ANGRY MIKE: LAST CHARGE OF STEVE COHEN & HIS IMMORTALS

ANGRY MIKE 

The Mets capped off their busy off-season with arguably their biggest move, acquiring Brewers “Ace”, Freddy Peralta and swingman man Tobias Myers, for top prospects Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat. It was a shocking move that materialized rather quickly after there were reports the Brewers made a formal offer of Freddy Peralta for Williams and Sproat. After the smoke and flames from the "Hot Stove" settled, the Mets were able to get the established “Ace” their rotation sorely needed, as well as a high upside arm for the bullpen. 

The cost was expensive, as Williams and Sproat are not only both high impact prospects, they’re both “MLB-ready” and capable of contributing for the Brewers during the 2026 season.  

This was one of the rare trades where teams exchanged players from positions of strength, to supplement areas of need. The Mets have the deepest farm system in the MLB, and the “Rich got even Richer”, when they were able to sign the #1 Prospect from the 2026 I.F.A. Class, Wandy Asigen, who has been lauded as a true franchise-altering talent. It was speculated all winter by the media and “industry experts”, if the Mets were serious about acquiring a true “Ace”, they would have to surrender Jonah Tong and other top five prospects. The fact the Mets were able to keep players with the highest upside and still acquire an All-Star like Peralta is a testament to how phenomenal of job they have done in recent years to quickly build their stockpile of high-upside talent within their farm system.

FREDDY PERALTA  SCOUTING REPORT:

Peralta has been one of the most consistent starters in the MLB over the past few years, possessing electric stuff that qualifies him as the #1 SP on almost any franchise. What makes Peralta even more intriguing is the fact as good as he’s been, there is still room for improvement, that could help elevate him into a true candidate to win a Cy Young. The Mets have done a tremendous job helping pitchers of various pedigrees unlock their best versions, and that was even before they hired Justin Willard to be their new pitching coach. The combination of Willard, the Mets Pitching Lab, and Peralta’s electric stuff, make for an interesting pairing  that should help Peralta continue to improve and deliver the type of “Ace Caliber” season the Mets are hoping for.

4-seam Fastball  ->  60+ Scouting Grade 94.8 MPH AVG., tops out 98 MPH, perceived velocity is significantly higher, generates run value Top 15% MLB.

Slider  ->  legit 70  Scouting Grade, generated a 53% Whiff rate in 2025, that features sharp horizontal break.

Changeup  ->  55-60  Scout Grade, he used it significantly more last year & it is a pitch that is continues to get better

Curveball  ->  50-55  Scouting Grade, features 12-6 drop & above average vertical drop.

<->    FREDDY PERALTA   <->  3  Consecutive Seasons of:

<->        30+  ->  Game Starts 

<->      165+  ->  Innings Pitched

<->      Fewer hits allowed  ->  than innings pitched

<->      Fewer Hits allowed  ->  than Strikeouts

<->      K-RATE  ->  of 28% or Higher 

<->      Averaged 13 Quality Starts per season 

<->      Double digit wins 

<->      Averaged  18 Outings per season  ->   2 earned runs or fewer

<->      Averaged  20  Outings recording   ->   6+ Strikeouts or more 

METS ACQUIRED   <->  TOBIAS MYERS   ->  SP  /  RP

<->    SCOUTING REPORT:

Myers is an interesting swingman, who’ll take over Max Kranick’s multi-inning role for the 2026 season. He has a similar pitching mechanics to Jonah Tong, with a mid-90s fastball that is deceptively fast. Myers best off-speed pitch is his splitter, which he uses to induce chase & thrown for strikes. Myers also uses a curveball and changeup but they are not close to his splitter. Myers has the potential to be a valuable piece out of the bullpen, but he gets hit hard at times and will need to earn Mendoza’s trust if he is to graduate to high-leverage situations. I wouldn’t put him on par with Luke Weaver just yet, but he provides much needed depth for the bullpen and can eat innings in a multi-inning role to help prevent having to use other key high-leverage arms on a daily basis.

Myers also provides another benefit that I believe is being overlooked. Myers has the same delivery as Mets phenom Jonah Tong, who could greatly benefit from learning how to develop a similar plus splitter like the one Myers throws. Did Stearns choose Myers over other potential RP, because he could help teach his prized pitching prospect another potential 60+ grade pitch that he can add to his arsenal, which he’ll elevate him into a frontline starter? 

I’d like to think so, because that’s exactly what I would’ve done.

Many felt the Mets had to make a move to get a bonafide “Ace” after the way 2025 season ended, and being able to acquire Peralta without having to surrender either Carson Benge or Jonah Tong, as well as several other prospects makes this a huge win for the efforts. The Rangers surrendered 5 prospects for Mackenzie Gore and the Orioles paid a similar steep price for Shane Baz, who might have additional years of control, but aren’t remotely as close to being as accomplished as Peralta is. Having Peralta at the front of the rotation takes a tremendous amount of pressure off of the rest of the rotation and it provides the Mets with the luxury of letting Tong further develop his secondary pitches in AAA to start the season. After a flurry of moves to close out the off-season, the Mets have positioned themselves as legit playoff contenders and better compete with the Phillies for the N.L. East Division.

Until Peralta signs an extension, critics will continue to harp on how much the Mets overpaid for a rental, but Peralta’s has already voiced a willingness to sign an extension if he feels he lands in great situation, which Cohen and Stearns should have no problem convincing him as such. They had a similar situation when they traded for Lindor, which was resolved quickly after the season, and I believe they will be able to get an extension done with Peralta as well. Regardless of whether Bichette opts out or not, the Mets will have over $90+ million coming off the books, leaving more than enough room to extend Peralta and still pursue Tarik Skubal. 

The Mets have positioned themselves well to have a great 2026 season, as well as having the payroll flexibility to continue investing in elite caliber talent by utilizing short-term high AAV contracts or if they feel a player is worthy of locking up using a long-term contract.

RVH - Why This Roster Has More Upside Than It Looks

 

Engineering Upside Potential (aka Positive Variance) Is a Skill

Yesterday, I presented two scenarios for the Mets 2026 season. After a busy trade week, most roster conversations collapse into a binary debate: Is this good enough or not? That question misses the point.

The more useful lens for this Mets roster is positive variance — not random luck, but upside that emerges when a roster is intentionally constructed to allow multiple things to go right at once.

Good organizations don’t eliminate variance. They design for asymmetry.

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What Positive Variance Actually Means

Positive variance isn’t about miracles. It’s about clusters.

It shows up when:

• Several players have plausible rebound paths, not long-shot ones

• Those paths are independent, not correlated

• And the roster doesn’t collapse if only some of them materialize

That’s exactly how this Mets roster is structured.

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Where the Upside Lives

1. Rotation Reversion (Not Reinvention)

The Mets aren’t asking their starters to become something new.

They’re asking them to return to baseline health and sequencing.

• Kodai Senga doesn’t need to reinvent his arsenal — he needs his lower half synced again.

• Sean Manaea isn’t chasing velocity — he’s chasing efficiency and durability.

• David Peterson doesn’t need growth — he needs better workload management.

These are lab-friendly problems. That matters.

If two of the three revert meaningfully, the entire staff stabilizes.

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2. Position-Player Optionality

This roster doesn’t hinge on one breakout bat.

• Mark Vientos doesn’t need a new swing — modest gains in pitch recognition alone change his value profile.

• Luis Robert doesn’t have to play 155 games — he has to play enough.

• Carson Benge isn’t being rushed — his value is timing, not headlines.

None of these bets require perfection. They require partial hits.

That’s intentional.

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3. Depth as a Variance Multiplier

Depth isn’t about names. It’s about when options become available.

Because the Mets didn’t empty the system:

• Injuries don’t force premature promotions

• Slumps don’t trigger panic trades

• July doesn’t become a bidding war out of desperation

Depth doesn’t raise the ceiling by itself — it protects upside when it appears.

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The Quiet Advantage

The biggest mistake fans make is assuming upside requires risk concentration.

It doesn’t.

This roster spreads upside across:

• Health reversion

• Mechanical efficiency

• Developmental timing

• Trade flexibility

That’s how you end up with seasons where several things go right without needing everything to.

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Why This Feels Different

Previous Mets teams chased certainty:

• Big contracts

• Fixed roles

• Narrow paths to success

This team accepts uncertainty — and manages it.

That’s not lowering expectations.
That’s how you keep them alive.

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Positive variance isn’t luck.
It’s a skill.

And this roster finally reflects that.

Paul Articulates – Key spring training battles

Most of the significant player personnel moves are done for the hot stove season and we have the beginning of spring training just around the corner.

Barring any major surprises, there are several positions that seem to be set.  Francisco Alvarez is expected to be the starting catcher, Lindor and Semien will be the middle infielders, Luis Robert Jr. will man center field, and Juan Soto will return in right field.  Several recent posts have described the pitching options both in the rotation and the pen.  I won’t elaborate here.

This discussion centers around three positions that have options that I will outline here:

Third Base: Bo Bichette was brought to New York to play third base.  It is a position that he has never played professionally.  His experience on the left side of the infield as a shortstop makes it a fairly easy transition – only slight differences exist in the angles of the ball coming off the bat and the throwing distance.  The ball will get on him a little faster, as the “hot corner” is one of the closest infield positions to the plate.  

Bichette was not known for his range at short, but third base has less need for range.  Instead, his reaction time will be key.  If he struggles with the position, the Mets have two other candidates on the roster in Brett Baty and Mark Vientos.  Both have MLB experience at third, and before the Bichette signing one could have assumed that it was Baty’s job to lose.  I don’t see Bichette losing the competition for the job unless he is asked to move elsewhere in the infield.  

Baty will get some reps there on rest days or when Bichette is asked to DH.  My expectation is that Vientos will see little to no time at third.

First Base: When Jorge Polanco was signed, the expectation was that he would fill the void at first left by the departure of Pete Alonso.  Polanco has one at-bat worth of experience at first on a major league diamond, so it is not a given that he fits here.  In fact, he spent the entire 2025 season as the DH for Seattle.  There is much to learn at this position that is different from other infield spots.  The bunt plays, the coordination with the pitcher on swinging rollers between first and the mound, the difficult 3-6-3 double play exchange, and the footwork to manage throws up the line are all unique skills to be developed.  

Polanco has not stood out as an outstanding fielder during his career at the 2B, SS, or 3B positions, and there is no compelling statistic that would indicate that he has a skill set for a first baseman.  This is clearly an experiment with a ready and willing MLB athlete.  Brett Baty and Mark Vientos could join in this experiment, as they are both hitters looking for a position in the field.  

Vientos has played there sparingly but Baty has not even though he possesses the long, lean body of a first baseman.  Both have dug balls at the other corner so they can adapt to the timing.  Behind them is up-and-coming power bat Ryan Clifford who played the 2025 season at AA Binghamton and MLB veteran Joey Meneses who spent last year in AAA Syracuse.

Left field: This could be the most wide open competition during the spring.  Tyrone Taylor has the defensive edge as he has speed and range that has been displayed mostly in center field.  His bat is the issue that caused the Mets to bring in Luis Robert Jr. as the center fielder, so the bat will also become an issue in left.  

Taylor needs to come out of the gate raking the ball to win this job.  MLB veteran Jared Young has seen some time with the major league club.  He spent about half the season at AAA Syracuse last season and will vie for the job, also needing to prove consistency with his bat.  

What everyone has been talking about though is Carson Benge.  He is a rising star in the development system who has mastered every level he has been exposed to.  The big question is whether he is ready to take the jump to the MLB level and perform consistently.  The Mets don’t want to rush him into a situation where he loses confidence in his ability to hit the advanced stuff at this level.  Expect him to start the year in AAA unless he really wows everyone in Florida.  Another option is the aforementioned Ryan Clifford.  Besides his primary position at first base, Clifford has taken reps in left at each level of the minors during his time.  He has been competent, but his game is power hitting, not run prevention.

Since each of these battles involves an unknown ability of good players to adjust to new environments, the outcomes are not as predictable as one might think.  Watch closely as spring training comes to a close to see how this story evolves.

RVH - A Look at Mets 2026 Roster Scenarios

 

If Everything Breaks Right vs. If Nothing Does

Two outcomes. Same roster.

One of the traps after a big trade week is thinking the roster suddenly became something different. It didn’t. What changed is clarity.

This Mets roster is now defined less by star chasing and more by controlled variance. Not hope. Not blind optimism. Variance with structure behind it.

To see that clearly, it helps to run the same roster through two plausible scenarios.

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Scenario 1: If Everything Breaks Right

This is not a fantasy outcome. It’s simply health, sequencing, and timing aligning.

Rotation

• Kodai Senga looks like the pitcher he’s been when healthy: elite movement, awkward at-bats, and six-plus innings when his lower half is synced.

• Sean Manaea benefits from a full offseason to re-establish lower-half drive and arm timing. He’s not dominant, but he’s efficient again.

• David Peterson looks fresher because he’s no longer being asked to wear down over 190 stressful innings. Usage matters.

• Freddy Peralta provides exactly what the trade targeted: stability, strikeouts, and insulation against the inevitable IL churn.

Result: not an elite rotation, but a durable one that keeps the bullpen sane through July.

Position Players

• Bo Bichette stabilizes the infield, the lineup turns over more cleanly, and the offense avoids long dead zones.

• Mark Vientos regains value as his swing efficiency shows up in actual results once pitch recognition improves even marginally.

• Luis Robert is healthy enough to be impactful more often than not.

• Carson Benge doesn’t have to save the team, but by late May or June he adds athleticism and energy where it’s actually needed.

System Impact

• Internal depth absorbs short-term injuries.

• The front office uses July as a selective buyer, not a desperate one.

Outcome:
A team that plays meaningful games all season, wins through depth and run prevention, and enters October without having emptied the system to get there.

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Scenario 2: If Nothing Breaks Right

This is the version fans usually fear. It’s also why this roster was built the way it was.

Rotation

• Senga never fully re-syncs and remains electric but inefficient.

• Manaea’s fixes don’t hold consistently.

• Peterson shows signs of wear again.

• Peralta is good, but not enough to carry the group alone.

Position Players

• Vientos doesn’t adjust and remains exploitable.

• Robert misses time.

• Benge stays in the minors because he’s not ready, not because the Mets failed him.

System Impact

• Depth gets tested early.

• The Mets don’t panic. They don’t burn options unnecessarily.

• They still have real trade currency if a true difference-maker becomes available.

Outcome:
A flawed but competitive team that stays afloat, avoids long tailspin stretches, and preserves flexibility for 2027–28 instead of torching it in July.

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The Point Most Miss

What matters isn’t which scenario happens.

It’s that both scenarios are survivable.

This roster isn’t designed to require everything going right. It’s designed so that if several things do go right, the Mets can capitalize—and if they don’t, the organization isn’t boxed into bad decisions.

That’s a meaningful shift.

Not louder.
Not flashier.
Just smarter.

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Same roster. Two outcomes. And for once, neither one ends in a dead end.