So, that’s finally over. A piss poor effort to save a piss poor season. Where this team going now is far above my
pay grade, but I willing to share my thoughts on what I THINK they should do
going forward.
1. First, establish the core. My guess is that would include Lindor, Vientos, Baty, Alvarez, Soto, Nimmo, McLean, Tong, and Sproat. That’s nine players. Not 26.
2. Determine what players who are still under contract will be part of the 2026 team. My picks would be McNeil, Senga, Holmes, and Minter. All four of these are talented baseball players and are perfect bridge players to 2027. Holmes would be back in my rotation. Senga would be until Scott returned. We’re now up to 13 players, not counting Scott.
(let me say this before we continue… there really is only one starter on this team that warrants a locked position. Nolan McLean. Everybody else wearing a Mets uniform could easily go into the 2026 tank. I’m not predicting this but, if the Mets don’t reach out and either sign or trade for, AT LEAST ONE ribeye starter, 2026 may just look just like 2025)
3. I would exercise my club option on Raley (14).
4. Torrens would remain my backup catcher (15).
5. I would exercise my club option on reliever Drew Smith (16).
6. I would add reliever Dylan Ross to my 26 (17).
17 members of my 26 is as far as I can go right now.
I would invite to camp Brazoban and Kranick, but I would reserve a final decision on all three pending what develops in the off season. Garrett would have gotten at least an invite, but he’s now lost for the season.
I would open up with a AAA-Syracuse that included Wennniger, Pintaro, Watson, and Gordon, but I just don’t see the potential for a future ace here. So, I would make a serious effort to get the Pirates to trade Paul Skenes to me. My package would be big… Jett Williams, Nick Morabito, Ronny Mauricio, Jacob Reimer, and Chris Suero. Look, the Pirates have picked early in the draft for many years and have a shitload of starter prospects either on their current team or maxed out at AAA. Bubba Chandler, Mitch Keller, Thomas Harrington, Braxton Ashcraft, Hunter Barco… a low rung team can easily survive with these guys. What the Pirates need is some more team-controlled bat prospects. The Mets have these bats.
This deal would allow me to keep my future starting catcher (Yovanny Rodriguez), my top two pitching prospects (Jack Wenninger, Will Watson), my next reliever to graduate (Ryan Lambert), my future DH or 1Bman (Ryan Clifford), and my top two outfield prospects (Carson Benge, AJ Ewing). All future starters.
Obviously, if Skenes joined this rotation, he would be my SP1 followed by McLean as SP2, followed by Sproat and Tong. Holmes would probably be in my OD rotation, but he would be on a short lease.
I would then turn my attention to trying to bring back Pete Alonso, Edwin Diaz, Ryan Helsley, and Tyler Rogers.
Then, I would take the
rest of the day off.
25 comments:
If a Skenes deal can't be worked out, I would call Miami and try to work out a deal for Sandy Alcantara.
Probably could get this done with four prospects, but one would have to be red meat like Jett Williams
Also, they probably would demand a starter
Just wanted to get the ball rolling, so I copied my post from Reese's article: I didn't sleep last night, needless to say I'm not a happy camper.
Antibody read any of those pushback articles on Soto. Marte and Lindor both have spoken of him being stand-offish. Doesn't get involved with the team.
I don't want to say I told you so...BUT I TOLD YOU SO. He destroyed the whole team chemistry in on year. 14 more to go.
For those who say how great he is...He hit F*%@ing .260.
To recap my rant:
He's a shitty outfielder. Wont dive or go near the fence.
Didn't hit for half the season.
Hit .160 with RISP.
Hit in Front of Alonso and Judge last year.
Ruined the chemistry in 1 season.
October 1, 2025 at 9:01 AM
JoeP said...
Forgot 1 thing. His stolen bases were a by-product of the 1B coach. He got picked off 5 times tying to be a 40-40 guy.
SOTO was ranked 11th in the league with a 6.2-WAR
You have a case going forward in talking him into being a DH but who is going to replace him there in 2026?
Past that, you need to find a new 🌳 to bark up
I doubt they will push him to DH until/if he re-ups after year 5.
As far as 2026 goes I'm pretty aligned with you. Tong and Sproat might not be on the OD roster and Vientos and McNeil could be traded. Should be an interesting off season.
Dear Mack and JoeP: Soto wasn’t the problem. Stand-off-ish? Marte takes vacations every year and was supposedly Soto’s best friend in the team and he has something to say? Lindor should give his glove the winter off. These are professionals and they sucked. They need to mind their tongue.
Re Skenes: forget it. If you think Pittsburgh says ok to those players, you’re nuts. IF they care, it’s Benge, Clifford, Williams, Peña and Guzman. How bad do you want Skenes?
The Rangers want to pare payroll, so Bruce Bochy retired again. JdG is 38 years old and is making $37MM for two seasons. He has a no trade clause, but may not prefer to rebuild. But here is the caveat: I’m still not signing Diaz and Alonso to reset the payroll tax and I’m sending back Holmes and Wenninger to offset the payroll cost. I’m packaging Montas with a prospect to further lower my tax, and I’m trading McNeil.
Scott starts in the bullpen to build up arm strength. He can start in 2027.
You can sub Mauricio and Vientos for Peña and Guzman, as I’m sure they want more ready players. Skenes ain’t getting traded.
But, I do like your roster Mack.
Hey Mack...That Skenes deal is a little light...Jett, Clifford, Sproat and Reimer is when the pirates will at least pick up the phone
This is large
Then I dial the 305
I would think Sproat or Tong would have to be included. Probably a second pitcher along with Benge or Jett.
Gus, can you actually trade Montas while he's on DL out for year. Or are you just trading salary by including a prospect.
You are also correct about Marte missing time and Lindor's sub-par defense this season. Neither player ripped him, just stated that he's really not part of the team.
That is why I held firm on my position when they traded for him.
Look, I'm not an idiot, Soto is a top 10 player, but He has created a 25 +1 atmosphere on the team.
I know this is blasphemy, but I would have rather done what the Skanks did. Get a SP1 and a good player or two.
They want the same. At the deadline they wanted two top prospects, a MLB ready player and one more
That’s what they said about ARod. A good player is a good player.
I remember Steve Philips saying that. I brought that up when they traded for Soto. The Mets rejected that trade back then because of the perks Rodriguez was asking for.
You know what, at least Rodriguez hung with the players when he became a Yank. It was Jeter who was a douche to him.
Also, at least Rodriguez was a very good fielder, and he hustled.
Gentlemen, I am staying outside the fray today. No low blows, or hitting after the bell.
Like him or hate him Soto isn’t going anywhere. So until that Death do us part.
I agree on letting Alonzo and Diaz walk, maybe Soto can scoop a ground ball at first base? If not move him to DH eventually.
I would love Paul Skeens, but I think our prospects would be too much of an overpay to actually get him.
I would go full out and sign Diylan Cease and/ or Michael King, while keeping my prospects.
I would go for Cody Bellinger as my first baseman and the guy Reese mentioned as a backup option.
Spend some money on relievers.
Didn't Montos go under the knife and will not play in 2026?
Yes. Hence the prospect. I’m sure a team will take Montas’s money if the Mets give them a prospect that’s worth it, say Reimer.
Good morning Mack. I like where you’re going with the roster, but I don’t think Vientos will be here, especially if they re-sign Pete, which I think they’ll do. Given Stearns’ focus on the defense, Vientos isn’t going back to 3B, and with Soto and Pete both being at the very bottom of the defensive rankings by position, I think both Pete and Soto are looking at 40-50+ games at DH. Add in Nimmo and DH is pretty well covered. I know Pete doesn’t want to DH, but can’t see any team giving him big years and money and guaranteeing he wears a glove every game. I see Vientos as one of the centerpieces of a trade for a SP
Exactly. Would you rather have Jeter or ARod? Jeter sucked on defense and ARod was better. Jeter wasn’t as good as ARod in offense.
Mack, let’s say you are Frank Cashen after the 1985 season, and some team tells you they want Dwight Gooden. What are you thinking?
And understand the Pirates have nothing else to offer their fans and haven’t had anything to offer in a long while
I don’t want Soto running into fences. Too many guys get hurt. You can’t lose him for any length of time due to injury. If he can catch a ball at the wall, fine.
Bring in Russ Vogt to reduce the payroll.
Get younger.
Try to snatch the star. Did we try hard enough to get Garrett Crochet? We did not.
Then bring OUT the fences
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