Overview

The team started 0-5 last year so there is that. Not the best game today but even in the 8th or 9th innings after last season I strongly believed the team could have came back and won. As mentioned here before I think I am not going to get on Lindor's case for a while but it would be nice to see him not start off rusty.

I'm hoping to duck out of work early to get home for the first pitch. I've got Mets opening day followed by my son's university trying to advance in March Madness tonight! LGM!

Feels like a holiday every year. I love it!

@ExWNYer @Gugny @SinceThe70s opening day guys. Depending how today breaks for me a might watch the end of the game at a bar I frequent. Found out the bartender is a big Mets fan. Even in years where there was nothing to be excited about there was always that hope springs eternal thoughts this time of year. I love opening day

I love Spring Training. Does it last too long? Yes. Do I care about the results of the games? Not really. But it signifies (symbolically) the end of winter and gets my mind off of the Bills not playing. Also, I am a bit of a "prospect weenie". I love watching the young guys and the minor league prospects and seeing where they may fit in or who may be used in a potential deadline trade/upgrade. Keep an eye on SP Brandon Sproat. I believe he'll be a part of this starting rotation before season's end. He just needs a little more seasoning in the minors. Agreed. I like the depth they've built in the rotation, now they need a few of them to deliver. I am least confident in this bunch than any other part of the team. Senga needs to be an ace. Agreed. The bullpen could be a sneaky strength, IMO. Another year removed from his injury has me hopeful that Diaz will be closer to his old (good) form. As you mentioned in your 'EDIT', Alvie is gone 6-8 weeks. This is really disappointing. I'm starting to worry that the injury bug is going to follow him his whole career and he will end up being another in a long line of Mets "can't miss" prospects who becomes JAG. I hope I'm wrong. He's young, so he has that going in his favor...but he plays catcher which does not work in his favor. "Availability is the best ability"...he needs to stay healthy. The way he expertly handles the pitchers is also a huge loss. I like Torrens but he is a backup for a reason. It will be interesting to see who earns the job behind him in the next couple of weeks. I'm glad to have Pete back, as well, but I'm probably in the minority in not wanting him signed long term. The Mets played this perfectly, IMO. Let him prove it again. I hope he has a monster year and gives the Mets something to think about in the offseason. They are already locked into Lindor & Soto long term. Doing that with Pete greatly hampers the roster flexibility. I'm not convinced that he is a part of the core going forward and he plays arguably the least valuable as well as the most easily replaceable position on the field. Agreed but I get why they didn't bring him back. He (OMG) and Grimace were 2024's vibe just like the canary and the Cespedes trade (and his yellow sleeve) were 2015's vibe. Hopefully, they get something cool to spark this year's squad. Maybe that is as simple as a full year of Winker. Amen. His slow starts seem to constantly put this team in a hole early and they spend the rest of the year trying to dig out; however, he has always been a notoriously slow starter, even when he was in Cleveland, so I'm not holding my breath. Maybe Soto lessens the sting of another slow Lindor start. I wouldn't be surprised at a Vientos sophomore slump either. If that happens, I'm hoping it's early and he is "2024 playoff Vientos" by year's end. Hopefully, Nimmo gets his feet right and is the Nimmo we know and love. He is sorely (no pun intended) needed, especially if they'll be using him some (a lot?) in the cleanup spot. Taylor is a great "glue guy". Love him. Siri is a phenomenal defender and will be an upgrade in CF from Bader, even though Bader was a great defender in his own right. Siri has more pop than Bader and should supply some spot power in the lineup but his big failing is that he has never hit for average. Look for his great D in the outfield and some HRs but be prepared to be frustrated by his low batting average, if you worry about that stuff. Today's analytics seems to place way less emphasis on average, FWIW. Lindor, Soto, & Alonso should indeed provide some exciting fireworks at the top of the lineup. If Alvarez can eventually contribute, this could be the most potent Mets squad, up and down the lineup, in almost 20 years. Personally, I hope Marte eventually gets moved for another arm. I'm done with his injuries and he's getting a little long in the tooth. He always leaves me wanting more. It's time for him to be on someone else's IL. Winker with a little Pete sprinkled in (when he's resting from a day off in the field) should be more than adequate at DH. Vientos may get a few games there, as well. I'm hoping for an exciting year with lots of offense. I think they will need to score and score some more to win, much like the Bills this past season. LGM!!! @Gugny @Another Fan

@Another Fan - thanks for starting up the thread. It's a small group but I appreciate the perspectives. @Gugny @ExWNYer I've never really gotten into spring training. Feels like the only news of note is bad news - injuries. Last year made no sense to me when they didn't give Vientos a chance to make the opening day roster even though Martinez wasn't ready, but that turned out just fine. It's not where you start, it's where you end. The starting pitching doesn't look championship caliber to me, but if Senga comes back strong, Manaea can replicate his second half and as @ExWNYer mentioned if Stearns good track record with reclamation projects continues it'll be a fun year. I feel good about the bullpen - tbullpens are a year to year crap shoot for most teams and at a minimum at least Ottavino is gone. Behind the plate I'd love to see Alvarez have a bigger year with the bat. Seems like he's solidified himself as a clubhouse guy and handler of pitchers, but I want more. Thrilled to have Pete back, wish he had signed the long term deal before going over to the dark side with Bor-@ss. Hope he gets his joy back, I thought the contract situation weighed on him last year and with the opt-out he's basically in another walk year. Disappointed that Iglesias isn't back, but there's a logjam at 2nd and we caught lightning in a bottle with him last year. I desperately want Lindor to be competent at the plate the first month or two. It won't surprise me at all if Vientos has a sophomore slump but I'm more concerned with his glove, would like to see improvement. In the outfield, a healthy Nimmo would go a long way. Tyrod Taylor (sic) is a solid contributor but I know nothing of Siri. Soto with Pete and Lindor could be a lot of fun. And at DH, I'd love to see Marte contribute. Feels like the Mets have had the most success the past few years when he's been on the field. Winker is a fun guy to have around, love his passion but he's a guy I could easily see flame out. LGM!! EDIT: no sooner do I post this then I see news that Alvarez is out for 8 weeks with a hand fracture. MFer!!!

Spring Training- it's more just exciting to me to see baseball being played again and the end of winter. I've never really looked too deeply into it. After the Mets started so poor last year and brought it the rest of the year I can't get too wrapped into it. I mean at least that's how I look at it. Misterbluesky was the poster on these old threads that would get stressed out watching Spring Training games. I miss him

@SinceThe70s @Gugny I don't like the fact that they are already dealing with injuries to the starting pitching staff but I have my fingers crossed. Starting pitching could keep this team from reaching its potential but time will tell. Holmes has looked good this Spring and they need a healthy Senga to deliver and hope that Manaea's new delivery keeps him at ace level. I'm also hopeful for Peterson. I have always loved his potential. They are a work in progress but Stearns' specialty has always been finding reclamation pitching projects and getting the most out of them. I'm also excited about rookie starter Brandon Sproat. He won't be with the big club to start the year but I fully expect him to be a contributor to the playoff push by year's end. I don't think Soto was an overpay. It's what the market would bear. I feel that way about all contracts. If someone is willing to pay, then the player is not "overpaid". As the saying goes, "It's not my money." BTW, apparently money was not completely the deciding factor. Boston was willing to pay more but Soto really wanted the Mets and some of the incidentals they agreed to in the contract. I hate the baseball salary structure but, as long as it is the way it is, I'm glad we finally have an owner who is willing to go to the wall for anyone the front office wants. I'm glad Pete is back because the lineup is better with him in it and he will own the all-time Mets HR record by year's end (barring injury). If he has a good year, he will opt out and try for more money again next year and we'll do this all over again. The good news is, if that happens, the Mets likely had another very good year. LGM!!!

I have learned to embrace the lack of salary cap in baseball now that we have an owner who a) wants to win and b) has more money than God. Love that they got Soto at whatever cost and loved it even more that the secured Pete for another year. We all know that NYC is not for everybody and we’ve now got two proven RBI/HR machines who’ve shown that they can take the NYC pressures. Like most fans, starting pitching is a concern, but I’m ready to ride the “ score more runs than the other team” train. #LFGM!

@Gugny@ExWNYer@SinceThe70s A good time for another thread. The season will be here by the end of the month already. Being a Mets fan I'll never be like 100% all in on being confident but still lots to like for this season. Mendoza & Stearns both exceeded my expectations last season. Soto- I definitely think they over payed but at the same time it's a clear W against the team from the bronx Pete- didn't go that smoothly for sure but at least he's still a Met. LGM

Not unstoppable but likely excellent. There is a HUGE roadblock out west called the LA Dodgers. They also have a dogfight in their own division with Atlanta and Philadelphia. The Braves made the playoffs with a ton of injuries and no Acuña. They are never dead until someone drives a wooden stake thru their cold, black hearts. Alonso turning down the long term offer from the Mets before he hired Boras and the 3-year deal he declined prior to the one he just signed were huge miscalculations on his part, IMO, and a gaffe from which he'll likely never recover monetarily. I just can't get to Boras screwing him over. He chose to hire Boras and Pete's subpar 2024 rendered the Boras hiring useless. He bet on himself and hoped that Boras could extract every last penny for him but his play on the field neutered that strategy. Alonso and Boras were able to save face with this contract as the $30M Pete will get this year makes him the highest paid player at his position. Good for him. I genuinely like him and wanted him back but I was to the point of being ambivalent whether he stayed or left. Now that he's here, I hope he crushes and earns his bag whether with the Mets or someplace else. Best case, IMO, is he has a great year and helps the Mets to the WS and the Mets get Guerrero if Pete decides he wants to chase the money elsewhere. Like Gugs said, Pete's had declining metrics for several years. I'm not counting on him "clawing back". I hope he can hit around 40 HRs, bat at least .250, and continue to play a decent first base. I will be shocked if he finishes his career as a Met. He should get to #1 on the Mets all-time HR list this year...he needs 17 to pass David Wright for 2nd and 27 to pass Darryl Strawberry for 1st...before opting out of his contract again and signing elsewhere as the Mets HR king until Soto likely breaks it down the line. Agree 💯 It's so rare for that to happen nowadays, as you know. It's not likely to happen again and I don't expect Pete to be the next one to accomplish that feat. He's 30 with declining skills and a doughy body composition. Power hitters like that don't tend to age well. *Note to all: I realize I said I'd like Guerrero but I am also acknowledging that he comes with a similar risk as Pete due to his body composition...but Vlad is a better all-around athlete, IMO. LGM!!!

I figured push came to shove the deal would get done. But it wasn’t looking good there for a while. David was really the last lifer in the Mets organization that stayed his whole career. So hoping big Pete does.

It'll be interesting to see if he bounces back. His deal makes each of the next two years a walk year and he didn't fare well in his 2024 walk year. Based on nothing but my gut/feels I think the walk year and contract uncertainty had a negative impact on his performance. His demeanor last year was completely different than previous years.

Pete will definitely end up losing out by not taking the 7-year deal. I am hopeful that he has a career year/gets his ring in 2025 and the rest of his career is gravy as a DH on one of the Florida teams. I read an article this morning on the Athletic and it made clear that his trend lines are heading in the wrong direction and that he’s too one-dimensional (and old) to command a long-term contract. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6118091/2025/02/06/pete-alonso-mets-contract-boras/?source=user_shared_article

I totally get why players flock to Bor-@ass, he's the best at what he does - but some players get screwed and I put Pete in that category. Although in fairness that remains to be seen. Pete turned down $158 over 7. If I understand correctly his new contract is worth a minimum of $30 over 1. Will he claw back the rest in the following 6 years? Maybe.

Ecstatic. Win-win, for sure. F*ck Boras. Ass.hole has hurt the game so much over the years. If Frankie Lindor can skip his annual April-May slump, the Mets will be unstoppable. #LFGM

@Gugny @Another Fan He did indeed. 2-year $54M deal with an opt out after the first year. I like it for the Mets. It gives them the opportunity to go after Guerrero next year, if they so choose. A little surprised at the high AAV but glad it's a short deal. I don't feel sorry for Alonso. Nobody made him hire Boras and nobody made him turn down the 7-year $158M deal the Mets offered him last year. He had a mostly lousy 2024, gambled on himself and lost. That said, they need his bat in the lineup to protect Soto. Welcome back, Pete.

@Gugny @ExWNYer @Another Fan Rumor has it Pete signed a two year deal (opt out after a year) If true, I'm thrilled to have him back. Also feel bad that Bor-@ss did him wrong.

The bolded mirrors my thinking. I'm probably biased against closers whose careers over-lapped with Mariano Rivera - which admittedly is unfair. DH's are a different animal to me. Kind of like NFL special teamers, the bar is set much higher. Edgar Martinez and Big Papi were no doubters for me. Off the top of my head I can't think of anyone else. Off topic, but talk of DH's reminded me of one of the greatest injustices ever: Rafael Palmeiro winning the Gold Glove in 1999 when he played 28 games at first and 128 at DH. Priceless.

I can't argue your evidence but I did highlight the bolden post-season because that plays a big part IMO in a player's career in consideration for the Hall. If their teams made it that far. To me I don't have a problem with Bill Mazeroski being in the hall of fame even if the rest of his stats don't cut the mustard. He hit probably the most epic home run in Major League Baseball history. That to me added significantly to his Hall of Fame Resume. I would not have an issue or argument against Eli Manning being a first ballot Hall of Famer either based on his two playoff/Super Bowl runs even if the rest of his stats might not cut the mustard either. To me my first thought about Billy Wagner was he really wasn't a big if any upgrade over Armando Benitez. Billy and Steve Traschel I thought were the main duds that series, not Carlos Beltran. I mean it ultimately is what it is. Go Bills

WRT Wagner, not only does he pass the eye test but the empirical evidence is there, as well.

I actually consider myself pretty stingy on my personal HOF votes. One of my main rules is “if I have to think about it for more than a couple seconds, they likely don’t belong. I think both of them belong. I think the reason Wagner took so long is the same reason pitchers like deGrom (statistically superior, but not a lot of wins because their team sucked) never used to win the Cy Young … it took a while for voters to smarten up. For closers, it’s similar to DHs. They don’t play dull games, so they didn’t get votes. We’re seeing a shift, which is long overdue. I think closers deserve consideration more than designated hitters.

@Gugny @Another Fan Sorry, I completely respect your opinions but we're going to agree to disagree on this one. He absolutely belongs. 1) He struck out a third of all batters he faced which is the highest strikeout rate of any pitcher with at least 900 innings. There have been 1,173 pitchers who have thrown 900 innings in the Live Ball Era (since 1920). He ranks: - First in batting average allowed (.187; Nolan Ryan is second and Sandy Koufax third). - First in strikeout percentage (33.2%; Jacob deGrom is second). - Second in WHIP (0.994; deGrom is first). - Second in OBP allowed (.262; deGrom is first). - Second in OPS allowed (.558; Mariano Rivera is first). - Third in lowest slugging (.296; Rivera is first and J.R. Richard second). 2) He allowed hits and baserunners less often than most pitchers. He was historically difficult to hit and also did it in the highest leverage situations until the end of his career. 3) His 2.31 ERA and 0.994 WHIP are the best for a southpaw in the Live Ball Era. 4) He was a seven-time All-Star. It took him 10 years because, among other things, his career innings total is the lowest among Hall of Fame relievers, he faced more competition from other closers with 600-plus saves, like Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman, and he wasn't great in the post-season.

To me he was a compiler and never a truly dominant player. I want Hall of Famers to be iconic, no-doubters. It's subjective and fun to debate. Years ago there was a poster who was very knowledgeable about baseball who mocked me when I said I thought Yadier Molina would be a HOFer. Different strokes for different folks. The real tragedy to me is that I've never been to Cooperstown. Incomprehensible.

I think what Franco did as a lefty should have gotten him in.