Well, if you were refreshing MetsBlog, ESPN and MLBTR continually the past few days, this year’s Winter Meetings were kind of a drag. Certainly nothing like last year. Not even a Rule 5 guy to pretend to be excited about. What’s your take on the past few days?
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Zzzzzz
Seems more was done across MLB last year, or was that my perception because the Mets actually had success?
What are the Winter Meetings actually for?
Tradition.
Media coverage in the offseason.
I think there is a lot of good to have the actual face-to-face time. The Eaton deal was done entirely at the meetings.
I think it also is good at establishing the market. This meetings made Ces/CAA/Brodie Van Wagenen look brilliant.
And hey, its nice to flush the previous year and have really nothing but energy for the new season.
Not eventful for Mets but… not terrible.
I reviewed the Free Agent Tracker (http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017-mlb-free-agent-tracker) and I think the Mets currently have the worst contract on the list, Neil Walker, who is making far too much for what he provides. That said, the Met lineup should be better for 2017 without tinkering.
It would have been nice to trade Bruce and/or Granderson away. I’d still really like to shed both players. I’d be happier with a platoon of Lagares/Nimmo in center and Cespedes and Conforto in the corners anyway.
Right now I like Cerrone’s thought of Chicago as I think obtaining David Robertson (sorry, Jose Abreu still isn’t happening) for Bruce or Granderson’s expiring contract is certainly possible.
I also wonder if packaging Lugo or Gsellman with one of the outfielders might net Alderson the return he’s looking for. I think the Met needs are obtainable at this point.
I will also say that I’m pleased that the Rule 5 draft hasn’t forced me to alter my Top 50 prospect list.
Worst contract no contest is Rich Hill.
It’s hard to say one year deals are bad contracts, since the risk is pretty minimal. But I would say Andrew Cashner is the worst of the 1 year deals.
Also a very odd choice for him. Texas is not a place to go rebuilding a pitchers value… I guess the money was far greater than anyone else
Why would the White Sox want Bruce? If they trade for Robertson, they will be asking for Dom Smith.
Just from the hitters, I’d rather have Walker’s contract than either Desmond or Reddick’s. And it’s likely Trumbo’s will be worse, too.
Amen. And Walker has a good glove.
Except if Trumbo goes to the Rox he’all hit 50 bombs.
Trumbo played in 159 games last year, hit 47 HR. Walker only played in 119 games and outproduced him by a 3.7 to 2.2 fWAR.
WAR is not a good stat. There’s at least 3 versions of it out there, all in disagreement. It’s just a bunch of numbers in a blender, lacking in subtlety.
But I’m not a big fan of Trumbo. Can’t field, can’t move.
He’s a lot like Bruce, actually. Cut from the same cloth. It’s interesting that their careers seem to be on different trajectories, financially. I think Jay would do well in Baltimore.
What infuriates me is how narrow the scope the team always has. They announce clearly that they only really want to trade Jay Bruce and then only for a relief pitcher and only to a team who will take on Bruce’s full salary.
Then they say they would also like to perhaps sign a free agent reliever but said reliever must be willing to take only a one year deal. If they’re good enough to merit a two or, heaven forbid, a three year deal then the team is totally not interested.
I realize the volatility of relievers but the Mets seem to set up self-imposed road blocks and then seem surprised when other teams and players don’t come running.
It sure would be more fun if the team we rooted for looked like it was trying to improve itself rather than just trying to limit its expenditures.
They’ve gone to the Playoffs 2 years in a Row..in both years they’ve made significant expenditures of both Talent and Money to position their runs. Everything doesn’t happen in December-February….and the Deal Cupboard/Free Agent Shelves are certainly not bare right now.
For all that i will never forgive them, the past two years have earned some trust.
This right here states it all. The Mets have done basically nothing to improve the team. Yes, the resigned Cespedes, but that was a player that they already had.
Look at these two lineups. It is the same lineup that they had opening day 2016 and even in the 2015 WS. No changes, no improvements. The Cubs added and the Nats added, they are better. How are the Mets supposed to keep up?
This was a weird week. Everyone sees Bruce for what he is and a foolish $ 13 mil price tag for one year. Then the story is how the Mets need to trim payroll.
This is NY for goodness sake. Stop drinking the budget story and Alderson Kool-Aid.
Opening Day 2016
Granderson
Wright
Cespedes
Duda
Walker
Conforto
Cabrera
d’Arnaud
Lagares
Current Lineup
Granderson
Wright
Cespedes
Walker
Duda
Cabrera
Conforto (assuming Bruce is traded)
d’Arnaud
I think you’re forgetting that last year on average we got maybe 4-5 of those 8 guys in the lineup at the same time.
Assuming health, it would be incorrect to say it’s the same.
And come on, you’re acting like things are set in stone. Just because you have the same players doesn’t mean you’ll get the same production. Players regress, improve, surprise, or disappoint. That’s why we play the games.
A deal is coming soon…..patience.
The Bruce option pickup is similar to the DeAza signing last year.They were insurance if Cespedes didn’t sign. Alderson can’t be faulted for that.If there isn’t a trade then a lineup of Granderson-Cabrera-Cespedes-Bruce-Walker-Wright-Duda-d’Arnaud for “most’ games should produce a formidable offense. That is eight spots capable of hitting over 20 home runs each. It may not be my idea of lineup contruction but they have made the playoffs the last two years. Walker is a better second baseman than any combination of Reyes/Flores/TJ Rivera. Add Rene Rivera and Lagares for defense and that is a deep solid team.
They still have Conforto-Nimmo-Smith-Cechinni-Rosario-Plawecki waiting in AAA as injury reserves. Patience- there is still two more months until spring training.
While I feel a deal is coming, although I thing it will be more of a subtraction than an addition.
The Mets will unload Bruce for either a mid level reliever or low level prospect. They will use that money either pay for the reliever or to sign a mid level reliever. Problem is that Alderson’s track record on relievers is shaky at best.
Lets face it, the team we have now is the team we will have. Is it bad? Not if they stay healthy (fingers crossed).
The move is to trade Bruce, trade Duda, platoon Wright and Flores and let Reyes play 3b. We all saw the energy level that Reyes adds and he needs to be leading off and playing every day.
Lets get a “quaility” reliever and for god sake let Conforto play!! I know if he gets traded, he will become an all star.
The problem with trading Duda now is that you are selling low. What’s the rush?
Not really in a rush to trade him, just do not want him playing over Reyes. The way I see it is Wright will play, but to try and keep him healthy and productive, he should platoon with Flores. So that leaves just one open spot of either Reyes playing 3b, or Duda playing 1b.
I think the energy that Reyes brings is superior the streaky Duda any day.
You guys are addicted to Panic Mode!!! They finished the year with 4 Pitchers who were shelved at the end of the year, Duda Unavailable, Conforto and d’Arnaud in a Death Spiral, and Walker and Wright in the company of Surgeons.
The Big Question is not another December Trade or Signing, but the Health of those Starting Pitchers. With those guys healthy, it’s a pretty damned good team.
It may be a damned good team, but how are they going to really stack up against the Nationals? The real Nationals are the 2016 team, not the 2015 version.