With so much flying around now about the future of the team, it is time to separate from the season that has been just completed and make assumptions about future signings/trades.
Mets Hot Stove talk--2024-25
- Thread starter BrooklynRed
- Start date
FU Turn in your Mets Fandom Card.
Soto seems like an absolute must to me. I’m not normally on that huge free agent train, but we have to be realistic facing Ohtani and Harper in the NL and Aaron Judge across town. I don’t think we can get there in the aggregate. Maybe we can piece something to together with pitching, but we need an absolute star for a position player.
Due to injuries, guys taking longer to develop, other guys developing quickly and trades, we have as many young players major league ready as we’ve ever had.
I’m not at all ready to throw the towel in on Baty. He’s been disappointing, but I think the Mets screwed up his development denying him the AAA seasoning. Vientos had over 200 games there.
I’d like to see a lineup that looks something like this:
Lindor
Vientos
Soto
Alonso
Nimmo
Marte
McNeil/Mauricio
Alvarez
Acuna/Taylor
Baty - 3rd, 2nd, LF, DH
Gilbert - Backing up all outfield spots
Due to injuries, guys taking longer to develop, other guys developing quickly and trades, we have as many young players major league ready as we’ve ever had.
I’m not at all ready to throw the towel in on Baty. He’s been disappointing, but I think the Mets screwed up his development denying him the AAA seasoning. Vientos had over 200 games there.
I’d like to see a lineup that looks something like this:
Lindor
Vientos
Soto
Alonso
Nimmo
Marte
McNeil/Mauricio
Alvarez
Acuna/Taylor
Baty - 3rd, 2nd, LF, DH
Gilbert - Backing up all outfield spots
I also like the idea of adding walker
Buehler…I think it was DK that mentioned that. The cold weather comment put me over the fence there.
Blake Treinen also really impressed me and will be a free agent. His ball was moving like crazy.
I’d also like to be the one that drives Maton to the airport when he is bought out for 250k.
Buehler…I think it was DK that mentioned that. The cold weather comment put me over the fence there.
Blake Treinen also really impressed me and will be a free agent. His ball was moving like crazy.
I’d also like to be the one that drives Maton to the airport when he is bought out for 250k.
Also, we can't forget Atlanta. If Acuna is even 80% back and Olson has a "bounce back" year, that's another two MVP caliber guys. I really do think this is a year to go all out for Soto.
I think Alonso is more valuable if we sign Soto and less valuable if we don't. It gives us a very solid four-year window to win a title, all within Alonso's prime. I'd hope they can get a creative deal done where its something like four years, 110m guaranteed (let's say four years, 110 guaranteed but then a 15m buy out on year five) and then vesting options based on health/production for another four years/80.
Within that vein, even if we can sign Soto and re-sign Alonso, I wouldn't mind being aggressive on the trade market. Some guys that aren't pitchers that come to mind:
If we can't sign Soto, I'd rather pass on Pete, re-set our CBT and go aggressive on the trade market for cheaper/controllable options like Rooker, Mountcastle, Yandy Diaz, etc.
I think Alonso is more valuable if we sign Soto and less valuable if we don't. It gives us a very solid four-year window to win a title, all within Alonso's prime. I'd hope they can get a creative deal done where its something like four years, 110m guaranteed (let's say four years, 110 guaranteed but then a 15m buy out on year five) and then vesting options based on health/production for another four years/80.
Within that vein, even if we can sign Soto and re-sign Alonso, I wouldn't mind being aggressive on the trade market. Some guys that aren't pitchers that come to mind:
- Luis Robert -- down year, injury prone but all-star upside and on an affordable deal. White Sox need to replenish farm system desperately. Add Crochet and Bentinedi (for $ purposes) and they can do that quickly.
- Kyle Tucker -- doubtful but if HOU can't re-sign him, maybe he becomes available?
- Cody Bellinger -- overpaid, but that works in our favor now (especially as a short-term deal). He'd lengthen the lineup at CF, backup 1B, and add a lefty.
If we can't sign Soto, I'd rather pass on Pete, re-set our CBT and go aggressive on the trade market for cheaper/controllable options like Rooker, Mountcastle, Yandy Diaz, etc.
RedmanMike
Well-known member
Don't like Walker Beuhler - he'll break again soon. He's made no mechanical changes, so it's just a matter of time. (FWIW Manaea will break soon also. He went to Driveline and they found a couple of MPH on the fastball but screwed up his mechanics. Look at Chris Sale - that's him in two years.)
LOVE Blake Treinen. Get him!
And I'll pay your gas fare to get Maton to the airport. You cannot pitch scared, and he's scared.
After this year, I truly trust the FO with taking on whatever pitcher they think makes sense. I do think Yusei Kikuchi is another very interesting guy to put out there. He's apparently very good buddies with Senga, very high strikeout rate. I don't like hearing about "liking to pitch in warm weather" from him, but Astros untapped a lot of potential in a half year with him.
Sonny Gray had a big year and is about to be paid 35 mill from the Cardinals. He seems like another guy we can use our financial advantage for.
Sonny Gray had a big year and is about to be paid 35 mill from the Cardinals. He seems like another guy we can use our financial advantage for.
Unfortunately, the whole Met staff pitched scared, not sure why Maton gets singled out. Not a stretch to say the Mets “walked” their way out of the Dodger series, 42 walks in 6 games screams “SCARED”! And it’s not like it wasn’t a recurring theme all season long up and down the staff.
I agree with Beuhler, but disagree on Maton. He was good when he first came, but was overused and had nothing left late in the season and postseason. He will not cost a lot and is worth bringing back.
Butto was nowhere near as good in the playoffs as the regular season because of overuse. But at least he was a converted starter and was used to more innings.
Then look at Stanek. He was shaky regular season, but put together a nice playoff.
Soto is the dream. But he will sign late because of all the offers. The bullpen will be redone for sure, and it may not be the one that starts the season.
Like this past season, the front office has proven to have a knack for improving the bullpen on the fly.
Well fortunately, I’ve watched enough sports to not single any player out over a short series where anything can happen and has to some of the best in the game, especially when the entire staff gave up 42 walks and 46 runs in 6 games.
That's over the entire playoffs -- MIL, PHI and LA. He was awful in each series. He blew us the game against MIL.
And if you go back to the first game of the double header against ATL, he also walked a guy and gave up a hit, which forced us to put in Diaz. So that's two more earned runs.
The one critique of Mendoza related to Maton which I am sympathetic with looking back, was that he used Maton in a 6-0 loss -- which was not only unnecessary, but then pitched him in two consecutive days later (including the ATL game I mentioned above). This set off a crazy thing where he pitched in four high leverage games in five days and never fully rested in general.
You can cherry pick stats all you want, Maton pitched well at times and horrible at times, like pretty much every Met pitcher. And the discussion was actually about pitching scared and the Mets did not have a person on the staff that consistently attacked hitters, not one.
Cherry picking stats? I just mentioned his entire playoff performance. He pitched scared and didn't pitch well at all.
From our bullpen, you're forgetting about Ryne Stanek. Stanek was great for us, and didn't think he pitched scared at all. If it wasn't for his pitching in Game 5, we probably lose the series that day. I actually thought Garrett pitched fearless as well, I just don't think he's that good.
The conversation was actually about picking up Maton's 7.5 million team option. I don't think its great value since you want that type of money to go for a shut down 8th inning guy, so I wouldn't pick it up.
Stanek and Garrett did not pitch scared in the playoffs, IMO. Honestly, I don't think Butto pitched "scared" either he just unfortunately got smacked around.
As for Maton, he wasn't the only pitcher on the staff who struggled in the playoffs, but to me he made it the most clear that he isn't cut out for high leverage postseason baseball. He threw meatball after meatball, he would get the most visibly rattled after walks/hits and he had no go to strike out pitch.
The guy punched a locker and broke his hand in 2021 after giving up a freaking single to his little brother. I hope he is nowhere near our team next season
As for Maton, he wasn't the only pitcher on the staff who struggled in the playoffs, but to me he made it the most clear that he isn't cut out for high leverage postseason baseball. He threw meatball after meatball, he would get the most visibly rattled after walks/hits and he had no go to strike out pitch.
The guy punched a locker and broke his hand in 2021 after giving up a freaking single to his little brother. I hope he is nowhere near our team next season
Maton was a great trade by Stearns. It shouldn't be overstated. We gave up cash for him and he helped get us into the playoffs. If we can get him for half the price and being a 7th inning guy, I'm for it. But for a set-up guy, absolutely not. He really didn't perform at all in October.
Standing had the same problems through the year all the Met pitchers had but he is a hero to you because of one game. Every Met pitcher was inconsistent, period end of story. We just look at sports differently.
Last edited:
That's how I see it as well. Impressed with Stanek. Garrett I like as a 6th or 7th inning guy...showed guts and I wasn't ever upset when he came in. Butto just needs to rested and that's clear. He should only improve with experience. Maton, I despise. I cannot believe we went to him the last 2-3 outings when it was crystal clear he was a wreck.
RedmanMike
Well-known member
I should probably amend my earlier statement about Beuhler (and Manea). I'd sign either or both, but only to short-term deals - no more than two years for Beuhler and one year for Manea. They are both going to break down again, but its probably worth the risk on short-term deals.