Two simple questions for our armchair experts:
1) What do you think of the Mets' off-season so far?
2) What moved might you make to make it a super off-season?
Mack’s Mets – the premier site for information on the New York Mets talent pipeline and dialogue on Mets prospects, Mets news, and Mets opinions.
13 comments:
Since Steve Cohen bought the mets, he:
1. Signed 3 top stars in the game... Lindor, Marte, Max...
2. Didn't trade away any of our top 6 prospects in the pipeline...
Anything else he does this off-season will be gravy.
Happy so far………the pick for manager and related coaching staff will be interesting.
I really want to see an all out focus on player development AND sports medicine. We have too many injuries
and too many prospects that have glaring issues. For example, a related Mets’ site has a top 20 list of prospects going
into 2022.
The top four (Alvarez, Baty, Mauricio and Vientos) all have defensive questions and/or strike zone recognition issues listed alongside their positives. No one is a perfect 5 tool athlete, but it seems pretty common in our system that prospects have position issues (due to bad defense) or contact issues (high K rates). That should be identified and addressed consistently throughout their development, it would seem.
Picking them is only the start of the journey……making them better is the next step and is cost effective compared to buying our players in free agency.
Mack, I won't be happy until they further strengthen the pen. I truly hope Oller was not a flash in the pan in AA and AAA, but the real deal. When I heard he touches 97, I think he has real potential to be a call up starter.
Why not get a Hader? Beastly bullpen.
Mike, I think the top 4 hitting prospects do have some flaws - but I think that Alvarez will be a compete beast with some more work, and a real star.
Baty needs ABs to shrink the hole in his bat.
Vientos is Flores in the field but with a Flores bat + more power.
Mauricio is Rosario with more power.
For a team that wants to contend, that cannot have a guy come in and fumble around for half a season to get his footing, resulting in losses, I see Vientos ready mid-2022. Baty and Alvarez OD 2023. Mauricio OD 2024. Throw Khalil Lee in there. Using that championships-are-lost-by-stumbles-out-of-the-gate viewpoint, I think Lee is really ready after a half season more in AAA, I'd call him up around June/July.
I am willing to write off some of the machinations of 2021 as front office and managerial mistakes as the new team in charge was getting its collective feet wet in what it means to take ownership and create a winning environment.
Thus far 2022 looks to be far more encouraging, but there is obviously still work to be done. The roster needs revamping in several positions, the pitching staff is beyond razor thin and, of course, an on-the-field manager must be found. The issue Mike raised about health and training is a huge one and I've written tomorrow's column on that very topic.
I am cautiously optimistic, but until the rest of the moves are made I can't definitively say yay or nay.
Reese, I get the sense Eppler and Cohen have gone over their holiday shopping list. 12:01 AM on the day of the deal, Eppler will be busting down doors.
I would love the next Soto or Acuna and wonder what's happening in the international arena...has anyone heard anything regarding that?
One cent worth of opinion:
- The biggest mistake Cohen made was the Baez trade. He could have doubled down on that by re-signing him. He also got lucky on Bauer. I can’t believe Alderson was the spearhead of either.
- The Mets need lots of pitching in the upper part of the pipeline. Allen and Ginn aren’t enough.
- I would like to see them extend Nimmo. Too, I’d like to identify what Alonso’s worth is because I think they have several options at first base and Alonso has peaked, I believe. Defense peaks at 26 years old, and a bad defensive player won’t be getting better.
- I would like to see McNeil in a super utility role, like Chris Taylor or Ben Zobrist. Further, I’d like to see JD Davis start the season at 3B and let the guy have more rope to work on his defense.
I wonder why they rushed to sign Cahna without taking a shot at Suzuki first. Like Cahna said, he wasn’t really chased after and I feel Suzuki has the upside…
Gus I agree with virtually everything, and imagine for a second if they traded Alonso for a boatload - and signed Freddie.
Maybe they got advance word Suzuki did not want the Mets. Yanks are hot after him and they've had real success with Japanese players, who most likely talk the Yanks up. The Mets' success has been limited with Japanese players - and little things like the playoffs.
Max (Ecstatic), Marte (V.Happy), Escobar (pleased), Canha (meh)...
Pitching, pitching, pitching please (I am rooting for a Peterson/Megill production that puts Carrasco in the pen)
...and if you're going to trade Dom/JD it better be for gold.
Hobie - had not thought about Carrasco in pen - that's intriguing.
I agree on JD and Smith - many are devaluing them. Guys who have bad years often follow with good yárs.
Canha scored 93 runs in 141 games in 2021 - projects out as solid if not great - Conforto without the years?
I'd love to see one thing for Peterson and Megill - SCORE THEM SOME RUNS! Make it a little easier for them.
1) My thoughts of the Mets off-season to date:
I am giving them a B+ so far. I do not know what the real story is behind the failure to hire anyone in the "President of Baseball Operations" role, but the dance they did with that one again this year prevents them from getting the 'A' grade.
To be honest, I really don't care a lot about what the front office structure looks like if they get the job of putting a winning product on the field done. It just wasn't a great PR look to come to the open about hiring a POBO and then a GM, then have to pivot again for the second year in a row.
That's the bad. I do like the Eppler signing as a GM.
I like the Schertzer signing. I like the Marte signing. I like the Escobar signing. I am in complete agreement with Hobie - Canha is 'meh'.
2) What else to do? This is where things get tough. First, hire a manager that wlll give us some clue as to the vision of how this team will play.
Second, get answers to some of the questions before February 15. Is JD the third baseman? Is McNeil the second baseman? What is Cano's role? What is Dom Smith's role? Do they have enough starting pitching? Who are the two solid arms they are going to get for the pen? Is Drew Smith one of them?
Lastly, convince me that they are turning the corner on the Wilpon ways and a new Mets Culture is being born now which will lead to players wanting to play in New York, the team competing for championships every year, and a top notch farm and deveopment system.
Is that too much to ask to make it a super off-season?
Trade for an As starter (Davis,Smith and oR McNeil),sign a couple of relievers, sign a #4 OFer (MCCutheon,Peterson) and #1 on the wish. List sign Bryant.
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