Jeff Passan
@JeffPassan
Center fielder Starling Marte and the New York Mets are in agreement on a four-year, $78 million contract, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN.
The Mets’ big day just got a whole lot bigger as they get the best CF on the market.
love what they did. I believe they will be trading either JD or Smith in a package for pitching. Figuring they resign Baez, and Smith is traded (more trade value than JD) imo, you have a lineup as follows:
Nimmo LF
Marte CF
Lindor SS
Alonso 1B
Baez 2B
McNeil DH
Escobar 3B
Canha RF
McCann C
Real nice lineup. Cano, Guillorme, Nido, Pillar or another OF on bench. If Cano still hits, he is basically a 10th starter, and guys get rest as needed. Likely there are injuries.
All the guys they are getting are versatile. Canha is backup 1B, so that alleviates that need. All three OF can play CF.
a bench of Cano Guillorme Davis and Nido. Davis and Cano are not ideal defensively coming off the bench, but Guillorme is the IF defense off the bench, and you can get away with Davis coming off the bench as you have a good starting OF defensively, and McNeil would be available to play OF due to injury.
It would appear that Billy Eppler will use all the tools in his box. The Mets are willing tom take on a bad contract to acquire pitching. MLB Rumors
Quote:
"The trade market, of course, presents myriad other opportunities. One interesting note raised by Eppler — speaking more generally and not specifically with regard to the rotation — was the Mets’ ability and openness to take on a bad contract as a means of effectively purchasing a prospect from another club. Eppler was the Angels’ general manager when they traded 2019 first-round pick Will Wilson to the Giants in order to shed the remainder of Zack Cozart’s contract while dealing with payroll limitations from his prior ownership. Now, Eppler suggests he could be on the opposite side of such a transaction.
Spending on short term deals limits hamstringing later on and anticipated development soon in next two years having Baty, Vientos, Mauricio coming up. All three are solid clubhouse teammates and it’s clear the clubhouse became toxic last year in summer for whatever reasons. Eppler has hit ground running and interested to see what else he has up sleeve for the pitching.
I expect McNeil and Davis to be jettisoned soon both due to clubhouse issues and the lack of legitimate fits. Neither play good defense and Mets need to stop fitting players into spots they don’t really excel in or in McNeils case don’t seem to want to play.
I want to keep Doms bat here and get his hitting back on track with hopeful DH but if you can get a young cost controller starter for him you might have to do it.
really happy we didnt get Matz back? I just dont see him as anymore than a 4/5
Yes - especially if they end up with 2 of Gausman/Gray/Scherzer.
Matz has great stuff if he can throw the hard Dan Warthen slider. But he can't throw it without the elbow barking.
So, I see his contract as one that has a slight chance of being a great value because Matz lives up to his stuff. But it has a much greater chance of being a disaster with the elbow again.
1. It has a ripple effect. On a scale of 1-10 where Willie Mays is a 10 and Juan Samuel a 1 as a CFer, I would rate Nimmo has a 3or 4 CFer. However, in LF I think he is a 7.
Marte might only be a 7 or maybe 6 in CF, given his age, but he improves the defense beyond that by letting other guys play their natural position in the OF.
2. He stole 47 bases last year and was only caught 5 times. Coupled with Lindor that adds a speed dimension that has long been lacking on this team. Speed becomes more important in the postseason.
So, the more I think about this deal, the more I like it. Not many OFers in this free agent class, so Mets had to overpay a bit. So what
@JeffPassan
Center fielder Starling Marte and the New York Mets are in agreement on a four-year, $78 million contract, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN.
The Mets’ big day just got a whole lot bigger as they get the best CF on the market.
First with the news was
@JonHeyman
.
Puts any Conforto reunion hope to bed.
Now sign Donaldson, Sherzer, and Greinke..... :)
It also raises the talent level and allows them to make trades midseason if they have to.
I think the hitters are perfect as it is. But they’re probably going to trade JD at a minimum
Nimmo LF
Marte CF
Lindor SS
Alonso 1B
Baez 2B
McNeil DH
Escobar 3B
Canha RF
McCann C
Real nice lineup. Cano, Guillorme, Nido, Pillar or another OF on bench. If Cano still hits, he is basically a 10th starter, and guys get rest as needed. Likely there are injuries.
All the guys they are getting are versatile. Canha is backup 1B, so that alleviates that need. All three OF can play CF.
Some combination of Dom, Davis, McNeil, could be bundled for a starter
Which teams could use price controlled players, need position players and have pitching to spare?
Canha and Escobar are both solid, underrated players.
Three good moves. Well done Mets.
It would appear that Billy Eppler will use all the tools in his box. The Mets are willing tom take on a bad contract to acquire pitching. MLB Rumors
"The trade market, of course, presents myriad other opportunities. One interesting note raised by Eppler — speaking more generally and not specifically with regard to the rotation — was the Mets’ ability and openness to take on a bad contract as a means of effectively purchasing a prospect from another club. Eppler was the Angels’ general manager when they traded 2019 first-round pick Will Wilson to the Giants in order to shed the remainder of Zack Cozart’s contract while dealing with payroll limitations from his prior ownership. Now, Eppler suggests he could be on the opposite side of such a transaction.
I expect McNeil and Davis to be jettisoned soon both due to clubhouse issues and the lack of legitimate fits. Neither play good defense and Mets need to stop fitting players into spots they don’t really excel in or in McNeils case don’t seem to want to play.
I want to keep Doms bat here and get his hitting back on track with hopeful DH but if you can get a young cost controller starter for him you might have to do it.
Yes - especially if they end up with 2 of Gausman/Gray/Scherzer.
Quote:
really happy we didnt get Matz back? I just dont see him as anymore than a 4/5
Yes - especially if they end up with 2 of Gausman/Gray/Scherzer.
Matz has great stuff if he can throw the hard Dan Warthen slider. But he can't throw it without the elbow barking.
So, I see his contract as one that has a slight chance of being a great value because Matz lives up to his stuff. But it has a much greater chance of being a disaster with the elbow again.
Marte might only be a 7 or maybe 6 in CF, given his age, but he improves the defense beyond that by letting other guys play their natural position in the OF.
2. He stole 47 bases last year and was only caught 5 times. Coupled with Lindor that adds a speed dimension that has long been lacking on this team. Speed becomes more important in the postseason.
So, the more I think about this deal, the more I like it. Not many OFers in this free agent class, so Mets had to overpay a bit. So what