MACK –
Sunday Morning Observations – Future Pitching, Kodai, Ronny, McNeil, Marte, Yuhl
There is a lot of speculation out there about the possibility of Brandon Sproat being traded this off season. I truly hope this doesn't happen.
I think that Sproat and Jonah Tong have a legitimate chance in being a viable member of the 2026 rotation. Add Christian Scott and one could make a good case that the Mets are successfully growing the roster with team controlled talent.
I also thing that Douglas Orellana has an outside chance and am thrilled he survived the Rule 5 draft.
I want to believe in Nolan McLean. I really do, but I have to see another season first.
Michael Baron @michaelgbaron
David
Stearns said Kodai Senga has not begun to throw
as part of his off-season program. They expect him to be a pitcher on opening
day for the #Mets.
"He is a healthy player progressing through his off-season," Stearns said.
Mack - It’s two month away from pitchers reporting to camp and the ace of the staff hasn’t started throwing. Does this sound like a “healthy player” to you? I know Stearns isn’t a bullshitter and maybe this kind of routine is normal for Kodai, but, to me, an opening day stint by this guy is still up in the air.
Mets
Batflip @metsbatflip1
NEWS: Ronny Mauricio is starting baseball activities, per
David Stearns.
Mack -who? Oh yeah, I remember him. He’s the guy that went down and
no one would say what he went down with or how he was progressing. Is he back
in the mix for 2025? And, if he is, where? Or, if he does look like he’s good
to go, do you trade off Acuna and slot McNeil into the utility outfield
position still open? Lot to determine here.
With the
addition of Juan Soto into the Mets outfield for the next century, one needs to
look at the current status of what’s going on out there.
Soto will
be a fixture in rightfield for, at least, the next five years.
Brandon
Nimmo will be the leftfielder through 2030.
And the
new centerfield defensive tandem of Jose Siri and Tyrone Taylor is set for
center through next season.
So where
does Starlin Marte and Jeff
McNeil fit in?
From here
it’s guesswork. Marte can still work a bat and, overnight, becomes the odds on
favorite for Designated Hitter. The first thing McNeil is going to have to do
is prove he should remain the starting second baseman. If he beats out
Luisangel Acuna, then Acuna will probably become a swiss army knife that
includes OF5 (remember… many still project him with outfield skills that
include center).
As for the prospects in the chain, there really is no room for any of them in 2025, so let them mature and improve their skills in Syracuse.
Mets sign
RHP international free agent , Yuhi Sako, to a minor league contract.
Yuhl Sako
25/yrs
old 5-10 180
Came from
Japanese Industrial League
Spent
2024 in Indy ball
2024 - 6-3,
3.23 ERA, 92-K, 28-BB, 103.0-IP
Two appearances
in Mexican League this past year
Mack – some are calling him the “Sasaki Walmart Addition”. Another
no risk addition to the system at a minimal cost. You have to fill your affiliates
with players and once in awhile you strike gold. Will this be the one?
Other than Soto this offseason has more questions than answers. Hopefully Stearns will start answering some of them before the players report to St Lucie.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree here. Hopefully, we get a couple of more quality signs
DeleteI feel very good about McLean as a pitcher, ignoring his record. He propelled quickly, and he has good plus stuff. I surely hope Sproat and Tong are the next Seaver and Gentry (without the latter’s arm problems, of course). Or David Cone as a comp.
ReplyDeleteI too like McLean but I like him better as a backend reliever or closer
DeleteIf someone picked up $8-$10 million on Marte, I could see him leaving to reduce total payroll. If Mauricio can be ready to go by May 1. I’d think of assigning Mauricio to St Lucie for 2 weeks forthe warm weather, then 2 weeks in Syracuse, then call him up.
ReplyDeleteYa'll like rumors... one of them out there is that the Mets are touting Marte for a sale with them eating a share of his salary
DeleteWhat about Marte for Montgomery straight up? Think that’s possible to pull off?
ReplyDeleteSounds reasonable
DeleteMack,
ReplyDeletePaying down a player's salary and trading him worked 2 years ago, that may well be our best approach with Marte.
And maybe McNeil if you feel Acuña is ready to take over at second
DeleteI like the idea of swapping the similar contracts of Marte and Montgomery.
ReplyDeleteMy personal opinion on McNeil is that if he is traded, trade the entire salary and do not eat any of it. I don't like the idea of paying a guy to play for another team. For his cost (~16M for each of the next two years), he is valuable to keep around.
I would like to see McLean's walk rate go down a bit more, but he could end up being a good major league pitcher.
I too, am high on both Sproat and Tong.
You got good points son
ReplyDeleteI always felt McNeil could be a super utility player.
ReplyDeleteHe could but his head would never accept that
DeleteThis morning, I was the first to comment on this post. I don’t know where that comment went.
ReplyDeleteBut, to summarize I wondered what the Mets would do with outfield prospects if they are good in the corners until 2030.
I also said that this team needs at least a piece or two, but no team was perfect last year. Not the Dodgers that had no bottom of the order or starting pitching in the playoffs, not the Yankees that had some huge holes in their lineup all year, not Cleveland that clutch hit their way to the ALCS, and certainly not the Mets that made it to the NLCS, but how many of you without know the result would accept exactly the same team back? There are no guarantees.
I predict that the Mets pitching staff in February will not satisfy most of the fan base. Even if they sign Sasaki, we will hear gripes about the bullpen. And the lineup, Alonso is not a sure thing because I bet he takes a lesser deal somewhere else to use the Mets like others have despite his BS lip service, but I don’t see any options available for a DH that I would endorse.
To me, the bats have improved over last season but I would sleep better at night with Alonso aboard in a lesser role
DeleteI need to see more.pitching Gus.
Since 2019 Alonso has averaged more HR and RBI than Soto. So I don’t see how our offense with Marte, McNeil and Nimmo all showing signs of decline gives us a better offense than 2024. Would like to see Vientos duplicate 2024 before I call him a star. Alvarez has not hit since mid 2023. The offense worries me, especially since we have to compensate for a mediocre starting staff and a bullpen that has no dependable arms after Diaz. I hope Stearns has some tricks up his sleeve because right now we are not a playoff team.
ReplyDelete