ExWNYer

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!!!

Are these the same "people with the Chiefs" who thought that Kermit & Co. were just going to show up at the Super Bowl and 'three-peat'?

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!!!

@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.

I believe cutting Miller creates about $8M in cap space and carries with it a dead cap hit of $15M.

Enjoy the next game, boys & girls. I'm logging off. I don't post during Bills games. GO BILLS!!!

We'll see. Daniels certainly looks like the real deal but let's see how his sophomore season goes before anointing him. Stroud look great last year and not so much this year. I'm certainly not betting against Daniels though.

His dad should punch him in the face...

He started as a UFA with the NJ Jest but made his bones with the Panthers.

Three turnovers won't cut it.

Yeah, I thought it was right before the first down signal. He was pushing the envelope there.

You can tell it's a championship game because, if it's a regular season game, I think Brown gets a flag there for taunting. Good no call.

Daniels to McLaurin. THAT was pretty.

My aunt & uncle live there and I visit them every 4th of July so I will not bad mouth it. It is a very poor town, though.

Is it because, deep down, you hate Jamestown, NY? Is it? IS IT?! 😂