as their opening-day starter against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but now likely will open the season on the IL.
yep, he was also considered the most reliable innings guy available.
i imagine that's why even going back to last year the non-elite parts of the pitching market got less than expected.
@ZackScottSports
Hopefully, the changes to stuff (especially SL) didn't push the ligament over the edge. Sometimes optimizing stuff doesn't align with optimal health. Worth keeping an eye on as the Sox change their pitching infrastructure and may be eager to see impactful gains. #RedSox
im trying to get in the first hour or so and if i do ill post anything interesting here. im sure most of it will be same as whatever hits twitter anyway.
megill hit 95 and got 3 swings and misses (2 k's were grisham and pereira).
@timbhealey
Edwin Diaz said he was very pleased with how it went. His fastball was at 96-98 mph — ticking up from last week.
Next steps, he said: another minors game later this week ... and a Grapefruit League game next week.
Giants' Tristan Beck Won't Throw For Eight Weeks; Sean Hjelle Diagnosed With Elbow Sprain
Another injury for a high-end player came to light Monday. Blue Jays ace Kevin Gausman apparently has shoulder fatigue.
Giants' Tristan Beck Won't Throw For Eight Weeks; Sean Hjelle Diagnosed With Elbow Sprain
Another injury for a high-end player came to light Monday. Blue Jays ace Kevin Gausman apparently has shoulder fatigue.
this was a clip from sny yesterday, with wheeler extending and some rumors baltimore could have the $ to extend burnes after the season everyone is finally starting to realize there may not be better starters to sign next year too. if fried extends the market could be almost empty.
https://x.com/SNYtv/status/1764810558795329937?s=20 - ( New Window )
he got on with a 97 mph double,
vientos and bader each had hard outs (100mph ground out, 97 mph fly out). vientos had a 54% hit probability and would have driven in a run without a nice play by volpe.
megill up to 10 swings/misses but not facing many regulars. 3 innings, 6 k's, 0 hits allowed.
Injuries and this year…
We are a few weeks into spring.
How many teams woke up today and changed their mind. Suddenly they are willing to overpay dollars and years?
Sure,mifnyoure a mil a year apart.
Or a year.
And you lose a top SP.
And still have the room in payroll
And the roster spot
Vientos has looked so comfortable all spring.
And Baty has looked so stiff and pressing. That HR the other day might have been like a balloon releasing all that pressure.
Both kids just being adequate would be such a huge boost for the franchise.
@James_Schiano
This might be Tylor Megill's new forkball
Savant listed this pitch as a CH but:
3 MPH slower
10 fewer in of fade
5 in more drop
1000 fewer RPMs
The pitch classification could change by the end of the game and Megill needs to find consistency it but I like the way it looks
Marte, Nimmo and Bader aren’t the most healthy historically.
If he were a lefty, it’d be beyond a no brainer to platoon with Bader and rest Marte.
Stewart is perfect AAA depth. I think I mentioned a few weeks ago. If Stewart makes the OD, something went wrong.
Marte, Nimmo and Bader aren’t the most healthy historically.
If he were a lefty, it’d be beyond a no brainer to platoon with Bader and rest Marte.
Taylor reportedly still looking for Bader/Kiermaier money per Rosenthal. Do not see the Mets being the ones to sign him given the tax, even at 7-8.
Quote:
Getting hi at like 1/$6 would make me feel so much better about the OF depth.
Marte, Nimmo and Bader aren’t the most healthy historically.
If he were a lefty, it’d be beyond a no brainer to platoon with Bader and rest Marte.
Taylor reportedly still looking for Bader/Kiermaier money per Rosenthal. Do not see the Mets being the ones to sign him given the tax, even at 7-8.
G-d bless him if he can find a buyer at $10mm a year 😂
At 6 —> 12+ tax, I’d feel better about our OF with him vs without.
At 10 —> 21 good luck
@TJStats
Tylor Megill tjStuff+ from today
Megill threw an altered Curveball today, which has less movement than the one he threw in his first appearance. Velo was down overall.
1st vs Today:
Curveball
77.2 ➡️ 76.6 mph
-14.9"➡️ -12.8" iVB
-13.4"➡️ -8.2" HB (Glove-Side)
100 ➡️ 93 tjStuff+
22 days*
Quote:
where is Pham going? Victim of the Boras nonsense.
22 days*
Technically the first game is March 20.
@BNightengale
·
Yoshinobu Yamamoto struggles with control in his second outing with the Dodgers:
3 innings
6 hits
5 runs
5 earned runs
3 walks
4 strikeouts
58 pitches
(kidding)
@JonHeyman
The rosters for Spring Breakout - MLB’s new prospect showcase - will be revealed on @MLBNetwork
tomorrow at 11 a.m. ET.
Games begin next Thursday, March 14.
At 36, Pham is looking to start his 11th season. Since 2018, he has played for seven teams, including stints with the Cardinals, Rays, Padres, Reds, Red Sox, Mets, and most recently, the Arizona Diamondbacks.
In the 2023 postseason, Pham had two 4-hit games, one against the Dodgers in the NLDS and another against the Rangers in the World Series. He has a career .313 batting average in playoff games.
But, despite his experience in October, and ability to play anywhere in the outfield, Pham has been sitting patiently in his house in Las Vegas, working out, and still waiting for some team to send him an offer, per ESPN.
At 36, Pham is looking to start his 11th season. Since 2018, he has played for seven teams, including stints with the Cardinals, Rays, Padres, Reds, Red Sox, Mets, and most recently, the Arizona Diamondbacks.
In the 2023 postseason, Pham had two 4-hit games, one against the Dodgers in the NLDS and another against the Rangers in the World Series. He has a career .313 batting average in playoff games.
But, despite his experience in October, and ability to play anywhere in the outfield, Pham has been sitting patiently in his house in Las Vegas, working out, and still waiting for some team to send him an offer, per ESPN.
I'd sign him to a 1-year deal. He can backup at all three OF positions. You just KNOW that the new CF is gonna be out a lot---he always is. Marte is also a question mark health-wise. The Mets could get him ABs as well at DH occasionally. He can start 3 or 4 days a week here easily and come off the bench in late innings as a defensive replacement, punch hitter, or pinch runner. Pretty valuable gut to have IMO. He was excellent here last season. Go get him back.
seems aggressive but maybe they want to get him out of brooklyn park?
i think that is going to end up best signing of offseason.
Quote:
Interesting from @timbhealey's Ryan Clifford piece... it's under consideration for him to join @jettwilliams04 with @RumblePoniesBB
seems aggressive but maybe they want to get him out of brooklyn park?
That would be nearly 100% the reasoning. Not an "earned" promotion (not a knock on Clifford). Also sounds like he's mostly a 1b going forward.
Link - ( New Window )
PITCHERS
Brandon Sproat, RHP, No. 13
Dominic Hamel, RHP, No. 14
Tyler Stuart, RHP, No. 18
Nolan McLean, RHP, No. 19
Calvin Ziegler, RHP, No. 22
Paul Gervase, RHP, NR
Daniel Juarez, LHP, NR
Wilkin Ramos, RHP, NR
Ben Simon, RHP, NR
CATCHERS
Kevin Parada, C, No. 9
Yovanny Rodriguez, C, No. 17
Vincent Perozo, C, NR
INFIELDERS
Jett Williams, SS, No. 1 (MLB No. 45)
Luisangel Acuña, SS, No. 3 (MLB No. 66)
Colin Houck, SS, No. 7
Marco Vargas, INF, No. 8
Jeremy Rodriguez, SS, No. 12
Jacob Reimer, 3B, No. 15
Jesus Baez, SS, No. 21
William Lugo, INF, NR
Junior Tilien, INF, NR
OUTFIELDERS
Drew Gilbert, OF, No. 2 (MLB No. 53)
Ryan Clifford, OF, No. 4 (MLB No. 97)
Alex Ramírez, OF, No. 16
Nick Morabito, OF, No. 26
Rhylan Thomas, OF, No. 30
that gave me flashbacks to 9th inning game 5 vs royals.
Quote:
sure as hell wasn't "knocked around" based on the highlights Link - ( New Window )
that gave me flashbacks to 9th inning game 5 vs royals.
Lol. It wasn't pretty.
@mikemayer22
Roster is updated. The first one put out incorrectly by MLB had Yovanny Rodriguez. The third catcher will be Ronald Hernandez. Right-hander Blade Tidwell is on the roster.
Kiley McDaniel
@kileymcd
Right-hander Brayan Bello and the Boston Red Sox are in agreement on a six-year, $55 million contract extension that includes a seventh-year club option for $21 million, sources tell ESPN.
The Sox lock up the 24-year-old into the 2030s.
Will: Two relievers each generated multiple votes from three scouts who have watched the Mets in spring training: Sean Reid-Foley and Yohan Ramírez. Both players are on the 40-man roster and cannot be optioned to the minors. The Mets appear to have two openings in their bullpen; both pitchers are among the contenders vying for the spots.
Reid-Foley picked up where he left off late last season and has continued to rack up strikeouts (six in three scoreless innings), leaning on his fastball. Ramírez has impressed evaluators with his 97 mph fastball. The Mets acquired him in December for cash from the Chicago White Sox.
Elsewhere, many people in the industry loved the one-year deal for Luis Severino, who has looked sharp. Inside the Mets’ clubhouse, Shintaro Fujinami intrigued a couple of veteran pitchers because of his velocity; he’s set to pitch in a game for the first time this spring on Thursday.
Link - ( New Window )
PITCHERS
Brandon Sproat, RHP, No. 13
Dominic Hamel, RHP, No. 14
Tyler Stuart, RHP, No. 18
Nolan McLean, RHP, No. 19
Calvin Ziegler, RHP, No. 22
Paul Gervase, RHP, NR
Daniel Juarez, LHP, NR
Wilkin Ramos, RHP, NR
Ben Simon, RHP, NR
CATCHERS
Kevin Parada, C, No. 9
Yovanny Rodriguez, C, No. 17
Vincent Perozo, C, NR
INFIELDERS
Jett Williams, SS, No. 1 (MLB No. 45)
Luisangel Acuña, SS, No. 3 (MLB No. 66)
Colin Houck, SS, No. 7
Marco Vargas, INF, No. 8
Jeremy Rodriguez, SS, No. 12
Jacob Reimer, 3B, No. 15
Jesus Baez, SS, No. 21
William Lugo, INF, NR
Junior Tilien, INF, NR
OUTFIELDERS
Drew Gilbert, OF, No. 2 (MLB No. 53)
Ryan Clifford, OF, No. 4 (MLB No. 97)
Alex Ramírez, OF, No. 16
Nick Morabito, OF, No. 26
Rhylan Thomas, OF, No. 30
13. New York Mets
Top 100 Prospects: 2
Notable Stars: Jett Williams, Drew Gilbert, Ryan Clifford, Luisangel Acuña, Colin Houck, Jeremy Rodriguez, Alex Ramirez, Blade Tidwell, Kevin Parada.
Intrigue Factor: 60
While the Mets only have two Top 100 Prospects on the roster, it’s a deep group with a handful of players on the periphery of the Top 100. Jett Williams and Drew Gilbert provide star power with well-known names like Alex Ramirez, Kevin Parada, Colin Houck, Luisangel Acuña and others behind them. The pitching lacks depth but there’s plenty of stuff in the mix and a few guys who can light up radar guns.
pretty surprising stearns wasnt willing to beat a minor league deal post-senga injury. id imagine that says all we need to know about how he views lauer.
“ There is a chance he pitches some time in the second half this year off his Tommy John revision. If he doesn’t, he will be 6 years between pitching in a professional game.”
Throws to 2nd are gonna have to be spot on.
3 runners thrown out and a 2 run HR.
Quintana 5ks, 1ER 3ip
2-1 Mets
3 runners thrown out and a 2 run HR.
Quintana 5ks, 1ER 3ip
2-1 Mets
Unreal game for him. His defense has far surpassed anyone's expectations this young
That would be ridiculous.
Alvarez:
Extension projection: Eight years, $96 million
Alsono:
Extension Projection: Seven years, $190 million
Burnes:
Extension projection: Eight years, $260 million
Soto:
Extension Projection: 14 years, $540 million
Bregman:
Extension projection: Seven years, $210 million
Fried:
Extension projection: Seven years, $195 million
Bieber:
Extension projection: Five years, $95 million
MLB Extension Week Tiers: So, who should sign and who should wait? - ( New Window )
By basically giving Fried the smae contract as Pete...
In addition, OF Alex Ramírez has been optioned to Double-A. RHP Grant Hartwig and LHP Josh Walker have been optioned to Triple-A.
looks like he hit it off eury too. both he and vientos (last sept) have now homered off eury.
shame on mets if they cant develop a few of these guys to being real impact players. they have impact talent.
Severino I believe tonight. Not Quintana.
Quote:
Another HR and an RBI single in his first 2 AB's tonight....3 scoreless for Quintanna
looks like he hit it off eury too. both he and vientos (last sept) have now homered off eury.
shame on mets if they cant develop a few of these guys to being real impact players. they have impact talent.
Álvarez has arrived!!!!
Bonfire star. Leader of the team. All at 22.
Quote:
In comment 16422050 HewlettGiant said:
Quote:
Another HR and an RBI single in his first 2 AB's tonight....3 scoreless for Quintanna
looks like he hit it off eury too. both he and vientos (last sept) have now homered off eury.
shame on mets if they cant develop a few of these guys to being real impact players. they have impact talent.
Álvarez has arrived!!!!
Bonfire star. Leader of the team. All at 22.
will still never be the best 22 catching for mets.
Quote:
In comment 16422053 Eric on Li said:
Quote:
In comment 16422050 HewlettGiant said:
Quote:
Another HR and an RBI single in his first 2 AB's tonight....3 scoreless for Quintanna
looks like he hit it off eury too. both he and vientos (last sept) have now homered off eury.
shame on mets if they cant develop a few of these guys to being real impact players. they have impact talent.
Álvarez has arrived!!!!
Bonfire star. Leader of the team. All at 22.
will still never be the best 22 catching for mets.
HAAAAAA
Now just hope I didn’t jinx this kid too 😞
i also dont hate that as the #1-3. but if marte is getting on base and healthy, hitting him 1st should give those 3 more run producing opportunities. mcneil could be another sneaky candidate for leadoff, but id actually like him better 2nd in between nimmo/lindor i think.
i also dont hate that as the #1-3. but if marte is getting on base and healthy, hitting him 1st should give those 3 more run producing opportunities. mcneil could be another sneaky candidate for leadoff, but id actually like him better 2nd in between nimmo/lindor i think.
He added Nimmo will leadoff if everyone is healthy
Mike Puma
@NYPost_Mets
Carlos Mendoza acknowledged he had "informal" conversations with Brandon Nimmo at the start of camp about potentially moving in the batting order but added: "If everybody is healthy Nimmo will be in the leadoff spot."
Vientos still looks so comfortable, need these kids!!
Vientos still looks so comfortable, need these kids!!
vientos 2/3 with 3 hard hit balls. 99 mph single, 104.9 mph double that traveled 379 feet. another 104.9 mph groundout. 3 of the 4 hardest hit balls in game by any player.
9 swings and misses from manaea who has peaked at 95 mph a few times. also threw 11 sweepers. 4 innings 0 runs, 2 hits.
marte with a pretty healthy looking play in RF too (linked).
SNY @SNYtv Starling Marte on the move to track this one down in shallow right - ( New Window )
Quote:
Early season hesitancy and stiffness are now healthy aggressive hacks
Vientos still looks so comfortable, need these kids!!
vientos 2/3 with 3 hard hit balls. 99 mph single, 104.9 mph double that traveled 379 feet. another 104.9 mph groundout. 3 of the 4 hardest hit balls in game by any player.
9 swings and misses from manaea who has peaked at 95 mph a few times. also threw 11 sweepers. 4 innings 0 runs, 2 hits.
marte with a pretty healthy looking play in RF too (linked). SNY @SNYtv Starling Marte on the move to track this one down in shallow right - ( New Window )
Got an earful for light jog out of the box on his double.
Batt conversely with a heads up hustle to take second on a single
sim Juan with a nice AB !!
Got an earful for light jog out of the box on his double.
Batt conversely with a heads up hustle to take second on a single
sim Juan with a nice AB !!
107 mph single. no clips i can find but ernest dove called it "a laser".
a lot of big bonus guys in the system nobody has any expectations of right now.
baty bonds.
Colin Holderman tjStuff+ from today
Holderman was a tjStuff+ standout last season, and he has carried those grades into Spring. His Sweeper has seen a nice bump in effectiveness as he as added a lot more sweep
2023 vs Spring:
Sweeper
11.2" ➡️ 14" HB (Glove)
109 ➡️ 112 tjStuff+
i also dont hate that as the #1-3. but if marte is getting on base and healthy, hitting him 1st should give those 3 more run producing opportunities. mcneil could be another sneaky candidate for leadoff, but id actually like him better 2nd in between nimmo/lindor i think.
I love it. I think Nimmo would excel in the 2-hole. Question is, who’s leading off?
Link - ( New Window )
Sean Manaea says it is "so much easier" to pitch after his big haircut
you realize his twitter was hacked, right? not sure if you know or not. probably, just don't like to assume.
100%. he is entering his first FA year. he wants to play 3b every day. even a 2 year 20m contract would be life changing money for him/family. his career earnings over roughly a decade before this season were 11m.
@FoulTerritoryTV
According to @Buster_ESPN
, Blake Snell has a “strong preference” to play for the Angels.
@FoulTerritoryTV
According to @Buster_ESPN
, Blake Snell has a “strong preference” to play for the Angels.
from the west coast and probably still living somewhere within an hour or so of anaheim.
Sean Manaea says it is "so much easier" to pitch after his big haircut
His first game breeze in from RF. His hair was covering his face almost the entire game. Gotta be annoying 😂
Wow!
Didn’t he win his arbitration?
Quote:
Waiving JDD wow
Didn’t he win his arbitration?
Yup he got an extra 400K.
Quote:
In comment 16422750 DanMetroMan said:
Quote:
Waiving JDD wow
Didn’t he win his arbitration?
Yup he got an extra 400K.
mlbtr wrote up a pretty good explainer on how the SFG may be trying to screw JDD and a bunch of SFG beats are calling the team out over it.
it's pretty crazy to me that the MLBPA allowed a rule like this to screw guys who actually went to ARB and won.
@baseballmarty
Somehow the JD Davis move doesn’t sit well with me..he goes to arbitration over 390K..wins a hearing..Giants can now release him and because he won the hearing they are only on the hook for a small portion of his salary..trade him and eat some of the contract so his 💰 is secure
JDD has 2 homers and 6 hits in 15 spring at bats so it seems like he'd have a pretty good case for a grievance if they try to take away his $.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/03/giants-place-j-d-davis-on-waivers.html - ( New Window )
Miami would be a good spot too.
And I’d be highly surprised if a team claims him at $7mm. Which if they don’t, Giants are proven correctly that no other team in MLB thinks he’s worth seven mil either.
But if someone claims him, he gets paid and has no grievance.
Doesn’t end well for him. He will be awfully vocal about it. And no one will offer him much next year either…
Link - ( New Window )
JD Vientos. We don’t need to sign those others 😝
Watched the video, looks like he pointed at his shoulder
Quote:
Cabrera pulled without throwing a pitch. Trade?
Watched the video, looks like he pointed at his shoulder
Wow, that’s brutal if that’s what it is.
@CraigMish
Marlins starter Edward Cabrera left today’s game during warmups with what the club is calling right shoulder tightness. Calling it precautionary. All of a sudden the names Ryan Weathers and Max Meyer become way more important than they were 90 minutes ago.
Then puffs his chest..l. Once a douche…
@BNightengale
Trevor Bauer after dominating Dodgers minor leaguers in 3 innings: ‘Hopefully people will remember I’m still one of the best pitchers in the world.’
And I’d be highly surprised if a team claims him at $7mm. Which if they don’t, Giants are proven correctly that no other team in MLB thinks he’s worth seven mil either.
But if someone claims him, he gets paid and has no grievance.
Doesn’t end well for him. He will be awfully vocal about it. And no one will offer him much next year either…
from the mlbtr post i linked:
Davis might well have grounds for a grievance if the Giants try this tactic, as he has been tearing it up at the plate in Spring Training, and could therefore argue that he isn’t being released “for failure to exhibit sufficient skill or competitive ability,” as detailed in the CBA wording.
his power the other way and cf has always stood out. really excited to see him get a shot for real.
its remarkable how similar he is to jdd when mets first got him.
I wanted him. Oh well :-(
Then puffs his chest..l. Once a douche…
@BNightengale
Trevor Bauer after dominating Dodgers minor leaguers in 3 innings: ‘Hopefully people will remember I’m still one of the best pitchers in the world.’
What a douche. Would still be the best pitcher on the Mets.
I find the people who are so supportive of cancel culture are in most cases worse than the people being canceled. No one can tell me what Bauer did, other than he's a douche. the one accusation I saw was very clearly and without a doubt debunked via provable facts.
I find the people who are so supportive of cancel culture are in most cases worse than the people being canceled. No one can tell me what Bauer did, other than he's a douche. the one accusation I saw was very clearly and without a doubt debunked via provable facts.
Agreed, and you may be able to get him relatively cheap
I find the people who are so supportive of cancel culture are in most cases worse than the people being canceled. No one can tell me what Bauer did, other than he's a douche. the one accusation I saw was very clearly and without a doubt debunked via provable facts.
Your perspective is noted, but let's not beat around the bush. Suggesting we just slap some 'conduct clauses' on Bauer and call it a day is missing the forest for the trees.
My take on accountability isn't about cancel culture; it's about not excusing or glossing over actions that clearly cross the line.
If standing up for basic decency and respect makes me 'worse' in your eyes, I'll wear that badge with honor.
Quote:
were smart they would sign Bauer. Just add a bunch of conduct clauses to the contract.
I find the people who are so supportive of cancel culture are in most cases worse than the people being canceled. No one can tell me what Bauer did, other than he's a douche. the one accusation I saw was very clearly and without a doubt debunked via provable facts.
Your perspective is noted, but let's not beat around the bush. Suggesting we just slap some 'conduct clauses' on Bauer and call it a day is missing the forest for the trees.
My take on accountability isn't about cancel culture; it's about not excusing or glossing over actions that clearly cross the line.
If standing up for basic decency and respect makes me 'worse' in your eyes, I'll wear that badge with honor.
You are entitled to your opinion, but I have asked you multiple times to share the actions that led you to form your opinion and you never do or you reply with vagaries or innuendo.
Tell me what he did, why you feel so honorable to draw the line at this guy for a team that brought Jose Reyes back after domestic violence.
Let’s just agree that we disagree and move on. I’ll try not to give my opinions of him moving forward, and please call me out if/when I do again.
Just wish we could fast forward a few weeks to opening day already.
Let’s just agree that we disagree and move on. I’ll try not to give my opinions of him moving forward, and please call me out if/when I do again.
Just wish we could fast forward a few weeks to opening day already.
Respect is mutual, I think where we differ is I don't care about the people aspect in sports. I decided long ago I would put my own personal morals aside when it came to sports team personnel and allow the league, the law and the team to make the decisions on who to "hire" and represent them. I epitomize "root for laundry". I don't put players on pedestals, I don't expect them to be role models (nor do I care if they are or not) and I don't follow their personal lives except when its plastered in the media.
I found that by growing up loving players like Lawrence Taylor, Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry, Lenny Dykstra, etc. I would have to fight a hypocritical moral fight with myself or continually create a line in pencil that I wouldn't cross and erase it and move it all the time. So, I made it easy on myself.
if the law allows the person to roam free, and the league hasn't suspended the person and my team signs them - good enough for me.
I respect your right to feel differently. And we can move on if you're not comfortable sharing details of why you feel how you feel.
He’s become a little bit, more laid back 😂
@mikemayer22
Mets scheduled pitchers for today:
RHP Tylor Megill
LHP Brooks Raley
RHP Edwin Díaz
RHP Drew Smith
RHP Michael Tonkin
Gerrit Cole with a MRI today? wow
Scott generates 6-foot-5 feet of extension, while releasing his fastball from a 5-foot-5 release height. This allows Scott to generate a flatter vertical approach angle (-4.3 degrees) helping his mid-90s fastball to play up. Scott’s primary secondary is a changeup with heavy tumble and fade, helping to change eye levels. He’s also not averse to throwing the pitch right on right. Scott’s breaking balls are fringe with a mid-80s cut-gyro slider that generates limited whiffs against it. Developing a better breaking ball is a major point of emphasis for Scott going forward, as it will define his success as a starter.
Link - ( New Window )
@mikemayer22
Mets scheduled pitchers for today:
RHP Tylor Megill
LHP Brooks Raley
RHP Edwin Díaz
RHP Drew Smith
RHP Michael Tonkin
fun group to watch tonight. It would be nice if we finally see it with Megill and he can be our first in system established SP since I think Matz
I was at the game; pretty cool seeing Sugar jog in from the bullpen with "Narco" blaring...the crowd, even for a spring training game, was really loud when we heard the trumpets.
No runs scored, but seeing Diaz made the trip down from Vero all worth while.
BTW, pretty funny seeing even Nimmo jog to first on ground balls.
At one point, Marte was taking it real slow and someone yelled "run!" We were all like, "no Starling, don't hurt yourself!"
Spring training games are so chill...
i saw a comment from JDD's agent saying that they only made 1 offer to settle, 1 hour before the hearing. obviously it was low because they lost their case.
no matter what this is the type of thing that you would think every agent and player pays attention to because its just exceedingly scummy. feel pretty bad for JDD if he gets screwed out of $6m+. he's already going to have to scramble to find a team mid spring training. i will be rooting for him wherever he ends up this year and against sfg.
@BNightengale
The Yankees, while awaiting news on Gerrit Cole, have re-engaged with the Chicago White Sox and made a new proposal for ace Dylan Cease, but the new offer once again did not include prized outfield prospect Spencer Jones.
@BNightengale
The Yankees, while awaiting news on Gerrit Cole, have re-engaged with the Chicago White Sox and made a new proposal for ace Dylan Cease, but the new offer once again did not include prized outfield prospect Spencer Jones.
assume it would almost have to include dominguez if not jones right?
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Bob Nightengale
@BNightengale
The Yankees, while awaiting news on Gerrit Cole, have re-engaged with the Chicago White Sox and made a new proposal for ace Dylan Cease, but the new offer once again did not include prized outfield prospect Spencer Jones.
assume it would almost have to include dominguez if not jones right?
Don't think so/ The Yankees still have a very strong farm. Some combination of Warren, Arias, Hampton, Lalane, Lombard Jr. has to be enticing for the White Sox.
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In comment 16427881 DanMetroMan said:
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Bob Nightengale
@BNightengale
The Yankees, while awaiting news on Gerrit Cole, have re-engaged with the Chicago White Sox and made a new proposal for ace Dylan Cease, but the new offer once again did not include prized outfield prospect Spencer Jones.
assume it would almost have to include dominguez if not jones right?
Don't think so/ The Yankees still have a very strong farm. Some combination of Warren, Arias, Hampton, Lalane, Lombard Jr. has to be enticing for the White Sox.
if cease gets dealt it will bring back more than the burnes deal since he has the extra year of control. are any of those guys on the level of hall or ortiz?
Henry Lalane Reaches Triple-A And Becomes A Top 10 Prospect
Prospect buzz has an interesting way of percolating through the baseball world. If you listen and follow people who cover the games at ballparks, they’ll often share what people inside baseball are telling them, and you can pick out the guys that the industry is buzzing about. One of those guys is Henry Lalane, who is universally praised and has the type of profile that can make a huge leap, with enough of a stateside track record to have confidence in the projection. Plus command, with good shape and velo on the fastball, a present breaking ball, and a tall athletic frame all point toward a player with a lot of upside.
Hall and Ortiz's both 50's
So yes, long story short if the Yankees want to make a deal for Cease without Dominguez/Jones they almost certainly can.
Warren, Beeter, Gil they have extreme depth
i would expect a met offer to have to be something like jett, gilbert, mauricio to win. so basically a better return than JV deal with at least 1 extra meaningful piece (mauricio). might even need a 4th piece. i think seidler said the mets burns trade as acuna, scott, houck so im upgrading that with better prospects assuming jett/gilbert would have to be the 2 main pieces with a strong 3rd or 4th piece.
@martinonyc
·
5m
There is a ton of industry chatter today about better offers for Cease from other clubs.
Henry Lalane Reaches Triple-A And Becomes A Top 10 Prospect
Prospect buzz has an interesting way of percolating through the baseball world. If you listen and follow people who cover the games at ballparks, they’ll often share what people inside baseball are telling them, and you can pick out the guys that the industry is buzzing about. One of those guys is Henry Lalane, who is universally praised and has the type of profile that can make a huge leap, with enough of a stateside track record to have confidence in the projection. Plus command, with good shape and velo on the fastball, a present breaking ball, and a tall athletic frame all point toward a player with a lot of upside.
That’s an interesting blurb there at the end. I know one old scout, well consultant now. He refuses to read upon or listen to any talk about any of the kids. Instead he likes to show up at Hs, college and lower level games and just observe.
It’s mind blowing how different his opinions are than the “industry”, literally as old school as it comes. Watches warm ups, body language, how they interact etc. wish he’d write a book
Do you break the bank and go even further over the luxury tax cap and risk losing picks and financial flexibility for the future.
Or do you empty out the most valuable part of a teams farm in the pitching category to obtain a starter who is coming off a down year.
Personally, I think you stand pat and just hope Cole can be good by April/May.
either way, NYY fans are going to be killing you in SM
There’s a reason so few go to arb. And why the few that go through the process despise it.
Sign your deal, and keep the situation in your memory bank for when FA comes around.
1) why are the Cease rumors out? Who benefits from that leak?
Not Boras, that’s who. It helps the Yanks leverage against the FA pitchers. It helps the Sox drum up Cease interest and raise the stakes. It hurts Biras.
So we know where it DIDNT come from
The Yankees? If they want Snell, makes sense. But no one even knows if Cole is hurt or not. So unless the Yankees know it’s TJS and being proactive with the leak o gain leverage against Sox and Biras,I’m not so sure.
I’d assume this is a Sox leak. To get another team to up the offer as a last ditch effort before waiting till the deadline.
If it was a Yankee leak, it wouldn’t be detailed that it wasn’t enough and other teams have better offers…
But just a 100% speculative guess here.
There’s a reason so few go to arb. And why the few that go through the process despise it.
Sign your deal, and keep the situation in your memory bank for when FA comes around.
but unless im misunderstanding his agent, they had no deal to sign until less than an hour before the hearing?
i know its probably agent speak but his agent said something to the effect of he had never seen anything like that from a team before.
remember the arb guarantees were new for the players and a win in the last CBA. if there was language put in the CBA to protect players against this exact scenario, and this is almost certainly the first case in the new cba that could test it. I think the PA is going to want to fight this pretty damn hard to make sure it doesnt become a regular occurrence in future years where teams think they can just jam their arb guys risk free last minute on bad deals and if they dont take them they risk their whole salary.
you think? it seems like a gaping loophole against the intent of what they negotiated for in the last CBA. they specifically negotiated to get those arb awards protected.
think about how the wilponzi's would have used this loophole. they would have low balled every single arb player last minute so they could reserve the right to cut for free.
i think at least 1/3 and maybe closer to 2/3's of the leagues current owners are just as cheap as the wilponzis, many cheaper.
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I highly, highly doubt the PA wants to be forced to defend Davis on this
you think? it seems like a gaping loophole against the intent of what they negotiated for in the last CBA. they specifically negotiated to get those arb awards protected.
think about how the wilponzi's would have used this loophole. they would have low balled every single arb player last minute so they could reserve the right to cut for free.
i think at least 1/3 and maybe closer to 2/3's of the leagues current owners are just as cheap as the wilponzis, many cheaper.
That’s JDD side of things. And I’d take his views with a big grain of salt. He still thinks he’s a more valuable player than he is.
Where is the grievance? Giants did everything by the book.
Only “manipulation” someone could point at is say they signed JDD in bad faith, knowing they were signing Chapman. . But why pay Davis $1mm when you allegedly knew you were signing him?
The reality is, Giants did nothing out of the ordinary in the arb offer or hearing.
He was shopped, and not one team made an offer to trade for him.
And then as a waiver, not one team valued him at $7mm to pick him up for free.
Those last two are extremely telling positions on his “value”, no? Not one team in baseball, felt he was worth $7mm - how do you argue in a case that the Giants were wrong then?
Why won’t the Pa fight this? Or not want to? One, it’s egg on their face. Two, they’d rather help the Carlenters sign FA deals than protect the JDDs.
12 team, 25 round, 3 keepers. My keepers are Elly, Eury, and Diaz.
Does Wyatt Langford count as a sleeper?
Will Jackson Holliday make the O's out of camp?
James Wood?
I know it's hard to answer but the best sleepers are the guys who will start in the minors but get called up during the year so you can draft them late (like Elly last year. I have him as a 21st round keeper for the next 3 years).
he was worth 2.2 wins last year and 4 over the last 3 seasons. gallo got 5m and he's been worth less than 1 win each of the last 2 years (and cant play 3b).
again this was a specific thing that was part of the CBA and from MLBTR's reporting there is language in the CBA that is supposed to protect teams from being able to manipulate guaranteed ARB into non-guaranteed by "losing". I cant find the CBA or that exact language anywhere but this seems like a pretty wide reaching issue the PA wouldnt want to become common practice whatever they think of JDD.
he was worth 2.2 wins last year and 4 over the last 3 seasons. gallo got 5m and he's been worth less than 1 win each of the last 2 years (and cant play 3b).
again this was a specific thing that was part of the CBA and from MLBTR's reporting there is language in the CBA that is supposed to protect teams from being able to manipulate guaranteed ARB into non-guaranteed by "losing". I cant find the CBA or that exact language anywhere but this seems like a pretty wide reaching issue the PA wouldnt want to become common practice whatever they think of JDD.
Everything above, says JD should be able to file a complaint against his agent, not the team
Them the rules, his agent blew it. Thought he’d call Giants bluff, and they didn’t blink.
A better player was signed
If you are worth your salary, a team will keep you or you will sign elsewhere for the same or more.
It sucks, but it’s a business. As fans, we always forget that.
If so I am not sure what the basis of the claim would be but it’s clearly a massive loophole that the Players Union screwed up on.
If so I am not sure what the basis of the claim would be but it’s clearly a massive loophole that the Players Union screwed up on.
the basis of the claim would be this language that is supposedly in the CBA:
i cant find the exact CBA language and this is the first time this has happened since this new CBA so however it goes i think anyone is guessing right now.
i agree with you that this seems like a massive loophole MLBPA will try to resolve however they can. it's not about JDD even though he does get screwed by winning, it is about stopping every cheap owner from down the same thing to every arb eligible guy and them not having any alternative except taking low offers or else risk their full guarantee.
@mikedeportes
Breaking News: According to sources, MLB returns to the Dominican Republic for 2025 with a match between two National League teams with great and attractive players. The probability that it will be again at the Quisqueya stadium is extremely high. Team names mentioned #Mets and #Phillies but that may change.
Honestly, kind of weird choices (if it's Mets/Phillies). The Mets "top" stars from the DR are Severino (who may not be back), Marte, Mauricio and the Phillies don't really have top DR players either. You'd think they would want to showcase a DR superstar or 2.
@mikemayer22
Mets scheduled pitchers today:
LHP Jose Quintana
LHP Joey Lucchesi
RHP Reed Garrett
RHP Sean Reid-Foley
which? in my league he is in their twice - separate as a hitter and pitcher. Do you just have one?
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just did the unthinkable and traded Ohtani in my keeper league lol
which? in my league he is in their twice - separate as a hitter and pitcher. Do you just have one?
In my league you can use him as either one (he's considered "1" player, but can be a DH or P) but lineups lock weekly so it's a one or the other decision weekly, I wasn't getting both pitching and hitting stats every week, I would get one or the other based on my lineup for the week.
But someone who 100% knows what went on
Giants made an offer to JDD, he rejected, asked for way more. Giants RARELY go to arb, and agents know they NEVER negotiate once the dealine hits and both sides file.
Guess what, the agent fuckin called them after the dealine and was ready to negotiate. Does that say anything?
A lot of teams do this, and agents know.
Agent is compaining Giants did something that has never happened before - they fied a higher number than their last offer. This is so fucin ridicuous on numerous levels
1) They did, and it's routine.
2) SO DID THE AGENT!!!!!!!!! He filed a lower number than his final ask lol
Okay, but still, right?
No, Giants spoke with JDD when Chapman rumors were there. Told him they like him, etc. But they were HONEST with him that they could sign him. SO JDD KNEW CHAPMAN WAS A POSSIBILITY AND WENT TO ARB!!!!! Soooo, where's the grievance?
If the Giants planned to lose and manipulated the system, why didn't they offer him a dollar? Why did they raise they're file over last offer if they wanted to lose? They didn't want to lose. This wasn't planned, I will leave that at that...
At the end of the day, his agent screwed up. They wanted the arb win, even stupidly celebrated the win.
FYI - JDD told people after he would have been happy to take the Giants offer and avoid arb - before Chapman signed he said this.
Remember, he went to arb with the Mets a couple of years ago too? How common is it for a player to go to arb TWICE??
@PitchingNinja
Jackson Jobe, 101 mph, 102 mph and 101 mph.
He's my #1 P prospect
But someone who 100% knows what went on
Giants made an offer to JDD, he rejected, asked for way more. Giants RARELY go to arb, and agents know they NEVER negotiate once the dealine hits and both sides file.
Guess what, the agent fuckin called them after the dealine and was ready to negotiate. Does that say anything?
A lot of teams do this, and agents know.
Agent is compaining Giants did something that has never happened before - they fied a higher number than their last offer. This is so fucin ridicuous on numerous levels
1) They did, and it's routine.
2) SO DID THE AGENT!!!!!!!!! He filed a lower number than his final ask lol
Okay, but still, right?
No, Giants spoke with JDD when Chapman rumors were there. Told him they like him, etc. But they were HONEST with him that they could sign him. SO JDD KNEW CHAPMAN WAS A POSSIBILITY AND WENT TO ARB!!!!! Soooo, where's the grievance?
If the Giants planned to lose and manipulated the system, why didn't they offer him a dollar? Why did they raise they're file over last offer if they wanted to lose? They didn't want to lose. This wasn't planned, I will leave that at that...
At the end of the day, his agent screwed up. They wanted the arb win, even stupidly celebrated the win.
FYI - JDD told people after he would have been happy to take the Giants offer and avoid arb - before Chapman signed he said this.
Remember, he went to arb with the Mets a couple of years ago too? How common is it for a player to go to arb TWICE??
i buy all of that shecky. still think it's a loophole in the system even if it wasnt used as a loophole in this instance and the PA probably cant like it. i know they want to discourage going to arbitration but it's counterintuitive to win your arbitration and then get penalized for that. arbitration isnt necessarily supposed to project the market value in real time, especially not halfway through ST after rosters have been filled, isnt it based on the value of whatever the prior performance was?
However yo your point Shecky (and thank you so much for sharing), it’s clear JDD and his agent messed up and as I said before I think it’s a tough one for the union to win on a grievance.
That said - it’s clearly a massive error that if a team wanted to be shady they could totally take advantage of. It’s also massive egg in the face of the union that I am sure they don’t want to have to explain to their constituents.
@susanslusser
J.D. Davis has interest from seven teams and something should come together in the next few days, I'm told.
WOW!!!
$15m per yer = $105m total, so it's basically a 5 year deal with 2 years deferred to save money against luxury tax. $5m less per year = 10m less in tax payments this season.
Robert Brender
@robertbrender
If the Mets can find a way to sign JD Martinez and Jordan Montgomery I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility they can compete for a playoff spot. They need power and pitching.
@JonHeyman
Mets are among teams to have reached out on old friend JD Davis, Jays seem like a logical fit but he’d help his former team in Queens, too.
Andy Martino
@martinonyc
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16m
They see Davis more of a roster fit than Martinez because he owns a glove. JDM would box out Vientos. There could be a price at which JDM becomes impossible to pass up but that has still not happened.
Sums up the problem that needs to be fixed.
*White Sox targeting SPing but you knew what I meant lol
Rosenthal mentioned Duran, Porter, and Leiter as a deal that might get it done or something similar.
DeGrom/Scherzer/Mahle as potential second half help
Current rotation to get them there
Cease, Eovaldi, Gray, Heaney, Dunning, Bradford
have SRF and Tonkin taking the final 2 BP spots. Fujinami down since he has an option.
the last 1-2 spots on the bench seem like a place where they may add someone, especially if McNeil isn't ready for OD. Choi or Stewart are fine if they look good, but Short is obviously pretty lackluster.
Mets roster projection: Final bullpen and bench spots up for grabs - ( New Window )
id prefer choi but this is another area where mcneil injury kind of snafu's things since he's also OF depth if you send stewart down, but if he's hurt there's no other 5th OF. short has played out there some so i guess he's an emergency option but not really a good one.
agree i meant if mcneil's injury was bad enough he wasnt ready for OD. then all of a sudden short or wendle may be the starting 2b and the other the 5th OF and only backup IF.
this is where the mauricio injury sucked for depth purposes. they didnt prefer all the young guys necessarily in OD lineup but he was an easy next guy up if any starter got hurt.
For both reasons, talks with star designated hitter J.D. Martinez, a free agent, have never become serious.
And for the same reasons, the team is still talking with free agent J.D. Davis, according to league sources.
The Mets do not want to box out Mark Vientos as DH this year, and have a hard time seeing a path to regular at-bats for Vientos if they sign Martinez (the same went for Jorge Soler, before he signed with the Giants, and veteran hitters like, say, Tommy Pham, who remain free agents).
Davis, however, comes with versatility, and can serve as an insurance policy at third base if Brett Baty struggles. He is hardly the ideal defensive infielder, and obviously not the hitter that Martinez is. But he does, at least, own a glove. And he will be less expensive than Martinez.
Briefly explaining the Mets’ J.D. news extravaganza The Mets do not want to box out Mark Vientos as DH this year - ( New Window )
Do you think he opens in the rotation for the Marlins?
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Sanchez touched 98 wow
Do you think he opens in the rotation for the Marlins?
As of right now per Craig Mish their rotation without Cabrera would be Luzardo, Perez, Puk, Rogers, Weathers. Sixto has only thrown 5 total innings so it seems hard to believe he'll be OD ready if they want to use him as a SP.
4.2 innings
8 hits
4 earned Runs
1 walk
7 strikeouts
https://x.com/SNY_Mets/status/1768071433865875753?s=20 - ( New Window )
https://x.com/Ben_Yoel/status/1768072892074414586?s=20 - ( New Window )
1) why are the Cease rumors out? Who benefits from that leak?
Not Boras, that’s who. It helps the Yanks leverage against the FA pitchers. It helps the Sox drum up Cease interest and raise the stakes. It hurts Biras.
So we know where it DIDNT come from
The Yankees? If they want Snell, makes sense. But no one even knows if Cole is hurt or not. So unless the Yankees know it’s TJS and being proactive with the leak o gain leverage against Sox and Biras,I’m not so sure.
I’d assume this is a Sox leak. To get another team to up the offer as a last ditch effort before waiting till the deadline.
If it was a Yankee leak, it wouldn’t be detailed that it wasn’t enough and other teams have better offers…
But just a 100% speculative guess here.
Sometime those little tea leaves, they read themselves.
New York Post
@nypost
Mets’ Kodai Senga might need extra time before throwing again https://trib.al/uywzAc9
Not until after the draft so basically... no.
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Does the pick compensation and IFA money go away if he signs after a certain date?
Not until after the draft so basically... no.
I didn't know if it would extend until 2025 say. I wonder if Snell is crazy enough to wait until after and then sign a prorated deal and then try again next year with nothing attached. As of now he's going to miss regular season time as is even though not months worth.
where do you see sproat in that group?
where do you see sproat in that group?
Ziegler is a very hard one for me to rank due to how few innings he's thrown and the extremely high bullpen risk associated. He's 21 years old and due to the Covid year and injuries has 47 career innings (and low mileage in HS, again in part thanks to Covid, in part thanks to being in a cold weather climate for most of it (Canada). If you're talking about max upside then yeah, he's probably in tier 2 behind Scott/Tidwell, if you're taking into account his build, his lack of innings, his durability, then he and Hamel are probably more likely RP's (both could be good ones). As for Sproat, the Mets have really been talking him up this off-season. He too has high RP risk (throwing a number out there, I'd say 60% chance he ends up a RP) but I'm also not privy to whatever changes have been made since he's been drafted.
I think Christian Scott is going to be a #3 type MLB SPer, I see Vasil as having high odds of being a solid/good 4, once you get past those 2 you start seeing more RP risk. That's not to say Vasil is clearly the #2 best arm in the system, he's probably not. Just starts becoming "best realistic case" "What if they max out?" etc. I will say, I think they head into 2025 with the "no pitching in the system" label officially discarded. Now do they have a bunch of high end arms? No, probably not. But they have legitimately 10ish arms in the system who without a crazy projection COULD be MLB SPers.
-Kopech to the bullpen for the White Sox
@TimBritton
Jeff McNeil is playing defense in a minor-league game today. Plan is for him to face velocity (in like a live BP setting) tomorrow with a chance he gets into a Grapefruit League game as early as Sunday.
@ByRobertMurray
Outfielder Adam Duvall has signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Atlanta Braves.
@ByRobertMurray
Outfielder Adam Duvall has signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Atlanta Braves.
Will platoon with Kelenic.
@AnthonyDiComo
I've heard lots of recent praise from both inside and outside the organization regarding José Buttó, who was up to 97 mph today during four shutout innings against a representative Cardinals lineup.
Buttó's spring ERA is 0.90 and in another world, he'd probably be on the team.
@AnthonyDiComo
I've heard lots of recent praise from both inside and outside the organization regarding José Buttó, who was up to 97 mph today during four shutout innings against a representative Cardinals lineup.
Buttó's spring ERA is 0.90 and in another world, he'd probably be on the team.
This is one of the ways we have to hope that Cohen's money helps NYM out. Haven't seen any true evidence of this yet, and not saying Butto is going to be an example of it, but it would be great to see the Mets investment in coaching and player development pay off and see a few "nothing into something good" stories.
Butto is considered by most to be a JAG/replacement level arm I'd say. If you can turn him into a legit 4th starter type, it's a huge deal. NYY seems to do this with RP every year (turn random guys into stud RPs). Would be great to see the Mets pipeline start to get this type of thing going.
Link - ( New Window )
real prospects,
fringe prospects,
fringe MLBers,
bounceback MLBers,
are all looking good this spring gives me some real hope that the convergence of stearns arrival and the pitching lab going operational this offseason are leading to some kind of meaningful impact.
no predictions on that can get quantified even if it's true, but if a few guys on the staff have good years for them (like severino or manaea) or beakout years we aren't expecting (like a butto or megill), that will go a long way to the team living up to the expectations they've set.
real prospects,
fringe prospects,
fringe MLBers,
bounceback MLBers,
are all looking good this spring gives me some real hope that the convergence of stearns arrival and the pitching lab going operational this offseason are leading to some kind of meaningful impact.
no predictions on that can get quantified even if it's true, but if a few guys on the staff have good years for them (like severino or manaea) or beakout years we aren't expecting (like a butto or megill), that will go a long way to the team living up to the expectations they've set.
To be fair, Megill and Butto were excellent down the stretch last year.
@SNY_Mets
The Mets and Cardinals conclude today's game at 0-0
🔷 José Butto: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
🔷 Adam Ottavino: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
🔷 Austin Adams: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
🔷 Yohan Ramirez: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
🔷 Tyler Jay: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
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waiver claims,
real prospects,
fringe prospects,
fringe MLBers,
bounceback MLBers,
are all looking good this spring gives me some real hope that the convergence of stearns arrival and the pitching lab going operational this offseason are leading to some kind of meaningful impact.
no predictions on that can get quantified even if it's true, but if a few guys on the staff have good years for them (like severino or manaea) or beakout years we aren't expecting (like a butto or megill), that will go a long way to the team living up to the expectations they've set.
To be fair, Megill and Butto were excellent down the stretch last year.
they were, that's fair. neither had numbers on the season even in AAA but they definitely looked like they were trending in the right direction.
And yet, they are, at minimum, considering a late addition.
Top team executives met again Thursday to discuss if J.D. Davis fit their roster and 2024 agenda — and they are not doing it just as a due diligence exercise. They have real interest in a reunion with the righty-swinger, who was officially released on Monday by the Giants not long after they signed Matt Chapman to play third base. The Mets had spoken multiple times to Davis’ representative, Matt Hannaford. A decision where Davis goes is expected in the next few days.
rosario supposedly turned down more money a lot of other places to go somewhere where he can play.
senzel got 2m and he's currently at the top of nats 3b depth chart and the worst projected every day 3b.
urshela only got 1.5m in detroit he's toward the bottom.
the blue jays have justin turner and IKF on their depth chart.
add in teams that have more paths to time at 1b and dh, just seems like there will be a better opportunity for him elsewhere.
they both K a lot. comparable power. choi walks more but not enough of a difference to overcome the areas where jdd is better.
is he willing to take the last guy on the bench choi role without knowing he will play more than once a week?
they both K a lot. comparable power. choi walks more but not enough of a difference to overcome the areas where jdd is better.
is he willing to take the last guy on the bench choi role without knowing he will play more than once a week?
I find that very, very hard to believe.
1) "Lost" roughly 6 million dollars
2) Pending FA
3) Has openly complained about role
4) Has openly said he doesn't think he's best suited to move around the field.
Now, I think they may in fact sign him, but I think he's going to play a LOT more than Choi would
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Robert Murray
@ByRobertMurray
Outfielder Adam Duvall has signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Atlanta Braves.
Will platoon with Kelenic.
Oh Capone. Pleaaaassseee 😢
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choi is lifetime .234, jdd is lifetime .261.
they both K a lot. comparable power. choi walks more but not enough of a difference to overcome the areas where jdd is better.
is he willing to take the last guy on the bench choi role without knowing he will play more than once a week?
I find that very, very hard to believe.
1) "Lost" roughly 6 million dollars
2) Pending FA
3) Has openly complained about role
4) Has openly said he doesn't think he's best suited to move around the field.
Now, I think they may in fact sign him, but I think he's going to play a LOT more than Choi would
we agree on 1-4, but coming in here before taking a swing or grounder in ST, what can he bank on?
1 per week that would have been Choi 1b/Alonso DH games, maybe 1 more in place of vietos DH, and 1 more at 3b relieving baty?
but also knowing if either of vientos or baty plays well enough he could be boxed out of any bigger role. or if he just doesnt perform better than them.
it's close enough that if there's no other good options for him it may be doable, but id be surprised if someone like toronto didnt offer him a bigger role at 3b. he could be their starter over IKF.
DiComo reporting similarly
i dont know what happened with his market but what i was told in november ended up totally collapsing. i would guess medical but no idea.
The second game I've been to this week where the Mets scored zero runs...
With the understanding that this is spring training, it seems the Mets really need another bat; specifically someone to hit behind Alonso.
Butto looked good and wiggled out of a few jams with well placed off speed pitches...Ottavino also looked good.
Luke Voit was 0-3 with 3 K's and looked pretty frustrated.
Harrison Bader also looked bad at the plate...I'm concerned about how much production they will get from him should he get 400 plus AB's. Currently below the interstate at .077.
Baty was not much better though he made a number of nice plays in the field.
Again, it's spring training, but the Mets, as currently constructed are going to have a lot of quick/empty innings.
The need a bat, and JD Martinez would help a lot more than JD Davis....
The second game I've been to this week where the Mets scored zero runs...
With the understanding that this is spring training, it seems the Mets really need another bat; specifically someone to hit behind Alonso.
Butto looked good and wiggled out of a few jams with well placed off speed pitches...Ottavino also looked good.
Luke Voit was 0-3 with 3 K's and looked pretty frustrated.
Harrison Bader also looked bad at the plate...I'm concerned about how much production they will get from him should he get 400 plus AB's. Currently below the interstate at .077.
Baty was not much better though he made a number of nice plays in the field.
Again, it's spring training, but the Mets, as currently constructed are going to have a lot of quick/empty innings.
The need a bat, and JD Martinez would help a lot more than JD Davis....
Yes and no, I agree...
If they expect togo far int he playoffs, they need another bat - but where do you puth him? And at what cost? That's the catch 22.
The reality is, everyone is looking for a DH or 3B. but they need an OF way more.
I have way more faith in Baty/Vientos than Bader/Marte (and I love Bader). Floor vs. ceiling, it'snight and day with those two pairs. And Bader/Marte have no future here anyway.
But, everyone focused on how horrible the pitching will be this year. Lost the ace right off the bat. And SSS, but the pitchign has looked good, so far. So in a month we may be praising the O and bashing the P once again.
He finished off last season winning Eastern League Pitcher of the Month in September. He didn’t allow a run in his last four starts, including 7 2/3 innings in playoff game.
Excited about the game later.
i think marte is cano part 2. hope im wrong but that's what im expecting. if he is under .250 with weak contact and bad defense i think it's possible he's a may DFA just like Cano was if Acuna or Gilbert are pushing for a call up.
1. Jett Williams CF
2. Drew Gilbert RF
3. Luisangel Acuna SS
4. Ryan Clifford 1B
5. Kevin Parada C
6. Alex Ramirez LF
7. Colin Houck DH
8. Jesus Baez 3B
9. Marco Vargas 2B
SP Dominic Hamel
1. Jett Williams CF
2. Drew Gilbert RF
3. Luisangel Acuna SS
4. Ryan Clifford 1B
5. Kevin Parada C
6. Alex Ramirez LF
7. Colin Houck DH
8. Jesus Baez 3B
9. Marco Vargas 2B
SP Dominic Hamel
Is it being broadcast anywhere?
Quote:
Do we want a thread for this? Optimus could be your spring training as well.
1. Jett Williams CF
2. Drew Gilbert RF
3. Luisangel Acuna SS
4. Ryan Clifford 1B
5. Kevin Parada C
6. Alex Ramirez LF
7. Colin Houck DH
8. Jesus Baez 3B
9. Marco Vargas 2B
SP Dominic Hamel
Is it being broadcast anywhere?
SNY will have it.
Costanza is way fatter than this
only seen a few minutes but acuna has looked good at short.
https://www.mlb.com/mets/video/spring-breakout-wsh-nym-prospects - ( New Window )
Duquette just said he can be a 2/3 pitcher
Duquette just said he can be a 2/3 pitcher
He's the 2 way player drafted last year. Everyone thinks he'll end up on mound but the organization will let him continue to bat as well.
He was throwing gas. Pitchers all did well, with the exception of Tidwell.
Duquette just said he can be a 2/3 pitcher
I've never heard him projected that high. That'd be something
GENY Mets Report
@genymets
NEWS: The #Mets are willing to trade prospects for young controllable pitching, per @martinonyc
on BBNY. #LGM
GENY Mets Report
@genymets
NEWS: The #Mets are willing to trade prospects for young controllable pitching, per @martinonyc
on BBNY. #LGM
I feel like this could be said for almost any organization
gilbert, acuna, j-rod, vargas too. what july for talent acquisition.
gilbert, acuna, j-rod, vargas too. what july for talent acquisition.
I'm optimistic that two years form now we'll all be happy about what happened last summer.
GENY Mets Report
@genymets
NEWS: The #Mets are willing to trade prospects for young controllable pitching, per @martinonyc
on BBNY. #LGM
Get me Luzardo, if not this year, then next.
He's always been a rotation lock. Megill winning the 5 spot with the Senga injury.
I’m sure he’s at peace with the move
@genymets
UPDATE: According to @JonHeyman
, free-agent J.D. Martinez “likes the idea” of joining the #Mets. #LGM
@genymets
UPDATE: According to @JonHeyman
, free-agent J.D. Martinez “likes the idea” of joining the #Mets. #LGM
Boras sure does like using his mouthpiece.
Good luck with that, Yankee fans lol.
very sensible landing spot. doesnt even need to move. will get to play 3b a lot. playing time is a lot more important for him this year than an extra 1-2m.
Good luck with that, Yankee fans lol.
is that serious? he is so odd. i cant believe nyy chose paying him when for a comparable amount they could have gotten hader or 2 cheaper mid range options.
Man, I hope for Soto sakes he starts off well, Otherwise its going to get very ugly there.
Man, I hope for Soto sakes he starts off well, Otherwise its going to get very ugly there.
Isn't Soto a notorious slow starter or do I have him confused with someone else?
Quote:
before Nestor Cortes. Who I think accepted
Man, I hope for Soto sakes he starts off well, Otherwise its going to get very ugly there.
Isn't Soto a notorious slow starter or do I have him confused with someone else?
I didnt think he was but just checked his last 2 seasons in March-April / May.
2022: .241 / .235 - 9HR 16 RBI combined
2023: .202 / .333 -10HR 32 RBI combined
guess we'll see
@mikemayer22
Sean Reid-Foley reported some arm fatigue recently and was shutdown. He played catch today and they hope he will pitch in a game next week.
Carlos Mendoza says Sean Reid-Foley reported "arm fatigue around the bicep area" but should be ready for Opening Day
11:08 AM · Mar 17, 2024
\
should be a lot of fun. Potential rotation could include Sproat, McLean, Ziegler, and Morris
with a shoestring budget preller has done some real good judo this offseason.
who knows what they get out of Yu but musgrove, king, cease is a credible rotation if king comes anywhere close to his offseason pr hype. they have half the nyy bp reassembled plus matsui and suarez. if yu is healthy that is a quality rotation.
and if there were any team built to withstand soto leaving it was them with bogaerts, tatis, and machado. i could see profar/pham type signings having nice bounce backs there in managed roles. FG projects them 82-80 and i agree with that, they should be in the mix for WC. a lot like mets lowered expectations could be a real positive.
have done with his pitch mix soon enough
@AnthonyRieber
·
12m
Why doesn’t Steve Cohen put a roof on Citi Field? Too expensive, he says, about $800 million cc @AndrewMarchand
Quote:
close to a deal with SD
with a shoestring budget preller has done some real good judo this offseason.
who knows what they get out of Yu but musgrove, king, cease is a credible rotation if king comes anywhere close to his offseason pr hype. they have half the nyy bp reassembled plus matsui and suarez. if yu is healthy that is a quality rotation.
and if there were any team built to withstand soto leaving it was them with bogaerts, tatis, and machado. i could see profar/pham type signings having nice bounce backs there in managed roles. FG projects them 82-80 and i agree with that, they should be in the mix for WC. a lot like mets lowered expectations could be a real positive.
Their farm remains strong as well
Quote:
In comment 16436259 DanMetroMan said:
Quote:
close to a deal with SD
with a shoestring budget preller has done some real good judo this offseason.
who knows what they get out of Yu but musgrove, king, cease is a credible rotation if king comes anywhere close to his offseason pr hype. they have half the nyy bp reassembled plus matsui and suarez. if yu is healthy that is a quality rotation.
and if there were any team built to withstand soto leaving it was them with bogaerts, tatis, and machado. i could see profar/pham type signings having nice bounce backs there in managed roles. FG projects them 82-80 and i agree with that, they should be in the mix for WC. a lot like mets lowered expectations could be a real positive.
Their farm remains strong as well
im very impressed with preller and i really applaud his aggressive approach.
people have seemed really quick to forget that they went on a run in 2022 that got pretty darn close.
here's a random thought experiment, if i told you mets would get to NLCS this year but it would cost them acuna or gilbert would you do it?
lets say they get at least to NLCS but final outcome beyond that unknown. they could get swept or win WS. this "trade" only guarantees final 4.
for 2025 id say the piece they trade for is definitely back - but remember however much control they get at the time of trade doesnt matter bc of cohen. if the player helps them win we know cohen will spend to bring back. if there's a final arb year left it wont be cheap any way, so practically speaking not that much different if the player is a rental or 1 year left in this hypothetical since we know the trade works out.
The Texas Rangers just won the world series, so there is an element of "just get there" but I would like to know my team has the pitching and hitting to win, you know not just guaranteed to have a shitty team make it because of some fictitious or flukey scenario.
Quote:
you mean they give up Acuna or Gilbert and lose in the NLCS then no but I'm not one for getting too excited about a successful season where they are successful but don't win anything. Caveat would be, is the piece they traded one of them for with the 2025 team? If not, hard pass. Especially Gilbert.
lets say they get at least to NLCS but final outcome beyond that unknown. they could get swept or win WS. this "trade" only guarantees final 4.
for 2025 id say the piece they trade for is definitely back - but remember however much control they get at the time of trade doesnt matter bc of cohen. if the player helps them win we know cohen will spend to bring back. if there's a final arb year left it wont be cheap any way, so practically speaking not that much different if the player is a rental or 1 year left in this hypothetical since we know the trade works out.
Then yes. Only so many shots at a title. But a guaranteed loss in the NLCS but they “got there”? Pass from me. If recent baseball has shown anything the best team doesn’t always go far or win the WS, I don’t look back on 2015 fondly and I doubt many do.
The Texas Rangers just won the world series, so there is an element of "just get there" but I would like to know my team has the pitching and hitting to win, you know not just guaranteed to have a shitty team make it because of some fictitious or flukey scenario.
Rangers won as 5 seed WC over AZ who got in as 6th seed WC, and advanced over 4 seed WC phillies in NLCS.
2 years ago 6 seed PHI only lost 2 games before WS & beat 5 seed SD in NLCS.
if you are a bad team without any prayer of course you dont make a move but in the new format so far it's hard to argue any mid-80s win team doesnt have a chance.
the intent of the question wasnt so met focused as much as whether or not giving up a top 2 or 3 prospect was worth it if you get to the final 4 like SD did with Soto year 1 (the delta between what they gave up for him and got back is something like 1 top prospect). I agree with you that it's almost certainly a yes.
Quote:
In comment 16436356 DanMetroMan said:
Quote:
you mean they give up Acuna or Gilbert and lose in the NLCS then no but I'm not one for getting too excited about a successful season where they are successful but don't win anything. Caveat would be, is the piece they traded one of them for with the 2025 team? If not, hard pass. Especially Gilbert.
lets say they get at least to NLCS but final outcome beyond that unknown. they could get swept or win WS. this "trade" only guarantees final 4.
for 2025 id say the piece they trade for is definitely back - but remember however much control they get at the time of trade doesnt matter bc of cohen. if the player helps them win we know cohen will spend to bring back. if there's a final arb year left it wont be cheap any way, so practically speaking not that much different if the player is a rental or 1 year left in this hypothetical since we know the trade works out.
Then yes. Only so many shots at a title. But a guaranteed loss in the NLCS but they “got there”? Pass from me. If recent baseball has shown anything the best team doesn’t always go far or win the WS, I don’t look back on 2015 fondly and I doubt many do.
i actually look back on 2015 fondly. the ending sucked but it was a fun ride. same with 2022 actually.
i also look back on 1999 fondly, 2000 is maybe the only one i dont look back on so fondly because they cheaped out on hampton/a-rod a few weeks later which then wasted the last few years of piazza's prime. also the clemens thing and the non-reaction.
Link - ( New Window )
guaranteed to lose im not as sure i was using the 'get to NLCS, unknown from there on' scenario.
smeltzer appears to be a batting practice pitcher, but that was an impressive homer even in BP.
Quote:
We’ll agree to disagree. I wouldn’t trade Drew Gilbert if it was a guaranteed trip to the NLCS where it’s guaranteed they lose.
guaranteed to lose im not as sure i was using the 'get to NLCS, unknown from there on' scenario.
Yeah what im saying is if it was an unknown I’d sign for it any day, if it were a guarantee it ends there, not very appealing to me
i sure as shit dont mind strong informed opinions but 0 humility for the unknown usually doesnt lead to great judgements.
he'd also be the first guy to criticize the mets development if they gave up on any prospect who went on to succeed anywhere else.
i find it very hard to believe that if stearns were anywhere near as confident vientos would fail he'd have been more aggressive with any number of alternatives in FA.
his weight loss story was a bit odd too because he was never a guy who seemed like he needed to lose weight.
if memory serves didnt harvey lose weight 1 year then gain it back the next year because he thought it hurt him? i dont think pitchers losing weight is as cut and dry good/bad physiologically.
Damn. I viewed him as the perfect setup man. Gonna be interesting to see how this guys. I know the Braves signed him with giving him a shot in the SR in mind, but I didn't think he'd actually make it.
AAA - Luis Severino
AA - Nate Lavender
A+ - Zach Thornton
A - Douglas Orellana
What is the proposed market/interest on Evan Longoria. 7m last year but assuming limited/part time role ...maybe could get away with half on a 1 year deal.
What is the proposed market/interest on Evan Longoria. 7m last year but assuming limited/part time role ...maybe could get away with half on a 1 year deal.
No. SRF and Ramirez are both out of options, one of them would take Fujinami's spot.
FYI: Article XX(B) FA signed to MiLB deals have a universal opt-out on 3/22 at 2PM EST; the team then has until noon EST on 3/24 to add the player the 40-man or release him.
Sean Manaea 5IP, 1ER, 6K's
Sean Manaea 5IP, 1ER, 6K's
8/12 throwing runners out this spring. Adding another dimension to his D. They already had it incredibly wrong that his D wasn't that good.
Baty a HR also and he's having a nice spring. Hoping it carries over.
he still looks uncomfortable at the plate. Hopefully its just nerves.
maybe it's spring training hopium, but im feeling reasonably confident in the pitching staff. none of the starters looked like carrasco.
diaz looked like diaz, the depth of the BP is far improved from carrying nogosek, hunter, curtiss santana on OD last year (yuck).
the biggest hole on the roster appears to be mcneil needing to hit cleanup and marte hitting 5th behind him, but hopefully 1-2 of alvarez/baty/vientos can make that short lived.
Quote:
Megill won the 5th spot in rotation. Jose Button sent down and will be next man up.
maybe it's spring training hopium, but im feeling reasonably confident in the pitching staff. none of the starters looked like carrasco.
diaz looked like diaz, the depth of the BP is far improved from carrying nogosek, hunter, curtiss santana on OD last year (yuck).
the biggest hole on the roster appears to be mcneil needing to hit cleanup and marte hitting 5th behind him, but hopefully 1-2 of alvarez/baty/vientos can make that short lived.
Agreed. You can see how Stearns teams outperform expectations. No glaring weakness. Solid starting pitching throughout, depth if one falters/injury. Same with the bullpen. Improved OF defense. Very solid team. If they are well in the playoff hunt, they can trade for a TOR starter to pair with Senga and/or a bat and/or a top bullpen arm as needed.
Mets minor leaguers placed on the 60-day injured list:
RHP Dylan Tebrake
RHP Matt Allan
RHP Raimon Gomez
RHP Roberto Dominguez
RHP Zebulon Vermillion
RHP Chris Santiago
RHP Ricardo Baptist
RHP Brian Metoyer
Mets minor leaguers placed on the full-season injured list:
RHP Jace Beck
LHP Eli Ankeney
RHP John Valle
RHP Landon Marceaux
LHP Luis R. Rodriguez
RHP Jean Calderon
Martinez declined a $15M bid from the Giants because he didn’t think the expansive ballpark was a good fit, and he probably understood he wouldn’t be able to match that bid elsewhere. But he’d like to come close.
Mets’, Angels’ J.D. Martinez offers aren’t quite there yet - ( New Window )
Jon Heyman
@JonHeyman
Breaking: JD Martinez to Mets. $12M
Quote:
The Angels and Mets bid for free agent DH J.D. Martinez, and while he likes both teams, apparently the offers were too low for his liking.
Martinez declined a $15M bid from the Giants because he didn’t think the expansive ballpark was a good fit, and he probably understood he wouldn’t be able to match that bid elsewhere. But he’d like to come close.
Mets’, Angels’ J.D. Martinez offers aren’t quite there yet - ( New Window )
Well there you go.
let stearns cook i guess.
let stearns cook i guess.
The first word that came to mind for this off-season was methodical. He was patient and hit certain deals at his terms only. As a get to know the team year I've really loved what he did. We haven't been in such good hands in a long time if not ever between the ownership and new man in charge. I don't care if I sound hyperbolic on that.
5 hole protection for Pete...Alanso may be the happiest person of all that Martinez is hitting behind him..
.893 OPS last season...
Vientos will get his AB's...perhaps play 3rd against lefties, play left when Bader needs a day off, or if Bader gets hurt again, or just plain doesn't hit at all...
Again, if he stays healthy, this is a terrific addition!
Quote:
of the entire offseason. they got him off one of his best seasons for almost the same amount he got last year off one of his worst.
let stearns cook i guess.
The first word that came to mind for this off-season was methodical. He was patient and hit certain deals at his terms only. As a get to know the team year I've really loved what he did. We haven't been in such good hands in a long time if not ever between the ownership and new man in charge. I don't care if I sound hyperbolic on that.
hard to argue hyperbole/optimism after the way spring has gone.
organizationally the pitching looks very much trending in the right direction across all levels.
defense way better. bullpen depth a lot better. now lineup a lot better.
stearns showed a good grasp of the market and seemed to get the guys he wanted. i think this is going to be a solid team.
“He wants to be where his feet are,” Green said. “He wants to be focused on just getting back and just doing what’s in front of him and not looking too far out in the future.”
That could mean another lost season for Allan, who no longer rates among the Mets’ Top 30 prospects. Allan recently passed the three-year mark of his last competitive pitch, and the Mets won’t even begin to have a gauge on his future prospects until he becomes a healthy pitcher again.
Perhaps at this time next year, the situation will be different. For now, Allan is doing what he can to give himself a chance.
Matt Allan Info - ( New Window )
Mets optioned Shintaro Fujinami and reassigned Austin Adams.
Tomás Nido, José Iglesias and Luke Voit were informed they weren’t making the team.
Mets optioned Shintaro Fujinami and reassigned Austin Adams.
Tomás Nido, José Iglesias and Luke Voit were informed they weren’t making the team.
so BP competition down to Tonkin, SRF, Ramirez for 2 spots?
Anywho, I'm glad they signed JDM and it's great to see that pic above.
Pen down to Tonkin, Yohan, SRF.
strange player because even in minor leagues he's had K rates under 20 and over 30.
stewart appears to have done nothing in the spring but my guess there is they like having a 5th OF with mcneil coming back from injury so they arent forced to put him out there. i hadnt really thought of it but i wonder if mcneils elbow injury is going to make it hard for him to throw in OF since those are much longer throws than 2b.
strange player because even in minor leagues he's had K rates under 20 and over 30.
stewart appears to have done nothing in the spring but my guess there is they like having a 5th OF with mcneil coming back from injury so they arent forced to put him out there. i hadnt really thought of it but i wonder if mcneils elbow injury is going to make it hard for him to throw in OF since those are much longer throws than 2b.
Zack Short is awful. Don't know why he's on the roster. I don't put much into his numbers this spring with his track record in the majors.
he hit .205 but it was with a .255 BABIP. his MLB career BABIP is .214. his xba was .210 so that wasnt necessarily an aberration, but if he somehow found a way to get a BABIP closer to league average he is a .250-.270 hitter with an obp almost 100 points higher with the good walk rate.
his savant profile generally sucks so i am not optimistic, but if i am squinting for reasons why they like him it's that he's a good defender (as Stearns has said publicly), he doesn't chase bad pitches so he knows how to draw walks, and flashed a little pop (the xbh's last year).
the only way I can rationalize it is that Short won't see many AB's and the Mets still view Vientos as part of the future and want him to play everyday. Vientos is 24 though. He's not that young anymore and the future is fleeting so you have to figure either he forces his way into the lineup soon (sometimes this year) or he won't (at least not with the Mets).
I also think JDM kind of sealed Vientos' fate, without JDM I think Vientos was a lock or had a better shot at least.
the only way I can rationalize it is that Short won't see many AB's and the Mets still view Vientos as part of the future and want him to play everyday. Vientos is 24 though. He's not that young anymore and the future is fleeting so you have to figure either he forces his way into the lineup soon (sometimes this year) or he won't (at least not with the Mets).
I also think JDM kind of sealed Vientos' fate, without JDM I think Vientos was a lock or had a better shot at least.
i tend to agree, the only silver lining is that vientos has typically been a slow starter, but since he should be beyond the talent level at AAA now he should mash to open the year there no matter what.
id have given him opening day and the 10 days or so every day before JDM activates though. even if they want short for defensive reasons there is no need for DJ stewart on the roster. short or wendle could go to OF in an emergency (that is unlikely to happen in the first 10 days).
and whatever happened in those first 10 days, you can decide what to do with JDM when you get there. if Vientos hits well that's a good problem to have. if he doesnt then you send him down then.
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of the entire offseason. they got him off one of his best seasons for almost the same amount he got last year off one of his worst.
let stearns cook i guess.
The first word that came to mind for this off-season was methodical. He was patient and hit certain deals at his terms only. As a get to know the team year I've really loved what he did. We haven't been in such good hands in a long time if not ever between the ownership and new man in charge. I don't care if I sound hyperbolic on that.
Can we also add that it would be so old Mets to cave early in fear of public backlash with the Alonso extension, pay premium dollar and do nothing after.
Instead Cohen/Stearns goes the other way and encourages a career season out of him upgrades the roster in other ways then right at the last min doubles down and gets him the protection they need in the lineup.
Love to see a plan.
the only way I can rationalize it is that Short won't see many AB's and the Mets still view Vientos as part of the future and want him to play everyday. Vientos is 24 though. He's not that young anymore and the future is fleeting so you have to figure either he forces his way into the lineup soon (sometimes this year) or he won't (at least not with the Mets).
I also think JDM kind of sealed Vientos' fate, without JDM I think Vientos was a lock or had a better shot at least.
Jim Bowden said they could be attempting to build his trade value then make him available at the deadline
stewart played some 1b in ST and id imagine wendle/short could play there if needed. narvaz played there once in 2017.
i think beats have said 1 position spot open too, stewart hasnt been sent down but he's been told he hasnt necessarily made the roster yet, presumably in case there's someone they like who shakes free from another team.
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Who's backup at 1B now with Vientos sent down?
stewart played some 1b in ST and id imagine wendle/short could play there if needed. narvaz played there once in 2017.
i think beats have said 1 position spot open too, stewart hasnt been sent down but he's been told he hasnt necessarily made the roster yet, presumably in case there's someone they like who shakes free from another team.
Well not great for when Pete needs a rest. I know he plays a lot but still.
Quote:
In comment 16445133 GF1080 said:
Quote:
Who's backup at 1B now with Vientos sent down?
stewart played some 1b in ST and id imagine wendle/short could play there if needed. narvaz played there once in 2017.
i think beats have said 1 position spot open too, stewart hasnt been sent down but he's been told he hasnt necessarily made the roster yet, presumably in case there's someone they like who shakes free from another team.
Well not great for when Pete needs a rest. I know he plays a lot but still.
i think based on how they've handled, they have things they specifically want vientos to work on and dont want him to have to do it in a limited role.
And then ask that vet their opinion on him?
And I have to say, the vet leadership for thekids in AAA is not by accident, and I love it. Is this the best blend of inury/AAA calup protection that they ever had, between vets and kids?
Told you since Dec if Stewart makes OD, something went horriblye wrong.
@mikemayer22
Sean Manaea this spring:
16.2 IP, 18 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 21 K, 3.24 ERA
@ragazzoreport
Per club sources: David Stearns & Mets made an offer to Justin Turner during Winter Meetings. He signed 1 yr, $13 mill w/ TOR instead
Stearns/Mets waited it out & landed All-Star J.D. Martinez at a lower price, 1 yr, $12 mill
@ragazzoreport
Per club sources: David Stearns & Mets made an offer to Justin Turner during Winter Meetings. He signed 1 yr, $13 mill w/ TOR instead
Stearns/Mets waited it out & landed All-Star J.D. Martinez at a lower price, 1 yr, $12 mill
big W for stearns there. i was as impatient as anyone but he read the room.
@TheAthletic
YES Network had discussions with Buck Showalter about joining the Yankees’ regional network, sources told @AndrewMarchand
.
“Once we learned that he was still under contract (with the Mets), we did not pursue it any further.”
Having recently advanced to bullpen sessions, Peterson is slated to start facing batters in a couple of weeks.
“It’s starting to feel closer to the end than the beginning, which is good,” he said.
Sounds like he made their opening day roster and will be in the rotation.
Obviously Skenes is the big name for their rotation future, but Jones supposedly has a big arm too.
Sounds like he made their opening day roster and will be in the rotation.
Obviously Skenes is the big name for their rotation future, but Jones supposedly has a big arm too.
Big-time stuff. FB up to 102. Misses bats. If he throws strikes he could be a good #3 or even a #2
@yakyucosmo
·
12h
MLB has terminated its relationship with international leagues including NPB to avoid pre-negotiation tampering between players and MLB teams.
MLB employees will now be prohibited from data sharing, personnel exchange, etc. with non-MLB players/teams.
Yakyu Cosmopolitan
@yakyucosmo
Teams that engaged in personnel exchange (DeNA Baystars & Arizona Dbacks, Nippon-Ham Fighters & Texas Rangers, etc.) will be required to end their partnership immediately.
This could potentially impact Japanese MLB players training in the offseason with NPB players as well.
Quote:
irritates me (Vientos) because he seems to be held to a higher standard where he needs to earn his spot but someone like Short doesn't. Neither one covered themselves in glory this Spring.
the only way I can rationalize it is that Short won't see many AB's and the Mets still view Vientos as part of the future and want him to play everyday. Vientos is 24 though. He's not that young anymore and the future is fleeting so you have to figure either he forces his way into the lineup soon (sometimes this year) or he won't (at least not with the Mets).
I also think JDM kind of sealed Vientos' fate, without JDM I think Vientos was a lock or had a better shot at least.
Jim Bowden said they could be attempting to build his trade value then make him available at the deadline
I think that would be a big mistake. Unless other teams project Vientos as a 3B, he is going to have limited trade value as a DH/1B. One of those guys who would be more valuable to the team that controls him than he would net in a trade.
@yakyucosmo
·
12h
MLB has terminated its relationship with international leagues including NPB to avoid pre-negotiation tampering between players and MLB teams.
MLB employees will now be prohibited from data sharing, personnel exchange, etc. with non-MLB players/teams.
Yakyu Cosmopolitan
@yakyucosmo
Teams that engaged in personnel exchange (DeNA Baystars & Arizona Dbacks, Nippon-Ham Fighters & Texas Rangers, etc.) will be required to end their partnership immediately.
This could potentially impact Japanese MLB players training in the offseason with NPB players as well.
😮
wtf???
Quote:
Yakyu Cosmopolitan
@yakyucosmo
·
12h
MLB has terminated its relationship with international leagues including NPB to avoid pre-negotiation tampering between players and MLB teams.
MLB employees will now be prohibited from data sharing, personnel exchange, etc. with non-MLB players/teams.
Yakyu Cosmopolitan
@yakyucosmo
Teams that engaged in personnel exchange (DeNA Baystars & Arizona Dbacks, Nippon-Ham Fighters & Texas Rangers, etc.) will be required to end their partnership immediately.
This could potentially impact Japanese MLB players training in the offseason with NPB players as well.
😮
wtf???
Won't impact the posting system (at least not directly).
@fangraphs
ranked @mets
bullpen #12
@JeffPassan
Important clarification on this: New rules restrict the relationships between MLB teams and their foreign counterparts. In other words, no more partnerships like the one Arizona had with Yokohama. But agreements between MLB and foreign leagues, like the posting system, remain.
Let's get those 100 SBs. Cards had no choice after the Carlson injury.
@NYPost_Mets
Mets have released Phil Bickford.
RHP prospect Sammy Tavarez has signed with @LECrushers
of @FLProBaseball
. Ex-@Mets
RHP Richard Brito has signed with @KnockoutsBase
@NYPost_Mets
Mets have released Phil Bickford.
😮
@NYPost_Mets
Mets have released Phil Bickford.
Au revoir to one of our tank commanders-in-chief last season!
Link - ( New Window )
this is a really good article. i love stats like this and wish i knew where to find a better database to split them:
84.8% // DJ LeMahieu
76.1% // J.D. Martinez
75.8% // Trey Mancini
75.8% // Nick Castellanos
75.7% // Tommy Pham
75.1% // Bo Bichette
Of hard-hit balls hit at least 300 feet, min. 250
one of the first things i thought of was the homer vientos hit to center vs TB that got out somewhat surprisingly last year. i dont know how to sort his flyballs only or his minors stats, but over his 2 years of big league at bats he has a 65% center/oppo rate and that's where 6 of his 9 homers went out. his 1 homer in 2022 was also oppo.
hopefully he and jdm really do stay attached at the hip. 2 talented power hitters with a chance to solve DH in a meaningful way is better than 1.
@WillSammon
Kodai Senga is playing light catch at Citi Field.
isnt that where JDM is starting the year for 10-15 days too?
Quote:
to be difficult for Vientos/JDM to be attached at the hip with Vientos now in Syracuse.
isnt that where JDM is starting the year for 10-15 days too?
They will have about a week of overlap and have already worked out together previously so I don't really see how a week-10 days is going to make much of a difference
James Schiano
@James_Schiano
Vientos has a problem with velocity
Faced 131 pitches 95 MPH+ 2023:
.184/.273/.447
36.1 Whiff%
41.5 Chase%
30.3 Z-Contact%
And 97 Fastballs:
.115/.172/.269
42.4 Whiff%
47.5 Chase%
25.5 Z-Contact%
"The addition of Martinez squeezes out Mark Vientos, a hitter Martinez has known for years with both of them having grown up around the same area and training at the same offseason facility. "
James Schiano
@James_Schiano
Vientos has a problem with velocity
Faced 131 pitches 95 MPH+ 2023:
.184/.273/.447
36.1 Whiff%
41.5 Chase%
30.3 Z-Contact%
And 97 Fastballs:
.115/.172/.269
42.4 Whiff%
47.5 Chase%
25.5 Z-Contact%
Per Schiano, Vientos saw 71 FB's 95+ in AAA and did not have a single hit. Seems like that's going to be an extremely hard issue to overcome.
Quote:
didn't even "allow" for the possibility of Vientos beating out Baty this Spring. Leads me to believe the Mets are just not particularly high on him and the numbers James Schiano posted regarding Vientos vs. premium velocity are likely a massive reason why.
James Schiano
@James_Schiano
Vientos has a problem with velocity
Faced 131 pitches 95 MPH+ 2023:
.184/.273/.447
36.1 Whiff%
41.5 Chase%
30.3 Z-Contact%
And 97 Fastballs:
.115/.172/.269
42.4 Whiff%
47.5 Chase%
25.5 Z-Contact%
Per Schiano, Vientos saw 71 FB's 95+ in AAA and did not have a single hit. Seems like that's going to be an extremely hard issue to overcome.
i dont have access to any database but pretty sure that's not entirely right. didnt athletic have numbers that he was mets best hitter of high velocity last year in big leagues?
Analysis
Ahh, the joys of an expanded postseason. Knowing that 84 wins was good enough for not one but two playoff teams in the National League last season sure makes it easier for the Mets to pull off the offseason approach they just did. Following a massively disappointing 87-loss season and a trade-deadline sell-off, New York under new exec David Stearns tinkered on the edges of its roster. The team added 16 players to its 40-man roster, only one of whom (Sean Manaea) is guaranteed money in 2025.
Since Aug. 1, the Mets have made it clear the goal here in 2024 is not a division title — they're still very much looking up at Atlanta and Philadelphia — but a roll of the postseason die. Because they know as well as anyone how that's worked out for the last two No. 6 seeds in the National League.
Austin Mock's odds
🎟️ Make postseason
25.1%
🏅 Win division
3.4%
🚩 Win pennant
2.4%
🏆 Win World Series
1.0%
Quote:
In comment 16447505 DanMetroMan said:
Quote:
didn't even "allow" for the possibility of Vientos beating out Baty this Spring. Leads me to believe the Mets are just not particularly high on him and the numbers James Schiano posted regarding Vientos vs. premium velocity are likely a massive reason why.
James Schiano
@James_Schiano
Vientos has a problem with velocity
Faced 131 pitches 95 MPH+ 2023:
.184/.273/.447
36.1 Whiff%
41.5 Chase%
30.3 Z-Contact%
And 97 Fastballs:
.115/.172/.269
42.4 Whiff%
47.5 Chase%
25.5 Z-Contact%
Per Schiano, Vientos saw 71 FB's 95+ in AAA and did not have a single hit. Seems like that's going to be an extremely hard issue to overcome.
i dont have access to any database but pretty sure that's not entirely right. didnt athletic have numbers that he was mets best hitter of high velocity last year in big leagues?
He pulled the numbers directly from baseball savant
James Schiano
@James_Schiano
Baseball savant
Setting metric range->pitch velocity-> greater then or equal to 95 MPH
Link - ( New Window )
The sport has undoubtedly moved in the direction of harder throwers. The percentage of pitches thrown 97 mph and above has jumped from 3.5 percent in 2017 to 5.7 percent last season. (The first year Statcast measured pitch velocity was in 2017. Pitch F/X goes back to 2008 when only 1.6 percent of pitches were 97 and up.)
Vientos is as good at hitting that velo as anyone else in the Mets lineup. Since arriving in the major leagues, Vientos has slugged .769 against pitches thrown 97 or harder. Here’s how his numbers stack up against returning Mets, bearing in mind the sample is much smaller for Vientos:
this may seem unsurprising given priors but I think the lengths the mets were willing to hold out on JDM (and JDD before that) show that they were really very willing to go with Vientos at DH unless there was a substantial upgrade at a substantial discount (which JDM @ basically 9m AAV represents).
JDM is getting paid less by the mets than he made last year as LAD coming off a much better season. There were likely fair numbers in the 1 year 12-15m range they could have arrived at weeks ago if they didnt have faith in vientos (not to mention JDD at a fraction of that).
Should Mark Vientos be the Mets’ DH? Examining the pros and cons - ( New Window )
Conversation
James Schiano
@James_Schiano
·
Mar 24
Vientos has a problem with velocity
Faced 131 pitches 95 MPH+ 2023:
.184/.273/.447
36.1 Whiff%
41.5 Chase%
30.3 Z-Contact%
And 97 Fastballs:
.115/.172/.269
42.4 Whiff%
47.5 Chase%
25.5 Z-Contact%
Hard to fix this in AAA but almost impossible to be productive in the majors
Show more
Quote
Mets'd Up Podcast
@MetsdUp
·
Mar 24
Mark Vientos will not be on the Opening Day roster per Davis Stearns
Image
SteveG
@shield1062
·
Mar 25
So, he's chasing fastballs off the plate at 41-48% ? These stats seem to support him being a pure guess hitter that's late on his swings and doesn't cut down to make contact. Hopefully some 1-1 coaching can help him. Maybe its a vision issue??
James Schiano
@James_Schiano
Fastballs that are at least 95 MPH yes. I think the biggest thing is a swing that doesn't let him get to those fastballs but there could be a guessing element
He was the host of the official Mets sanctioned Podcast, he's not just some random dude
Thomas Nestico
@TJStats
I was deceived by Vientos' AAA results where he was keeping his Whiff% away from league worst.
His results in MLB are significantly worse and his plate discipline and contact skills are very poor.
Similar to what Nae is saying, Vientos is not the answer for the Mets in 2024.
Thomas Nestico
@TJStats
Ya, it's all part of the non-linear development path of MLB players. Vientos has the raw tools to be an effective power hitter, but at this moment he can't succeed strictly off of power like he did in the minors.
Adjustments will be made, but the effectiveness varies.
was looking for a clip of the bautista hit from broadcast to find that stat and instead found a YT highlight on his 5 hardest hits last year, 4 were off pitches 96 mph+. the 110mph double off bautista at 101mph is the second clip. a 114.9mph single off cole at 96 mph was his hardest hit ball of the year.
Mark Vientos Top 5 Hardest Hits of 2023 - ( New Window )
was looking for a clip of the bautista hit from broadcast to find that stat and instead found a YT highlight on his 5 hardest hits last year, 4 were off pitches 96 mph+. the 110mph double off bautista at 101mph is the second clip. a 114.9mph single off cole at 96 mph was his hardest hit ball of the year. Mark Vientos Top 5 Hardest Hits of 2023 - ( New Window )
Eric,
The graphs I posted above are explicitly from the data, there is no gray area.
More from Nestico
"Vientos has one of the loudest bats in the league, but his plate discipline is putrid. Not only does he make poor decisions, he also has some of the worst contact rates in the league. Not an ideal combination.Thomas Nestico
@TJStats
Vientos' results aren't related to a small sample size, though. His swing has glaring holes in it, which has led to poor results.
I really hope he pans out, but an overhaul in his swing and approach is much easier said than done."
https://twitter.com/TJStats
Link - ( New Window )
@TJStats
He is still 24 which gives him plenty of time to improve. My charts show a very slight improvement which may simply be noise, it's not a large sample.
I won't write him off because he has the raw power to be effective, especially at his age. He has some holes he needs to address
forgetting however any of us want to guess on projecting future improvement (an unknown) this is the most meaningful thing TJ posted - which as i said above shows that in terms of expected power Vientos has already shown to be 60th percentile. This is real data based on the real contact vientos has made and shows real upside.
The question of whether or not he will get better in terms of consistency is real, but the only way to know the answer to that is to give him regular at bats at the MLB level. At the expense of an impact player like JDM on a steal of a contract it wasn't worth it, but for pretty much anyone else it was (which is why the mets passed on everyone else all offseason).
@TJStats
·
Feb 7
I have Vientos in the 60th% in my xSLG/BBE metric.
Quote:
PRO: Vientos provides something the Mets otherwise lack: power against high velocity.
The sport has undoubtedly moved in the direction of harder throwers. The percentage of pitches thrown 97 mph and above has jumped from 3.5 percent in 2017 to 5.7 percent last season. (The first year Statcast measured pitch velocity was in 2017. Pitch F/X goes back to 2008 when only 1.6 percent of pitches were 97 and up.)
Vientos is as good at hitting that velo as anyone else in the Mets lineup. Since arriving in the major leagues, Vientos has slugged .769 against pitches thrown 97 or harder. Here’s how his numbers stack up against returning Mets, bearing in mind the sample is much smaller for Vientos:
this may seem unsurprising given priors but I think the lengths the mets were willing to hold out on JDM (and JDD before that) show that they were really very willing to go with Vientos at DH unless there was a substantial upgrade at a substantial discount (which JDM @ basically 9m AAV represents).
JDM is getting paid less by the mets than he made last year as LAD coming off a much better season. There were likely fair numbers in the 1 year 12-15m range they could have arrived at weeks ago if they didnt have faith in vientos (not to mention JDD at a fraction of that). Should Mark Vientos be the Mets’ DH? Examining the pros and cons - ( New Window )
They also offered Justin Turner 12 million in December which almost certainly would have resulted in the same impact on Vientos (AAA) only sooner. JDD passed on the Mets over playing time guarantees. He's the A's starting 3b. The Mets couldn't "match" the A's offer without pulling the plug on Baty. Doesn't really say much about their view of Vientos either way.
All spring, I said he looked too comfortable, and jogged to first and got a lashing about it.
Attached by the hip will help him, and the stat guy mentions “maybe one on one coaching can help him”
Who knows where this goes…
All spring, I said he looked too comfortable, and jogged to first and got a lashing about it.
Attached by the hip will help him, and the stat guy mentions “maybe one on one coaching can help him”
Who knows where this goes…
well tbf i was misunderstanding the comfortable comment as a positive "comfortable in a good way" not "too comfortable" for most of spring.
In comment 16417703 Shecky said:
Vientos has looked so comfortable all spring.
And Baty has looked so stiff and pressing. That HR the other day might have been like a balloon releasing all that pressure.
Both kids just being adequate would be such a huge boost for the franchise.
vientos not working to their satisfaction is something that has always made sense as a reason for why he didnt get more chances but i dont recall it ever being reported. he had always been portrayed as the good soldier who just went about his business (and continued producing) whenever sent down.
i said it at the time btu the interview after they signed JDM was not a good look. he was visibly shaken, but maybe that's part of what he needed.
03/25/24 FCL Mets placed RHP Juan Oramas on the 60-day injured list.
03/24/24 FCL Mets placed RHP Dylan Ross on the 60-day injured list.
03/24/24 Syracuse Mets placed RHP Bryce Montes de Oca on the 60-day injured list.
03/20/24 Binghamton Rumble Ponies placed RHP Dylan Tebrake on the 60-day injured list.
03/20/24 Brooklyn Cyclones placed RHP Jace Beck on the full-season injured list.
03/20/24 Brooklyn Cyclones placed RHP Matt Allan on the 60-day injured list.
03/20/24 Brooklyn Cyclones placed RHP Raimon Gomez on the 60-day injured list.
03/20/24 Brooklyn Cyclones placed LHP Eli Ankeney on the full-season injured list.
03/20/24 FCL Mets placed RHP John Valle on the full-season injured list.
03/20/24 St. Lucie Mets placed RHP Robert Dominguez on the 60-day injured list.
03/20/24 St. Lucie Mets placed RHP Zebulon Vermillion on the 60-day injured list.
03/20/24 St. Lucie Mets placed RHP Landon Marceaux on the full-season injured list.
03/20/24 St. Lucie Mets placed LHP Luis R. Rodriguez on the full-season injured list.
03/20/24 St. Lucie Mets placed RHP Chris Santiago on the 60-day injured list.
03/20/24 St. Lucie Mets placed RHP Ricardo Baptist on the 60-day injured list.
03/20/24 St. Lucie Mets placed RHP Jean Calderon on the full-season injured list.
03/20/24 Syracuse Mets placed RHP Brian Metoyer on the 60-day injured list.
They also offered Justin Turner 12 million in December which almost certainly would have resulted in the same impact on Vientos (AAA) only sooner. JDD passed on the Mets over playing time guarantees. He's the A's starting 3b. The Mets couldn't "match" the A's offer without pulling the plug on Baty. Doesn't really say much about their view of Vientos either way.
signing Turner would have hedged 3b and created more DH flexibility. I agree JDD was unlikely to come here because of Baty and said so before he signed in OAK.
all offseason we have been consistent in wanting them to pursue roster upgrades if meaningful (JDM and Turner included). before ST happened how those additions would have changed playing time was unknown. i had/have no problem if ST was a competition between baty and vientos for 3b that baty won and sent the loser down to AAA. that is perfectly fair. losing out on playing time to another quality prospect or in the case of JDM a DH who hit cleanup in the ASG last year does not meaningfully change anything we didnt already know about vientos (or that stearns didnt say publicly). he needs to make improvements to be an MLB'er but the only way to do that is probably with mlb at bats which will require growing pains whenever he gets those at bats.
SNY
@SNYtv
Edwin Díaz has changed his diet from 2022: "My body feels way better now"
He has stopped eating candy and started eating salads
@JonHeyman
·
3s
Sale of Orioles to David Rubenstein has been unanimously approved, MLB announces @DM_Rubenstein
@JonHeyman
·
3s
Sale of Orioles to David Rubenstein has been unanimously approved, MLB announces @DM_Rubenstein
After reading above post about Diaz cutting back on candy, I first read this post as "Sale of Oreos to David.." Was thinking WT and had to read again.
Chasen Bradford, 34, who spent one year in Queens as a reliever, was still a probationary officer with the Henderson Police Department when he was charged with one count of driving while under the influence, a misdemeanor.
The department had just welcomed 14 newly graduated officers from the police academy on March 21 before Bradford was arrested the following day.
Christina De Nicola
@CDeNicola13
Source: Hearing three-team trade involving #Marlins, Yankees and Rays.
Berti involved, Miami would get prospects (John Cruz) from NYY and one from Tampa Bay.
SNY
@SNYtv
Edwin Díaz has changed his diet from 2022: "My body feels way better now"
He has stopped eating candy and started eating salads
How much candy was he eating? was it meal replacement quantities? Just trying to understand how salads fill the void left by candy, lol.
@MLBPipeline
The Marlins are acquiring Yankees No. 28 prospect John Cruz and Rays outfield prospect Shane Sasaki in a three-team trade, with the Yankees acquiring Jon Berti and the Rays getting Ben Rortvedt.
I guess something has gone wrong Shecky.
I guess something has gone wrong Shecky.
I’m having a terrible day lol
The Spring Breakout Game was a fun watch, the big name prospects were active. The top of the batting order was exciting to see. Clifford was dynamic, as were Jett and Drew Gilbert. The Booth interview with Andy Green was enlightening too. Andy is the Senior VP for Player Development, and he outlined some good ideas about, well....developing players. He mentioned the new Pitching Lab with Eric Jagers in charge. I'm hoping there will be a lot less arm troubles with our young pitchers.
Speaking of -- Christian Scott looks good. That's some big league stuff right there. He might get a mid-season callup.
But Hamil and Vasil need a little more time in the minors. There are a few more hurlers behind them, maybe bullpen arms like Sproat and Tidwell. If the Mets can bring up a few rookie pitchers, they can afford to add a high-dollar FA on the staff next year.
In a late Spring game, I watched Stanley Consuegra have a great at-bat vs Washington's Schultz. 13 pitches, worked the count full, fought off a few tough pitches, and then slugged a bases clearing double. Me Likey.
Not saying they're going to set the NL East on fire this year. But there is reason to be hopeful. Give Jett a shot at CF, give Clifford a 1B glove. Acuna says he 'likes' to play 2B...get out there Luis.
LFGM !!
would Alvarez take that deal? Smith is 29, so obviously different, but that seems like a very friendly deal if its Alvarez, but who knows.
@jaseidler
just pretend this is 6/135 for the sake of evaluating it because I'm sure that's roughly how the Dodgers did (except that they pay less in taxes)
i would guess something like 8x80m with maybe an option year or 2, and id probably guess by the ASB.
not that this is the primary reason, but an alvarez extension (and breakout) also helps mets keep the high ground in an alonso negotiation in the "see they are willing to pay their homegrown guys" sort of way. they'd also have alvarez, lindor, nimmo all under contract for almost a decade.
obviously a big if, but if pete leads a the team to an overachieving first half, boras is perhaps at his weakest point in a long time. may be a good time to try to hash out a reasonable extension and take away any risk of another team doing something foolish next fall/winter.
It’s no secret that Scott is one of the most-improved pitching prospects over the last year. To get there, the Florida alum has used a body and delivery that was always promising and made enough alterations to his stuff to raise his ceiling. The most prominent change is to his slider, which used to have short, early break and now has morphed into a true sweeper. Scott’s changeup has added power as well and now serves as a third potential plus pitch. In evaluators’ eyes, Scott has elevated himself over his peers in the upper levels of the Mets’ system.
Figured. I'll start a game thread on Friday a couple of hours before the game.
Quote:
Has been postponed until Friday.
Figured. I'll start a game thread on Friday a couple of hours before the game.
Wonderful!!!
Stinks about Reimer as his #1 fan. Do we know the injury? I don't remember seeing anything.
Quote:
Damn it. Jacob Reimer to open the season on the 60 day IL, as will RHP Robert Colina
Stinks about Reimer as his #1 fan. Do we know the injury? I don't remember seeing anything.
The Reimer news is brand new no information on what the injury is.
New York acquired Gilbert in last year’s Justin Verlander blockbuster at the Deadline, and the former Tennessee star took off at Double-A Binghamton, hitting .325/.423/.561 over 35 games. His walk-heavy approach and improved loft will be tested at the Minors’ top level, but with above-average speed and plus arm strength, Gilbert has other ways to contribute in Syracuse. Expect the 23-year-old to continue to rotate around the outfield as he works to find a permanent home in Queens.
@NYPost_Mets
Mets have decided on their final two bullpen spots. It will be Michael Tonkin and Yohan Ramirez.
10 years for a 29-yr old catcher? I’m guessing LAD are expecting MLB to clamp down on deferred payments as a way to avoid the cap tax and are just lumping years to the end of the contract that the player will never see.
Quote:
Reporting Will Smith 10 for 140 with LAD
10 years for a 29-yr old catcher? I’m guessing LAD are expecting MLB to clamp down on deferred payments as a way to avoid the cap tax and are just lumping years to the end of the contract that the player will never see.
"Fabian Ardaya
@FabianArdaya
·
17h
Will Smith’s 10-year, $140 million contract extension includes 32 percent deferred money (about $44.8 million), source tells The Athletic.
Fabian Ardaya
@FabianArdaya
A slight correction: the deal includes $50 million in deferred money, as @Feinsand
laid out, with the $30 million signing bonus to be paid out over the next two years."
Went into 2023 the #2 ranked prospect in the Blue Jays system by @BaseballAmerica
. Slid to #12 for 2024. Finished the year strong. Might be an interesting grab... #Mets
I must be a weirdo as well as my first thought was where is Jose Peroza? 23 now turning 24 and ended the year in AAA last year with a SSS of a wRC+ 178. wRC+ of 106 in AA before that.
Also our major league bench seems really awful. Not sure who they can call on for a hit off the bench.
Haha dang beat me to that one by a minute!
Unless I missed it, he didn't even appear in a ST game so my guess is he's injured.
Seems like a fun roster to catch a game for
Have to imagine all these guys will be at AA which sucks for them but also means Binghamton Lineup will be stacked. Clifford and Schwartz will be there as well.
Quote:
Matt Rudick, Rowdy Jordan also missing
Have to imagine all these guys will be at AA which sucks for them but also means Binghamton Lineup will be stacked. Clifford and Schwartz will be there as well.
These days AA and AAA are interchangeable. Although they are ready to play at AAA there just are not enough AB's to go around and they would rather get them more consistent playing time. Don't see what Gamel or Kohlwey add, but I guess the Mets don't mind if they rarely get AB's.
Thanks DMM!
I'd like to see this team play. So we've got Blade Tidwell and Tyler Stuart in the starting rotation at Double A to start the year too correct Dan?
P.S. Where will the Mets start your guy Jett position-wise down at Double A? SS? 2B? CF? Will they play him at all three of those positions you think?
Quote:
Thanks DMM!
I'd like to see this team play. So we've got Blade Tidwell and Tyler Stuart in the starting rotation at Double A to start the year too correct Dan?
P.S. Where will the Mets start your guy Jett position-wise down at Double A? SS? 2B? CF? Will they play him at all three of those positions you think?
Yup. Stuart and Tidwell are in Bing. Only threw about 30 innings each in AA last season. Williams will split time at SS and CF with "some" time at 2b (per Williams himself).
@EthanBriggs__
Players who ended 2023 in AAA who arent on this roster:
Brandon McIlwain
David Griffin
Hunter Parsons
Jaylen Palmer
Joe Suozzi
Jose Peroza
Justin Jarvis
Tyler Jay
Wyatt Young
nido may not have power but he played a lot in big leagues. ritter and cortes were pushing for promotions last year. acuna and gilbert obviously high profile but may need to earn their way up that order.
Quote:
In comment 16448777 DanMetroMan said:
Quote:
Thanks DMM!
I'd like to see this team play. So we've got Blade Tidwell and Tyler Stuart in the starting rotation at Double A to start the year too correct Dan?
P.S. Where will the Mets start your guy Jett position-wise down at Double A? SS? 2B? CF? Will they play him at all three of those positions you think?
Yup. Stuart and Tidwell are in Bing. Only threw about 30 innings each in AA last season. Williams will split time at SS and CF with "some" time at 2b (per Williams himself).
Gotta love Da Bing! Stuart and Blade will have a great time there for sure!