Q.O. for Walker

[Benjamin Grimm]

The decision is due in less than 90 minutes.

I wonder if we'll know by 5, or if it will take a bit longer for word to leak out.

[Centerfield]

I wonder if going down to the wire makes it likely or less likely. The big guys have already declined.

[Benjamin Grimm]

He had said a few days ago that he was going to wait until the very end.

[Centerfield]

He had said a few days ago that he was going to wait until the very end.

Sure. But like the last 59 minutes very end? Does he think a multi-year deal will come in before 5?

What if he loses service! What if the Mets put him on hold? I picture a desperate Neil Walker around 4:53...

"Your call is very important to us. To continue in English, press 1..."

Meanwhile, Hellickson accepts.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Word just coming out now that Cespedes has officially rejected. It was such a foregone conclusion that I overlooked that it hadn't actually happened yet.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Twenty minutes and still no news! Such drama!

[Centerfield]

8 minutes!

It's crazy that I feel this much anticipation when I'm not sure which way I want it to go.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I know! I feel the same way! I don't know which way I'm rooting, but I want to know the answer!

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

TURN IT DOWN NEIL! YOU'RE WORTH WAY MORE THAN THIS! 17 BILLION MAYBE!!

[Frayed Knot]

Jon Heyman is reportedly (unofficial) word on each of the QO players ... EXCEPT FOR Walker

DEXTER FOWLER - Rejected
KENSLEY JANSEN - Rejected
JUSTIN TURNER - Rejected
YOENIS CESPEDES - Rejected
NEIL WALKER - ???
=#0000FF]JEREMY HELLICKSON -- Accepted
EDWIN ENCARNACION - Rejected
JOSE BAUTISTA - Rejected
IAN DESMOND - Rejected
MARK TRUMBO - Rejected

[Centerfield]

Accepted per Rubin on Twitter.

Shocked. I wonder if this means his back is fucked.

Or wait, if his back were fucked, then he'd look for the multi-year deal now. I don't know. Anyway, really surprised he thought there was no market for him.

[Vic Sage]

i think they're definitely going to try and move Bruce's contract now.

[Centerfield]

I'm trying to think of the ramifications of this. Probably doesn't affect the Cespedes, money, but if he walks probably makes someone like Fowler less likely.

I think we can kiss goodbye any thought of an elite closer.

[seawolf17]

Well, that was our Bartolo savings.

NO WORRIES, FRIENDS. Walker's going to go 20/20 this year.

[Lefty Specialist]

This tells you that Walker wasn't confident enough to test himself on the open market. And that's worrisome.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Lotta question marks on both sides, hard to walk away from $17mil+ guaranteed
and it's gonna be hard to pay it if he's not worth (and he won't be) that salary slot.

[seawolf17]

YA... GOTTA... BELIEVE, PEOPLE.

[A Boy Named Seo]

It could also be similar to why Hellickson re-signed w/ the Phils. Teams told his agents they were interested, but didn't want to lose the draft pick. I think it's better for both parties that he signed. Mets on the hook for one kinda expensive year, but don't get hamstrung for multiple, and a (hopefully) healthy Walker gets to play again for a contract.

[Frayed Knot]

Like I always say with these contracts, it's never the money that worries me it's the length and the length here is one year.
If Walker suxx and/or is injured for the upcoming season then they have to eat it but if they thought this was going to screw up all the rest of their plans then they wouldn't have offered it in the first place.

And if nothing else then he and/or Wilmer become Wright insurance.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I'd be just fine had he turned us down, maybe better than fine. I wonder now if they'd dare play Cecchini at 3rd base. Prolly not the power they'd like to pencil in there anyway.

This was a guy who a year ago was deemed equal value for Jon Niese.

[MFS62]

seawolf17 wrote: Walker's going to go 20/20 this year.

Is that errors and RBI?

Later

[seawolf17]

MFS62 wrote: seawolf17 wrote: Walker's going to go 20/20 this year. Is that errors and RBI? Later

Maybe AB and Defensive Innings Played; but trust me, dude's going 20/20.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

No big. No long-term commitment, AND if you can get 2-3 fWAR out of the guy (3.7 or so this year), he's also just about worth the cash, nominally.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I'd be just fine had he turned us down, maybe better than fine. I wonder now if they'd dare play Cecchini at 3rd base. Prolly not the power they'd like to pencil in there anyway. This was a guy who a year ago was deemed equal value for Jon Niese.

Yeah, but that's more about a wrong valuation of Hawky, innit?

[Centerfield]

Saw a tidbit in this article:

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/neil-walker-accepts-mets-qualifying-offer-back-one-year-deal-article-1.2873050

It says the Mets feel comfortable slotting him in at first and third as well as second. I wonder when the Mets' philosophy on this changed. Part of the reason I was so frustrated last season was having to sit through the Eric Campbell/Ty Kelly at-bats while Dilson sat at AAA. Aggravating.

In any event, I think I am good on the Walker deal. I didn't think Murphy's success could be sustained and was proven wrong. Maybe right-handed Walker is this year's Murphy.

I think if Neil had left, I might have tried to use that money to pursue a top shelf reliever like Jansen. But I can't see Sandy Alderson giving a multi-year deal to a relief pitcher, and more likely would have spread this around on a pu-pu platter of hit or miss bullpen/bench guys. So if that's the case, I'd rather try Walker. We get our power-hitting second baseman back on a short term commitment. I'm cool with that.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Yeah, I think I am too. I'm also glad to have a little less uncertainty about the composition of the 2017 Mets.

And Sandy has targeted the end of the winter meetings to have the Cespedes thing resolved, one way or the other. I think that means December 8, which is just over three weeks from now.

[smg58]

So we have Duda, Walker, Cabrera, Wright, Reyes, and Flores, with Cecchini and Rivera as call-ups. That looks pretty set to me.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Not much first-base experience though, beyond Duda.

[seawolf17]

smg58 wrote: So we have Duda, Walker, Cabrera, Wright, Reyes, and Flores, with Cecchini and Rivera as call-ups. That looks pretty set to me.

And considering we have no idea what we're getting from Wright, you're really looking at Duda/Walker/Cabrera/Reyes with Cecchini/Rivera on the bench. That's legit.

[Centerfield]

And then in July we get Kelly Johnson back right?

[Edgy MD]

Three words: L. J. Mazzilli.