pivot pivot PIVOT!!!

[Benjamin Grimm]

I'm just dropping into this thread to mention that it's almost February, and Jordan Montgomery and Blake Snell are still out there.



I find this surprising. We're only a few weeks away from "pitchers and catchers". I'm not expecting that either of these guys will be Mets, but I do wonder what's going on. Yamamoto has been out of the way for a while now.

[MFS62]

There was a report (SNY?) that said the Mets are still looking to add a hitter.

Are J.D.Martinez and Jorge Soler still available?



Later

[Benjamin Grimm]

They are. Andy Martino said recently (on Mets Hot Stove) that he doesn't expect that to happen, but he won't rule out Steve Cohen making an impulsive change of mind.



I would love to see them add Soler but the conventional wisdom (for whatever it's worth) is that Vientos and Stewart will be doing the DHing this year.

[Centerfield]

I think no one has any idea what the Mets are going to do. Martino least of all. So everything we are hearing is just guessing.



I don't see how it makes sense for the Mets to run this team out there. For just money, they can easily turn this team into a team that projects a win total in the high 80s. That's good enough to get you to the dance with this new playoff format.



I'm guessing (hoping?) Stearns is waiting on the market and will pounce on bargains as we get closer to spring training.

[ashie62]

Are we going with Vientos DJ Stewart and Tyrone Taylor at DH

[MFS62]

Soler and J.D. Martinez are still available, but Soler is reportedly speaking with SF. (SNY?)

Later

[Benjamin Grimm]

It doesn't look like they're going to sign either of those guys. I think this year it's going to be Vientos until and unless he shows he's not good enough.

[Lefty Specialist]

We're little more than a week from pitchers and catchers and this team looks woefully inadequate, with some gaping holes. Sure, there are BODIES there, but not productive bodies. Baty at 3rd, Vientos/DJ Stewart as DH, Severino, Manaea, Houser in the rotation, Marte in RF, and a box of Munchkins in the bullpen do not inspire confidence.

[MFS62]

And they'll be asking a rookie manager to make chicken salad out of those chicken droppings.



Later

[Edgy MD]

I don't think those are chicken droppings.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

I don't think we're going to have the pitching depth to keep up with Philly or Atlanta but I am not nearly as down on the offense. An underwhelming rookie season doesn't condemn Baty to failure for the rest of his days; he will be better. Vientos I have less faith in my if they're really trusting the DH role to him they probably have faith.



Alvarez will be more consistent, you'd think, and McNuts will bounce back. Marte was an excellent piece when healthy and he appears so now? Bader and Taylor will shore up the outfield depth and both guys are a little dangerous with the bat. We have Lindor and Alonso and Nimmo too.



Hoping the Mets will be the team that wins 7-6 a lot.

[MFS62]

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: Hoping the Mets will be the team that wins 7-6 a lot.

I think they will have to.

Later

[cal sharpie]

I pretty much agree with JCL. If the team plays well, there will be opportunities in the trade market if we want to make a playoff push.

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

cal sharpie wrote: I pretty much agree with JCL. If the team plays well, there will be opportunities in the trade market if we want to make a playoff push.

I'm here, too. They're better than they were last year, when everything seemed to go wrong.

[MFS62]

PECOTA projects them for 84 wins and making the playoffs.

I don't see this team being 9 games better than last year.

We'll see.



Later

[Edgy MD]

Edgy MD wrote: They flipped a not-yet-appeared guy that was half the return on Eduardo Escobar into two big-league players, so I'm guessing they're willing to go deeper into their future talent pool. pivot pivot PIVOT!!!

This could obviously still break a number of ways, but that "not-yet-appeared guy" was Coleman Crow, who still hasn't appeared for the Brewers after missing 2024 following UCL surgery. He's scheduled to play for Milwaukee in the AFL this autumn.



Meanwhile, the two "big-league players" were Adrian Houser, who was pretty valuable for a month in there when they found a role that suited him, and Tyrone Taylor, who's been pretty valuable for most of the season and isn't done contributing.



Stearns has cashed in a few times with players from his old organization.

[Centerfield]

I like how Mets Insider Andy Martino said that the Mets would not sign JD Martinez and then the Mets signed JD Martinez. Nothing is predictable in baseball except Martino not having a clue what is going on.



Looking back, the Mets jumped from 20th in runs scored in 2023 to 7th in runs scored in 2024. They did this despite down years from Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil and Francisco Alvarez. Crazy. Lindor had a great year, but he was pretty good in 2023.



Really the production came partially from signing the aforementioned JD Martinez, but mostly a jump from Vientos, Iglesias coming out of nowhere, and better production from role players like Taylor, Marte, Winker, Bader, and even Acuna.

[Gwreck]

=Centerfield post_id=173388 time=1727890146 user_id=65]Looking back, the Mets jumped from 20th in runs scored in 2023 to 7th in runs scored in 2024. They did this despite down years from Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil and Francisco Alvarez. Crazy. Lindor had a great year, but he was pretty good in 2023.



Really the production came partially from signing the aforementioned JD Martinez, but mostly a jump from Vientos, Iglesias coming out of nowhere, and better production from role players like Taylor, Marte, Winker, Bader, and even Acuna.

[Edgy MD]

2023 DHs: .220 / .312 / .403 // .715 in 578 PA | OPS+: 97

2024 DHs: .232 / .332 / .399 // .731 in 604 PA | OPS+: 102