Centerfield

I think you’re right. The “plan” to make this team playoff-caliber is to assume/hope/guess that: -Baty can not only repeat, but improve upon his unprecedented 2025 season -Alvarez can perform as he did in 2025 (post-demotion) for an entire year -Vientos can return to the form he had in 2024 -Peterson can pitch a full year’s worth of innings and be reasonably effective -Holmes can be as good as he was in 2025 but throw more innings -Manaea and/or Senga can return to their 2024 or 2023 form, respectively -Some combination of McLean, Sproat and/or Tong are effective major league starters over a full year (and not the 8, 3, or 1 good starts they respectively had in 2025) -Devin Williams can return to his pre-2025 form -Tyrone Taylor is better -Some positive offensive contributions are made by Mauricio, Benge, and/or Williams. And of course that all of this happen without ramp-up/adjustment periods occurring that cost the team wins. If this all happens, then sure, we probably have a 95-100 win team. If some-to-most of it happens, maybe the Mets make the playoffs. I think it’s a terrible plan, but I suppose it is a plan. You also need Polanco to stay healthy, despite his track record saying that he never stays healthy. You need Minter to stay healthy, despite his track record saying that he never stays healthy. You need 36 year old Brooks Raley to stay healthy and perform like he did last year over the course of a full year. You need to hit on a few bullpen arms besides the ones mentioned. The curious part of all this, is that if it really was going to be a youth movement, then I can understand the plan. You trade everyone, get prospects. Slash payroll. Call up the kids, hope they succeed. Wait for your next window, then spend. But that's tough to do when you've paid for Soto and Lindor is at the tail end of his prime. And if you're playing the kids, you're not signing Jorge Polanco to block their path. You're not handing second base to Marcus Semien. So it's this middle ground. Cohen is on record now saying payroll won't go down. So it seems like Stearns has at least $40 Million to spend. That's enough to turn this team into a wild card contender. I don't see how that can turn this team into an actual championship contender, without, as gwreck says, hoping that a lot of question marks turn it around.

So as of December 22, the Mets have downgraded at second base and closer. They have no left fielder. They have no first baseman. They have not addressed the hole in CF. They've done nothing to address their rotation. But they have signed a good DH, but even then, to a guy with an injury history. Absent a complete shift in thinking, I don't see a path to making this team a championship contender in 2026.

Tantalizing upside. And even in a down year he gives you speed, defense and 14 HR. Agree that bad Robert is barely an upgrade over Taylor, but even if he can get halfway back to 2023, he’d be very valuable. Would be fine with the $20M, but wouldn’t want to give up prospect capital to get him. Sure. They can have Sean Manaea.

Two years. $34 million. A worthwhile gamble at that price. This is the Frankie Montas contract.

Is Monday at 5 pm. He needs to be signed, so with the physical and all you figure he needs to reach an agreement today. His market is soft due to high whiff rates and something about poor contact rate for pitches in the zone. The only team I’ve heard linked to him is the White Sox. He hasn’t been linked to the Mets, but neither had Jorge Polanco. Not a great defender, so he doesn’t seem like a Stearns type. I guess we’ll find out soon enough.

Exactly. Which is why you don’t trade him for Nick Pivetta.

I like Tong a lot. I like the stats I’m reading in the minors and am enamored with his potential. I like his personality a lot. But I also recognize that he’s a kid. And he’s going to have to mature some if he’s going be successful in the bigs. But if all goes right, he can be a beloved Met. Kinda like David Wright. I’m also realistic about the improvements he will have to make to excel in the bigs. I can’t ignore the handful of starts that we saw. His fastball is good. I don’t know that it will dominate big league hitters like it did in the minors. His secondary pitches and control are not there yet. Can he get there? Sure. But it’s no sure thing. The one thing I know is he has incredible value right now. Do you use him as part of a package for Skubal? Ok. But not for a rental of Nick ****ing Pivetta or any relief pitcher.

They also signed an infielder from Korea. All of which suggests that they are going for it. Whatever the Padres are offering in a trade will be players that they don’t think will help them win now.

I think it’s a deal that only made sense for the Padres. For the team, it’s a three year commitment but only a one year guarantee. Meaning you’re only getting one good year, but up to three bad ones. When you factor in the QO it doesn’t make sense for a rental.

By the way, as much as I'm just ok with this move, if this means that we can stop hearing about trading Tong for a relief pitcher, I'm good with this.

He had a Ryan Helslian September, putting up a 9.64 ERA that month, coupled with pitch tipping issues. Like Helsley, Weaver is looking to bounce back. It's ok. The Yankee thing doesn't bother me as much. I just hope he's worked out whatever his September issue was.

San Diego also has had 5 consecutive banner years in attendance, ranking top 5 each year 2021-25, despite being in about the 20th largest market in MLB. Only the Dodgers (with a much larger stadium) had a higher attendance than the Padres this year. San Diego basically sold out the entire season in 2025 and weren’t far behind in 2024. By comparison, San Diego ranked between 14 and 21st overall in each of the 10 seasons from 2010 to 2019. Sure, the playoff results aren’t there, and it’s not easy to win the division when you’ve got the Dodgers around…but if I’m running the Padres, I’m in no hurry to tear things down. Right. Which is why I'm skeptical of any matchup in terms of trade. Unless you're trading Tatis or Merril, you're not unloading Boegarts or Machado. And since Machado is still effective, why not go for these next two years. The rebuild will be long and expensive, but flags fly forever.

I'm calling ********. Pete is already gone. Edwin is gone. We know that there aren't likely to be more departures. This is like calling a team meeting before your ace takes the mound. (reads about trade rumors involving Jonah Tong) Are you sure that door is fixed? It can't hurt to have someone take a second look.

It's important to remember that every team fills out their minor league teams with signings. And all of them are guys who, well, belong in the minor leagues. The reason you don't hear about other teams signing them is because we are not fans of other teams. As angry as I am at Stearns, and as much as I vehemently disagree with what he's doing, one thing he does well is fill in around the edges. Some of his fill-in guys have performed pretty well for us.

Will Sammon has been pretty spot on this winter. He said early that the Mets would not go more than 3 years on Alonso, and mentioned Jorge Polanco the night before the deal happened. In his article in the Times today, he said the Mets are looking to add a starter "in the front half of their rotation", according to league sources. Also from the article: So, not super helpful. I said it in another thread. At some point, the Mets are going to need someone who can adequately hit behind Juan Soto.

Looking at it from AJ Preller's standpoint, I would think you have a 1-2 year window since Machado is 33. After that, you're probably looking at a rebuild. Why not go for it these last two years, then just eat it for the next half decade. They spent a ton of money starting with signing Machado. All they have to show for it is one NLCS appearance. If you're not looking to add, then you should tear down now. Shop Tatis, Mason Miller and Jackson Merrill. Anyone interested in taking them has to take Bogaerts/Machado. You'll have to throw in money to move them, but at least you can start with a clean slate relatively soon.

Merrill regressed a bit last year but still put up a .774 OPS and played a strong centerfield. He's making $11M, this year, as part of a 9 year, $135M contract. His salary increases to $20M 4 years from now, and only takes him to 31 years old. I doubt they look to move him. As mentioned above, Pivetta is a strong candidate for regression. In addition to being a standout year, his FIP was 3.49, which suggests a bit of luck. No doubt he also benefited from moving from Fenway to Petco. If Pivetta does well, he'll opt out. The last two years of his contract are his decision. So it's a rental, where you only get to keep him if he's terrible or hurt. Ramon Laureano has been good for about a year and a half. He's put up a mid 800's OPS during that time and hit 24 HRs last year. But that's about the limit to his upside. And before that you have a long history of low .700s, mid .600s OPS. He'd also be a rental, as he's a free agent after this year. Pivetta and Laureano are not worth giving up anything worthwhile. They'll ask too much for Mason Miller. And likely Jackson Merrill is not available. So I don't see how we line up, except that SD has to shed payroll. The Tatis contract has an expiration date of about 3 years. Bogaerts is already underwater, Machado's will be a disaster starting next year, and Darvish is already useless, with three more years left. I thought that maybe the Mets could line up with SD by taking on some bad salary. But given Stearns unwillingness to sign long term deals to his own players, I don't see him agreeing to take on bad contracts from another team. Plus, except the Darvish contract, the other deals are so long, you can't justify taking them back. Mason Miller or not.

Yeah. Five years to a 33 year old with no position is significantly more of a risk than 5 years to a 31 year old that can at least play 1B at a passable level. And to be clear, I’m not saying 5 years to Pete is a smart move either. I just think that if you’re going to take that chance on anyone, a franchise icon is where you do it. Also, I feel like Pete could have been locked up last year to a four year deal.

Mets are engaged in trade talks with the Padres, per multiple reports. Names being discussed are Nick Pivetta, Ramon Laureano, and Mason Miller. Padres are said to like the Mets young big leaguers and prospects, in particular Jonah Tong. My thoughts. Pivetta is a nice pitcher, but a regression candidate. We would be buying high. Similar thoughts about Laureano. Regression candidate. His ceiling is similar to Polanco, but could also just as easily post a .650 OPS. I don’t think we should give up top prospects for a reliever. Even one as good as Miller. The Padres deny it. But they have to be facing financial constraints. They have some of the worst contracts in the game. Darvish is in year 4 of his 6 year extension. He’s already toast. The Boegarts deal is a disaster. Machado is still productive and making $25M. But starting next year that salary jumps to $39M. He’ll be 34 and signed for seven more seasons! Even the Tatis contract is not good. He’s making $20M this year. Then jumps to $25M. Then when he turns 30, that number jumps to $36M. And maybe that’s worth it if he’s a .900+ OPS shortstop. But not really if he’s an .800ish corner OF, which is what he’s been since his PED suspension. They don’t need to move him now. But they have less than three seasons, and that’s assuming he keeps producing, and assuming no further suspensions. The Mets have leverage. How that translates into an actual deal, I have no clue. But if there’s a trade, it would be malpractice to lose it.

I have nothing against Contreras, depending on what we have to give up to get him. But at some point we have to get someone who can hit behind Juan Soto and he’s not it.

That’s where I am too. Offensively, it’s fine. So long as he’s batting 5th or lower. Defensively, hopefully this is our DH. Being a switch hitter, he kinda combines Winker and Marte. The defensive versatility allows Stearns to maybe move McNeil for a useful player, if he’s so inclined. He’s kinda like a better fielding Vientos. So I wonder if Mark is on the block. If he’s our everyday first baseman and batting third, then that’s no good.

So following the Polanco signing, it’s still up in the air which direction the Mets are going. Polanco is a nice bat when healthy, but not a star. I think the next offensive move will give insight on which way the Mets are going. If it’s another “perfectly fine” signing then I think it’s the Wild Card route. If they go middle of the order bat then we know they’re going for it.

Salary is 2/3 of what they offered Alonso. Contract term is also 2/3 what they were willing to give Alonso. He hit 26 HRs last year. Roughly 2/3 of Alonso’s 38.

$20M per year appears to be more than expected. MLB trade rumors had him at 3 years, $42M. Looks like Stearns went less years, more AAV.

If he’s healthy, the bat could be good enough to replace Nimmo. His defense doesn’t do much for the “run prevention” philosophy. Short term deal fits Stearns.