Benjamin Grimm

Anyone care to break this tie?

I don't understand why the idea of a "teardown" or "bottoming out" is so appealing to so many fans. It just seems like masochism to me. It's absolutely not a prerequisite to sustained success. I want no part of anything like that.

It's not even December yet. We don't know what the roster will look like. Also, Cano can play first base. And TJ Rivera. And Jeff McNeil in a pinch.

24 is retired in Seattle for Ken Griffey Jr. I'd be okay with Cano wearing it as a Met. I love Willie Mays, but it's time to take that number out of mothballs.

G-Fafif wrote: Puma of the Post reports Tabloid Cover Derby favorite Wilmer Flores will not be tendered. D'Arnaud said to be tendered. Poor Wilmer. I suppose his knee issues were a factor in this, along with the possibility that his role can be taken by Jeff McNeil and/or T.J. Rivera. And speaking of the Tabloid Cover Derby, Wilmer has two covers still in the running, and they're both good ones. He may not be going to Port St. Lucie, but his photo may be going to Stockholm.

RealityChuck wrote: The best way is to think of this as two trades: Cano for Bruce and Swarzak is one. Not all that terrible; all the players involved are going into the down phase of their careers. The second is Diaz for Dunn, Kelenic, and Bautista. Diaz is a big plus, probably their best closer since Billy Wagner. Dunn and Kelenic have a lot of potential, but by the time they make it to the majors, the chance will have passed. I think that's a reasonable take. And Cano won't be nearly as much of an albatross if the reports that the Mariners are sending $60 million to the Mets are true.

He looks much happier to be a Yankee than to be a Met.

There really hasn't been many updates to this story today. Does this mean they're furiously finalizing the details behind closed doors? Or could it be that it's fizzling?

I do want to trade him, but I don't know enough about any other teams to be able to come up with a viable proposal. Frankly, I'd take whatever I could get from someone who's willing to take on his full contract.

My hope is that somehow it's Frazier that's displaced by Cano, and not McNeil, but who knows? Cano may end up at first base with the Mets dealing Alonso for a catcher.

Here's a view from the Seattle News Tribune that's not fully enthusiastic about the deal: Is potential Cano-Diaz trade to Mets too costly for Mariners? Says the Mariners are trading two superstars to get one potential superstar.

I know. It's very confusing. I certainly hope that McNeil isn't included, but until there's an official announcement, we're just juggling a lot of rumors.

Are we even sure yet that it's a "fact" that McNeil isn't included?

So Cano would be costing the Mets $12 million per year. That's not horrible.

Four more polls have closed, with two winning covers each from the Daily News and Newsday. (Newsday's SUCCESS was the winner of our three-way tiebreaker.) With nineteen first-round winners so far, the Daily News has thirteen covers that will advance. Newsday has four and the New York Post has two. There are 22 first-round polls. The ten winners with the highest percentage will get a second round bye. Here's how our nineteen winners rank: =#0000BF] 1. GOOD WIL! (Daily News)* 2. MATT OUTTA HELL (Daily News)* 3. SMILE HIGH (Newsday)* 4. WHAT THE BLANK! (Daily News)* 5. There IS crying in baseball (Daily News)* 6. IT'S RAININ' METS (Daily News)* 7. SWEEP SNAKES (New York Post)* 8. MICKEY'S CLUBHOUSE (Daily News) 9. MIDNIGHT BADNESS (Daily News) 10. TODD COUPLE! (Daily News) =#FF4000]11. BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE (Daily News)** 12. WHERE THERE'S A WIL (Newsday)** 13. YO-END-IS! (Daily News) 14. GSELL THE MAN! (New York Post)** 15. YOU NOAH NOTHING! (Daily News)** 16. SUCCESS (Newsday)** 17. RED WHITE & BLEW (Daily News)** 18. JAKE & RAKE (Newsday)** 19. WHO'S UP FIRST? (Daily News)** =#0000BF]* Clinched second-round bye =#FF4000]** Eliminated from second-round bye

Even if he's Amos Otis, he's still not a Hall-of-Famer. And no, Syndergaard was never part of the Cano conversation.

According to this page, the money in Cano's contract is evenly distributed. It won't taper off in the later years, it's an even $24 million per year for each of the next five years. Robinson Cano Contract Details, Salaries, and Earnings | Spotrac

Who's Yehuda Schwartz?

The best I can say right now is that this deal isn't as bad as it might have been. We still need to learn how much money Seattle is including in this deal. I'd like to know what the Mets obligation will be to Cano in the last couple of years of his contract.

Mex17 wrote: Would you trade a Hall of Fame career for Jared Kelenic as a lifelong Seattle Mariner in exchange for one world championship for the Mets within the next three seasons? That is essentially the question now. No, that's not the question at all. While Kelenic may end up as a Hall-of-Famer, that's just one of many possible scenarios and probably not the most likely one. He could just as easily turn out to be Alex Escobar. Or Fernando Martinez. Or Shawn Abner. I don't like this deal either (though I dislike it less if McNeil isn't involved) but the Mets apparently think it makes them a better team for 2019 (although that's far from certain) and I guess they figure that, since Kelenic may be four or five years away from playing his first big-league game, they have time to find someone else to replace him. This trade could turn out to be a very good one, or a very bad one. It's a bold and risky move. It's kind of an answer to anyone who criticized that Sandy Alderson was too cautious. There's a new sheriff in town, and it looks like things are going to be different. For better or worse.

This sounds really bad. Is it too late to hire Chaim Bloom?

Cano turned 36 just last month. The odds really aren't good that he'll be productive in the last year of his contract, which will end right around the time of his 41st birthday. They may surprise me and make a deal that I'll like, but from what we've heard so far I find I'm hoping that nothing comes of this. Brodie should direct his ardor in another direction. Rosenthal said the Phillies are interested in Diaz without Cano. That may be one of the angles that the Mets are pursuing as well. Who knows?

Jon Morosi (MLB.com) wrote: A trade of Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz to the #Mets is not imminent, sources say, but is one possible outcome of the talks Jerry Dipoto and Brodie Van Wagenen are pursuing on multiple fronts with uncommon ardor. Sources: 2B Jeff McNeil in play for #Mariners as well as Kellenic/Dunn in potential Cano/Diaz trade with #Mets. #Phillies also talking to SEA, possibly just for Diaz, as @JoelSherman1 said. NYM names would seem difficult to top, but hard to judge without knowing $, full details.

I'm hoping that there's room in the same infield for both Cano and McNeil. Cano could end up playing first (which of course impacts Alonso) or second with McNeil going to third. (Or maybe Cano would play third? That seems less likely.) Of all the possibilities, I prefer Cano at second, McNeil at third, and Frazier elsewhere.