December 2021 – The Disgruntled Mets Fan

Jeff McNeil & a Prospect to the Reds for Luis Castillo?

28 Dec

Jeff McNeil

Word has it that McNeil is officially on the trading block. I like McNeil a lot and would hate to see him go, especially since I think he’s got a lot left in him. But with my feelings on the Mets desperately needing starting pitching help to back up DeGrom and Scherzer, if they could get a front-line starter like Luis Castillo for McNeil and a prospect, I’m all for it. And the Reds make the most sense as McNeil can play 3rd base, thus giving Cincinnati the option of moving current 3rd baseman Eugenio Suarez (31 HRs, but a whopping 171 strikeouts and a .198 BA in 2021) to DH since in all likelihood the NL will be using the DH next year.

Buck Showalter Full Introductory News Conference

21 Dec

Analytics comes up way too much in this press conference. Like Showalter didn’t know what he was doing before analytics arrived? Just let the guy manage the team how wants to manage them and let his win-loss record determine if he wins or fails. I mean if the baseball nerds who love analytics so much knew what they were doing, then why haven’t we had a repeat champion since the 2000 Yankees?

Mets Name Buck Showalter As Team’s New Manager

18 Dec

Buck Showalter
ESPN.com:

The New York Mets have hired Buck Showalter as their new manager, team owner Steven Cohen announced Saturday on Twitter.

Showalter, 65, takes over for Luis Rojas, who was fired after a season in which the team held on to first place for 103 days but ultimately finished 77-85 and missed the playoffs.

Great hire! Showalter is experienced, has a great work ethic and is always prepared. In other words, we’ll never lose a game because we were out-managed.

What Should The Mets Do With Dominic Smith?

16 Dec

Dom Smith
NYDailyNews.com:

Smith deflated while serving as the team’s primary left fielder and getting into 145 games. He hit .244 with a woeful .363 slugging percentage and went from being better than league average to 14% worse. He also made nearly 300 more plate appearances than he ever had in a season, leaving much more opportunities to get exposed.

“Whatever happened this year is not going to define me as a player, as a person,” Smith told the Daily News in September, a month he started with a 4-for-19 stretch that included eight strikeouts. “I know I still have a lot of years in this game. I have a lot of years to improve and get better. I’m obviously going to take that challenge like I’ve taken every challenge and just work. That’s all you can do. There’s a lot of things I want to work on. I don’t worry about my future. I just take it day by day. I live in the present.”

Smith was having a so-so 2021 until he got benched by Luis Rojas in September. That said, the Mets need to trade him. Other than being a full-time DH, he has no position here. Trade him for a starting pitcher and call it a day.

Can The Mets Just Hire Buck Showalter Already?

13 Dec

Showalter Quatraro Espada
MLB.com:

The Mets have whittled their list of manager candidates down to three, inviting Buck Showalter, Joe Espada and Matt Quatraro for second-round interviews, a source told MLB.com on Sunday. The Mets did not confirm the list as they are not commenting on the ongoing process.

Team owner Steve Cohen, who sat out the first round of interviews, is expected to take part in the callbacks.

It’s so typical of the Mets to be taking this long to hire a manager. Now they’re down to 3 finalists? Who cares! Just hire Showalter already. He’s the obvious pick, with experience, success, fans love him and having already done it, we know that he can handle managing in NY. All the various pundits that matter have already endorsed Showalter and nobody even knows (or cares) who Joe Espada or Matt Quatraro are. Hire Buck and if Curtis Granderson is really interested in being a manager one day, then make Curtis Buck’s bench coach. It’s not complicated. Just get it done already.

Gil Hodges Finally Gets in the Hall of Fame

5 Dec

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjCVBToxwLI

Looking at his playing career alone, Gil was a Hall of Famer what with 8 All-Star appearances, 3 Gold Gloves and 9 HOF caliber seasons. But managing the ’69 Mets to a World Series championship should’ve put him over the top and in the Fame a long time ago. Either way, congratulations to the Hodges family and all the Mets/Dodgers fans who long campaigned for Hodges to get in the HOF along the way.

Marcus Stroman Signs 3-Year, $71M Deal with Cubs

2 Dec

Marcus Stroman
NYPost.com:

Marcus Stroman is leaving New York for the Windy City.

The 30-year-old right-hander signed a three-year, $71 million contract with the Cubs that includes an opt out after the second season, according to ESPN. According to the report, he will make $25 million in 2022, $25 million in 2023 and $21 million in 2024, and the deal also includes $2 million escalators for 160 innings pitched in ‘22 and ‘23.

We’ll miss Stroman, but $24M a year for your 3rd starter is steep. That said, I’d still give Zack Greinke’s agent a call.

Javier Baez Signs $140M Deal With Tigers

1 Dec

Javier Baez

ESPN.com:

Javier Baez hopes he’s a big part of a turnaround with the Detroit Tigers, too.

Baez celebrated his 29th birthday Wednesday by signing a $140 million, six-year contact to play shortstop for the revitalized Tigers.

“This is a turning point for the Tigers undoubtedly, signing a player like Javy. I think sends a message to the baseball world, to our fans, that the Tigers are here to compete,” CEO Christopher Ilitch said.

As intriguing and even exciting as the possibility of Francisco Lindor and Baez playing together and holding down the middle of the infield for years to come was, watching Baez play for the Mets for the short time he did while statistically above par, it was often reckless. And that would’ve been a huge concern for any Mets fan.