MACK - SOME TUESDAY STUFF

 

BTH                   @BeyondTheHalo

Ranking the 20 worst contracts in MLB:

Brandon Nimmo on Being Traded –

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"The Mets would not have brought this trade if they didn't feel like it put the Mets in the best position to win going forward. They made it very apparent that they weren't actively shopping me but that the Rangers really, really, really wanted me."

This season, Nimmo slashed .262/.324/.436/.760 with 27 doubles, 25 home runs, and 92 RBI in 155 games. He’s a great hitter and a solid glove in the outfield. 4

Why did the Rangers want him so bad? Probably because they non-tendered their former outfield star, Adolis Garcia. Now, they just replaced him with someone better, and can focus on other aspects they need to upgrade.

 

Chris Monte              @montemania

Something to note: Marcus Semien is a hardcore workout, training, lifting, hustle guy that has only been a good influence on younger players in both Oakland and Texas. I don't think that element of his acquisition is minor. The Mets unquestionably were unfocused and lax last year. They won't have that option without an issue next year if Semien is around.

 

Brandon Nimmo-Marcus Semien trade

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The core wasn’t good enough

The Mets entered the Stearns era in 2024 wondering how good they could be around their long-term core of Nimmo, Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil. And despite a memorable run to the National League Championship Series that fall, that core was not good enough over the larger sample of two 162-game seasons. New York won 89 and 83 games; the total of 172 finished sixth in the NL in that span (behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs) and 11th in the majors.

At some point in the final stretch of the 2025 season, whether or not the Mets made the postseason became irrelevant to how the front office would judge the group. New York played too poorly for too long to redeem itself just by getting in, which of course it didn’t anyway.

 

Unprotected From the Rule 5 Draft

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Blake Burkhalter (RHP) – Atlanta Braves

2025 Stats: 32 G (16 GS), 103 IP, 3.32 ERA, 3.53 FIP, 88 K

This Braves omission is the one that likely stands out the most to people around the baseball world.

Blake Burkhalter was taken by the Braves out of Auburn as the compensation pick that they received after Freddie Freeman left for Los Angeles. Primarily a back-end bullpen arm during his time at Auburn, Atlanta was quick to announce him as a starting pitcher as soon as he was selected.

Burkhalter missed the majority of the 2023 and ’24 seasons recovering from Tommy John.

After making his return halfway through the 2024 campaign, he was able to limit opposing hitters to a .240 average and continued to showcase his four-pitch mix, comprising a 94 mph fastball, a cutter, a change-up, and a curveball; the two off-speed pitches were generating over a 30% whiff rate.

The 25-year-old right-hander should be selected in this December’s draft by any team looking for a back-end starter, or long guy to add to the bullpen.