Centerfield

I remember how ecstatic I was when Murphy went deep on him in Game 2. It would be odd, if we signed him, to root for exactly the opposite in 2018.

Yeah, both are useful pieces, but none are really difference makers. I feel like if you want to win it all you need somebody on your team that is great. I just don't see how the Mets will get that type of player.

Sounds like a recipe for disaster.

Yeah, I think that d'Arnaud game was the high point of our season. I wonder if that's our eventual winner. It was during this week that I was thinking "I'm a little worried about Zach, but I think Harvey will be pretty good, and Noah and Ces are going to have monster years".

I don't understand. So because he's young, would he be cheap?

OMG, the possibilities are endless. We should sign him for this reason alone. Yu got the hook. Yu must have took... 36 pitches just to get thru the first. Babeee....

Frayed Knot wrote: Berkman who had the build of a duffle bag. LOLOL

Frayed Knot wrote: Probably the toughest part of the GM's job is knowing **In Advance** which prospects to bet on and which to deal away. - I remember Yanqui fans having more faith in Gerald Williams than in Bernie Williams, but ultimately team mgmt made the right call on that one rather than acting on fan polling. - In the late '90s/early '00s Houston had the roughly the same aged/OFs Richard Hidalgo & Lance Berkman coming up through their system and the eyeball test favored Hidalgo at every turn. He ran better, he threw much better, had more raw power, and was a sculpted figure especially next to Berkman who had the build of a duffle bag. And it's not like Hidalgo's career was a flop, but he was out of the game by age 30 with 171 HRs and a career OBA of .345. But Berkman went on to last 16 seasons with more than double the HR output and a .400+ on-base Calls like those often seem obvious after the fact but rarely are at the time. Which is why I think it helps to have an actual scout as part of the front office. Someone with an eye like Omar Minaya. Sandy's nerd staff might be bright, but having an eye for talent is something they can't bring. And I totally would have picked Hidalgo over Berkman. Not even a contest.

It's strange. He's been around since 2012 but I don't think I've seen a single game he's pitched. Even in this past postseason by the time I turned on the game he was gone. The numbers suggest he's just a tick below the truly elite, Cy Young type level (WHIP is a tick high, ERA is a tick high), but still a frontline starter. I'd be on board so long as he's healthy. Sign me up! Agree with everything in JCL's initial post. My only criticism is that this thread should really be called WhatchYutalkinboutDarvish?

Of course the minute we trade away Smith he’ll turn into Tony Gwynn. You just know this will happen.

Reports say he was doing some low altitude maneuvering. I hope the guy wasn't being reckless.

Hey Matthew Ehalt, Mets beat writer for the Record, Why do the Mets continue to be hamstrung financially? Why can’t a NY team spend at the level of the Nats, Cubs or Boston? Is it still a product of Madoff? That was NINE years ago! Don’t let the Wilpons off the hook. Take them to task! Thanks for reaching out. It's hard to say exactly why the Mets have not spent like they have in the past, but the team did spend more this past year. I do understand the fans frustrations regarding the payroll. Have a nice day. --Matt Whoa, what's with the blowoff Matt? Aren't you the beat writer for the Mets? How about some investigative journalism dude? How about you get some answers. Not really. My actual response: Hey Matthew, Thanks for getting back to me. It would be great if you would consider looking into why the Mets are so cash strapped. It’s a question that’s front and center on many Mets’ fans minds. I think it would get a lot of people’s attention. Write to Matthew and tell him how much you would like to see that article: Ehalt@northjersey.com

Frayed Knot wrote: Yeah, Peter Alonso was a 2nd round pick out of a strong college program just a year and a half ago, all of which may make him the type to move through a minor league system quickly. But that route also means he's six months older than Smith yet has just barely gotten his feet wet in AA at this point - so maybe we all need to be at least a little bit patient with Smith before we all go pulling the prospect version of declaring the grass to be greener over yonder. If and when Alonso starts to show he's a real challenge to Smith then it may force a team decision on the two as neither seems like a candidate for a different position. But we're not near that point yet. I don't think anyone has advocated that we be impatient with Smith. And I don't think anyone has suggested we dump him based upon his small sample struggle in 2017. He's 22 years old, he's extremely young. And that youth is why we should both (a) be patient with him and ( be hesitant about handing him the job on a team that is serious about contending. If it's 2013, sure. If it's 2018, and you are also carrying a rookie SS and just ok production at catcher? Well now it gets risky. The Mets should feel free to sign a first baseman if it makes sense, even if it means blocking Smith for a few years, because Smith is only 22 years old. There is no pressure to trade him this winter, or even next. If Yonder Alonso can be had on a short term deal, or if Duda is available on a one year commitment, all of those options should be on the table. Simply handing Smith the job now is cheap and lazy.

Frayed Knot wrote: I doubt Duda is going to get offered anything but a one-year deal. Hitting .175 during his time with Tampa and just .188 vs LHP all season isn't likely to create a bidding war for a slow, mediocre-defensive, 32 y/o 1B-man You really think so? I know HR's are up, but 30 HR's is still something. Has had an .800+ OPS the last few years except the bad back year. But I guess maybe the bad back also detracts from what you said above. If he's available on a one year contract, do you consider him bringing him back?

I went with the twin deGrom covers. Everything else is just so bad.

I've been thinking lately about these reports that the Mets payroll might be dropping. The cynic in me wonders if the Mets leaked this to see how the news would be received. So far, the press has been pretty ho-hum about this. Even Howard Megdal has been quiet. I hope that ownership does not view this as complacency among the fan base. I hope they don't think "Hey, it looks like everyone will be cool with Steve Cishek and RA Dickey!" It's been widely understood that the Wilpons are sensitive, putting too much emphasis on public perception. That's largely why people believe that outspoken fans and media may have played a hand in bringing back Cespedes. True or not, I have no idea. But you know, it can't hurt. So I figure I'll reach out to the media, and ask them for answers. Specifically: 1. Are the Mets really hamstrung financially? 2. If so, why is this the case? Why can't they spend like the Cubs or Nats? 3. If it's because of Madoff, take the Wilpons to task. Completely unacceptable to have this cloud hang over the team for nine years. I started with David Lennon at Newsday. His email: david.lennon@newsday.com I'll be collecting more info on others and emailing them as well. It worked for Andy Dufresne. Maybe it can work here. I know that some of you guys don't really care about payroll, and that's cool. But if you do, maybe you can help me. Post contact information here. I was looking for Megdal's email but couldn't find it. Better yet reach out yourselves. Email, twitter, whatever way you see fit. Not your cup of tea? That's ok. I'll keep my discussions on this limited to this thread. I figure this is a better use of my time than grumbling about it here all winter.

Right. So I'm not sure why all the beat writers can be so sure the budget is going down. Sandy says stuff like this every year, and the payroll has gone up every year. So hopefully that can happen again.

Those small planes seem so dangerous. For pitchers especially. Awful news.

Again, the only source of all of this "reducing payroll" seems to be that offhand comment made by Sandy in September, where he was typically non-committal. Then they cite to each subsequent articles as "multiple reports". So lazy. So let me rephrase, first, find out if that's true. And if that's true, then find out why that's the case. Madoff was in 2008! Nine years ago!

I'd like for the media to ask the question, why do the Mets only have $40 million to spend?

Yeah, at the end of the day, I think the Mets need front-line talent. If it's at starting pitcher, you'll get no arguments from me. For all the bullpenning going on, the team with the weakest bullpen just won the World Series. So there's that.

Yeah, I feel like the covers are going to get worse this year instead of better.

I'm guessing poor Venezuelan families are not well represented at these labor hearings.

Edgy MD wrote: I'm still saying no on the closer. That money is better funnelled toward the Darvish fund. I'd be ok with this, especially since signing Darvish would allow you to move Gsellman, or Lugo, or Wheeler to the pen, where he might turn into Wade Davis. I just think it's more likely that the Mets go 4 years for Davis, than 6-7 for Darvish.

Edgy MD wrote: According to baseball-reference, they not only can do it, but they have done it (been among the top 10 payrolls) each of the last two seasons. All of the sites I've seen say otherwise. https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/heres-every-mlb-teams-opening-day-payroll-for-2017/ http://www.spotrac.com/mlb/payroll/2017/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/maurybrown/2017/04/02/heres-the-2017-opening-day-payrolls-for-all-30-mlb-teams-total-tops-4-billion/2/#5fb59d185a78 http://www.stevetheump.com/Payrolls.htm