Benjamin Grimm

Yeah, I'm not sure what to make of that. The manager doesn't need to be in the loop on these negotiations, but that doesn't mean he isn't. It really depends on what internal relationship he has with Stearns and Cohen.

For whatever this is worth: The Sporting News, which apparently still exists wrote: On TikTok, Mets' manager Carlos Mendoza's son responded to suggestion that Soto would sign with the Red Sox by saying that the Mets offer to Soto is 15 years and $700 million. The account is confirmed to be Mendoza's son, while the offer is unconfirmed by MLB insiders. https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/juan-soto-rumors-tracker-news-updates-yankees-mets-red-sox/49ab4fcef3c17b44923aef28https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/juan-soto-rumors-tracker-news-updates-yankees-mets-red-sox/49ab4fcef3c17b44923aef28

http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/TCD.png> Vote for the tabloid cover that you like best. WAITING FOR A PITCH Newsday, February 18, 2024. Winner of https://phpbb3.leaptoad.com/mets/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=33888Round 1.03 http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/2024/20240218_NSD_02.jpg> PICCADILLY CIRCUS New York Daily News, June 10, 2024. Winner of https://phpbb3.leaptoad.com/mets/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=33903Round 1.07 http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/2024/20240610_NYDN_02.jpg>

I'm sorry to see him go. I hope Manaea comes back.

Well, the winter meetings start in four days, so that's imminent adjacent, I guess.

https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/906358b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/682x936+0+0/resize/880x1208!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F70%2F90%2F6b77060a4327866bb802135610eb%2Fnmah-ahb2017q009214.jpg>

http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/TCD.png> Vote for the tabloid cover that you like best. STARTING STRONG Newsday, March 2, 2024. Winner of https://phpbb3.leaptoad.com/mets/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=33890Round 1.04 http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/2024/20240302_NSD_02.jpg> LUIS ARM STRONG New York Post, August 18, 2024. Winner of https://phpbb3.leaptoad.com/mets/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=33932Round 1.14 http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/2024/20240818_NYP_02.jpg>

I'm pretty sure they don't, unless perhaps it's a pitcher. For position players, I don't think anything "big" is going to happen until Soto is resolved.

I suspect that the Mets may have been willing to overpay him so they could fill in one rotation slot early in the offseason. Fewer balls in the air may not be worth several million to most teams, but perhaps it makes sense with the Mets' budget. (Or lack thereof.) They'll look a little more like a complete team to whatever free agents they may be pursuing. I don't know if that was a factor, but maybe.

The mothballing of number 8 really doesn't make sense. I can only assume that they agree with you (and me) that Carter's number shouldn't be retired, but don't want to offend the fans by assigning it to anyone else. If it were up to me, I would rip off the band-aid and assign it to someone right away. If the Mets were to acquire someone who wore 8 with his previous team, that would be the ideal cover. (Kind of like they did with 24 and Rickey Henderson and Robinson Cano.) But failing that, I'd assign it to the next Joey Wendle or Zack Short that comes along. Or maybe a potential star like Drew Gilbert. The Mets didn't retire the number when Gary Carter went into the Hall of Fame. They didn't do it when he was terminally ill. They didn't do it when he died. They know it's not appropriate. But I have to assume the number will remain in limbo until someone is bold enough to assign it or the team caves and retires it, whichever comes first. Like I said, I would put it in circulation immediately. And would have done so years ago. It's been 23 years since a Mets player wore 8 (Desi Relaford in 2001) and 22 years since it was worn by a coach (Matt Galante in 2002).

David Pingalore wrote: @JuanSoto25_ minds want to know. I am being told an announcement is imminent for the 26 year old landing with the @Mets. His agent Scott Boras was on hand for Snell announcement. The chatter is real. Stay tuned #mets @ktla @KTLA5SPORTS #juansoto

I'd make Wright a definite, and deGrom a maybe. I wouldn't have done Keith, Doc, Darryl, or Koosman. Or Mays. I'd probably pass on Beltran as well.

Ken Rosenthal reporting that Soto has offers from five teams, each one surpassing the $600 million mark. (Mets, Yankees, Blue Jays, Red Sox, and Dodgers)

Golden pinch runner?

I thought of twenty changes that have come to the game since I started watching in 1971, including two changes that have since been rescinded and the one that is being proposed here. I ranked them from best to worst. I'm not including changes to free agency, drafts, compensation, arbitration, trade deadlines, waiver rules, qualifying offers, injured list, etc. I limited it to things that more directly affect what happens during the game and how the postseason field is determined. The first section are things that I feel mostly positive about. The middle section is where I'm more or less neutral. And the bottom section are things that I feel mostly (or entirely) negative out. Please feel free to chime in with your own rankings! Pitch Clock Expansion of Wild Card Round from Best-of-One to Best-of-Three 26-man roster Expansion of LCS from Best-of-Five to Best-of-Seven Three-batter minimum Instant Replay Shift ban Limit on mound visits Larger bases Sticky-finger checks Interleague play {DEFUNCT: All-Star Game determines World Series home-field advantage} {DEFUNCT: Optional 24-man roster} Limit on pickoff attempts Introduction of Wild Card, change from four divisions to six Introduction of Second Wild Card Introduction of Third Wild Card Designated Hitter Ghost Runner Golden At-bat

http://leaptoad.com/mets/cards/JDMartinez1978.jpg> Schaefer Mets Player of the Month, June 2024. I remember that he hit his first-ever walkoff homer this year. In the post-game on-field interview with Steve Gelbs he said he didn't even know what to do next.

http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/TCD.png> Vote for the tabloid cover that you like best. REBORN TO BE WILD Newsday, July 12, 2024. Winner of https://phpbb3.leaptoad.com/mets/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=33920Round 1.11 http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/2024/20240712_NSD_02.jpg> SUPERMANAEA Newsday, October 9, 2024. Winner of https://phpbb3.leaptoad.com/mets/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=33961Round 1.23 http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/2024/20241009_NSD_02.jpg>

The Brewers retired Hank Aaron's number, probably for a similar reason, to honor what he meant to Milwaukee rather than what he meant to the Brewers. I think that if the Brewers ever move to another city, it would be okay to unretire 44.

My favorite scenario is one where both Pete and Soto are with the Mets next year. It seems unlikely, but hopefully not impossible.

This is a one-day poll. It will expire in 24 hours. Where do you think* Juan Soto will sign? *Think, not hope.

So four years of insanity coming from both the Commissioner's office and the White House. Yeesh.

The first round is now complete, and our field of 256 covers has been reduced to 26. The Daily News leads with 13 covers, followed by 9 for Newsday and 4 for the New York Post. There are two covers that feature a City Connect uniform, one with a black jersey, nine where the Met player is wearing a road grey uniform, and nine in their home whites. None with Mr. Met, but one with Grimace. Four have headlines starting with the word NO, but three of those four covers report positive news for the Mets. Six covers have received a second-round bye: ONE MORE GAME (Daily News) NO MORE MAGIC (Daily News) TALL AT SHORT (Newsday) NO SLEEP TILL THE BRONX (Daily News) NO MERCY! (Daily News) PURPLE TRAIN (Daily News) The matchups for the second round will be: December 4: REBORN TO BE WILD (Newsday) vs SUPERMANAEA (Newsday) December 5: STARTING STRONG (Newsday) vs LUIS ARM STRONG (New York Post) December 6: WAITING FOR A PITCH (Newsday) vs PICCADILLY CIRCUS (Daily News) December 7: BLASTOFF! (Daily News) vs 16 (Daily News) December 8: CALIFORNIA DREAMIN' (Newsday) vs KNOCK YOUR SOX OFF (Daily News) December 9: WHAT A MESS (Daily News) vs HAIR FORCE WON! (New York Post) December 10: FLIP THE SCRIPT (Daily News) vs ALONSOMG! (Newsday) December 11: NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO YES! (New York Post) vs THROW BOMBERS FROM THE TRAIN (Daily News) December 12: FALL CLASSIC (Newsday) vs POP IN THEIR STEP (Newsday) December 13: YA GOTTA BELONG! (Daily News) vs STEVIE NIXED (New York Post) [th]Year[/th][th]Daily News[/th][th]New York Post[/th][th]Newsday[/th][th]Total Number of Covers[/th] 2015135124110369 2016150117114381 2017835867208 20181148481279 201911411193318 2020728349204 20211047092266 20221037795275 2023776481222 2024877495256 [th]Totals[/th]1,0398628772,778 FIRST-ROUND WINS [th]Year[/th][th]Daily News[/th][th]New York Post[/th][th]Newsday[/th][th]Total[/th] 20151312732 2016177832 201764616 2018142622 2019152825 202067316 20211211124 2022182626 20231021022 2024134926 [th]Totals[/th]1244374241 http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/images/2024/2024_1_21.png> http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/images/2024/2024_1_22.png> http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/images/2024/2024_1_23.png> http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/images/2024/2024_1_24.png> http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/images/2024/2024_1_25.png> http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/images/2024/2024_1_26.png> http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/images/2024/2024_brackets_001.png>

http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/images/2024/2024_1_26.png>

After the extra-inning runner, I no longer think any idea is too stupid to actually be implemented. These suggestions just keep getting worse.

The Guiding Light ran for decades but it didn't bother me because I ignored it.