Benjamin Grimm

I can see him getting four years, $100 million. And I'd like to see him get that from the Mets. Sure, it's risky at the back end, but there are some risks that you have to be willing to take.

30 years ago today ... Jon Niese was born! And so was Pedro Beato!

I saw that too. It was written by a Rays fan, so he's not really taking the Mets perspective into account. The Mets have pitching depth, and they may be about to lose a slugging outfielder. So the solution is to trade two hitters, who still have potential despite struggling in 2016, for a pitcher who had a 4.88 ERA and lacks vowels in his last name?

With $300,000, we could all go to Peru next summer!

It may be more about the roster space. They may want to protect some prospects from the Rule 5, and a guy like Edgin might be a casualty of that.

'NUFF SAID!

Maybe it's "the yips."

My guess is that if Cespedes leaves, his replacement is going to be somebody named "Jay Bruce." And then maybe they'll sign a Dexter Fowler (my fingers insist on typing "Flower" instead) to put in center. And that would be our outfield: Bruce-Fowler-Granderson. Would that be good enough? Maybe, but I'm far from convinced that it would.

Indians. I'd hate to see a 108-year tradition end.

And it would be a hell of a thing if that team was in the National League East.

Let the Nationals, Marlins, Phillies, and Braves do that.

Maybe. But there's also Wright (maybe) and Flores.

Yeah, I'm not worried yet. Just because no news has leaked out it doesn't mean that conversations haven't been had. There's still about another two weeks to go with the Mets having exclusive rights to Cespedes.

I don't see them cutting him in the spring, either, even if someone better comes along. At most I can see him being reduced to a lesser role. He'd be ideal as the veteran utility guy that most winning teams tend to have. And with Jose, the Mets might not need to make another trade for Kelly Johnson.

I would think that this third team would only be able to take on a portion of Reyes' salary themselves, if they could even do that.

Well, it sounds like the thing to do if the Mets want Jose for 2018 is to decline the option, let the Rockies pay him the $4 million, and then sign him to a new contract for 2018. Obviously, they'd have to compete with the other 29 teams for his services. The price to avoid that competition would be $22 million, and they're not going to go for that.

Jon Heyman wrote: The Mets have hard decisions like what to do about Yoenis Cespedes and his opt out clause, Neil Walker and the qualifying offer and Jay Bruce and the $13-million option. But they have made two decisions already, and these are no big surprises! They will pick up Jose Reyes’ 2017 at the major-league minimum, and they will reject Jon Niese’s $10-million option, sources say (not that you’d need sources for those two calls). Jon Heyman is apparently writing for a website called "Today's Knuckleball". I know he's been around for a long time. Wasn't he with Newsday and Sports Illustrated? I've never heard of "Today's Knuckleball".

Edgy MD wrote: So yeah, make him a minor league offer and see what comes of it? Why not? Maybe it would be a "distraction."

We know the Mets liked Lucroy, but he won't be a free agent unless (according to Baseball Reference) the Rangers decline his 2017 option, which would pay him $5,250,000.

The 2016 Tabloid Cover Derby will get underway two weeks from today, on Thursday, November 3. The current number of covers in the competition is 360, a few short of last year's 368, but if the Mets make any offseason news, covers will continue to be added until the final thread of the first round is launched, which is tentatively scheduled for Sunday, December 4. At the moment, we have 140 covers from the Daily News, 116 from the New York Post, and 104 from Newsday. As a reminder, last year's winner was YES-PEDES, the Daily News cover from September 10, 2015. A large framed copy of the cover has been hanging in the lobby of the CPF's headquarters, Kran Pool Forum Internationella Huvudkontoret in Stockholm, Sweden. This year's winner will receive the same honor. The winner was announced on February 2, 2016 at an outdoor ceremony in Stockholm. David Wright was there to represent the Mets. Also attending were U.S. ambassador to Sweden, Mark Brzezinski; the King of Sweden, Carl XVI Gustaf; and the ghost of Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman. And here's the photo that was taken after the framed cover was put on display in the lobby. We all remember, of course, our lovely receptionist Maja. And new for this year will be an actual visual bracket so we can follow how the covers are progressing through the competition. It will be updated periodically. Here's a recap of last year's Tabloid Cover Derby, using the new bracket developed by our engineers in Stockholm. (Special thanks to Arvid, Valter, and Novalie!)

I think keeping him is a no-brainer, unless some irresistible trade possibility emerges, and including Reyes is the way to get it done.

dinosaur jesus wrote: I don't know exactly why, and I'm sure it makes me a terrible person, but it really makes me happy to see the Cubs losing in the postseason. I want their frustration to continue, even if it means seeing the Dodgers in the Series. It's weird, because I don't hate the Cubs at all, and I like Chicago. I think maybe the Cubs not making the World Series is one of those comforting old traditions that help keep us grounded while the world changes around us. That's where I am. I like that the Cubs haven't won a title in 108 years and I'd like to see that tradition continue. I also like that they haven't played a World Series game in 71 years, and I'd like to see that continue as well.

Tejada and Utley, huh? For some reason I think those names have been linked before.

Your post reminds me of the 2004 Yankees!

If there's blood on the rubber it's better if it's on the outside than if it's on the inside.