NFT: Mets news updates?

Chosen to represent the Mets to introduce the Syracuse Mets, no?

Alonso = Justin Bour floor. Josh Bell/Jose Abreu.
What would he net in a trade? Not worth it.
Let him and Dom lose the job to Bruce instead (sarcasm)

In comment 14132665 pjcas18 said:

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that I'd trade Alonso this off-season, especially if he's top 50 in the pre-season prospect ratings (not sure when they come out, and I'm pretty sure fans put more stock in them than teams do, but it doesn't hurt). I feel like as prodigious as his bat may be, he'll wind up yet another Met to have a playable bat, but no "real" position. I'd look to move him (not give him a way), but move him for players who better fit my vision for the roster of the Mets.

I'm OK with trading anyone if the return is right, but 1B is a huge hole for the Mets. I don't see another realistic scenario to fill the position without Alonso.

Bruce is an inconsistent hitter and an even worse fielder than Alonso and 1B isn't his natural position. Smith doesn't look like an MLB starter. Flores could maybe breakout but we've seen a lot of him and he has a chronic condition now.

MLB.com lists the following 1B free agents:

Steve Pearce
Joe Mauer
Matt Adams
Lucas Duda
Hanley Ramirez
Mark Reynolds

That's an awful list. Alonso at 1B for the Mets looks like the best option available.

is an issue for us. A huge one. But, scoring runs is an issue too.

The best way to improve the defense IMO is to sign a real CF and put Bruce's ass on the bench. Nimmo and Conforto can both play a solid corner OF but are barely treading water as a CF, and carrying dead weight Bruce makes it worse.

It'd be great if they can sign a free agent CF (Pollock!), platoon Lagares vs lefties in CF for the few weeks before he gets hurt, and let Bruce be opening day 1B until the Mets are done playing service time games with Alonso.

How Alonso gets ignored throughout the league because of his defense.
Yet the two Phelps this year, Acura And Soto were terrible while being hidden in LF. And Hoskins might be historically bad in LF. Yet no one ever talks about that lol

I'd be willing to trade Alonso but it would have to be for a player that's worth it (duh). Even though he's a 1B/DH he seems to be in the same tier of prospect as the best prospects that changed teams last year for a range of very good players under good contracts, so just need to hope there are a few sellers like Miami.

The Royals are a team that has nothing at 1B and should be selling. S. Perez for Alonso seems like something that would be tempting but painful for both sides, not sure if I'd rather do something like that or just sign Grandal even though he's obviously got some flaws.

In comment 14132800 Shecky said:

Quote:

How Alonso gets ignored throughout the league because of his defense. Yet the two Phelps this year, Acura And Soto were terrible while being hidden in LF. And Hoskins might be historically bad in LF. Yet no one ever talks about that lol

part of the difference is that the Mets publicly knocked his defense which only feeds the media narrative. Most teams do the opposite.

In comment 14132800 Shecky said:

Quote:

How Alonso gets ignored throughout the league because of his defense. Yet the two Phelps this year, Acura And Soto were terrible while being hidden in LF. And Hoskins might be historically bad in LF. Yet no one ever talks about that lol

too many scouts say his glove is not "passable" at 1B. There is nowhere left to move him off 1B. It's the place you move people to who can't play anywhere else.

you Shecky but Acuna was actually + in the OF this year +4 DRS. Soto was below average (-5)

Can Alonso be at 1B than Andujar was at 3B? And people have Andujar in talks as rookie of the year...

I won�t argue Acuna. Defensive flaws or not, who wouldn�t love to have him on their team?

line is if Alonso mashes he's fine at 1b and if he's only "okay" offensively he's not. only one way to find out however.

We�re coming from Duda and Flores and Bruce lol
Even if he hits OK, he might be a defensive improvement ;)

if he hits but sucks defensively is it a net positive?

versus trading him and getting a legit 1B who hits ok.

I prefer the latter.

the only doubts I have are scouts suck at projecting defense IMO. Dom Smith was supposed to be a plus defender according to scouts.

With a lower BA (less hits, more walks - same OBP)
At league minimum for a while

Least of this teams problems...

and those are very rare. Forget defense for a second, Hoskins and Bellinger both had huge offensive impacts from day 1. Even if his defense is Mike Piazza bad at 1B, trading that type of bat would be a disaster unless you bring back a really good player under team control for 3+ years.

In comment 14132868 Eric on Li said:

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and those are very rare. Forget defense for a second, Hoskins and Bellinger both had huge offensive impacts from day 1. Even if his defense is Mike Piazza bad at 1B, trading that type of bat would be a disaster unless you bring back a really good player under team control for 3+ years.

In fairness Hoskins was far more impressive than Alonso at AAA. 166 wRC+ 13.5 BB/15.3 K vs. Alonso 139 with a 25.9 K rate. Hoskins was an absolute monster before coming up.

but the Mets need to build a team, not a collection of players.

build to their strength, starting pitching, and IMO defense helps it more than a big bat.

I continually bring up the Giants teams that won 3 WS in 5 years. They never even lost more than 5 games in any of those post-seasons.

They had no prodigious middle of the order bat. It's not a big a must have as some fans seem to believe.

Alonso is legit. And free. You don�t have to sign him. You don�t have trade for him. You don�t even have to pay him!! You put him and Dom at first and leave them alone for the year.

1.1mm allocated to 1B

Which allows you to trade Bruce for someone else�s overpaid RP (Jake McGee) filling a second whole while not touching payroll.

The zero dollars allocated to payroll. And zero trade chips allocated to acquiring a 1B. Allow the front office to fill a third and fourth hole with those dollars and chips.

Conversely. Trading Alonso, whatdoou really think you�re getting back in return? Seriously, what are you getting back, and don�t tell me you will package him. For him and him alone.

You then have to keep Bruce, unless Dom has won you over at 1B? Wilmer you say? Please - he�s gone, not offensive,y
Reductive at 1B and terrible defensively also. So you are relying on Dom, but will Hve to keep Bruce and/Or Flores as a backup - not allowing another hole to be filled.

Or run with Alonso/Dom. Improve 1B dramatically. While filling multiple other holes. Sorry for long post/rant - I�ll step out and let the thread go back to normal lol

I won�t roll around in the mud with you and stats, because you�ll ALWAYS win that battle. And not picking AAA vs AAA. It I would assume AA compare favorably to each other? Or more importantly, I would assume their entire ML careers compare somewhat to each other!

Or how about I just completely give in and say he�s the better hitter. Would anyone here take a drop below Abreu or Hoskins at 1B, at league min $$?

You made me look up AA you bastard...

Hoskins 12/21 bb/k with a 159 wrc+
Alonso 16/18 bb/k with a 180 wrc+

I�ll still give you benefit of the doubt and call Hoskins the better hitter because he has proven it in the ML

In comment 14132899 Shecky said:

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You made me look up AA you bastard... Hoskins 12/21 bb/k with a 159 wrc+ Alonso 16/18 bb/k with a 180 wrc+ I�ll still give you benefit of the doubt and call Hoskins the better hitter because he has proven it in the ML

Not typing it out, but to beat you to the punch Hoskins and Alonso comparable bb/k at A ball, but Hoskins better wrc+

they will prioritize Syracuse winning over player development. Cheap fucks.

That moon shot he hit in the Future's Game was impressive raw power. His defense is supposedly better than the team let on as well.

step out of the thread and let it return to "normal" whatever that means.

I'm in the minority here and it's really just the way I'm approaching the off-season.

I want a very specific roster configuration to salvage the remaining year(s) of elite (potentially) starting pitching, which IMO is the hardest part of team building.

I want to fix the bullpen with two legit BP arms. Not dumpster dives, not settling, the best two bullpen pieces.

I want to add a starter. I've named names before, nothing crazy, but again not a Vargas either.

and I want to fix the defense where it's fixable (1B is the glaring spot)

I'd welcome a Machado and think he fits well with my plan and others thirst for a middle of the order bat, and I think the Mets should make a concerted effort to sign him, but I doubt they will.

If the Mets play the season with Alonso/Dom/Bruce/Flores at 1B it wouldn't be the end of the world, but I would trade Alonso straight up and I'd expect a similarly rated player in return (a top 50 prospect) at a position of need for the Mets. So if they get a 3B back great, a starting pitching prospect great, but I think an AL team would value Alonso more than the Mets.

IF, big IF, his defense is as bad as scouts say.

would u deal him straight up for Senzel? If there was a team that matched up better with a similar CF/3B prospect and a need at 1B, I'd consider. Same with Salvador Perez. If you told me I could get 3 years of a GG catcher with decent RH power of his own for Alonso, I'd have to consider knowing there are other options at 1B (albeit with less upside). Dom, Frazier, Bruce, Flores are all in house options that would likely outproduce any true rookie, unless Alonso does step in as a stud from day 1 - which is why I found it ridiculous the Mets didn't give him a 2 month look when they had the chance.

I tend to agree with your overall plan in an ideal world, the challenge is that the FA market is pretty bare in terms of big upgrades at the other open positions of need (mainly CF). If Lorenzo Cain was available again I'd agree - save the money at 1st and splurge on CF/RP. But we missed that boat.

K rate is worrisome for Alonso while it was stellar for Hoskins. That alone makes a world of difference. 15.3% k rate for a slugger is outstanding.

In comment 14132950 DanMetroMan said:

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K rate is worrisome for Alonso while it was stellar for Hoskins. That alone makes a world of difference. 15.3% k rate for a slugger is outstanding.

Alonso's K rate was good (<18%) for 3.5 years up until Vegas. Not sure if the 300 abs in Vegas is first warning sign or random anomaly. His power spiked higher in vegas and his overall contact lower, could have just been selling out a little bit.

will be no minor league updates from me next season if this is the direction they go.

Anthony DiComo
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Dave Littlefield, who presided over seven consecutive losing seasons in Pittsburgh during his only prior stint as a general manager, has interviewed for the Mets' GM job, per @MarcCarig. Littlefield is 58.

to make comparison between hitters like Alonso and Abreu/Hoskins. He could be better, he could be worse. AAA sample size is only 67 games. I think a lot of those strikeouts if I recall were of the looking rather than swinging, which could indicate him trying to feel out the strikezone

Hoskins, just as an FYI, also had a 22% K rate in AA in '16, and has maintained that rate in his time in MLB. So I don't think you can make any definitive conclusions about Alonso's k rate. If the difference is 3% points, which is about 15ks more in a full season, I don't know how big the impact is. That's probably a loss of 5 hits based on BABIP averages. So it's not a huge impact.

is what Tim Dierkes said when the Pirates fired Littlefield-

"The reign of terror is over � the Pirates have fired GM Dave Littlefield."

442-581 record

The Pirates were 139 games
below .500 during his tenure and were 67-95 each of the last two
full seasons.

And the Tigers (his current team) have a below average farm system despite being awful. Would be a comical hire. Enough where I'm legit taking a break.

In comment 14132944 Eric on Li said:

Quote:

would u deal him straight up for Senzel?

That a question to ME??? You know my feelings on Senzel...

when your teams number 1 fan is threatening to quit over a GM hire.
It's almost as if they want the worst possible hires to be known to have interviewed... Hmmm

believe LaRoque is the next GM and has been since day once ala Gettleman. I do NOT want him but Littlefield almost seems like someone they dangle so a LaRoque hire seems like a smart one.

GM Dave Littlefield spent those savings and much more six weeks later, when he dealt two prospects to the Giants for veteran starter Matt Morris. Everyone in baseball could see the fork sticking out of Morris� right arm � everyone but Littlefield, who agreed to pick up the $15 million remaining on Morris� contract. Morris made 16 starts for the Pirates and had an ERA over 7 before being released the following April.

By then, Littlefield had been fired � with cause. New GM Neal Huntington has spent the past four years trying to rebuild the Pirates the way they should have been rebuilt all along � with patience. Every veteran player not nailed down was sent packing for prospects. The Pirates started to spend more money in the draft and in signing amateur talent from Latin America. The organization seemed headed in the right direction for the first time in two decades.


Malcolm Hamilton
Bonifay and Littlefield represent a very dark period of Pittsburgh Pirates baseball. Their tenure, 1993-2007, netted zero playoff appearances and zero winning seasons. They were recently lumped together on a list of the all time worst GMs and placed sixth.

Ugly
Link - ( New Window )

P called Littlefield arguably the worst GM in modern baseball history.

In comment 14133994 DanMetroMan said:

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P called Littlefield arguably the worst GM in modern baseball history.

If they hire Littlefield I'll probably change my BBI moniker.

I can't see them hiring him though. The media and fan reaction would just be too savage.

things they hire a retread/older guy because people like Bloom aka ones we would want will want full autonomy

as GM, but I'm not sure I'd give a 35 year old first time GM full autonomy.

Theo didn't have full autonomy and I'm not sure who does.

I don't even think Cashman has full autonomy now.

Maybe someone can define full autonomy for me, because I don't know many GM's who have it. John Henry has to authorize long-term contracts for Dombrowski in Boston and had to approve the Sale trade.

about autonomy is whether the new GM has the option to fire Omar, Ricco, Collins, and any other retreads still in the Mets front office.

Melvin... 3 years ago. "The job had just grown to a point that it's more suited for somebody who's younger than me." #Mets

"I'm 63 years old, and I've been doing this for 20 years," said Melvin, who was GM of the Texas Rangers from 1994-2001 before joining Milwaukee at the end of the 2002 season. "My gut feeling tells me it's time to give Mark the opportunity to look over the next generation of general managers."


again... 3 years ago.

People care, but they don�t care... Dan, you�re rightfully outraged. And the media has picked up on it a little bit. But not nearly enough to get the right attention, which is really a shame. Once you e lost your hardcore fans, it�s tough to ever come back from that.

Well, there�s always minor league baseball, but who cares about that if you don�t care about the big club?

Some if it isn�t half bad. 25 years ago, this would be a good major league staff. This is a HS rotation. ONE SCHOOL.

A senior who tops 90. Nothing special, but pretty good for a HS kid.
But here�s the rest of their rotation.
Three juniors hitting 90, one a lefty.
Two other juniors hitting 86/88.

Yep, imagine being a junior in high school. Throwing mid to upper 80s. And you can�t even crack your teams starting rotation...

And I know velocity isn�t everything, obviously. Big deal, their top six all throwupper 80s and up... these kids are learning how to actually pitch. Committed to Vandy, Stanford, etc absolutely. INSANE. High School...

ach of the six known interviewees brings questions, as anyone would. Kim Ng, Chaim Bloom, De Jon Watson are impressive in different ways, but have never done the job. Dave Littlefield's record in Pittsburgh was uninspiring at best. Doug Melvin is not exactly new school, though his reputation as a "great guy, and open minded," in the words of one baseball official makes him intriguing in this field.

I've been asking executives around the league for opinions on these people for weeks, and Cardinals director of player development Gary LaRocque has easily raised the most questions among those who have worked with or around him.

Larocque's record in player development for the Cardinals is strong, and the Mets need help in that area. But the truth is, multiple people who worked with him in the Mets front office in the late '90s and early 2000s are concerned that he is using the Mets to leverage the Cardinals into a contract extension.

"He was like a used car salesman and a bad office politician," said one former colleague. When I pointed out that the phrasing was harsh, the source joked, "Hey, Bud Selig was a used car salesman!"
Link - ( New Window )

Michael Mayer
‏ @mikemayerMMO
3s3 seconds ago

Mets offensive prospects in AFL action so far:

Peter Alonso .385/.484/.692, 2 HR, 2 2B, 2 SB, 7 RBI, 8 R

Desmond Lindsay 4-for-8, 2 HR, 2B, BB, 3 R, 1.931 OPS

Andres Gimenez 2-for-9, HR, 2B, 3 BB, 2 RBI, 3 R, 1.083 OPS

Ali Sanchez 0-for-8, 2 BB, R

so far the only names even the slightest bit intriguing are Ng and Bloom, and both are admittedly very risky. Really wish Sandy was making the hire and just moving up to a more hands off role - that would have been the ideal transition vs. the clownshow ownership embarrass themselves, but that ship sailed when they chose Omar over Cherrington last offseason. That was the beginning of the end for Sandy.

would wrap up early-mid this week. It's friday and we've heard nothing.

Sandy will not be involved

at least if Donaldson was at 1B, and not 3B (though not sure of Donaldson's D at this stage). Also I don't need Ramos.


Michael Mayer
‏ @mikemayerMMO
9m9 minutes ago

How would Mets fans feel about this offseason?

Catcher - Wilson Ramos
Third Base - Josh Donaldson
Starter - Nathan Eovaldi
Reliever - Greg Holland
Reliever - Jorge De La Rosa
Reliever - Shawn Kelley

be blown away if the Mets spend that much this off-season.