Mets Hot Stove Talk--2025-2026

So Hefner doesn’t walk on water. One year he’s getting bouquets for helping guys like Manaea and Severino turn it around and then next year you are turned into a pumpkin and get blamed for the pitching staff failures of 2025.

Let’s be honest someone had to take the hit for Stearns if it wasn’t Mendoza. Pressure is on for these two in 2026. All HIS guys now. No leftovers.
 
“Mets must be the team with the most injuries over the last few years.“

Some Yankee fans (including me) would disagree with the above statement.
 
RedmanMike said:
I've never understood the strategy of moving a lousy infielder to 1B and assuming he'll be better there. 1B is an important position, and having a good one improves your infield temendously. We've had excellent defensive first basemen - Hernandez, Olerud, even Ike Davis was good with the glove. They save outs, runs (and pitch counts) all the time. Right now, Pete is below average. Do we actually think Vientos, who has lousy hands (and a poor arm) will be any better?
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Vientos was a shortstop who was moved to third. I don’t think there was ever a point in Alonso’s career that he could physically play either position. To steal Fun’s word, Pete is a lummox.

It would be shocking if Vientos didn’t have significantly more range and was substantially better in unpredictable situations — e.g., going after foul balls or throwing on the move. The conversion problems tend to come from catchers and bad outfielders moving to first. Also, I think Vientos has a rocket arm.

I am 100% team Alonso. I think he is fine defensively. Stearns f*cked up not signing him long term.
 
Marillac2 said:
Vientos was a shortstop who was moved to third. I don’t think there was ever a point in Alonso’s career that he could physically play either position. To steal Fun’s word, Pete is a lummox.

It would be shocking if Vientos didn’t have significantly more range and was substantially better in unpredictable situations — e.g., going after foul balls or throwing on the move. The conversion problems tend to come from catchers and bad outfielders moving to first. Also, I think Vientos has a rocket arm.

I am 100% team Alonso. I think he is fine defensively. Stearns f*cked up not signing him long term.
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Marillac, problem is Vientos has bad “hands” and bad footwork. Balls hit directly at him are a problem. Just because he moves across the diamond is not going to fix that.

Also moving his “rocket” arm to 1st is wasting his best attribute.

I think he is a DH candidate. If Stearns wants to improve “run prevention” having a defensive liability like Vientos changing positions isn’t gonna cut it.
 
sjc88 said:
Marillac, problem is Vientos has bad “hands” and bad footwork. Balls hit directly at him are a problem. Just because he moves across the diamond is not going to fix that.

Also moving his “rocket” arm to 1st is wasting his best attribute.

I think he is a DH candidate. If Stearns wants to improve “run prevention” having a defensive liability like Vientos changing positions isn’t gonna cut it.
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Third base is a difficult position to play. You have to play so far in. At first base you can back up a lot more since the bag is so close. Could you imagine Alonso at third base?!🤣 It would be pure comedy. I don’t think I would agree that Vientos has bad hands.

Vientos has played first base probably 70 total games at 3 levels of baseball.

I would be shocked if Stearns didn’t see Vientos as a defensive upgrade there. I still don’t think that is the right move, though. Re-sign Alonso.
 
Re-sign Alonso, yes... but as a DH. That solves a big question: namely, why does the richest owner in sports have DHs like a uselss Vogelbach, a past-his-prime Martinez and a series of fourth outfielders (Winkler, Marte etc.)? Alonzo would be something we've actually never had - an actual run producer at DH.
 
RedmanMike said:
Re-sign Alonso, yes... but as a DH. That solves a big question: namely, why does the richest owner in sports have DHs like a uselss Vogelbach, a past-his-prime Martinez and a series of fourth outfielders (Winkler, Marte etc.)? Alonzo would be something we've actually never had - an actual run producer at DH.
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Excellent point! Mets treat the DH spot like it’s 1975. They need a consistent big bat there (a la Edgar Martinez).
 
RedmanMike said:
Re-sign Alonso, yes... but as a DH. That solves a big question: namely, why does the richest owner in sports have DHs like a uselss Vogelbach, a past-his-prime Martinez and a series of fourth outfielders (Winkler, Marte etc.)? Alonzo would be something we've actually never had - an actual run producer at DH.
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Sounds great. But does Alonso want to be a DH only when someone will offer him the option to play first base as well?
 
Freddie Freeman just showed the value of having a good defender at first base those last two plays. Whoever says they're confident with Pete getting the throwing out at second, they're lying.
 
dk423 said:
Freddie Freeman just showed the value of having a good defender at first base those last two plays. Whoever says they're confident with Pete getting the throwing out at second, they're lying.
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How much do I hate thee Philly, let me count the ways…
I am rooting for the Dodgers and was happy Freeman, a former Brave to boot, made a great scoop to save the game.
 
dk423 said:
Freddie Freeman just showed the value of having a good defender at first base those last two plays. Whoever says they're confident with Pete getting the throwing out at second, they're lying.
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Exactly. Pete has worked his arse off to become very solid in the regular plays, but as soon as it goes off script it becomes a disaster.
 
kranmars said:
How much do I hate thee Philly, let me count the ways…
I am rooting for the Dodgers and was happy Freeman, a former Brave to boot, made a great scoop to save the game.
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Hate both teams but hate the Dodgers worse. I wish they could both lose but will definitely be rooting for whoever wins the other series. Dodger hat goes way back to Yankee Dodger rivalry. Just dislike Philly fans in general.
 
If we lose Diaz, given his stamina issues, any one think we move Senga to being the closer and replace him with a starter in FA?
 
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