Please use this thread to discuss any Mets-specific topic you wish.
In Sunday’s top 50 prospects column, one of the players mentioned was Colin Holderman, a reliever with good stuff who’s been dogged with injuries. Holderman got into Tuesday’s blowout game against the Nationals and the Washington announcers almost immediately talked about how he was tipping his pitches, holding his hands at different spots based on which pitch he was throwing. Generally, it’s a drag to watch games with announcers other than GKR but this was a rare time when it was good to hear an outside team. This should be something relatively easy for the coaches to fix. Depending upon how many relievers the Mets use this year, it’s not impossible that Holderman will make his way to Queens at some point this year, especially with the new rule limiting how many times you can option a player. Instead of a never-ending loop of Yennsy Diaz and Sean Reid-Foley, we might see Holderman and Stephen Nogosek some, too.
A quick site update: Later today a projection piece on Edwin Diaz will be posted.
The color guy on the Astros broadcast was very hard to listen to, but “Franny” for the Nets was actually pretty good.
Holderman blew me away the first time I saw him about a week ago. Hard, nasty stuff, big imposing body. Nice release point, high above his head… and he seemed to know where the ball was going.
I must say that hearing about Walker’s knee this morning sank my already wounded heart… I mean, here we go again?
Rich Hill? Yeah,he’s a 5 inning guy but he’s a good one. Besides,except for the Aces who isn’t a 5 inning guy today?
In an article on Conforto, the author made this statement: “He had to marinate every day in the Mets’ ugly 2021 clubhouse culture.” This surprised me. I seem to remember reading that the clubhouse culture was great. This is the second or third time I’ve read that it wasn’t good. So, did I misremember and reporters made it clear that it was bad? Or was it hidden by the same reporters? I know about Lindor and McNeil, but I had no clue that tension was widespread in the clubhouse. Can anyone tell me what else made for an “ugly…clubhouse and how resolving that affected the off-season changes?
I concur with this. We don’t see good reporting anymore. They are partners, not reporters. (Martino just wants more air time on SNY and everything he does is positioned toward that goal.) From a distance, it seemed like the clubhouse was a mess — but no one reported a thing at the time. Do any of these reporters even speak Spanish? Villar is a good case in point. Any team that gets him ships him out after a year, good riddance, despite positive results on the field. I suspect he’s divisive. And that Lindor is nowhere near the “leader” he pretends to be (better to just play & forget that phony role that he hasn’t earned). We know that Conforto sulked all season. Rojas had no control over the clubhouse, whereas I think Buck commands authority.
Reporters weren’t allowed in the clubhouse. They only knew what they were told.
With Scherzer and Cano, leadership will be different this year. There weren’t any players willing to be a leader last year. Sorry JDG, you weren’t interested in the job either.
And when they were told . . . they wrote nothing?
I think you are apologizing for these guys and they don’t deserve it.
Maybe yes, maybe no. We know the New York market is very competitive, so it’s hard to fathom that a single writer knew something and didn’t spill the beans – even at year’s end – the way Marc Carig threw Collins and Wilpon under the bus on his way to The Athletic! I still think that entire article came from someone in Sandy Alderson’s office. Man, I never read a better hatchet job!
Now, no one would turn on Cohen and risk their paycheck, but the players… someone would have written something.
88 wins.
I have full confidence that Buck will deploy the talent appropriately, i.e., if Smith hits, he’ll be in the lineup.
Tough division.
Last year we heard over and over about how this team was going to hit. And they never did. At this point, I’m from Missouri.
I was very aware of the bad Mets’ chemistry. How could it not be? Not one guy on the roster was a leader. Their leaders became Alonso and Lindor by default. Alonso is immature and nothing to rally around. Lindor was the new guy who got the big money, underperformed and his phony Mr. Smile bullshit wore thin almost immediately.
Signing Scherza, Marte, and Escobar completely turned all that on its head, each for a different reason. Max leads by example… be unserious at your own risk. Marte is an imposing physical presence. His take-no-prisoners approach on the field should command some respect. Escobar is the ambassador of goodwill. He will mollify all that leftover weakness from the previous roster, take some of Lindor’s influence, but he is a veteran who plays hard.
Until Cano is gone, he will have some sway (not positive). McNeil is a baby. Nimmo is from Wyoming (passive). JD Davis will benefit from a more serious dugout, as will Nido and McCann. Dom Smith is out the door… his happy-go-lucky approach better find some “lucky” in his new city.
All in all, the Mets’ chemistry should be about 150% better than a year ago.
I agree, generally. I believe Cano is a top step guy — well, that’s not a debate, it’s wear he lives — who is completely into the game (which was a surprise to me when he came over). And Dom’s lighter approach might be okay — right now his bat is an insurance policy. He could have a big year. And since I think Canha will *not* hit well, and we didn’t acquire a “real” 3rd outfielder, Dom should get a lot of time in LF (eventually). He played all last season and was godawful. He’ll never not be brutal in the field. But if he hits, and early signs are good, he’ll find himself in the lineup. Buck isn’t a dope.
I don’t start Cano against LHP, personally. I hope we see JD in the lineup tomorrow at DH.
Where he lives.
To Wobbit and Jimmy: +1
Very realistic, guys!
Brian, you think the Mets coaching staff knows this about Holderman?
I have no idea – no clue as to how much “self scouting” they do on their fringe prospects.
One thing I wonder – is it worth it to have an intern watch the opposing broadcast and take notes of any scouting type info that the other team might have? Maybe it’s naive to think that broadcasters know stuff that the giant team of baseball ops for the Mets doesn’t. But if you got a couple of tidbits over 162 games – wouldn’t that be worthwhile?
Hey it’s a marathon not a sprint. It could be a tough ten days,two weeks, with rotation dropping like flies. Let’s hope the bats can carry them for a while.
Alvarez had two doubles and a HR, Baty a double and HR, and Mauricio had two hits and RBI in the opening game in Binghamton. Highlights are on MLB sight.