Hello from the most active offseason since Omar Minaya reeled in Carlos Beltran and Pedro Martinez.
You are no doubt in receipt of reports today that the Mets have reached a massive 3-year deal with free agent pitcher Max Scherzer after making successful bids late last week for veterans Starling Marte, Mark Cahna and Eduardo Escobar. And with trades, relief-pitching, depth deals and a new manager still ahead, that’s a mighty heavy workload for newly arrived GM, Billy Eppler.
Scherzer has worn 31 in Washington and in LA, but with Mike Piazza having taken that out of the Mets’ rotation, we’re tentatively anticipating he’ll take it up a notch the 32. That figure belonged most recently to Aaron Loup, who departed to Anaheim on a free-agent deal following Noah Syndergaard, who made the very same move.
Syndergaard’s departure marks the final end to a durable, multipronged trade chain dating back to Tim Bogar, who debuted with the Mets in 1993, was traded to Houston for Luis Lopez, who went to Milwaukee for Bill Pulsipher, who went to Arizona for Lenny Harris, who went to Milwaukee for Jeromy Burnitz, whose trade to Los Angeles yielded Victor Diaz, who was traded to Texas for catcher Mike Nickeas, who was sent to Toronto in the Syndergaard trade.
Noah departs as the Mets’ all-time leader in winning-percentage and strikeouts among Guys Who Wore 34. He was three wins short of Mike Pelfrey for the victory title.
Marte is a sports-car enthusiast (true story: I met his car-dealer at a convention in Las Vegas) who looks to take over center field duties as Brandon Nimmo slides over to left field and Canha takes over in right. Marte has worn No. 6 with Pittsburgh and Miami and No. 2 with Oakland and Arizona. One or both could be available depending on whether change-ofscenery trade candidates Dom Smith and Jeff McNeil survive Eppler’s dealmaking in the weeks ahead. Cahna has worn 20 with Oakland and will need a new issue. Escobar, a switch-hitting infielder who looks likely to take a role similar to Jonathan Villar last season, has worn 5 most often in his career and so encounters a retired number in New York. Scientists project he could wind up in 7 here.
More to come!!
max scherzer would look great in 34. 32 just seems more suited for lefties.
I noticed Brett Baty has been wearing #7 lately in the minors/fall league. It makes me wonder if the Mets will be holding out #7 for him since he’s likely to make a call up in 2022.
It’s really time for the Mets to end these semi retirement follies with 7, 8, 17, and 24. Reyes was a good Met, but no. Carter didn’t play long enough as a Met and he’s in the HOF as an Expo. Keith has a great case despite not enough years in a Mets uniform given his contributions as a broadcaster. Willie Mays is a Giant. End of story.
My guesses:
Scherzer – 32
Marte – 4
Cahna – 22
Escobar – 19
We should see today
Per the Mets page, as noted on Twitter by Deesha Thosar:
No. 6, Starling Marte
No. 10, Eduardo Escobar
No. 19, Mark Canha
No. 21, Max Scherzer
Jeff McNeil switched from No. 6 to No. 1, it would appear.
Somehow, I’d like to see Scherzer in 35.