Episode 8 of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Simon Hampton is joined by Will Sammon of The Athletic to discuss:
- The Mets’ start to the season (1:44)
- What they’ll do with Francisco Alvarez and Gary Sanchez once Tomas Nido and Omar Narvaez return from the IL (5:31)
- Where they could look to improve at the trade deadline (10:18)
- The mood in their clubhouse as they overcome a slow start to the season (14:24)
Then, Simon is joined by Darragh McDonald of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss:
- What’s going on with the Mariners lineup, and could they move on from Kolten Wong and AJ Pollock? (19:41)
- Can the Marlins maintain their solid start to the season, and would they consider buying at the deadline? (24:54)
- What makes the Diamondbacks such a strong team this year? (29:25)
Check out our past episodes!
- The Cardinals’ U-Turn on Willson Contreras, Mitch Keller’s breakout, and the state of the Padres – listen here
- Willson Contreras, the Rays’ success, what’s happening with the Astros – listen here
- White Sox trade candidates, Red Sox options for improvements, managers on the hot seat – listen here
Not really an issue for smart team as Alvarez is easily the best catcher sadly the Mets are dumb.
The Mets have been using Alvarez as their starting catcher so no idea how they’re “dumb” for doing exactly what you’re suggesting.
I don’t see the issue, cut Sanchez when Nido is ready. Cut Nido when narvaez is ready. Easy.
Cut ’em all. With a box cutter.
Just to show you mean bidness.
Easiest decision in the world. Alvarez is starting catcher. Never should have brought Sanchez in. Trade Nido away.
The NY Mets spent a gazillion dollars on accomplished, older starting pitchers, yet it’s their rookies, Baty and Alvarez, who’ve injected life into their team.
That was the plan, though. The older starting pitchers are all on short deals to give their farm time to build up arms (they have none in AAA and a few in A and AA). They kept all of their positional prospects instead of trading for pitching because they could just blow money (which Cohen does not care about) on veterans.
Escobar had a short deal, he was replaced by Baty. McCann was jettisoned and Narvaez was signed to a short deal; they were replaced by Alvarez. Mauricio will eventually come up at 2B with McNeil taking over LF for Canha, who is on a short deal.
There is/was a plan here. Spend a ton to keep the team competitive while they rebuilt the farm.
Thanks for explaining the Mets plan, RCT. Great insight. Always good to explain things to others – that’s always well-received. Weak.
I doubt that was the plan.
You mean Brett Baty, the below average bat and average glove at 3B?
It’s only Alvarez among the new guys who have given the team any sort of bump.
Play Alvarez – problem solved.
They already are. Does anyone here who bashes the Mets actually watch their games?
Nope. We’re talking common sense to trolls. You told me this once before.
“Trolls,” defend your point of view instead of retreating to childish victimhood. Poor things. Weak. Weak. Weak.
It’s guys like you, RCT, that test my patience on this site. I genuinely enjoy the perspectives of many posters on this site, none of whom remind me of you. “Trolls” you weak-kneed types can’t handle opposing points of view. Weak of mind. Have a nice day, kids.
You did answer properly, I’ll give you that. I’m referring to him talking about other posters who just spew the same junk over and over about their plan in the short term when it’s the long term decisions that I’m concerned about. Like how they haven’t traded any prospects. He’s not going down, and it’s really not that big of a decision. It’s not like their backups are Yadi Molina.
They already are. Does anyone here who bashes the Mets actually watch their games?
*****
I can’t find them on TV.
Should I try Comedy Central?
I don’t understand the outrage over a hypothetical move that the Mets haven’t made. So many people are angry at the Mets FO for sending down Álvarez in the future as if it’s already happened. It’s the silliest thing I’ve ever seen.
They’re angry because they know it’s possible. They know that Cohen is the de facto GM and there are currently no adults in the FO. This is the team that continues to treat old, injured, cavitating Starling Marte as if he’s still in his prime, hitting him at the top of the order for six weeks when it was clear he had nothing. They finally moved him all the way down to… 6th in the order when he hasn’t been playing at even a 5th OFer level.
The Mets could try remedying that by putting one of Vientos or Mauricio in LF and Mauricio at 2B (if it’s Vientos to LF) with McNeil moving to RF, or a platoon of Guillorme and Escobar at 2B with Mauricio and McNeil in the OF. Put Marte in the 5th OFer slot and limit the damage he does until and if he heals.
But of course their response to a significant problem is sluggish, even mindless.
Darragh and Simon are great writers but I also enjoy their chats and and podcasts the most. It’s cool to see Simon relate to baseball from a kiwi perspective. Great episode guys
Kiwis are cool. Met a lot of them in Singapore. Kiwi sailors. They used to have a base in a town called Simbawang.
I’d love to hear you guys talk a bit about Zack Eflin. What is he doing differently? Today the guy went 7 strong allowed one er, with ZERO strikeouts. How the hell does that happen? Obviously the Rays saw something in him to “unlock” when they gave that deal coming off the big injury. What is he doing differently for the Rays?
Same thing the Rays do to any pitcher.
@SODOMOJO Eflin went from about the worst fielding team in baseball to one of the best. His FIP isn’t much different than from 2020 through 2022 (it’s actually a little worse in 2023). He’s not striking out more guys, or giving up fewer HR.
His hit suppression, though, is about 1.2 hits per 9 better than it was—we can attribute that to fielding, for the most part. He’s also throwing more strikes, letting hitters put the ball into play against a good defense, and limiting his walks to the best rate of his career.
Eflin’s FIP 2020-2022 was 3.57. The Rays probably thought that with their defense they’d have a good shot at keeping his ERA b/t 3,00 and 3.50. They saw a guy for whom bad fielding had pushed his ERA over 4.00, but whose true talent level was at least half a run better than that. 3/40m for a 29 yo still in the heart of his career, probably capable of 125 ip a year, moving to a team better suited to his talents, with 18m backloaded to 2025 and the ability to trade off half that salary to a contender? They probably had to work on remaining calm.
I don’t see a conundrum here. Sanchez is a placeholder and Alvarez is optionable.