Mets Hot Stove Talk--2025-2026

BrooklynRed

Well-known member
2023 $upporter
I did not think it would start in September, but it is time to plan for next year. Is it a new team president; the hiring of a general manager, the firing of the manager or specific coaches, resigning Pete and/or Diaz. etc.
 
I agree resign Diaz, I’d let Pete walk didn’t like him opting out before he cleaned out his locker. Trade McNeil who went from a good hitter to shit. I’d go get Bregman he’s a winner. The team needs gamers and starting pitching. Keep building the minors, the team needs smarter guys.
 
I agree resign Diaz, I’d let Pete walk didn’t like him opting out before he cleaned out his locker. Trade McNeil who went from a good hitter to shit. I’d go get Bregman he’s a winner. The team needs gamers and starting pitching. Keep building the minors, the team needs smarter guys.

Stearns and Cohen have been saying he’s opting out since May. He’s been asked about re-signing with the Mets for two straight years — more than any player I’ve ever witnessed. He’s also consistently said he loves everything about New York and wants to be a Met for life.

I don’t think it’s fair to deduct points from him for saying what everyone already knew for months. Has anyone in baseball history produced as much as Pete and wound up a free agent twice in 7 years?
 
Have no idea what may be out there on the trade market. And the FA class for position players doesn’t scream impact upgrades to the positions we have open. So…

First question: Do the Mets believe Carson Benge and Jett Williams are capable of filling some of the holes at CF and possibly 2B?

Second question: How much of next year’s rotation will be made of McLean, Sproat and Tong?
 
Have no idea what may be out there on the trade market. And the FA class for position players doesn’t scream impact upgrades to the positions we have open. So…

First question: Do the Mets believe Carson Benge and Jett Williams are capable of filling some of the holes at CF and possibly 2B?

Second question: How much of next year’s rotation will be made of McLean, Sproat and Tong?
First question: I think the Mets will incorporate them into the opening day roster. They have proven themselves with every promotion.

Second question: McLean and Sproat should be in the rotation . Tong needs some more seasoning, but a summer call-up is not out of the question. Meanwhile Scott will require innings at Syracuse after missing the season.

And the pitching pipeline looks good as far down as Brooklyn. And hey, Brooklyn and Binghamton won their championships.
At least we have that.
 
Tong needs to start in AAA. He needs to work on secondary pitches. He was basically getting killed throwing Fastball and Changeup. Need to get another actual pitcher not a reclamation project. McNeil should have been traded during spring training. I'd take Acuna over him in a second. Not that he is the answer but he can go 3-39 at the end of the year like McNeil but play Gold Glove Defense. Honestly Baty played well enough to get looks at 2B. Get a real DH and do something about the bottom 5 of the lineup.
 
One of the problems with the Mets and sports in general is the fans care more about winning or losing than the players. Citi field was filled game after game with fans half of whom were wearing some type of Met uniform.
On the other hand Baty got picked off both first base and second base in the same week showing where his head was. Mendoza is too nice a guy for this team but a Bobby Valentine or Billy Martin wouldn’t last a month.
 
One of the problems with the Mets and sports in general is the fans care more about winning or losing than the players. Citi field was filled game after game with fans half of whom were wearing some type of Met uniform.
On the other hand Baty got picked off both first base and second base in the same week showing where his head was. Mendoza is too nice a guy for this team but a Bobby Valentine or Billy Martin wouldn’t last a month.
Obviously I am not remotely a Baty fan but another telling stat to me is that he had 375 non-HR at bats, in those at bats he had 23 RBIs and struck out 29% of the time while walking 33 times to 108 Ks.
 
One of the problems with the Mets and sports in general is the fans care more about winning or losing than the players. Citi field was filled game after game with fans half of whom were wearing some type of Met uniform.
On the other hand Baty got picked off both first base and second base in the same week showing where his head was. Mendoza is too nice a guy for this team but a Bobby Valentine or Billy Martin wouldn’t last a month.
I agree with your first paragraph. I think one of the biggest reasons for the players' indifference is the huge amount of money they are making. Playing in the playoffs probably seems like pocket change to them unlike the past when playoff bonuses meant something. Plus it is putting added physical wear and tear on their bodies when they could be enjoying the offseason.
 
I am not impressed with Vientos and Baty. Over 220 strike outs between them in 800 at bats. Can't carry them as they are rally killers. While I like Marte, he will be 37 in a couple of weeks.
Torrens is a good back up catcher, handled position well despite hitting his career average. Worth keeping. Need to further develop Mauricio and Acuna in winter ball; Vientos and Baty.
Taylor, I like in center field but what Taylor will we see at the plate--he had some good months and some horrid.
I'm still up in the air on Pete. Good power hitter who I think heightens Soto potential batting behind him. But to paraphrase Branch Rickey's comment to Ralph Kiner when he came asking for more money after leading NL in homers for 6 seasons--we finished out of the playoffs with you, we can finish out of the playoffs without you. So it depends on how much Pete wants and whether there will be a return. (Branch's exact words were "last place".
 
Baty’s strikeout rate is about league average. Let’s hope he can improve a bit. Vientos is more frustrating before for weeks he can look incredible, but then disappears for weeks.
 
Have no idea what may be out there on the trade market. And the FA class for position players doesn’t scream impact upgrades to the positions we have open. So…

First question: Do the Mets believe Carson Benge and Jett Williams are capable of filling some of the holes at CF and possibly 2B?

Second question: How much of next year’s rotation will be made of McLean, Sproat and Tong?

Jett is more ready than Benge IMO. He’s a brick shithouse and makes some serious contact for a 5’7 dude with an excellent ability to get on base. I always want to see guys get 75 games at AAA, but he’s had about 40 over 2 seasons + the Arizona Fall League + what will be 3 spring trainings with the big club.

Benge looks like a June/July call-up with a really high ceiling. Not as mature physically as Jett.

McLean is a future ace and should be the runaway favorite for rookie of the year. Sproat likely a guy you pencil in around 5-6 in the rotation. I think his trade value is very high with how well he pitched the second half of this season and would love to see him shopped in a package for a huge name.

Let Tong get 10-14 starts and take over for the inevitable injury. You have to stagger the service time for these guys anyway. You can’t have McLean, Sproat, Tong, Williams, and Benge hit free agency the same year.
 
Baty’s strikeout rate is about league average. Let’s hope he can improve a bit. Vientos is more frustrating before for weeks he can look incredible, but then disappears for weeks.
No, it’s not. There is no team with a rate as high as Baty’s 27.4%. Two teams are above 25%, 12 below 22%. Baty certainly did not come close to playing himself off being penciled into the lineup but he is still going into essentially his 3rd season as a question mark with potential as are all the Met young position players. None of them have shown anything resembling consistency. At some point occasional flashes don’t cut it.
IMO, the Mets are somewhat at a crossroads because, outside of Soto, Stearns has not added a single player you can count on for long term stability. He kind of lucked out that the young pitchers kept them in the race until the last day.
Potentially, with the loss of Alonso and Diaz, I think this a second division team. Obviously free agency could change that, trades could change that, but to go into next year depending primarily on two or three young pitchers, a couple of stable position players and young potential could be a disaster.
We shall see……….
 
No, it’s not. There is no team with a rate as high as Baty’s 27.4%. Two teams are above 25%, 12 below 22%. Baty certainly did not come close to playing himself off being penciled into the lineup but he is still going into essentially his 3rd season as a question mark with potential as are all the Met young position players. None of them have shown anything resembling consistency. At some point occasional flashes don’t cut it.
IMO, the Mets are somewhat at a crossroads because, outside of Soto, Stearns has not added a single player you can count on for long term stability. He kind of lucked out that the young pitchers kept them in the race until the last day.
Potentially, with the loss of Alonso and Diaz, I think this a second division team. Obviously free agency could change that, trades could change that, but to go into next year depending primarily on two or three young pitchers, a couple of stable position players and young potential could be a disaster.
We shall see……….
The sky is falling the sky is falling. We are all still hurting but i think management more or less expected this with our mid and late season swoons. let's see who we pick up and who steps up from the minors. Marte, McNeil, Nimo, Alanso (his choice) all gone so lots of spots. They won't pay Alonso more than 3 years 3 for 90 with a 30 mill signing bonus. If someone gives him 5 years 180 he is gone
 
The sky is falling the sky is falling. We are all still hurting but i think management more or less expected this with our mid and late season swoons. let's see who we pick up and who steps up from the minors. Marte, McNeil, Nimo, Alanso (his choice) all gone so lots of spots. They won't pay Alonso more than 3 years 3 for 90 with a 30 mill signing bonus. If someone gives him 5 years 180 he is gone
In fact you pretty much echoed my point, that the team as it appears now is chock full of IFs.
“So lots of spots” is not a warm and fuzzy for a good year so “the sky is falling” right back at you.
And there is no way management expected to be in this position.
 
No, it’s not. There is no team with a rate as high as Baty’s 27.4%. Two teams are above 25%, 12 below 22%. Baty certainly did not come close to playing himself off being penciled into the lineup but he is still going into essentially his 3rd season as a question mark with potential as are all the Met young position players. None of them have shown anything resembling consistency. At some point occasional flashes don’t cut it.
IMO, the Mets are somewhat at a crossroads because, outside of Soto, Stearns has not added a single player you can count on for long term stability. He kind of lucked out that the young pitchers kept them in the race until the last day.
Potentially, with the loss of Alonso and Diaz, I think this a second division team. Obviously free agency could change that, trades could change that, but to go into next year depending primarily on two or three young pitchers, a couple of stable position players and young potential could be a disaster.
We shall see……….

Baty is a young player who has been asked to bat on an island most of his career. He batted .455 this year when hits in front of Lindor (14 games) with just a 12% strikeout rate and he has a career .439 average and 15% strikeout rate batting 9th. When pitchers don't have the luxury of thorwing nonstop breaking balls, he hits. Go figure.

When he's batting in front crap like Taylor and first half Alvarez....pitchers put him in a blender mentally. It's infuriating to witness. Bat the freaking kid 9th until he matures as a hitter. He will probably be experienced enough in 2026 to bat anywhere.

Vientos-Baty-Alvarez-Taylor was a pitiful 6-9 in the order. Why we would ever protect Taylor over one of those young bats I will never understand.
 
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