Stearns Goes All In

Last season, David Stearns had a fairly conservative trade deadline. "No blockbuster moves," was how I described it. And who could blame him? While the Mets were tied for the last Wild Card spot, by no means were they a shoo-in for the playoffs. A year after they sold off Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander to restock their farm system, the last thing Steans wanted was to undo all that progress the organization had made for a team that might not be ready to win. So he hedged his bets, opting instead to add a few complimentary pieces.

There was no hedging this time around. The Mets were in first-place going into the trade deadline; their owner, Steve Cohen, coughed up $765 million during the offseason to sign Juan Soto to a 15 year deal; the expectations could not be higher for this team. Stearns knew there were holes that had to be filled, and fill them he did.

The Bullpen was the number one concern. In April, the Mets overall team ERA was 2.68; in May, it was 3.08; from June 1 to June 12, it was 2.60; but from June 13 to July 31, it ballooned to a season-high 4.94. The major reason for this increase was the bullpen. Put succinctly, it's been overworked. With the exception of Edwin Diaz and Reed Garrett (most nights), every reliever showed definite signs of fatigue. It had gotten so bad that every time Carlos Mendoza went to his pen he was playing Russian Roulette, only with six bullets instead of one. Clearly, the situation was untenable. Failure to act would've been tantamount to executive malpractice on Stearns' part.

So he went out and got one very good, and two exceptional arms. Gregory Soto was the first to arrive. A southpaw, Soto's specialty is dominating left-handed hitters, holding them to a .547 OPS. Righties, however, have an OPS of .726 against him, so Mendoza will have to be careful in how he utilizes him. 

Tyler Rogers and Ryan Helsley are both right-handers and were acquired within hours of each other. Rogers boasts a 1.80 ERA, while Helsley had 21 saves for the St. Louis Cardinals this season. Both pitchers should make ideal set-up men for Edwin Diaz, while Soto will primarily be used in the 6th or 7th innings.

Centerfield was the next concern. Let's face it: if there's a more automatic out in baseball than Tyrone Taylor, I haven't seen him. Initial reports had the Mets acquiring Luis Robert Jr from the Chicago White Sox, but when Chicago's asking price was too high, Stearns shifted gears and landed Cedric Mullins from the Baltimore Orioles. To be honest, Mullins is the better player. Going into last night's game against the Giants, Mullins slash line was 15 / 49 / .229 / .738, while Robert Jr's was 11 / 44 / .213 / .653. 

In Mullins, the Mets have an exceptional outfielder known for his glove and ability to hit the long ball. He will be a vast improvement over Taylor and allow Mendoza to keep Jeff McNeil at Second Base where he belongs. As for the lineup, since Stearns didn't have to part with any players on the roster, it just got longer. The only casualty was Luisangel Acuña, who was sent down to Syracuse to make room for Mullins. His defense and ability to steal bases will be sorely missed. 

The good news is that Stearns was able to add four very valuable pieces at the deadline without sacrificing any top prospects in the organization.  The only bad news was that he wasn't able to land a starter. While not nearly as troublesome as the bullpen, the starting rotation is, nonetheless, becoming a concern for Mendoza. David Peterson is the only starter who's been able to consistently pitch into the 7th inning. Clay Holmes, the converted closer the Mets stole from the Yankees during the offseason, hasn't gotten through the 6th inning since June 7, and lately has struggled to get through five. In his last outing, Frankie Montas was staked to a 5-1 lead going into the 5th inning and couldn't hold it. His ERA is as high as an attendee at a Grateful Dead concert.

It would've been nice to add someone like a Dylan Cease or Joe Ryan or Sandy Alcantra or Merrill Kelly to that rotation, but I suspect the price tag for those starters was more than Stearns was willing to pay. Indeed, it probably would've been more than what he paid for all three relievers. The logical choice was to fortify the bullpen and hope that Mendoza can somehow manage to get five innings out of his starters.

Last year, I gave Stearns a B+. This year, I'm giving him an A. With the exception of A.J. Preller of the San Diego Padres, no executive had a better trade deadline than Stearns. He identified two critical needs on the roster and he addressed both of them. No, he didn't get everything he wanted; spoiler alert: no general manager ever does. But what he did get should be enough for the Mets to win the National League East, and perhaps advance to their first World Series in ten years.

Lofty goals, to be sure, but as I wrote above, the expectations for this team could not be higher.

Mets in a Free Fall

"Tough stretch, no sugarcoating it. I didn’t see this coming. I’m as frustrated as everybody else. We will get through this period. Our injured pitching will come back over the next few weeks. It is unlikely the team’s hitting with RISP will continue at this weak pace. Keep the faith!" -  Steven A. Cohen, owner of the New York Mets

With all due respect to Steve, this is not just a tough stretch. A tough stretch would be going 2-7. It's hard to fathom, but on June 12, the Mets were 45-24, twenty-one games over .500 and solidly in first place in the National League East. After yesterday's loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, they're now 48-37, and the only reason they're a game and a half out of first is because the Philadelphia Phillies haven't exactly taken off.

The Mets are 3-13 in their last 16 games. In colloquial terms that's called a free fall. And the worst part about this "stretch" is that they haven't been remotely competitive in most of their losses. In the three-game sweep against the Pirates, New York was outscored 30-4, their most lopsided series loss in their 64 years as a franchise. Given how many bad teams this organization has fielded over its history, that is a damnable stat.

They're not hitting; they're not pitching; in short, nothing is going right. Ironically, the only player who's exceeding expectations is Juan Soto. For the month of June, the $765 million dollar man hit 11 home runs, drove in 20 and batted .322 with an OPS of 1.196. Conversely, Francisco Lindor - the leadoff hitter - had 4 homers, 10 RBIs and batted .204 with an OPS of just .628.

It's one thing to keep the faith; Mets fans are experts at that. It's quite another to look in the mirror and know the truth. Despite its top-level talent, this team has more holes in it than a block of Swiss cheese. The starting rotation has been ravaged by injuries. Kodai Senga, Sean Maneae, Frankie Montas and Griffin Canning have all spent time on the IR. Canning is lost for the year after rupturing his left Achilles against the Atlanta Braves last week. 

The bullpen, which had been the best in baseball for most of the season, since June 13 has sprung more leaks than the Titanic and Lusitania combined. Over the last 16 games, their combined ERA is 6.59. Apart from Edwin Diaz, there isn't a single reliever Carlos Mendoza can trust in a tight spot.

And contrary to what Cohen alluded to in his tweet, the RISP issue is not a recent thing. It's plagued this team all season long. The Mets are batting just .217 with runners in scoring position. Only the Chicago White Sox at .208 are worse. To put that in perspective, the Phillies, Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers - the current division leaders in the National League - are batting .262, .281 and .298 respectively with runners in scoring position. 

The bottom half of the lineup is as close to an automatic out as there is in baseball. After coming back from a hamstring injury, Mark Vientos looks lost at the plate. In his last three games, he's gone 1-13, and that one hit was a dribbler up the third base line. Ronnie Mauricio, aside from smacking three dingers, clearly cannot handle major-league pitching; and Francisco Alvarez had gotten so bad, the Mets were forced to send him back down to Syracuse to help him get his swing back. All the faith in the world can't overcome this level of ineptitude.

The fact is the Mets, even with the second-highest payroll in baseball, lack the depth to be a good team. David Stearns has done a credible job of piecing together a pitching staff that until recently was the envy of every GM in the majors. And now it is coming unglued. Take away Lindor, Soto, Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo, and most of the remaining hitters would have a hard time cracking the Oakland A's lineup. Even in a sport as individualistic as baseball, you still need more than a handful of players to win a championship.

If this hemorrhaging doesn't come to an end soon, the Flushing Faithful may have to endure yet another year of bitter disappointment.

But then that's become a rite of passage, hasn't it?

Memo To Steve Cohen: Pay the Polar Bear!

Much has been written about the great start the New York Mets have gotten off to. At 39-23, they have the best record in the National League, and the second best record in the Majors. Their team ERA of 2.83 is the best in baseball; followed by the San Francisco Giants at 3.06 and the Texas Rangers at 3.17. The LA Dodgers, last year's World Series champs, are currently 20th with a 4.12 team ERA.

Much of the credit for the pitching goes to David Sterns, who without one of his best starters from last year in Sean Manaea, has assembled one of the best and deepest staffs in baseball. Seriously, if you had the Mets with the number one team ERA after 62 games, I want to see the receipts, and then I've got a cup for you to pee in. Nobody saw this coming.

But as great as the pitching has been, the Mets wouldn't be where they are in the standings without the exploits of one Pete Alonso, AKA the Polar Bear. Last night he smacked two home runs against the Dodgers; the latter a three-run shot that traveled 447 feet into the left-field pavilion. Overall, Alonso was responsible for five of the six runs the Mets scored in the game.

This is not the first time he has carried his team across the threshold. Apart from a slump in May where he went 65 at bats without hitting a home run, the Polar Bear has been the Mets most consistent offensive threat pretty much the entire season.

Just look at his slash line so far this season: 

Avg: .290, HRs: 14, RBIs: 53, OBP: .386, SLG: .563, OPS: .949.

Alonso is on track to finish the season with 37 homers and 138 runs batted in. What's been most impressive about Pete is that he's hitting to all fields and avoiding swinging at bad pitches; something he did quite frequently the last two seasons. On a team that is hitting an anemic .219 with runners in scoring position - fourth worst in the Majors - Alonso's RISP average is .349. 

And to think, the Polar Bear almost didn't re-sign with the Mets. Alonso's agent Scott Boras was looking for a long-term deal in excess of $200 million. But Steve Cohen and Stearns played hardball and wouldn't budge. Finally, both sides agreed on a two-year deal for $54 million with an opt out after this season. Based on what Alonso has done so far this season, I'd say the odds of Pete opting out are somewhere between 100 percent and Are you fucking kidding me?

Which brings me to the title of my piece. Last offseason, Cohen had all the leverage. Alonso was coming off inarguably the worst season of his career: 34 HRs, 88 RBIs, and an OPS of just .788. Boras badly overplayed his hand. He thought there would be significant demand for Alonso's services. Turns out there wasn't and Cohen knew it.

That won't be the case this offseason, not with the year Alonso is having. Boras's cell phone will be ringing off the hook come November. You can just imagine what the offers will look like. Think seven years, $300 million. And that's just for starters. In case you misplaced your calculator, that comes out to $42.8 million per year. 

If you think that's crazy, consider that the Mets are paying Juan Soto $51 million per year and he's batting .232 with 11 HRs and 31 RBIs. Which is crazier, Alonso at $42.8m or Soto at $51m?

If Cohen is smart - and by all indications he is - he will get his checkbook out now rather than wait for the fall. The longer this goes on, the more it'll cost him. Boras is not one to forgive and forget. He knows once Pete hits the free agent market he will be in the driver's seat. Maybe he can get a home-team discount; say $20 million. Alonso may prefer to stay in Flushing, but let's face it: with an agent like Boras, if someone makes him an offer he can't refuse, it'll be adios for the Polar Bear.

And that's why Cohen cannot let that happen. As of this writing, Alonso is only two home runs shy of David Wright for second place on the Mets all-time home run list, twelve behind Darryl Strawberry for first. Barring injury, he should pass Strawberry sometime in late July or early August. You don't let guys like that walk, especially when they're literally the only ones producing in the clutch for you. 

Don't get me wrong: Francisco Lindor is having a great year, and sooner or later, Soto will get untracked. But this team would barely be above .500 if Alonso weren't in the lineup. His teammates know it, he knows it, and most of all, his agent knows it.

Like that Fram Oil commercial from the '70s used to say, "You can pay me now or you can pay me later."

Pay him now, Steve!

Mets Off To a Roaring Start

Four weeks into the 2025 baseball season, the New York Mets are 18-7, five games ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East and currently sitting atop the major league standings. After going 7-0 on this home stand, they are now 12-1 at home, their best start in franchise history, and that includes 1986.

And here's the thing: they are doing all this with Juan Soto still stuck in second gear. With a few rare exceptions, he's been a non-factor this season. Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor have done most of the heavy lifting. And speaking of Alonso, the Polar Bear is off to his best start as a Met. Here is his slash line so far and where it ranks: AVG .341 (5th), HRs 6 (5th), RBIs 26 (T 1st), OBP .440 (4th), SLG .681 (3rd), OPS 1.122 (2nd).

As for Lindor, after going hitless in March, the Captain is batting .349 with 5 HRs, 14 RBIs and a .972 OPS in April, including a walk-off homer against the St. Louis Cardinals and two dingers against the Phillies. How unusual is this? Last season he couldn't hit his way out of a paper bag in April and May.

And while The Three Amigos - Lindor, Soto and Alonso - rightly garner most of the attention, the rest of the lineup is starting to pick it up. Mark Vientos hit a pair of home runs on this home stand, Brett Baty crushed a two run homer into the upper deck and Starling Marte got the game-winning hit to complete the sweep against the Phillies. Isn't it fun when everyone contributes?

The pitching continues to dominate. In 2024, the Mets team ERA was 4.03. This year, it's 2.34, first in the majors. The San Diego Padres are next at 2.92, followed by the Detroit Tigers at 2.94. The starters have not allowed a home run in their last 12 starts, and the bullpen, apart from Edwin Diaz, has been almost spotless. In eleven relief appearances this season, Reed Garrett has yet to give up an earned run. Overall, the staff has the 8th lowest WHIP in baseball at 1.18.

What a difference a year makes. Last season, the Mets got off to a so-so start in April, then did a swan dive in May. It wasn't until after Memorial Day that they began to put it together. From June 3 through the end of the regular season, the Mets were the best team in baseball with a record of 65-38, and a .631 winning percentage. 

This season, the Mets winning percentage is .720. Over a 162 game schedule that translates to a record of 117-45. While no one seriously believes they'll win 117 games, if they simply duplicate last year's .631 win percentage from June thru September, that would come out to 102 regular season wins. I'm pretty sure Steve Cohen would be very happy with that, especially if it's followed up with 11 postseason wins. 

If you think I'm getting ahead of myself, consider this: we know that Soto is going to eventually start producing; he almost had his first CitiField home run the other day but it went foul by about two feet. Jeff McNeil and Francisco Alvarez are set to return Friday, while Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea are due back in mid May. With the Phillies bullpen in disarray and the Atlanta Braves off to a poor start, the Mets should be the clear favorites to win the NL East. The only question is whether they will have the home-field advantage in October?

To reiterate what I wrote in my last piece on the Mets: The excitement is palpable; the expectations couldn't be higher.

Mets Pitching is Keeping Them Afloat

Through ten games this season, the New York Mets record stands at 7-3. They are in second place in the Eastern Division, a half game back of the Philadelphia Phillies.

What's remarkable about that isn't so much the record - they were after all two wins away from going to the World Series last year. It's that they've done it while averaging 3.5 runs per game: 7th lowest in the majors. If I told you a team with Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto and Pete Alonso would be this anemic offensively this early in the season and still be in second place in their division, you'd think I was pulling your leg.

So why are they doing so well? In a word, pitching. The Mets team ERA through ten games is a league best 1.72. How significant is that? The Los Angeles Dodgers are second with a team ERA of 2.63, and they were supposed to have the best pitching staff in all of baseball.

The starting rotation, which was supposed to be a sore spot for this team, has so far been outstanding. Just take a look at the numbers below. Not one starter has an ERA at or above 3.00.

But as good as the starters have been, the relievers have been even better. With the exception of A.J. Minter - who was brought in from the Atlanta Braves to be the set-up man for Edwin Diaz - and Danny Young, they have been virtually untouchable. Through ten games, Diaz, Huascar Brazobán, Jose Butto, Max Kranick, Reed Garrett and Ryne Stanek have allowed just one earned run. Somewhere up in Heaven, Rube Walker and Tug McGraw are looking down and smiling. 

Can you imagine where the Mets would be right now without their pitching? I can assure you they wouldn't be 7-3; more likely 3-7. And that is very good news because there's no way this team with all its offensive talent is not going to break out sooner or later. Already, Lindor is starting to get untracked. After going hitless in his first three games, he's 8 for his last 22 for a .363 batting average; Soto has reached base safely in all ten games and is batting .286; and Alonso is leading the team with 3 home runs and 11 RBIs. His 1.086 OPS is 12th best in the majors. 

If there is a concern it's at third and second base. Mark Vientos, Luisangel Acuña and Brett Baty are a combined 8 for 73 for a .110 batting average and one run batted in. That would be unacceptable even on the '73 Mets, and that team had the likes of Don Hahn, Ed Kranepool, Ron Hodges and Jim Fregosi on the roster.

Once Jeff McNeil comes back, that should take care of second base. McNeil is a proven hitter with some pop in his bat. But Vientos at third remains a problem. He has got to produce. Last year, he batted .266 with 27 HRs and 71 RBIs, and the Mets are counting on him to put up similar numbers this season. If there's one thing you can point to that's encouraging it's that last night he walked three times; a sign that he at least isn't swinging at bad pitches. Sometimes you have to walk before you can run, no pun intended. 

Think about it: last year, the Mets got off to an 0-5 start, CitiField was a ghost town, and the fans had little to root for. This year, they're off to a 7-3 start with two more games against the Miami Marlins before they hit the road to play the A's and Twins. A 5-1 trip is not out of the question. 

The excitement is palpable; the expectations couldn't be higher. 

Mets 2025 Season Preview

Let's face it: the moment the New York Mets signed Juan Soto to that $765 million contract, expectations for the 2025 season began to soar. With the re-signing of Pete Alonso, those expectations have now passed the stratosphere. Next stop, thermosphere. 

With Francisco Lindor leading off, the Amazins' have arguably the best batting order in franchise history. I say arguably because the 2006-08 Mets had Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado and David Wright batting 3-5. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. Regardless of which order you prefer, there's no denying that this team is better and deeper than the one that was two wins away from its first World Series appearance since 2015. 

Don't take my word for it. Just check it out for yourselves:

1. Francisco Lindor - SS
2. Juan Soto - RF
3. Pete Alonso - 1B
4. Mark Vientos - 3B
5. Brandon Nimmo - RF
6. Starling Marte - DH
7. Jeff McNeil - 2B
8. Franciso Alvares - C
9. Jose Siri - CF

Objectively speaking, only the Los Angeles Dodgers boast a better 1-9.

If there's one concern about this Mets team, it's the starting rotation. Both Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea will start the season on the disabled list and are not expected back until mid-May. That means that the bulk of the load will fall onto the shoulders of converted reliever Clay Holmes, Tylor Megill, David Peterson and Kodai Senga. Holmes had an outstanding spring training, boasting a 0.93 ERA, but Megill and Peterson are ostensibly .500 pitchers, while Senga is coming back from an injury that kept him out most of last season. In other words, Carlos Mendoza will have his work cut out for him managing this staff. 

The bullpen should be just fine with closer Edwin Diaz leading the way. And Brett Baty, Luisangel Acuna, Jesse Winker, Tyrone Taylor and Luis Torrens provide plenty of depth in the lineup. No one can say that Steve Cohen and David Stearns haven't done a great job here.

But while this may be the most talented Mets team in almost twenty years, they are hardly a lock to win their division. That's because while the Dodgers may own the NL West, the NL East is the deepest division in Major League Baseball. The Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves are perfectly capable of emerging on top come October. That's why it's essential that this team get off to a good start. They can't afford a repeat of 2024 when they began the season 24-35.

That's why I have the Mets as the prohibitive favorites to win the NL East. Assuming that Soto and Lindor stay healthy and Diaz is lights out, I don't think there's a team east of the Rockies that can touch them.

And now for my predictions for each division, plus which teams will make the league championship and World Series.

National League East:

Mets
Phillies (WC)
Braves (WC)
Marlins
Nationals

National League Central:

Brewers
Cardinals
Cubs
Pirates
Reds

National League West:

Dodgers
Padres (WC)
Diamondbacks
Giants
Rockies

American League East:

Red Sox
Yankees (WC)
Blue Jays (WC)
Rays
Orioles

American League Central:

Guardians
Tigers
Royals
Twins
White Sox

American League West:

Mariners
Rangers (WC)
Astros
Angels
A's

WC = Wild Card

NLCS:

Mets over Dodgers 4-3

ALCS:

Red Sox over Mariners 4-2

World Series:

Mets over Red Sox 4-2

As with all my predictions, you should take them with a rather large grain of salt.

Cohen and Stearns Are Taking a Huge Risk

"The hard part about playing chicken is knowing when to flinch." 

- The Hunt for Red October

If the reports we're hearing are to be believed, the New York Mets have decided they're not going to flinch at all. Their "final" offer of three years, $70 million to Pete Alonso was rejected by his agent, Scott Boras. They have now pivoted to Plan B. Part One of Plan B was the re-signing of Jesse Winker yesterday to a one year, $7.5 million contract. Winker hit .253 with 14 home runs and 58 RBIs last season. He will platoon for the DH spot with Starling Marte. The second part of Plan B is addressing the bullpen. With the signing of A. J. Minter to a two-year, $22 million contract, pending a physical, they appear to have done that. Minter was 5-4 with one save and a 2.62 ERA. He should make an ideal set up man for Edwin Diaz. 

Look, do I think Boras overplayed his hand here? Without question. He gambled that the demand for Alonso would be so great that the Mets would have no choice but to acquiesce to his demands. Obviously that didn't happen. And now with pitchers and catchers only a few weeks away, Alonso appears to be on a desert island with few, if any suitors.

That's not the Mets fault. It's not their responsibility to manage the financial affairs of one of their own free agents, even if he is an overall good guy who's popular with his fellow teammates. And it's not the obligation of Steve Cohen to overpay for an asset that the market has already determined isn't as valuable as the player's agent thinks it is. How do you think Cohen got to be so rich in the first place?

But that doesn't mean that Cohen and his GM David Stearns aren't taking a huge risk here. Let's face it, while Juan Soto is a much better hitter than Alonso, without the Polar Bear in this lineup, the Mets are ostensibly repeating the same mistake the Yankees made last season when Soto and Aaron Judge were the primary run producers on the team. That worked out so well that Soto couldn't wait to get the hell out of the Bronx.

Mark Vientos had an outstanding 2024 season. In his first full year in the majors, he batted .266 with 27 HRs and 71 RBIs playing third base for the Mets. There's no guarantee he'll be as productive in his second full year; there's also no guarantee he'll be able to make the transition to first base. Alonso may have had his shortcomings but he was a good first baseman who could be counted on to hit 40 plus home runs per season. Even in a down year, he still managed to hit 35 dingers. His production will be missed.

Maybe all this is just a ploy to get Alonso to reconsider. Get him to realize that the ship is leaving port with or without him, and maybe he'll come to his senses. With Boras as his agent that isn't likely to happen. The only thing old Scott thinks about is his wallet. If he could get $500 million for Alonso to play on the moon he'd do it in a heart beat. That's the problem with choosing agents like Boras. They never consider the interests of their clients; only their own bottom line.

Then there's the rumor - and let's be polite and call it a rumor - that Stearns is pursuing a trade for Vladimir Guerrero, Jr from the Toronto Blue Jays. The 26 year old first baseman batted .323 with 30 home runs and 103 RBIs. He signed a one-year, $28.5 million deal to avoid arbitration. Forget for a moment that any team looking to land him would pay a king's ransom in prospects, he's a pending free agent after this season. And while he probably won't command the same money Soto did, he's not going to be cheap. Think $500 million over 12 years. And keep in mind, before Soto hit the market, I thought his contract would come in around $600 million. I was off by $165 million. To paraphrase Bill Murray in Ghost Busters, "No salary is too high" when it comes to baseball.

For now, this is the Mets projected lineup for the 2025 season:

Francisco Lindor - SS
Soto - RF
Vientos - 1B
Brandon Nimmo - LF
Winker / Marte - DH
Jeff McNeil / Luisangel Acuna - 2B
Francisco Alvarez - C
Tyrone Taylor / Jose Siri - CF
Brett Baty - 3B

Not bad, but hardly the 1927 Yankees. And if the starting rotation doesn't pan out, or if Soto struggles in his first season with the team just like Lindor did in his first season, the Mets will have a tough time competing for a Wild Card spot, much less the division.

Far be it for me to tell Steve Cohen how to spend his money, but I think he should reconsider his offer to Alonso. Maybe Pete isn't worth what he's asking for, but let's be honest, was Soto really worth $765 million? You and I both know the answer to that. If Boras rejected $70 million over three years, try upping the ante to, say, $90 million over three, with an opt out after the first year. We're talking about a home grown player who's third in team history with 226 home runs. That has to count for something, even in these cut throat times.

Bottom line, the Mets lineup is stronger with Alonso hitting behind Soto than Vientos. Cohen knows it, Stearns knows it, Boras knows it, Carlos Mendoza knows it, and Pete knows it.

Re-sign the Polar Bear. It's the right thing to do.

Cohen Bags Soto

That vibration you felt last night was George Steinbrenner not only turning over in his grave but punching the sides of the casket with both fists. In what can only be described as the greatest coup in the 63 year history of the franchise, the New York Mets not only landed the biggest prize in free agency, they literally stole him from their cross-town rival Yankees.

Juan Soto is a Met. The 26 year-old right fielder signed for an unprecedented $765 million over 15 years. The contract includes a $75 million signing bonus and an opt out after five years should Soto decide to leave Flushing. To put this in perspective, Tom Brady and LeBron James combined earned $761 million over their collective careers which spanned 45 years.

But the most amazing thing - no pun intended - about this was that the Mets offer was only $5 million more than the Yankees. The Yankees offered $760 million over 16 years; the Mets offered $765 million over 15 years. Late Sunday, it was widely believed that if the two teams were close, Soto would remain in the Bronx. Yours truly tweeted that for the Mets to land Soto they would have to be $30-$50 million above the Yankees offer.

So much for the mystique of playing for the Yankees. 

Yankees fans can cry in their beer and accuse Soto of being a mercenary all they want - and let's be honest, if not for Cohen's immense financial resources, this is just a pipe dream for the Mets - the fact is Soto is a clutch player who in seven seasons in the big leagues has hit 201 home runs and boasts a career .953 OPS. In the 2019 postseason, he hit .277 with 5 home runs and 14 runs batted in with an OPS of .927 for the Washington Nationals. Last postseason, he hit .327 with 4 HRs and 9 RBIs with an OPS of .1101 for the Yankees. The man is a winner, and if Brian Cashman had done a better job at the trade deadline last season, the Bronx Bombers might well have won their 28th World Series title instead of losing to the LA Dodgers in five. 

Face it, the Mets have a more balanced team with enough hitters to protect Soto in the lineup, especially if they re-sign Pete Alonso, which now seems likely given the season the Polar Bear had last year and the fact that he's gotten zero interest for his services from other teams. In fact, it would not surprise me at all to learn that Cohen reassured Soto that Alonso or someone comparable would be playing first base for the Mets in 2025.

If you're a Mets fan you have every right to crow today. Moments like this do not come along very often. The last time the Flushing Faithful were this giddy about a new player was 2005 when then GM Omar Minaya signed Carlos Beltran to a 7 year, $119 million contract. Though Beltran struggled his first year as a Met, he had three consecutive 100 plus RBI seasons after that.

But as wonderful as this moment may seem, there is still more work ahead for Cohen and David Stearns. With or without Alonso returning to the fold, the Mets will need to replace Luis Severino, who signed a three-year, $67 million deal with the Oakland A's. The right-hander had his best season since 2018, going 11-7 with a 3.91 ERA. Frankie Montas is a good addition, but hardly what you would call an ace. Clay Holmes led the Yankees in saves with 30 and would make a far better set-up man for Edwin Diaz than a starter, which is what the Mets envision him as. Like Severino, Sean Manaea opted out of his contract to become a free agent. Re-signing him should be a priority for Stearns. And let's not forget, Kodai Senga will be coming back from an injury that sidelined him most of last season. There is virtually no pathway to a World Series appearance for the Mets without a quality starting rotation. 

Re-signing Jesse Winker would give Carlos Mendoza another hitter who can platoon with Starling Marte in the DH spot. Jose Iglesias provided a spark last season and can play both 2nd and 3rd base. Hopefully he can be brought back at a reasonable price. And if Stearns can find a suitable suitor for Jeff McNeil, that would free up second base for Luisangel Acuña. The young phenom batted .308 and hit 3 homers in just 12 games last season.

Bottom line: After years of playing second fiddle and living in the shadow of the House That Ruth Built, the Mets, thanks to Steve Cohen, have staked their claim to the city. For the time being, the back pages of the daily newspapers are theirs. They have the mojo. What they do with it next is entirely up to them.

April can't come fast enough.

For the Mets, the Future Looks Very Bright

They started off 0-5; were eleven games under .500 going into June. And from that point on, the New York Mets had the best record in baseball. For a team that was supposed to be punting on the season, what this group of players did was nothing short of amazing. 

They made the playoffs literally on the last day of the season, then went on to beat the Milwaukee Brewers in the Wild Card round and the Philadelphia Phillies in the divisional round, before finally losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS. 

To come within two wins of going to their first World Series since 2015 sucks, I know, but the pain will go away. As Howie Rose said on the Mets radio broadcast, this team took its fans on an "incredible ride" this season, a ride that was improbable only a year ago. Not only is the glass half filled, the glass is literally under a running faucet. The Flushing faithful may finally be rewarded for their patience.

But before we get to 2025, let's first acknowledge the accomplishments of 2024.

Francisco Lindor: The team MVP delivered. Not only was he the most consistent player on the roster, his two-run homer in the top of the 9th inning in Atlanta was responsible for getting the Mets in the playoffs. His players-only meeting in late May likely saved the season.

Pete Alonso: The Polar Bear had a disappointing regular season, but came through with flying colors in the postseason. He hit two huge three-run homers: the first against the Brewers and the second against the Dodgers. Both times the Mets were facing elimination. No one knows whether Steve Cohen will re-sign him, but even if this was the last hurrah for Pete, at least he can say he went out with a bang.

The starting rotation: Even before Kodak Senga went down, this staff on paper more closely resembled Moe, Larry, Curly and Shemp than a legitimate rotation. And yet it wound up being the club's biggest strength. Sean Manaea and Luis Severino had career years and led the team in wins with 12 and 11 respectively. Jose Quintana and David Peterson - who had his best year as a Met - finished with 10 wins a piece. A healthy Senga could mean an extra 10-15 wins for the team next season. 

Mark Vientos: This burgeoning star, who began the season in Triple A, finished third on the team in home runs with 27, and had a team-leading .327 batting average and 14 RBIs in the playoffs. The Mets finally have their third baseman.

Luisangel Acuna: The center piece in the Max Scherzer trade last year, came up late in the season and took over at short stop when Lindor was out with a back injury. The 22 year-old contributed with 3 HRs and 6 RBIs with an OPS of .966. Just imagine him at 2nd base next year.

Carlos Mendoza: The rookie skipper probably won't win manager of the year, but there's no denying the impact he had in the dugout. His belief in his players when the season was on the brink kept the wheels from falling off. And while his handling of the bullpen at times was puzzling, he has the makings of a great manager. The Mets appear to have found their next Davey Johnson.

And now for 2025:

Center Field: Let's face it, while both Harrison Bader and Tyrone Taylor are excellent fielders, neither are terribly gifted offensively. David Stearns needs to find someone who can both hit and field for this position.

Juan Soto: File this under "Who do I have to kill?" Two years ago, I wrote the Mets needed to move heaven and earth to acquire the young star. Turns out, they didn't have the prospects to land him. Now that he's a free agent after the season, the only thing standing between him patrolling right field in Flushing or in the Bronx will be money. Fortunately for the Mets, Cohen has a boat load of it. If he elects not to re-sign Alonso, he can put the savings towards signing Sota. There's also the possibility that Cohen may want both players. Can you imagine what a lineup of Lindor, Vientos, Soto, Alonso, Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Alvarez would look like?

The bullpen: Stearns addressed this weak spot for the Mets at the trade deadline, but he will need to do more during the offseason. The Dodgers pretty much had their way with them in the NLCS. Hopefully, Adam Ottavino has played his last game as a Met.

Francisco Alvarez: There's no denying the kid's talent, but he needs to improve his defense as a catcher and become more disciplined at the plate. Perhaps playing Winter ball will help him in both areas. He has the power to hit 25-30 home runs per season. 

JD Martinez and Jesse Winker: They proved to be an effective DH tandem for the Mets, but Martinez struggled over the last couple of months. Both are free agents and could be re-signed for a reasonable price, which will be necessary if Cohen goes after Sota.

To sum up, 2024 was a great year for the Mets. They thrilled their fans and stunned their detractors. 2025 promises to be even better. Gary Cohen drew comparisons to the 1984 team that won 90 games. Personally, I prefer 1985, myself. 

Either way, the future looks very bright for the men in orange and blue.

It's Time for Alonso to Put Up or Shut Up

After getting off to a 4-3 start on this road trip, that would've been 6-1 had the bullpen not blown two saves, the New York Mets find themselves three games behind the Atlanta Braves for the third and final wild card spot in the National League. They're in Chicago to play three games against the White Sox before returning home to CitiField to play three against the Boston Red Sox and three against the Cincinnati Reds. Having dropped two out of three to the Oakland A's in their last home stand, the Amazins cannot afford to take the Chi-Sox lightly. Anything other than a sweep would be unconscionable. Suffice to say, the season is hanging in the balance.

Also hanging in the balance is Pete Alonso's career with the Mets. The slugging first baseman is a free agent after the season and his agent, Scott Boras, is said to be looking to ink him to a multi-year contract in the neighborhood of $300 million. But whether Steve Cohen believes Alonso is worth that much, especially with Juan Soto expected to hit free agency, remains to be seen.

To be sure, Alonso is the best home run hitter the franchise has produced since David Wright - whose career was cut short by spinal stenosis. Letting him walk would be a tough decision. But overpaying him would be a mistake. The fact is that since his rookie season in 2019, in which he led the majors with 53 homers, he has failed to live up to his enormous potential. While he is still a potent home run threat every time he steps up to the plate, he is still vulnerable to the high fast ball and curve ball low and away. In 2023, he batted a career low .217. Yesterday, he hit just his 29th home run of the season, which would put him on pace for 35 for the year. For a man with that much power, that is a woefully low number. By comparison, Soto already has 37 and is hitting 40 points higher with a 1.012 OPS. Who would you rather have in your lineup, Alonso or Soto?

Granted, Soto will command considerably more money. But he's four years younger than Alonso and is a better all-around player. He's also represented by Boras, so figure the bidding will start at $500 million over 10 years and could go as high as $600 million over 10. Given that Cohen was all in on Shohei Ohtani before he signed with the LA Dodgers, I can't imagine he'd pass up a shot at landing arguably the second best outfielder in baseball. The first just happens to be Aaron Judge, who compared to what Soto will command this offseason, is the steal of the century at $360 million over 9 years.

But all that could change if Alonso were to have a great September. He is certainly capable of going on a hot streak. If he were to hit 11 more home runs, he'd finish with his third consecutive 40 plus HR season. That would increase his markability, but it would also give Cohen an excuse to pass on Soto and re-signing Alonso, especially if Boras overplays his hand, like he did with Jordan Montgomery.

It's all on Alonso. He is in control of his own destiny. I'm sure Cohen, if given a choice, would prefer to re-sign one of his own over a much more expensive import. And for his part, Alonso has expressed a desire to retire as a Met. But Cohen is, first and foremost, a businessman; a very successful businessman. If he feels the better investment over the long haul is Soto, Pete's days in Queens are numbered.

There are 28 games left in the regular season for the Mets. Time for the Polar Bear to put up or shut up.

Did the Mets Just Blow the NL East?

Are the Mets a better team today than they were before the trade deadline? Yes.

Are they as good as they could've been? Unfortunately no.

For the record, the moves Billy Eppler made were all solid pickups. J.D. Davis for Darin Ruf was a no-brainer. Davis has looked lost at the plate all season, while Ruf has been solid against lefties. He will platoon at DH with fellow trade acquisition Daniel Vogelbach, who has a pretty good average against righties. The addition of Mychal Givens to a beleaguered bullpen will come in handy in the dog days of August and September. And Tyler Naquin will provide much needed depth in the outfield. Gone are the days when Dominic Smith (.194) and Travis Jankowski (.164) were the only options available to Buck Showalter off the bench.

But here's the painful truth: Eppler failed to acquire the big bat this team desperately needs. Face it, once you get passed Starling Marte (.300, 11 HRs, 47 RBIs), Francisco Lindor (.261, 19 HRs, 74 RBIs) and Pete Alonso (.276, 27 HRs, 86 RBIs), there isn't one hitter in this lineup who puts the fear of God into an opposing pitcher. Mark Canha is a nice enough player with modest power; Jeff McNeil hits for a higher average but has even less power; and the Ruf / Vogelbach platoon is adequate at best. Luis Guillorme can't hit lefties and Eduardo Escobar can't hit righties. And whoever Showalter puts behind the plate is as close to an automatic out as there is in baseball. 

Look, I get it. The Mets weren't going to gut their farm system just to land Juan Soto. And even if they had been willing, no way the Nationals were going to trade him to a division rival. It's bad enough they have to see Max Scherzer staring back at them from the Mets dugout nineteen times during the season. Imagine the torment Soto could inflict upon them for the next decade and a half.

But even if Soto was nothing more than a pipe dream, it's hard to imagine Eppler couldn't have found someone better than Ruf, Vogelbach or Naquin out there. The Cubs were looking to move both Willson Contreras and Ian Happ. Contreras is a catcher who has 14 homers on the season, and when he's not behind the plate can easily DH, while Happ is a switch-hitter who can play both left field and third base. Who would you rather see batting behind Alonso? Contreras or a platoon of Ruf and Vogelbach?

I know it takes two to tango, and given that the Cubs were unable to find a trade partner for either Contreras or Happ, we can assume that their demands were too high. But for a fanbase that's grown accustomed to the Mets playing second fiddle in this town, it would've been nice to see them go all in, even if Eppler had to overpay. The 64 wins they had going into August represented the most wins the franchise has had at this point in the season since that magical year of 1986. It would be nothing short of gross negligence if this opportunity is wasted.

With the return of Jake deGrom, the Mets have arguably the best starting rotation in all of baseball. But after Edwin Diaz and Adam Ottavino, their bullpen is still too thin. And their lineup, with the exception of the aforementioned Marte, Lindor and Alonso, isn't nearly as potent as the Braves, Dodgers or Padres, who after acquiring Soto, Josh Bell and Brandon Drury are now a legit threat to win the World Series.

Are they good enough to make the postseason? Probably. But their odds of winning the division and avoiding the wildcard round took a serious hit this week.

Memo To Steve Cohen: Get Soto!

Let me first just go on record right now and say that the salaries of major league baseball players these days are completely out of control and insane. There's simply no justification for them. None. Seriously, when a ballplayer who's barely hitting his weight is making $10 to $15 million a year, and a family of four has to scrape together $300 to $400 to watch him play in person, there's something profoundly wrong with America's national pastime.

The sport I grew up loving has been irrevocably harmed over the last couple of decades by greed. The stars always took center stage, but there was at least a grudging acknowledgment that they owed, if not their fame, than certainly their wealth to the patrons who frequented the ballparks or watched them from the comfort of their home. The money didn't grow on trees, that much they knew.

Those days are long gone. Today's professional athletes act as if the money that shows up in their checking accounts comes from some magical printing press. They are oblivious to the long-term consequences their bloated salaries are causing, not just to their own integrity, but to the integrity of the very game itself.

It is a system that is unsustainable, and deep down everyone knows it. Sooner or later, the breaking point will be reached. Fans will simply stop coming out to the ballpark; they won't be able to afford it anymore. The Law of Elasticity will eventually kick in and have the last laugh with these athletes. It is inevitable.

But it will not happen this year, nor is it likely to for several years to come. For the time being, baseball remains a top heavy sport in which the richest franchises have a built-in advantage over their poorer counterparts. Without a salary cap to constrain them, like the NHL, NFL and NBA currently have, baseball owners are ostensibly allowed to spend like drunken sailors on a three-day pass. 

And one of those drunken sailors - Steve Cohen - happens to have the wherewithal to buy his own fleet of ships if he prefers. George Steinbrenner ain't got nothing on this guy. The Mets owner has already gone full bore on contracts for Francisco Lindor and Max Scherzer to the tune of $341 million and $130 million respectively; the former over ten years, the latter over three. And he's made it abundantly clear to his general manager Billy Eppler, that there's more where that came from should the opportunity to improve the roster present itself. Mets fans haven't been this giddy since they heard the Wilpons were selling the team.

That is certainly good news to Juan Soto, currently playing right field for the Washington Nationals. Since the Nats decided to go into full rebuild mode, their home park has resembled a morgue. The 23 year-old phenom has made it abundantly clear he wants out and just rejected a 15-year $440 million offer that was heavily backloaded to stay in Washington. That means he is officially on the trade block.

Let's cut to the chase. There are maybe three or four teams that can afford to sign Soto. The Mets, the Yankees and the Dodgers are the top three, and the Phillies are the fourth, but owner John Middleton may have over-extended himself a bit in Philly. Plus, he's already got plenty of hitting; it's his pitching that sucks. The Dodgers, after pilfering Freddie Freeman from the Atlanta Braves, had to defer $57 million of the $162 million they are paying him over six years. I doubt they have the resources to reel in a fish as big as Soto.

That means it's between the Mets and the Yankees. The Bronx Bombers have for decades been the big spenders in town. While the Metropolitans had to be content to eat chop steak, the Yankees were dining on Filet Mignon. But now, for the first time in their respective histories, it's the National League franchise whose pockets appear to be deeper. Let's not forget that Cohen was willing to write off $45 million of his own money just to rid the team of Robinson Cano's contract. You know any other owners who have that kind of disposable income?

And the Yankees may have a much bigger problem than just Steve Cohen's ego to contend with. Their mega star Aaron Judge rejected a contract offer that would've paid him $30.5 million a year over seven years. He will become a free agent after the season. The bidding for his services will start at $400 million for ten years. And I do mean start. It could go as high as half a billion. With Gerrit Cole and Giancarlo Stanton already making $36 million and $29 million a year respectively, not even George himself would have the stomach to take on another big contract.

Which leaves the Mets in the driver's seat, as it were. All that's needed to bring Soto to Flushing is a) for  Eppler to be willing to part with the top prospects in the system, including Francisco Alvarez, as well as one or two position players on the team, and b) for Cohen to remember to bring his check book with him.

That's it: the richest franchise in baseball with the prospects available to make this a done deal. Cohen would be nuts not to do it. And as for the argument that Soto isn't worth that kind of money, who is? Is Lindor worth $341 million? Is Scherzer worth $130 million? Will Judge be worth $450 million? Don't be ridiculous; no one is worth that kind of money. But like it or not, that is what they are fetching these days.

The truth is if Scott Boras tells Steve Cohen that the price to ensure Juan Soto will be patrolling right field for the Mets for the next 15 years is $500 million, then that's the price. Cohen has the money, he just has to pony it up. Imagine a lineup with Lindor, Soto and Pete Alonso in it, and a pitching rotation with Scherzer and Jacob deGrom at the top.

With the exception of the 1980s, the Mats have played second fiddle to the Yankees. With Steve Cohen at the helm, they finally have a chance to buy the whole fucking orchestra. Excuse me if I don't seem overly concerned about appearances right now.

As for the tab, don't worry about it. Tomorrow will get here soon enough.