ExWNYer

They had more success than they deserved for years with Drew Brees. I don't feel sorry for them one iota.

@Gugny @Another Fan I liked Dotel. Such a horrible tragedy in the Dominican Republic with all of those lost lives. Another cheat code is "cup of coffee" Met pitcher Jacob Barnes.

I have trademarked '69', so don't any of you clowns go getting any ideas...

"WHERE ELSE...ya know what I'm sayin'?...WOULD YOU...ya know what I'm sayin'?...RATHER BE...ya know what I'm sayin'?...THAN RIGHT HERE...ya know what I'm sayin'...RIGHT NOW?!!...ya know what I'm sayin'?"

Shavers

Tell Palmer to bring Mitch Marner to Buffalo with him.

Keep your Chinn up, Mark.

People really need to learn to stop looking at the total dollars on all of these contracts. It's "funny money". The total guaranteed is $18M.

None. It's not a great UFA class. Here are the handful of signings to this point: And here are some still available:

I agree that all day one signings are usually an overpay by teams but I was really talking to the overreactions in here. You'd think the Bills had given Palmer Ja'Marr Chase money by the way some people are complaining. Palmer is a solid WR and they didn't break the bank to get him.

For all you pearl clutchers, $18 million guaranteed over 3 years is hardly an overpay for a WR.

Okay, you got it. Be happy...or pissed.

Yes, a positive for the Bills, IMO. He's never getting anyone to a Super Bowl and he's just average enough to keep you from bottoming out while ruining your draft position.

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

@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!!!