4:49 pm: While the Mets have checked in on Franco, a deal is “unlikely to come together at the moment,” reports Tim Britton of the Athletic (via Twitter).
2:35 pm: Franco is expected to pick his next team within the next couple of days, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter link).
2:19 pm: The Mets are one of the teams “in the Maikel Franco derby,” MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweets. Heyman reported earlier this week that interest in Franco was starting to pick up, and the Orioles were another team known to have some interest in the third baseman’s services.
Franco would be an interesting yet also somewhat odd fit on a Mets team that may already have a surplus for position players. J.D. Davis is the incumbent third baseman, and while New York reportedly looked into adding such stars as Nolan Arenado and Kris Bryant this winter, Franco doesn’t represent a clear offensive or defensive upgrade over Davis at the hot corner. The Mets also have Jonathan Villar and Luis Guillorme on hand as more traditional utility infielders, whereas Franco has played only third base and a handful of games at first base over his MLB career.
On the flip side, the Mets may simply want as much depth and talent on hand as possible. The Mets saw plenty of Franco during his days as a once-heralded prospect with the Phillies, though he never fully realized that potential and Philadelphia non-tendered him following the 2019 season. Franco caught on with the Royals and performed well, hitting .278/.321/.457 (106 wRC+, 109 OPS+) over 243 plate appearances in 2020, but Kansas City non-tendered him again rather than pay a projected arbitration salary in the $4.5MM-$8MM range.
At this point in the offseason, Franco’s price tag is significantly lower, so the Mets, Orioles, and other third base-needy teams would surely have interest in the 28-year-old as a potential value signing. A team like Baltimore would be able to offer Franco more in the way of playing time, though Franco could also prefer playing for a projected contender like the Mets, plus New York offers a bit more stability considering that the rebuilding O’s would surely float Franco as a trade chip at the deadline.
Minor league contract? Sure. No way he actually makes the Mets out of ST though, unless there’s a major injury or a trade.
They’re Worried about Martinez’s Knee
That was my first thought as well
Martinez done 4 months
Martinez done for year.
I think Martinez was AAA bound even before the injury. Almora has swung the bat well this spring and Pillar has been hitting ropes. Villar has also looked very good and is a much better defender than Martinez.
Guillorme is probably the best defensive infielder not named Lindor and McNeil has surprisingly NOT looked good at all at third. I wouldn’t rule out Villar starting at 2b with McNeil shifting back to right field. That pushes Smith or Nimmo to the bench, which is not their best offensive line up. Where does Franco fit without a trade of Davis? Maybe another trade for catching or prospects? Not sure I’m seeing the logic unless Davis isn’t healthy.
wow thats a terrible assessment and has ZERO chance of happening. McNeil is their 2nd, JD at 3rd with Guillimore backing him up. Conforto, nimmo and smith is the outfield.
NO CHANCE Vilar is a starter.
not to mention Mcneil would be in LEFT. you even a met fan?
LOL! It shows how bad the Mets defense is when Villar is a better defensive player than anyone on your roster.
@methead. Yes, Mets’ fan since 1972, thank you very much.
As I stated, it would NOT be their best move defensively if McNeil shifted back into the grass. I’m not sure what games you watched, but Jeff was in right field for most of 2019 and made significant strides defensively. I even wondered if HE might eventually end up in center prior to Cano finally being banned.
As Mets fans we know one thing is certain: we will have injuries. I think we will see more of Villar at 2b than anticipated. But with McNeil looking actually worse than Davis at third, we need to get JD as many reps as possible there. Villar only has about 50 career games at third, so I’m not sure he’d be an upgrade there either.
For the record, I’ve always liked Franco, even stated numerous times we should have grabbed him when he was benched in Philly and before the Royals signed him, but I don’t think it’s time for him now…yet.
I’d just play McNeil at second. The reality is that he’s not a great fielder. If he was above average at any one position he’d probably just have locked down that position but he’s just not that great in the field at any one position. Which, in today’s game, makes him a utility guy.
Agreed. Squirrel plays 2nd. Period.
He played a better than average RF before Conforto displaced him. Made some highlight reels and some bloopers.
But his natual position (if one can be listed at this point) is 2ND base.
Personally, I’d rank him as at least adequate at any position he plays; just that good of an athlete.
Martinez done for year.
No way Davis starts year at 3rd.
He hit pretty well last year and two of the last three seasons. If he signs a minor league contract with a team, I suspect it’s under the belief he’ll be rostered by Opening Day. No reason to accept a minor league deal or for the Mets to pay much for someone they want to keep in the minors. That likely leads him elsewhere. Colorado and Baltimore would be locations where he can put up nice numbers, but it takes two to tango. Someone, though, will sign him to a MLB contract.
The Mets bench currently is Villar, Guillorme, Nido, Pillar. assuming last bench spot goes to Jose Martinez or Almora but Martinez is on minor league deal and Almora has an option left.
Almora is making the team. With the DH seemingly out for this season, there’s 0 chance they go into the regular season without one good CF glove on the roster.
@kirk. The dh isn’t ‘out’ for the season, only in the NL parks. What I mean is, we still have AL road trips. Alonso just needs to mash. I didn’t really understand hitting him second. Yes, it gets him a few more at bats. But if he’s hitting 35-45 homers, don’t you want the high on base guys on in front of him? Some combination of Lindor, McNeil and Nimmo need to be in front of Pete. With Conforto behind him and guys on base, that gets Pete a whole lot fewer breaking balls nibbling at corners.
Highest on base guy leads off. Then your doubles machine, followed by best hitter for average. Then your bopper followed by a guy that can either hit with two outs or lead off the next inning (Conforto). Now you have your 6 hole – perfect for Dom Smith then Davis, with McCann hitting 8th. Smith and Davis can both be run for late in games by Villar or Pillar, who both stay in the game. Almora and Guillorme both come in for defense after hitting for the pitchers. It’s almost perfect.
Nice! Seems so simple, doesn’t it?!
@kripes. It kind of seems simple to me. Lol. But hey, I’m sitting in my sunroom rocking chair while I type this. Hahaha.
Agreed. NL DH is extremely umlikely this year.
Martinez is on the 40 man roster with a Major League deal. Maybe they are worried about his knee
JD Davis back to the outfield if Makiel Franco signs.
Then dom smith sits a while?
No. Davis would fill in at LF if Smith rests with Franco playing 3B. Smith and Davis would be the starters.
If the Mets can coax 49-year-old Keith Millar out of retirement, they could have a bench with Millar, Pillar, and Villar… Almora is the most likely to get the spot. For defense, they could put Guillorme at second, McNeil at third, and bench JD on occasion.
McNeil has not looked good at all at 3b. While I have always liked Franco, I think it’s a parallel move replacing Davis with him, for more money. JD Davis has earned a shot at an every day job with his team play the past two years. He can flat out hit.
again.. Mcneil is a borderline star and >>> better than JD davis Smith is >>> better than JD davis.. Actually – Dominic Smith may end up being the best hitter on the team. So no, David stays at 3rd base. Franco isnt coming here to take his job. Bryant? maybe. franco – no chance.
and on a side note – JD Davis did not “flat out hit” in 2020.
No, I agree, his numbers were down in 2021. Did you notice how many other players’ (even super stars) numbers were also down from career norms?
Yes, in my opinion, Davis can flat out hit. 2021 was a small 60 game sample with many distractions and interruptions in play and preparation.
On many teams, I think JD Davis is a very productive 5 hole hitter. He won’t hit 30 bombs, he won’t be the All Star Rep, but his on base numbers are excellent, he swings at strikes, doesn’t strike out excessively and rarely puts the ball in play weakly.
I’m not sure where he ranks, but his exit velocity on batted balls has to be in the top 90 percentile.
Third base is his if he’s healthy. If we get league average defense from him, meaning just make the routine plays cleanly, he’s the starter.
A good manager with today’s plethora of data, should know during which pitchers’ starts require MORE defense at third. Stroman throws a lot of ground balls. That’s a time where I could see giving Davis a break. Maybe also with Peterson because the opposition will stack more righties who will pull his breaking balls. Do those 2 pitchers warrant signing Franco and bumping Almora to AAA? There goes the defense in center we’ve all been screaming for.
Agreed. With our hole in CF defense and weak SP & RP staff (at the time), I couldn’t understand why we were looking to replace Davis. The man can flat out hit. Hopefully, with steady work, his defense will improve.
We’ve already got backups. No need for another.
Is Keith Millar related to Kevin Millar?
Idk why die-hard Mets’ fans want to upgrade from JD. They have bigger fish to fry at the moment, and JD’s fine.
agreed
Ditto. Depth is always good to have but I don’t see the need.
New FO.
J.D. Davis is a short timer.
A nice guy and good teammate. But his bat is limited, he hurts the team wherever he plays defense, plus his baserunning is suspect.
The only value JD has to the Mets is a RH bat to help offset all their lefties – Conforto, McNeil, Nimmo, and Smith. Ramos was an awful C, but his RH bat along with Alonso’s good 2019 gave the offense some balance. Now Ramos is gone and the league may have caught up to Alonso. Franco is a decent 3B, and with the way JD’s hitting is regressing, Franco may even be passing him there.
JD can bring back a decent relief pitcher,
Davis can’t field. I’m constantly amazed by how little people value defense on this forum.
Having a solid defense behind your pitching staff is crucial. There’s a lot of 1 run games that could have gone the other way with one or two more plays in the field.
@ Cey Hey;
My guess is that Sandy and staff came into ST watching to see if J.D. had made any progress on his defense. It’s to the Mets FO credit that they’re not going to put up with what went on the last 2 years.
A contending team playing home games in a big park like Citi has to play decent defense. The dimensions help the pitching staff, but only if the fielders do their part. No team can be a legit contender giving quality opponents 4 and 5 outs an inning. Throw away the office scorer BS – some plays have to be made no matter how hard they appear to be.
I always liked Sandy (after all, he was the guy that hired Billy Beane and taught him the use of statistical analysis in baseball). I could not believe the ridiculous FA signings he did in his first go-around with the Mets. It’s clear they were fan-patronizing ownership interference similar to what Carrington had to do with the Red Sox. (As legendary football coach Paul Brown put it – “Those FO people that listen to the fans will soon be sitting with them”.)
Everything Sandy has done since he got back has been to build up the starting pitching and support it in the bullpen and on D.
P.S. Love your comments. You’re a sharp person.
Thanks for your kinds words, but if I was really sharp I’d spend less time on baseball 🙂
Samuel, I watch the Mets a lot as my early game. Defense was their main problem a year ago and they are obviously trying to patch that up. So many innings extended and pitch counts blown up by outs being turned into hits. Lindor and McCann are good moves. It was sad how much Ramos had slipped behinds the plate, Rosario was virtually unplayable. If they are intent on winning know, 3B must be addressed. You can bet they are charting Davis’ progress. They tried to go high-end with interest in Arenado and Bryant but it’s hard to fix everything in one off-season. CF is also a concern though Nimmo provides something on offense.
What would you do if you were Sandy? Can they afford to wait until the trade deadline and pray for a Cincinnati firesale?
@cey hay –
There’s a difference between not valuing something & grudgingly accepting the warts on certain players.
Look.
There’s a few things I miss about how rosters were previously assembled. But there is absolutely nothing I can do about it.
Cashman blocked my number years ago, man.
Shoddy defense just seems to be an offshoot of a large number of TTO ballplayers. I can easily go the rest of my life & not see another bunt. Not a big fan of hit & run plays either. I do – however – miss straight steals & the run & hit.
Baseball is changing.
We can rail about the “olden days” or whatever. But this falls under the “it is what it is” umbrella.
Ducky, I prefer baseball now to then. When I was a kid, half the players couldn’t hit the ball out of the infield.
It’s not just bunts and hit-and-run plays (I actually hate the bunt as a “strategy”). It’s those balls that drop in and extend innings. I am a fan of lesser defensive players being jettisoned in favor of better ones. The Dodgers did this by trading Puig and Kemp and replacing them with guys who can both hit and field. Pederson falls under that category though he left as a FA. More Dodgers: Rios would not be on the roster had he not improved his defense. I saw a minor league game where he made a play at 3B and threw a ball deep into the stands behind 1B. He got better. Players can do that but have to want to do it. Granted, some guys just can’t. The Ron Blomberg Principle.
I miss a lot of the old aesthetics myself.
At the moment my biggest complaint with TTO offenses is actually the Tampa Bay Ray’s-ing of pitchers.
I get it. It’s very efficient. But so boring.
Ray’s pitching model # 1a: 95 mph fastball with a slider.
Ray’s pitching model # 1b: 95 mph fastball with a curve.
These are short outing pitchers.
If they can throw a change they become multi-inning guys (model #’s 2a & 2b).
Boring.
No Darvish or Greinke or Cueto. Ya know? No variety or anything different. I “pitched” so that’s really the part of the game I focus on the most. That – to me anyway – is the loss that I find the most grating.
– What would you do if you were Sandy? Can they afford to wait until the trade deadline and pray for a Cincinnati firesale? –
@ Cey Hey;
I’m not anywhere near the league Sandy’s in. His current situation is this…..
He’s right up against the luxury tax, so his moves in 2021 will be limited and must be savvy…..short of a high quality player coming on the market in a fire sale, at which time Sandy goes to ownership to pay the tax. He has to pretty much see how the roster jells.
Lindor will have a massive effect on that team. Stick a top ranked C or SS on a bad defensive team and it calms down a lot of the other defenders. I too saw a lot of Met games. Rosario cannot play SS (I thought in mid-2019 they should have moved him to CF – a month later the media started running stories that they were considering it). When even one runner is on base the SS is involved in every play and every pitch – whether the ball is hit to him, he’s asked to cover a base, back up a base, or act as a cut-off man. Rosario didn’t have the concentration, the baseball IQ, or the baseball instincts to play that position, and it wound up putting too much pressure on the other defenders. Lindor has it all. Sandy will watch to see how Lindor’s play changes the other defenders as they don’t have to make up for a SS not doing his job.
Nimmo is a problem. He’s a very good LF in that large OF, but while he can play CF in Philly’s park or the Reds park, playing CF in Citi is not his thing. Every opposing manager, opposing player, media member, bright fan, and anyone associated with the Mets knows that the game plan is for the Mets to get a lead and then move Nimmo to LF in the later innings. Replacing him with one of the 2 defensive CF’s they brought in. Furthermore, Nimmo is an OBP pitch count runner upper. His record is that some years he can have a BA in the .300 plus area, others in the .240 area…..with limited power. So he’s a lead-off guy…..which is also the best spot for both McNeill and Lindor.
In building a winning team a FO wants to give the manager players that can be put in the best position to succeed. Assuming they fix 3B with a decent defender, my guess is that Nimmo will be the next move – especially if they can extend Lindor and Conforto by mid-season. That could make Nimmo available for trade to shore up whatever they need to get over the hump – you have to give something good to get something good.
I believe it’s quite possible that one reason the Mets have underperformed expectations the last few years is related to defense. They’ve addressed part of it with McCann and certainly Lindor. Their OF defense remains suspect, and there’s a belief in the game that OF defense is more important than ever as hitters look to maximize launch angle and not hit the ball on the ground. Rome wasn’t built, or re-built, in a day. There’s some work they need to do. I still believe the Mets should have improved defense in CF and then traded one of the surplus hitters. They would have benefitted from the DH.
I still love baseball and I’m sure I will to my dying day. I’m in my 50s, so I’ve been watching the game for awhile. There are things that I totally value about the game and the players today, but there are a few things I miss:
I miss the value of starting pitchers. Bulll-penning does make the game more boring. A Cole vs. deGrom would be and will be fun, but there’s now fewer and fewer of those opportunities and more innings shift to the pen, and that hurts MLB as an entertainment value.
I miss great defense at 2B. The slide rule has allowed teams to shift substandard fielders with more bat than glove to the position.
I miss SBs and the threat of stolen bases. I hate that I can’t even enjoy a stolen base because half the time it’s immediately video challenged, so my immediate joy is instantly replaced by the five minute video time out.
I miss the run-and-hit.
I miss .300 hitters and the type of skill set and approach it took to hit .300.
I miss batters making contact.
I miss 1B’man who can field. I saved this one for last because immediately it’s a weird one and may not be entirely correct, but I feel it is. The game has always put the worst fielders at 1B, but they also had players there who were solid defensively to great. Now, more of these guys should be a DH, which is strange because we have DHs today, but not enough players who are plus fielders at 1B. Luke Voit should DH. Pete Alonso should DH. I know it’s not fair to think every 1B’man should be Keith Hernandez or Don Mattingly with the glove, and I don’t, There are good fielders today, but 1B is viewed as so fungible by WAR that even when players like Miguel Cabrera win a triple crown, the experts are still trying to down talk them. They focus on bat and rarely ask for a glove too. I used to agree, but now I think it’s gone too far. WAR has contributed to this view.
That’s what I miss, but still love the game.
I’ll be 53 in a few weeks.
So – considering we are both Yankee fans – I’ve watched pretty much the exact same thing as you.
My son & I were just talking about this, man.
We both played 3 sports (he is still playing) but the only shared one we have is football. & we both lined up at the same position; WR.
Now when I was his age we ran a two back “pro style” offense. It was actually pretty advanced stuff in the early/mid 80’s. My son’s team runs a spread offense. Always 3 wide, oftentimes 4, & a handful of plays that are 5 wide sets.
It’s so much more exciting.
Then there is baseball.
The TTO offense would be like if the ultimate destination of football was actually “3 yards & a cloud of dust”.
Ya know?
I love baseball & our Yankees.
But – aesthetically – the game has lost a lot.
Ok.
I gotta go back to shaking my fist at the clouds. Had to stop in order to type as that requires the use of both hands.
I value defesne but a good hitter with avg defense are more valuable than a good defender with avg hitting.
I’m not talking about Jd right now
@robm. Is it the defense or terrible starting pitching after deGrom in 2020?
We all know how deep the rotation was supposed to be with Wacha in the ‘pen. Then Syndergaard goes down, Stroman opts out right as his vesting option kicks in. Porcello, who was barely a 5th starter, is now the #2, Matz implodes, Wacha proves he isn’t right, Lugo and Gsellman are pulled from the pen and thrust into 3 inning roles which puts even more emphasis on AA and AAA fringe pitchers who shouldn’t even be on 60 man roster. Peterson saved this pitching staff in 2020, as did Lugo and his innings.
My point is, you can NEVER have enough pitching. Even if Lucchesi and Yamamoto go to AAA, at some point they will both be needed. I think Lucchesi sticks as the left handed multiple inning reliever. Betances and Familia have to prove they are worthy of pitching with a lead. Lugo, when he returns, slots in as the long righty with Loup and May setting up Diaz. Let Betances, Familia and the others eat up innings in losses.
Now, if you want to talk Josh Hader, I’ll listen on a JD Davis deal.
@cey hey. Spot on assessment, but you knew that. Lol
I don’t think the Mets ate in any hurry to move Davis, Smith OR Nimmo. They all bring that certain ‘something’ to the park every day. Whether in the clubhouse or on the field, they all WANT to be there, on THAT team, helping it win any way they are asked.
I think the chemistry here rivals 1986, maybe even better. If we lack one thing, it’s that Ray Knight, Bachman, Hernandez, Carter attitude and leadership.
McNeil just reminds me of Dykstra without the baggage. Davis is like Howard Johnson. Smith like Mitchell. Nimmo brings the energy like Dykstra did, but the eye of a Dave Magadan.
I really like the additions and stockpiling of speed and versatility. I think Pillar is the perfect 4th outfielder for this team and Villar is that roving starter that plays 5 days a week giving everyone else a day off.
Right now, my only concern is what glove does McNeil wear? He’s looked terrible at 3b, that experiment has to end. So does he move to 2b as expected or does Villar? Guillorme has to stick for his defense and pinch hitting contact. He’s basically a late inning, double switch, lead off hitter. This hitting roster is almost perfect right now. Nimmo starts in center and and shifts around with double switches with Pillar coming on for defense. Guillorme and Villar (plus pinch running) do the same. That really only leaves one roster spot open for a hitter, which now looks like a lock for Almora the way he’s swinging the bat and Martinez’ injury.
I don’t think any hitter goes more than 24 hours without an at bat or even 1 day without starting right now, outside of Nido. Guillorme may never start unless there is an injury, but I think even he sees action in 120+ games. Villar runs for Alonso and Davis and stays in the game unless he’s starting. Smith shifts to 1b with Pillar or Almora moving to center. Davis is also an option to move to 1b if needed with Guillorme covering 3b defensively. Rojas has so many mix and match up options.
Mets will be out of it by deadline.
It’s the same “F.O.” that acquired J.D. in the first place, that was a Sandy move.
That was the agents move. From January 6, 2019 article:
“”J.D. is a versatile offensive talent,” Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said in a statement. “He’s young, had success vs. lefties and he’ll provide depth at the corner positions.”
@Samuel. Davis probably hits righties better than he does lefties. He barrels up the ball as consistently as any other player on the team. He’s gotten a bad rap on defense. He had never played left field when the Mets put him out there. Then he went pretty much the entire season without playing 3rd (Todd F). The job was his going into spring training and then there was none. Three months later, he’s starting at 3rd on basically 3 weeks notice. Add to that the horrible pitching after deGrom and eventually Peterson that gave up rocket after rocket.
Remember, Matz, Porcello, Wacha and Lugo pitches to an EARNED run average around 6.00. Without the errors, those might have been charged runs resulting in even higher era’s.
Davis should be playing 3b every day this spring. Now, all that being said, if he doesn’t look good during drills, that’s something only his coaches know.
I don’t see where Franco fits unless Davis is not on the mlb roster. Franco hits 8th on this team, but Davis can slot in anywhere from 5th to 8th as l,r,l,r balance for Alonso and McCann.
I just looked at some Fangraphs stats for 3B’s, last year. I believe they had over 50 or 70 3B’s ranked for WAR – the overall stat. Davis finished last.
While I don’t think stats are the end-all be-all, the fact is that the man is a very bad 3B.
I watched him play a lot in 2019. While he was an adventure in the OF, I saw him mess up plays at 3B and 2B that I hadn’t seen at a major league level in years. Almost comical to watch. Not difficult plays…..routine ones. Not just physical mix-up’s….but mental errors as well.
A team simply can’t be a contender with a guy like this on D unless he’s a devastating offensive player….and even then…….
Agreed
Davis will blow more than enough games. if [unlikely] he starts at third.
Were the Mets ever interested in Cole Hamels? If he is still available they should go for it.
Who gets cut if the Mets sign Hamels? No room for him.
He would be quintessential back up.
Right but my point is the Mets would have to remove someone from their roster in order to have him as a backup.
Not really – Peterson, Lucchesi and Yamamoto all have options, and the Martinez injury opens the 40 man spot.
Even if they sign Franco too, the Mets have 20+ RPs on the 40…cut candidates include Zamora and Tarpley, or putting Lugo on the 60-day IL.
That’s also why he won’t sign with the Mets. Cole has made a huge amount of money. He’s not joining a team simply to join a team as a backup. I’m sure there are teams interested in him. He needs to find the right balance between what he’ll accept for a salary and what teams are calling him.
How is Hamels better than Peterson at this point? The 5th spot goes to the guy with the 3.44 era and 6-2 record last year if he’s healthy.
Yamamoto and and Lucchesi are swing men or starting in AAA as depth when needed. There is no guarantee Stroman or Walker make 30 starts in 2021. It’s more likely that Stroman makes 28 and Walker logs 20-22. Assuming deGrom and Carrasco make 32 each, which is wishful thinking given Carrasco’s health issues, that still leaves about 20-25 starts for one of the guys sent down. Any kind of injury or quarantine adds to that number, especially with more double headers needed.
Dead on assessment.
Franco deserves to start, but won’t on the Mets. Nice depth option. This guy killed the Mets too, so maybe he’ll continue to hit well in Citi Field.
Franco “deserves to start?” Not based on what he’s shown over the past 5 major league seasons. Maybe in Baltimore, but not many other places.
He had a solid 2020.
I just clicked on his Baseball Reference link. Was solid in 2018 too. I don’t know if he “deserves” to start, but he deserves to be on a MLB roster and have a chance to start. Try to find a second-division club where he can get a lot of ABs and show that he can maintain what he did in 2020. Right now it’s not entirely clear based on the last three seasons if he’s a slightly above-average hitter or a significantly below-average hitter.
He’s struggled to maintain consistency. The talent is there, but he’s not reliable.
Franco is a better glove but he’s nowhere near Davis with the bat anymore.
Franco has always deserved to start. Sadly, Phillie fans never seemed to respect him, his attitude or his 20/80/.260 hitting 8th. He never complained or whined or created drama. He’ll get a chance somewhere. Maybe Florida or Seattle? Seattle makes sense if they want to move Seager.
Um, which Florida team? Marlins have Anderson, and I don’t know if the Rays would be willing to pay if he’s seeking too much.
@Marlinsfanbase
I was thinking Marlins, yes. Then moving Anderson back to the outfield. Their outfield is still a work in progress and Reynolds stabilizes that.
I really hope we don’t sign him we don’t have room for him on the team and he deserves a bigger role rather than the fringe bench/AAA player he would be for us
no need for Franco, we have enough players who can back up 3rd base, go get another reliever like Greene. i think our bench is pretty good, only question i have is Nido, i rather have Guillorme be J.D’S back up, hes a good fielder and hitter
@jr. if like to see 1 more bench piece: a player who CAN catch as well as play other positions.
Willians Austadillo (Twins)
Isaiah Kiner-filafa (Rangers)
Nola.
…that’s the last piece I think we really ‘need’ on the hitting end. Icing on the cake, so to speak.
Now, if we are looking at some combination Suarez, Gray, Senzel from the Reds and/or one of their catchers, I think we could consider a package deal of Davis, Almora (showcase him), Khalil Lee, one of the starters being sent down and a prospect.
If it’s not Davis at third, I want it to be a stud. Otherwise, let’s give JD all of spring training and two months into the season. If he doesn’t look at least average defensively, then yes, explore the trade options.
I don’t see an obvious place for Franco on the roster, unless they’re getting cold feet about committing to Davis as the starter. I guess Guillorme could go to AAA, since he has an option left, and it stands to reason that Villar could cover whatever games McNeil and Lindor don’t start (which ideally isn’t many). But still, I don’t know if it makes sense to back up Davis with an older player without a different skillset or significantly better glove.
Davis might be the worst defensive infielder in MLB. The fact that the Mets are looking to sign a 3B — just any 3B — is not a ringing endorsement of any progress Davis has made in spring training. Lindor has given him some fielding advice. Maybe it’s just not working out.
Andujar i think was worse but he had a better bat.
Would be an interesting skills competition if Andujar can stay healthy.
short of major injuries … andujar never even looks at third again lol.. Probably put Sanchez over there before andujar. Left,Field and DH is probably his future maybe 1b.
I definitely feel Franco definitely falls under the category low risk/high reward type of player for the Mets. What are they risking, especially on a minor league contract?
Franco to 3B. J.D. Davis to platoon with Dom Smith in LF would be my guess. Martinez is on a split contract anyway so he is not guaranteed to make the team anyway
Why would Smith need to be platooned? He’s probably the best all-around hitter on the team.
He plays 1B when Alonso sits.
And injuries do happen.
I love Dom. Money player.
But McNeill is easily the better hitter – one of the 10 best in MLB (and most underrated). Conforto and Lindor are also better hitters.
Tell you what though – in the parlance of 1990’s FO jargon – of all 4 of those gentlemen it can be said – “He’s A Player”.
P.S. The problem with Dom is that he’s not really an OF, so they have him playing deep in LF. Balls are falling in front of him that should be caught. The NL going to a DH next year will get him back at 1B where he’s an above average defender.
I would take Dom of those four hitters. All those doubles. Granted it can be said the jury is still out, but the same can be said for Conforto, who was .250 career hitter before the 2020 short season. Dom will outslug Lindor and hit for a higher average. It would be an unpopular opinion, but I feel; McNeil will level off to a .280/.290 guy. I could be way off; we will see,
Samuel, How much would you say the defense has improved for 2021? What are your biggest concerns?
You obviously have never seen McNeil hit. Would be a MVP candidate if got to play in that stadium that DJ gets to play in.
DJ is better than McNeil, it isn’t really a comparison either.
LOL. Overall only bc DJ plays way better defense but mcniel is a better hitter. Putting up better stats in a LLWS field doesn’t change my opinion on that. I’d take the better hitter any day even if DJ defense makes him a more “valuable player”
Is Franco better than Davis?
Sounds like the 14 billion dollar man is dumpster diving again.
Lindor will 240 this year.
Rosario 280.
We have a Spankee fan in the house!
Mets fan since 1974
Franco is not an upgrade defensively or offensively over Davis.
I have a feeling that the Mets have another trade in the works. There were rumors about them working on a Josh Hader deal.
Then all went quiet on that front.
Perhaps one or both teams wanted to keep their cards close to their chest.
Even if I’m wrong , It’s still something that can be revisited later in the season.
The Brewers have an affordable replacement in Devin Williams, Hader could return to his 2 inning setup role with New York.
im with ya… i also do think there’s another trade that’s gonna happen.
Devin Williams is unproven. If the Brewers are trying to win the division in 2021, what can they realistically get for a relief pitcher that would help their cause? Relievers tend to not net starting position players.
Pete Alonso may be a better 3B than JD. If I were the Mets GM I’d be offering one of JD, Dom Smith or Nimmo- plus Szapucki, Vientos, Batty & Shervyen Newton for Matt Chapman & Jake Diekman and go from there. Realistic?
Why would Oakland do that when Chapman is their key to winning the AL West? There is no pressure to trade him.
Lets go orioles sign him
Don’t do it Mets
“4:49 pm: While the Mets have checked in on Franco, a deal is “unlikely to come together at the moment,” reports Tim Britton of the Athletic”
As Emily Litella on SNL used to say,”Never mind.”
Probably got outbid again.
Been happening a lot this winter, @riddler.
The Mets have committed seven errors in the last 2 games alone.
They have a first baseman playing left field and do not have a true CF!
Davis at third is a joke and made a throwing error today during the shift on the right side of the field! Davis pathetically complained his legs were tired shifting 4 times; are you freaking kidding me. Legs tired in spring?
The only thing unlikely for the Mets is them winning.
Sign this guy and be done with it; they already lost JBJ for chump change and already have a roster spot open with an injury.
Franco is a power bat with simply adequate defense; he’s not exactly Schmidt or Wright at 3B. He’s not an upgrade over what the Mets have, which is why this rumor is just that.
Mets will lose so may games because of Dom and Davis.
Cohen,by his fruits, is NOT a Mets fan,
Sign Bob Moose
No idea why the Crew was never in on him. Seems like he’d have been a logical fit??
Picking a new team. So exciting! And yet so complex! Like a puppy choosing its new surroundings from prospective visitors at the pound.
If they sign Franco it’s a sign they’ve given up on Davis’ defense at third. What it isn’t is an indication of a future trade. Despite what fans might think, teams don’t leak info about possibly signing a free agent BEFORE making a trade that fits in with the signing. That’s doing things backwards.
@Cosmo2, Franco isn’t known for his glove. That’s why this rumor makes little sense.
Yea, it seems Franco is almost as bad as Davis. I mean, he’d still be an obvious improvement over Davis, who I think just can’t play the position. But I don’t really see the Mets signing Franco to a major league deal, it’s just a rumor, I guess.
Remember what a Met killer Franco was when he was a Phillie? Maybe they are going to sign him just so they don’t have to face him when he winds up on a division rival