Benjamin Grimm

Vote for the tabloid covers that you like the best. You may select up to three choices. Voting will run for seven days. HARVEY DAY Newsday, May 9, 2017. CALL IT A KNIGHT New York Daily News, May 9, 2017. DARK NIGHTS New York Post, May 9, 2017. MATT'S ENOUGH New York Post, May 9, 2017. CRY FOR HELP Newsday, May 10, 2017. CATWOMAN STRIKES New York Daily News, May 10, 2017. PROVE IT ALL KNIGHT New York Post, May 10, 2017. BOOT HILL Newsday, May 11, 2017. AWFULLY FAMILIA New York Daily News, May 11, 2017. NO RELIEF Newsday, May 12, 2017. CLOT THICKENS New York Daily News, May 12, 2017. Why does God hate the Mets? New York Post, May 12, 2017. M*E*T*S New York Post, May 12, 2017.

That's something that I'll let the people in Stockholm (and Gloria Allred) decide.

Mets considering giving Jacob deGrom a contract extension From The New York Post: Mike Puma wrote: A club source indicated Tuesday that general manager Sandy Alderson may still engage deGrom’s camp in negotiations at some point this winter. DeGrom is under club control through 2020, making it likely the Mets would seek a five-year deal that would buy out his three remaining arbitration years. The Mets would then receive a team-friendly contract for two added years of control.

Mets may pursue Japanese two-way star Shohei Otani Intrigued by his star power, and emboldened by new rules that will leave him within their financial reach, the Mets are weighing a pursuit of two-way Japanese phenom Shohei Otani, multiple sources told Newsday.

Yes. It's less likely that a November cover will win, but if the Mets make a "big splash" over the next two weeks, it could happen.

Even though today's poll only takes us through May 8, we're actually now halfway through the first round. The number of covers devoted to the Mets dropped dramatically once the fact that the Mets season was a disaster became old news. This year's Tabloid Cover Derby includes 35 covers from April, 49 from May, 31 from June, 17 from July, 8 from August and 6 from September. In the "offseason" category we have 9 from October (mostly thanks to the Mets' change of managers) and 2 so far from November. (Any covers that are published before the day of the last poll, November 29, will be eligible.)

Jerry Crasnick wrote: The #BlueJays and #Mets have reached out early on free agent Lorenzo Cain, sources say. #Rangers, #Mariners and #SFGiants also have CF openings and could be potential fits. The Giants are juggling a lot of balls right now. I'm not familiar with Jerry Crasnick, but he's apparently from ESPN.

I just hope that there is a big spot.

I think he actually said that he would "love" them, that he would love each and every player. That he would love Matt Harvey. He would love Juan Lagares. He would love Hansel Robles. He would love Mark Reynolds. (I don't recall Dallas Green ever saying anything like that.) And yes, he also said that he would hold them accountable. It sounded like he was talking about a paternal love, rather than a puppy love. (I guess if the Mets wanted that they would have hired Donny Osmond.) So it would sometimes be the kind of tough love that parents need to exercise at times. "You know I love you, Hansel Robles, but you need to clean up your room, and you need to throw strikes."

Kristie Ackert reports today that in addition to Neil Walker, the Mets have another candidate that they're considering for second base in 2018: Jose Reyes.

Yes, I agree that the third-time through thing should be more applicable to some pitchers than to others. But if Montero is cruising, let him test the third round of the lineup, but perhaps keep him on a short leash. And if deGrom is having a bad day, then maybe you do pull him after about 20 batters. I'm definitely liking a lot of what I'm hearing from Mickey. Listening to him last night I couldn't help but think that he was saying the kinds of things we'd never hear from Terry Collins, or Jerry Manuel, or Willie Randolph.

smg58 wrote: Lots of relievers on the list. I think the play there is to wait for the market to cool a little, there will still be plenty of options. Mike Minor looks like a bargain, and I'd take Addison Reed back for the price they're suggesting. My guess is that their first move will be to sign one of the lower-end relievers on the free agent market. That way they'll at least have someone in their pocket and they'll take it from there.

John Harper was one of the panel who interviewed Mickey on last night's Mets Hot Stove (along with Gary Apple, Jim Duquette, and Anthony DiComo). His column in today's Daily News recaps a lot of what Mickey said, and adds some new stuff as well, about daily urine tests and "Motus sleeves" that measure stress on a pitcher's elbow. The urine test is to make sure that players are properly hydrated and therefore less likely to pull muscles. Mickey also talked of getting pitchers up to 240 innings per season. He feels deGrom is ready for that, the other guys, because they pitched fewer innings last year may need another year before they can reach that threshold. He says you stay healthy by throwing more, not less. (He didn't say so explicitly, but it sounds like he feels that Terry's plan last spring to restrict innings was misguided.) He also sounds like he's willing to let pitchers go deeper into games and run up higher pitch counts, which of course is consistent with the 240-innings thing. This very much contradicts what we're seeing in the "Marc Carig" thread, about having starters avoid a third trip through the opposing lineup. Harper's full column: Mickey Callaway aims to reduce Mets’ pitching injuries with analytics and research

Nothing but bad news this time around!

Vote for the tabloid covers that you like the best. You may select up to three choices. Voting will run for seven days. ENOUGH OF THIS BULL New York Daily News, April 27, 2017. YO, THE PAIN! Newsday, April 28, 2017. OH, NOAH! Newsday, May 1, 2017. GOD OF BLUNDER New York Daily News, May 1, 2017. THORRIBLE! New York Post, May 1, 2017. UGLY AS SYN New York Post, May 1, 2017. SORE SUBJECT Newsday, May 2, 2017. MIGHTY (THOR) SORE New York Daily News, May 2, 2017. LAT'S SO METS! New York Post, May 2, 2017. WHAT A HEADACHE! Newsday, May 8, 2017. THE DOCKED KNIGHT New York Daily News, May 8, 2017. HAZMATT New York Daily News, May 8, 2017. KNIGHT OUT New York Post, May 8, 2017. FALL FROM ACE New York Post, May 8, 2017.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Mickey is scheduled to be on set today for the season premiere of Mets Hot Stove on SNY. It was pretty interesting. Catch it if you can.

His 2006 season was probably as exciting a Mets season that we've had since Doc Gooden in 1985. (I don't mean to dis Mike Piazza. It's just that the Piazza years came between the end of WWOR as a super station and my discovery of MLB Extra Innings, so I didn't see as much of the Mets during that time period.)

If he does get in to the Hall of Fame, I hope that his plaque mentions "Vanis Takee"

Centerfield wrote: I don't really know him well. Is the difference between Kipnis and Neil Walker worth giving up talent for him? Looks like Walker is a tick better offensively, but also a year or two older. I was thinking that one key difference is that Kipnis can play center field, and we've heard that the Mets need more versatility because of all the relief pitchers they plan to carry. (I hope that report is false!) I just looked it up, and in his seven-year career, Kipnis has played 11 games in the outfield, all in center field, and all in 2017. In all 11 games, he started in center, but only finished one of them.

Mickey is scheduled to be on set today for the season premiere of Mets Hot Stove on SNY.

Do you think that Luis Guillorme alone would get it done?

I liked NO WAY JOSE because the picture of d'Arnaud restraining Reyes goes well with the headline.

Joel Sherman, in the New York Post, suggests Robert Gsellman and Luis Guillorme for Kipnis.

Vote for the tabloid covers that you like the best. You may select up to three choices. Voting will run for seven days. THAT'S GOTTA HURT New York Daily News, April 17, 2017. NO WAY, JOSE! Newsday, April 19, 2017. BRUCE THE BOSS Newsday, April 20, 2017. GLORY JAYS! New York Post, April 20, 2017. HOLY SIT! New York Daily News, April 21, 2017. THE WALKING DREAD Newsday, April 22, 2017. M*A*S*H New York Daily News, April 22, 2017. EXTRA PAINFUL New York Daily News, April 22, 2017. WALKING WOUNDED New York Post, April 22, 2017. SLEEP WALKING New York Daily News, April 23, 2017. MURPHY'S LAW Newsday, April 24, 2017. THAT'S JUST GRAND New York Daily News, April 24, 2017. GRAND FUNK New York Post, April 24, 2017.

Do we know, on average, in what inning a starting pitcher is most likely to face his 19th batter? I have a feeling that if you follow this strictly you'll often be into your bullpen before the fifth inning is over.