Cowtipper

I've come to the conclusion that anything the Mets do will be in spite of Stearns, not because of him. So, no forgiveness.

I might recommend changing the link on UMDB to the new address; it still links to the olde one.

The Mets took Matt Turner, Justin Armbruester and Aaron Rozek in the Rule V draft. Turner had a 5.79 ERA and 1.661 WHIP last year, Armbruester tossed all of 5 2/3 innings and Rozek had a 4.50 ERA and 1.450 WHIP as a 29-year-old who spent most of the season at Double-A. Very David Stearns-y moves. Guys, I think maybe David Stearns is just stupid.

The Mets literally could have shelled out $200 million over 5 years to save the current face of the franchise and it would have looked like a good deal. That Pete was willing to settle for five years shows the Mets blew it on this one. The money wasn't the issue with Pete, it was the potential of him asking for a 10-year deal. Big guys like that break down fast when the collapse starts and 10 years would've been too much. But any team can weather five years of a fading former star. They dropped the ball on this one. After last year's tumultuous offseason involving Pete, you kind of knew he wasn't going to stay, but still.

This one doesn't hurt as bad as Alonso. Alonso was a born and bred Met. Diaz was a fairly inconsistent closer who gave us six years of solid pitching, but was just a long-term rental. If you combine his first three years, he had a 4.00 ERA; if you combine his last three years, he had a 2.08 mark. However, he only had two truly great full seasons in seven years with the club. In typical Mets fashion, we'll probably see them go a decade through the closer weeds of guys akin to Frank Francisco before they finally bite the bullet and sign another star closer, which is the downside. BUT, the Mets DO have a lot of (ever dwindling) homegrown pitching options that could step up. They've let too many of their promising hurlers go these past few years (Vasil, Hamel, Shook), but look at what they still have: Tong, McLean, Sproat, Ross, etc. Not all those guys are going to fit into a 5-man rotation, so they might have to Lugo/Gsellman them into the bullpen. I don't think Devin Williams is the answer, actually. To Diaz's benefit, he is right on the peripheral of dark horse Hall of Fame watch territory, and if anything is going to help his case, going to a perennial winner like the Dodgers is it. Just like Nimmo, this one doesn't bum me out that much. Nimmo gave us a lot of years and the Mets sold high. They got a good return. Diaz played the free agency game and got a better deal. He was an import, now he's an export. It is what it is.

It's so obvious, yet even I fell for it. I had 10/10 hope for Rogers, 7/10 hope for Helsley and 5/10 hope for Soto last year. He did just about as well as I would have imagined. No major loss.

People are just now starting to dislike him?

Not a bad choice.

Jeff Kent was elected. Good choice. More than good enough to have been elected by the BBWAA.

Oh yeah, there's that.

Mets claimed pitcher Cooper Criswell off waivers from the Red Sox recently. With a WHIP of nearly 1.600 last year, he's right up David Stearns' alley. However, snark aside, he made 18 starts in 2024 and posted a 4.08 ERA, so he does offer some starting depth.

Alcantara is too Luis Severino-ish. Too up-and-down health wise and consistency wise. Even when he recovered from his early season struggles in 2025, he still wasn't GREAT, posting cumulative ERAs near 4. Let someone else have him.

We lost one Ryan many years ago, so this is our opportunity to get another good Ryan to replace the old one. Joe might be too good a pitcher for David Stearns, as he is still ascending, is mid-prime and has only improved these past few years, but should Stearns slip up and actually sign him, I could see him putting up 2024 Sean Manaea-type numbers.

He'd be good. The fact that 'so many' (three that I can think) pitchers of recent vintage went from being solid relievers to solid starters (King, Seth Lugo and Clay Holmes) indicates to me that there are many MORE pitchers being wasted in relief roles when they should very well be starting out there.

Shared the name of Danny Young, the Cubs pitcher Benny Agbayani hit the game-winning grand slam off of in 2000/2001 or whatever it was in Japan. That Danny Young died young just a couple years ago. He was one of two Youngs that did well for a while in 2024, the other being Alex, though in the long run I'd have preferred to keep Alex. I remember how Danny tanked later in '24 and totally undid all the good stuff earlier in the year - he had a 2.70 ERA through September 7, then a 18.69 ERA after that, bringing his season mark to 4.54.

I remember when he went away and came back in 2024.

I've paid my dues in high quality posts but I will support the future of this forum spiritually.

Start a private Reddit subreddit called r/cranepoolforum and invite only members here.

Getting someone a couple years removed from when they were actually good. That's the Mets MO. Sounds like Dellin Betances.

^^

Realistically, it's probably going to be Beltran this year, with a 50/50 chance for Jones.

Statistically, he vaguely reminds me of that fella Mike Adams from the 2000s and 2010s. The Mets also had Mike Adams once, giving up only Geremi Gonzalez to get him, though they let him go through waivers and he never pitched at the big league level for them.

I'll believe it when I see it. The Mets MO is usually to sign good players who haven't had an actual good year in two or three seasons, not while they're still actually good.

Jim Duckworth died. https://www.newsweek.com/sports/mlb/former-as-senators-pitcher-dies-11117208 Who was Jim Duckworth? James Raymond “Jim” Duckworth (1939–2025) was an American professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned eleven seasons, including four in Major League Baseball with the Washington Senators and Kansas City Athletics. A tall right-hander known for his strong strikeout ability but inconsistent control, Duckworth was originally signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1957 and later moved through several organizations before reaching the majors via the Senators’ 1962 Rule 5 draft. Duckworth debuted in 1963 and earned his first MLB win that May. His career included notable performances—such as striking out eight of the first nine batters he faced in a 1965 start and tallying 13 strikeouts in his next outing—but also struggles, reflected in his 7–25 career record and 5.26 ERA. His fear of flying once caused him to miss a road series, leading to a fine from the Senators. In 1966 he was traded twice between Washington and Kansas City before making his final major league appearance that July. He spent his last professional season in 1967 with the Hawaii Islanders. Following baseball, Duckworth served as an officer with the California Highway Patrol. He died in Fort Mill, South Carolina, in 2025 at the age of 86. Dave Morehead died. https://kingsofkauffman.com/royals-mourn-the-loss-of-original-franchise-pitcher-and-owner-of-a-no-hitter-01kayshnt80p Who was Dave Morehead? David Michael Morehead (1942–2025) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher best known for throwing a no-hitter for the Boston Red Sox on September 16, 1965. A right-hander from San Diego, Morehead debuted with the Red Sox in 1963, immediately joining their starting rotation and showing early promise with a shutout in his first game and a one-hitter a month later. Despite flashes of brilliance, Morehead’s career was marked by inconsistency and control issues, including league-leading walk totals in each of his first three seasons. His standout moment came in 1965, when he no-hit the Cleveland Indians at Fenway Park—a rare pitching feat in a notoriously hitter-friendly stadium. Arm troubles limited his playing time from 1966 onward. Morehead was part of the Red Sox’s 1967 “Impossible Dream” pennant-winning team and pitched in relief during the World Series. Selected by the Kansas City Royals in the 1969 expansion draft, he spent two seasons with them, posting a career-best ERA in 1970 before injuries ended his career at age 28. Over eight seasons, Morehead compiled a 40–64 record with a 4.15 ERA and 627 strikeouts in just over 819 innings. He died in Santa Ana, California, in 2025 at the age of 83. Also, who was George Altman? George Altman (1933–2025) was an American professional baseball outfielder whose career uniquely bridged the Negro Leagues, Major League Baseball (MLB), and Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Born in Goldsboro, North Carolina, he overcame early hardship—including the loss of his mother at age four—and excelled academically and athletically at Tennessee A&I (now Tennessee State University), where he played both basketball and baseball. Altman began his pro career with the Kansas City Monarchs in 1955 before being signed by the Chicago Cubs. Debuting with the Cubs in 1959, he became one of the National League’s standout hitters in the early 1960s. A three-time All-Star (1961–62), he posted back-to-back elite seasons in 1961 and 1962, highlighted by 27 home runs, a league-leading 12 triples in 1961, and a .318 average with 22 homers in 1962. He was known for both power and speed, as well as strong defensive play in the outfield. After later stints with the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets, injuries and platoon roles diminished his MLB production, and he ended his major-league tenure with a .269 average, 101 home runs, and 403 RBIs over nine seasons. At age 35, Altman revitalized his career in Japan, playing eight highly successful seasons (1968–1975) with the Tokyo/Lotte Orions and the Hanshin Tigers. He became a major star abroad, hitting 205 home runs, batting .309, earning multiple Best Nine awards, and leading the Pacific League in hits, runs, and RBIs in 1968. Altman credited better training practices in Japan for extending his career, especially after he played much of his MLB time while injured. Outside baseball, he worked as a substitute teacher, survived colon cancer, later became a commodities trader, and eventually retired in Missouri, where he also competed in horseshoe pitching. He co-authored an autobiography in 2013. George Altman died on November 24, 2025, at the age of 92, remembered as a versatile, resilient, and pioneering athlete whose career spanned continents and eras—from the Negro Leagues to MLB to Japanese professional baseball.

The Mets had brought on a handful of relievers for the stretch run of 2025. Rogers on paper was the best, and with the Mets he was also the best. The biggest disappointment was Helsley. He had a 2.00 ERA over his final 8 outings, but the damage he did before that makes one forget his later success. His season ERA went from 3.00 to 4.50 because of his stay with the Mets. On the bright side, it doesn't look like the Mets sacrifice TOO much to get him. No fond memories of Helsley.