Overview

@Gugny The family and I are are headed to DC on Sunday to see the Mets in a 1:35 PM start against the Natalies. Megill is the scheduled starter. First game attended since my younger son and I went to Pittsburgh last season. The wife and older son are tagging along for this one. LGM!

It was a scheduled event that I had no idea about. He was sitting at a table signing stuff, taking pictures and he was totally chill.

Cool beans. Was he just in like a real good mood I wonder?

@Another Fan @ExWNYer @Gugny Had to run up to Home Depot this morning to pick up a toilet part and decided to throw on my Mets hat. Found the part and was going to check out when they announced over the intercom that Dwight Gooden was signing autographs in aisle 30. Good times!

I saw the post-game of the Twins game and Lindor blew himself up over the error. It was unnecessary, but appreciated. And your comment reminded me of a forgotten memory from last night that was a new one on me (but not to my son). Lindor's walk-up song has been My Girl for awhile. Fans have taken to singing it after the fade out when he's in the batter box. Very cool. My son said it started last year.

Aside another one would be David Wells. That game is when I realized how many teams he was on and how solid a career he actually had. I'm eyeing the Mother's Day 11:30 game next month to go to. Very true on the overall mood. I haven't been watching all the games but I saw it seemed like Lindor blew one of the Twins games because of some fielding errors. Last year around now I would have ben all over his case. But this year I'm just like Yeah he always starts a little rusty and I make mistakes everyday of my life. It's cool

@Another Fan @Gugny @ExWNYer Attended my first game of the year at Citi Field last night. Decent sized crowd for an April mid-week game. Kind of a lackluster game, looked like it might be a blow-out after the Mets 4 run second, but it settled into a pitchers duel. Canning was impressive and the Card pitcher settled down after after the rocky start. Tons of weak grounders to shortstop for both teams. Besides the Vientos HR maybe one batted ball reached the warning track. Biggest takeaway for me was the crowd stayed all game and gave Soto a really nice ovation when he came up in the 8th despite his rough start. Might have been a different story if the team hadn't been winning. LGM!

@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.

@ExWNYer @Another Fan @Gugny RIP Octavio Dotel. As a young player (rookie?) I always thought he should have been brought in instead of Kenny Rogers against the Braves in the 1999 NLCS. He went on to have a long career playing for many teams - if you play https://www.immaculategrid.com/ he's what my boys would call a cheat code. Sad to hear of his (and others) tragic passing.

I kind of remember the 2000 one in Japan. I was in high school then and the game was on the radio when I woke up. What I thought was hilarious about it was Turk Wendell was pitching and must have missed the strike zone on a pitch. He screamed out the 4 letter f word very loud and that came in high and clear on the radio! I'm guessing maybe it was Murphy and Cohen doing the broadcast that day but I def remember them laughing about it being like yeah well it's so quiet here you could hear these guys frustration on the field. lol Maybe I mentioned that Mets memory here before but it still makes me laugh.

I heard today that this is the second time in the Mets history that they lost back to back opening games. The last time was 1999-2000 when they went to the NLCS in 99 and lost to the Cranks in the WS in 00. Hmmm.

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