SoCalTiger

Super post. bang on. If I may add dominant "Villain " teams are actually good for the league overall. Fans love the drama and passion they bring. It's why the Yankees and Dodgers sell out their away games as well. It's not going to change because even the cheap owners benefit from it and the League sure as heck is not killing their golden goose and getting fired for it. So yes "pay to play" and draft and develop are the only option. And "rigid" Harris is following through. We are lucky to have him despite the sloooooow process.

Skubal will be pitching for Detroit in 2026 for many reasons so let's enjoy that. It's not the same as Ohtani because the Angels were not in the playoffs the preceding two years like we were. Nor were they playing in a weak division. Plus it's always easier to push off hard decisions to a later date. Maybe the new collective bargaining agreement will bail them out in some manner. Harris is probably relieved to pass the hot tamale over to Chris.

If the new CBA limits years then someone will offer Skubal 60 million a year. The limit has to be total salaries and that's a cap and it's kryptonite for a deal. Maybe there can be added bonuses for losing free agents. Perhaps multiple draft picks. Maybe the team signing the highest contract loses a player off their 40 to the team that lost the player ? Or both. I think all is possible with the union provided salaries are not overly suppressed or capped.

Yes and none of those you listed is a shortstop except Rainer who is 3 years away. Heck none really play third. They are all second baseman except Cruz who is still a long shot poor man's McStinky.

So why not cut Lee and protect Petit ?

I included Baez to off set Lindor's salary as an "off the hip" thought. Maybe it can be massaged to work but as you say directionless unless Stearns is indeed totally reshaping the Mets. But it's more in my long standing hope to fix the left side of the infield which is the one complaint I have with Scot Harris who I still support though a bit more impatiently to be fair. We need a shortstop and Third baseman so very badly.

Baez and Skubal ?

Strange they left him unprotected but I would probably be talking about someone else we lost if they did.

Exactly. It doesn't make sense to not add around Skubal but I guess it's still early in the off season.

Is Petit good and if so should we have protected him ?

This sums up Al for me but you missed a big point in that he put a garbage team on the field to get those low picks year after year after year and yes others did like Houston so I "get it" but it's just "paint by numbers " decision making.

So you don't want me to call Zimmerman ?

For the most part yes but a certain amount of swagger does play when influencing people and wooing fans. I mean James Bond did pretty well.

I don’t think he is any of that just seems a bit uncomfortable in the spotlight. He is new I guess.

So he’s playing possum eh. Could be. He is very smart. Hope he has something up his sleeve.

Sheehan , Ferris and Hope is “market “ objective trade and possible. I pass. Not sure about Harris.

Agree but you have to shake your head at the Dodgers who can "blow" 50 million on a reliever one year and fix that with 69 million more the next. It's getting silly.

Except there isn't anything currently on the minor league pitching shelf and future drafts take some time. I think you have hit on the main fault of our system that is overlooked when Harris hypes our minor leagues and that is a void of pitching. Teams now trading want pitching in deals and we do not have any to offer which is probably why our trade deadline additions last season were so thin.

After listening to Scot Harris it does seem a certainty.

Yes still waiting for that unless....staying firmly committed to draft and development and not paying ANY large salaries is a gamble in itself. I'm thinking that's how he pitched himself to Illitch in the hiring phase and he is following through.

Did anyone watch Harris's interview on MLB network ? The optics seemed strange to me like he was really nervous and uncomfortable. The main interviewer even said "you did a good job" at the end. I came away a bit disappointed that he might indeed be a bit overwhelmed by it all. Did anyone else feel that way or did I get the wrong impression ?

You have Spock mind melded into Harris and Juniors brains and speak their truth.

In the Central the odds are we will make the playoffs so I agree if we did not it wouldn't be because Skubal stunk but it would leave a HUGE hole for 2027 that we could have had partially filled by trading him. And I am not advocating trading him mostly because I do not think the returns being offered are close to what the "media talking heads" portend. I think the other GM's are a bunch of Hyenas laying in the weeds drooling while waiting for Skubs free agency. Heck just today Friedman said they don't anticipate and "heavy lifting" this off season...because they have their targets set on Tarik next year knowing Boras will "lay out the spread".

Yes the Clash..I remember punk rocking to them in some semi dive many moons ago . Great song and Thank you !

I will stop caring after Sweet Lou gets in. Trammel should be fined for allowing the human"Fence Post" Kent get in.