New York Mets Offseason To-Do List with Marc Luino

off seasonason to-do list for the Mets. Draft neck Mark been in the game for a long time. Check out the YouTube channel if you don’t already, but then also Mets stop. Let’s talk about the Mets specifically here. Mark, good to see you, my friend. And lay out the offseason to-do list. What’s one, two, and three for the Mets in your mind? Yeah, thanks for having me on, guys. Excited to talk about the Mets. Kind of cheated a little bit. I uh put number one as resign Pete Alonzo and Edwin Diaz. Number two, trade for an ace starting pitcher. Number three, we got to find an outfielder, whether it’s in the corner or center field. Okay. Um, all right. Let’s dive into each of these. I’m going to start with the heartbreaker question at the top because Buck Shoalter, former manager of the Mets recently, asked us yesterday this question when he was a guest on the show. Mark, you can only keep Pete Alonzo or Edwin Diaz. Forget about the money, right? Let’s say Pete’s getting 120 and Diaz is getting 95, whatever, right? The money shouldn’t matter a ton when you’re thinking about this team. You can only pick one. Which one do you need for next year? I think it’s Pete Alonzo. I as much as Edwin Diaz is arguably the best closer in baseball. I think you can still build a strong bullpen without having the best closer in baseball where it’s really tough to find the offensive production that Pete Allonzo has at the first base position. I know defensively he’s got his shortcomings, but 35 to 40 home runs a year and OPS approaching 900, driving in 110, 120 runs a season. What Pete brings to the plate, it’s really difficult to find in baseball and you usually have to pay a lot. So to be able to get that kind of value at the first base position, I just I don’t know how the Mets would really even come close to being able to fill in the shoes of Pete at the plate. Yeah. to that point, do they have a internal option if Pete doesn’t come back? And what’s kind of the knock around Pete Alonzo? All he’s ever done is been a productive first baseman. He hits 40 homers, drives in a home, 100 RBI’s every year. He’s a multiple home run derby champion. He loves the city of New York. Uh, you know, if you were listening earlier, he has no kind of uh there’s no negativity when it comes to him as a teammate or a person. I personally played with Pete. I love Pete, but it feels like what’s the knock on this guy? Why are they just not pwning up and giving him what he, you know, kind of deserves? Yeah, I think for Mets fans, they would agree with you and say, “We got to bring Pete Alonzo back no matter what it takes.” But I think from the front office perspective, they see a guy who towards the back end of that seven-year contract that he’s asking for. The value might not be there for a guy who’s ultimately going to end up becoming a DH because his defense the last few seasons really hasn’t been very great. But there is an easy fix there. The problem for Pete is on the balls to his right. If you look at OA, that’s where he loses all his defensive value. And that’s really from Pete being very aggressive at the position, having a little bit of trouble throwing the ball over to the pitcher sometimes covering the base. But that’s the one knock I’d have on him. I think Kyle Schwarber has shown us recently as soon as recent as last year that these power hitters will continue to hit for power as they get older and older. So from my perspective, I think Pete’s totally worth it. But I I guess from Pete’s value from the front office perspective, one, it doesn’t seem like there’s nearly as many suitors as Alonzo and his camp hoped for. Um, so from David Sterns, he’s just like, we’ll wait and see. Kind of like we did last off season and get you at the price point that we want you at. Should have got should have went out and got Ron Washington to work with him. It would have got him moving to his right a little bit better. um starting pitching. Do you think that’s something they go out and get on the free agency market or is that something they are looking at the trade market to get? And is Tervil a name that you’ve been hearing? Yeah, I think it’s going to be on the trade market more. Um I just while Frame Valdez is a really good pitcher, I just don’t think that the Mets are going to pony up the money that he’s going to command on the free agent market right now. When you have guys like Terrick Scooble possibly available, Freddy Peralta’s names been floated around, Joe Ryan, Pablo Lopez, even Sandy in your own division, there’s a lot of options on the trade market and the Mets have built up one of the best farm systems in baseball over the last few years. I think this would be a time for them to take some of those pieces in the farm and push those chips in to go out and get a real frontline starter because while this rotation was a huge problem last year, they couldn’t get length out of anybody down the stretch. I think that they have a lot of those backend arms right now where you don’t really want to go and spend necessarily on the free agent market. You want to go and make a move, get a impact player, a game one starter in a postseason series if they reach there and those guys are available. NMO, he gone outfield. They need another outfielder, man. What do you think they’re going to do with with that situation that they have? Do they have anybody in the minor leagues that could step up right now or Yeah, really excited. really excited for Carson Benj and I think David Sterns in all his press conferences has also me mentioned Carson Benj a lot. It seems like if he comes out and has a strong spring training, he has a chance to win that opening day either center field or left field position based on whoever they get to fill that spot. But Benj is someone who’s a top 10, maybe at worst top 15 prospect in all of minor league baseball. Flew through the system last year out of Oklahoma State. Looks really really promising and looks like he can play center field if needed. But I ultimately end up thinking they go with Cody Bellinger in the corner. He’s a guy who can give you the flexibility of playing the outfield positions. He could even play center field if you needed him to in a pinch. But he’s great in left field, has a great arm, is a good athlete, and on days where if Pete Alonzo’s back with this team, you could DH Pete some days, put Cody Bellinger at first base. Think he gives the roster flexibility, the defensive value, and also still is a really good bat. Hit 30 home runs last year with the Yankees. That’s a player that feels perfect and and someone that David Sterns would be really honing in on this off seasonason. So, give me give me your start in outfield right now. Um, if today was day one, give me give me your outfield right now. I think it’s going to be Cody Bellinger in left. I think you’re going to have a platoon of Carson Benj and Tyrone Taylor in center and Juan Sodto in right. And I I mentioned Tyrone Taylor just because I think against lefties, especially early on in the year, they’re going to want to give Benj a little bit more of an easier transition into the majors and not have to have him face some of the tough lefties that are in the National League early on. So my my boy Jeff McNeel, I haven’t heard a word about him. What what’s going is he out after all this craziness with Lindor again? Like talk to me about my buddy Jeff. I don’t think he can mash. I just don’t think he can mash. I don’t know. I listen I like Jeff as a player. I’ve been banging the Jeff McNeel drum a little bit harder than some Mets fans, but it does feel like with the acquisition of Simeon, with all the stuff that we heard with him and Lindor, and the fact that the Mets team does seem to want to get a little more athletic, which is unfair because McNeel’s played great second base and outfield as well for this team whenever they call upon it. Uh, it just seems like this organization might be moving on from him, especially when you move on from NMO. It seems like there might be a changing of some of the guys that have been here for a minute. And I think McNeel, unfortunately for me, I’m I’m a fan of Jeff. We’ve been very friendly in the past, but I think he’s going to be going to a new organization this off season. Speaking of platoon, third base, Mark Vantos, Brett Batty, I don’t see a scenario where you can have them both. I think you got to allow one to play 140, 150 games a year. Who you taking? Who’s got more trade value? Or do you see him kind of platooning both of these guys? Yeah, I think in a perfect world they would love for Mark Ventos to play third base, but I think last season he showed that the position is a little little tough for him defensively. His home might end up being first base if he’s going to play the field. But Brett Batty kind of won the position as well. He played good enough defense at third base, which was about league average better at times um than league average defensively. And then at the plate the second half of the season, Brett Batty was awesome. Like he was hitting for power. Finished with close to 20 home runs on the season. OPS creeped its way back up to being above league average and the fact that he’s free with that kind of value. I do really think it’s his position right now going into opening day along with the fact that Vientos he does still kind of have a role on this team even with Pete Alonzo on it and that’s being a lefty masher off the bench being a guy who in a pinch could play third base. He could be a DH option. He could play first. We remember that 2024 season. Vientos was phenomenal. They don’t go on that run without him. And while 2025 was a bit of a struggle for him, I still think that the Mets have some hope that he can find that bat again and be a guy who can provide some serious power when needed in that lineup. Okay, I’m going to take this to a conversation that actually we just covered makeup, clubhouse chemistry, all that kind of stuff. A lot of times it can get pretty overblown. I thought you guys did a great job covering the New York Post article the other day. I listened to that when I texted you guys about it. We talked about it. I wanted to get insight from you guys dialed in on the team on an everyday basis like Lindor and So I don’t care if one loves one color, one loves the other, one loves food, one loves shopping. I don’t give a crap, right? They both put up great numbers. That’s not the reason why the Mets didn’t make the playoffs this year. And Buck Shalter, I’ll allude to again, was on yesterday. We asked him about it. He’s like, “They didn’t make the playoffs because they didn’t have enough pitching, especially enough, you know, starting pitching down the stretch. They’re relying on the all these young guys, etc.” The one thing he did bring up that I thought was interesting is the Nemo Semian trade. And he goes, “Isn’t Seamon the captain of the Rangers? Why did he get traded?” So, curious to get your thoughts on that one. Many people responded to the clip which got quite a few hits and said, “Oh, well, the dude’s in his mid-30s. His offense has declined. That’s also part of the mix.” Do you think that the I don’t want to say the Mets won the trade, but do you think this is going to work out well for the Mets? And what is your take on the, you know, chemistry component for the ballpark or for the ball club as well? And then after you answer, we can get KP who who played with Marcus. Yeah, I mean, we’ve heard about the chemistry stuff for a minute now. And it’s weird. I think it’s uncomfortable from the outside perspective, but you guys had Sheffield on as well on the show and he talked about these guys don’t have to be best friends. I think at the end of the day, like the company line for me is they don’t have to like each other. They just have to respect each other and they have to try and win baseball games. And from the outside perspective, it seems like that’s all those guys care about. Wanodto wants to win. Francisco Lindor wants to win. They’re two of the best players in baseball. They played well last year. I I wouldn’t chalk the chemistry up because I think we would have seen them both struggle more if there really was a huge problem. Um, and then with Marcus Simeon being traded over for Brandon NMO, while Simeon being traded, you know, the captain of the Rangers is a big deal for what that could mean for the Rangers, you also got to remember NMO was such a big part of this clubhouse. So, I really do think it might just be one. The contracts made sense and both teams can see a good fit. Uh, either way, the Mets could use some help at second base, especially defensively. And the Rangers needed some outfield help after getting rid of Adullius Garcia, but Simeon bringing that steady veteran presence being a very wellrespected player in the league. I don’t think that this is ever a bad thing for the clubhouse. we kind of saw with JD Martinez in 2024. Um maybe this is kind of the move of that similar ilk of bringing in a respected veteran leader and it’s one of the few guys on this roster that has won has won a championship and I do think there’s value to that. Yeah. I mean I think the the championship pedigree is a big part um of why they brought him in too. But you know to everyone’s point you know you’re going to be in a clubhouse with you know guys that aren’t they’re all not all going to be your best friend and you don’t necessarily have to all get along. But the biggest thing is you’ve got to have, you know, common goals. And what Marcus Simeon does bring and to the point of why he probably, you know, although he was the captain, he left the Rangers, Marcus loves to work. Marcus wants to be on the field every single day. He wants to take batting practice. He wants to turn double plays with his shortstop. He wants to get out there and be on the field every day. So, I know Lindor is like that as well. I didn’t have experience with Juan Stoodto, but you know, there’s certain guys in this game that just are good enough. they could just show up at six and play. Marcus is one of those guys. And you know, to your point, you have these Brett Batties and Mark Vientis in there. Bringing in a guy like Marcus Simeon who wasn’t a great player at the beginning of his career, who turned himself into a superstar, a top three finisher in the MVP, a guy who’s making $180 million to play second place. This all came through hard work. So, I don’t think it’s ever a a problem, even if he is on his decline, to bring in a guy like this who just can set an example for these guys of what hard work can do for you in your career. So, I love the Mets bringing him in. You know, it’s not, you know, and Brandon NMO, you know, he was a I played with him. He’s a guy who loves to work, too. Um, you know, not to put a knock against Brandon NMO, but I don’t think it’s a bad thing bringing in a World Series champion guy who’s finished top three in the MVP who’s also turned himself into that type of player. I also think too at the end of the day a lot of people like we remember 2025 was a disaster season and relatively speaking for this core that’s been here they kind of haven’t accomplished anything. So while Mets fans feel this you know real connection with Brand NMO because he’s been in the organization for almost a decade sometimes things have to change and I think from the front office perspective if it didn’t work last year we got to try something else otherwise it’s crazy to think that another outcome is possible. I want to talk one more about Brandon NMO here real quick. He recently came on um a show and basically talked about his legacy with the Mets and everything and he talked about his number being in the Raptors. Now, I want to ask you as a a longtime Mets guy and understandably if he did end his career with the Mets, could you have seen his number being put up there, you know, with the longevity with the Mets and the numbers that he had? Oh, 100%. I think if he ended his career there, he would have been up there with Daryl and Keith and Mike Piaza and all those guys. Tom Siver, he would have been one of the all-time great Mets. And even to this point, the numbers in the organization that he put up, he’s like top 10 in basically every offensive stat. I think Brandon NMO, from my perspective, one of my favorite Mets to ever play on the team. I think it’s really cool to see a player grow up with the organization, become an adult at a similar time where I was becoming an adult as well. So, it’s really uh it it hurt to see him go because in the few experiences I had with him, he truly was one of the great guys that I’ve ever got to meet in baseball. So from that perspective, it hurts. But at the end of the day, baseball is a business and for the Mets, I guess they they felt that trading brand Nemo for Marcus Simeon helped them achieve their goal at the end of the year of hopefully winning a World Series. On this topic, does Jacob Deg Grom number get retired? Statue. I think that I’m one of the few Mets fans that did not care how Jacob Deg Grom left. I keep him in the highest regard. He’s one of the best players that I’ve ever seen step on a baseball field, especially in terms of pitching. I would retire his number in a heartbeat. Um, and I I think the Mets organization will too. Even though there wasn’t a lot of winning that went on, for a guy to win multiple SI Youngs like he did and could be considered and be on a Hall of Fame path, I I think it would be crazy not to. It’s It’s funny like retiring numbers like it just seems like it just comes off the tip of everybody’s tongue. Yeah, just retire. I mean, I I don’t know. It’s like the Hall of Fame to me. You got to be stingy. You got to be one of the best of best to ever play or one of the best and best to ever play in that organization. Maybe my standards are a little higher on certain things, but back in the day, those guys played 15, 20, 25 years, so it made it that much easier for them to get picked. But yes, I I think it’s a it’s a it’s a great question, but I I don’t know if I’m always convinced on some of these things. Yeah, I think also like just as such a diehard Mets fan, a lot of those guys are some of my best memories. I don’t I don’t have a lot of great memories as a Mets fan. Like 2015 really sticks out, 2022, 2024. Like otherwise you look back and it’s not a lot of happy times for me as a fan. Todd, do you disagree with that Deg Grom? I’m on the fence, man. If you want the truth, I’m on the fence. I listen and I and I played with him and I played with him. He got the Sai Young. I was right there at third base. I thought it was unbelievable. I I just need more longevity with the team in my in my opinion. So I would say no right now, but it it’s it’s up it’s up for debate, man. It’s up it’s definitely up for for debate. And I’ I’ve been asked questions about some of my closest friends, guys I play with about Hall of Fame. I’ve said no, too. It’s like these It’s like the best of the best of the best. So, for me, maybe I’m just a little picky when it comes to these things, like I said before. But moving on, my last question for you would be, all right, say the Mets make some moves, they get the guys they want. Is this team going to make the playoffs, is this team ready to go? Like, is it it it’s kind of like go time here, man? Stevie Cohen, what do we, you know, he’s talking all this stuff like when are they going to finally pick it up and get their butts back to where they need to be? I mean, I think you’re asking the same question all Mets fans has is like, how is this not come together quicker, better, especially after 2024, you thought like, all right, we have a real chance and last year was so terrible. But I think they have no other choice if they don’t make the postseason. David Sterns is on the hot seat. I think Mets fans start getting upset with Steve Cohen. I think Mets fans start turning on players more than they already do. Like there’s really no other option besides make the playoffs because if they miss again, it’s it’s a catastrophic failure. Like failure. You can have you can have the one off season where things don’t go right, but two in a row with this payroll, with the players on this team, with the money being spent, it’s really not acceptable.

Marc Luino, co-host of the Mets’d Up Podcast, joins the show to lay out his New York Mets offseason to-do list starting with re-signing Pete Alonso and keeping Edwin Diaz in Queens. Marc explains why the Mets must trade for a true ace to anchor the rotation and why adding an impact outfielder is essential for the lineup. The crew breaks down realistic trade partners, free agent targets, and how these moves would shape the Mets path back to contention in the National League.

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