Mack - MY Thursday Morning Observations

 

MACK – Thursday Morning Observations –  Acuna, Roki, Yusei, George, SRF, Sotomania

 

Mike Mayer            @mikemayer22

Mets prospect Luisangel Acuña was back in the Cardenales de Lara lineup at shortstop on Tuesday night after missing two games.

He went 0-for-3 with a walk and run scored. OPS for winter ball is at .933.

 

Ernest Dove            @ernestdove

Regarding the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes I'm told it doesn't appear the Mets will be his ultimate destination.  The organization obviously would love to have him and is awaiting his choice like everyone else, but for now it doesn't seem to be a prioritized spot for him.

Mack – I’ll tell ya something about the Dove-mon… he doesn’t go to print unless Mets officials tell him it’s true. Yes, this is an anonymous source, but it’s a real one. Me? I never expected this guy to be on the Mets radar. No inside info. Just me.

 

Jon Heyman            @JonHeyman         (“U-SAY”)

Yusei Kikuchi to the Angels. $63M, 3 years

27/yrs           LHP                 6-0                  210

2024:             1.4-WAR, 9-10, 4.05

Career:          4.1-WAR, 41-47, 4.57

6yrs:              837-K – 809-IP

            Mack – That’s $21,000,000 a year for three years

            Wow.

            

This sets the low end of the starting pitcher market this season. Team officials are not going to like these numbers, especially when they are trying to bring back guys like Sean Manaea.

 

Jim Koenigsberger            @Jimfrombaseball

“I was still a young kid and I was like`Really?’. This is what happens in the big leagues? They blow stuff up in between games and fans charge the field and police have to come out? I thought these fans in Chicago were the best because they’re saying  `Let’s go Sox! Let’s go Sox!'. They were really chanting `Disco sucks! Disco sucks! Disco sucks!’"

Dan Petry

            Mack – gives me the opportunity to bring up a true story I’ve told before…

            Back in the 70s, I was Sales Manager for WKTU-FM, in New Yawk City. Yes, the station that changed format from Mellow Rock in 1978, to disco, and became the most listened to station in the country.

Got a call one day from Barry Landers, who was the SID for the New York Yankees, and he asked me if I was interested in arranging an on air giveaway of 100 pairs of tickets to a Yankees doubleheader. His idea was to do the same on rock station WPLJ-FM, then schedule a celebrity softball game between the two Yankee games in which DJs and celebrities would play.

I thought it was a great idea, agreed to it, and turned it over to my Program Director, with instructions to save third base for me.

So, game time and game one goes, and we run out on the field for introductions. Before one pitch was thrown, there was a commotion in the stands. Seems Barry gave the 100 pairs of WPLJ arian rich rockers fans sitting right next to the 100 pairs of urban poor disco listeners. Words were expressed, followed by a knife or two, and everything went to shit in a second.

Both the softball game, and game two of the doubleheader, were cancelled and eventually we all went home.

The next day, Barry and I were on the phone doing damage control, when I heard a click on the phone.

            “John”?, bellowed a strong voice.

            “Sir?, I addressed back.

            “This is GEORGE… let’s not do that again.”

The phone clicked dead.

 

Mets, Sean Reid-Foley agree on one-year contract to avoid arbitration

Sean Reid-Foley

29/yrs old                RHRP             6-3                  230

    2^nd rd. pick 2014 draft – Toronto - Sandlewood HS (FL)

Acquired on Jan. 27, 2021, trade that sent left-hander Steven Matz to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Free agent: 2028  -  2025 salary: $900K

2024 MLB –             0.2-WAR, 1-2, 1.66

Career -                     -0.1-WAR, 8-12, 4.10

Minors (9/yrs) -     40-40, 4.28, 628.2-IP, 721-K

Injury ridden career – average 13.1-IP over last 5 seasons

Mack – I don’t know any Met writers or fans that doesn’t love SRF. The only problem I have with him is he can’t stay on the field. Hopefully, the Mets have given him the proper amount of time to heal 100% and come back as an effective back-end one inning reliever. The team could sure use0 him[MA1] .

 

            FOX Sports: MLB                @MLBONFOX

Juan Soto reportedly has offers from these five teams:

▫️ Red Sox

▫️ Dodgers

▫️ Mets

▫️ Yankees

▫️ Blue Jays

 

Jacob P.M.          @JacobBSpeaks

Juan Soto has decided to stay in New York! Not in the way that you expected though… he is now the proud Owner & Operator of Juan Soto’s Bodega Bonanza located in the Bronx! Be sure to stop by before Yankee games to reminisce on good times

 

Earl                 @YankeesFanEarl

Credit to Jacob for finding Juan Soto’s LinkedIn, and I while I may be reading into things too much I’d like to point out that the Yankees official soft drink sponsor is Pepsi while the Mets’ is Coca-Cola. Did Hal come through with the Pepsi endorsement to seal the deal?

 

Mack – Everybody and their rich uncle is trying to predict where this ONE BASEBALL PLAYER is going to save the entire sport from oblivion. Me? I just simply can’t wait until this is over regardless of what team he chooses.

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 [MA1]