Mack – FWIW

     1.    I think 2020 is going to be a critical year for outfielder Brandon Nimmo. I have been critical of him since the day the Mets drafted him from a high school that didn’t even have a baseball team. Still, he rose to respectable levels before his injuries last season. Nothing against Brandon, but his future in the Mets outfield seems to be strengthened by the weakness of all the outfielders collectively. I look over the roster sheets and I don’t see a red star outfield prospect until Freddy Valdez comes along (here comes the Kelenic comments). He’s playing Kingsport next spring, if they are still around. Now you know why Brodie publicly is saying we need help out there. I’m saying is if Brandon can step up his game like Pete Alonso did, maybe we wouldn’t be writing this paragraph.

    2.    Speaking of Pete Alonso, no one… I repeat, no one thought this guy would up his game defensively to match his quality bat. Continuing on this theme, no one… I repeat, no one thought Dominic Smith would wind up in the outfield and become a credible alternative out there. We forget that these players are premier athletes first. Some of own players on the 40-man need to take a lesson from these two examples. We can always do better.

    3.    Very slow free agent action out there. No one wants to be the first to offer someone a huge amount to sign, because that player’s agency will only dance that figure around the league, looking for a higher bid for the services of his client. Our (current) General Manager would be applauded at all levels of fandom if the out of the box Cano/Diaz deal went his way. Now, he’s being called as the second coming of Steve Phillips and the Kevin Appier for Mo Vaughn deal. One would think that BVW would have an edge up on other players that are repped by his old organization, but none of us know how respected he was over there by his peers.

    4.    Endy Chavez put up on Twitter a video of Yoenes Cespedes taking batting practice on Tuesday. I don’t know how serious we should take this, but it is good to see him with a bat in his hands four months before spring training starts. What is harder to convince me is if that same player can run around in the outfield like he did before he shattered both his feet in a dumb ass incident.

    5.    And lastly, it is not a coincidence that most of the snarky comments written on this blog have the word ‘anonymous’ listed as their name. I hate anonymous comment makers and the only reason I don’t block them out is one of our long-term loyal readers who does use his name, is blocked for some reason when I change the settings. So, day one of reinstating the anonymous posting opens up and someone takes a shot at John From Albany. Wednesday came another at Tom. One last reach out before I permanently block you all out there and rob a good friend access to the site… be respectable of the writer and the time being spent here. Argue away with the content, but don’t be a hater.

 (but, what do I know…)