Meet the Mets (For Mets Fans Only!)

ml1 said:
I'm pretty sure Lagares is recovered.  His surgery was last May, so he should be fine, and at this point is the starting CF.

 You mean, "so he should be healthy," yes?

Train_of_Thought said:

ml1 said:
I'm pretty sure Lagares is recovered.  His surgery was last May, so he should be fine, and at this point is the starting CF.

 You mean, "so he should be healthy," yes?

for now.  all bets are off as soon as he dives or runs into a fence.

I have read that they would like to trade Lagares because if his salary.  Can't see many takers..

ml1 said:

Train_of_Thought said:

ml1 said:
I'm pretty sure Lagares is recovered.  His surgery was last May, so he should be fine, and at this point is the starting CF.

 You mean, "so he should be healthy," yes?

for now.  all bets are off as soon as he dives or runs into a fence.

I was referring to his health vs. his offense.   

White Sox just signed Jon Jay to a one year contract to play center field.  That is who the Mets should have signed, not Broxton.

Juan Lagares' line:  79; 94; 30

Those are the number of games he played in 2016; 2017; and 2018.

mfpark said:
White Sox just signed Jon Jay to a one year contract to play center field.  That is who the Mets should have signed, not Broxton.

Juan Lagares' line:  79; 94; 30
Those are the number of games he played in 2016; 2017; and 2018.

 no thanks.  CF is too important a position to hand it to a 34 year old who hasn't played there regularly since 2016.  

ml1 said:

mfpark said:
White Sox just signed Jon Jay to a one year contract to play center field.  That is who the Mets should have signed, not Broxton.

Juan Lagares' line:  79; 94; 30
Those are the number of games he played in 2016; 2017; and 2018.

 no thanks.  CF is too important a position to hand it to a 34 year old who hasn't played there regularly since 2016.  

 Well, what are your options?  A one year deal with Jay, betting that Lagares (30 years) can come back whole and stay whole. or go with someone who flirts with the Mendoza line year in and year out?

mfpark said:

ml1 said:

mfpark said:
White Sox just signed Jon Jay to a one year contract to play center field.  That is who the Mets should have signed, not Broxton.

Juan Lagares' line:  79; 94; 30
Those are the number of games he played in 2016; 2017; and 2018.

 no thanks.  CF is too important a position to hand it to a 34 year old who hasn't played there regularly since 2016.  

 Well, what are your options?  A one year deal with Jay, betting that Lagares (30 years) can come back whole and stay whole. or go with someone who flirts with the Mendoza line year in and year out?

apparently the Mets are still seriously in the running for Marwin Gonzalez.  I'd be comfortable with Nimmo, Conforto and Gonzalez as my OF with Broxton as a backup if Lagares went down.  If the Mets spent $4MM on Jay, I'd take that as a sign they were dropping out of the Gonzalez bidding.  Which I would definitely object to at this point.

Why hasn't Gonzalez signed yet? What would it cost to get him? He's young enough to secure a 4-year deal, I'd imagine. Plus he plays the infield. Do the Mets really have a shot at him?

I have not heard that the Mets have been in the running for Gonzalez.  If that is their other option, then hell yes.  He is an exciting player on the field, and from all I see a solid presence in the clubhouse.

The latest Gonzalez free agent rumors: https://www.mlb.com/news/marwin-gonzalez-rumors/c-302316766

After acquiring Broxton, where do Mets stand on outfield market?

Jan. 5: The Mets' acquisitions of catcher Wilson Ramos -- who filled the club's need for a right-handed, middle-of-the-order bat, in the estimation of general manager Brodie Van Wagenen -- and center fielder Keon Broxton likely take New York out of the market for free agent A.J. Pollock, but what about Marwin Gonzalez? 

MLB Network insider Jon Heyman reported for Fancred Sports in December that the Mets were eyeing Gonzalez, specifically for a spot as a utility infielder. Wilmer Flores held that role with New York over the past six seasons, but he was non-tendered in November. 

Although Gonzalez logged more appearances in left field than any other position for the Astros over 2017-18, he has extensive experience at all four infield spots. So while New York now has a surplus of outfielders, there's a chance the club could still pursue the versatile Gonzalez.

Very interesting stuff! Would love to see Gonzalez in a Mets uniform!

Would be great, but he fits with so many teams' needs that I am certain he will have many offers and options.

mfpark said:
Would be great, but he fits with so many teams' needs that I am certain he will have many offers and options.

the teams I've heard are most interested are the Mets, Nats, Braves, and Reds.  Unless one of them decides to bid crazy money, I think it would come down to which team he thinks has the best chance to win, and which city he likes best.  If he came to NY, I think it could be argued that the Mets would be as good a team as DC or Atlanta.  But will those other teams throw crazy money at him?  The Nats could if they don't bring Harper back.  And Atlanta already has a fairly modest payroll.

So who knows?

Interesting to see the Mets tied to Dozier.  Some reports are that they don't have many more dollars to spend this off-season, yet Van W keeps on churning.

Where would Dozier fit in?  Although he did come up as a shortstop and played his first 85 games there, the entire rest of his MLB career has been at second base.  The Mets have only one SS on the roster/depth chart--Rosario--but Dozier is hardly a viable backup for him.  The Mets have two second basemen--Cano and McNeil--so no room there for Dozier.

I guess Cano can be shifted to first base, making either Smith or Alonso disposable via trade (or Smith via demotion).  Not sure if Dozier would be able to shift to an outfield position as well. 

Are you sure that isn't just churn from his agenda?  I can't see him fitting in, and I would stop being a Mets fan if they traded Alonso before he has a chance, unless it was part of a deal  for Mike Trout.

Could be just noise to keep the Mets in the news.  I agree on Alonso, but would love to see them end the Dom Smith experiment today.

From MLB.com:

Mets unlikely to make any more major expenditures this offseason Jan. 8: In need of another outfielder and a utility infielder, the Mets opted to trade for Keon Broxton and J.D. Davis instead of exploring the free-agent market.

With the club's roster mostly in place and extension talks with Jacob deGrom soon to come, New York is not expected to spend substantially on any other players this offseason, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

Mike Puma ✔@NYPost_Mets Indications are the Mets will wait out the market and see if anything makes sense for bullpen. Unclear how much Brodie Van Wagenen has left to spend this offseason, but it isn’t a lot.
312 6:11 PM - Jan 7, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy

That means the Mets are almost certainly out of the running for A.J. Pollock and Marwin Gonzalez, two free agents to whom they were previously linked.

The Mets will count on Juan Lagares and Broxton to handle center field, while Davis should be a depth piece at first and third base. New York could still add a shortstop to back up Amed Rosario and potentially sign another reliever, but it doesn't appear as if the club plans to make any more major moves.

Broxton is out of options, meaning New York must expose him to outright waivers before it can send him to a Minor League affiliate. The Mets gave up three players to acquire the outfielder, so it's unlikely they'll want to risk losing him for nothing. A career .221/.313/.421 hitter over parts of four seasons, Broxton was optioned to the Minors in each of his three seasons with the Brewers, who acquired him from the Pirates after the 2015 season. He was originally drafted by the D-backs in the third round in 2009.

Broxton will not become eligible for arbitration until after the upcoming season, and he won't become a free agent until after the 2022 season. Compared to Pollock, Broxton is a far more affordable option for a Mets club that is looking to be more economical after signing Wilson Ramos to a two-year, $19 million deal and acquiring Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz from the Mariners. 

I don't remember this name coming up before, but it sounds like they've shored up infield options. 

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/25731088/jed-lowrie-agrees-two-year-20m-deal-new-york-mets?platform=amp

I wonder if they'll spend any more this off-season. 

Yes, the Lowrie signing came out of nowhere in terms of the websites I read.  Need to digest this one.

I don't want them to undermine McNeil.   

Ok, here is my take on Lowrie.  

He is a great pick up for two years.  A solid contact switch hitter with some power who fits in great behind Nimmo and ahead of Cano in the lineup.  A versatile guy who can play second and third.  There is every reason to want him on the team.

But his addition also is a bit of a head-scratcher, not for his worth but for how it impacts on the team balance.

First of all, if the Mets thought they had a shot at Lowrie (who, BTW, is a former Van Wagonen client, as is Cano and Frazier), then why the hell did they give up two prospects for Davis just last week?  I mean, Davis is now completely irrelevant, unless they plan to put him at first base a lot or in the outfield, where he has no experience.

Second, this pushes McNeil out of any consistent playing time.  Unless they try to make McNeil into an outfielder, where he has no experience.  Sure, McNeil was a surprise last year, so perhaps they do not think he will remain a solid hitter.  But why not give the guy a chance?

Third, while I like Lowrie and McNeil a lot, neither is a big league shortstop.  Who is going to rest Rosario, let alone step up if he is injured?

Fourth, Frazier, Davis, and Cano can all play first base a bit, so there is some flexibility for Mickey to rotate players in and out of the infield to get them at bats.  But if Alonso has the spring training that the Mets hope for, then either he has to molder in the minors another year or even two, or someone else gets a whole lot less at bats.

All of which means, stay tuned, because I bet either McNeil or Frazier will be traded if at all possible.  More likely McNeil as Frazier has one year and $9MM left on his contract while McNeil is younger and controllable.

Man, I sure hope Cano can still play, because his big salary and older legs are taking up some really valuable real estate in the infield now.  He was off to a solid start last year before he was hit on the hand by a pitch and then hit with a suspension for doping.  Citi Field is only marginally better to hit in than Safeco Field, but Cano did okay at Safeco.  Of course, nothing like when he was at hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium.  Still, he is due $24MM a year through 2023 (when he will be 40 years old).

I'm confused as well.  The Mets sucked last year until McNeil came up and gave them the hits they needed.  Why don't they trust him?  I understood the Cano deal as a necessary part to get Diaz and get rid of Bruce and Sworzak, but I can't see how they can move Frazier, unless they just release him.  Good teams mix in young parts, and the Mets seem unwilling to clear a path for Alonso as well as McNeil.  I liked their early moves, but the last week has not made sense to me.

Okay, I don't follow the off-season moves as closely, so I'm glad to hear that my reaction wasn't out of line. And yeah, when I read the article my reaction was along the lines of "um ... okay". So yeah maybe it makes sense in the context of moving someone else in a trade.

it looks like it will be IF by committee for the Mets this year, with guys cycling through 2B, 3B and 1B.  If they all are at least average fielders at each position, that could work out OK.  And from all reports, Alonso is far below average, which is what's keeping him out of the mix at this moment.  If he can go back to AAA and demonstrate he can play adequate 1B, he'll probably be in NY by midseason, and then one of the other guys gets traded.

I think the reason the team isn't yet all in on McNeil is that it's not clear yet if his approach at the plate is sustainable.  Pitchers always adjust to young guys, and McNeil might have some vulnerabilities.  He had a tendency to swing at pitches early in the count, AND swing at pitches outside the strike zone.  Will big league pitchers begin to exploit that and get him to chase even more?  So I get why the team is being cautious about handing over a big role to McNeil before he gets the equivalent of a full season of plate appearances.

Maybe they will be like the Rays pitching, only with fielders?  One or two innings at Second for Cano, then he moves to First and Lowrie takes Second, later shifting to Third while Frazier sits against a tough right hander????

mfpark said:
Maybe they will be like the Rays pitching, only with fielders?  One or two innings at Second for Cano, then he moves to First and Lowrie takes Second, later shifting to Third while Frazier sits against a tough right hander????

Rumors are that that is roughly the plan.

I don't have a subscription, so I can't see the entire article, but the first paragraph basically says the Mets are probably modeling the Dodgers' and Brewers' IF plans from last season:

https://theathletic.com/761588/2019/01/11/why-did-the-mets-add-another-infielder-in-jed-lowrie/

Lots of money spent this year, and locked up for the next few years.  Familia, Ramos, Cano.  Hope there is still room for a deGrom extension.

I will say one thing.  The Mets under Van Wagonen are a long way from the days of talking about trading Thor and deGrom.  And that was only a few months ago.

Also a long way from the days of Sandy Alderson.  21 new players so far this year, and counting.

Of course, what matters in the end is winning games, and the Phillies and Nationals are not done with their own restacking yet.  And the Braves continue to quietly rebuild on an already solid young team base.

mfpark said:
Lots of money spent this year, and locked up for the next few years.  Familia, Ramos, Cano.  Hope there is still room for a deGrom extension.
I will say one thing.  The Mets under Van Wagonen are a long way from the days of talking about trading Thor and deGrom.  And that was only a few months ago.
Also a long way from the days of Sandy Alderson.  21 new players so far this year, and counting.

Of course, what matters in the end is winning games, and the Phillies and Nationals are not done with their own restacking yet.  And the Braves continue to quietly rebuild on an already solid young team base.

Lots of dough comes off the books after '20, so that's figuring into all this thinking.  To my knowledge, the only guys with big contracts for '21 are Familia and Cano.  Wright, Cespedes, Lowrie, Frazier, Vargas's contracts all expire after next season.  And Ramos is a team option for '21.  So if they extend deGrom, they can back load the deal a bit if they need flexibility this season and next.

I think the big risk for the Mets next year is the same as it's been the past untold number of seasons -- injuries.  Cano, Frazier, Ramos, Lowrie are all at the age where injuries become an issue.  But with the exception of Ramos, they at least now have some viable options as replacements with McNeil, TJ Rivera (remember him?) and Alonso or Smith.

The one good thing I can say going into this season is that unless injuries are way worse than even '16, '17, '18, we're not looking at the days of handing a regular spot to the likes of John Mayberry, Phil Evans or Eric Campbell (Soup!).