Why 2024 Matters

Despite having to dig out of the mess created by the 2023 Mets, David Stearns and the Mets cannot afford to kick the can down the road to 2025.

I had hip replacement surgery last week. Just reading those words on the page makes me feel old. I turned 65 last October. I'm not at death's door, but I understand that the clock is ticking and I won't be around forever. I know this is somewhat of a cliché, but time really does go by remarkably quickly. I woke up one day, looked in the mirror, and was surprised at the old face staring back at me. It doesn't seem so long ago that I was still a relatively young man.

The Lost Season

Losing sucks. The hope now is decidedly on the future as the current Mets' season completely unravels.

The idea of a "lost season" is nothing new to longtime New York Mets fans. I've lived through so many more than I would care to count. Some years, you knew the team was going nowhere before the season even began. Others began promising, but injuries and a perennial lack of depth derailed them. This year feels even more frustrating because the resources were in place for a successful season. While Billy Eppler's front office made some errors in constructing the roster, there still seemed to be more than enough for the team to at least compete for a playoff spot. Yet key players endured long, unproductive slumps, with the bats time and again falling silent against mediocre opponents, and the pitching staff seemed to save some of their worst efforts for games in which the offense finally did their part.

Some Thoughts as the Trade Deadline Nears

I don't enjoy watching my high-priced team sell at the deadline, even if I agree with the decision. I hope the players that remain and are unhappy with this sell-off find motivation to avoid another next season.

I was surprised to learn that the Mets had traded Max Scherzer to the Rangers on Saturday. I really wasn't expecting Steve Cohen to fork over the amount of money it would take to trade Scherzer for any worthwhile prospect return. The Mets ponied up over $35 million of Max's salary this year and next, while the Rangers are paying him $22.5 million. In return, New York received Luisangel Acuña from Texas, a 21-year-old currently in Double-A. From what I read, Acuña has a chance to be a really good player, if not quite a superstar like his older brother Ronald.

Dead Team Walking

There will be no second-half surge from the 2023 New York Mets. The real questions now are all some variation of "What's next."

I've been putting off writing this piece for days — going back even before the Mets dropped their series against the Phillies in such a horrendous fashion. It has been clear for quite some time that these Mets aren't going to pull off some scrappy comeback story. It's not entirely impossible, but the turnaround would have to be miraculous and almost instantaneous. It would require a bunch of ballplayers currently underperforming at various rates to reverse course almost to a man. It would make a wonderful story if it happened, but what would make it so remarkable is how infrequently we see something like that.

The Mets Offense is a Bit Healthier

The New York Mets have picked things up on offense as of late, but more improvement is needed if they are to become a championship-caliber club.

The Mets' offense got a little healthier on their western road trip, despite their blip on Tuesday night returning home against the Nats. Pete Alonso is so hot, I honestly wonder why teams are throwing strikes to the Mets one truly dangerous slugger. Brandon Nimmo has an OBP of .456 and a fabulous OPS+ of 167. At least right now, Nimmo is playing like the star he is being paid to be. Jeff McNeil is back to being the pest to opposing pitchers we all know and love. Francisco Lindor has been a bit up and down, but he's driving in runs and is the only real home run threat in the lineup besides Alonso. Daniel Vogelbach is getting on base as expected, slashing .256/.407/.372. We'd all love to see some more power from the big guy but, frankly, the biggest problem is the huge black hole in the lineup behind him. Not much point in getting on base so often if nobody can drive you in.

The Mets Bet on Their Kids with Baty and Alvarez

Eduardo Escobar's struggles and the early success of the young third baseman have forced the Mets' hand. Let's hope this is the start of something big for Brett Baty.

Depending on what's going on in my life, it usually takes me two or three days to write one of my posts for this blog. I'm not a very slow writer, but the free time I can put into this project is fairly limited right now. What keeps me going is how much I enjoy writing in general and how much I love baseball, particularly Mets baseball.

Catch-22 For Francisco Alvarez?

Buck Showalter's comments about Francisco Álvarez are a little disconcerting for those of us who want to see the young catcher get a chance to contribute to the New York Mets.

Buck Showalter is a veteran manager who prefers to coach veteran players — particularly when he is managing a club with the goal of winning a title. Francisco Álvarez is an inexperienced youngster who plays a defensive position that is, perhaps, the most demanding on a baseball diamond. A good catcher has to perform complex athletic skills while spending 3 hours crouching and making the right mental choices supporting his pitcher. Those demands are why offensive production is often a secondary consideration when teams choose their catchers.

Thoughts on the Mets Opening Day Roster - Position Players

With the MLB regular season merely days away, we look at the position players who will break camp on the Mets' 26-man roster.

In our last post, we attempted to forecast which pitchers might travel south with the Mets when they open the season in Miami on March 30. This time, we'll look at which position players will join them in the "Magic City" when things get underway next week. While there are far fewer decisions to be made with the 13 position players the Mets will likely carry, there certainly are a couple of tough choices for Buck Showalter, Billy Eppler, and the rest of the club's brain trust.

Jeff McNeil's Incredible Journey

The Jeff McNeil contract extension was a good business decision that benefits the New York Mets, the fans, and McNeil himself.

Jeff McNeil began his career with the New York Mets when he was drafted in the 12th round of the 2013 draft after three seasons with Long Beach State. Jeff put up a .296/.356/.358 combined slash line with the 49ers with 0 HR over his college career. That makes it easy to understand why a future batting champion was drafted so low. Interestingly enough, another light-hitting infielder taken 2 rounds before McNeil in that amateur draft named Luis Guillorme also made it to the big leagues as a New York Met.

The Road to Sustainability

The Mets are making the final tweaks to their roster. Also, will the club finally figure out how to successfully integrate their prospects into the lineup?

With the excitement (and disappointment) of the Carlos Correa chase abated, the Mets are moving into the home stretch of the hot stove season. They're still making moves to strengthen their club three weeks before the official report date. By signing Tommy Pham as their fourth outfielder, the club thrilled approximately 0% of their fanbase, but it was a significant signing nonetheless. It was important to have a better option than Khalil Lee and Abraham Almonte for that spot. Pham may not be the dream choice of Mets fans, but he was a solid pickup for the club.

Here Comes the Sun

Spring training is mere weeks away now, with longer, warmer days and exciting New York Mets baseball soon to follow.

While we all await the final resolution of the Carlos Correa saga, we're rapidly approaching the start of spring training. I've always enjoyed the return of baseball, even in years when I knew the Mets would stink. Of course, that's hardly the case for 2023. Although there are indeed questions about a Mets roster full of new faces, including many older ballplayers, it will be a great team to watch — no matter who is manning third base. Although it will undoubtedly be more fun if the Mets and Correa can come to terms.

Cohen-Vision

While a former New York Met waxes poetic on the vision of the Rangers' organization, things are looking just fine here with the old club. 

In the olden days, hearing the Mets associated with the name of a premium free agent was almost inevitably a precursor of eventual disappointment, even before the Madoff fiasco crippled the team's finances. One of the factors that made Omar Minaya so popular with the fanbase initially was his signings of Pedro Martinez and Carlos Beltran during his first winter at the helm. I remember feeling electrified by the news of Beltran's signing, fully expecting Carlos to end up elsewhere that winter.

There Are Reasons Beyond Money to Be a New York Met

For years, the Mets had to overpay or settle for lesser free agents. Those days are mercifully over.

As I noted in my previous post, baseball media pundits have shifted from a speculative consensus that Jacob deGrom would sign with another team this winter to a much more optimistic narrative (outside of ESPN) that the New York Mets could actually retain their ace. My personal preference has always been for the Mets to retain one of their all-time great pitchers. Not at all costs, however, but rather after making a proper assessment of Jake's future value. After all, no other team in baseball should have a better idea of where deGrom stands medically and how much it is reasonable to expect from him going forward. As long as another team doesn't go way out on a limb with their offer, I hope the Mets re-sign him.

(In)Credible Sources

Wait... what? Now Jacob deGrom doesn't hate New York?

Remember earlier this summer when baseball pundits were tripping over each other to breathlessly report another rumor about where Jacob deGrom really wants to pitch next year? ESPN's Buster Olney tweeted: "There is a perception in some corners of the industry that if Jacob deGrom follows through with what he said in the spring and opts out of his Mets' contract, the Braves will be the favorites to land him." SNY's Andy Martino assured us that Olney's tweet constituted a "highly credible report." Martino reinforced that with some vague prattle about Georgia being closer to Florida, and even more ambiguous rumors that Jake "does not seem to enjoy the extra attention that comes with playing [in New York]."

These Aren't the Wilpon Mets

The Mets signing their talented closer to a huge deal so early in the off-season is a welcome change from the parsimony and indecision of the Wilpon era.

Reports are out that the New York Mets have signed closer Edwin Díaz to a five-year, $102 million contract. My first thoughts were about how much the game has changed where even the top closer is worth over $20 million per year. But mostly, I feel grateful that the Mets were able to lock up one of their most important free agents very early. This will allow them to move on to the other consequential decisions they need to make.

Getting from Here to Greatness

It will take some time for the Mets to remake themselves into a great organization. However, there are things they can do right now to help themselves bridge that gap.

The New York Mets have a ton of free agent decisions to make this winter. I took a preliminary look at starting pitching, the bullpen, and position players earlier in the summer. I recently gave them a quick read, thinking perhaps I would update my thinking. But nothing really has changed. It seems likely that the Mets will take a go at re-signing Jacob deGrom, Edwin Díaz, and Brandon Nimmo. Those three will be, by far, the most expensive to retain of all their current free agents. Other decisions as to who to attempt to keep and which other players to pursue will branch off the success or failure of retaining the top 3. And that will greatly depend upon other teams seeking these players and what sort of contracts get tossed around.

Decisions, Decisions: Position Players

We complete our three-part series on the player decisions the Mets will face after the 2022 season, focusing on position players.

In parts one and two of this series, we looked at New York Mets starters and relievers that would be free agents following this season. Today we wrap up with a look at the position players. Unlike the pitching staff, where the Mets front office will be forced to make several important decisions, there is only one significant position player reaching free agency: CF Brandon Nimmo. But Nimmo is an important player, indeed. Brandon is one of the offensive catalysts for this club and, as a bonus, turned himself into an excellent center fielder.

Get Used to the Trolls

Andy Martino w/o
the TV makeup

For now, it's speculation about whether Jacob deGrom really "likes" pitching in New York. Trolling Mets fans is a full-time job for the local and national baseball media. My advice is: get used to it and ignore it as much as possible.

Over the weekend, ESPN's Buster Olney tweeted out, "There is a perception in some corners of the industry that if Jacob deGrom follows through with what he said in the spring and opts out of his Mets' contract, the Braves will be the favorites to land him." I chuckled when I first read it, the wording was artful in appearing to say a lot without really saying much of anything. There isn't much fact-based stuff going on in claiming that a "perception" exists in "some corners of the industry." For instance, a perception exists among the two canine members of my household that they are entitled to share my dinner with me. Understand that both of these dogs have lived with us for years and have never been given people food during meals. Yet that perception, fundamentally wrong as it is, still persists in some corners of my household.

How Much Is Enough?

The Mets did so much to improve this off-season. Is it terribly greedy to wish they had done just a little more?

We're just over two weeks away from the New York Mets' season opener in Washington on April 7. With only 3 exhibition games under their belts, the Mets really don't have much time to prepare for games that count. The offense hasn't looked very good in the early going, beyond a flurry of home runs in the first game.

A Very Early Look at Mets Position Players

When last I posted here, I took an early look at the Mets pitching*. This included the additions of Chris Bassitt and Adam Ottavino, but still pending the almost certain addition of at least one late-inning caliber lefty. Today we'll move on to the position players, whose ranks have been substantially overhauled this off-season. Eduardo Escobar will be picking up most of the 3B ABs this year, while Starling Marte and Mark Canha will be joining lone holdover Brandon Nimmo in the outfield. Barring a last-minute change of course, Michael Conforto will not be returning after seven mostly solid seasons in New York.