Let's assume for a moment that even with Steve Cohen's vast fortune the Mets somehow do not land starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto to supplement their still just three-man starting rotation. Not bringing Yamamoto on board would look at first as a failure of both the Mets in general and then specifically on the switch from Billy Eppler as GM to David Stearns as POBO acting as GM.
Last Saturday we analyzed what Stearns has done thus far and it is quite a bit other than spending his boss' bankroll on top-of-the-line free agents. There has been a complete overhaul of the management team. An expansion of the pitching development lab was long overdue.
Getting new folks in charge of drafting and minor league development could help improve the frankly mediocre way in which the Mets prepared their youth for careers in the major leagues. A new manager, bench coach, first and third base coaches, and bullpen coach join returning pitching coach Jeremy Hefner and reassigned hitting coach Eric Chavez.
On the roster side, other than Luis Severino, it's been mighty quiet. This contract, of course, comes with as many question marks and health questions as it does with the possibility he rediscovers what made him an All Star earlier in his career in two consecutive seasons.
If the season started today the rotation would include some combination of Severino, Jose Quintana, Kodai Senga, Jose Butto, Tylor Megill and Joey Lucchesi. That grouping does not fill anyone with confidence though both Butto and Lucchesi did show flashes of competence when forced to pitch in 2023.
The bullpen was also in need of a major overhaul with the departures of folks like David Robertson and Adam Ottavino. The Mets have added a great many arms here who could potentially be on the Uber shuttle between Syracuse and Flushing but no one that seems capable of helping in the 7th or 8th inning roles leading up to Edwin Diaz in the 9th.
On the offensive side, well, not a whole lot has happened other than filling in some potential bench roles with players who have been less than stellar in their careers. Yes, the Syracuse team will get some legitimate help that they certainly could use, but for now reinforcing the underpinnings is not what people had hoped to see in Nashville.
So bringing us back to the starting pitching question, who all is out there? Well, in case you haven't noticed, there are quite a few options before you even consider delving into the trade process. Free agents include:
- Blake Snell
- Shota Imanaga
- Jordan Montgomery
- Marcus Stroman
- Seth Lugo
- Lucas Giolito
- Rich Hill
Then there are some baggage-impaired pitchers without major league jobs like Trevor Bauer and Julio Urias.
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We could go through the same exercise again with outfielders and designated hitters, but the fact is that the flood gates should now be opening with the announcement of Shoehei Ohtani's $700 million contract bringing him to the other side of Los Angeles for the next decade.
21 comments:
This rebuild will be equal parts fascinating - and challenging.
Interesting that Fangraphs projects Bauer, if he were to play in MLB in 2024, at 8-7, 4.06, at age 32, and Urias at 10-8, 4.05.
If Mets don't sign Yamamoto all of social media will be unbearable into camp no matter who they sign.
One player does not turn around a team
Just ask the Angels or the Yanks
The Ohtani deal sets the pay scale for everyone else that's out there
Everyone just got richer
Yamamoto might have added 50mil on his deal
A "win now" approach doesn't work either
Go ask Buck
The cost of this game just got much more expensive
Not every team can play this FA money game
The Mets have the one owner that can
Plus most free agents are still out there
Relax
LAD has greater chances to win than the Mets, and is a several hour shorter flight home to Japan than from NY.
And the baseball weather is better.
Yamamoto may prefer that. Ohtani did not want NY simply due to it being NY. Who really knows what Yamamoto wants.
All Moto wants is to afford market tuna and live in a city with no crime, homeless, open drug problems, racial devide, or undocumented population explosion
LA
SF
NYC
Hmm...
We have been built up to believe that Yamamoto is the pass/fail criteria. Although he would do wonders to help this team's SP problems, he alone will not make the team win. Many other things need work.
I am particularly intrigued by the dominos that will fall with Ohtani going to the Dodgers and JD Martinez now looking for a job.
Not that anyone cares but what will it cost a family of four to go to a Dodger game? A Dodger dog with caviar perhaps? 1000 dollars and throw in the Dodger dog just put it on my credit card please. I know I'm old but this has taken crazy to limits I can't even imagine as a minor league game soon may be out of reach and I'm afraid a world wide crash that will make 29' (Mack remember) look like a blip on a screen as nothing goes up forever and will get real ugly like blood in the streets. Very sad state of affairs. Don't fret though because Ohtani will still have enough $$$ left to fuel his plane for the long flight to Japan and back or wait are the Dodgers covering that as well? The older I get the more I realize I didn't appreciate the last century enough because this one sucks and I certainly hope for better ahead but that faith is fading fast.
Hey
I remember the crash in the 1800s
So did Soto for next year. Boras will make the case that Soto’s worth $550 +, maybe $600. Cashman probably could’ve signed him to a 10 year $500 deal last week.
Pete’s contract just got a lot steeper as well. He’ll make the case Ohtani got his $700 M because he’s a top slugger just like Pete. While completely ignoring the fact that he got that large contract because he can pitch too.
Amazin,
At some point the fans will have to say" enough is enough" and refuse to support these salaries through their attendance at the parks. As a fan, I hope it does not come to this.
TV seems more important than fans in the stands.
If I were JT Schwartz, I'd hit spring training with 25 more pounds of muscle, in hopes Pete gets traded at the ASB, and a Schwartz who is closer to Pete's bulk and strength can step in for $750,000 per year.
Ohtani will make more in 2 games than a rookie will over 162 games.
The 3 rules of life 1-Survival of the fittest 2-The golden rule as in he who has the gold rules and 3-ALWAYS FOLLOW THE MONEY! Now having said all of that our beloved owner certainly qualifies but its a very different baseball landscape today where Mr. Cohen unlike George back in the day doesn't rule quite the same way and what happens with Mr. Yamamoto will be very telling not only in baseball circles but the Battle of New York. Let the games begin but I wish we had our own Maximus or The Gladiator.
I think people will always go to games. I had a Mets partial season plan from 2000-2006. When I moved to Tampa in 2007 I make 2 trips to Miami to catch 2 games a year and in years where they play the Rays in Tampa I go to all 3 games. So with all my complaints on salaries over the past decades I still go.
Also I may not like these new outrageous salaries coming but I can’t be a hypocrite when we have the richest Owner in baseball by far. It just irks me that I think the Dodgers could’ve offered $650 and still got Ohtani. The overpay always pisses me off.
I do not have a problem if the Mets want to take a couple of years to build a proper ML team and a great minor league system. Where I have a problem is when they give hope or a false hope in that they are going after the Yamamoto / Ohtani types.
Obviously, we can't tell yet which way they are going until they are done with the 2024 team.
However, exceptions have to be made when players in their prime are available. You still owe your fans a team that can compete unless the Mets want a half way empty stadium.
Turns out it is not as much as it seems. He will paid $2 million a year for 10 years, the rest deferred and to be paid in the 10 years thereafter at $68 million a year. So, the last $68 million will be 20 years from now, and with inflation-adjusted dollars, could be effectively half that. So...Ohtani is deferring 97% of his salary.
Too bad SC doesn't have a team. I'm sure he would love it there.
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