8:15am: Villar is guaranteed $3.55MM from the Mets, Heyman tweets. The contract contains additional incentives that can boost that salary.
8:02am: The Mets have agreed to a deal with infielder Jonathan Villar, reports MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (via Twitter). Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes hears the same, adding that it’s a one-year, Major League deal for the Wasserman client.
Over the weekend, Villar was reported to be in talks with the Reds about a contract, but it seems New York made a better offer to the former Astros, Brewers, Orioles, Marlins and Blue Jays speedster. Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets that Cincinnati’s efforts were likely focused on a minor league deal.
The Mets have a full infield and crowded outfield mix as well, but the fleet-footed Villar will likely give them a super-utility option who can bounce around the multiple spots on the diamond. While Villar spent the bulk of his career at shortstop and second base, he’s also logged action at third base, in center field and in left. The Marlins originally planned to use him as their primary center fielder last year when they acquired him from the Orioles, but the team’s early Covid-19 outbreak threw the roster into a state of chaos and landed Villar back in the infield.
The 2020 season was an ugly one for Villar, who underwhelmed in Miami before completely cratering in a 22-game stint with Toronto. Villar’s overall batting line last season checked in at a disastrous .232/.301/.292, but his track record prior to that showing was generally solid.
From 2015-19, Villar batted at a combined .269/.336/.423 with 70 homers and 167 steals in 2472 plate appearances. Villar was quite arguably the best player on a lousy Orioles roster in 2019 when he hit .274/.339/.453 with 24 home runs and 40 stolen bases.
There’s some clear power and speed upside with the switch-hitting Villar, and while he doesn’t play any one position particularly well, his ability to fill in at a variety of spots on the diamond only serves to further deepen a much-improved Mets roster in 2021. He’s also been a productive regular recently enough that one could envision him stepping into an everyday role and capably holding down the fort in the event of an injury to second baseman Jeff McNeil, shortstop Francisco Lindor or third baseman J.D. Davis. Villar joins Albert Almora Jr. and Jose Martinez on an increasingly veteran Mets bench.
Why?
No Sandy, Kevin Pillar!
Cant have Almora and Pillar on the same team as a 4th OF/CF defense type.
Pillar will probably get an everyday job on a bad team.
Pillar is a way better player than Almora. Almora shouldn’t have much of an impact on going after another CF option.
Heard Pillar can’t really handle CF anymore. If that’s the case, we don’t need him.
heard it from who? just wondering… cause when people say “they heard” something about somebody… its not always from a reliable source.
The Mets know you can only have 4 infielders at once, right?
You do know MLB teams have 3-5 man benches, right?
They haven’t been aware of that for a while….
Do the Mets realize that they can only have 26 people on the roster?
Jose Peraza (who most likely gets cut from this move) is a much worse player than Villar. Good front offices upgrade any way they can.
a guy with some speed off the bench isn’t a bad thing
Peraza’s only on a minor league contract isn’t he?
Peraza is on a NRI aka probably about to get cut, or on another team by opening day at the latest.
Right, Mets can hang onto Peraza as insurance through spring training.
I’m guessing Guillermo Heredia gets the axe to make room for Villar
To make room for Almora
They got 4 catchers on the 40 man roster. I’m going with the 27 year old catcher who’s never been called up yet Mazeika. I did get a laugh out of the suggestions of cutting a non roster invite…..
@yankees500
‘Tis the season to sign a whole bunch of scrubs and let them fight it out during the spring for the last couple of roster spots. I’m not calling anyone in particular a scrub, but just about all teams do this.
Whatever powers the MLBTR comment section, it stinks and needs to be changed.
I’d be 100% fine with them just not allowing comments on this site. I always regret checking them and this should be a news only site IMO.
They’d get way less traffic
While I like commenting on some things, I agree with you too an extent. If we could ban the trolls, and haters, I’d enjoy that more than taking away fan voices that enjoy discussing baseball.
It would be great if we could mute or block the trolls, or if we all understood these are anonymous comment sections in 2021 and the obvious thing is going to happen and to never take these seriously to begin with.
It blows my mind that there’s people out there who are I guess writing comments made by fellow anon posters down to “own” them in the future? Lol, why? Its sports, almost all takes will eventually be wrong – time changes everything by the day in pro sports.
I keep all my takes and comments to the post, and move onto the next. Trolls dont do this, they go into threads looking to start trouble and call out fellow anon posters by name. What a bummer, there’s literally no point to that, you can’t “win” vs an anonymous poster, so have the disagreement rationally in the moment, agree to disagree, and move on to the next post.
id love to be able to vote people off of the commenting island
Thats a terrible idea, as anyone can make as many accounts as they liked to put like 50 votes on someone. I wish they’d do away with the voting system altogether, its being used by the gangs of trolls who post here to bully people, that’s so toxic.
What you consider a troll and hater will differ from others’ opinions. That’s why banning people is a slippery slope. I agree that they should have a block/mute button.
They were so much better in the disqus days imo. People actually talked baseball instead of just constant trolling and insults.
Yes…back in the disqus days the page was really solid. It was also tightly moderated. It changed the second that changed. Problem is..it takes a lot of scrolling to have a baseball conversation. I really wish MLBTR would deal with this…its long created a negative environment. The idea that all the commenting creates eyeballs in ads is faulty…it’s hurt the branding. I believe people come here FOR the comment section for sure. But it needs to be handled.
Oh please. Stop clutching your pearls just cause you found opinions that you disagree with. Ppl like you are the worst.
@far beyond driven My beef is with the platform, not the comments themselves. Fail.
Cool. My comment was directed at the ppl calling for censorship.
@8man Don’t worry, a lot of older people have issues with technology.
Sandy Alderson Whiffed on all of the top FAs and has tons of $ but he is back to what he does best which is dumpster diving and overpaying for 2nd and 3rd tier guys. LOL
No CF, LF & 3B but they traded for a rental SS with 2 young cost controlled SS. Maybe Arenado and Springer made more sense. Ya think?
it’s a one year deal for a multi positional speed guy off the bench. geez
You state your opinion like it comes from on high and those that dare disagree should be mocked. I personally like this pickup and think they’ve done a great job this off season. Soooo glad they didn’t go for Arenado and that monstrosity of a contract. Still need a CFr though.
You don’t realize that retaining Lindor will cost a monstrous contract as well and I really like Gimenez who will be solid defender with contact hit tools and base stealing along with high baseball IQ.
I’m not as high on the trade as others (general rule: never trade youth for older), but who cares if they retain him? Even if they don’t sign one of the big SS free agents, Gimenez won’t be THAT hard to replace. (I like Gimenez too and I hate monster contracts so I do see your point, yet still I think they’ve done a great job).
OF of Nimmo LF, Springer CF, Conforto RF
IF of Arenado 3B, Gimenez SS, McNeil 2B, Alonso / Smith 1B is a winning roster.
OF of Smith LF, Nimmo CF, Conforto RF
IF of Davis 3B, Lindor SS, McNeil 2B, Alonso 1B is a losing roster IMO
Which would you prefer?
Mets bench is now: Villar, Almora, Martinez, Guillorme and Nido. Stacked. Love it.
People are really trying bring the Mets down for signing a utility bench guy lol.
It’s a solid signing and he will definitely start a lot of games to give guys days off. Depth is going to be crucial this season.
He’s the perfect guy for a contending team to have on the bench. Trolls will pick literally anything (like my mistake near the top of this thread of leading with he -can- play CF instantly gets translated by them to “YOU SAID HE”S THE EVERYDAY CF HE’S ONLY PLAYED 50 INNINGS THERE HAHA YOU ARE SO DUMB”).
If anything these comments sections really illuminate how dumb almost all sports fans are. I mean, the parameters of these sports change by the day, yet fans always talk in terms of concrete statements. Not a smart move. I’m no better or worse than them, but I’m also not taking notes and keeping tabs on what people write on here to follow up and “win” arguments that have been long forgotten by anyone who actually understands sports fandom shouldnt be taken so seriously.
He was on a contending teams bench last year, and I can tell you he wasn’t the perfect option for that spot. Saying that, there certainly is upside. It’s not too long ago he was a four WAR player. I would be pretty shocked if he does return to that level though.
Agreed, he is probably in decline (speed guy + turning 30 = usually happens), but as a bench piece, he’s a plus for sure. Mets have a strong, solid bench that can now cover any CF, 1B, 2B and SS injuries with MLB-quality guys, not AAAA scrubs – so many casuals don’t think about this.
@Marty McRae It’s pretty amazing how the Mets addressed all of their holes this offseason. They may not have gotten all the FAs they wanted, but they upgraded and plugged holes almost everywhere. The Mets are certainly not a perfect team, but it’s real hard not to love the offseason the Mets had.
Braves fans punching the air all up and down this thread when their pitching staff is barely even 3rd in the NLE. Mets, Nats and Phils are all doing pretty good jobs this offseason honestly.
The goal is to upgrade wherever you can, and Villar is an upgrade over Peraza, things like that is what good front offices master.
Marty I think you right on the Braves a little. Soroka is good but coming back from achilles injury. Fried in 2019 was good in the beginning but then bad so not to high on 2020 yet. Anderson barely pitched so we have to see more from him. And im not high on the Morton on Smyly signings. As a Nats fan though I would rather have the rotation healthy and good than Soto winning the triple crown lol.
@marty mcrae
Our rotation hasn’t been a strength for a while, and we still finish ahead of your mets every year. stay down, hater
ATL rotation was 23rd in MLB (in rotation ERA) with biblical-bad luck and still a game from the World Series, unable to close the door on MLB’s best team. The bar is pretty low for the rotation to exceed in a full year with the additions and 2020 maturity of arm depth (i.e. Bryse Wilson, Kyle Wright, Ynoa, then Kyle Muller, Tucker Davidson, etc.).
MetsFan22 this is a good signing, but I have a question for you. Who would you rather extend Conforto or Lindor.
Lindor but I want both. But if they could only do one for some reason I’ll go with Lindor.
Conforto. Only because there are so many SS on the market next year, the Mets can find a replacement
Idk why this is getting so much hate. Sure he’s not Springer but he’s a really solid bench piece who’s put up good seasons in the past (really good seasons too). For a long time the Mets have really struggled with major league depth. This should fix this as long as it’s not too much of an overpay.
I am still mad Atkins got fleeced by Miami at the trade deadline.
And LA.
Love this pickup!
Man the reds are broke and broken
Reds confuse me. The pandemic must have put the screws to them. They built a team to win…and gave it 60 games?
If he bounces back a lot of people will be eating crow. I hear if you put hot sauce on it you can usually choke it down. I’m throwing 2020 out.
Villar is a great get at that price. I’d be very confident he does bounce back only thing that might hold him back is limited ABs.
Villar is a losing baseball player. Plain and simple. He makes mental errors on the basepaths and in the field constantly. He’s never been a true “4 WAR” player. No one has ever valued him that way in the MLB. It was hilarious to watch the writers and a number of commenters bash the O’s for dropping him last year.
It’s an okay move for the bench. But I’ve seen enough Villar to know that it’s highly likely he’ll make a mistake in a key moment. Whether that’s rounding 1st base too hard and getting thrown out or being lackadaisical on a routine groundball.
Thank you @jbigz12
We saw this in Miami too. And the Blue Jays fan many posts below saw this too.
Good luck with Villar, Mets fans! It couldn’t happen to a better fan base.
Villar is stealing the Mets money to the point Bobby Bonilla gave him a gold clap.
The point of a bench player is having an ability to defend multiple positions. Mets fans will find out quickly Villar is not strong on D. He’s a glorified pinch runner.
I feel like Nats and Mets will fight for the 2nd wildcard spot
Not a Mets fan nor a Braves fan.
As constituted, comparing the two teams is an interesting exercise.
But there might be one big difference.
Atlanta is done with its off season, at least any moves that might move the needle much.
New York may not be.
Braves aren’t done. AA said as much with Ozuna’s signing, whose lower AAV in the first year allowed for additional spending while lowering payroll. Shane Greene/Melancon and a few other bullpen arms are still available (Rosenthal), though Will Smith, Chris Martin could close. Bench needs some addressing, including possibly a 4th OF (Duvall?)
Thing is, ATL still has the prospects not having made a substantial trade, and not enough spots to utilize everyone. NYM said they didn’t want to trade from their farm. Not many more impact free agents still available that fit their needs.
How big is the Mets 40 man roster?
They need to cut two players
Can we cut Tomas Nido twice?
Random observation. He’s twice led the NL in caught stealing, including last year despite only playing in the league for part of the season.
I’m a Marlins fan. I saw what he brings. There’s a reason why I’m celebrating the Mets signing him.
People need to check the comments made by Miguel Rojas, Francisco Cervelli, and Don Mattingly the days before we traded Villar to Toronto at the deadline.
That’s been the knock on Villar forever. That he’s fast, but not a good baserunner in a nuts and bolts sense. He’s played positions of scarcity, so the raw numbers have played. But yeah. If I recall correctly he has a hard time with kickoffs. Didnt he even get picked off 3rd?
It was the bad baserunning, along with horrible AB decisions, and his refusal to buy into the overall system and culture that was designed by Derek Jeter and Michael Jordan (yes NBA’s legendary MJ who’s part owner), that Don Mattingly and co. have been enforcing (which included Rojas and Cervelli leading). That’s when, even in the midst of our surprising run, they preferred to move Villar to anyone willing to take him.
Lol your culture for the next 5 years will be a losing one. “Culture” lol
Like in 2020?
Remember, you’re going to see what we are. 2020, although short, was a prelude of what’s coming.
Trust me, no Mets fan should engage in a culture discussion, especially many of you Mets fans are also Jets and Knicks fans. The culture of your team and teams puts you in a place where you shouldn’t say anything about others…especially when we have an owner (Derek Jeter) who has preached it, and another that has been quietly helping build it (Michael Jordan), who have reached out to the leadership of one of our city’s other pro teams about their culture (Pat Riley and the Miami Heat)…when all of the parties involved have multiple champions involved with culture building.
Like I said…you’ll see what’s coming.
I think Jonathan Villar fits the Mets culture because he clearly didn’t fit the Marlins one.
It’s kind of like Nimmo a year ago when he took that shot at the Marlins before the season when he said playing without fans in the stands is like playing in Miami. He was wrong, because he played 2020 without fans in the stands for a NY team that finished in last place. Playing 2020 in Miami without fans was for a second place team that made the playoffs and advanced past the first round. Clearly Nimmo didn’t know what it’s like.
That’s the Mets culture. Villar and Nimmo embody it. Talented guys who are clearly flawed in more of their game than they are effective – and a Mets fan like you loves them.
Ohhhhhhh it finally makes sense why you don’t like Nimmo lol
No, he just sucks. He has one skill. He get’s on base by not swinging. Little League coaches have been telling their worst players to crowd the plate and not swing for generations, so that shouldn’t be the one skill that a player gets called a good player for doing when that’s his only skill.
The only thing he’s good at is only the most important thing a batter can do: get on base.
You are just a pure Mets hater!! And you are worse than Metsfan22 because you will ridicule any Mets fan and any moves that the team makes!! I feel bad for your family and friends…..
No, the most important thing a batter can do is have the ability against the successful pitchers who throw strikes to hit the ball. Nimmo is mediocre when he swings the bat.
Why is it the most important thing to be able to hit your way on base? Because all of the elite teams that make the playoffs have pitchers that throw strikes. The teams with pitchers that can’t find the strikezone are either easy outs in the playoffs or sitting at home watching them.
Marlins, your opinion would be disputed by EVERY modern baseball expert. Have your opinion but know that every scout, analyst, GM or otherwise actually educated baseball expert disagrees (and has since like 1970.) Your opinion cannot be backed up by facts or logic or research but yet still you cling to it. Go ahead, find me ONE modern expert/analyst/scout who agrees with your nonsense. I’ll be waiting. I challenge you to back up your opinion.
Another good cost effective Alderson move, not Justin Turner!
Sign Villar okay but he stunk last year. He definitely didn’t deserve a major league deal. That was a minor league signing and an invite to spring training.
So was Travis Shaw last offseason but someone gave him some millions to prove he’s finished.
Villar to second, McNeil to third? And Davis to… a place yet to be determined?
The Mets are getting everyone.
The NL is gonna have 4-5 competitors
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. San Diego Padres
3. New York Mets
4. Washington Nationals
5. Atlanta Braves
The Mets are getting everyone? When did they get Realmuto, Springer, Bauer, Hand, Arenado, Ozuna, Snell, Darvish, etc. gajillion players they were supposed to get with their new ownership? They got Lindor and Carrasco….and that’s pretty much their big moves in one move.
Im a Nats fan so I hate the Mets and some of their fans. I think they are over hyped, but this is fine that they are high on power rankings. They always fail to succeed. Don’t get to mad rn.
The Mets are filling their roster with veterans who are still young enough to fill in for weeks at a time in the event of injuries and AAA depth. Many of these guys may not even be with the team April 3. If someone doesn’t look like a good fit or another teams needs someone due to their own injuries, all these signings might become trade chips. Mets are setting themselves up very nicely to bolster their minor league system later this summer.
Thank you…thank you…thank you…thank you New York Mets!
Sincerely,
Miami Marlins fans
And I’m sure Toronto Blue Jays fans
PS: I’m sure Derek Jeter, Don Mattingly, Miguel Rojas, Francisco Cervelli, etc. from the Marlins also want to thank the Mets for this signing.
Are you thanking us for winning the NL East?
You think Villar is getting you there? LOL!
Remember what I said last year? I’m saying it again this year for Villar. You’ll see. You’re going to see what you got there. You may be begging the Mets to trade him by June 1st.
@marlinsfan the difference is he’ll be a bench guy for us as opposed to a starter for you guys. I like him in this role a lot better.
@alc47 do you think that a bench guy can’t be a problem? He went from starter, to platoon with us and then we moved him to Toronto when it was clear that he was not a culture fit during our surprising playoff run.
@metsfan you know we haven’t won anything right ? I love your passion but we’re the laughing stock of baseball year about year. The butt of every joke. I’m pumped for this year but let’s stop crowing the Mets championship when we’ve done absolutely nothing to deserve that title.
Please don’t stop him. Let him talk. It’s good entertainment for us fans of your division rivals…especially when the eventual disaster happens.
He has a lot of passion, I remember being like him when I was younger. Years of being a Mets fan suck that enthusiasm out of you. I do however need to disagree with that last part I don’t think the “eventual disaster” is happening this year. This is the first time in a long time I’ve seen the team built correctly and they’ve put an emphasis on that depth.
We’ll see if this year is different. You all have said that before…many many many times and for many many many years.
The difference is, he was a starter on your trash team. He plays behind Lindor and McNeil on the Mets. So sad you root for the Marlins and even sadder you hate on every Mets thread. Mom wants you in bed by 9 tonight young man!
Yeah @bryan c, my trash team made the playoffs last year. How’d the Mets do? How were they trending as the season went on?
And my trash team has just as many championships as the Mets…in 3 less decades of existence.
And my trash team doesn’t have the longest championship drought by NL East teams. The Mets have that honor.
Marlinfanbase’s name is quite clever, as he is the only marlin fan on this planet, thus making him the fan base lol
This is gonna end up as a steal
Useful spare part, as long as you don’t have to run him out there in critical situations. The price is a little heavy, but not dramatically so, and the Mets have a LOT of money. Good move.
Boooo! Puck the Mets!
Villar as an everyday starter would be a terrible idea. Villar as a backup with some power and stolen base potential is not a bad idea. His versatility on the infield allows the Mets to give guys days off when needed. Certainly not a game changer but the small move that helps teams win over 162 game season.
Great Pick-Up
Rojas will a lot Versatile Options on the Roster
I like this signing. Super utility player and could battle Davis for everyday 3B. Villar is actually getting paid more than Davis this year.
3.5 mil? Unbelievable
Villar is a good athlete and a bad baseball player. Remember Keith ripping him for his lack of focus and awareness? He’s been on 100 teams for a good reason.
He was the worst Jay in his short stint on the team and he left the dugout when he was PH for sulking, not to return. He is a bad player but more importantly, a bad teammate.
Again, I have no dog in the fight.
Villar is hardly a bad player. He wasn’t good last season, its true. But that was an anomaly.
In the four seasons previously, which coincides with his playing full-time, he has totaled 8.6 fWAR.
A 2+ fWAR player who can adequately play multiple positions has value.
Good low-risk, potentially high upside signing that provides depth almost everywhere.
This dude rakes and hits bombs.
I wanted Marwin as the super utility guy, but $3.5M for villar in that role is okay too… I would’ve preferred a guy w stronger defense, especially at 3b, but they’ll still have Guillorme for that
And the Cincinnati Redlegs blow yet another opportunity by being cheap … the best goes on … going to be a long year in the Queen City
Really like the Villar signing to a bargain contract yes he stunk last year in sixty games but you should mostly ignore last years numbers. He had a monster 2019 with 24 homers and 40 steals if he rebounds even a little it’s a bargain contract.
You can ignore last years numbers, but can you really ignore the issues he had with bad decision-making in games and his lack of buying into a system and culture for a playoff team?
Interesting, but last year’s numbers were so unlike him (2 HR in 187 AB) – dropping his OPS .200 pts from the prior year? I understand Camden is kind to some, but man. Billy Hamilton disappeared and he took up the speed-only gauntlet.
Dude, chill with your comments all over this thread. We know he’s not very good, but it’s a bench piece for them; Late inning base runner. He’s not going to start for them like he did for your team.
He can’t help it. He’s obsessed with trolling the Mets
I like this deal. Nothing to lose and provides exceptional depth and potential late inning double switches when a steal is needed. He can also fill in for weeks at a time if necessary. These signing also provide roster flexibility if the trade deal presents itself. I really like the versatility that the Mets front office is providing. It’s been awhile, to say the least.
Hey Jim (you know me) while I like Villar, it’s only as a starter. He would be great as a part timer aka Dave Roberts was for Boston’s incredible ws championship….ie pinch-hitter bunt and steal a base into a scoring chance…..his stats suggest he is a horrible utility player in both hitting and fielding. At $3.5 mil for a ph….I’m not sure this is a good use of $$$.
Mets fans…sure he is depth, but he is a very frustrating player to watch. Almost a subtraction through addition, one can say. Buyer Beware….
He will be unnecessarily over-aggressive on the base paths… for example, trying to steal 3rd with 2 outs and getting caught.
His defense is really not very good, but I guess fine for 2nd base.
Plays with a me-first mentality. He got benched in our 2nd wildcard game against the Rays, as a result.
Still not sure why he required a Griffin Conine as a trade chip…
Thank you for a comment from a Blue Jays fan. We experienced the same thing in
Miami, which is why the Marlins traded him to you guys in the first place. People seem to want to ignore the comments that were coming from Marlins players and coaching prior to the Marlins moving him last year.
So Mets fan, you are now hearing it from a Marlins fan and a Blue Jays fan.
Maybe the Mets heard that the Reds wanted him, so the Mets signed him to trade to the reds : Villar,Davis,Mauricio,Lucchesi and Gsellman for Suarez and Castillo.
Wouldn’t be even close IMO.
Lol jvent just got home from the dispensary
Delusional Mets fans
Oh, I saw that this deal is pending a physical exam. I think it should include a mental one combined with an IQ test as well.
At least it’s not Keon Broxton….
A bench player with a fading stick and can’t field. Also not a smart runner. Marlins fans know. Orioles fans know. Blue Jays fans know. Mets fans will know soon.
Brewers fans know.
The Mets sign a depth piece, nothing more.
So the Mets got Villar and Almora for what they saved on Matz lol
Exactly. They got rid of an overpaid 6th starter and gained 2 decent depth pieces.
Lol.
Oh wait. That totally makes sense.
they are not decent depth pieces. Kevin Mitchell, Tim Tuefel, Howard Johnson, Danny Heep, Lee Mazilli and Dave Magadan are decent depth peices. They are players that should be out of baseball.
Mets fans got to be out here feeling duped! Mets out here signing Jon Villar and Albert Almora. The Dodgers are continuing to eat steak while the Mets are eating off the Burger King dollar menu with an occasional trip to Red Lobster.
Under the rules of the 26 man roster teams have to carry 13 position players so with no DH that leaves a five man bench for the Mets so basically Tomas Nido or whoever the backup Catcher will be. Luis Guillorme, Alberto Almora, Jose Martinez, and Villar. With the fact that Jeff McNeil plays multiple positions and J.D. Davis can play LF the Mets would have decent versatility to play with
Davis will be gone by beginning of year or will at least be on bench. He can,t find his glove.
Cohen and Alderson continue to drop ball.
4th place.
Troll
I like the signing.Frees up Davis and McNeil for possible outfield stint if the incumbents falter.Dude can run and he has shown in a live ball scenario he can drive the ball out of the yard.Low cost high reward that is versatile.
Not a Villar fan. Would have much rather seen them get Marwin Gonzalez who is a better player and would have played the same role. Wonder how much he ends up getting.
As much as the Mets have improved their bench, how many people want to see guys like Almora or Villar start for the Mets if there is a major injury? I have little confidence in those guys.
For this we gave up Flores for nothing
Fantastic/Significant pick up for Villar. Villar plays in hot corner/CF/bench/speed. Very great to sign him. They need to sign a pitcher. Gonzalez or Odorizzi
Great depth signing!!
IMHO teams need unselfish role players on short term deals. These players are human beings – possibly with personal/family problems. You have to hope they have a sense of motivation/pride to keep themselves in shape physically and mentally to play their best. Chemistry/culture on particular team is important. There are no guarantees. Some players who have already earned enough income for a lifetime may lack focus or not work as hard/get by on sheer talent but eventually time catches up to them. Have to make some educated judgements and rely on scouts & analytical dept.
I think NYM Starting pitching is good as of Wed. Feb 10. Better when Thor returns in July hopefully with limited pitch count. Options: Could wait till All star break make trade. AAA pitcher promotion possibly. Lugo as starter.OR sign I like FA Odorz, Gio Gonzalez L, T. Walker even bring back Porcello. (bad defense 60 game season hurt a lot of players) Mental physical preparation screwed up start spring training/stop/start. Some players need predictable routine. Bad idea on Arrieta, Paxton. No thank you.
Btw Have you joined Thors Book Club yet? What books do you recommend? Catcher in the Rye maybe?
Guess they didn’t learn their lesson with Lowrie
about signing someone they don’t need & who knows what he’ll add to offense. At least he’s not getting $10million per year or rather a couple million per AB. Hope it’s not at cost of Guillermo who had value.