10/18/26

MACK – Let’s Revisit - OF - Jose Ramos

 


MACK – Let’s Revisit - OF - Jose Ramos 

José Antonio Ramos (born January 1, 2001, in Chepo, Panama) is a right-handed batting/throwing outfielder (primarily CF) in the New York Mets organization. He is currently with the Triple-A Syracuse Mets (jersey #39). He has not yet made his MLB debut. Background and path to the Mets
  • Signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as an international free agent in July 2018.
  • Progressed through the Dodgers’ system (including time at Double-A Tulsa and a late-2025 promotion to Triple-A Oklahoma City).
  • In 2025 with the Dodgers organization he hit .251 with 18 HR and 59 RBI across Double-A and Triple-A.
  • Elected free agency after the 2025 season and signed a minor-league contract with the Mets (with a spring training invite) on November 25/26, 2025.
2026 stats (as of early September)
  • AAA/AA - 19-HR, 71-RBI
  • 2026/AAA-Syracuse - 109-AB, 4-HR, 17-RBI, .294/.389/.477/.866 
Career minor-league highlights
  • Career MiLB: roughly .250–.251 AVG, 110 HR, 40+ SB, OPS around .778.
  • Known for power (notably 25 HR in 2022) and has represented Panama in international play (including WBC qualification).

He remains a depth/power option in the Mets’ outfield pipeline. 



Posted by on No comments:

MACK – Three more possibilities for Mets first pick


 We continue with three more players that easily could be available when the Mets pick in the first round of the 2027 draft:

 

Gavin Kelly, C/2B/OF, West Virginia

20/years old – 6-0/175 – RHH –

2026/West Virginia -   251-AB, 45-K, 19-HR, 63-RBI, 43-BB, .382/.477/.725/1.202

His bat led the way for his team to go to Omaha this year. Split most of his time between second and behind the plate. High marks for athleticism. Gets + defensive ratings both on second and as a catcher.

Plus speed in the field and down the line. Needs to work on his faming.

Plenty of power developing. Big tick-up this past season. Quick, compact swing. Solid bat speed. Above average bat-to-ball skills. Some of the best feel for the barrel in the 2027 class. Rarely hits groundballs. Uses all the field. There's the hope he'll continue to unlock more bat speed as he adds physicality.

Currently not projected as a future all-star, but developing into a 20+ home run hitting, average first, excellent defensive catcher. A true test for the Mets if he is still on the board and they are truly looking for a replacement someday for Francisco Alvarez.

 

7. Reds: Chris Levonas, RHP, Wake Forest

20/years old – 6-1/175 –

2026/WF  -     15-ST, 10-3, 2.82, 1.05, 73.1-IP, 33-BB, 116-K

Big mover down the mound. Up to 7+ foot extension. High leg kick and longer arm action. “All arms and legs” approach to pitching. Still, just average command (you wonder why???).

Repertoire:

            101-mph/2500 rpm fastball – Grade: 60

            83-mph/3000 rpm slider - +potential

            Upper 70s/3100 rpm 12-6 hammer curve – above average to plus

            90-mph changeup – average potential

            90-mph cutter

Few in this draft can compete with Levonas's bag of tricks. Fastball is his go-to pitch. Best secondary is his slider, which has huge whiff/chase rates.

He’s rated as the third best starter in this draft, which easily will earn him a first round pick. The team that drafts him will be very happy here.

 

Connor Salerno, LHP, Sun Valley HS (NC)

2026/Sun Valley HS     - 5-W, 1.25-ERA, 44.2-IP, 80-K.

Salerno is considered the top high school arm in this draft.

Three-pitch mix, consisting of a mid-90s (98) fastball, a low-80s slider, a spinning curve, and a changeup.

An absolute bulldog on the mound. Clean, respectable delivery. Lower-than-average slot. Commands fastball from both sides of the plate. Slider is main secondary pitch.

Loose, whippy arm. Good extension. Velocity and Stuff+ grades have jumped in last 12 months. Elite K-rate in 2026 (14.2).

Trust me… will never see the Wake campus again.

Posted by on 5 comments:

Tom Brennan - My Mets Prospects #26 Thru #30


THE LOWEST FIVE IN MY TOP 30! 

I will do 6 articles on my top 30 Mets prospects, going in reverse order, 5 prospects at a time. Thereafter, two more articles, one on my 31-40, the other on my 41-50.

Today? 

I am trying to assume that drafted pitchers in early rounds are likely to yield more positive upper ranges of outcomes than the draft duds of 2001-2020. So, I am adding a few in the tail end of my top 30 with very little to go on, other than draft pedigree. 

That being said…

Here are my top Mets prospects, #’s 26 thru 30.


26) Luke McNeillie 

2026 5th rounder. 

Why Luke at #26? 

Because the Mets have so few pitching prospects, and they drafted him in the 5th round, right? So I am speculating he will have a strong 2027 and plant himself more firmly in the top 30 this time next year.

One pro inning, 2 walks, and THREE STRIKEOUTS! 

He is a 6’3” hard thrower who reportedly has touched 99.


27) Marco Vargas 

I can’t call him Little Marco, because that was Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s moniker.

Vargas, a 5’11” lefty hitting SS, was left for dead, hitting just .210 in just 100 first half at bats.

Whoa, but he surged at bat in AA late in the season.  .331/.399/.496 in the second half.

Finished at .277/.367/.401.

And he stole 29 of 30 in just 63 games!

Fine glove work at SS and 2B, too. Just 4 errors in 46 games in the field in 2026, and just 11 in 94 games in 2025, rates that are just about MLB caliber already.

And, good golly, Ms. Molly, he’s only 21. He and my #30 prospect both share May 14 birthdays, with Marco being a year younger.

As I write this, I realize I probably should have ranked him HIGHER. 

Maybe I should have switched him with my #11, the oft-injured Jacob Reimer, even.

Maybe Vargas stuns us all and is in the top ten next year.


28) Yovanny Rodriguez 

Y Rod is a bonus baby catcher with a decent bat. ZIn 2026, 65% of his play was in the FCL, 35% in St Lucie. He probably will do a little more Lucie in 2026, then truck north to Brooklyn. ETA? 2029 or 2030. Rodriguez was considered the best catching prospect in the 2024 International signings and was ranked very high overall in all of the signings that year. He signed for $2.85 million. We all hope that is a successful investment.

He hit .259 in 239 at bats in low and full A call, with 13 HRs and 49 RBIs.

2027 should be quite revealing. Good 2026 year in the lower minors with the bat, plays all of next year at age 20. 

So many catching talents competing eventually for one of two catching positions. Will he surge to the fore in 2027? Possibly. He may be the best of them all in the long run.


29) Alex Petrovic 

2026 6th rounder righty. Why Petrovic at #29? 

Because the Mets have so few pitching prospects, and they had to draft him in the 6th round, right?  He’s had one pro inning and fanned 2. I hope he can maintain that 18 Ks/9 ratio throughout his pro career, 

And I was a huge fan of the NBA Nets’ star sharpshooter Drazen Petrovic, who was killed on the autobahn in a collision decades ago in 1993. He was 1992-93 All-NBA and is in the NBA Hall of Fame. He was the hardest working NBA player I ever saw.

But, what about Alex? Hopefully he works even harder.

Are they related? AI says no:

  • Alex Petrovic: A right-handed pitcher born in Cypress, Texas, grew up in the U.S. and is of Seneca Nation descent.
  • Dražen Petrović: The iconic Hall of Fame basketball player born in Šibenik, Croatia, whose actual basketball-playing older brother oddly is Aleksandar "Aco" Petrović.

Another site, however, did indeed refer to Alex as a Serbian, so who knows? He is a 6’5”, 235 righty with good control and a low to mid 90s fastball.

30) Peyton Prescott 

Prescott, a 6’0”, 220 righty drafted in 2025, threw very high octane gas, but had Tommy John pre-draft. Nicely, in September, he was back from TJS. He is a 6’0” 200 righty. Why the 5th round? I guess because it was reported his FB averaged 96 in his last (sophomore) college season and he sometimes hit 100 MPH.

Despite just one pro IP, he is amazingly pitching in Arizona Fall ball, against lots of advanced hitters. So he must be GOOD!

Well, in AZ fall ball yesterday, he started the game and threw 2 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and fanning 2. He topped out at 94.9 MPH, but mixed in a bunch of cutters and sliders. 

Just 25 pitches needed, 17 for strikes. Sweet.

If I waited until after the AFL to compile this top 30? He might have been several slots higher.

Maybe he is top 10 at this time next year. They just may have a LIVE one.


Next up? My 21 thru 25 fellas.


ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE WILDNESS

In back to back games, the Surprise Saguaros, to whom the Mets players are assigned, scored 29 runs on just 18 hits, but with THIRTY WALKS.

THIRTY WALKS IN TWO GAMES? Too much cactus juice consumption.

The 3 Mets offensive players went 2-11 with 6 walks and 6 runs scored in the two games.  What to make of that, I do not know.

Posted by on 8 comments:

MACK – Three more possibilities for Mets first pick

 

We continue with three more players that easily could be available when the Mets pick in the first round of the 2027 draft:

 


Dylan Seward, SS, Norco HS (Calif.)

 18/yrs. old - 6-0/175 – SWH –

HS career:  .382/.478/.677, 16-HR (junior year).

2025/2026:  .436, .519, .727, 7-HR, 39-R, 29-RBI, 17-SB (33-G)

The Mets will probably have to pick 1.1 or 1.2 to land this gem. He is easily the top player in the draft. The only thing that would lower him from a 1.1 pick is if some team would decide tom pick position-first.

Outstanding runner (6.10-sec 60-yd.). Some evaluators give him “top-of-the-grade” rating (80). Strong defense with quick feet, arm strength, range, and clean action. A future plus defensive shortstop, maybe better.

High bat speed with hard contact from both sides of the plate. Exit velocities already over 100. While not a pure bat-to-ball artist, Seward does feature an extensive track record of performance both on the summer circuit and against top-notch high school competition out in California. Effortless speed from both sides of the plate.

Hard to find a downside here. Some swing-and-miss when he expands the zone (hint: throw him high speed fastballs).

 


Brendan Lawson, SS, 3B, 2B, 1B, Florida

20/yrs. old – 6-3/215 - LHH –

2026    -           SEC/Florida:  186-AB, 46-K, 19-HR, 48-RBI, 14-SB, .312/.511/.699/1.210

Currently playing short, but will probably be drafted as a third baseman

Some scouts have Lawson as the most exciting offensive prospect in the 2027 MLB Draft. The bat here is considered very special.

An unorthodox set-up at the plate. Slightly open with a high hand set, Tall posture, then coiling into back hip and a toe tap to time up. No, this is not Fred Astaire. I expect any team that drafts him will change this future invitation to repeated trips to the IL. Twitchy hips and explosive hands ends this dance.

Very mature hitter. Miniscule chase rates. Won’t require much tweaking. Blossoming hit tool. Bat-to-ball skills already above-average. Already has multiple excellent wood bat stat lines in the Cape Cod League.

Power wise, growing into 60-grade game power. Already has exit speeds north of 115. His hard-hit rates are rivaled by few in the country. Easily projects to a 30+ HR threat. Now an above-average runner who could steal 20+ bags at the next level.

 


Landon Hairston, OF, Arizona State

20/years old – 5-11/195 - LHH –

2026/ASU:       235/AB, 27-K (!), 28-HR, 81-RBI, 44-BB, .400/.509/.860.1.328

Son of Scott.

Before we go any further… 27-strikeouts in 235 at-bats???

An .860-OPS???

What you talkin’ bout’, Willis?

Few in the country put the college baseball world on notice like Landon Hairston did in 2026. I give him the most complete collegiate bat in the 2027 class. Could end up really special.

Quick swing. Impressive barrel length. Tough to find him whiffing. Plus bat-to-ball skills. Excellent at shortening up with two strikes. K-rate under 10% first two years at ASU.

And then there’s the power. Continues to blossom, year after year. Could wind up being power+ someday. Projected middle of order bat.

Seems destined for a corner outfield slot. Not a Gold Glove candidate, but his bat will make you forget this.

Posted by on 1 comment:

10/17/26

MACK – Let’s Revisit - RHRP - Brian Metoyer

 


MACK – Let’s Revisit - RHRP - Brian Metoyer 

Brian Metoyer is a right-handed relief pitcher in the New York Mets organization (currently with the Triple-A Syracuse Mets). Background
  • Drafted by the Mets in the 40th round (1,190th overall) of the 2018 MLB Draft out of LSU Alexandria.
  • Born November 13, 1996 (age 29), from Natchitoches, LA; 6'3", ~173 lbs; bats/throws R/R.
  • Long minor-league career delayed by injuries, including two Tommy John surgeries (missed 2023–2024 seasons). Re-signed as a minor-league free agent in December 2024.
  • Known as an underdog story—late-round pick with limited innings early due to injuries but strong strikeout rates when healthy. He bonded with fellow Mets prospect Matt Allan during rehab as members of the “Double TJ” club.
2026 Performance (as of recent data)
  • Appearing primarily as reliever for Binghamton (AA) and Syracuse (AAA).
  • AA/Binghamton - 35-apps, 4.38, 1.25
  • AAA/Syracuse - 15-apps, 4.32, 1.32
  • AAA/AA- 55.2-IP, 34-BB, 87-K
  • Strong strikeout ability has been a consistent trait (career minors K totals stand out relative to innings).
Pitching Repertoire / ArsenalFrom 2026 Binghamton notes and prior scouting:

  • 4-seam fastball: 92–95 mph
  • 2-seam fastball: 92–94 mph
  • Changeup: 87–89 mph
  • Slider: 87–90 mph (newer addition post-injury; described by a scout as “[expletive] nasty”)
  • Curveball: 76–79 mph (his signature pitch; rated the best curveball in the Mets system by Baseball America entering 2022)
He has historically leaned on the curve as a put-away pitch and has worked on refining the changeup and adding the slider for a more complete mix after returning from surgery. Early career reports also noted a fastball that could touch the mid-to-upper 90s with projection. Metoyer remains a depth/organizational arm with strikeout upside in relief, still chasing a possible MLB opportunity after overcoming significant injury setbacks. 

He’s a 29-year-old right-hander (born November 13, 1996, in Natchitoches, LA; 6'3"/173 lbs, B/T: R/R). 

The Mets selected him in the 40th round (pick 1,190) of the 2018 MLB Draft out of LSU Alexandria. 

He’s a long-time organizational arm and underdog story: multiple Tommy John surgeries (including a second one) limited him, he missed significant time, and he re-signed as a minor-league free agent in late 2024. He has a strong strikeout profile and reached AAA in 2026.
2026 Stats - see above
  • He was promoted from Double-A Binghamton to Syracuse in early August 2026 and has shown strong strikeout rates (often 13+ K/9 in recent lower levels).
Pitching RepertoireCommonly listed as: 4-seam fastball, 2-seam/sinker, curveball, slider, changeup.

  • Curveball: His signature pitch. Rated the best in the Mets system by Baseball America entering 2022. High-spin (often 3,000+ RPM, with reports of ~3,200–3,300 in tracked outings), sits in the high-70s to low-80s (around 78–79 mph in recent data). It generates high whiff rates and was a big reason for his prospect notice.
  • Fastballs: 4-seam and 2-seam/sinker in the low-to-mid 90s (has touched higher historically, including mid-90s to 97 in college/draft reports). Recent tracked data shows sinker around 94+ mph and cutter-like usage in the low 90s.
  • Slider: Added/developed more after recovery; described by scouts as “nasty.”
  • Changeup: Part of the mix (mid-to-high 80s historically); he has worked on refining it.
In 2021 Arizona Fall League tracking he mixed a cutter (~93 mph), high-spin curve (~79 mph), and sinker. 

 He throws from a high three-quarters arm slot.

Metoyer is a high-upside strikeout reliever type whose path has been slowed by injuries. He’s drawn “one call away from MLB debut” commentary after reaching AAA. 

56 innings, 87 Ks (14 K/9) in 2026? 

His call will come in 2027.



Posted by on 3 comments:

MACK – Here Comes the Draft… Here Comes the Draft (3 possibilities for Mets first pick)

 


We now move on to one of the reasons they pay me around here (sic)… making sure all of you are up to speed on the players available in the next draft. We still don’t know the exact pick the Mets will have in the first round, but we will know it will be a good one. We also know they will have another pick in the top 100, so this series will cover, at worst, the first two Mets pick in 2027.

A lot of personal reflection here, especially with the first player I pick here:


Tague Davis, 1B, Louisville

21/yrs. old – 6-4, 220 – LHH

2026 – NCAA/Louisville – 231-AB, 70-K, 34-HR, 98-RBI, 36-BB, .355/.443/.848/1.292

Hey Tom. Looking for power?

Hey Gus. Looking for first baseman?

Sure, his K/9% is high but isn’t all first basemen? I mean, this guy did lead all of Division 1 with 34 homers in 2026. That’s power, right?

He looks like a lumberjack with a twig in his mitts. Did I tell you he hits without batting gloves? This is so Ted Kluszewski like.

Scout grade his power potential as 70-grade; however, he currently has 30-grade bat-to-ball skills. Chases breaking balls too often. Work is needed here, but look at the monster you are working with?

Defensively, possesses one of the best gloves in baseball.

So… Alonzo power with a Keith glove on his hands.

Sign me up.

 

Dax Whitney, RHP, Oregon State

20/yrs. old – 6-5/220 –

2026/Oregon State:    11-ST, 6-1, 2.00, 0.95, 63.0-IP, 18-BB, 104-K

Whitney was easily the top pitcher in this draft before he went under the knife in May for a torn right UCL (TJS). Is Gus’s favorite pitcher still worth a pick this early? The Mets have been known to draft top prospects that just came off the IL. Will they do that again? Should they do it again (he will not be ready come opening day)? As for talent, no one in this draft has this much. Already runs a fastball up to 101 (sits in upper 90s). Three excellent secondary pitches, including a Chase Burns-like cutter. Labeled as the best pitching prospect since Paul Skenes. A 36.7% whiff rate in 2026.

Me?

I really don’t want another Blade Tidwell, or Calvin Zeigler on this team, but I also have to recognize that Whittley has the God-given talent that only comes around once in a while. Luckily, I don’t have to make the call here. I just break out the research.


 

Tomas Valincius, LHP, Mississippi State

21/yrs. old – 6-2/225

2026/Mississippi State -          17-ST, 11-2, 3.50, 1.07, 97.2-IP, 20-BB, 134-K

Looking for a healthy, highly talented, starter?

Valincius spent his freshman year at Virginia, then followed his coach Brian O’Connor to Mississippi State.

Three-pitch mix… a deceptive fastball that sits around 95 mph (98), a mid-80s slider with depth that missed bats at a 48-percent clip (Synergy), and an effective mid-80s changeup. Smooth delivery with short. Quick arm action. Best secondary pitch is his mid-80s slider. Also has a feel for upper-80s changeup.

Needs to work on developing more run than carry on his fastball.

Rarely walks batters. And, he’s had all this successful while pitching to batters in the SEC.

Did I tell you he’s a lefty?

 

 



Posted by on 9 comments:

Reese Kaplan -- Who Could the Mets Peddle Away In Trades?


So let’s pretend for a moment that the Mets actually have a General Manager whose job it is to improve the roster for the upcoming abbreviated season. Forget for a moment the chronically injured and lightning in a bottle candidates the POBO felt were suitable replacements for All Stars like Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz.  Let’s instead look at it from the other perspective of who could/should go in possible trades to help the roster become one better than a last place team.

The first name on the list is Kodai Senga who finished the 2026 season with a highly unexpected flourish after starting off with last pace Little League numbers as a starting pitcher.  I’d advocated using him in the pen early in the season but David Stearns was apparently still clinging to his flashback memory about what kind of a pitcher closer Devin Williams was when both were in Milwaukee and actually attempted to win baseball games rather than getting crowned for who in the front office has the biggest ego and can’t admit when he was wrong.

The long overdue switch to closer happened more out of necessity than the attempt to win games.  When Williams hit the IL with a shoulder strain in his pitching arm the Mets were in desperate need of someone to finish games for them in is place.  Senga was tapped for this role and was surprisingly effective most of the time. With shorter outings than he had as a starter he was able to allow his velocity to creep up a bit. Coupled with his ghost fork, he turned himself into a highly credible reliever when the team needed it most.


Fast forward to the spectator seats during the off season and the Mets must make a decision moving forward about Senga.  Williams is theoretically healthy and on the books not only for 2027 but for 2028 as well at an annual rate of $17 million.  With that kind of pay he’s not likely to be the setup guy despite two consecutive subpar season in the Bronx and in Queens. 

By contrast, Kodai Senga has just one season left at $15 million as his 5-year $75 million deal  draws to a close after the 2027 season.  Given the short term debt his deal would require  for a potential trade partner it may indeed be possible to find a team either in need of a closer or who think they can return him into becoming the dominating starter he once was.  The return on such a deal should not be throwaway players but the combination of Senga’s injury history and his erratic starting pitching performance for the past two years might mitigate the level of return you could expect. 

The other relatively strong return candidate would be catcher Francisco Alvarez.  I’ve already profiled that he is a much surer guy to sit behind the dish than anyone else in the system ready to play in the majors but here’s no denying that a power hitting young catcher would indeed generate a decent trade return.  The issue here is the vacancy his departure would create.

The other trade candidates the Mets have are maddeningly inconsistent and worth very little in deals.  Think Mark Vientos, Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio, Tylor Megill, Tobias Myers and other similar less desirable choices for other teams. 

Finally there are the expensive deals that are rather difficult to move without paying down significantly or taking back an equally undesirable deal in return.  Here you would find Marcus Semien, Sean Manaea and Jorge Polanco. 

Now it is possible that some of the unproven minor leaguers could sweeten some trade offers but opposing teams can read analytical reports and smirk at the metrics they contain.  You’re not going to get first class goods for a Ryan Clifford type but he might appeal to another team as a longshot wildcard prospect in a package deal.  

Posted by on 22 comments:

10/16/26

MACK – Let’s Revisit - LHRP - Felipe De La Cruz

 


MACK – Let’s Revisit - LHRP - Felipe De La Cruz 

Felipe De La Cruz is a left-handed pitcher (LHP/LHRP prospect) in the New York Mets organization; his main repertoire is a mid-90s sinker/fastball (up to ~98 mph in relief) + gyro slider (mid-80s), with a changeup as a tertiary pitch. Background
  • Born May 26, 2001 (age 25), Yamasa, Dominican Republic. 6'0", 160 lbs, B/T: L/L.
  • Signed by the Mets as an international free agent in March 2021.
  • Primarily a starter earlier in his career but has transitioned toward more relief work (especially noted in 2025–2026). He has bounced between Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies and Triple-A Syracuse Mets. As of early August 2026, he was placed on the 7-day IL with Binghamton (later activated per some reports). He remains a minor-league arm, not yet on the 40-man roster in available updates.
2026 - AA/Binghamton: 33-apps, 1-2, 2.81,1.37, 41.2-IP, 25-BB, 53-K
Pitch Repertoire / ArsenalScouting and game reports describe a relatively simple, effective mix that plays particularly well in shorter relief outings:

  • Primary fastball / sinker: Mid-90s (typically averages ~94–96 mph). Touches 97–98 mph in shorter relief stints. Often described as a sinker; generates ground balls and plays up from a three-quarters arm slot with some “sling.”
  • Gyro slider: Mid-80s (roughly 84–88 mph, often noted around 85–87). His main secondary/out pitch; high usage and swing-and-miss generator.
  • Changeup: Occasional third pitch (used sparingly—e.g., only a handful of times in a 70-pitch Triple-A start). Listed in earlier media guides alongside a four-seamer option.
In a notable 2025 Triple-A debut start (6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K), ~66 of 70 pitches were fastball or gyro slider, with just four changeups. In a subsequent relief appearance, he threw only fastball/slider and saw a velocity bump. 

Earlier organizational notes (2024) listed the repertoire as 4-seam, slider, and changeup; more recent observations emphasize the sinker + gyro slider combination. He has shown strong strikeout rates at times (high K-BB% in limited samples) and has drawn attention as a potential big-league lefty bullpen option when the Mets need LHRP help, though command and consistency have been works in progress across levels.

Posted by on 6 comments:

Reese Kaplan -- The Weird 2026/2027 Baseball Calendar


It’s become something of a regular review for me about the upcoming baseball calendar.  In years past it focused primarily on pending free agent acquisitions and roster removals to create space to fill with new faces.  This year it’s a bit different because of the elephant in the room.

The first big date occurs five days after the conclusion of the World Series.  It is then that players who are eligible can choose to file for free agency.

In the case of the Mets, the big question, of course, is what Bo Bichette will do with his opt-out clause giving him the ability to gamble on another team paying him either more money annually or for a greater number of years.  Conventional wisdom is that Bichette will stay after his middling year as a Met since no one is likely to want to commit $42 million for a guy with 78 RBIs this past year. 

After that there are no seemingly critical pieces left for the Mets to manage after the trade deadline sell off.  The upcoming Met organizational players eligible to depart include Vidal Brujan (minor league level), Bryce Conley (same deal), Chris Devenski (same deal), Dan Hammer (same deal), Kevin Herget, MJ Melendez (same deal with minor league free agency), Matt Seelinger (same deal), Zack Short and Guillo Zuniga (minor league level).  If all of them left no one would be shedding tears, though Devenski was a returning Met this past season.


The next big date on the baseball calendar is the annual GM Meeting taking place this year in Las Vegas between November 9th and 12th.  Given the upcoming December 1st lockout possibility it could mean that baseball executives could move much more aggressively to add players than they would have done without that pachyderm threatening to trample the 2027 season.  Normally the Winter Meetings are where roster changes usually start taking place but this uncertain baseball reality could indeed change things. 

Unrelated to the Mets this year is the mid November deadline for players either to accept or reject QOs before moving forward in free agency.  With teams having five days after the World Series to extend an offer, the player is then on the clock being given up to 10 days to decide whether or not to return to their 2026 team.  The Mets have no major league free agents even remotely near a QO decision.

In New York City between November 17th and 19th the Owner’s Meeting takes place during which the details of the likely lockout over the expiring CBA that will curtail the normal 162 game schedule for the upcoming 2027 season.


The next major decision point is the November 20th non-tender deadline for players currently under contract with less than six years of major league service time. For the Mets, this list could potentially include Francisco Alvarez, Brett Baty, Reed Garrett, Tylor Megill, Christopher Morel, Dedniel Nunez, Cristian Pache, Cionel Perez, Austin Warren and Mark Vientos. 

The two players returning from injury — Garrett and Megill — require a little bit of analysis to decide how soon they could return and how effective they would be while in post surgery recovery.  Others who have value include Alvarez and Baty.  The ones who are less certain to return include Morel, Pache, Perez, Warren and Vientos. 

Normally the Winter Meetings are where the hot stove enthusiasts get excited to see who will or won’t be a part of the upcoming season’s roster.  If the lockout indeed takes place then the Winter Meetings this year are likely not to happen which not only will eliminate this annual roster feeding frenzy but also will postpone the MLB draft lottery and te Rule 5 draft.

Normally in February the teams and unsigned players on the roster who are eligible exchange arbitration figures.  A mediator is used to ascertain the allegedly fair contract amount for each qualified player in arbitration. 

Posted by on 4 comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)