Ceetar

1. There's a broader scope of media, that helps to get a little more balanced, less pandered, viewpoint, though it does occasionally fall into the national media trap of painting with broad strokes and repeating unsourced narrative nonsense. Jeff can probably be guilted into some things, but the criticism is all over the board that I worry all he'll be guilted into is the rich person way of just overspending on something shiny and not something 'awesome'. But I don't think he'll be guilted into anything that has any risk of hurting him (him, not the Mets) financially. Though hopefully we're far enough away from the Madoff stuff (and Trump tax cuts!) that it's not as big a concern as it might've been in 2013. 2. Yeah, Wright's contract will be locked down in the budget in a specific way, whatever that ends up being we won't know, but they'll have closure. He's still owed money for a decade, which no one seems to bring up, but it's trivial. 3. I think the budget increases somewhat. They've stuck pretty hard to the "Payroll won't exceed the revenue" mantra for a while now, arbitrary as those numbers might be, but I think they know they can't expect to hire someone respectable (And they do care about that) and tell him he can't spend. Of course, it's hard to tell what the new person will want to do. Sandy seemed to want to take a year to evaluate what he was working with, thought obviously the Wilpon's had their assets frozen roughly at the same time he was hired, so.. Machado is a no-brainer to spend money on, but I could see a new guy being less enthused, even if permitted, to inflate his 2020 budget right away on someone lesser like Kimbrel. My guess is that the new guy gets clearance to increase the budget by a bit, maybe the 30-40 that's owed Wright and Cespedes that'll be gone after 2020. If he doesn't get results (read: revenue increase), he might not be permitted to reinvest the money at that time. Hopefully they do hire more analytics experts (though I still think that '3' number is from 2017). I'd love to hear more about what's going on in that department, beyond the specifics of how many bodies. Adam Fisher left after 2016 to join the Braves, and he recently was cited as saying the Mets had about 3 full time guys, that was enough to handle what the front office needed research/analysis wise but not enough to really do much in terms of developing new techniques, new algorithms or metrics so to speak.

Edgy MD wrote: I agree with regard to Kimbrel. But I think Mets history — and non-Alderson Mets history in particular — suggests a propensity to go big on big-shot, name-brand, possibly declining, possibly douchey closers. well hopefully Mets history in particular is mostly irrelevant because it'll be a new guy making the call with little to no oversight from traditional Mets sources. Is Kimbrel douchey beyond the look? I don't know much about him I don't think.

second google result for Kimbrel is "Pitchers trending down" Kimbrel's real good, and he seems to have bounced back from the worries in that post, but I just don't think most of these top names are good enough to warrant what they'll be asking. Thought I guess it'd be nice to bring in a solid guy to replace Familia that even if he trends down is still pretty reliably very good at least for a few years? Especially if you don't trust the organization evaluations to figure out which random other reliever will thrive here. I do like Ottavino though. I'm hoping they'll glean a useful arm or two from the cache they built up the last two years too, provided the new pitching coaches aren't completely inept, which it seems like they're probably not. The Mets need a strong bullpen more than anything else.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: So, I was convinced given the way they made sure to orchestrate the final DW appearance that he was *supposed to have* hit a long home run and not pop out in that last turn. I'm kinda glad that didn't happen. I kinda wish they'd Pinch Hit him every day that week so he had some semblance of timing for his last game.

Frayed Knot wrote: But he'll get offered money either way and, given the choice, he'll take the team that signs the check ANNNNNNND allows him to play SS So for those who want them to go after MM (I personally think his haircut alone disqualifies him from consideration) you also have to tell us what you plan to do with Rosario. this isn't the NBA with max contracts. Someone can simply offer him _more_. Let's see what happens when he actually starts negotiating. I'm not worried about what to do with Rosario or Frazier or McNeil. you make room and figure it out.

MFS62 wrote: This showed some (surprising) class: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/mets-apos-david-wright-35-185416915.html Later you mean the full page logo and ad for Yankees tickets that happened to congratulate David Wright? They can't even tip a cap without trying to sell you something.

Mex17 wrote: I think Machado signing anywhere to be a third baseman is a pipe dream, the guy has stated that he wants to play shortstop and he has the leverage. . as always, money talks.

d'Kong76 wrote: Sign Machado. They'll window shop, in the end pop into Korvette's or a five 'n dime. we'll see. Doesn't really seem to fit the MO of the last 4 seasons but I guess the new GM will change things.

I do wonder if that was a bit of "last day of the year" stuff. But it's not surprise the Mets flopped it. They do some cool outreach type stuff but never seem to go that extra mile. I assume I'll experience and rant about some of this stuff myself in the comings years, depending on my success rate at badgering my daughters to be all-in on baseball.

I thought typically they allowed these groups on the field behind home plate for BP and the like. Which would also be the perfect time to have someone stop by and say hi and sign a few autographs or something. I could see how the logistics of doing that during the game (especially the last game?) could be trickier. Mets have typically been meh about over-exposing/overloading players to this sorta off the field meet and greet grind. I wonder if that was Horwitz born and if it'll change.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I'd look at Machado as the guy who forces the Mets to trade Frazier. If they don;t get him, I hope they get another guy who forces them to trade Frazier. I'm not as worried about who the Mets should jettison (though Bruce would top that list). But if they're already probably going to trade guys to make room for other guys, there might be a different choice than Machado anyway. I mean, not really. You're not getting a better player than Machado and he's so young that he's a good bet to still be that good for a while. Hell, so much so that I almost wish the Mets had put in David Wright at third for the last inning yesterday so we could push the narrative of David Wright handing the 3B job to Machado for a decade and we pretending they were the only two to play there from 2005-2028. But I digress. Sign Machado.

Lefty Specialist wrote: Machado wants to play shortstop, not third. Just saying. I suspect money talks, and that part of that was his desire to be more marketable. He did put in 16 games at third with the Dodgers.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: The Mets didn't want Alderson, he was foisted upon them because they needed someone skilled at operating on a low budget, and was definitely thrown under the bus if I read Jeff's comments correctly. This was set in motion when Fred saw to it that he got an alternate channel of front office influence in Collins and Minaya; yet he never saw it necessary to have replaced Alderson's own right-hand man in DePodesta. Alderson got a shitty team that slashed payroll in an inflationary market to the World Series. The next GM should be so incompetent I still don't believe that first part. Jeff's comments definitely weren't flattering, and were lies/untruths, but I think the purpose of them was to try to deny that he meddles more than knocking the way they operated with Alderson. You know, the same bs he says every time he opens his mouth. He's not blocking the GM from signing anyone he wants. Of course, there are caveats about budget. of course the budget is fungible depending on various things, and the pitch, and the attendance. blah blah blah. Luckily he didn't come out and say "We have to be big players for the big FA" though. There's zero value in that. It allows those guys to use the Mets as a way to try to inflate the market, it too easily telegraphs a move that isn't his to make (and blows the whole 'I don't meddle' bit to shreds), and already leads his future GM down a path he might not want to make.

Anyone want to talk about Big League Advance? They're initially a company 'investing' in minor leaguers by giving them money early for a few % of future earnings. In essence it takes a few bucks from the super stars and gives it to the minor leaguers. But they've also apparently got an in depth algorithm for evaluating pitcher injuries based on all sorts of measurements. They've hired machine learning developers at the top of the field, etc. Sounds like they're trying to pitch/sell their algorithm to teams, and some comments from the owner seem to suggest they're trying to pit teams against each other to drive up the bidding but only selling it to a few teams. Part of the deal would be like, if the Mets buy it, the Braves can't. Interesting stuff. dePodesta is involved, so you wonder if perhaps it's something that the Mets would be more likely to buy into/trust. https://bigleagueadvance.com/about https://www.boston.com/sports/sports-news/2018/09/21/big-league-advance-analytics-business-model https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/effectively-wild-episode-1272-take-money-to-make-money/

I certainly don't think the Mets should persue half-measures, but break it down IS NOT AN OPTION. Between Nimmo, Conforto and deGrom/Thor, there is a ton of talent that is also still locked up for 2020. Also possibly/probably Rosario, Plawecki, McNeil, Smith?, Matz, Cespedes and maybe even Lagares. This is definitely not a closing window, and there is zero reason to slam it shut. I'd like to see Machado, as I think he provides the better fit with less maneuvering than Harper. Sometimes there are 'lesser' players that end up performing better though. Look at the top SP free agents last year for example, they all sucked. It's hardly the _only_ way to build a team. Is there more value in Donaldson, Dozier, A.J. Pollock? Focusing on catcher and Grandal? or Ramos? They gotta build the pen. It's the hardest part and the biggest crap shoot, but you could argue that Alderson's best GM move was Addison Reed to pair with Familia.

Lots of stuff to talk about this offseason. fight about. argue about. whine about. think the price is going up too. I have to look it up but.. 1. playoff format 2. Do we want to throw a couple more bucks in for a prize at the end? 3. possible change in regular format? 4. anybody leaving/coming? 5. when's the draft? Anyone got plans for mid march? I typically pick a tuesday or wednesday night at 9. Probably the 19th or 20th. But arguably we could do it waaaay earlier. It's not like a regular league where you want to know who's going to make the teams. knowing who's on the bubble is part of the auction/keeper structure.

Centerfield wrote: All kidding aside, Jeff Wilpon made it clear that all final recommendations from the new GM would go through Jeff. If anyone has wondered why the Mets still don’t have a GM despite knowing we’ve needed one since June, this is why. We all just saw the GM on Sunday. all teams. every last one of them.

David Wright comes into this game having homered in his last three.

Nymr83 wrote: do wife-beaters get work visas? i remember Korean player Jung Ho Kang had a hard time getting back to the US after a drunk driving incident Kang is a bad dude. oh hey look, he'll be active this weekend. I think the Korean league takes this stuff more seriously than MLB. I feel like i just read a story about them voiding someone's contract for similar issues.

Centerfield wrote: I'm excited about this. This is a great move by the Wilpons. (Yes, I just wrote that.) I've never been to MacArthur Stadium (Is it still called that?). I'm planning to go next year and bring my parents. Fman and seawolf. Meet for drinks? I believe it has a corporate name but it hasn't stuck in my head so i dunno. I'm sure the move was a financially wise one, long term. 'great' for the Mets is still probably overstating it. But yeah, and they did it a year early with presumably little return/control for that first year, AND it forced a rival into a crappier situation.

Nymr83 wrote: "No Thanks" has been my attitude towards his presence on this roster all year. He was here, or is still here, at least in part because of his "Mets Legacy" - if we're saying that legacy doesn't matter or can't be acknowledged because of the abuse charge, why is even still here? for the same reason Trump is president? Rich* white assholes don't take it seriously. (*being super in debt to Russia doesn't really count as rich, but he still walks those circles) And it's not like he as a lifelong Met, had an incident, and quietly came back to one last cameo for all the 'good times'. He's been garbage on the field for two years, but even if he hadn't he's only a Met right now because he put his wife in the hospital. His very presence on the team is because of that. He's also not necessarily retiring. It's fine if you want to have him as a token of his longtime connection with Wright, but let's be clear this is about David, not about both of them.

Just don't tarnish Wright's moment but injecting Reyes into it.

deGrom is good. Anyone have mlb.tv want to make a gif for me if you can? Inciarte bat-flipped his pop-up in the top of the 4th, and I thought it was funny.

Someone might ask him if they'll be in the market for big players and he'll hedge and say something about depending on how the new GM feels the team will be constructed, they could be in the market for anyone. And then there will be 95 blog posts and articles written taking his comments has hard fact about what the Mets will or won't do.

bmfc1 wrote: What do you expect him to say? Some guesses: "We are committed to winning" "We are in the process of finding the best possible General Manager" "Mickey has done a great job" yeah, that's what it'll be. It's just a press debriefing. Lots of change going on, tell the media the plan and they'll mostly parrot that all offseason. starting the GM search immediately, though there are guys+ on playoff teams that we have to wait to talk to. etc. We like Callaway and expect him back but obviously need to be on the same page with new GM. Happy with the way the team has played in the second half. Full commitment to competing in 2019 and how we will do that is part of the interview, obviously. Some stuff about Horwitz. Some stuff about David coming to spring training to be with the team. Something something Syracuse?