Benjamin Grimm

Regarding the rotation, I'm getting a Framber Valdez hunch. I have no idea who their big bat is going to be. I just hope they find somebody.

Buster Olney is apparently projecting that the Mets will trade virtually all of their young prospects, except for McLean in two deals, one with the Padres and the other with the Tigers. In return they'd get Skubal and Tatis and would take on the contract of Bogaerts. I'll believe it when it happens.

I'd add Keith and Piazza.

Of course, a wild card turned out to be a lot of fun in 2024 and was better than we had in 2025. (Or 2021 and 2023.) So I wouldn't necessarily scoff at a wild card. But I agree that a wild card should be a consolation prize and a division title should be the goal.

We'll get a better idea once we see what kind of moves they make for the rest of the winter. I suppose it's possible that they'll aim for 87 wins (not that any team actually aims for a specific number) for 2026 and then go bigger for 2027 and beyond. I saw Stearns saying that the Mets need more innings from their starting pitchers. (Um, yeah!) Maybe that will tempt them to extend beyond their comfort level for someone like Framber Valdez. Only five AL pitchers threw more innings than his 192. He averaged a little over 6 innings per start, which doesn't really seem all that impressive but I guess it is by today's standards.

There's been a bit of buzz that the Mets may target Willson Contreras of the Cardinals as their new first baseman. He'll turn 34 in May. His five-year contract has two more seasons to go, ending in 2027. There's a team option for 2028. In 2025, he played in 135 games. 20 homers, 31 doubles. .257/.344/.447. Some speculation I've seen says that Mark Vientos might be included in a trade for Contreras. That seems to be coming, as far as I can tell, from former Mets acting GM Zack Scott. So who knows?

Tim Britton, in The Athletic, predicts what the Mets might do, based on his understanding of their planned approach and the rumors he's been hearing. Sign Michael King (SP) Three-year deal projected (~$75M with opt-out). Adds high-ceiling arm to rotation. Trade David Peterson → Padres for Ramón Laureano (OF) Peterson (SP, final arb year) swapped for Laureano (OF, one year of control). Laureano fills Nimmo’s outfield void. Trade for a First Baseman Options discussed: Willson Contreras (Cardinals, salary dump fit), Yandy Díaz (Rays, underrated bat), Isaac Paredes or Tyler Soderstrom (younger, higher cost). Contreras is the focus in this blueprint. Acquire Two Set-Up Relievers Names floated: Tyler Rogers, Luke Weaver, plus A.J. Minter and Brooks Raley already in-house. Devin Williams remains the closer. Projected Roster Lineup (9): SS: Francisco Lindor 2B: Marcus Semien LF: Juan Soto 1B: Willson Contreras (trade acquisition) RF: Ramón Laureano (trade acquisition) 3B: Brett Baty C: Francisco Álvarez DH: Ronny Mauricio / Mark Vientos platoon CF: Tyrone Taylor (with Carson Benge pushing later) Rotation (5): Michael King (FA signing) Nolan McLean Clay Holmes Sean Manaea Kodai Senga (Depth: Christian Scott, Brandon Sproat, Jonah Tong) Bullpen (8): Closer: Devin Williams Set-up: Tyler Rogers, Luke Weaver, Brooks Raley, A.J. Minter Middle/Depth: Huascar Brazobán, Brandon Waddell, Adbert Alzolay

I think that if the Mets contend with a lot of production from their younger players it will feel like a new dawn. And if that doesn't happen, and the Mets muddle around or below the .500 mark, it will be a dreary season. This really can go a number of ways.

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Yeah, I think that's a good take.

Well, if they contend every year we won't be bored. But it's certainly not the model I would prefer.

Maybe they can coax James Loney out of retirement. It feels like 2026 is going to be a team of Michael Cuddyers and James Loneys. (Lonies?) I'm sure (I think) that it will be better than that, but it really may be a transitional season with stopgap veterans and young players trying to establish themselves. It may work, I suppose. Especially when 84 wins can get you to the postseason.

I just got an email from the Mets saying that spring training tickets are on sale today. I'm sure a lot of people will be jumping on that today. I know the date was prearranged, but the timing is especially bad this year. I understand that some of us are angry. I get that. I'm just sad and disappointed. I don't think I have the capacity to feel actual anger about anything the Mets do. I guess I'm just mourning the diminished amount of "Metliness" we'll see next season. If they find themselves relying on a bunch of short-termers, like Marcus Semien is likely to be then I'll feel that much less of a connection with the 2026 team. That's one of the reasons that 2015 was so much fun. There were a lot of young players, guys we thought (in some cases correctly) who would be around for years to come. Harvey. deGrom. Syndergaard. Matz. d'Arnaud. Conforto. Familia. Flores. It's possible that the 2026 team will have that vibe, if players like McLean, Baty, Benge, Tong, Sproat, Williams, Alvarez, and Vientos play prominent roles, in addition to Lindor and Soto and maybe McNeil. But if this season features a bunch of 35-year-olds who are plugging gaps, it will probably be less fun, even if they contend. That's where I'm at. I value continuity, and with Nimmo and Alonso and Diaz gone, a lot of that has been fractured.

I removed the link to the forum. Another step in the "unbranding"

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That homer in Milwaukee was one for the ages. Good guy, great Met. I'm very sorry to see him go, but I understand the reasoning behind it.

He's been great lately, but wow, he made a terrible first impression. He was arguably the main reason the Mets missed the playoffs in 2019. Just about everybody hated the trade that brought him here, but it turned out to be a pretty good one.

I just made a change. The cookies were being cached at the old site at ultimatemets.com. Hopefully this will fix it. You may experience this issue one more time, but if this works, then you should be good going forward.

The Mets didn't lose anyone in the major league phase of the Rule 5 draft, but they did lose three players in the minor league phase: Rockies: RHP TJ Shook (from NYM) Astros: RHP Trey McLoughlin (from NYM) Nationals: RHP Dylan Tebrake (from NYM)

I voted "make the postseason" but I really mean, go deep into the postseason. Getting in as the sixth berth and an early exit won't do. Things will look sunnier if guys like McLean and Benge step up and have standout seasons. And Alvarez and Baty and Vientos are big contributors. Something that makes the future look promising like it did in 2015.

Seaver. Strawberry. deGrom. Wheeler. Reyes. Diaz. Alonso. Stearns and Cohen have badly underestimated what losing a franchise icon means. I will never forgive David Stearns. I'm not sure that Wheeler was a franchise icon, but yeah, I get the larger point. You'd think having two longtime Mets fans running the team that they'd be more conscious of this. They say they are, but recent evidence suggests otherwise.

I think it's the Mets who can opt out of Soto's contract. After five years, they either give him a raise that would cover the final ten years, or they let him become a free agent. The contract would go from $51 million per year to $53 million over those last ten years.

It's starting to feel like 1977.

Juan Soto, I assume.