Polar Market?

Last night was the unofficial beginning of the Winter Meetings in Orlando. I suppose it’s like how Memorial Day is the unofficial beginning of Summer, and we all pretty much agree it’s the start of it, but technically it’s June 20th or 21st. In any case, nothing happened, outside of a silly result involving Hall of Fame voting, which we will get to in due time. This was more or less a good thing, because a fair amount of writers didn’t make it in time, either in a holding pattern or never getting to leave their local airport at all. 

The biggest story over the weekend involving the New York Mets was news that is bad for Pete Alonso and Scott Boras, which makes it good news for Met fans. Remember a month or so ago when Mike Puma reported that Alonso and Boras were looking for a seven year contract? (And how I said that was what I would call a "starting point”?) Well, according to Joel Sherman’s contacts, seven years is a pipe dream.

“I don’t think length is out there for Alonso”, an unidentified American League official said to Sherman. Even bleaker for the Polar Bear, an anonymous agent claimed, “No one is giving him five years. He would be lucky to get four, and that will likely come with a lower AAV [average annual value] and a whopper of deferred dollars.” 

So you would assume that gives the Mets more of a chance to re-re-sign Alonso, right? Well, Jon Morosi said on MLB Network he thinks there is “less” than a 50-50 chance he comes back to New York, pointing out the Boston Red Sox are most likely to step into the forefront of the sweepstakes. Which is what Pete allegedly wants - someone to make a grand gesture. He doesn’t want a repeat of last offseason when the courtship dragged on and on and he pretty much fell into the Mets’ lap (kind of similar to Yoenis Cespedes in 2016, come to think of it.)

My concern has always been that the Red Sox, or someone else that isn’t the Mets, would make him a five-year offer. Why wouldn’t that be the case? There’s no qualifying offer attached to Alonso anymore, and he’s down to clown when it comes to designated hitting. And it doesn’t seem like the Mets will be willing to give him that many years. 

Which makes me feel relieved from Joel Sherman’s report. Jon Morosi sounds like he’s kind of guessing. Besides, any minute now Morosi is going to say Pete is on a plane to Toronto. (Too soon?)

Devin Williams met the Met media (say that five times fast) on Friday. Williams seemed matter-of-fact and a little bit laconic, which is fine! The late inning reliever said of potentially Edwin Díaz returning to the team, "I think it's just a good situation. If he comes back, I think we're going to have a really good back of the 'pen. More good arms is always a good thing. That's really it." Also of note was that, when Jerry Beach asked him if other teams offered the closer role “out of the chute”, he responded, “Every team I talked to was for the closer role.” Devin allegedly had up to five suitors who needed closers, so if that’s true, it was almost remarkable that Williams decided to sign with the Mets, right? Especially before the Winter Meetings? Unless he thought there wasn’t going to be another three-year contract offer. 

Williams also said he is working on a “gyro slider” for next year, after having mostly success with just two pitches like Díaz: a fastball and a change-up, aka “the airbender.” I don’t know what to think of that. Why mess with a mostly good thing? If the slider ends up being devastating, then forget I said the previous sentence. 

The Contemporary Baseball Era committee voted in Jeff Kent, and Jeff Kent alone, into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Kent was a former Met, and Giant, and Dodger, and Astro, and Blue Jay, and Clevelander, not in that chronological order. Kent was notoriously, along with Ryan Thompson, traded to the Mets by the Blue Jays in exchange for ace David Cone, who was about to become a free agent, in August 1992. Kent lasted for four seasons with the Mets before he was traded to Cleveland with Jose Vizcaino for Carlos Baerga and Alvaro Espinoza. Unfortunately for the Mets, Baerga was no longer the All-Star he once was, and Kent would later make five midsummer classics. While with the Mets he was slightly above average, posting a 107 OPS+ with decent second base work. Contemporaries of mine don’t have much memory of him playing for the Mets, and if they did, it was because he possessed “the most punchable” face in franchise history. To me, Kent is symbolic of all of the times the Mets foolishly dealt away a player who would eventually kick ass, or even, you know, make the Hall of Fame. Jeff Kent joins the likes of Nolan Ryan in that regard. So the news that Kent made the HOF is more of a curiosity to Met fans than anything. Besides, he expressed interest in wearing a San Francisco Giants cap on his plaque. That makes sense: in five seasons with the Mets he had an 8.4 bWAR. In six years with San Francisco hitting behind/in front of Barry Bonds (who was not voted in) he posted a 31.6 bWAR. Much fonder memories. 

Probably the happiest news coming from the 16-person Contemporary Baseball Era committee is that Roger Clemens was not only not elected, he didn’t even reach a five vote threshold, which means, according to some sources, that he will never get another chance. What a gosh darn shame. 

The Mets claimed RHP Cooper Criswell off waivers from the Boston Red Sox, no doubt at the behest of former Red Sox employee and current Met pitching coach Justin Willard. The Red Sox reportedly offered Criswell a “larger-than-normal” guaranteed salary in 2026 in order to dissuade teams from claiming him, but the Mets don’t care about such trivial matters. In 45 career appearances (21 of them starts), Criswell has a 4.46 FIP, which is 0.02 off of his ERA, so he’s an Even Steven as far as luck is concerned. 

Luisangel Acuña hit his sixth home run in winter ball yesterday. Ronny Mauricio hit a walk-off home run for Tigres del Licey yesterday as well. That must have felt great for Ronny, who got seriously injured in winter ball just two years ago.

Contrary to earlier reports, Framber Valdez did meet with the Mets at the GM Meetings last month. He also met with the Orioles and Giants. 

Before his selection was made official, Jeff Kent kibbitzed with Horwitz.

Clay Holmes talked to the New York Post about Devin Williams and what it’s like to change New York teams.

Juan Soto and Starling Marte were both at loanDepot Park for a celebrity softball game. I hope those two have built a friendship that can withstand them playing for different teams next year.

Jet!(t) Williams has been training this offseason with free agent Alex Bregman in Arizona. 

Someone uploaded a Mets-Atlanta spring training game from 1985.

One year ago tonight, Juan Soto signed with the New York Mets for 15 years. Even though his first season with the Mets wasn’t a good one overall for the team, Soto changed a lot of the long-running narrative over what the Mets/Yankees dynamic was. It broke Yankee fans’ brains. Still does. 

Three years ago, Brandon Nimmo signed an eight-year, $162 million contract. Oops?

On this day in 1978, the Mets traded Jerry Koosman away for a prospect named Jesse Orosco.

On this day in 1983, Sid Fernandez was acquired via trade from the Dodgers.