Vic Sage

Edgy MD wrote: Right now, the leaders are: Jerry Blevins*Chasen BradfordJeurys FamiliaRafael MonteroA.J. RamosHansel RoblesJosh Smoker*Anthony Swarzak Bradford and Smokey's slots are the two most fungible. That list also presumes they are carrying an eight-man bullpen, but I certainly hope they don't. I'd say Bradford, Robles and Montero are on the bubble, too. Montero's out of options, but he's shown little to deserve a major league roster spot. i'd much rather have Lugo as a spot starter in the pen; he's been effective in both roles. Robles has great stuff but gets hit... hard. Bradford? meh. Sewald has a better minor league resume and showed some effectiveness in NY, too, and Callahan and Rhame have more upside. And I think they'll carry Smoker unless they sign a better lefty. And i definitely think an 8-man pen is a bad idea overall, but having an extra arm early in the season (when its cold and your pitchers are still stretching themselves out) may be more useful than an extra bat. They might carry 8 until Conforto comes back at least. But i hope not after that.

most of his points are dubious, but i agree with this one: The names of Bonds, Clemens and Ramirez have all been connected with PEDs. Ramirez actually was suspended for failing drug tests. I have explained at length my feelings on PEDs — I am not smart enough to parse the cheating. If it was OK for Gaylord Perry to break the rules and throw spitballs yet get into the Hall of Fame, why not PEDs? And what about the amphetamine users of the 1970s and ’80s? They didn’t grow muscles, but is it only cheating if it’s obvious?

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I think the lack of commitment, both in years and dollars, is why nobody took a negative position. The composition of the Opening Day 25-man roster is hard to project at this point. My main concern is the roster spot that Gonzalez will potentially take up, but if he makes the team then I guess he'll have earned the spot. Spring training will be interesting. A-Gon's presence on the roster might be enough to motivate Smith to get into better shape. If A-Gon shows he still has a few hits left in him, he either pushes Smith back to AAA (if Smith doesn't earned the starting 1b job) or is a useful LH bat off the bench, at least until Conforto returns. If A-Gon shows nothing much, he's making minimum wage and can get cut without a backward glance. I have the same expectations for A-Gon as i do for David Wright... i don't expect anything, but if he can still play, he'll be useful. I would give 1/2 a meh, but that's not an option so i chose "indifferent". Because i don't give a full "meh".

Nimmo for Harrison is the kind of thing the Mets would do. I would find such a deal... disturbing. At this point, i don't like any of the available 2b/3b options (including Walker and his bad back), and none are a better value than Flores at 2b. If they're not going to sign Moustakas and move Cabrera to 2nd (and i'm not saying that would be a great value move either, depending on what Moose ends up getting), Just sign a utility IFer (Nunez?Reyes?) and spend the money on a SP pitcher (Cobb? Lynn?) and another reliever (preferably LH - Tony Watson?) Nimmo/Lagares [until Conforto Returns] Cabrera [Conforto] Cespedes Bruce Flores A-Gon [or Smith] d'Arnaud/Plawecki Rosario if Rosario ever learns to take a walk, he can be pushed up to leadoff.

Cutch is signed for 1 more year, so if they get him, Bruce moves to 1b when Conforto returns, and Dom goes to AAA. Fatboy hasn't done anything yet to prove he deserves a starting spot on the major league team. My major problem with Cutch is that, at this point, he hurts you in CF, his bat is in decline, and we'd have to give up player(s) to get him. I'd just as soon go with the Lagares/Nimmo platoon and spend the $10m difference in salary on pitching or at 2b/3b.

A reliever has the same problem a DH has when considering HOF credentials, in that they're specialists whose roles require greater contextualization in order to evaluate them. But i think its absurd that some voters think that, because they're specialists, they don't deserve HOF consideration at all. First, they didn't necessarily choose their roles. Secondly, the presumption that they couldn't perform just as well as players with more generalized roles is just that... a presumption. In any event, you don't get to evaluate their credentials based on what you think they would have failed to do in another role. Of course, nor do they get credit for those roles they did NOT perform, so a DH doesn't have his defensive ability to weigh in his favor, and his bat has to carry the whole load. That being said, Edgar Martinez's bat DID carry the load. And a reliever doesn't have the IPs that a starter has, so they have to be even more dominant in their roles than a SP to earn consideration, like Mariano. But to rule them out entirely? Voters making up those sorts of rules for themselves should be stripped of their vote. Same with those voters who won't vote for more than a few candidates in a year because they refuse to consider each player on their own merits but have made up an arbitrary numerical definition of greatness that precludes them from voting for more than 2 or 3 guys. The PED thing is a separate matter, because the criteria for HOF selection does include a "character" element, regardless of how its been exercised in the past.

A Boy Named Seo wrote: Indifferent. In a vacuum, Jay Bruce is fine, should be a decent value even if he doesn't replicate his good 2017 season, and he makes them team a better than a Jay Bruce-less Mets team. Big picture, I think we could've gotten a better fit somewhere, maybe a right-handed slugger OF/1B, maybe a real CF allowing us to put Conforto in RF, or an outlandish trade for a slugging infielder. I hope, but am doubtful, that more "big" moves are to follow. In the near-term dystopian future where the Mets have a DH position, I would have clicked "like". this. If this contract doesn't prevent Sandy from making other necessary moves, than ok i guess. but i have a feeling it may.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I guess it also means the end of either Lagares or Nimmo as a NYM. Probably Lagares as he's too expensive to keep around as a 4th OF I'm not so sure. Unless I'm forgetting someone, doesn't the signing of Bruce give them five outfielders: Cespedes, Conforto, Bruce, Lagares, Nimmo? I can't think of who the sixth guy might be. Taijeron is gone, and so is Aoki. If Lagares or Nimmo goes, they'll need to get someone to replace the guy who leaves, right? Yes, and so if Lagares goes, it'll be a salary dump. Because we couldn't possibly afford both Bruce and Lagares, right? i'm ok, but not thrilled. Bruce is defensively challenged at 2 positions, and a 1-dimensional slugger. But I'm Ok with him in Rf and a Lagares/Nimmo platoon in CF, until Conforto replaces them and they become OF depth. If Dom tanks at 1b, having Bruce to split time with Flores at 1b is also useful. But yes, i would have preferred Cain overall. If Kendrick is the 2b plan, we better get some more arms, like Addison Reed for the bullpen and Cobb in the rotation.

i've been shilling for Cain for a while. The concern of course is that, as a speed guy, he's of an age where that skill starts to diminish. So we'd probably be buying high, but that's to be expected when you snort Lo-Cain.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Callowness of youth? Edgy MD wrote: metsmarathon wrote: that said, does it not seem a little plausible that in the 30 years since return of the jedi that luke might've taught her even a little bit about how to use the force, and she'd just never taken up the opportunity to go flaunting various jedi tricks? You've got to at least hint at that sort of thing, no? Like Obi Wan's ghosting? Or force choking? I mean, you want hints? We're talking about a series that barely uses establishing shots, and completely eschews scene-setting captions. The Leia thing is a LITTLE goofy, granted. But give me this sort of thing a thousand times over rather than reverent rehash. This movie genuinely surprised me two or three times, and for that alone, I give praise; that most of the outcry from "diehards" seems to stem from the fact that this one subverts expectations seems utterly confounding to me. yup

yup

healthy' to me for a NY team means "the budget isn't a constraint on acquiring the players who are available that meet our needs". this.

Matthew Cerrone articulates my concerns on SNY: https://www.sny.tv/mets/news/heading-toward-next-season-what-is-the-mets-grand-plan/263548194

As it's turning out, ALL the deals at the Winter 2017/18 meetings aree "non-NYM FA deals"

he's not even a one dimensional player... he's partly dimensional at best. If they're not going to play Flores at 2b everyday, then he's a better option to platoon at 1b with Smith than Napoli is.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I'm not saying they should trade him for a reliever now; I said we should have traded him when his value was higher. I'm mostly arguing this notion that his dickery and suckitude is some kind of benign thing for the club. Of course it affected teammates. it may have affected teammates, but not necessarily in any way that had any impact on their ability or willingness to play well, and they'll be thrilled as the dickens to have him if he pitches well once more.

Harvey's upside is as a #1 starter... that's not just "potential", like some unknown prospect, that's proven on the major league level. He's had injuries and major surgeries since. Maybe he can come back from that, maybe he can't, but its sure as hell worth more than some middle reliever to let some other team find out. Asshole? Sure... so? He's our asshole unless we dump him. He didn't hit anybody, or rob a bank. No overt racism or xenophobia, nor accusations of sexual abuse, as far as i know, which puts him in the choir boy section of jockhood and certainly makes him a better role model than our current president. No, no "dumping". Sure, nobody is untouchable, but i'm not selling low on him just cuz he's a dick. And his teammates will love him up, down and sideways if he starts pitching great again and helps them win. So what's the rush? Ah, the money... well, we'll see if that's the reason based on what they spend this off-season.

Jeter is not just an owner; he's the CEO and appears to be making the baseball decisions. And winter meetings aren't just about signing FAs; its about meeting with other GMs and laying the groundwork for trades. And clearly Jeter has been very interested in that. So there's really no reason for him NOT to be there, except to avoid unpleasant questions and thus maintain his arrogant aloofness. IOW, whether in a uniform or a suit, he's still a dick.

now THAT'S my kind of movie! I love me some Drax!

As a broadcaster, Craig Carton was the whole package... arrogant, stupid, mean-spirited, with a voice like nails on a chalkboard. And he wasn't nearly funny enough to justify any of it. he was the biggest reason i stopped listening to FAN in the morning and switched to Mike & Mike on ESPN. OF all the assholes on the radio that i've endured over the years, he was the assholiest. This couldn't have happened to a more deserving lowlife.

he needs to buy a vowel.

i'm always cautious about giving big $$ to pitchers, due to their higher rate of injury. I prefer to give those sorts of deals to fielders, who are more reliable and consistent from year to year. Also, Mets don't need an ace... we already have 2, and the potential to have 5. Sure its always great to add an ace, but given the `Pons budget limitations, and their lack of offensive production and depth, if i'm going for 1 big player, it has to be a bat. The question for me is IFer or OFer. If Dozier was a FA, i'd go for him, but we have to give up players to get him, not just $$. Frankly, i think Flores could play every day at 2b and give us adequate D (its his best position by far) and real pop. I think he'd hit 260/25hrs if given the job. And with Rosario and Cabrera already here, i'd prefer an OFer who can also play 1b (to cover us if Smith is a bust). Particularly with the recent injuries of Cespedes and Conforto, and the annual injuries of Lagares, i think a bat in the OF is the way to go (either in CF or RF, with Conforto going to CF when healthy). My top choices among currently available FAs is Martinez and Cain, with Bruce or Morrison as lower-budget options. Either that or a 2b (by trading for Dozier) or a 3b (with Cabrera going to 2b).

Just watched it -- a good but not great film. HELL OR HIGH WATER is tons better, but i thought SICARIO was overrated, despite great performances. Renner and Olsen have good rapport, as they did in AVENGERS:ULTRON (and with a flashback featuring from Jon Bernthal (the Punisher), the movie is a superhero bonanza). And the icy remoteness of the locations is captured well by the shooting style, giving the film an interesting tone of quiet melancholy. But the murder mystery is not very mysterious and the script's treatment of the plight of Native Americans is heavy-handed, preachy and obvious. Still, some moving moments and the final shootout is pretty intense.

yes. He doesn't BB as much as should, but he hits for a solid bA, ending up with OBP between .325-.340. That, plus SBs and HRs, as well as positional flexibility, make him a good low-cost option.