ExWNYer

this ***** place...

I see what you did there...

Better hands than Gabe Davis...😇 (Glad they re-signed him)

L'il Dirty makes L'il Dirty expendable.

@SinceThe70s Sadly, there are not many to choose from of those 1980s Mets pitchers. You could certainly make a case for Rick Aguilera. I really liked him and was not pleased when they traded him in the Frank Viola deal but they had to give up something of value in order to get a pitcher of Viola's stature.

Exactly. He signed a one year deal. The Giants are almost barren at the position and it was a no-brainer on their part. He's a decent warm body and place holder until they can flesh out the position. It's a CYA move at a small cost for the team and a 'prove it' deal for Hodgins. Maybe he has a serviceable career or better, maybe not. Good for him. Hopefully, for his sake, he can finally stay healthy.

WGR gets a lot of criticism on these boards. Some is deserved, some is not. To each his, her, or their own. We don't all like the same things. Personally, I like Howard and Jeremy and thought they work(ed) well together. Howard is like your favorite pair of old, ratty shoes...not flashy or stylish and probably garners some strange looks from others but oddly comforting and soothing once you slip them on. It will be strange not hearing him anymore but, apparently, he will still be coming on air during Bills season for 'Howard Picks The Bills'. Life goes on. I hope he enjoys his retirement as everyone should if/when given the chance. Thanks for the memories, Howard.

My apologies then for misinterpreting. Based on your reaction to my post about the Bills not advancing beyond the Divisional Round for the last two years, it seemed like it.. My bad.

Ok, what's your point? The AFC is stacked with good, young QBs and it will not be a given for anyone going forward. You're bitter and broken and expect Super Bowls every year. I get it. Good luck with handling that disappointment.

They haven't the last two years.

Yeah, advancing beyond the Divisional Round would be a nice place to start.

@Another Fan I saw the commercial on SNY. I liked it...thought the premise was good and it generated a chuckle. Nice to see some of the personalities of the guys you don't often get to see. I love Kevin Burkhardt and was bummed when he left for greener pastures. He always seemed like a genuinely nice guy and he was great on Mets coverage. I like Steve Gelbs, too, but Burkhardt was the bomb. I think we're lucky to have the people covering the Mets who do. Love the broadcasts and the pre- and post-game shows. I am forced to watch the Washington Natalies feed when the Mets play them and their crew is absolutely horrendous and unprofessional. I often have to mute the sound to avoid the puke-inducing Bob Carpenter's grating, homer voice. BTW, it's fortunate that the Mets coverage is good. I have checked out some of the Jest coverage and they are awful, too. Bart Scott is one of the worst pieces of shite I have ever heard. He comes across as angry all the time and rarely gives credit to the Jest's opponent for anything. He seems to find it insulting every time they lose, regardless of the opponent. But enough of that... Spring Training is almost here! LGM!!

I'm not averse to trading back if they don't have any 1st Round grades left when it's their turn to pick. The downside there is losing the cost-controlled fifth year player option.

I'm taking the 'over' on annoying 'Kermit' State Farm commercials at 978.5.

He's going to need a Defensive Coordinator...

I hope McDermott gets 13 Second(s) Place votes...

We're pretty much of the same mindset. I was pretty melancholy yesterday...not so much because of the loss (there have been many worse ones over the years)...but because it dawned on me that I will probably never see this organization win a Lombardi Trophy. My grandmother never got to experience that joy, neither did my father or my mother. My aunt and uncle, who are also Bills fans, are now in their mid-70s and probably never will either. I will be 60 this Fall and have been chasing this elusive dream since I was a little kid growing up in WNY. The few realistic chances that have been provided by this mostly moribund franchise are always painfully squandered. In the early 1990s, when I was in my late 20s, I thought for sure it was just a matter of time. Now? Not so much. I've been hopelessly in love with the girl who doesn't love me back for over half a century but I just can't quit her...

I don't disagree and I know that coaches salaries don't count against the salary cap but I just don't see the Pegulas parting with that kind of scratch just for a HC. Maybe I'm wrong about that but that's just my opinion or gut feeling. If you told me that they were onboard and Payton would sign, I would gladly say, "Thanks for the memories and getting us back on track, Sean McDermott. Good luck to you in your future endeavors." As has been floated by others, I'm am starting to get a Marty Schottenheimer vibe from McDermott...good enough to get a franchise viable and on the right path but not good enough to ever win the big one.

On top of the draft pick compensation, Payton reportedly wants $20M - $25M to become someone's HC. Does anyone realistically think that Beane (picks) and the Pegulas (cash) would be willing to ante up that kind of compensation? I don't. It's just a fan pipe dream. I'd be happy with cutting loose Leslie Frazier for starters and going from there.

And it probably feels even more 'meh' than it really is after losing Correa.

@Gugny @SinceThe70s @Another Fan Meh. Fills a hole but does not move the needle for me. Another 'past his prime' bat. https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-rumors-twins-could-trade-luis-arraez-for-pitching-help-mets-sign-tommy-pham/ "The Mets have agreed to a one-year, $6 million deal with free agent outfielder Tommy Pham, reports Jon Heyman. Pham is heading toward his age-35 season. In 144 games last year for the Reds and Red Sox, he hit .236/.312/.374 (87 OPS+) with 23 doubles, 17 homers, 63 RBI, 89 runs, eight steals and 0.4 WAR. The expectation here is Pham will be a fourth outfielder for the Mets behind Brandon Nimmo (CF), Starling Marte (RF) and Mark Canha (LF), though there's always a chance everyday playing time opens up. There are also DH at-bats and Pham could figure there (or play left field with Canha at DH against lefties, as left-handed swinging Daniel Vogelbach figures to be the primary DH)."