The Jeff McNeil trade was likely far less about the pitcher received in return, Yordan Rodriguez, whose very low minor league numbers looked impressive, but at age 17 he’s a long way from making the major league club. It is likely far more about the financial flexibility the trade provides. Even with the money thrown in to entice the Athletics to take on McNeil the Mets find themselves $10 million payroll richer than they were a few days ago.
As you peruse the roster and wonder how it will shape up come Opening Day, there are still quite a few needs to fill. Obviously few are buying the Jorge Polcanco to first base narrative as he was a mediocre fielder all over the diamond and was brought here more for what he can do with his bat. If his bat is his strong suit then playing DH would allow him to focus on that aspect of his game and being a switch hitter ensures he’s available regardless of who is pitching.
That conclusion leads you back to the Abbott and Costello question, “Who’s on first?” Right now if Polcanco is the DH then you have the limited choice of Mark VIentos crossing the diamond to be less than stellar at first base, finding a new third baseman and then asking Brett Baty to do the learn-on-the-job duty trying to master a new position at first, or bringing in someone from the outside.
In left field the big hole became even deeper with projected starting outfielder Jeff McNeil now performing in Sacramento. For outfielders the Mets have Juan Soto, Tyrone Taylor and a lot of guessing. It’s easier to find someone to play left than to play center but unfortunately the Mets need both.
The current narrative is that the Mets are not seriously in on either Cody Bellinger nor Kyle Tucker. In the case of the former, he has the defensive skills they seek with an inconsistent bat but way more good than bad. In the case of the latter he’s a solid defensive player but not stellar and given his age, speed and consistency he’s going to be looking for a scaled down Juan Soto type of package. The Bellinger prospective rate is likely below the $31 million per year Pete Alonso will earn in Baltimore but it may take the same number of seasons. He’s not cheap but he does help both on the field and at the plate. Tucker would be the Steinbrenneresque play to snag the number one free agent but it’s unlikely the Mets would deem him as a great value.
We keep hearing about Carson Benge not having his slot blocked and many are advocating he begin the year in Queens. GIven his limited minor league resume as a full time hitter after giving up pitching it’s much more likely he will start his season in Syracuse. What is important to consider, however, is the length of the deal anyone receives who plays one of the two outfield positions because a lengthy contract could potentially block Benge’s ascension to the majors. If the club is trying to watch its budget then a one-two year deal type of acquisition might be in the cards for David Stearns.
Of course, outfielders are not the only needs. The club still has a somewhat unsettled bullpen with Devin Williams hoping to resurrect his otherwise notable career after the 2025 bad time in the Bronx. After that is still recovering A.J. Minter, Brooks Raley, newly acquired Luke Weaver and the collection of others vying for early assignment innings. Many feel the Mets need to get another strong reliever.
Then there are ongoing questions about the starting rotation. Right now everyone is solidify behind Nolan McLean and Clay Holmes, but they are unclear on the potential for Kodai Senga, David Peterson and Sean Manaea. The latter is here unless the Mets did a major pay down of his salary. The other two have been bandied about in trade rumors but taking away seemingly healthy pitchers opens up holes in an already shaky rotation. Still, you need to give to get both in terms of outfielder trades and pitching trades. The two starters who are marketable could help land some people of value.
Many articles appeared on Monday and Tuesday proclaiming the Mets’ road map for the rest of the off season, but no one knows exactly what the front office plan is for continuing its reconstruction of the roster. For now the uncertainty is somewhat irritating yet it’s also exciting as whatever does happen will make for a 2026 club far different than the subpar one that was at times unwatchable in 2025.
A few things
ReplyDelete1. Mets personnel are having name tags being made up that the players will be asked to wear on day one, that will say 'hi, my name is ---"
2. Mets signed another nobody yesterday... 30 yr old RP Ofriedley (or something like this) Gomez. Never pitched in majors. Been pitching indy ball for two years
3. Obviously, two outfield positions plus two UT OF are available. I'm sure one of Stearns options here is Carson Benge.
4. THERE ARE NO LEAKS
5. We will find out who these four players are when the deals are sealed
I find I dislike the uncertainty of rebuilding a team in the off season. I like it DONE YESTERDAY. It is clearly not done. Can David wrap it all up today and put a Christmas bow on it?
ReplyDeleteWe need to remember THE OTHER PARTY and his agent have to agree to Stearns' offer
DeleteTwo to tango
As I have said before, like watching paint dry… Stearns is building out organizational “insurance” for the position player groups within the roster. More on this later this morning.
ReplyDeleteI assume all these OF openings keeps Robert Jr on the board
Delete(is this mop head still available?)
The Mess have off-loaded 272 RBI named Pete, Brandon, and Jeff, and unless they are able to sign Ruth and Gehrig, there is no way for them to replace that production, let alone exceed it in 2026.
ReplyDeleteThe definition of a transition year
DeleteTom, you can forget about having everything tied up in a nice bow for Christmas.
ReplyDeleteStearns is waiting for the after Christmas sales where everything is 50% off.
This roster won't be complete until spring training. That leaves open the possibilities of signing players like Bregman and Bellinger to large 3 year deals with opt outs
@nickel7168. I am pretty sure the goal is not to replace that number for the upcoming year. The Mets have been shifting organizational approach for a couple of years 'on the fly' while largely constrained by the previous approaches and their consequences. The hardest part of the transition is substantially altering the core and, let's call it, 'recentering.' This is the first opportunity they have had to do so in a substantial way. Last year they were able to do so by addition (SOTO), this year by subtraction. This is not something that can be fully accomplished at the major league level in one year.
ReplyDeleteIf you dip into the free agent market at the top end, you will almost certainly find yourself with longer term contracts that will only delay the task and make it more difficult to achieve. Arguably there may be one or two exceptions to that this year, but they may not think that there is a long term piece that fits their vision of the 5-6 year or center available. You may think there are pitchers available that would have fit that core, but they may rightly think that the vast majority of the core of SP will come from their organization, and the only way they could secure a core piece through trading would be by giving up several of the pieces they see forming the core over the next major time frame. Why do that.
They certainly want next year to be a playoff year and they have every intention of putting a roster together that can accomplish that goal. When it comes to position players there is no denying that they need quality performers in two outfield positions, 1B and utility players on the infield and outfield. They are not chasing RBIs; they are seeking a high level of competitiveness that does not create an unnecessary obstacle to putting together a new core of excellence on the mound, in the bullpen and on the grass and dirt.
We are thinking only of next year. They are thinking about next year and the next five to 10 years thereafter. The worst decisions they could make may well be the ones we as fans want most because those decisions will improve situation for next year marginally but hamper the situation for years to come. Think of management as having something like a fiduciary duty that we do NOT as fans have.
So, from my point of view, the Mets could use a top 2/3 starter for next year and an innings eater, both on 2-3 year contracts at most; help in the bullpen that rarely requires more than a 2-3 year contract. I am not wild about the majority of names being bandied about for the outfield, though I prefer Robert to Laureama because of his defense and power potential. But we have several top tier outfield prospects no more than a year away.
More on what's going on: a bit more granular. We could improve our infield right now with Bichette or Bregmann at 3b or 1st and 3rd together, but... MONEY and Years. Maybe none from the group of Baty, Mauricio, Acuna, Vientos, Williams, Ewing, Clifford, Reimer will ever equal what Bichette brings or Bregmann does, But there is every reason to believe that there is a quality if not a star, IB, 2nd base and 3rd baseman among them and the total salary of the entire group over the next five years would not equal either Bichette's or Bregmann's contract!
ReplyDeleteOutfield: Tucker or Bellinger; Tucker is an A/A- ballplayer but not speedy and with slightly declining defensive skills and injuries to parts of his body that impact both hitting and fielding. Is he part of the core for the next five or six years? I don't think he is that kind of player. Would he be better next year than anyone the Mets are looking at now. Almost certainly. But that isn't the issue. How much more productive would he be than Anduljar (offensively); Hays, or the first year of Benge. If he isn't in the core in the way in which Soto, Lindor, and arguably, McLean are, then the investment in him isn't the right thing to do; it is an improvement but not an opportunity that warrants diverting from the plan.
Bellinger is trickier for me because he is not only an A-/B+ player, he is an A+ insurance policy. He allows the team to take risks with younger upside players at all outfield positions and 1st base. He makes it possible to sign Goldschmidt at 1st base for a year and to turn over the reigns to Clifford and or Reimer the year after. Because if neither work out as hoped, Bellinger can play 1st base well while you look for a replacement. He allows you to bring up Benge or even Williams in the OF to start the season or to sign Andujar as a iB/DH in a platoon with Polanco because he gives outstanding coverage the outfield corners and can play center if neither Benge nor Williams is ready, and so on. Is he a core player? Yes and no.
Ask anyone who has made large scale investments successfully (which after all a baseball team is) and they will tell you that the key is risk management, and insurance is invariably a component of any rational risk management strategy.
well, if they're kissing off this year for the future, than I expect Mess fans to do so as well...wait till Uncle Steve sees the attendance figures for this year. They outright lied about wanting Pete and Diaz back and then insulted Pete in the worst way possible after all he had done for the Org. I don't expect them to sign either Bregman or Bellenger who are both on the backside of their careers, as is Semien. Who will they have worth watching this year beyond Soto and Lindor?
ReplyDelete