Marshmallowmilkshake

=kcmets post_id=87649 time=1648214352 user_id=53] =Marshmallowmilkshake post_id=87624 time=1648156290 user_id=119]Buck has been impressive at every turn so far.

Stunned that Conforto has not signed yet. I know Boras clients often sign late, but at this point he is going to get, what, two weeks of spring training? And that's if he signs now.

I was on Team Keep Rojas, but I'm here to say I was wrong and Buck has been impressive at every turn so far. Really growing on me. Good move to get him.

I wonder what the market is for Conforto at this point. We heard Philly as a possibility, but they must be done. Colorado must be done after Bryant. The Dodgers must be done. Atlanta must be done. Where could he be a fit? He might be better taking a short contract with us if nothing else to reestablish his value and try again next year. With spring training underway, he's gotta feel the clock ticking.

There has been more Conforto chatter the last two days. The Mets need another outfielder (unless you think that Travis Jankowski is the answer). The OF might be Nimmo (L), Marte (R), Canha (R)/Dom(L). Given the date, perhaps he signs a one-year "pillow contract". From Just Mets (a free newsletter): [bLOCKQUOTE]At worst, Conforto would serve as depth at two positions in the outfield (for what it's worth Brandon Nimmo gets hurt frequently), and at best, he returns to the All-Star caliber form he demonstrated in both 2017 and 2020. It would remain to be seen if Conforto could earn an everyday role again with the Mets, but the designated hitter would afford him plenty of plate appearances anyway, especially against right-handed pitching (he had a .792 OPS against the right side in 2021). Conforto would also be valuable insurance for Mark Canha in the event he struggles against right-handed pitching or needs to be spelled overall. But between Conforto, Canha, Nimmo, Starling Marte, Dominic Smith and JD Davis, the Mets outfield depth chart would be as strong as any team in the league (assuming nobody is traded).[/bLOCKQUOTE] Mets Blog reporting that the team offered him $100 million last year. I'm sure that's off the table now, and he's probably looking for something bigger. But it would have been neat to be able to lock him up. https://www.sny.tv/articles/mets-offered-michael-conforto-100-million-contract-last-springhttps://www.sny.tv/articles/mets-offered-michael-conforto-100-million-contract-last-spring

I was at teh game in Miami when there were more Replace-Mets in the game than actual Mets. We were ahead, gave up the lead, went into extras. Villar made it to third -- and promptly got picked off. But I liked him. Played fearlessly.

Do the Cubs realize we weren't all that good last year?

Our friends Jonathan Villar signs with the Cubs. Was hoping he'd come back!

Kyle Schwarber is going to hit 60 homers in that Philly band box. They can't be serious about starting him in left. Zack Greinke has agreed to a contract to return to the Kansas City Royals, per The Athletic. The deal is for one year and $13 million.

=MFS62 post_id=87195 time=1647472134 user_id=60] =bmfc1 post_id=87194 time=1647471527 user_id=73] Kris Bryant to the Rockies. What the heck are they doing there?

Fernando Tatis Jr. will be out several months with a wrist injury. A motorcycle may have been involved. https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/33512913/next-fernando-tatis-jr-how-injury-impacts-season-contract-padreshttps://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/33512913/next-fernando-tatis-jr-how-injury-impacts-season-contract-padres

With Rizzo heading back to the Bronx, that's one less suitor for Freddy.

The also won't be able to play in Toronto, which has a similar rule. I suspect others will follow. I heard in one report that the players won't be paid for games where they are ineligible to play because of this. That might serve as an incentive.

Northwell Health is the largest employer on Long Island. Northrop Grumman would be a link to Long Island's vital role in the aerospace industry. We're gonna get Carvel. Fudgie the Whale patch, or one shaped like Cookie Puss. Cookie O'Puss for the St. Patrick's Day game. I guess all are better than some gambling site or casino.

[YOUTUBE][/YOUTUBE] Big MFY deal. https://twitter.com/theathletic/status/1503199705316179968 Didn't the Twins just get Isiah Kiner Falefa from the Rangers on Friday or Saturday?

Among the items buried in the new CBA is a clause allowing a tied All-Star Game to be determined by a home run derby. https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/33479323/memo-indictates-home-run-derby-decide-all-star-game-winner-extra-inningshttps://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/33479323/memo-indictates-home-run-derby-decide-all-star-game-winner-extra-innings

Wow. I thought we'd have to give up JD, Dom, or McNeil to get someone like that.

Freeman. The Braves will show that all the off-season chatter about him moving was just fodder for writers looking for something to write about.

https://twitter.com/jareddiamond/status/1502062106862137351 Wait, I kinda like this! As an out-of-market fan, I'll have more chances to see the Mets in person!

More optimism! Get this done! March 10, 11:31 a.m. MLB and the MLBPA have reached an agreement on the international draft issue. Per the agreement, the sides have until July 25 to come to an agreement on the draft. If a deal is reached, the qualifying offer and associated draft pick compensation will be eliminated. If a deal is not reached, the QO and draft pick compensation would remain. In the event the sides reach an agreement on the international draft, it will go into effect in 2024. The rest of negotiations on the CBA were being held up by the international draft issue. With that situation now resolved, the sides can continue working toward an agreement to end the lockout. The two sides are close on the luxury tax, with the union's latest offer asking for $232 million in the first year of the deal while MLB is at $230 million. On the bonus pool, the players are at $65 million and the league is at $40 million. When it comes to the minimum salary, the two sides are painfully close, with the league offering $700,000 in the first year of a new CBA and that salary maxing out at $780,000 in the final year. The players are asking for $710,000 in the first year, and have it maxing out at the same figure as the league. After talks broke down late Wednesday afternoon before quickly being revived, commissioner Rob Manfred scrapped two more regular season series, but used the word "remove" instead of "cancel" when doing so. That is fueling the hope that a full 162-game schedule is still possible if a deal is reached today.

March 9, 11:15 p.m. According to MLB Network's Jon Heyman, the negotiators for the owners and players will talk on Thursday morning, with there being “hope to resurrect things” following the Players' Association's offer to work on an international draft. If the draft is agreed to, according to Heyman, draft-pick compensation (the qualifying offer) would be removed from the new CBA, an idea that originally came from Rob Manfred. MLB and the MLBPA hit a roadblock when talking about these issues earlier on Wednesday night, but it now sounds like the two sides are at least willing to start talking things through once again. I'm optimistic again. Seems like they are trading the international draft to removing a draft pick from the qualifying offer. That draft pick seems to be a factor in team's being willing to sign those middle-level free agents. I have to suspect the players are more interested in helping their middle class guys than whatever is going to the unsigned international players.

I'm afraid to be optimistic. But I'd also be stunned if this one issue prevents a deal from getting done. This also strikes me as an issue that is more important to the agents rather than the major league players.

Is that where one of the teams starts a series with an automatic one-win advantage? Can't see the owners liking that, if the point of the expanded playoffs is to play more games on television. I don't love the expanded playoffs. But if it gets this thing agreed to, so be it.

Willets Point wrote: Here's a https://deadspin.com/hear-me-out-derek-jeter-for-mlb-commissioner-1848609966first ballot inductee for the bad takes hall of fame. I wanted to be sure that was Deadspin and not the Onion. I don't disagree that Manfred needs to go. (I don't know if Tony Clark is right for his role, either.) But if Jeter can't stand up to the owner of a team he co-owns and is running, how can he stand up to all of the other owners?

Lefty Specialist wrote: . All they care about is the postseason money and with expanded playoffs that'll be there regardless of how much of the regular season they miss. I think they care a lot about the CBT and suppressing salaries. I think this is more of a civil war among the owners as opposed to a war with the players. If what I'm reading is correct, the smaller and middle market teams what to suppress the bigger ones from spending more, or at least getting more in revenue sharing for them to pocket. They have enough of a block to control things. There is no reason why Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Miami and some of the others can't spend. They just don't want to. The Cohens and others should insist of a Noncompetitive Tax for any team that is not turning its revenue sharing into creating a competitive team. A de facto cap should have a de facto floor.