⚾ The MLB Thread

[blueharvest]

Hall of Famer Boggs says he's now cancer free

Wade Boggs, who five months ago revealed that he had prostate cancer, now says he's cancer free.

www.espn.com

 

[InCali]

Hall of Famer Boggs says he's now cancer free

Wade Boggs, who five months ago revealed that he had prostate cancer, now says he's cancer free.

www.espn.com

Glad to hear that. Helluva hitter, but batting in Fenway is a BIG advantage. They have that short field and almost no foul territory. A lot of those popups that go into the seats at Fenway are caught in other stadiums (like the Oakland Coliseum where I spent a lot of time).

 

[TheBatman22]

Yeah.....I said I thought that was more of another person's problem than it was Soto. A team is made up of a LOT of different personalities and some of them don't mesh. Machado is definitely one of those guys who can be tough to be around, but gives it his all on the field. If you are a Machado, Soto (Goato LOL), Betts, etc., you've earned the respect of your teammates and part of what makes you great is your personality. In sports, physical talent generally isn't enough and sometimes those personal characteristics can be tough to take, but without those grating personalities, they aren't the players they are. That's a long way of saying these guys aren't like the rest of us and their teammates generally understand that. They'll do, and put up with, just about anything to win (Like the Astros cheating LOL).

WRT Sasaki, we'll agree to disagree. If the Mets didn't think he would make them a significantly improved team, they wouldn't have been after him. Sasaki would have been a great pickup for the Mets and has a very, very high ceiling. He would have to be considered, minimally and probably higher, as a top 5 free agent pitcher this off season. As far as the Mets pitching, here's my take:

Manaea - solid starter

Senga - "Might" be very good, but comes with some question marks because of injury.

Peterson - solid starter, but a little bit up and down over the years. Potential is definitely there, but which Peterson will pitch?

Montas - I think this is where the quality "may" start to fall off. Montas had a couple really good years for my A's, got injured and hasn't looked quite as good since. He "might" revert back to that form as the injury in 2023 could have affected him last season. Plenty of talent, but question marks remain.

Holmes - Here's where things start to get dicey. Holmes is more than fine as a reliever, but how will he do as a starter? This raises a lot of questions and how things will work out is yet to be determined.

Blackburn, Canning, Megill - I'm VERY familiar with the first 2 because of the association with the A's and Angels. Both are rotational guys and I think it's fair to say you can probably expect average seasons. Could one of them break out? Sure, but I don't see it. You are probably more familiar with Megill than I am, but I've seen him pitch a few times and wasn't overly impressed. Still, who knows what'll happen.

Overall, I'd say the Mets have a shot to have a very good rotation, but with no one who is going to be in the Cy Young race. Also, the potential to be "not so" solid definitely exists. If things go right, they'll be fine. If not......

You can have your guys like Ohtani, Soto, Judge, etc. Those guys can be game changers, but THE most important position in baseball is the pitcher. Even the best get tagged, but if you have a top shelf pitcher, even the great hitters are going to have a tough day. Pitching is the biggest key to winning games in MLB.

EDIT: I wasn't familiar with Pena (who signed as an international player with the Mets) so I looked him up and he certainly looks like a good one. The thing about the vast majority of international signings is that you don't know how they are going to look when they step up in class. Diego Cartaya was considered one of the top prospects in the minors until he started moving up. At that point his hitting fell off dramatically and he sunk like the Titanic. Young players are always a gamble. I guarantee you the Mets would have preferred to land Sasaki and the reason is simple. He competed and starred in a very competitive league (probably equivalent to AAA or maybe a shade higher) so you know a little more about how he's likely to do. Plus, he's more MLB ready. As I've said though, baseball is a funny game. Sasaki could be plagued by arm trouble, Pena could be the next coming of Lindor and the Mets get the best end of the deal. You never know for sure....

That's a good, solid lineup. If the pitching holds up, the Mets definitely have a shot. That's the thing about pitching; you never know who is going to have a great year or who will fall back. Generally speaking, pitching wins games and good pitching usually beats good hitting. The NL East looks to be one of the most competitive divisions and, while I'd favor the Mets, this is MLB and teams have up and down years. The Braves and Phils are contenders themselves. As far as the Padres go, I'd replace them with the D-backs who definitely helped themselves. I think people are overrating the Pads and the organization is a mess. On paper, the Dodgers clearly had the best offseason and are much, MUCH improved, but the game isn't played on paper.

IIRC, the Mets had a lot of trouble with the Dodger bullpen and it's even stronger this year......as is their starting pitching, but injuries and down years happen so you never know. The real problem for the Mets in that series was their pitching. IMO, how the Mets pitching goes this year will reflect how the Mets go and you just never know for sure what kind of year some of these guys are going to have. Will Manea be as good as last year? Will Senga (who I think has the most upside) pitch to his potential? Will the other guys who have had up and down careers, or were essentially relief pitchers, come through? If I'm rooting for the Mets, those are the question marks for me. They are going to need to rely on the back half of their rotation and I don't think anyone can predict how that's going to turn out.

If I had to lay money on it, I'd have to put it on LA. After that, I'd have the Mets and Yanks and after that, sort of lump the Phils, Orioles and maybe Astros and Braves.

I'm just hoping my Athletics, who had a very decent offseason, can play .500 ball. They've been so bad for so long, it's depressing. LOL

The Mets’ pitching staff looks reliable moving forward. One advantage of David Stearns being a lifelong Mets fan is his strong commitment to winning; he isn’t afraid to designate underperforming players for assignment. I trust Francisco Álvarez as he is an excellent catcher who calls games like a 20-year veteran.

We did pursue a trade for Dylan Cease from the Padres, but I’ve heard that their asking price is quite high for a player who will be a free agent at the end of this season. While I would be thrilled to acquire Fernando Tatís Jr., I would also be satisfied with Kyle Tucker if the Cubs find themselves out of contention by the trade deadline.

Additionally, it's encouraging to see the A’s investing in players, and I hope they have a successful season. As for the Mets’ lineup, I believe it could undergo some changes, and I anticipate that Jett Williams will take over in center field while Acuña plays second base regularly at some point this year.

 

[InCali]

The Mets’ pitching staff looks reliable moving forward. One advantage of David Stearns being a lifelong Mets fan is his strong commitment to winning; he isn’t afraid to designate underperforming players for assignment. I trust Francisco Álvarez as he is an excellent catcher who calls games like a 20-year veteran.

We did pursue a trade for Dylan Cease from the Padres, but I’ve heard that their asking price is quite high for a player who will be a free agent at the end of this season. While I would be thrilled to acquire Fernando Tatís Jr., I would also be satisfied with Kyle Tucker if the Cubs find themselves out of contention by the trade deadline.

Additionally, it's encouraging to see the A’s investing in players, and I hope they have a successful season. As for the Mets’ lineup, I believe it could undergo some changes, and I anticipate that Jett Williams will take over in center field while Acuña plays second base regularly at some point this year.




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The pitching depth is definitely better. I don't think anyone would argue otherwise. To me the question is "what kind of years with their 3-5/6 guys have?" At least 2 of those guys have shown they can have good years and the other is very good in relief. Will that translate into good starts? If those guys come through, the Mets are going to be very, very tough.

 

[blueharvest]

ESPN Will Stop Airing Major League Baseball After 2025 Season In Widely Expected End Of Long-Term Partnership

As had been widely expected, ESPN has officially decided to opt out of its Major League Baseball rights deal after the 2025 season.

deadline.com

 

[InCali]

The Mets’ pitching staff looks reliable moving forward. One advantage of David Stearns being a lifelong Mets fan is his strong commitment to winning; he isn’t afraid to designate underperforming players for assignment. I trust Francisco Álvarez as he is an excellent catcher who calls games like a 20-year veteran.

We did pursue a trade for Dylan Cease from the Padres, but I’ve heard that their asking price is quite high for a player who will be a free agent at the end of this season. While I would be thrilled to acquire Fernando Tatís Jr., I would also be satisfied with Kyle Tucker if the Cubs find themselves out of contention by the trade deadline.

Additionally, it's encouraging to see the A’s investing in players, and I hope they have a successful season. As for the Mets’ lineup, I believe it could undergo some changes, and I anticipate that Jett Williams will take over in center field while Acuña plays second base regularly at some point this year.




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Also, I wouldn't overpay for Dylan Cease if I'm the Mets. I don't consider him an elite talent. Sure, he's had good years here and there, but he's not a solid #1 starter. He's one of those guys who "might" fill that role if he has an up year, but I don't think you can count on him to pitch at that level. If he keeps his ERA at or about 3 next year, maybe I'll change my mind......

 

[ComicChick]

the yankees are amending their facial hair rules, which have been in place since the mid 1970's

 

[blueharvest]

 

[blueharvest]

 

[InCali]

If the humps behind home plate don’t like the idea of a machine calling balls and strikes, they should’ve done it right themselves.

 

[TheBatman22]

Also, I wouldn't overpay for Dylan Cease if I'm the Mets. I don't consider him an elite talent. Sure, he's had good years here and there, but he's not a solid #1 starter. He's one of those guys who "might" fill that role if he has an up year, but I don't think you can count on him to pitch at that level. If he keeps his ERA at or about 3 next year, maybe I'll change my mind......

Clay Holmes showcased an outstanding performance, pitching flawlessly, while Juan Goato launched a home run in his first at-bat. I have faith that the Mets' pitching will remain solid. I appreciate your agreement that it would be unwise to trade prospects for a player who is just a rental, especially with a year left until free agency. We handled the situation with Juan Goato similarly, patiently waiting for him to reach free agency before acquiring him.

 

[InCali]

Clay Holmes showcased an outstanding performance, pitching flawlessly, while Juan Goato launched a home run in his first at-bat. I have faith that the Mets' pitching will remain solid. I appreciate your agreement that it would be unwise to trade prospects for a player who is just a rental, especially with a year left until free agency. We handled the situation with Juan Goato similarly, patiently waiting for him to reach free agency before acquiring him.

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Whoa tiger!!! It's spring training.

If Holmes has been giving the Mets 5 or 6 solid innings and it's June, we can talk. Good start for sure, but there's a LOT of baseball to be played before we figure out who is and isn't having a good year.

Mets are doing something good and IF their rotation turns out to be solid, they're gonna do some real damage.

 

[blueharvest]

 

[blueharvest]

 

[InCali]

That would be a nice, solid pickup for the Mets. While he's getting a little bit on the older side, Gray is a proven starter who will give you a lot of innings. That being said, there's a LOT more talk and speculation in MLB than there is activity.

 

[InCali]

Both Manaea and Montas will not start the season for the Mets because of injuries. Of the two, Manaea's injury seems less serious and he looks be back mid/late April while Montas isn't expected back until some time in May. The Mets have an outstanding pitching development crew, but these injuries are probably going to test them as the Mets aren't steeped with starting pitchers and someone's going to have to step up for them.

This is exactly why they say "you can never have too much starting pitching". You can have your 5 starters, but you better be ready to have at LEAST one of them go down with an injury for an extended period of time. If you're going with a 5 man rotation, you should probably have 7 guys who can make starts for you. At this point, the Mets are just looking for arms to hopefully eat innings at the beginning of the season. Right now, it's probably not too big of a deal because they "should" be back relatively early in the year and will have plenty of time to work back into pitching shape, but Montas, who can really pitch when healty, has a history of injury. You never know when that bug is going to jump up and bite you and spring training seems to have more than it's share of injuries.

 

[blueharvest]

 

[blueharvest]

 

[blueharvest]

 

[TheBatman22]

Juan Goato was heckled by a Cardinals fan who called him overrated and overpaid, and he hit a home run right in that fan's direction.

 

[blueharvest]

 

[InCali]

Judge is such a great hitter. He's got to be the favorite to win MVP, but do the guy some justice and keep him in right field. As far as the Yanks go.....with Gerrit Cole out for the year, I kind of like the Orioles in the AL, but I can see the Yanks going out and trading for a frontline starter so who knows?

 

[blueharvest]

 

[blueharvest]

 

[InCali]

He fell off offensively last year. Maybe that's why. He's a good defensive player and could help a lot of teams and if his batting picks up again.......

It is rather baffling.....