Yes, that special time of year has arrived. Pitchers, catchers, and those participating in the World Baseball Classic have officially reported to training camp! Now is the point in time where for the next couple of days we’ll be inundated with video clips of veterans strolling into the facilities like an average person walking into work, rookies taking swing after swing in the batting cages, and Buck Showalter talking about the latest fast casual restaurant he’s tried. All of this is a welcome sight to sore eyes.
The biggest headlines for the Mets this spring training are how much game action the rookies are going to receive when the large crop of Mets ships off to the World Baseball Classic, and how Kodai Senga is going to adjust to baseball in the United States. There are other large headlines across the MLB however, and a lot of them can end up impacting the Mets during the regular season and beyond.
Headline 1: Manny Machado telling reporters he’s going to opt out
The big fish in next year’s free agent class is undoubtedly Shohei Ohtani, simply because there has been no other player like him to hit free agency in the sport’s history. The Mets are consistently brought up as a potential suitor for his services, which is an exciting prospect to say the least. The Mets are also far from the only team that will be pursuing him however, so they need to have their options aligned just in case they swing and miss on Ohtani.
Enter Machado. On Friday, Machado told a group of reporters at San Diego Padres spring training that he’s opting out of his contract due to the current market. If he does in fact hit the open market, he’ll enter free agency as a 31-year old. Could Machado fit on the Mets? When a player like Machado hits the open market, you usually figure that out after you sign him. While it might stunt third base development for prospect Brett Baty, Mets owner Steve Cohen could become even more hungry to win if the Mets don’t capture a title this season. Either way, it will be interesting to keep an eye on Machado throughout the season.
Headline 2: Andrew Chafin signs with the Arizona Diamondbacks
“The Sheriff” officially signed with the Diamondbacks on Wednesday for a one-year deal worth $6.5 million, with a team option for 2024. How does this impact the Mets? For starters, it most likely means the Mets are not going to add to their bullpen through free agency. It also means that Chafin will most likely again be a potential trade target for the Mets come deadline time if the Diamondbacks are out of contention.
Chafin could fit nicely into the Mets bullpen when the trade deadline approaches. They are already looking solid heading into the season with names like Edwin Diaz, Adam Ottavino, David Robertson, and Brooks Raley. Depth is always important though, especially when it comes to pitching, and if Chafin performs to the standard he’s been pitching to the last couple of seasons, he could make the bullpen downright scary.
Headline 3: MLB implementing bigger bases
Bigger bases actually impact the team in more ways than one. Of course, this will make it easier for some of the faster players on the team to steal bases. Players like Starling Marte and Francisco Lindor now can be even more dangerous on the offensive side of the game, and the Mets will add to an already exciting offensive dynamic by being more aggressive on the basepaths.
This should also impact Pete Alonso in a positive way. The constant knock on his game is that while he is certainly not the worst fielding first baseman, he is not yet at the place where he can be considered above average. Harold Reynolds made an interesting point the other day on MLB Network, where he brought up the point that first basemen will actually be closer to the infielders that will be throwing to them. While a few inches might not seem like much, a few inches could mean a world of a difference when it comes to bang-bang plays at the base. This should help Alonso be closer to throws that he has to stretch for, hopefully making him more impactful at first base.
While basketball and hockey are currently the sports that are filling up the highlight reels on Sportscenter this time of year, it’s exciting to see players report for Spring Training. Before you know it the fields will thaw, and we’ll be back to enjoying baseball from Queens.
In 2022, Machado slashed .298/.366/.551 with 32 home runs
The MLB increased the size of bases from 15 to 18 square inches for 2023
The Mets stole 62 bases as a team last season
My opinion is that the bigger bases will not have any impact on Alonso’s fielding.
But I do expect them to produce more SB attempts. And perhaps they will cut down on the number of times that runners slide off the bag.
What will really drive up stolen bases is that a pitcher can only throw to first twice per at bat. If the pitcher throws to first a third time, the runner will have to be out or the runner will be given the base.
So with no shift and the pitcher who not only has to move his butt to throw the next pitch, but can be penalized by simply stepping, and the bases being 6 inches closer together, how does more offense lead to shorter games. All those bang bang out plays at second will soon become “safe at second.” What is it that MLB thinks about?
And I think Alonso plays a decent 1B and has done a strong job scooping up all those crapy throws from his infield. Clearly if Machado is on the market we will be in play. My bet is he signs a revised contract with the Padres. That team is loaded.