Sean Manaea’s transformation is key to Mets’ rotation this season

This offseason was unlike any other in the Steve Cohen era of Mets baseball, noted more for the team’s austerity on the free agent market than the previous few years. There are myriad factors for that, but even with some very good players still available, the team seems willing to stand pat with the group [...]

Bargain hunting: Best uses of the Mets’ remaining budget

Last week Andy Martino on SNY’s Mets Hot Stove reported that the Mets’ remaining free agent budget for this offseason is around $10 million. Considering the team’s needs of rotation, corner outfield and DH help, that is a tough number to navigate. But assuming that as the constraint, let’s take a look at who the [...]

Cody Bellinger could be a strong fit for the Mets

As the Mets continue the march to 2024, bolstering the starting rotation has been the team’s priority as of late, with the team’s pursuit of Yoshinobu Yamamoto (as well as many other clubs’) taking up a lot of the hot stove focus since the conclusion of the Winter Meetings. While the team certainly needs to [...]

Mets should target Brandon Woodruff for future rotation

Even when you think you have enough starting pitching, the rigors of a 162-game season often test that to the limit. The obvious key to overcoming that is not just depth, but quality depth. That is an area that the Mets were seriously lacking in 2023, a weakness exposed first by injuries and then at [...]

A beginner’s guide to the ‘Phantom IL’

Shortly after the Mets officially announced David Stearns as their President of Baseball Operations and the surprising resignation of General Manager Billy Eppler, reports poured in that Eppler was under MLB investigation for improper use of the Injured List. MLB evidently took umbrage with his use of what is referred to in baseball circles as [...]

Athletic Jett Williams is exactly what the Mets need

One of the explicitly stated purposes of MLB’s rules changes for the 2023 season was to help players show off their athleticism on the field. For all that has gone wrong for the Mets in 2023, one thing they did not do during the last offseason was get more athletic. However, the good news is [...]

Mark Vientos is raking … against fastballs

As the Mets youth movement has taken hold with Francisco Alvarez and Brett Baty in the Major Leagues, utility prospect Mark Vientos keeps working away in Triple-A Syracuse. After smacking 24 home runs and hitting .280/.358/.519 in 101 games with the S-Mets in 2022, the 23-year-old is batting .364/.446/.764 with six long balls in his [...]

Rubber disengagement: The X-factor of MLB’s rule changes

Throughout Spring Training there has been much attention paid to the new playing rules implemented for the 2023 season by Major League Baseball. While the pitch clock, larger bases and banning the shift have been the alterations that have garnered the most attention, there is one that has flown somewhat more under the radar – [...]