Benjamin Grimm

Unfortunately, so is Chandler.

I don't know if we need a "Let's Talk About Jackie Bradley Jr." thread. MLB hot stove: Mets showed interest in this Boston Red Sox outfielder The Mets continue to look for ways to upgrade their offense and one of the places they've looked to is Boston. The team expressed interest in center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr., according to a report by the Boston Globe. They weren't alone. The Globe report says the Royals, Mariners and Cubs talked to the Red Sox as well, and maybe the Nationals. Bradley is an intriguing asset. He is a super defensive center fielder, likely among the best in baseball. And this past season he showed improvement as a hitter, posting an .832 OPS in 255 plate appearances and popped 10 home runs. Writes the Globe: "The GMs we spoke to said Bradley is one of the most coveted outfielders this offseason. "His low cost, his elite defense, and his emerging offense" are major selling points, according to an American League GM. But those are also the reasons Boston wants to keep him." It would make for a quality duo in center field for the Mets if they could procure him. The left-handed hitting Bradley could split time with the right-handed Juan Lagares. Mets pitchers would love it because both are Gold Glove quality defensive players and as platoon players could compliment each other well -- although Bradley actually reverse batting splits for his career, hitting left-handed pitching much better of his over time in the majors. But the Globe reports that the Red Sox don't seem intent on dealing Bradley after acquiring Craig Kimbrel. They used their vast reserve of talent for a reliever and seem likely to look for a starting pitcher in free agency.

. Vote for the tabloid covers that you like the best. You may select up to three choices. Voting will run for seven days. Kirk Nieuwenhuis has a three-homer game. Jacob deGrom is going to the All-Star Game. In the All-Star Game, deGrom strikes out the side on ten pitches. Decision time for Sandy Alderson. The News says that Harvey is still the ace.

It could be that if you want it to. You're only asked to pick the covers that you like, using whatever criteria you choose.

They're using "Alderson" as a euphemism for "Ass". Very lame. I wonder how the people who composed the "POW! BATMAN!" pages for the News and the Post felt in the morning when they each saw their rival's back page. They each probably thought they were being so original and clever.

. Vote for the tabloid covers that you like the best. You may select up to three choices. Voting will run for seven days. Cubs complete their sweep of the Mets and talk of "Panic City" begins. Bill Madden calls upon Sandy Alderson to "fix the embarrassment" that he built. Steven Matz does it again. Jacob deGrom has a "dominant win" over the Giants. Steven Matz is injured. He won't even throw for another three weeks. Noah Syndergaard strikes out 13 batters in a win over Arizona. Newsday manages to refrain from putting "POW! BATMAN!" on its back page.

Wow, it's been over 21 years since I last set foot in my childhood bedroom. I wonder if the people who own the house now would let me set up a YouTube studio in that room?

Yes, he is. 29 years old, made $8,300,000 last year. He's only played 101 games over the last two seasons. There's no way he'd get a $15 million average annual value, so I guess he went for the big payday. And he'll have another shot at free agency next year.

So that's two players now who have accepted the QO. Daniel Murphy's decision will have to be in within just over an hour and half.

Murphy has declined the QO.

I'd get myself a Fantasticar:

metsmarathon wrote: i think span is a risk worth taking, provided the price is right. I agree. It looks like he has a pretty high upside. I don't know what the right price would be. The same is true of the length of the contract. One or two years with options that kick in automatically if he's healthy? Would he go for that? I guess it depends on how much competition there is for his services.

I guess a tweet is just about as good as a medical report from a physician!

Washington Post, August 28 wrote: The optimism surrounding Denard Span�s return from back trouble earlier this week morphed quickly to disappointment Friday. The Nationals placed Span on the disabled list with left hip inflammation, and a person familiar with the situation said he will have season-ending hip surgery on Tuesday. Nationals Manager Matt Williams reports the surgery involves the labrum in his hip. Washington Post, September 1 wrote: Denard Span underwent successful surgery on his left hip in New York on Tuesday morning. According to Nationals Manager Matt Williams, a labrum tear in Span�s hip was fixed and some bone was shaved down to clear space. �He�ll recover for a few days and then get to the therapy part of it which starts almost immediately,� Williams said. �He went through it well. Procedure went well. He�s on the road to recovery now.� Before surgery, Span said he expected a 4-6 month recovery. Span, who has been with the Nationals since 2013, is a free agent at season�s end and his Aug. 26 game is likely his last in a Washington uniform. He sounds quite risky. I wonder if he'd go for a one-year contract so he can go to market again next year with a healthy season behind him?

Hip surgery sounds a little scary. I wonder how well a doctor can evaluate how he's recovering, and how that would translate to his on-the-field abilities.

He'll turn 32 in spring training. Made $9 million last year with the Nationals. Played a full season in 2014 at age 30, with 184 hits, 39 doubles, 50 walks, and 39 steals. What exactly were his health-related issues?

I think I'm the opposite. I'm more likely to vote based on the cover's visual appeal. And I think Newsday is doing a really good job with that in many cases.

Strange how frequently it seems Curtis is chosen to be the one to represent the Mets offensive futility.

. Vote for the tabloid covers that you like the best. You may select up to three choices. Voting will run for seven days. Mets continue to lose, dropping below .500. Steven Matz prepares to make his debut, and it turns out to be a memorable one. After Matz's start, the losing continues as the Cubs shut out the Mets in two consecutive games.

That's why they have a BJ's Clubhouse!

I think I might rather have Murphy for one year than Zobrist for three. I like the idea of Herrera at second base, but it's much easier to hand a starting job to a rookie in a season where you're more likely than not to finish with about 70 to 75 wins. In a year when you hope to win 95, you can't do that without a Plan B. I really don't know what the best course of action is. Adding a bat to the outfield and leaving the middle infield to Flores, Tejada, Reynolds, and Herrera might actually be the best choice, but I'd be very reluctant to commit to that at this point.

Of course they wouldn't. It would be Betts OR Bogaerts but not both of them.

Mike Puma wrote: Ben Zobrist is clearly on the Mets� radar, and team officials plan to soon speak with the veteran utility man�s agent. Mike Puma wrote: Whether the Mets pursue Zobrist will depend on Daniel Murphy�s situation. Murphy has until 5 p.m. on Friday to accept or reject the club�s qualifying offer of $15.8 million for next year. Murphy is expected to reject the offer to pursue a multi-year deal elsewhere, but the Mets hadn�t received an answer as of Thursday Puma also says that the Mets may non-tender Ruben Tejada, which would save them about $2.5 million, and instead let Matt Reynolds replace him on the roster. (That gives me a sense of d�j� vu for some reason.) Mike Puma wrote: Ruben Tejada is not a slam dunk to be tendered a contract as team officials consider the possibility of giving Matt Reynolds a shot at shortstop with Wilmer Flores if the Mets don�t acquire somebody.

Guys I've still never heard of: Harvey Keck Mickey Kabibble Lou Flomp Jose Zinc I'm looking forward to seeing them pitch for the Mets next year!

Gwreck wrote: Why not just sign Heyward and not have to give up Harvey? You lose a pick for signing Heyward, gain a similar-level pick for losing Murphy. All it costs is money and the Mets should have plenty of it. One potential reason (at least in theory) would be that the money the Mets would save by getting Betts instead of Heyward could be allocated to filling a different need, like maybe a shortstop and a pitcher to replace Harvey.