As the Winter Meetings get underway today, the expectation is that the Mets will be busier than they’ve been previously. All kinds of rumors have circulated around the team since Brodie Van Wagenen took over as GM. While my mind is filled with things to fear that the Mets might do, let’s keep it positive. What’s a move that you hope the Mets do pull off this week?
As for me, I’d like to see Bryce Harper but it seems unlikely given recent history with top shelf clients for Scott Boras that a deal gets done in the first half of December. My hope is for a catcher on a short-term deal, which also feels unlikely to happen here in the last month of 2018. So my rooting interest is for the Mets to bag a set-up man to work in front of newly-acquired Edwin Diaz.
Lee Smith has belonged in The Hall of Fame…well done.
Bill Mazeroski does not belong in the Hall of Fame….and the creeping arguments that begin with “If so and so is in, then so and so should be in too” take you from Mazeroski to Harold Baines.
And if Harold Baines is in, why Not….. Rusty Staub?…. Because they occupy a place in the game of truly great players who are Not Hall of Famers—From Julio Franco to David Wright!
PS…I still believe Ted Simmons Belongs. Johnny Benches shadow was so dark and so large that He made all of his contemporaries seem small.
Harper ain’t coming here because of the Wilpons lack of funds no other reason. I’m fearful of a Realmuto or Thor trade.
So, now that Harold got elected, what about Larry Walker, Lance Berkman and Albert Belle.
I agree about Ted Simmons. I personally think he was better than Fisk. He just never waived a home run fair in the world series.
Baines must be one terrific Guy–a Statue at The White Sox Home Park, and He’s the 46th player in the Oriole’s Hall of Fame.
He’s as good as it gets for a Non-Hall of Fame Player…Staub, Kieth, Julio Franco……… Great Players…Great!!!! Baines doesn’t feel like a HOF’er
Doesnt hurt when 4 of the 12 voters are close ex players or managers in your past.
Makes you wish for the Writers to remain in charge. Its a travesty that he gets in before Edgar as a DH, and well, ahead of a long list of players….
Harold Baines in the HOF is a problem. I also did not agree with Alan Trammel. Sets a bad precedent for good but not great longevity players who were never admitted. Does this now give entry justification to Jaime Moyer? Jesse Orosco? Ed Kranepool? HOF is for record breakers, MVPs, CYAs and perennial All Stars.
I agree on Lee Smith. He was dominant for a pretty long while and was one of the most intimidating closers in the game.
Rumors I don’t like – trading away Thor or Nimmo, giving up way too much for Realmuto, or signing Pollock.
Rumors I can get behind – signing any of Grandal, Miller, Robertson, or Adam Jones; trading for Kluber, Bauer, Hedges, signing a another rotation piece to move Vargas to the pen, locking up JDG or Wheels.
Grandal 3 years 39 million at 11, 14, 14. Robertson is tougher to gauge. Jones for 1 year I can live with but I’d prefer Marwin over him who can play multiple positions.. That probably caps the payroll at 160 if you include Robertson. If not I’d say around 150 without him. That means you let TDA walk too.
Baines was a good player for a long time. Is that the criteria now for the HOF? If so you’ll need s bigger building soon. Why not just build an extension for these players. We can call it the Almost HOFers for good to great players who just didn’t quite make it.. The part that annoys me the most is that Baines I believe never got up to 10% of the BBWAA votes. How is he now a HOFer?
I always have felt that a Hall of Famer is a Guy who you watch thinking, “He Might be the Best Player/Best Pitcher in the Game”…at least at some point in his career….and the player needs some level of Accumulation.
Dale Murphy and Don Mattingly certainly tug at Me in this regard, especially given the 5-10 year runs they both had…simply the best of the best players that we’d ever see, and for considerable length of time.
Dwight Gooden might be the best pitcher some people have seen…and for a considerable length of time. For me, I’d consider his peak seasons plus the accumulation of almost 200 wins worthy of consideration.
There was a time when Al Kaline was a Bright young star—and then he became a massive accumulator.
In today’s “lense”, Jim Kaat and Mike Mussina might carry more weight in consideration—– did you ever look out and see Mike Musina Pitching and feel “Wow”…??!!!….and I know I felt “Wow!” when I saw Vida Blue Pitch!!!!
The close calls…the Accumulators..The Politics…. I could accept it all—Until Bill Mazeroski. That was some sort of Politics/Old Guard vote that announced that the HOF was ok with personal and collective motives, beyond the valuation of players.
Revoke Maz!!!!
It’s being watered down Eraff. Like everything else in our lifetime. Longevity gets rewarded. How is that a criteria for the HOF? Harold Baines?? Seriously? Whatever happen to the days of Mays, Aaron, Stargell,McCovey, Bench and so on? I still disagree about Biggio getting in.
As for Maz I guess its who you know to help you get in.
Supposedly the Marlins want Nimmo and Rosario for Realmuto.No thanks please.
Ugh, that’s not a good deal. Nimmo and Rosario is too much. So, we would get a catcher and then have two holes to fill. Van Wags already says that he would not do that.
I like signing Grandal and keeping Nimmo and Rosario.
So far, two days into the winter meetings and not much action.
Kenny Rosenthal says Mets are driving hard to the hoop on Realmuto and ultimately predicts it will happen. BVW is massing CAA folks. Marlins want to move him.
Now is not the time to think about the names on the back of the jersey. BVW only sees then me on the front. Isn’t that what he should be doing?
anyway…
It all depends on the acquisition cost and the finished product.
Jeter doesn’t sound like a motivated seller. While the Marlins want to move him, his price tag is so high no one will touch it. Asking for Rosario and Nimmo, or even the vague a “quality major league piece” (say Andujar) is rediculous. Maybe Jeter thinks he will get more in July?
Or, he just saw some GM get played by Seattle so he figures he can just sit tight and the Mets will succumb? Is he really willing to risk his asset get hurting or losing value? That’s an awfully risky bet with your last big chip and a team that won’t be winning for several years. What do you want the MLB pieces for anyway? In a year and change, Jeter looks overmatched as a GM. His trades have actually been pretty crappy.
Is BVW willing to see if Jeter blinks while losing out on other available catchers? My thinking of Jeter’s personality is he is too smug to give in. He’d rather go all in and lose than give in.
I need someone to explain the Syndergaard trade logic to me. I’m not a majornNoah Fan, but he’s a very good pitcher with undeniable upside…. and he’s under “control”
He’s being traded for …???? The idea is then to trade for Dallas K, or sign a FA pitcher who is more expensive and not as good?
Is the idea to acquire trade bait to then trade for realmuto?…. then sign a Pitcher?
ER, so, I’m not a supporter of dealing Noah,b but I have been trying to understand the motivation in the event a deal occurs.
It looks like the main driver is that the Mets will only be able to afford one of Jake or Noah after they are eligible free agents. Common sense dictates that this is lame for a big market team, since these ace-potential guys are worth more than their weight in gold. But, if that s the case, he may never have higher value with three controllable years. There’s just a few “small” problems…a return the justifies dealing a big arm, and replacing that arm on a “now” team. This take is not impossible, but it is close to impossible. I could almost accept it if they go back an all-star type position player and a can’t miss big starter close to the bigs, but who can and will do that? Maybe the Astros, who can give Springer and Whitley, but is that enough? Too much? Very tough.
BVW keeps saying they have the dough to fill the needs well with free agents. I’ll believe that when I see it.
Eraff, yesterday Mark Texeira called Syndergaard “The Trojan Horse”. He said that while the Mets would trade him if the package was heavy enough, by using his name it got other teams talking and the Mets can then bring up some of their other pitchers too.
I wish that the Mets were connected to Ottavino more. Miller worries me with his age and recent injuries, although being reunited with Mickey would be interesting to track.
JTR is a great talent and provides a sense of assurance that your catcher position is “set” for a few years. Rosario is about as far as I would go for that trade; Trading Thor or Nimmo doesnt make sense on a roster construction standpoint.
I’d be more than happy with Grandal or Ramos – does anyone have a compelling case for one over the other?
Wish that the Mets were in on Cutch. I’ll be disappointed with Pollock aka Lagares 2.0.
Instead of the ex-Blue Jay and ex-Rockies Reyes, anyone want to take a flier on another ex-Blue Jay and ex-Rockie Tulo?
He could finally be a Met after all these years.
Not even if he paid us. The roster spot is worth 10x what ever he could bring between the lines. Im so happy it never worked out to go after him.
Name, I hear he is in the best shape of his life. For real.
David Lennon in Newsday writes that the Cano/Diaz trade started at the GM meetings. If so, that’s the package they negotiated after a month’s of work? I know the Mariners wanted Kelenic badly, but Dunn? Trading Swarzak when you only have a year left on his deal?
Gus I have one word for you. $
Handicapped as usual again