Mets Insider Will Sammon Talks Mets Targets Tucker, Skubal, Alonso, Diaz & More (Mets News)

Mets Insider Will Sammon Talks Mets Targets Tucker, Skubal, Alonso, Diaz & More (Mets News)

And we are live. How we doing everybody? My name is Tyler Ward, known as Wardy to many of you. That is Will Sammon of the Athletic, who’s been doing a tremendous job, not just covering the Mets on the beat, but Major League Baseball as a whole with guys that you know very, very well like Ken Rosenthal among others. And today, Will and I are going to break down everything that you guys need to know that this point in the Mets off season. You know, the holidays right around the corner this Thanksgiving. So, we figured let’s give you guys a nice breakdown as to what is more the fallout from that Brandon Nemo for Marcus Simeon one for one swap. As we all know, there’s expected to be more moves to be had there. What markets are the Mets involved in? What’s the latest with guys like Pete Alonzo, Edwin Diaz, and everything else in Mets land is what we’re going to touch on today. But, well, thank you so much for coming on. I know that this is long overdue. We’ve been trying to get this thing going for a while. So, again, thank you so much for taking the time today. How’s every how’s everything been? We have things been good. been busy. Been busy. It’s that time of year. Uh but it’s a good time to catch up because around this time period, late November going into early December in the winter meetings, it’s when we start to see a little bit more action during the offseason. So, it’s great to have this going today. Oh, yeah. Especially because we were just saying this off air. It’s kind of the calm before the storm, if you will. But I will say this though, David Sterns threw a big wrench in that by doing this big trade out of nowhere over the past couple days and memo for Simeon. So, let’s just start right there. The Marcus Simeon presser literally just happened as we know. I would love to know your initial takeaways not only from what Marcus had to say to the media today now being officially announced as a New York Met and pairing that with the remarks that we heard from David Sterns over the past 24 hours that you and others have had the privilege of asking him certain questions as to ultimately why this trade happened, what the expectation is with Marcus Simeon moving forward and what is the fallout in general as to why this trade came about in the first place? Well, Marcus Seion, he is somebody that is known around the league, rightfully so, as somebody who’s going to play every single day, and he’s an elite defender still, even at his advanced age of 35 years old. Um, so he obviously helps right off the jump just from that standpoint for the Mets because I remember even answering this question elsewhere about how what could the Mets draw from a couple of the playoff teams that that made some deep runs, whether it was the Brewers and others. And what actually jumped out to me about the Milwaukee Brewers were how strong they were up middle defensively. Bryce Rank is really a short stop playing second base for that team. He is really, really good defensively. And I knew since really the end of last season that Mets were going to prioritize improving the right side of their infield. So I was not really surprised to see them land an elite defender at second base. I was somewhat surprised to see it be at the expense of trading Brandon NMO. he was out there in reports um being some way that the Mets were getting calls on and maybe fielding some interest on. So, it was not something that was utterly shocking by any means because people had that. I had heard it myself. I frankly I kind of downplayed it a little bit just because it was just so hard to trade him given his contract, what he meant to the Mets probably and just the fact that he also had a a no trade clause within his contract. So, there was a lot of challenges there and also you have to get something back that’s going to benefit you. Uh so there was a lot there that needed to happen before a deal was going to happen involving Grand NMO. Uh but for for me it kind of it’s an interesting one because although they do fix that situation at second base now they have another hole in the outfield that already contained a hole in center field. So it’s not something where they it’s a one for one swap, right? So it’s not something that they traded from a surplus area of and got something that made their defense a whole lot better. They made their defense a whole lot better, but it comes at the expense of some offense, right? Because Brandon NMO, I know some fans are up and down on him throughout the years, uh, where he’s kind of been less of an on base guy, more of a power guy in some regards, but he’s a pretty good offensive player for you, especially when he when you consider him to be like your fourth best matter in your lineup, right? He’s behind Lindor, he’s behind Stoodto, he’s behind Alonzo, at least he was when Alonzo was on the team. So, that was your guy there. He’s a pretty good guy to have. Um that said, I mean, his bat’s been declining the last couple years. There’s something to be said about maybe getting out of that ballpark in Texas could help him offensively. We’ll see because of his age. Um so that’s there’s a trade-off there obviously with trading for that defense. And we’ll see what the Mets do then to sort of uh clean up that hole that they created themselves now in left field in addition to center field. So, regarding Simeon and the type of character the Mets are bringing in with someone like him. And also everybody, apologies in advance if the audio is a little on and off when it comes to its choppiness. Unfortunately, that just tends to happen at times when we have guest on. So, that’s not Wall’s fault at all. If anything, that’s my end. So, try to move past it. We can all do this together and thank you so much for that. But Semian, my key takeaway wasn’t just the fact that the Mets are bringing in a veteran bat who obviously is declining at this point in his career. The defense is of course the surplus with him and you add that with the personality. You know, he was only one of a handful of official captains in Major League Baseball. Uh would you say that there’s something to be said about not only the Mets wanting to move Nemo in a contract where they kind of did a swap where it fit both teams naturally, but ultimately bringing in a clubhouse character that fills what I believe is a massive void by losing them, a selfless player both on and off the field and one who always carried himself as a true professional. You obviously know that firsthand who’s interviewed him plenty over the years. But Semian, who’s been known as this clubhouse leader for the Rangers since signing that long-term contract of $180 million or so, now he’s going to be bringing not only that championship experience, but ultimately that kind of professional mentality that maybe the Mets have lacked to a degree since losing guys like JD Martinez and Jose Glacius. What’s your thoughts about that? It remains to be seen. I think he has a a a pretty good reputation and a lot of it stems from the fact that this guy plays every single day kind of no matter what. I know last year he had that freak injury so that was not something that was anything to do with his conditioning or the way he keeps himself up to in shape anything like that. So I don’t hold that against him whatsoever. Nobody should. Uh but yeah, across the league, I mean, this is somebody that’s known to play every day, and he’s known also to improve and find ways to improve and to try to get better at his job, and that’s what people respect the most about him. Now, as far as what that means for their clubhouse and how he may fit in, it remains to be seen. He has to kind of get there first and then see how that works because I think it always helps when you bring a veteran guy um who can maybe hold some people accountable, but he has to be comfortable doing that in another new environment. and we have to see that unfold with a whole new, you know, set of teammates for him. Uh, a new in the National League now, a totally different league. So, there’s a lot of newness that’s going to be thrown at him in addition to the New York market. So, I don’t like all of his accolades and his reputation is rightfully rightfully earned, but again, he has to do it here as well. has to feel comfortable enough to be that guy here uh before we can say that it’s something that’s a you know a clear you know swap or a clear something that they address that was definitely needed if you were to take away someone like a Brandon demo. Absolutely. Yeah. I know it just was something that I’ve been pondering more knowing that the kind of trade that the Mets had here obviously feels like it’s a precursor for mo more moves to be had. But we shouldn’t of course discard what you’re bringing in Simeon right away who obviously brings a lot of veteran experience and one who again is going to do his best to try to shore up the Mets middle infield right now with Lindor for 2026. So talking more about how this is the tip of the iceberg for the club and what is expected of them moving forward. Before I go on to ask you, will as to kind of what you’re hearing around the league regarding the Mets and external targets for them, let’s first talk about the guys that the Mets need to bring back, at least according to many fans, including myself, and that’s ones and Peter Alonzo and Edwin Diaz. What would you say is the latest that you know to this point regarding their respective markets? Well, the Mets have always been in contact with them. They’ve always been, at least publicly and from what I understand, privately as well, interested in bringing both of those guys back. we will see as far as the depths and the lengths that the will take to get that accomplished because with Edwin Diaz when he is the best closer in the market clearly and he’s going to want a deal or he already does want a deal that is going to be resembling something that he got last time in free agency which was before he even got to free agency actually when he resigned with the Mets and that was a five-year deal right so it was like he’s probably going to want that again and I’m not too sure and I’ve reported as much that the Mets will want to do that with him And so it becomes a situation where maybe the Mets bring him back at maybe a three-year type of deal. But that’s something that the market will have to dictate. Like if somebody else is going to swoop in and give him that fiveyear deal, then maybe he goes elsewhere and takes that big deal. I don’t know if that’s ne necessarily going to be the Mets there. Um, one thing about Diaz though is that he has the qualifying offer attached to him. And it could be something where that decreases his market a little bit because we’re also talking about a market that’s actually pretty full of decent closers and some good closers as well beyond Diaz. So although he is the best of the bunch like Deon Williams is pretty good. I know his fans are torn on his season with the Yankees of course, but he’s he’s a pretty good option. Suarez from the Padres’s who’s now a free agent. Pretty good option there. There’s a few others who are out there in lower tiers as well. So, it remains to be seen. For for me, I don’t I’m not saying he does not have a strong market. He probably does. Edwin Diaz, but I’d like to know more about what other team is going to be that contender against the Mets. Maybe it’s the Blue Jays, maybe it’s somebody else. Uh who would swoop in and do that type of deal. Otherwise, I do see him coming back. It’s just I don’t know if it’s going to be that fiveyear deal. Yeah. You know, for me from the fan point of view, I say to myself, Steve Cohen can’t rationally let Edwin Diaz walk if there’s a one-year difference in negotiations, right? At least that’s how it feels right now because Diaz’s value is not only imperative as one of, if not the best closer in baseball, but he’s also someone who’s proven his worth in the Mets New York market. And I think there’s something to be said about that when you look at someone who when he first arrived in 2019 was a shell of himself. A man who was simply not at all capable of handling the closer position. But year after year, he surely not only got better, but he showed his ability to do a complete 180 and actually embody what Mets fans have been longing for, which is a star closer that has moxy on the mound, that has velocity, and is someone that is not afraid of the bright lights and the big moments. And when you look at guys like Robert Suarez and Devin Williams, they fluctuate as we know at this point in how they would maybe handle those exact settings. Williams, of course, had a shaky first half of the year there with the Yankees. Second half really rebounded well. All of his underlying and expected numbers tell you that he’s expected to be a very good reliever for a team next year. and Robert Suarez has a very good track record with with the Padres’s. But you kind of are, at least in my opinion, left wondering, would the Mets be shooting themselves in the foot at all if you allowed Edwin Diaz to walk? Because let’s be realistic, with the exception of say the Toronto Blue Jays, is Diaz really going to go to another top contending team that might not be right in the Mets way, whether that is say the LA Dodgers or a fellow contender there in the National League. I think for the risk factor of where Diaz could land and end up should it not be the New York Mets. That is something that I hope that they’re bearing in mind to a degree even while looking at the laundry list of feasible options in the market. No one’s denying how good of a pitcher guys like Devin Williams, Robert Suarez, etc. are. But the point stands, are any of them better than Edwin Diaz right now? You could rightfully argue that they aren’t. If the Mets are trying to still win now and get over the hump from what was a failed 2025, it feels imperative that bringing back Edwin should be a part of that winning formula. So to continue on not only with Diaz, but to talk more on Alonzo, do you think the Mets have the same level of appetite to bring someone like Alonzo back as they do Diaz or do you think that this is more contingent on how the market falls for Alonzo like how it did a year ago? because that qualifying offer, you know, we mentioned how it may negatively impact Diaz when looking at other suitors. That was the case for Alonzo a year ago. Obviously, it was abundantly clear as you saw every single team that had a first base and or DH need one by one come off the board because they found either their short or long-term commitments and they didn’t have Allonzo’s name on it. Fast forward a year later, doesn’t have the qualifying offer attached. is coming off of in my opinion one if not the best overall season Allonzo’s had in a Mets uniform when looking at his balance his approach with Ryers’s scoring position throughout the entire season among other many statistics. You know, there’s a part of me that feels like, okay, Elonzo is going to have a robust market, but another part of me feels like, okay, this might not be as robust as we initially thought, and we could find ourselves getting to January again, where the Mets maybe don’t feel the need to bid against themselves to maybe go beyond three or four tops four years. What’s your thoughts on all that? Yeah, I go back and forth myself on that for a couple of those very reasons. starting again with that qualifying offer. I do think that it dinged his market because when you talk about the qualifying offer, what what you’re ultimately talking about is really wiping out a segment of Major League Baseball that’s just not going to play with you. Like they’re just not going to entertain the thought of it. And I’m really referring to mainly the smaller markets or the lower spending teams because sure, you can make the argument that they’re never going to be in on those guys anyway, but sometimes they are. And sometimes they’ll do like even a short-term deal with a guy like that. If they’re on or they’re close to being a pretty good team or they’re maybe a team just for an example like the Brewers who are contend a perennial contender for the playoffs, they could do a one-year type of deal with a guy like that or a two-year deal, whatever it is, some sort of short-term arrangement. However, when you have that qualifying offer attached to you, it kind of eliminates those teams because they’re just not going to give up that draft pick, right? In addition to spending the money on somebody like that, they’re just not we don’t see that happen. So, I do it will help him not having that anymore. But then again, I’m also I have the kind of the same track of thought that you do where I have a hard time coming up with a bunch of teams that really make sense to have that plunge for him. Um, who need that right-handed presence, that power presence, and who’s going to be willing to pay for it for a guy who is going to at best be your first baseman and probably be some of your DH timeout as well. And so, the Red Sox come to mind. There’s a couple of others, but I kind of to answer your question, I see it very similar to Diaz where I have a hard time coming up with a whole lot of teams, but at the same time, I just have also a feeling that the Mets are just not going to, you know, move everything in order to reel these guys back in. I think that there’s going to be a line in the line in the sand, if you will, uh, where they’re just not going to go beyond a certain number on a certain guy. And I think that’s if I had to guess, it’s more of a philos philosophical approach than anything else when it comes to just not any single player is really going to determine, you know, the state of the franchise type of thing where they would move on. Uh I I feel pretty confident, at least in my own thinking, not reporting, but in my own thinking, that they would feel okay about moving on and and trying to find the next best solution. Yeah. You know, it it’s abundantly clear after seeing Brandon Nemo be traded that David Sterns is not going to allow emotions really get in the way of what he feels is the best philosophy for the organization moving forward. And I’m constantly hung up on the current notion, which is that no Met is locked down beyond the 2027 season from the past regime. And now Sterns has a true opportunity to have his hands not only on everything, but to really reshape this roster to the magnitude that maybe he initially wanted when he first became president a couple years ago, but didn’t really have the luxury to do so yet because of all these more multi-year commitments. Now, when you look at another year where Lonzo hits the market, we know how much of a liability he was defensively. Not that it outweighs his offense because I don’t think anyone is rationally saying that. But knowing that that’s continuing to be a problem in his defensive game and knowing that the Mets have a big appetite for him to get more DH reps, should they bring him back? It feels telling that they would love Alonzo back, but it’ll be at their price. And as much as I may want them to kind of do everything in their power to bring Alonzo back, should he say, let’s say hypothetically split 6040 next year from first base to DH where that only gradually increases every single year, I think it’s hard to justify not bringing Pete back fairly long term should that continue to be the case because we’ve seen a lot of DH’s that are great power headers that stay relatively healthy slug easily into their mid even late 30s. you know, not just JD Martinez who was here in his final year there with the Mets, but you think of obviously like plenty others, whether it’s going to be Big Poppy or what have you, Nelson Cruz. I really think Alonzo will fall in that category. So, I’m awfully curious to see how the Mets view him, if it’s in a very different light or if it’s similar. Because if they’re not going to say, bring Peter Allonzo back. Let’s say the Boston Red Sox roll out the red carpet and give him north of six-year contract that is just far more appealing for Alonzo to take versus Mets say, “Hey, we’ll give you maybe four years with tops of fifth year option, but we’re really not going to move more than that.” Should that be the case, what do you anticipate the market to be like for the Mets when looking at replacements for Alonzo as well as ultimately just trying to replace more so the power than maybe the position because just if just because the Mets may lose a power heading for space type doesn’t mean that they have to necessarily replenish all that power in that same position. Could they be more focused in the DH market specifically like a Kyle Kyle Schwarber? Could they be even more inclined to be going all in on the Kyle Tucker if they hadn’t already? Cody Bellinger feels like he checks off an abundance of boxes for this team. So, just trying to get a gauge as to what is I think more realistic for the Mets and a role where Alonzo doesn’t return. I would love to hear your input on. And secondly, should Alonzo in fact return? We heard Anthony Nomo ask, is this a realistic possibility to David Sterns yesterday that you bring Alonzo and Diaz back and add say a quality outfielder? and he said, “Yeah, I think anything’s realistic at this point in the offseason to be frank.” So, when you look at that as well, do you think that the Mets are pretty much inevitably going to find themselves landing a quality outfielder of either star status or something along those lines? I don’t know if it’s inevitable. And I say that because they just got out of a huge agreement with a corner outfielder in Brandon NMO that they thought was going to be too long, too much for too long for a corner guy, right? And they were able they were willing to get rid of a a franchise cornerstone at that, right? This guy’s been one team his whole major league career, professional career for that matter. Homegrown player, uh, top 10 in a bunch of categories. he mattered to the fabric of the franchise and they were willing to get underneath get get away from that contract. So for me, I don’t know, I sometimes question like would they then just go out and sign another corner outfielder to another long-term contract. They didn’t save money in the Brandon Nemo deal. Marcus Simeon makes more money than Brandon Demo the next couple of seasons. So it wasn’t as if they just shed that contract. They didn’t. They swapped it for a defensive upgrade at a different position. So it wasn’t a a salary shed there. They got out of his last couple of years of the deal because it’s a longer deal than but these next two years that means making more money. So I don’t know. I kind of question actually that although I I would never rule anything out when it comes to the Mets and Steve Cohen and Sterns, nor should you on November 25th as we’re talking. Uh but yeah, that that part of it I just kind of think about, especially like when we heard David Surns talk about Carson Benj and some other outfield prospects, you can’t do it all, right? Like you can’t add all these guys and then say that you’re going to also weave in these young players. There’s only so many spots. So, I don’t know. I have a hard time um wrapping my head around that part of it. But if Alonzo were not to return, then I see that maybe as a little bit more realistic just because you’re going to have to upgrade that. You’re going to have to fix that lineup again because now you’re talking about subtracting NMO NMO and Alonzo from that group uh from a team that completely underachieved. And so I don’t know if improving the defense equates to making up that offensive value that you’re going to lose with those two guys, right? So yeah, I think that as far as speculatively, yeah, I could see them maybe tapping into some different markets if they were to miss out on Alonzo or Alonzo chooses to go somewhere else. But if they were to try to bring back and just playing out the hypothetical game of bringing back Diaz, bringing back Alonzo, I’m not sure that they would again go longterm in the outfield. They could obviously I I just wonder if that’s if that’s their move um as opposed to doing some other different things in left field and center field. Yeah, there’s something to be said about the Cody Ballinger sweep stakes in particular, I feel, because he’s one of these guys that feels like he sticks out like a sore thumb for David Sterns because if you’re focused on run prevention as well as a plus bat, someone who’s two and a half, three years younger than Nemo, look no further than Cody Bellinger. So, I do think that he might be the closest exception to the Mets to kind of replace NMO in that in that way because if there’s one thing that we learned from NMO being traded with a full no trade clause entering his age 33 season and 5 years left on a deal is that it can happen. You know, the Mets don’t need to necessarily be tied down long-term to whoever they may sign longterm. You know, if they say sign Ballinger to six years north of $200 million, I think there’s a great reality where you get him at his best years for the next three and then if things really look like they’re on the decline after that, you figure out if you can either find a similar type of deal as you did that we saw in a one for one swap for Simeon here from a couple years prior looking back or doing something in the nature of actually eating that salary which we know that even though Cohen doesn’t love the idea of doing isn’t opposed to doing it in the right settings. So, not just a James McCann contract. Ramson Canó among others. Like those things feel inevitable for the club down the road because it’s obvious that they’re not going to keep guys on the roster until you know they simply can’t play anymore just because they have them tied down financially or maybe the previous regime would have been more inclined to do so with less financial flexibility. So, well, before I let you go, my final question to you is from your point of view, from evaluating the offse offseason at this point, what do you think is more likely, just talking opinion here, the Mets to A sign one of the top outfielders in the market and Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger, B going after a strong fit via the trade market for Sid outfielder, whether that is someone who has more upside potential but a much lower floor like a Luis Robert, a guy who could wave his no trade even though it feels maybe less likely to do so in a Byron Buckton potentially more of a contact guy like a Steven Quan Fernando Tatis Jr. if you’re really shooting for the stars that someone is more in the wantto timeline still around the age of 26 or so or the C option which is that the Mets sacrifice offense for their outfield. They focus more defensively and they amplify the offense more that we see within that infield. Whether that is an Allonzo reunion, maybe trading Batty and going after a more established third base option. Um, obviously the Mets need pitching and I do believe that they’re more positioned to land say a bigger piece via trade knowing that they have a guy like Jet Williams faced with a lot of uncertainty for example should they wish to go down that route. But I want to focus more here for the sake of the bats. So between A, B, and C right now, what is your gut telling you most opinion wise? Yeah, not to sidestep, but it’s probably a combination of B and C. And I say combination. I say a combination just because I’m not sure if it’s going to be a glamorous name that they could trade for like a Fernando Tatis Jr. or even a Quan for that matter. But I kind of do see that um from just the way that my guess my view on it, I would see that maybe as a little bit more likely. Uh because like I like you alluded to, they have so much other stuff to do. Uh they have to address the starting rotation with with a top-of-the-line guy. They have to remake their entire bullpen with hopefully in their view a topline closer. And yeah, they they also have some stuff to do with Alonzo and elsewhere in their lineup. So there there’s plenty to go on. So, I think it’s a mixture of B and C where I don’t see them giving the keys to Carson Pench who has played all of a handful of games in TripleA to start the year in 2026 with the New York Mets. But I do see so maybe the path toward a short, you know, kind of filling the gap option where you kind of get to Benge without marrying yourself to a long-term commitment with maybe a pretty good player. who that player is. I’m not sure, but that’s probably at least where I’m sitting, that’s how I would probably I don’t I don’t know the right phrasing, but that’s what I would probably put the most bets on. Okay, sweet. Well, well, I know you got a run, so thank you so much again for coming on today. I really appreciate it. Everybody watching live, we’re going to continue on the live show, but to people watching replay, I’ll be cutting things off now. So, we’re going to continue with a Q&A segment, but everyone else that watched this after the fact, thank you so much. Let me know your key takeaways, reactions to Will Salmon of the Athletic hopping on today with me to break down what is happening in Mets land. Will, thank you so much. It’s always a pleasure. Best of luck in the next couple weeks as we have winter meetings right around the corner there in Orlando. It’s going to be a busy time and hope you have a very happy holiday this week. Until then, likewise, man. Thanks for having me on. Thank you, Will. Have a great

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