Bassitt is seeking 4 years, so likely will not be a Mets pitcher. The team seems willing to pay a lot for short-term deals, but will not go long on arms. Reports are that was the big reason deGrom went to Texas without asking for a counter from the Mets--the Mets had made it clear they would not do 5 years.
Walker may still be a fit, as might Taillon, although he has had TJ surgery twice.
Maybe they can work out a 3 year deal with Bassitt with an option for 4 with some sort of buyout if the Mets decline. They could use him or Walker to give them innings like they did last season. Right now a top three of Scherzer, Verlander and Carrasco looks good (but old). If they can get 75 starts out of the top three and they pitch like they did in '22, that will be a very good foundation. I'm also expecting more starts out of Peterson and Megill next season.
Now it's time to concentrate on the bullpen.
I'd love to have Bassitt back. I think he may have been overlooked and underrated last year, but I like the three-year deal. Maybe pay him a little bit more each year.
Pitchers are flying off the shelf. They better sign somebody else soon, and Nimmo.
Yes, and at huge deals. Walker at 4 years and $18MM per; Taillon at 4 years and $17MM per. Bassitt will get his four years from someone. The market has certainly come to him (and Syndergaard, btw).
Nimmo is reported to be talking to a bunch of teams. With Bellinger signing with the Cubs (one year, $17.5MM), that is one less fast outfielder on the market.
The Phillies are on a tear and, at least on paper, have gotten a lot stronger, even with Harper out of action until at least after the break.
Quintana. I guess that's ok. I have bad memories of him on my fantasy team a couple of years with the Cubs so I'm having a difficult time trying to be optimistic on this deal.
he thinks Steve Cohen is the kind of guy who gets fleeced
I just read that the $400,000,000 in contracts this off-season amounts to less than 2% of Steve Cohen's wealth, so I'd file this under who gives a flying frock.
I am still trying to figure out where this tax money goes. Cohen will pay enough by himself to triple every Met minor league salary. (Not factual, just a guess. Please don't stat me to death)
Under the most recent CBA, part of luxury tax payments fund players' benefits and retirement plans, and the rest (half after the first $13 million) is distributed to teams under the threshold.
Does anyone know what kind of profit (if any) the team makes? Payroll could be over $300M next year. The one stat I read is the team took in about $330M.
The only team that opens its books because it's owned by a publicly traded company is Atlanta. From July-September, 2022 they reported $252 million in revenue.
No matter what they want us fans to think, the teams make lots of money. Guys like Steve Cohen are not in the business of losing boatloads of money.
The only team that opens its books because it's owned by a publicly traded company is Atlanta. From July-September, 2022 they reported $252 million in revenue.
No matter what they want us fans to think, the teams make lots of money. Guys like Steve Cohen are not in the business of losing boatloads of money.
And Brandon Nimmo will only steal four bases (<9.5) this season.
Soul, feel free to suspend me for a non-Mets-supportive post, but the disparity between the rich and poor teams is growing more and more ridiculous. How will small market teams compete?
I just find it interesting that they make a headline of the fact that the signings add up to about 2% of Cohen’s net worth. To me that’s immaterial. It’s not like the team doesn’t make any money. He’s not just forking over money out of his own pocket.
The good thing about having a financially solvent (and filthy rich) owner is that he can afford to run at a thinner profit margin. Which allows him to spend more. In baseball that usually translates to earning more (higher ticket sales, post-season money, better TV and radio deals) although the Mets have had a history of spending a lot of money on bad players.
I hope it ends up being a productive off-season for the team. Bolster the bullpen for one thing. A lot of their success last year came without deGrom so maybe losing him isn’t as bad as it could be.
Soul, feel free to suspend me for a non-Mets-supportive post, but the disparity between the rich and poor teams is growing more and more ridiculous. How will small market teams compete?
After all... we are not Communists.
I'll point out that St Louis is No. 13 in terms of salaries and they compete. Tampa Bay and Oakland are competitive (at times) with small salaries.
Isn't it ridiculous what the salaries of some of the small market teams are?
But, truthfully, I don't know what the answer is. Baltimore, Oakland, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland spent $226,000,000 COMBINED. The League average was $150,000,000.And those four teams all share part of the payroll tax the big spenders pay.
I guess that's a good signing, if he can succeed here. I thought that Japanese baseball was considered above AAA but below MLB. If so, he is a less expensive replacement for Bassit. Cohen has hit a 93 million tax payment. I think when they share that revenue they should exclude the three lowest payroll teams.
I guess that's a good signing, if he can succeed here. I thought that Japanese baseball was considered above AAA but below MLB. If so, he is a less expensive replacement for Bassit. Cohen has hit a 93 million tax payment. I think when they share that revenue they should exclude the three lowest payroll teams.
maybe the teams with the three worst W-L records don't get any of the revenue share. The real problem it's supposed to be working against is lack of competitive balance. The league is never going to consider relegating teams to AAA. Leaving them out of a CBP payment would be a penalty they could easily implement.
I guess that's a good signing, if he can succeed here. I thought that Japanese baseball was considered above AAA but below MLB. If so, he is a less expensive replacement for Bassit. Cohen has hit a 93 million tax payment. I think when they share that revenue they should exclude the three lowest payroll teams.
he has the tools to succeed in MLB. He may end up being a bargain at that price.
I'd love to have Bassitt back. I think he may have been overlooked and underrated last year, but I like the three-year deal. Maybe pay him a little bit more each year.