- Luis Severino has joined the Mets in free agency after a mixed history with the Yankees. His career with the Yankees was marked by both success and extensive injuries. Severino signed a one-year, $13 million deal with the Mets.
Mets' Catching Depth:
- The Mets' catching depth is a concern, regarding Omar Narváez's performance and health. Cooper Hmel is considered a potential replacement for Narváez. They also picked up Tyler Heineman.
- Joey Wendle was picked up to replace LG as the utility man.
- Kyle Crick, a new Mets relief pitcher, has joined on a minor league deal with hopes of strengthening the bullpen.
The Mets have signed Austin Adams, Joseph Yabbour, Andre Scrubb and Cole Sulser to aid bullpen depth.
Mets Winter Meetings Focus:
- The Mets are expected to be active at the Winter Meetings, with a focus on acquiring an outfielder, starting pitching, and relief pitching. They are also interested in improving run prevention and outfield defense.
- The team may engage in trade talks, expect to hear the usual prospect names such as Kevin Parada, Brett Baty, Mark Vientos, and Ronny Mauricio.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Player Meetings:
- The New York Mets are planning to meet with Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the next week and he is expected to continue to draw significant interest from MLB teams.
- Shohei Ohtani is also expected to make a decision on his next team soon, with bids for his services surpassing $500 million.
- The Mets are also considering Korean outfielder Jung Hoo Lee.
Summary from pre Winter Meeting thread:
Hall of Fame Ballot Newbies: Inclusion of players like Big Sexy, Wright, and Reyes in the Hall of Fame ballot.
- Several iconic Yankees and Mets greats were in contention for Hall of Fame induction, but they fell short of the required votes.
Management and Coaching Updates: Significant changes in the Mets' management and coaching staff, including a new contract for manager Mendoza. Bench coach vacancy and role shifts for Eric Chavez and Jeremy Barnes as hitting coaches. Introduction of Kris Gross and Andy Green in player development and amateur scouting.
Pitching Strategy and Market Moves: Focus on fortifying the rotation, implications of the Cardinals' signings, and the pursuit of high-caliber pitchers.
Bullpen and Player Performance: Signing of BP arms to minor league deals and review of the players.
Previous Mets thread: - (
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Toronto's final offer was "near" 700 million but they stopped bidding when it was clear Ohtani preferred LAD.
If they have that $$$ to offer, I wonder what Toronto's backup plan could be. does Trout make sense there?
unfortunately it seems like yamamoto is one of them.
bellinger or chapman could also fit for them. i think there are rumors bellinger may be up there visiting right now.
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In comment 16318698 DanMetroMan said:
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Toronto's final offer was "near" 700 million but they stopped bidding when it was clear Ohtani preferred LAD.
If they have that $$$ to offer, I wonder what Toronto's backup plan could be. does Trout make sense there?
unfortunately it seems like yamamoto is one of them.
bellinger or chapman could also fit for them. i think there are rumors bellinger may be up there visiting right now.
Yeah, his fiance (Bellinger's) posted a photo indicating they were in Toronto. Doesn't mean it's to meet with the Blue Jays but it sure could.
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In comment 16318698 DanMetroMan said:
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Toronto's final offer was "near" 700 million but they stopped bidding when it was clear Ohtani preferred LAD.
If they have that $$$ to offer, I wonder what Toronto's backup plan could be. does Trout make sense there?
unfortunately it seems like yamamoto is one of them.
bellinger or chapman could also fit for them. i think there are rumors bellinger may be up there visiting right now.
Bellinger would make sense, I read that Varsho could be a hot trade candidate commodity too.
I guess Biggio didnt work out
One of those opportunities came on Sunday morning, when Katia partnered with Players for the Planet and Puerto Rico-based Rescate Playas Borinque, a community initiative dedicated to the restoration and protection of natural resources and open-air recreation areas on the island, for a cleanup event of Wilderness Beach. It’s a place that holds a special meaning for Katia, who grew up about 15 minutes away in Aguadilla.
“For me, this is an important moment,” Lindor said. “Katia has always enjoyed doing this kind of work since she was a kid. She supports me all year, so now I’m here for her as well as Puerto Rico.”
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Why not?
I think the only player's wife I've ever had an opinion on was Kris Benson lol
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this, I wasn't a big fan of Lindor's wife.
Why not?
I think the only player's wife I've ever had an opinion on was Kris Benson lol
Just her reaction to the Diaz injury of basically "fuck the Mets".
Seemed like she had some vitriol for some reason. I viewed it as the Mets had nothing from Diaz' best intentions in mind.
It's not like I hate her, I don't even know her, but when I read her comments about it and heard what she had to say I felt like I wasn't a fan
@SotoC803
There is no #LIDOM games today.....so its very possible we dont hear anything on Mauricio for another 24 hours.
@Buster_ESPN
Source: The Giants met yesterday with pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He's got a lot of big market teams bidding for his services.
I know this will be unpopular but the Yankees and Dodgers are brands that do not need to go above and beyond the normal courting. They are selling their team and legacy.
Now I won't be upset at the Mets efforts but this is an off season win we need. We are trying to rebuild our brand and become a desirable destination. I hope I am wrong but would the Yankees make the trip without knowing they are close?
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In comment 16318761 pjcas18 said:
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this, I wasn't a big fan of Lindor's wife.
Why not?
I think the only player's wife I've ever had an opinion on was Kris Benson lol
Just her reaction to the Diaz injury of basically "fuck the Mets".
Seemed like she had some vitriol for some reason. I viewed it as the Mets had nothing from Diaz' best intentions in mind.
It's not like I hate her, I don't even know her, but when I read her comments about it and heard what she had to say I felt like I wasn't a fan
Fair - was a genuine question as I barely have time to follow the players let alone the extra curriculars
I know this will be unpopular but the Yankees and Dodgers are brands that do not need to go above and beyond the normal courting. They are selling their team and legacy.
Now I won't be upset at the Mets efforts but this is an off season win we need. We are trying to rebuild our brand and become a desirable destination. I hope I am wrong but would the Yankees make the trip without knowing they are close?
of course the yankees are a viable destination. there is no question they could get him.
the more important question like every other FA negotiation is who will offer the most money?
they have never spent above 282m on payroll, and never paid cohen tax. without yamamoto both of those things are already likely to occur.
if someone offers yamamoto more than cole got, and they have to pay essentially a 110% tax on every dollar of the salary, that's a pretty tall ask.
and after the ohtani contract you know Boras is going to be loaded for a hunt next offseason on a deal also going beyond 40m AAV probably through soto's age 38/39, meaning that too is likely to be a deal above $500m+.
if the mets are able to get yamamoto, soto having gone to nyy and ohtani to lad will have likely been key factors, along with cohen being willing to trust his evaluators and spend a ridiculous amount of money on a guy who has never thrown an MLB pitch before.
nyy - 5m above
nym - 55m below
$30-35m to Yamamoto for mets still has them under what they spent last year.
$30m-35 to Yamamoto for yanks would put them +35m-40m above what they spent last year,
taxed at a higher 50% base rate as a 3rd year offender (+17.5m+),
with a chunk of that hit with the 60% surcharge at the cohen tax level (at least $20m x .60 = +12m)
add in the tax free posting fee of approx $50m on a $300m contract and the yankees are looking at spending almost $100m more than their previous high water mark to get yamamoto just next year if the price hits $300m.
with a soto free agency lined up to come after that.
if the mets are going to lose out on yamamoto they need to make it that painful or more for whoever gets him.
if they like him as much as they seem to say, i honestly wouldnt be shocked if the total sticker ends up $400m+. maybe it's all been some kind of a feint but the league is acting in a way that looks like it may push yamamoto farther beyond his projections than ohtani got.
the LAD trade? I dont know enough about the prospects other than the response that they are generally comparable but i do like the RP they got. basically just replaced 1 of the back end pieces of the soto trade without giving up much.
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like that trade Cashman just made. Yankees having a strong off-season as is, if they get Yamamoto too, jeez.
the LAD trade? I dont know enough about the prospects other than the response that they are generally comparable but i do like the RP they got. basically just replaced 1 of the back end pieces of the soto trade without giving up much.
Yes. They got a legitimately interesting LHRP signed through 2026 who throws 95-98 with strong GB rates for the cost of essentially swapping 2 similar prospects but LAD needing 40 man spots
2 years ago they got scherzer in large part bc the LAD were still carrying the bauer contract, which was a fringe benefit of being in the bidding even though they didnt get him.
if they are considering a soto run next year then it is in their benefit to bid up yamamoto even if they dont get him.
this is the big boy game they are in now. they showed a willingness to blow away precedent with scherzer and jv.
if they project yamamoto at 25 is on that kind of level, what's the argument for not stretching similarly close to 40m per year?
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In comment 16318902 DanMetroMan said:
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like that trade Cashman just made. Yankees having a strong off-season as is, if they get Yamamoto too, jeez.
the LAD trade? I dont know enough about the prospects other than the response that they are generally comparable but i do like the RP they got. basically just replaced 1 of the back end pieces of the soto trade without giving up much.
Yes. They got a legitimately interesting LHRP signed through 2026 who throws 95-98 with strong GB rates for the cost of essentially swapping 2 similar prospects but LAD needing 40 man spots
yeah i posted about him this AM - his savant page is every good too. love the GB rate and good velocity. the way they have been able to develop relievers that is a really good add for them.
The Yankees would not confirm the attendees or any other details of the meeting. Cashman answered a question about it with his go-to phrase for not commenting, “[I] wouldn’t say.”
Meetings of this nature typically last 1-2 hours, and the expectation going in was that this one would follow that format. The team does most, but not all, of the presenting/talking. High-ranking members of the Wasserman group could also attend.
Steinbrenner’s presence, which comes after Mets owner Steve Cohen flew to Japan two weeks ago to meet with Yamamoto and his family, demonstrates the Yankees’ seriousness.
They are hardly the only team that feels that way; in addition to the Yanks and Mets, the Dodgers, Giants, Red Sox, Cubs and Cardinals are among the clubs linked to Yamamoto. According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, the Giants met with Yamamoto on Sunday.
As SNY has reported, Yamamoto has privately expressed interest in the Yankees and noticed when the team held out his preferred uniform number, 18, all last season. No one involved in the bidding expects that jersey number to be the deciding factor, but it was a meaningful gesture.
Another intangible factor working for the Yankees is former NPB and Yanks star Hideki Matsui. Not only is Matsui a current Yankee employee who, as Newark Star-Ledger columnist Bob Klapisch first reported, was helping in this situation -- but he is also a former Wasserman client said to have a meaningful relationship with Yamamoto’s agent, Joel Wolfe.
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As of Sunday, the Yankees planned to send a large group of senior leadership to the meeting: managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner, general manager Brian Cashman, manager Aaron Boone and pitching coach Matt Blake, according to two league sources. If any attendees were added to or subtracted from that list, it would have been a last-minute change.
The Yankees would not confirm the attendees or any other details of the meeting. Cashman answered a question about it with his go-to phrase for not commenting, “[I] wouldn’t say.”
https://sny.tv/articles/what-to-expect-from-yankees-meeting-with-yoshinobu-yamamoto - ( New Window )
That doesn't sound promising. If there was mutual interest there would be more activity it seems.
@JackCurryYES
A source with knowledge of the Yankees’ interaction with Yamamoto said they remain optimistic about their pursuit of the free agent pitcher. It’s a crumb of info. So I’m sharing a crumb. Stay tuned. We’ll talk Yamamoto, Ohtani and more on the Yankees Hot Stove at 6:30 PM on YES.
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That doesn't sound promising. If there was mutual interest there would be more activity it seems.
it's meaningless unless we hear he is taking 2nd meetings with other teams.
and if he does you can bet mets will be in the "finalists" even if it's just to drive up the price.
not even kidding but who knows if the brewers would have spent to send any extra contingent in person for a guy they knew they couldnt afford. and if they did it probably wouldnt have been a guy whose contract allowed him to talk to other teams a few months later.
i think that's the obvious pivot (martino reported as well).
i know nobody wanted to play this game but if the price gets painful enough that Yamamoto $ = 2 of the 3 lesser names i really think it's a coinflip which side ends up better.
the total value received probably becomes actuarially equivalent if you are getting say 12 combined seasons of 2 quality SP vs. 10 seasons of 1 yamamoto. less value per outing and more skewed short term vs long term, but it also covers more innings that need to be filled and is more hedged against 1 big injury.
but hey i hope they get yamamoto, the way they've treated him so far i think honestly creates an argument that he is worth something seemingly insane at face value like a $40m x 10.
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"Robert Orr (official)
@NotTheBobbyOrr
so they need an experienced coach proficient in 4 programming languages with a Master’s in biomechanics to work for 50k a year. Can’t imagine why they’d have any problems filling that opening"
"Lucas Seehafer
@seehafer_
I hold a DPT degree, the CSCS that's "beneficial" and am working on a Ph.D. in Kinesiology. I don't think I'd qualify for all of their requirements...and even if I did why would I do all that work for $60K?"
LOL you think they are bad NOW?
@jaseidler
·
40m
This is a non-entry level high travel hybrid tech/scouting job that is so complex/skilled that with over a decade in tech and nearly a decade in a senior prospect role at BP I don’t come close to meeting the qualifications. And it pays $50-65k https://
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@martinonyc
·
16m
The story today is about the Yankees and Yamamoto because they had their meeting, but the Mets are still very much in this thing.
it sure does. they are at about $220m right now in the CBT calc per spotrac (pretty sure they have ohtani #s in there accurately).
the only silver lining is that im pretty sure they are the most disciplined when it comes to not giving out a contract beyond what they see as the right amount.
i know im a broken record but if the mets get yamamoto the $ is probably going to go farther beyond the projections than ohtani's went. and with fewer gimmicks.
Source: Mets' Ronny Mauricio undergoing tests for knee injury - ( New Window )
Sources: After landing Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers are aggressively pursuing free-agent RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The flexibility Ohtani’s contract provides allows Los Angeles to make room for additional marquee FAs.
Yamamoto and the Dodgers are expected to meet later this week.
Sources: After landing Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers are aggressively pursuing free-agent RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The flexibility Ohtani’s contract provides allows Los Angeles to make room for additional marquee FAs.
Yamamoto and the Dodgers are expected to meet later this week.
the team that gets yamamoto is going to be paying an uncomfortable and possibly unjustifiable price that will likely lead everyone to question whether that price is worth it.
we can either sweat out whether or not that team will be the mets, or figure out how to spend $400m another way we'll be happy about if they lose out.
i mean whatever we do is meaningless but i presume that's what all 3 of these teams are doing/have done. i think the met backup plan is probably something like 2 of montgomery/snell/imanaga.
2 of the 19 most valuable SP in baseball over the last 3 years are available (plus imanaga) and they need to fill innings.
only 2 of the guys ahead of snell/montgomery on this list are free agents next year at comparable ages (fried/burnes). half of the list has signed new long term contracts in the last 12-24 months.
if not snell or montgomery this year what's the future plan? pray burnes/fried dont get traded or extended?
the reason yamamoto is going to get paid the way he is, is because guys like him dont hit the market. waiting for the next one doesnt seem viable to me.
1. Martin Perez, 196.1 IP/2.89 ERA/1.26 WHIP, 5.0 fWAR
2. Dane Dunning, 153.1 IP/4.46 ERA/1.43 WHIP, 1.1 fWAR
3. Glenn Otto, 135.2 IP/4.64 ERA/1.33 WHIP, 0.6 fWAR
4. Jon Gray, 127.1 IP/3.96 ERA/1.13 WHIP, 1.4 fWAR
5. Taylor Hearn, 100.0 IP/5.13 ERA/1.50 WHIP, -0.5 fWAR
and in '23 Martin Perez regressed to a 4.45 era producing less than 1 fwar on the year.
it didn't matter because last offseason they spent like $250m on jdg/eovaldi/heaney,
then traded for scherzer/montgomery after losing jdg.
Prediction: Yamamoto will have the best split-finger among all MLB starting pitchers.
Prediction: Yamamoto will have an elite-grade curveball.
Prediction: Yamamoto might have a below-average cutter.
Prediction: Yamamoto should have elite command.
Prediction: Yamamoto’s height is likely irrelevant to the quality of his production, but it may be meaningful for the quantity.
"Nobody knows what they’ll get for sure, but it’s clear that the underlying data suggests that his future MLB team is getting an ace and that the only question is how many innings they’ll get for their trouble."
Perhaps the hope now is that those data-based scouting grades will ensure that teams are making a good decision when they fork over the biggest contract yet for a pitcher coming from Japan. We can say with a tiny bit more certainty that he’s like a Gausman with Bassitt’s curve and Eflin’s command, which would be a dominant combination but also has not necessarily existed in one human being before.
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ranks Francisco Alvarez the #2 C for Dynasty Fantasy baseball with a peak wRC+ projection of around 130, Kevin Parada came in at #42 #Mets
Where I'm going with this question is what other teams have shown success with this transition for Japanese pitchers?
I would think that should play a part in the decision making.