Mets

[Amazin69]

I also forgot to mention a few weeks back when Ryan "Highway to" Helsley's path led him to Baltimore. (2 years, $14 mn@. No, seriously.)

So, our entire "deadline day" class from last season is pretty much dead meat. We still have Tyler Rogers and Gregory Soto remaining, I think.

[Westheim]

Rogers was the only one I didn't find utterly useless.

Surely he'll be next year.

[Amazin69]

WE'RE FREE!! WE'RE FREE!!

Boom-Boom Diaz (better known as "Edlose") to the Dodgers, 3 years, $23,000,000 average.

SUCKERS!!

Also, the Phillies resigned Schwarber, so we don't have to worry about Uncle Stevie giving Kris Bryant, Jr. the money and spot that belongs to Polar Pete.

[Amazin69]

Last night it was reported that ex-Met Steven Matz will join Mullins in George Steinbrenner Field, on a two-year deal. (Pending a physical.)

The story noted when Matz won 14 games for Toronto in 2021, that was the 2nd-highest total in the AL.

I hate modern "baseball".

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by Amazin69

WE'RE FREE!! WE'RE FREE!!

Boom-Boom Diaz (better known as "Edlose") to the Dodgers, 3 years, $23,000,000 average.

SUCKERS!!

Also, the Phillies resigned Schwarber, so we don't have to worry about Uncle Stevie giving Kris Bryant, Jr. the money and spot that belongs to Polar Pete.

Best news since Lando won the F1 title!!

[Amazin69]

SEVEN years of my life with that bum…

Adios, Timmy Trumpet!

(Devin Williams was entering to "Gangstas" by Pop Smoke, though…which is a definite "no". Maybe we can get him turned onto some Stevie Wonder or something?)

[Amazin69]

And there goes the 2025 Deadline class, one by one…

Gregory Soto to the land of Clemente, Stargell and the Furries for $7.75 mn, one-year deal.

************

I don't think I've been specific about this yet, but I don't want Bellinger. He lost his spot in LA on merit and now he's had his stats resuscitated by two band-box parks (Wrigley, The House That Ruth Couldn't Fit Into)…but you know that's all going to end the moment he sets foot in Citi, which is a pitchers' park regardless of how they've brought in the walls. JMO.

ESPn's First Take, for some reason, still has the hosts hosting over Zoom. Guys? COVID's been over for years now. Get your assets back in the studio, please. I don't want to see Chris Gimenez's bedroom, tyvm.

Anyhow, they were comforting Mets fans upset over Edwin Diaz's leaving. They must have been screening their calls, lol..

[Westheim]

Excellent use of "assets" there. Five stars.

Since management is too stupid to build a contender anyway, I am hoping for the little things. Like Pete coming back.

[Amazin69]

I'm fine with Peeete and a starter. And who's to say we can't get the Better Kyle (Tucker) anyhow?

[Bluenoser]

Alonzo to Orioles - 5yrs $155M

https://www.mlb.com/news/pete-alonso-orioles-contract

[Westheim]

I shall withdraw to my chambers to weep and holler, then.

[Amazin69]

"When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time" —Maya Angelou

Uncle Stevie never valued preserving the Face of the Franchise over his fear of giving Pete a contract any longer than 20% of what he gave to Juan So-so. Not even half the length that Frankie Sweet Money got from Stevie. Apparently, Pete doesn't deserve that. Even though he wanted Pete to take a "hometown discount", he saved the big deals for his imported stars.

Why have any loyalty to the Wilpons' babies, right? (Did you hear there's a rumor that David Peterson may be traded? And of course McNeil is pretty much a Dead Squirrel Walking at this point.) It's the Shiny New Toys that Steve likes.

And David <snipped partial bypass of obvious swear> WhyDoYouStillHaveAJob Stearns doesn't give a **** about the fans. Myra Breckinridge could tell you that, never mind Maya Angelou.

I'd like to thank Manly Rob Manfred for mangling the game beyond recognition, or I'd be really upset.

Willow Rosenberg has had it, too.

[Amazin69]

At the top of the 3:00 pm hour, MLBN played a montage of Pete's dingers, complete with audio, starting with Howie's call before Peeeeete took Shiny New Toy (albeit dented in the Bronx) Devin Williams over the fence in Milwaukee last October:

"If you're a scriptwriter, and you think back to Pete Alonso's career with the Mets, the drama will build even more. If he has another dramatic swing in him, he may earn a new contract, all with that one swing"

Howie continues "And here's the pitch…", Williams throws, Pete swings, the ball hits the bat…and we morph back to Miami, 2019…

GARY: And it's outta here!! Pete Alonso with his first major league home run!

The Apple rises as Pete hits #2, then #s 9, 10, 16, 27 and 40 in short order.

GARY: No one has ever hit more home runs in a season as a New York Met…

#42 is succeeded by #50, and then…

GARY: Number 53!

Pete swings again…

GARY: Pete Alonso! Walk-off two-run homer!

"And if you want to get a win for number 41, what a way to do it…". —Wayne Randazzo, as we see 61 superimposed on The Franchise's retired number, then fade to a picture of the radio booth where Howie is wiping the tears from his eyes as we see Wayne making that call

(I never knew that happened; I didn't follow COVID-ball)

#100, #107, #!16…

GARY: The Best Home-Run Hitter in Baseball wins it…

#150, #161, #163…

Unknown Announcer: The biggest and bestest delivering the blow when needed…

HOWIE: Number 200! He did it! He did it! He did it!!

DAVID WRIGHT, sending a video message from a studio: You've easily passed me; now stay strong, set your sights, and go get him. Congratulations, my man

#242, #243, #252…

HOWIE: Darryl Strawberry, you've got some company!

#253, #264…


As Neil Young sang, "Only Love Can Break Your Heart".

[Amazin69]

Factoid: Most HRs in the first 7 seasons of a career

Our Beloved Ralph: 294
Albert Pujols: 282
Peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeete: 264

RIPete, Metsies. I hope you lose 100 games.

<snipped offensive characterization of a group of people>

[Amazin69]

**** you, Mets. Eat Stearns and Die.

[Amazin69]

Joel Sherman: "The Mets have been trying to lose Pete Alonso for 13 months now. I'm only surprised that they finally got to it."

Ronnie: "The Mets have now paid Juan Soto $765,000,000 to walk 150 times next year."

Sean Casey pointed out that the Mets wouldn't pay Pete the ducats that the Phillies paid Schwarber, even though Schwarber is two years older.

Schwarber is also a fat **** who will never play the field again, and iMO has a > 50% chance of going from Kris Bryant to Chris Davis over the course of the deal. But the Phils understand that team-building is not like trading baseball cards. You're building a room, not piling up pieces of wood.

[Amazin69]

But wait, Jon Morosi tells us…the Mets might get Cody Bellinger!

That's the Cody Bellinger who has hit 102 HR over rhe past five seasons, averaging 20 per season, never more than 29.

Meanwhile, Baltimore just got revenge for 1969 by adding somebody who hit 193 dingers over those seasons, averaging over 38 per season, never less than 34.

Of course, there's more to offense than Home Runs. There's batting average, such as the lovely .165 that Bellinger hit for the Dodgers in 2021.

(His final two years in LA were so bad, the combined WAR was -0.3)

I'd rather the Mets signed Cody Rhodes.



(Cody lost the "LoveStache" over a decade ago. More's the pity.

[Amazin69]

My dream 2026 opening day lineup for the Mets

McNeil, cf
Giminez, 2b
Alonso, 1b
Nimmo, lf
Vientos, 3b
Alvarez, c
Conforto, rf
de Grom, p
Rosario, ss

(In my dreams, pitchers still hit.)

Obviously, it's time to upgrade at SS and RF, but we've got rookies for that. Do the team good to put some hungry youngin's in the lineup.

Conforto can get comfy on the bench next to Whompin' Wilmer Flores and Dom Smith.

Rotation: Jake, Wheeler, McLean, Peterson, Sproat. Can Matz and Megill do the job in the pen? We will see.

(I haven't bought the game since v. 22 because of the DH, but if anyone *coughs discretely* wants to start a 2019 Mets dynasty where the team can re-sign its own FAs but not import any "stars" or make any trades [they play until someone better comes up from the minors, period], I'd give it a squint…)

[ezpkns34]

Originally Posted by Amazin69

My dream 2026 opening day lineup for the Mets

McNeil, cf
Giminez, 2b
Alonso, 1b
Nimmo, lf
Vientos, 3b
Alvarez, c
Conforto, rf
de Grom, p
Rosario, ss

(In my dreams, pitchers still hit.)

Obviously, it's time to upgrade at SS and RF, but we've got rookies for that. Do the team good to put some hungry youngin's in the lineup.

Conforto can get comfy on the bench next to Whompin' Wilmer Flores and Dom Smith.

Rotation: Jake, Wheeler, McLean, Peterson, Sproat. Can Matz and Megill do the job in the pen? We will see.

(I haven't bought the game since v. 22 because of the DH, but if anyone *coughs discretely* wants to start a 2019 Mets dynasty where the team can re-sign its own FAs but not import any "stars" or make any trades [they play until someone better comes up from the minors, period], I'd give it a squintÂ…)

Your dream 2026 team is one that would have to fight & claw to get to 75 wins? You really are a Mets fan

[Amazin69]

I bet that lineup does better than the ****-storm Stearns is creating

(I mean de Grom and Wheeler alone put us strides beyond the current "rotation".)

Did you hear? Maybe the Mets can trade for Wellington Castillo! He's hit 20+ dingers in four of the last five years! WOW!!!!! FFS.

BTW, when I reported that Ronnie said Juan So-So might walk 150 times next year, he was talking about at the plate. We'll see the So-So Stroll in RF a few times too, no doubt, but I don't think Ronnie was counting those.