Gwreck

100%, because it sucks. I’ll care less if he saves 50 games with an ERA+ of 250. Mine: -Mendoza does not get an extension until after the postseason ends. Media will talk about this incessantly even though it’s abundantly clear (as in 2015) that a playoff run will be necessary for the manager to keep his job. -Senga finishes in the top 10 of Cy Young balloting. -Mets win the season series against the Dodgers but go inexplicably go 1-5 against the White Sox and Sacramento. -Pete Alonso gets a curtain call in each of the 3 games Baltimore plays in September at Citi.

Unless the opposing team changed pitchers after the first inning! Rule 5.11 (a)(2): The Designated Hitter named in the starting lineup must come to bat at least one time, unless the opposing Club changes pitchers. Rule 5.11 (a)(13): A substitute for the Designated Hitter need not be announced until it is the Designated Hitter’s turn to bat. My reading of these rules means that even if Polanco is in the lineup as the DH (but not in spots 1-3 in the lineup), AND the Wild Boar renders Polanco unavailable, AND the Wild Boar also results in Skenes leaving after an inning…then Vientos can come in as the DH, Polanco won’t have ever played in the game, and isn’t yet in the books as a Met.

Brujan is the odd man out because Jared Young got the last bench spot. I am surprised but I suppose Edgy is not?

The DH does not appear in the official count until he bats, irrespective of “lineup” order. Applied Ruling: Mets start tomorrow’s game with Peralta at pitcher, Bichette at third, Robert in center, Benge in right, and Polanco at DH. Upon the first pitch of the game, all of those players except Polanco enter the count, ordered in their spot in the batting order: Bichette, Robert, Benge, Peralta. In the bottom of the first, the Mets are retired in order and Polanco does not bat. In the top of the second, Polanco falls into a hole while being chased by a wild boar and breaks an ankle. Vientos replaces him as DH in the bottom of the second. Polanco returns 6 months later and next plays in September. He enters the record then, and not at all on March 26.

Thanks for the reminder! We were looking for Cody Bellinger with 16 and former-Met Javier Baez with 13. There might be another quiz or two out there with cleanup needed before opening day…will get on that. Full list below. Player Homers Bryce Harper 40 Gincarlo Stanton 38 Freddie Freeman 31 Ozzie Albies 22 Marcel Ozuna 21 Anthony Rendon* 21 Kyle Schwarber 20 Juan Soto 19 Austin Riley 19 Paul Goldschmidt 18 Ronald Acuna Jr. 18 Rhys Hoskins 17 Nolan Arenado 16 Cody Bellinger 16 Matt Olson 15 Trea Turner 15 JT Realmuto 14 Christian Yelich 14 Aaron Judge 14 Javier Baez 13

National Weather Service now forecasting a delightful high of 64 and partly sunny for Thursday.

He does not. He is on a minor league contract and will be paid at that salary (and not earn MLB service time either). Very bad luck all around.

I don’t know about Lucchesi specifically, but DiComo reported this weekend that the Mets aren’t sold on either Hudson or Lovelady as the last man in the ‘pen and are still considering other waiver-wire options.

I’d give him 8.

Mets announced that Benge made the roster and is starting on Thursday in right field.

Netflix isn’t a niche product. Putting a game there is far different than Apple TV. Netflix has about 65 million subscribers in the US, which is comparable to ESPN’s current penetration.

You have a very different read of the situation than I do. Pache and Young are fringe candidates at best and were always extremely unlikely to make the team. The Mets were seemingly ready to go with Tauchman and Benge and no extra infielder (witness Bichette recently playing short to get practice in). With Tauchman hurt, Brujan’s very tentative spot becomes much more secure. If Benge doesn’t make the team for some reason (unlikely at this point) then I’d expect MJ Melendez to be above Pache and Young in the pecking order.

With Tauchman hurt, Vidal Brujan’s chances to make the roster just went up significantly and he’s probably leading Pache and Young for the last bench spot.

To be just a tiny bit of a dark cloud…I think Howie actually had lost a beat or two in recent years. It might be in part because he’s had some recent changes with his partners, but he was leaning a bit too far his self-appointed curmudgeon status, developing a bit of main character syndrome. That all said, this will be a tremendous loss for everyone.

I could see Manaea being used as a piggyback reliever too, particularly with Holmes or McLean. I believe Britton suggested that was a possibility too, given the early season off days and lack of need for a 6th starter.

I think you’re right that it has to be a service time thing. Something along the lines of a first year player who gets XX days = rounded up to a full year of service time (rather than the 172 days typically needed). Maybe that’s 75 or 100, so you’d have really have to hold the player out a long time to delay the FA clock.

I think they’re independent. Tauchman will either be the starter OR he will get a bench spot if Benge makes it.

DiComo reports that Mendoza stated today that Brazoban is confirmed for an opening day roster spot. We’re now down to 3 spots still to be locked down, although Britton and Sammon have both suggested that Tauchman is very likely to make the team under any circumstance. To be determined: 1. Starting RF: Benge or Tauchman 2. Last bench spot: Tauchman, if Benge makes the team. If Benge doesn’t make the team, ??? [Melendez, Brujan, Young, someone else] 3. Last bullpen spot. Kimbrel or a second lefty [Lovelady, Bryan Hudson] Lineup: Alvarez, Polanco, Semien, Bichette, Lindor, Soto, Robert, [Right Field], Baty Bench: Torrens, Vientos, Taylor, [Open Spot] SP: Peralta, Holmes, Senga, McLean, Peterson, Manaea RP: Williams, Weaver, Raley, Garcia, Myers, Brazoban, [Open Spot]

1. Johan Santana 2. Frank Viola 3. Brian Dozier 4. 5. Rick Aguilera 6. 7. Michael Cuddyer 8. 9. Matt Lawton 10. Jerry Koosman further down the list: Carlos Gomez

1. Johan Santana 2. Frank Viola 3. Brian Dozier 4. 5. 6. 7. Michael Cuddyer further down the list: Carlos Gomez

All seriousness, I’m sure this will be worked out eventually, but we all see that clicking the link for New York Mets talk doesn’t actually bring up any Mets threads? As for our quiz: 1. Santana 2. 3.Brian Dozier (do you remember his 7 games as a Met in 2020? I do not). 4. 5. 6. further down the list: Carlos Gomez

Only 10 for Dansby.

Top 6 players by Twins WAR who also played for the Mets…and go. 1. Santana 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

In fairness the Puerto Ricans are Americans too…

41, 31, 5, 15 1. You have to be a hall-of-fame caliber player to have your number retired. It’s supposed to be for the elite only. Koosman, Strawberry, Gooden, Hernandez? All should have their numbers un-retired. Big mistakes all around. Cheapens the honor for who deserves it. 2. You have to be readily associated with the Mets. Mays? Stengel? Laughable. Hodges isn’t laughable…but still no. I’d listen to arguments about Beltran here, but the majority of his best years were with the Mets, and the Mets were his primary team. 3. David Wright. Special exception to the HOF since he played his entire career with the team and is already borderline HOF/would have gotten there but for some fluky injuries/has multiple major team records.