The Mets have already had one of the most active offseasons of any team, signing Max Scherzer to a record-setting contract and inking a trio of bats — Starling Marte, Mark Canha and Eduardo Escobar — to multi-year deals. The combined outlay on that quartet of additions was $254.5MM, pushing the team’s payroll to a projected $263MM (via Roster Resource’s Jason Martinez).
SNY’s Andy Martino wrote last week that the Mets are likely to target more rotation help — listing Yusei Kikuchi as one candidate — but have likely completed most of the heavy lifting on the position-player side of the roster. Sports Illustrated’s Pat Ragazzo tweets today that pitching is indeed expected to be the team’s priority, while MLB Network’s Jon Heyman adds that the team isn’t completely closed off to bringing in another impact hitter. A payroll approaching $300MM isn’t out of the question in Queens, Heyman notes.
A pitching addition would be far more straightforward than signing another bat. The quartet of Scherzer, Jacob deGrom, Carlos Carrasco and Taijuan Walker is immensely talented but also laden with injury risk. Fifth starter candidates David Peterson and Tylor Megill are solid enough options, but as currently constructed, the Mets would be one injury away from needing to lean on both (and two away from having to tap into a shaky group of Triple-A options).
Carlos Rodon and Clayton Kershaw stand out as two of the most prominent starters who have yet to sign, though Martino noted last week when linking the Mets to Kikuchi that they did not have any contact with Kershaw’s camp prior to the lockout. There are, of course, myriad trade scenarios to consider as well. The A’s (Frankie Montas, Sean Manaea, Chris Bassitt) and Reds (Sonny Gray, Tyler Mahle, Luis Castillo) have starters who could conceivably change hands. The Padres have a wealth of young arms if the Mets are simply looking to add some depth, as they did last year when acquiring the now-injured Joey Lucchesi from San Diego.
On the pitching side of the coin, things are far muddier for the Mets — due in no small part to that aforementioned pre-lockout spending spree. The advent of a universal designated hitter might help to alleviate any logjams, but Mets already have crowded outfield and infield pictures alike. Marte, Canha Brandon Nimmo figure to get the bulk of the work in the outfield, while the infield mix will feature Pete Alonso, Robinson Cano, Francisco Lindor, Escobar and Jeff McNeil. Beyond that group of nine, the Mets have both J.D. Davis and Dominic Smith as capable corner options in the infield/outfield mix.
There’s already talk that the Amazins will be open to moving McNeil and/or Smith once the lockout lifts, which would make some sense given the lack of regular at-bats available. McNeil, Smith and Davis (more on him here) seem to be the likeliest change-of-scenery candidates, and moving multiple names from that group could pave the way for another addition.
With such a crowded roster already in place, there isn’t necessarily one glaring position the Mets need to feel compelled to shop. If the team is comfortable with Cano and Luis Guillorme logging the bulk of the work at second base, for instance, that’d free up the ability to trade McNeil and perhaps add an impact bat who could primarily serve as a DH (e.g. Nick Castellanos, Kyle Schwarber, Nelson Cruz). The Mets could also play Escobar at second base in that scenario and pursue help at the hot corner. Frankly, with so many players who have experience at multiple positions, Mets fans could dream on innumerable speculative scenarios. Martino has even suggested that despite having signed multiple outfielders, a Mets pursuit of Seiya Suzuki cannot be expressly ruled out.
Today’s reports don’t necessarily indicate anything that contradicts prior reporting but rather serve to reinforce the idea that the Mets aren’t likely to rest on their laurels after an active November/December. Pitching still seems likeliest to be the focus of their efforts, but the potential trades of some combination of McNeil, Smith and Davis could leave the team with the flexibility to add a bat of note — particularly if one of the prominent sluggers on the market is struggling to find a deal to his liking. Owner Steve Cohen certainly has the financial chops to swoop in and opportunistically sign such a free agent to a pillow deal, at the very least.
Mets need one additional SP and two more RPs. It would be wise to retain McNeil, Smith & Davis in case injuries occur and use financial resources to fill in the rest of the roster.
I agree, but I wouldn’t be opposed to giving up one of McNeil, Smith or Davis if a good trade opportunity came up
Considering that most of the premier free agent pitchers are off the board, how do you propose the Mets add “one additional SP and two more RPs” without dangling “McNeil, Smith & Davis” in trade scenarios. Depending on the new CBA, the Mets also appear to be near or in luxury tax peril with their current projected payroll so it makes sense for the front office to considering moving some salary where the team has depth in order to deepen their pitching staff.
The White Sox are in need of a starting 2B and could use a left-handed bat to fortify a lineup that still leans right-handed. They also have a deep bullpen. A McNeil trade would make sense for both teams.
The Mets need McNeil. Get pitchers in free agency, we’re past where we need big names. McNeil is an important part of the team.
They need a starting pitcher, 2 relief pitchers but they need to get rid of McNeill, Davis, Smith and Cano. It doesn’t matter how they do it.. What happens when Nimmo goes to the DL.. Happens every single year. They have no outfielders yet everyone says they are stocked. They need another legit outfielder and either a 3rd or 2nd baseman including a real DH.. So they have guys to trade and money to spend.. Going in with this team would be half-ass.. Signing Scherzer would be pointless. This team as is isn’t going anywhere…. Fans as usual like every year get over excited about a team that isn’t that good. Are they better than last year yes. Are they a threat not even close.. Degrom or Scherzer goes down that pitching would be awful..
Clueless
What??! They have 3 good to very good OFrs in Marte, Canha and Nimmo. But your solution is to get rid of three players including Davis and McNeil. What are these ramblings?
Since when?
You have to question how popular Steve Cohen is in the ownership room right now. Without saying it he’s letting most of the ownership play with nickels and dimes (p1ssing off the entire fanbase) whilst he runs a $300m payroll.
Similarly makes me wonder why the Mets had so many potential interviewees made unavailable. Nothing personal of course.
Jealous Yankee fan maybe?
McNeil isn’t a big part of the team if he’s hitting .220 and sitting. Right now he’s a part time 2b behind another lefty making a LOT more money. He may even be behind Guillorme if he has a weak spring, if there is one. And he NEEDS a good spring to impress Buck.
Teams have to sell when other teams come calling for players like him after showing a downhill slide and approaching 30.
A) there are still more “premiere” pitchers to be had if they wanted to pursue
B) doubt they care about the luxury tax when the owner views it as a lunch bill
Just sayin’…
Smith needs to go now before the rest of the league discovers what we already know. He’s a .260 hitter who leaves a ton of men on base. His claim to fame, as is Conforto’s, is having a big year during covid where half the pitchers would have never made it to the Bigs. Smith and Davis should be traded. McNeil is our best hitter.
A former Angels GM in charge of acquiring pitching for the Mets? Gasoline meets fire.
Apprenticed under Brian Cashman before that. Doomsday. Spend like crazy or throw in the towel are his only moves.
Mets probably need 2 SP’s and 2 RP’s (injury history of current players). They should use both Smith and McNeil in trades, sign the others and add Cruz
Cruz is the last player the NYMs need. They already have Smith and Davis, both looking like DHs. I think you far better off making one of those two the DH, and spending Cruz’ projected $12M on the BP.
Smith or Davis garbage. Unless you are happy with 4th place again..
Then they have to replace McNeil. It’s robbing Peter to pay Paul. And they certainly don’t need Cruz.
Add Cruz? This is a perfect example of why fans running teams would fail. They see a player available and think “oh he’s really good let’s get him” not thinking about what position the guy is going to play and most importantly how much a player is going to cost.
Baseball really needs to expand. Expand so the fans own two teams. That way when their all humiliated and have to go find 2nd jobs to recover their retirement they won’t have time to have stupid opinions on baseball and the sport will be better for it.
Wouldn’t the Mets be better off moving Cano to DH and get some value from him. They have a log jam of middle infielders.
They have three guys that are probably DHs. Adding a 4th is kind of unnecessary.
Meh. Acquiring Kikuchi looks like the rest of the acquisitions. They’ll be better, but it doesn’t sound like they will be $10M better. I assume that he kicks Peterman to the BP, but that’s not much of an upgrade. It gives them some important depth, but they keep making marginal gains while driving the payroll to $300M.
It’s Cohen’s money, which is fine, but even billionaires will grow tired of having the highest payroll, with no certainty of being a playoff team.
Not to mention the penalties that might still occur in the new cba. Under the current rules the penalties are long term. Farm systems are what keep teams competitive for years not signing free agents year after year. It’s not a sustainable system and the Mets aren’t the Dodgers when it comes to prospect development and pipeline.
I mean they didn’t sign Rocker and didn’t even have a backup plan. Mets are going to be a disaster.
LOL
i applaud mets ownership for opening up there wallet but is it me or do there moves seem kinda of desperate, it seems that there just throwing money around to plug up all the holes in one offseason. other than the lad over the past 5-10 years that approach hasn’t worked at all more times than not them teams barely finished over .500 with more holes next season and no “cash” to get more players. i’m all for teams spending money but spend wisely, nym seems to be following the philosophy of a kid in a candy/toy store with mom’s platinum card and is just buying everything that is shiny.
Most intelligent comments in a thread I have seen in a while. Keep up the good work.
Have they announced the new higher ticket prices yet? (Remember its Cohan’s money)
Kikuchi sucks
Peterson might conceivably start at AAA to build innings, especially if spring is cut short. Not if he still has options.
None of McNeil, Davis or Smith have been able to secure a regular starting job with the Mets. I don’t see them bringing in more than a #5 starter.
All 3 had great 2019-2020 stats at the plate. Davis had hand injuries in 21; McNeil and Smith are harder to explain.
If they were quality players they would be starting for the Mets, wouldn’t they? They are this year’s version of Clint Frazier and Miguel Andujar.
As far as being a crap package for star players ! Smith and Davis combined as a trade package are maybe worth a reliever ! The difference is davis and smith are at least major league players , bit players but still where as anjudar and Frazier should make a living doing something else besides baseball like Join the wwf wrestling league
You’re not wrong. These guys are being overvalued by Mets fans based on a very small window of success, but I do think McNeil has some value. These are great bench players to have, but IMO all 3 are change of scenery candidates. They need more playing time, and I honestly think at least 2 will be traded by season’s end.
I think McNeil is pretty good ! But jd davis and dom smith are flawed bench players ! Jd davis might not own a glove as well and dom smith is a power hitter without any power !
The problem finding trade partners for guys like Smith and Davis is teams don’t need those type of players? What team needs a guy best suited for a DH role? You don’t think every team has 2-3 guys they don’t know what to do with and can’t really man a position everyday. Those guys will only be slightly more valuable possibly to a low budget team who has injury problems or covid problems this year and even then they aren’t giving you anything more than 60 cents on the dollar.
JD Davis looks to me like a natural born hitter. He has an .890 ops in the minors and .800 in the majors. Not the best fielder, granted. But he’s never really been tried at 1B and with the DH coming to the NL, opportunities should open up. I see value there at his low price especially. Last off-season I argued that CJ Cron had value and many snickered at me. I’d love to see JD in Cleveland
Well Smith is a very good 1b… it’s no coincidence guys like McNeil smith conforto who all had 2 or more successive very good years had down years last year… I think there’s something to the rumors that the analytics Dept got too involved and essentially overwhelmed these guys w information so they didn’t have a solid approach mapped out at the plate… yet they did when Chili Davis was here and they all did very well… I think all here will bounce back
Javia1357 hours ago
If they were quality players they would be starting for the Mets,
==================================
That’s always the wakeup call. The cognitive dissonance of the off-season.
It’s like a fantasy league proposal, where someone tells you that there player is a star, and your player is mediocre, yet they still want to make the trade.
Alonso can easily cover DH duties when Dom, who is by far the better fielder, takes 1b when pitchers are on the mound who aren’t named Scherzer and deGrom.
I think a major problem with all these hitters was losing their hitting coach and having to listen to guys tell them what to do who never made it past Low A ball themselves.
Davis had these hitters clicking, improving and adjusting as needed. Without him, every single Mets who he mentored dropped way off the progress chart.
Stats across all of MLB looked awesome in 2019. That was the year they played with the different ball. Every GM in baseball is well aware 2019 stats are inflated. 2020 being an extremely abbreviated season one hot or cold streak impacted many players way more than usual. McNeil probably has the most value of those mentioned due to his defensive versatility.
McNeil has been a starter since he’s come up. He’s a starter right now. Smith is simply blocked and Davis is a DH. Will they bring back much in a trade? Perhaps not, but they’re all starters.
@Cosmo2 They are not necessarily starters on the Mets though. That’s the problem and why I think some will be traded. McNeil should likely still start, but Davis and especially Dom Smith seem to be relegated to the Mets bench. If they don’t land a FA pitcher, I fully expect a creative trade.
My bet is that Smith is the one to go, if one goes. With McNeil and Escobar in the lineup, Davis at DH, Cano as your lefty DH option/lefty pinch hitter, Smith seems to be the odd man out. At least that’s how I see it. Although I’d be inclined to ditch the idea of such trades and keep them all.
But Smith is the one true 1b man. I think I’d rather see Dom and Pete rotate between 1b and dh than believe McNeil will bounce back.
I feel bad for Davis, to be honest. He was blocked in Houston, lost a year at 3b because of Cespedes, then lost a spring training due to Covid, lost another year at 3b due to injury and now yet another year due to this strike. SMH
I’m all for keeping Smith and I’d love to see Davis stick around and find success
McNeil has had a ‘regular starting job’ for the last three seasons. What in the world are you talking about?
And Davis ‘secured’ a starting job, too. He’s just never healthy.
They need lefty relievers more than any of those other needs discussed in this article.
Showalter seems like the perfect manager to help McNeil succeed. I’d hate to give him up this year. Smith and Davis? No problem.
The Mets have 4 injury question marks, all in their 30s (deGrom, Scherzer, Carrasco and Walker), and 4 young arm question marks (Peterson, Megill, Yamamoto and Williams). They need an innings eater.
@exile
I’m in for signing Danny Duffy (returns in June) and trading for one other dependable 30 start guy.
Then sign a situational lefty to replace Loup and righty Trevor Rosenthal.
Then whatever contracts are left that are leaving after this season, use to restock the farm with outfielders and pitchers.
Without guys around like Pillar and Villar, the Mets might have lost another 20 games last year.
Kevin Pillar was bad last year. Are you overvaluing grit? Veteran presents?
Without guys like Kevin Pillar, guys like Khalil Lee may have played more than a handful of games.
Veterans usually give good presents
Pillar was clutch in many situations. He and Villar were the guys who carried that team in the first half.
Sign rondon and Bryant with money ! Trade McNeil and some minor leaguers for another useful pitcher and sell off jd davs and or dom smith for a couple players to be named later ! Then win the World Series
Why trade McNeil and then sign Bryant? Why not just keep McNeil and then sign a pitcher? It’s less complicated, less expensive, and probably makes the team better. Bryant is way overrated anyway.
I agree with Cosmo here. McNeil has just as much if not more value than Bryant at this stage. Bryant has a better bat for sure, but he’s not really strong defensively in any position. Bryant is overrated by nature of his star power. He’s still a very strong player, but he doesn’t really fit a need for the Mets.
@cosmo
Maybe because McNeil wasn’t even a prospect, put together ONE good AAA season, is approaching 30 and has not adjusted to any shift? He can’t play 3b, is blocked at short, plays a nice 2b but behind Cano, hits .230 with little power and pulls EVERYTHING. Bottom line is that every team now knows his tendencies and he hasn’t or won’t adjust. If a team wants him, trade him. We have at least 3 others who can play 2b. I like him, but if he plans on getting a 3 year deal after this one, he’s gone and we get zero return, just like Conforto, Wheeler and Syndergaard.
I just think he’s a good hitter and he’s by far our best option at second base. He has a strong track record of MLB success marred by only one bad year. I think he can hit .300 again.
‘Maybe because McNeil wasn’t even a prospect, put together ONE good AAA season, is approaching 30 and has not adjusted to any shift? ‘
Why would his never being a ‘prospect’ have any bearing on anything at all? From 2018-2020, he put up roughly 135-140 OPS+ and 9.8 WAR in 248 games (~6.4 WAR per 162 games), both of which are borderline elite. He had a bad year last year, yes. But so did a lot of Mets, which perhaps speaks to a coaching issue.
You’re factually incorrect about him pulling ‘EVERYTHING’, too. His pull rate last year was the lowest of his career at 35% (via fangraphs), which was lower than the lowest *team* average pull rate (Colorado at 36.7%).
Plus you mention third base, second base, and shortstop but fail to mention that he’s played almost half of his career games in the outfield. Do you actually know anything about Jeff McNeil?
@rct. I’m assuming you have actually watched McNeil play last year? He was horrible. Pre-2021, yes, he was a catalyst. That was also with Chili Davis.
The only reason he played the outfield is the exact same reason Dom and Davis played the outfield: we had NOBODY ELSE AVAILABLE!
I watched every single game last year. I don’t need stats to tell me he grounded into the shift every other at bat.
The Mets can move McNeil to third and use Davis as trade bait. I would not trade Smith. They need to spend on that rotation AND THE BULLPEN.
Trade Davis for some cash that can be used to help sign more pitchers for the rotation and bullpen bc he alone is not bringing them anything but a lotto ticket ! Just take the cash for Davis and call it a day
Davis is way more valuable than just a cash return, he’s a great hitter. Fits perfectly as DH. The last thing this team needs is an inflow of cash; cash ain’t the problem.
I think he’s closer to being worn cash then say being part of a key deal like Luis Castillo or Zach pleasac or whoever Mets fans are thinking ! He might be a throw in for a deal like that but not a key piece ! Adding dom smith to him doesn’t change that either ! If Mets want to make a key trade to upgrade I promise you it will cost at least one maybe two of the prospects Mets fans ahead of time would call untouchable!
Yea there is no way Davis moves the needle significantly in a deal for a Castillo or someone like that. He just doesn’t fit. He has no position, his clock has long since already started. He’d be more fitting in a trade to a winner for some mediocre prospects or something lateral. But he’s a very good DH for anyone that wants one. Certainly if the Mets want a top pitcher they’re going to have to part with top prospects.
Mets prospects/youth who can be dealt in the right deal:
Vientos
Mauricio
Ginn
Peterson
Megill
Lee
Davis
Smith
McNeil
…there’s another solid SP prospect, but I’m drawing a blank.
Plenty there to package for necessary pieces.
@Noel
Why do you think the Mets need cash to swing a deal? That’s actually likely the least of Cohen’s concerns.
A bigger factor is 40 man roster space and less than a half dozen true prospects from which to deal.
I agree, I think Mauricio can be moved as part of a deal for a strong sp.. I know he’s “toolsy” but hasn’t shown much and if someone else can develop him, great… if you can swing a Montas or Castillo with him as your main piece, I would do it… lee as well… if Mauricio Lee and a low level prospect can bring back one of those two it may be worth it… I wouldn’t move Alvarez baty vientos or Allan… that’s just me
@ma4
We are on the same page except for one – I’d move Vientos on the right package simply because Baty is right behind him. I wouldn’t be surprised if Baty makes the team this year.
I think you have this backwards. Vientos and Baty are the same age and Vientos is about a year ahead of him in development. I don’t know whether Vientos has a position he can play, but his bat is probably ready for the majors now. They both played the majority of last year in AA, with Vientos having a .927 OPS in 300 PA and Baty a .787 OPS in 176 PA – Vientos hit HR at twice the rate Baty did and in his cup of coffee at AAA (36 PA) he hit 3 HR and had a higher OPS than in AA.
The key with Vientos is whether his glove will play at 3B. In AA, they were shifting around both Vientos and Baty between the OF and 3B (Vientos played some 1B, too). I think there is an excellent chance that he’ll be in the majors this season.
It will be more of the usual.
Record after 10 games: 7-3
Record after 20 games: 15-5
Record after 30 games: 19-11
Record after 40 games: 23-17
Record after 50 games: 28-22
Record after 60 games: 30-30
Record after 70 games: 36-34
Record after 80 games: 41-39
Record after 90 games: 44-46
Record after 100 games: 48-52
Record after 110 games: 53-57
Record after 120 games: 59-61
Record after 130 games: 63-67
Record after 140 games: 70-70
Record after 150 games: 74-76
Record after 162 games: 79-83
love an optimist 🙂
Congrats on typing all of this out.
Derp
Why did you stop at 162 games? Please finish your post. Everyone is dying to read more
@Bill M
I stopped at 162 games because that’s where the season always stops for the Mets.
Anyone who suggests McNeil play 3B has not seen him play there.
Bryant is better than McNeil.
JDDavis can become a starting player on the right team for him…. a power RH bat, but needs 400ABs.
Dom Smith has to prove himself… not worth much in trade as is. Might as well keep him until he shows more promise… then trade.
McNeil can bounce back, but never to his top levels. Team chemistry might require his departure.
Luis Guillorme should become the Mets’ Chris Taylor. Play him anywhere, including LF… better than McNeil with the glove.
People keep referring to J. D. Davis as a power bat. He has 11 HR and 21 doubles in his last 440 PA. That is not a power bat.
Over the course of his career, he has had 272 PA with RISP. He has hit .205 with an OPS of .654. Combine that with rancid defense and I don’t see the need to keep him, let alone play him.
When you cite a stat like batting with runners in scoring position, you’re credibility pretty much vanishes. Player talent doesn’t change according to how many are on base.
Yep. RISP, RBI’s should go the way of the dinosaur. There are others too.
Not sure where this logic comes in… player value absolutely has to include how they hit in pressure situations and when rbi opportunities are available… to suggest otherwise means you don’t understand the game… when analytics people emphasize getting on base, the important complement to that is driving in those who are on base… teams look at “clutch stats” for sure
But his does. Maybe he gets nervous, maybe pitchers know how to pitch him in those situations. But that is a lot of AB and he isn’t just a little under his career, it’s a lot under. The league actually hits a little bit better in that situation.
From year to year, individual hitters and even teams can vary wildly in what they do with RISP. They have good years, they have bad years. JD Davis never has a good year. He has batted at least 50 points lower with RISP every year of his career. At a certain point you have to say that for whatever reason, it is something he doesn’t do well.
RBI is a stat which requires opportunity which is a factor out of the hitter’s control. How you hit with RISP is on the hitter. In my response to Cosmo2 above, I pointed out Davis’s amazing consistency at failing under these conditions. Does he get nervous? Does the pressure of the responsibility to drive in runs cause him to have a different approach? Do good pitchers know how to get him out when they really have to? Once you start to approach 300 PA, the sample size is meaningful, which to my mind makes the stat meaningful, even if you don’t know why it is happening.
Teams don’t look at clutch stats cuz clutch, with few exceptions, isn’t a thing. It’s a matter of pure luck when you get a hit or not. It is simply NOT a matter of talent. Ability does not change according to circumstance. This has been studied to death and only hold out fans refuse to accept this and still wanna pretend that “clutch” matters. Expectations of a player with no one on is exactly the same as with runners on. Talent doesn’t change according to number of base runners. It just doesn’t.
I understand the game very well thank you.
I was going to go into a detailed explanation why RBI’s, RISP, et al are poor indicators of a hitters skill, but @Cosmo2 stated it quite succinctly and accurately, ”Ability does not change according to circumstance”
That’s living in denial… there’s a human factor in all performance, especially in sports… of course nerves and anxiety play a role in performance, the same way more engaged employees in any industry outperform less engaged ones… or certain people need more exposure to pressure situations before they respond well, again, same in sports… teams absolutely look at how hitters perform when they have RBI opportunities or in close games… it’s why the stats are tracked.. will they pass on a player solely over that? Of course not… but things being relatively equal it will play into a decision
Clutch is not a stat that professionals track. It just isn’t. It’s misconception of fans who do a lot of talk radio.
You say this because you
1-Are one of those “professionals”
OR
2-You are oblivious to the various metrics that do track “clutch” hitting
???
I don’t know what qualifies as a professional to you, but I worked for STATS, Inc for a couple of years and I assure you that any stat which occurs with that much consistency over a number of years with that kind of margin is meaningful. You may not think it is meaningful, but then you have to explain why it has happened with such regularity.
Randomness. The rate of players with clutch/non clutch stats falls within the expectations of randomness when looking at the statistics as a whole.
Get Castillo
Schwarber
2 good relief pitchers.
All set.
Schwarber? Do the Mets really need another slugger who can’t field?
Designated Hitter
The Mets have about 5 DHs right now.
DH doesn’t exist in the NL and they already have JD Davis, Dom Smith, Cano, etc who can DH.
No one as good as Schwarber.
Davis, Smith, Cano can all DH. You wanna spend money for the maybe slight upgrade that is signing Schwarber? Then scramble to adjust the roster? That’s a pretty convoluted plan.
LOL, is that all?
Good enough to at least contend in the east.
With the signing of Marte I could see the Mets dangling Nimmo in a trade to a team like the M’s who need a true CF in the worst way(though he is far from elite). The issue for the NY is they will not get premium value, due to his injury history(only one season of +100 games) and is a FA at the end of the season.
Nimmo isn’t a CF though. And why do the Mariners need another OF?
Nimmo has played more CF in the last 3 years than any other position. Seattle has no CF, Kelenic was lost playing there last year and Rodriguez projects more in RF than anywhere else, and Lewis has his own injury concerns (2 knee surgeries the last two years) he may be also better suited as a corner/DH player.
I could see Nimmo being an option if they do not sign Kikuchi. He wouldn’t need to play 162 games. Part time would be enough.
Nimmo has played CF mostly out of necessity, though. He’s much better suited for a corner OF position.
Why would they trade Nimmo? They signed Marte because they needed an OFr. If they trade Nimmo (one of their best hitters by OPS) they’re back to needing an OFr.
Marte plays Nimmo’s preferred position, Nimmo is a FA after this year, he has a long history of injuries. His agent recently put out he’s looking at a 7 year $120 million contract which is ridiculous for a player who has one year of over 100 games played(his last 5 years games played is 140/69/55/92.. There are 4th OF still available and NY may feel it is time to move on.
You’re wrong about CF being Nimmo’s preferred position. He’s painfully out of place there. The Mets know it, he knows it. He’s a left fielder, but Nimmo is too good to “move on” from.
I still believe Nimmo is traded for exactly the reasons covered by Marinersblue.
Mets sign Bryant, keep Dom Smith since his primary position is 1b and trade McNeil, Davis and Nimmo for pitching and a couple of solid AAA/AA prospects.
None of them are going to warrant a 3 or 4 year big contract from the Mets, so trade them while other teams want them.
This very article expresses that the Mets are likely done signing position players. Bryant seems unlikely.
Why not use the money to extend Nimmo, rather than sign Bryant? Trading Nimmo and signing Bryant just makes the team more expensive, not better.
He defensive #’s don’t look horrific at CF and he is now and will be marketed as a CF which increases his value and the position he has played primarily in his professional career. Like I stated it is his and his agents preferred position.
I don’t see him being marketed as a CFr, I think you’re just assuming this. The buzz in NY is that he is a left fielder, out of position in CF. His defensive #’s were horrific in ‘20. Teams know he’s not a true CFr, no matter how he’s marketed anyway.
@cosmo
Maybe because Nimmo’s obp doesn’t mean jack when he’s hurt?
Prorating stats only becomes relevant when the entire season is shortened. Facts are facts and Nimmo, as much as I love watching him play, can be replaced by someone who can stay healthy.
50 runs scored per season is still 50 runs scored per season. You can’t prorate it 120 runs just because you want to because it can’t happen from the IL. It’s a trap all teams fall into.
If you truly think Nimmo absolutely cannot, under any circumstances stay healthy then, fair enough, replace him. I just think he’s likely to have a full season especially now that he’s not playing center. I wouldn’t give up on him and if he plays a full season there will be no need for pro-rating.
…which is Bryant.
Mr versatility.
Bryant isn’t versatile. He’s a poor third baseman and an even poorer corner outfielder (which the Mets don’t need). That’s not versatility and it benefits virtually no one.
Nimmo is now a Borras client. I would trade him.
There is nobody in baseball better at overpaying and under performing than the Mets. $263 million in payroll – let’s just say I’m skeptical about how that will work out.
LOL
Derp
A few more additions and they can start to work on their 162-0 season.
These teams will win at least one World Series again before the Mets do…
Braves
Reds
Tigers
Mariners
Rockies
Rangers
Royals
Brewers
Cubs
Blue Jays
White Sox
Angels
Rays
Omaha Dragons
San Antonio Scorpions
Giants
Red Sox
Yankees
Pirates
Orioles
Las Vegas Vipers
Vancouver Sharks
Why would the Dragons move to Omaha?
Best post in the entire thread
Well, correct.
But for 300 mill they should put up a fight.
No outfield is going to play 486 games, so it only stands to reason that a 4th outfielder is going to see plenty of at bats and relied upon heavily.
In the Mets case, Khalil Lee should have the inside track on that as he is a true center fielder and logged a very solid season at AAA.
First of all, if the Mets wanna trade for a good SP, they’re gonna need to give up prospects, not the guys most often mentioned. Those guys will probably only bring back a reliever. But trading McNeil or Nimmo or even Davis just opens up new holes anyway. McNeil has to be in the starting lineup opening day or he has to be replaced. Just keep those guys (except maybe Smith, or, better yet, release Cano) and sign whatever pitching depth you can find.
With Cano returning, I’m not sure McNeil is in the starting lineup. They’re not going to release Cano, and quite frankly his offensive output has been impressive (because he was cheating), so where does that leave McNeil? Perhaps platooning with Cano?
I say no way Cano starts over McNeil. No way. The team is not that dumb and won’t allow his contract to force him into the lineup. He’s old, hasn’t played in over a year… no reason to bet on him. McNeil starts, Cano to bench. Or platoon Cano and Escobar.
@Cosmo2 and rct I mean McNeil seems like the better option at 2nd to me, but I would not be shocked to see Cano hit himself into a starting job.
If McNeil isn’t trading he is starting. Eppler said this. Also people are confused dom and David don’t really have trade value but McNeil definitely does
McNeil plays second or the outfield. He’ll be out there every day. Cano will play, but he’ll turn 40 during the season. Can’t imagine he’s playing every day unless he comes out scorching the ball over the first month or so.
I would call Cleveland and inquire about Jose Ramirez, and do a sign and trade if they agree. Bring in 1 or 2 teams maybe Oakland and SD heck even the Orioles or pirates start the ball rolling and I’m sure there will be a great ending with all teams happy
BTW I like Ketel Marte on this team as well
I wouldn’t mind Ketel Marte or Carlos Martinez on this team either
Most teams trading pitching is dumping payroll & the usual suspects won’t work from Mets with teams like Cincy or the A’s.Mets team better get 45-60 starts out of deGrom and Scherzer or they don’t have a prayer at winning.Dumb arse way to build a team with 200 million plus payroll.They should of told their fan base they needed a yr to evaluate things before acting.Don’t get pissed at me but Scherzer cost the Dodgers a trip to the World Series because he had a dead arm.Myopic he blamed the Dodgers for resting him at the end of the season.Dead arm is real and his excuses should bring caution.deGrom troubles are well known and as good as he is,he’s not invincible.Beware Mets fans!
LOL
Can teams discuss trades during the lockout? Can they speak with agents?
Kikuchi had a good 1st half, poor 2nd half and horrendous September. He flat out got hit in the 2nd half, WHIP went from 1.08 to 1.70. For the season, opponents barrel % , exit velocity and hard hit % were all up from 2019 and 2020. What does this mean? unless the Mets analytics team sees something they can fix, just walk away…….but they don’t have to trade to add rotation depth………Zach Davies would be a decent signing, 4 decent years out of 5 with the Brewers, excellent year with the Pads and then last year lost his control with the Cubs and lead the league in walks. Fix the control, solid back end of rotation guy. Michael Pineda would be an ok signing, has pitched decently for the Twins the past 3 years. Finished 2021 strong with a 1.85 ERA in Sept. Tyler Anderson would be an ok signing, epitome of a solid 5th starter, he goes 5 and gives up 3 runs.
If Kikuchi would of picked up his $13 million, the talk in Seattle is they were going to move him out of the rotation and into the bullpen. Honestly, with his stuff that might be the perfect spot for him. he really wore down the 2nd half and rarely made it through the lineup a 3rd time in any season.
Rodon? No. Manaea or Castillo? Yes
Manaea, Castillo, or Montas, Mahle, those guys are all solid 2’s if not aces on many teams. Just not sure the Mets want to pay the trade price for them. Rodon is a big question, the ChiSox are a legit contender and they didn’t try very hard to bring him back. If that’s not a red flag, I don’t know what is.
Steve, your 5th paragraph you meant to say “on the position player” side of things, not pitching.
Why would they trade Jeff McNeil for a marginal DH upgrade over JD?
Also, to address some other comments, Nimmo is currently a better defensive cf than Marte. He should, but won’t, get the starts there.
Kershaw is not leaving L.A. for Queens.
The Mets don’t need a big name here, they need a durable arm. Something Kershaw (anymore) and Rodon are not.
Kikuchi would be fine. Zack Davies is someone they should be looking at. Martin Perez can give them innings and could be bumped to the bullpen if everyone is healthy.
LOLMETS who cares what they do they arent going nowhere anyway!
Did Metsfan22 finally get the hint and leave this group? Haven’t seen him comment on the last two Mets articles.
What?
We’re better off with @MetsFan22 not being around because he may tank this season for everyone by offering up a prediction that there will be a season this year.