I agree with keeping Baty as that is the best choice of what they've got. How well he would fit in at shortstop is another story in itself. While he did play some second base in Syracuse last year, he looked far from smooth in the field form the games I saw, and second is a tougher spot than third because of the double plays and coverage for steals.
As this is the open thread, I am still concerned with their starting pitching and feel that unless their hitting becomes so dominant, they will find themselves going to the pen way too and we know where that leads.
Some trivia: Pete Alonso reached 100 career home runs in 347 games - faster than any other MLB player accept one. The Phillies Ryan Howard.
Who had a higher batting average playing for the Mets -Mike Piazza or Keith Hernandez?
It was Keith at .297 but only one point higher than Mike.
Mets are off to a 1-3 start in spring games but Baty has looked great at the plate. And Clay Holmes had a great first start.
I am also concerned with starting pitching. Since the team this year is obviously built with offense as the priority, like they were in 2006, yesterday I decided to look at the season stats for the 2006 rotation for a comparison and now I feel a little better. Senga won't match Glavine's 32 starts but he can still match Glavine's production of 3.82 ERA and 2.8 WAR. Manaea/Peterson/Holmes each have a reasonable chance of beating Pedro/Trachsel/Orlando. Whoever the #5 is this year won't beat John Maine's 3.60 ERA in 15 starts but that is only one flaw.
I still wish the Mets didn't decide to begin the year without an ace (or at least a third pitcher with the quality of Senga/Manaea) but after remembering that the 2006 Mets won the division with only one and a half pitchers getting an ERA under 4.00 that did put a check on my pessimism for this year's rotation.
If the Mets need an emergency SS, it’s Jeff McNeil.
The trade with the Cubs for a player without options tells us that Marte will be traded for the best deal. He’s being wasted anyway.
Great interview on SNY’s Mets Pod of Drew Gilbert. He seems very confident that he will manage the injuries better going forward. Also, they interview Andy Green and is very much worth a listen.
I don't know that the Canario acquisition tells us anything in particular. Stearns is always setting himself up to address and adapt to multiple scenario outcomes, often through the building of depth. He's also always on the lookout for possible reclamation projects that the Mets think they can develop. I would not put too much emphasis on the fact that he is out of options. So what? He cost nothing. If he gets lost to waivers four weeks from now, nothing lost. Its just part of the business of baseball, and Stearns watched probably over a dozen players leave via that route last year. If Canario clears and stays with the org, then he adds another depth option.
How is Marte being wasted? He's a poor fielder. And he posted a .591 OPS against RH starters last year. Platoon DH is exactly where he should be. The waste is in having two such players in him and Winker. I think Marte and Winker both get moved at some point. But only as the BAM trio (Baty-Acuna-Mauricio) actually graduate to the majors and hit competently there.
Sure, in principal, the Mets would be happy to be able to move on from Marte. But then who DH's against lefties? Canario with his 30+% strikeout rate? Doubtful. Soto? Perhaps. Maybe this is Stearns supporting his now weakened pitching by putting Taylor in RF rather than Soto. Or maybe he's hedging against Nimmo's foot needing more regular rest.
Keep in mind that Jose Azocar is also out of options, and the Syracuse OF is barely or less than adequate right now. Could simply be a matter of stockpiling these quad-A outfielders in the hopes that if one gets claimed, another may not. Or if one flops when called upon, there's another option to turn to. Also note that neither Canario nor Azocar has been outrighted before. As such, they do not have the right to free agency should they go unclaimed.
Playing time in spring games is a big mystery to me. It does seem like Baty would be playing almost every inning in the middle infield. I'm sure he is getting in his work on the back fields.
I think that Baty is the Mets choice also. If Mauricio gets healthy then he would be my first choice even if he produces slightly less production than Baty. Mauricio is a switch hitter so he would be the left-handed that on the bench. McNeil is the the weakest offensive hitter in the infield. Mauricio is right-handed so when McNeil sits they would have a right handed bat in the lineup. Mauricio has more experience as a middle infielder than Baty. Another fear is if the Mets go with Baty then they would be tempted to give him at bats at the expense of Vientos. Mauricio and Baty have one minor league option so the Mets have to decide this year because next year if either one of them has to make team or they will lose them. Right now Mauricio is the better fit for the team.
Baty's at-bats do not have to come at the expense of Vientos. Vientos can DH that day, and Winker can sit.
As for the one option remaining, yes. And so does Acuna. But it is not a fact that all three will be competent major leaguers by next season anyway. One or more may not.
That said, there re plenty of scenarios in which the Mets can still keep all three. There are variables to play out, but some possibilities include:
Alonso could exercise his opt out. In that case, Vientos moves to 1B, and Baty, Mauricio, and Acuna can split time between 3B and the two backup IF spots - which could include a platoon role with McNeil. Even if Alonso stays, there will be an opening at DH for Vientos (or Alonso).
Or, if the prospects excel, McNeil could get traded to make room. Even if McNeil stays, the Mets could go with 4 OFs, with that extra OF help coming from McNeil in the corners, or Acuna in CF when injuries come knocking (as they always do).
As for that one remaining option, the Mets have a responsibility to themselves to put these players in a position that will allow the players to be useful to the big club by 2026. That plan has to factor in the possibility that they are not all starters. For that reason, Baty needs more seasoning at 2B in triple-A, IMO. And Mauricio needs more at 3B. That flexibility helps assure that they can be useful in a bench role in the event that they haven't graduated straight to everyday starting jobs.
Baty should start the year as the infield backup and let Acuna start in AAA. If Baty fails to be useful and Acuna does well, they can swap in May/June.
If the Mets are up 10-1 in the 8th inning and want to give Lindor a rest, they can get away with McNeil or Baty there. If (god forbid) they need a SS for an extended period of time, Acuna is a phone call and short trip away. At this very early stage of ST, Baty is winning the job and hopefully he has a strong Spring, removing all uncertainty. I would be flabbergasted if Walton is on the opening roster and Baty and Acuna are in AAA. Stranger things have happened but if Walton ends up being the guy, then they probably would have been better off signing Iglesias.
No one is winning anything this early in spring training. These early results are not against real pitching. Even the real major leaguers are not using their entire repertoires, or are working on new mechanics or a new pitch.
I encourage everyone to watch for whether or not the players with hot starts maintain them in Weeks 3 & 4 of ST games. Over a few years, you will notice a clear pattern of pattern of players who drop off go on to struggle in the regular season (if they make the team).
Mets signed Jose Urena to a minor league deal. Not a bad flier on a guy with a ton of MLB experience. He'll make an excellent 12th pitcher on the depth chart.
Last year, Urena threw 109 innings and had a 5.78 K/9. There were 126 pitchers who threw at least 100 innings last year and Urena's K/9 was the worst.
I agree with keeping Baty as that is the best choice of what they've got. How well he would fit in at shortstop is another story in itself. While he did play some second base in Syracuse last year, he looked far from smooth in the field form the games I saw, and second is a tougher spot than third because of the double plays and coverage for steals.
As this is the open thread, I am still concerned with their starting pitching and feel that unless their hitting becomes so dominant, they will find themselves going to the pen way too and we know where that leads.
Some trivia: Pete Alonso reached 100 career home runs in 347 games - faster than any other MLB player accept one. The Phillies Ryan Howard.
Who had a higher batting average playing for the Mets -Mike Piazza or Keith Hernandez?
It was Keith at .297 but only one point higher than Mike.
Mets are off to a 1-3 start in spring games but Baty has looked great at the plate. And Clay Holmes had a great first start.
I am also concerned with starting pitching. Since the team this year is obviously built with offense as the priority, like they were in 2006, yesterday I decided to look at the season stats for the 2006 rotation for a comparison and now I feel a little better. Senga won't match Glavine's 32 starts but he can still match Glavine's production of 3.82 ERA and 2.8 WAR. Manaea/Peterson/Holmes each have a reasonable chance of beating Pedro/Trachsel/Orlando. Whoever the #5 is this year won't beat John Maine's 3.60 ERA in 15 starts but that is only one flaw.
I still wish the Mets didn't decide to begin the year without an ace (or at least a third pitcher with the quality of Senga/Manaea) but after remembering that the 2006 Mets won the division with only one and a half pitchers getting an ERA under 4.00 that did put a check on my pessimism for this year's rotation.
If the Mets need an emergency SS, it’s Jeff McNeil.
The trade with the Cubs for a player without options tells us that Marte will be traded for the best deal. He’s being wasted anyway.
Great interview on SNY’s Mets Pod of Drew Gilbert. He seems very confident that he will manage the injuries better going forward. Also, they interview Andy Green and is very much worth a listen.
Spring training is soooooo long… why?
Your last question - so players can get into shape slowly and not strain lats and obliques? Just a guess . .
I don't know that the Canario acquisition tells us anything in particular. Stearns is always setting himself up to address and adapt to multiple scenario outcomes, often through the building of depth. He's also always on the lookout for possible reclamation projects that the Mets think they can develop. I would not put too much emphasis on the fact that he is out of options. So what? He cost nothing. If he gets lost to waivers four weeks from now, nothing lost. Its just part of the business of baseball, and Stearns watched probably over a dozen players leave via that route last year. If Canario clears and stays with the org, then he adds another depth option.
How is Marte being wasted? He's a poor fielder. And he posted a .591 OPS against RH starters last year. Platoon DH is exactly where he should be. The waste is in having two such players in him and Winker. I think Marte and Winker both get moved at some point. But only as the BAM trio (Baty-Acuna-Mauricio) actually graduate to the majors and hit competently there.
Sure, in principal, the Mets would be happy to be able to move on from Marte. But then who DH's against lefties? Canario with his 30+% strikeout rate? Doubtful. Soto? Perhaps. Maybe this is Stearns supporting his now weakened pitching by putting Taylor in RF rather than Soto. Or maybe he's hedging against Nimmo's foot needing more regular rest.
Keep in mind that Jose Azocar is also out of options, and the Syracuse OF is barely or less than adequate right now. Could simply be a matter of stockpiling these quad-A outfielders in the hopes that if one gets claimed, another may not. Or if one flops when called upon, there's another option to turn to. Also note that neither Canario nor Azocar has been outrighted before. As such, they do not have the right to free agency should they go unclaimed.
I am way more concerned about the pitching staff. One more injury and that could be three starters on the IL
If Baty is going to be the backup middle infielder shouldn't he get time at both second and short this spring?
Playing time in spring games is a big mystery to me. It does seem like Baty would be playing almost every inning in the middle infield. I'm sure he is getting in his work on the back fields.
I think that Baty is the Mets choice also. If Mauricio gets healthy then he would be my first choice even if he produces slightly less production than Baty. Mauricio is a switch hitter so he would be the left-handed that on the bench. McNeil is the the weakest offensive hitter in the infield. Mauricio is right-handed so when McNeil sits they would have a right handed bat in the lineup. Mauricio has more experience as a middle infielder than Baty. Another fear is if the Mets go with Baty then they would be tempted to give him at bats at the expense of Vientos. Mauricio and Baty have one minor league option so the Mets have to decide this year because next year if either one of them has to make team or they will lose them. Right now Mauricio is the better fit for the team.
Baty's at-bats do not have to come at the expense of Vientos. Vientos can DH that day, and Winker can sit.
As for the one option remaining, yes. And so does Acuna. But it is not a fact that all three will be competent major leaguers by next season anyway. One or more may not.
That said, there re plenty of scenarios in which the Mets can still keep all three. There are variables to play out, but some possibilities include:
Alonso could exercise his opt out. In that case, Vientos moves to 1B, and Baty, Mauricio, and Acuna can split time between 3B and the two backup IF spots - which could include a platoon role with McNeil. Even if Alonso stays, there will be an opening at DH for Vientos (or Alonso).
Or, if the prospects excel, McNeil could get traded to make room. Even if McNeil stays, the Mets could go with 4 OFs, with that extra OF help coming from McNeil in the corners, or Acuna in CF when injuries come knocking (as they always do).
As for that one remaining option, the Mets have a responsibility to themselves to put these players in a position that will allow the players to be useful to the big club by 2026. That plan has to factor in the possibility that they are not all starters. For that reason, Baty needs more seasoning at 2B in triple-A, IMO. And Mauricio needs more at 3B. That flexibility helps assure that they can be useful in a bench role in the event that they haven't graduated straight to everyday starting jobs.
Baty should start the year as the infield backup and let Acuna start in AAA. If Baty fails to be useful and Acuna does well, they can swap in May/June.
If the Mets are up 10-1 in the 8th inning and want to give Lindor a rest, they can get away with McNeil or Baty there. If (god forbid) they need a SS for an extended period of time, Acuna is a phone call and short trip away. At this very early stage of ST, Baty is winning the job and hopefully he has a strong Spring, removing all uncertainty. I would be flabbergasted if Walton is on the opening roster and Baty and Acuna are in AAA. Stranger things have happened but if Walton ends up being the guy, then they probably would have been better off signing Iglesias.
No one is winning anything this early in spring training. These early results are not against real pitching. Even the real major leaguers are not using their entire repertoires, or are working on new mechanics or a new pitch.
I encourage everyone to watch for whether or not the players with hot starts maintain them in Weeks 3 & 4 of ST games. Over a few years, you will notice a clear pattern of pattern of players who drop off go on to struggle in the regular season (if they make the team).
Mets signed Jose Urena to a minor league deal. Not a bad flier on a guy with a ton of MLB experience. He'll make an excellent 12th pitcher on the depth chart.
Last year, Urena threw 109 innings and had a 5.78 K/9. There were 126 pitchers who threw at least 100 innings last year and Urena's K/9 was the worst.
Baty's hand is very hot and I just wonder when and if the Mets are going to actually try him at second or if that is only a pie in the sky hope.