Two key pieces of the second-half 2016 Mets bullpen are now free agents. Jerry Blevins posted a 3.07 ERA with a 5.0 K/BB ratio from July 15 to September 18 while Fernando Salas had a 2.08 ERA, a 0.635 WHIP with 19 Ks and 0 BB in 17.2 IP after being acquired from the Angels. [...]
Since his defense was as good as his offense in 2015, Yoenis Cespedes had a monster year, recording a 6.7 fWAR. His defense was not as good in 2016, as his numbers in CF were worse than expected, and he posted a 3.2 fWAR. After the 2015 season, no one was willing to give Cespedes [...]
Welcome to our annual projection series, now getting ready to start its fifth season. We kick things off with Noah Syndergaard who, part by his dominating pitching and part by the fact that he was the only young gun to stay healthy, became the ace of the pitching staff in 2016. My opinion is that [...]
The Mets have six full seasons of the Sandy Alderson-Terry Collins regime under their belt. Since the 2011 season, they’ve never had fewer than 45 players suit up for the club in a season. They actually used fewer players last year (46) than in their pennant-winning season of 2015 (49). In general, change has been [...]
When the Mets won their first World Series in 1969, they received 51 complete games from their starters. Last year their staff posted just one complete game. Many people wish that we would go back to the starting usage from that earlier era. My thought is that in the overall scheme of things, we’re better [...]
However big you think you are, baseball will humble you. Barry Bonds once went 23 ABs without a hit. Gary Carter went 247 PA between his 299th and 300th career homers. Willie Mays started his career 1-26. The flip side of that is if you stick around long enough, every dog has his day. Let’s [...]
For the fourth straight year, there are more Hall-worthy candidates than there are spots on the ballot. But an interesting thing happened since the last election. Former commissioner Bud Selig, the one who turned a blind eye while steroids exploded on his watch, was elected to the Hall. Forgetting for a moment the insanity of [...]
Despite several tons of virtual ink, the Mets didn’t sign Dexter Fowler and they didn’t trade for Andrew McCutchen. Which means we’re likely to see a fair amount of Curtis Granderson in center field in 2017. Ideally, Granderson would be in left field because of his sub-par arm. But he’s likely to be better suited [...]
It may have been the NBA that brought the concept of “Keep Gettin’ Dem Checks” to our consciousness but Terry Collins has turned it into an MLB art form. Truly, did anyone think that the guy hired to be a placeholder at age 61 back in late 2010 would still be managing the club in [...]
An autobiography of the 17th pick of the 1970 Draft.
For those of us who aren’t independently wealthy and who try to be optimists, 2016 sure was a lousy year. The Mets’ closing kick in August and September could only make up for so much. But it’s the season to be joyful and triumphant. Let’s try a Christmas verse and see if it helps. I [...]
The idea of the Mets trading for an upper shelf center fielder is one that refuses to die. Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports that the Mets and Pirates discussed Andrew McCutchen in a minor way and that rumor took off again. Then today on MetsBlog there's talk of a three-way deal where the Mets land [...]