Up until now, this series has been my recollection of past involvements with the Mets and general baseball subjects.
That changes today.
Going forward, I'm going to give you my daily reflections on spring training. As you know, it opens on Valentine's Day but things are already stirring in camp.
This will a daily report going up to the first spring game.
Let's begin.
First of all, I want to thank all the writers here for writing during the most boring, uneventful off season in years. Made me yearn for when the Wilpons signed Beltran and Delgado.
I especially want to thank both Tom and Reese who wrote 4-6x a week while keeping it engaging. It's tough to come up with 20 different ways of asking if the team still needed another reliever.
Pitchers and catchers report this week which usually is a sign that the team dynamic is complete; however, I should warn you that I have been in the clubhouse for multiple spring trainings and new players came in and started introducing himself to players there. There are plenty of free agents still unsigned.
And low and behold the Mets added another 30+ Yankee retread on Monday, outfielder Ben Gamel.
Gamel had only 15 major league at-bats last season, hitting .200. He hit .314 in 82 at-bats in AAA.
He has a lifetime major league .252 batting average which probably earned him a look see as a possible 5th outfieder this year.
I hope there is no plans to assign him to Syracuse only to take away at-bats from one of the kids.
6-4 RHP Christian Scott wasted little time when he came off of I95. He pitched live BP on Monday.
Scott had an impressive 2023 at AA ball, posting 2.47/0.84 62-IP 12-ST 29.4 K/BB%.
He did have a mid-season undisclosed injury but came back strong ending the season 4.2-1P 0-BB 8-K.
Scott has tremendous control while leading his arsenal with a mid-90 fastball.
He'll open up at AAA and, at 24-years old now, could get a call-up after the mid-season break.
There is nothing bad to see here. A steal as a 5th round 2021 pick out of Florida.
Edwin Diaz also pitched a bullpen session on Wednesday and said he was good to go. He still hasn't taken any grounders or done any running. That will come.
Non roster pitcher Kyle Crick will miss most of camp with a calf strain.
17 comments:
Great series idea.
Scott will be real good, I sense.
Nowhere else are you likely to har cricket’s about Crick.
It was actually pretty easy to do articles on Mets this winter, with so much uncertainty.
If you wrote for the Yanks this off-season, the article would have been short: “Yay, we got Soto, we’re set, our next article will be in April.”
Edwin was the key in 2022 in a great way, the key in 2023 in a painful way, and hopefully will be the key in 2024 in a great way.
I’m not worried about his injury. Guys in far more stressful “leg sports” like the NBA and NFL come back from it.
There just was a Diekman sighting
Says he was ready last September but Mets put on the breaks
Good call from a team going nowhere
Good morning folks! Happy Baseball a season to you all!
I couldn’t wait til this morning because I have something I need to ask. This is from MLBTR as part of a Mets Notes entry:
“Throughout the offseason, the Mets have downplayed the chances of discussing a deal beyond the 2024 campaign. Stearns reiterated that the club didn’t have much expectation of signing Alonso to an extension. He called it “probably the most likely outcome” that the three-time All-Star hit the open market. “Look, when you have a really talented player, who’s really good, who’s entering his final year of club control, who happens to be represented by Scott Boras, these things generally end up into free agency and we understand that,” he added.“
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Wow, that will put this to bed once and for all! But, what do you think Alonso is thinking? He must be seeing all of these free agents that Boras represents unsigned. He must be a bit worried. Wouldn’t you be if you just changed to this guy? I don’t think Alonso has any interest in going to free agency right now and I would think he would really be open for an in season extension at anything decent.
Obviously, Stearns putting this out there means there won’t be a trade, but we knew that. Teams aren’t giving up top prospects for 3+ WAR first basemen going into their thirties. I’m thinking that Alonso has confidence in himself, but his high horse may have come down several feet.
Alonso isn't thinking about this
He has been instructed by his agent that this is thwle way to go if you want the most money for your services
Even from the Mets
Stearns is sick of setting the plate so others can swoop in
And Boras has told Pete to concentrate on his 2024 numbers
Any player who hires Scott Boras is looking for the biggest payday possible. For what team they will play comes in second. This is why the Mets have to figure out if they prefer to keep Alonso for the year and possibly losing him as a free agent or let the word out that they are willing to listen to offers for him.
Either way, the Mets are in a no win situation because if they trade Alonso now, fans will not be happy. If they wait to trade him by mid-season and the Mets are playing well, they can't trade him and finally in that case, they can lose him to free agency for a draft pick or overpay in both years and money for him.
I believe the Mets will try to keep him.
If not, either Vientos or Baty in 2025
I think the Mets are taking the most conservative route but will not overpay. They want him back at a reasonable rate more than they want a low minors prospect, or two. Teams aren’t going to send a haul for Alonso, but the PR needs to weigh more because they need to sell tickets.
That was me. Sorry.
If Ryan Clifford charges out of the 2024 gate, could he be ready to be the Mets’ new first baseman by mid-.2025? That is an Alonso factor. He could be Pete II by O.D. 2026, if he can lower the Ks.
Clifford could but I see him as more of a late season add at best
I agree
Alonso walks, he is replaced with Soto or another FA
Polar Bear and Trades
1. Pete Alonso's BA dipped 54 points in 2023. 54. Was a .250 BA batter prior. So what happened? Not sure. Maybe he got "homerun happy" which made him put the homerun ahead of basic fundamental contact hitting. Which is always a mistake. But we have seen this here before. Nothing new. Players change as they gain experience. I like the Polar Bear a lot. But he has to be able to put the ball into play, cut back on his strikeouts, and put his team first while hitting. Hits score runs too you know. Not much mention off season on 1B JT Schwartz I noticed.
2. Making the smart trades.
Always look at your team's player personnel depth. Trade from there. JT Schwartz could have been traded this off season in a package, with 1B 20 year old Ryan Clifford in the wings for the first base job not too far off. Schwartz is 24 years old now. He hits for average and will add power as he goes.
The Mets have at least five really good starters close for second half '24 and then ST '25. Probably the NY Mets best overall crop ever. Someone here keeps saying that Tyler Stuart is ready now. He is really awesome. Throws a sidewinder delivery. The NY Mets have not had such a thing here in like 20 years or so. It gives your rotation a "third look" along with the usual righty and lefty starters. But the Mets did not invite him to ST, vying to get looks at young starters Vasil and Scott. Two maybe here second half of '24 or ST '25 along with probably Tidwell and Hamel. Cannot wait for this!
With JT Schwartz maybe being traded, the Mets could have included Jose Butto (age 25) in that package because by this time next season, there will be no spot for him on the Mets pitching staff with five stud starters coming up and maybe two more young relievers as well. The NY Mets will have serious depth starting pitcher wise in 2024.
The third player I would have probably considered trading away this off season is lefty starter Jose Quintana. This is due to his own stat sheet and 90 mph fastball. He's a 35 year old starter who hasn't pitched well since 2019 CHC when he was 13-9, but with a 4.68 ERA.
It isnot just excellent player development, which these Mets now have, but also Smart Trading that makes it all click.
Trade JT Schwartz? He’s an underrated prospect. You don’t trade guys like him.
It is very realistic to think that if Vientos, who has tremendous power, clicks this year, the Mets could 1) move him to 1B, 2) let Alonso leave, and 3) sign Soto next off season. And four, possibly hand 1B to Clifford in 2026. To sign elite players at elite $$, you need lots of cheap talent to not perpetually be in luxury tax hell.
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