What does Mets sell-off look like? Who answers for failed 2026 season? | Mets Mailbag
On this edition of Mets Mailbag, SNY's Michelle Margaux is joined by SNY MLB Insider Chelsea Janes to take on fan questions about the tumultuous 2026 Mets season and what further changes might result from it. Additionally, pressing questions on the upcoming MLB trade deadline and who the Mets might move get answered by Chelsea.
Video Transcript
Did you get scared when I said I don't wanna put you on blast?
Yes.
Just terrified.
Welcome to Mets Mailbag, the show where we answer your questions.
I'm your host, Michelle Margaux, and today I am joined by SNY's MLB insider, Chelsea Janes.
Chelsea, hello.
Hello.
Every week you can go to Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to look for a post from SNY's account asking to submit your questions to the show.
If you're watching on YouTube, you can also drop your questions in the comment section below.
We're gonna start with Albert E. Lewis on X, just no frills.
He said, "What happened to run prevention?"
I mean, it's fair.
They haven't been doing it, is the number one answer I can give there.
Yeah.
It, it does They whiffed.
I mean, they just whiffed on it.
I mean, from pitching depth to having guys in the infield playing out of position.
You know, I think injuries hurt the infield a lot.
You know, Lindor at short consistently, Bichette with time to figure it out at third, I think is actually a decent defensive infield, although Lindor has not looked like himself there yet.
And I, you know, the outfield has been better defensively, though it is not the outfield that they intended to have, right?
The outfield they intended to have, might not have been as good defensively, but, so, like, it's there.
You know, they are better defensively with a lineup of Bichette, Lindor, Simen, if that's what you have and, and Bengie in the outfield.
But, you know, it just hasn't added up there and elsewhere and, and I think the big one is obviously the starting pitching has not held up its end of the bargain.
And, you know, if they're gonna prioritize run prevention again, I think they're gonna have to prioritize it harder and, and remember where it starts, which is the rotation, and y- you just ha- can never have enough depth.
They had thought they did, and they didn't.
Yeah, we have a lot of, trade deadline questions later in the show, but Stacy NYC on X said, "David Stearns has been a complete train wreck the past two seasons.
Even Steve admitted," first name basis, "Steve admitted, quote, 'It's not going well.'
So why would he publicly give him support to finish out his five-year contract?"
To me, the, it, it's obvious why.
Yeah, I mean, so Steve, if we're going with that, I love the first name basis.
Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, Stevie.
So a few things.
I think one of the things he has said, that does make sense to me is that he doesn't wanna, quote, unquote, "Churn and burn."
You know, I have heard him say this off camera that, you know, he does not wanna be seen as, like, this crazy billionaire owner who is flighty, and at the first sign of trouble, you know, flings somebody out the window, like George Steinbrenner style.
Because in his mind, that's not how you get top people to come here.
Why would someone wanna come here if th- something goes wrong, you have a year, I'm not gonna say like this, but, like, a hypothetical year where injuries knock you down and you get fired for that.
So I think he's, he's on the right track there because that, you know, that is a concern.
People don't wanna come to New York and be thrown away.
I also think there's a little bit of belief lingering in Stearns.
Like, that was his guy.
We all know that.
He chased him for years.
He made a huge financial commitment to him, a huge time commitment to him, and I think he believes that, like, Stearns is someone who can adapt, right?
I d- I don't know if that's true, obviously.
I'm not I don't get to talk to David Stearns the way that Steve Cohen does.
We certainly haven't heard him publicly, you know, explain the lessons he's learned from this year.
But Steve Cohen seems pretty adamant that this is a guy who can reflect and, and take a new approach.
And in an ideal world, you know, he turns into Andrew Friedman, who had better first years in LA but wasn't, you know, it wasn't this, it wasn't the juggernaut right away.
It did take a little while.
So I think that's the, the ideal.
The other thing I would say is I don't think he has committed to having him here the rest of his contract.
I think if you heard him talk to Joel Sherman and, and Jon Heyman, who did such a good job with that interview last, couple weeks ago, you know, he was already sort of backing off that a little bit, when they pushed him on it, w- you know, to say, like, "We're evaluating this constantly, and if it doesn't go well, you know, we have to adjust."
So I actually don't think it was as full-throated a commitment as it maybe felt, the first time he said it.
And I just cannot emphasize enough that early this season he was committed to Carlos Mendoza and did not believe he was the problem.
Things got worse, and he had no choice.
So I would say he doesn't wanna be someone who disposes of people quickly, and he also might still let David Stearns go before the end of his contract.
Yeah.
When I said it seems obvious to me, I didn't mean it seems obvious to me why he would stick with him.
I meant it, it obviously why he would publicly support him because- Sure.
Totally you're not gonna say like, "Yeah, he has three more months, and if he screws up-" " like, he's gonna..." Right, right.
Like, until he's done with him, he's going to publicly support him, I would imagine, just because you're not gonna air out to the world what your actual game plan is, as- Yeah a reporter.
Especially, like, before the trad- the trade deadline, right?
Yeah.
Like, he's gotta handle that, so you have to at least pretend you believe in him.
Although I think he does, but yeah.
Totally, 100%.
Trev on Facebook, "Why have the pitching coach and hitting coach received zero negativity?
Why haven't they been fired?
These guys have overseen a complete regression from pitchers and hitters."
Yeah, so, I don't know that they haven't received negativity in my Like, I don't necessarily know what that means.
I think they are probably under more scrutiny than it feels like, internally.
I know they have a very kind of, from my, from my understanding, a very kind of matter-of-fact way of sort of like talking about coaches and, you know, "Is this guy getting better like you thought he was?"
Like, very kind of, objective.
So I'm sure that they internally are having these conversations like, "What is not working?"
In fact, I know from talking to coaches that they do feel a lot of pressure.
A lot of them came here to win and have found themselves in this crazy, insane season that they can't seem to fix.
Um- So I think, like, there is pressure there, whether it's coming from media as much as, you know, pressure on the manager, pressure on Stearns.
You know, in my opinion, that is the hierarchy, right?
That is probably how you do it.
You know, the GM builds it, the manager's the prominent face, and yeah, we can talk about coaches.
And, and I don't know.
Like, I think it's really hard to tell, what their influence has been.
You know, I certainly think there has been an adjustment period.
We've heard people like David Peterson allude to that, but then also be very careful to say, "I found You know, I enjoyed working with Justin Willard," right?
It's just not Jeremy Hefner, who they knew for years.
It's, you know, it's not the same guys.
Offensively, I, you know, they've had a lot of injuries, and I know that people don't like to hear that, but they have helped Ewing and Bench flourish, in a ton of at bats in a challenging situation.
Soto's having one of the best years I've ever seen.
You know, so guys who have been healthy in my mind, other than Bob Shad, who I think, you know, is, is kind of his own guy.
Like, I don't think he's as hitting coach dependent as, as the young guys.
Like, I think they've, they've kind of been okay.
Maybe that's a cop-out, but I think the injuries are, are a big offensive problem.
So I don't know.
It's, it's such a small and confusing sample.
It's really hard to parse their impact.
But I will be interested certainly when we get to the end of the year and have to h- potentially have a managerial search, whether, you know, David Stearns sees that these are the right guys and, and wants a manager who can join that group.
Or, or if he feels like, you know, even though it would be a lot of change, they're not doing their jobs and we need to fix it.
So it'll be I think that will tell us a lot, but right now I find it very hard to figure out, you know, who's doing what and who's not doing what.
Yeah.
Peter Doyle on Facebook said, "Last season the Mets set a franchise record for most stolen bases in one season, and had a streak of 37 successful steal attempts.
This, this season the run game all but disappeared.
They ranked 29th in success rate.
Was Antoine Richardson that much of a factor?
And if so, why didn't they pay him more to stay?"
I think clearly he was a huge factor.
Especially with Soto.
I do not know why they didn't pay him more.
I'm not gonna cop out and say I wasn't here, like I've talked to people about it.
I wasn't, but I You know, I've talked to people since.
I think they felt, you know, he asked for too much and, you know, that they could, they could let him go.
Like, I think they just kind of disagreed on his value.
Now, in hindsight, it looks like they should have valued him higher, and maybe they feel that way too.
I will say when it comes to success rate in particular, I also noticed It just felt like, you know, a lot of the young guys especially were getting thrown out, and when I asked about it, you know, the coaching staff and, and stuff were saying, "Yeah, like we're being really, really aggressive," especially in the early months when nothing was going right, because they felt like they had to.
They felt like it was the only way to maybe create a run.
So they were sending guys in situations they described as ultra-aggressive, and I You know, and that I think the probabilities were lower of success because they felt like they had to.
So I think that success rate is skewed a little bit by the fact that they are running, they were running in moments where they didn't necessarily want to be running in an ideal world, but I, I, I don't think you're wrong.
I mean, I think Richardson a huge impact and, you know, I think they, they're feeling that loss, and some changing personnel too, but, but certainly, like, he was a guy who got the most out of Soto and others and, and they're not seeing the same success in the running game without him.
And last point on the running game is I do think it's important to remember that, that Soto pulled his calf earlier in the year and had took a while to, to keep it healthy, wanted to, you know, get it healthy, keep it healthy.
And they have not been able to afford to risk getting him hurt again, so he hasn't been running as much because of that, which I think matters.
Yeah, that's a, that's a very important point to, to Soto's ceiling, so to speak, when it comes to running on a base path.
Okay, Ed on X said, "How much house cleaning should the Mets front office do, and how much do you think actually gets done?"
You know, I don't know.
I, I think one of the issues that they have identified this year, and that, you guys know from watching, is, like, change came fast and they did not settle in well early in the year with all that change.
So I think there's a true argument to be made, and maybe it's laughable to some, that you don't You wanna change as little as possible this winter.
Now, I think you're gonna need a new manager.
I know people wonder about Andy Green, and maybe he stays, but they built a coaching staff that, that they felt could run a game, I think, for a variety of people.
Like, I don't think this is a staff that was built just to support Carlos Mendoza.
Like, I think they just got people they thought were good at their jobs, and probably would like to keep, and from what I understand have committed to long enough that they would have to pay some people a decent amount of money to keep them, or to, to go away at the end of this year.
And money is no object for Steve Cohen, but I do think it, that is something to think about.
The front office itself is also an interesting question.
You know, are there people there that maybe aren't as visible who will take some kind of fall for what has happened?
We have heard also over the years, like wondering about if they would hire a GM, you know, under Stearns to maybe help with some of the day-to-day or the, the big league roster or whatever it is.
I could see that happening for sure this winter just based on what's happened.
So I don't know.
I don't think it's gonna be probably as dramatic as some would like, but I think that will be a calculated decision, because they tried to change a lot really fast and it backfired completely.
As for players, I do not know.
I think there could be some big, big trades.
I think the roster will look different next year, but I don't know if it'll look as different as this year's did from last year.
I think they, they are gonna be really reluctant to change out big parts, I think, after what they saw.
In a world in which they move on from Stearns, okay, just hypothetical, what does that mean for all of the minor league infrastructure, the analytics departments, et cetera?
I think that's why, another reason why Steve Cohen won't be quick to do that.
Because I think there is a, a belief that he has really built all that out.
Now, those systems I think exist without him, right?
I think obviously, like what happened when he left Milwaukee, we have seen it seems like the infrastructure that he is credited with building has grown, flourished, been completely fine.
So I think, you know, the processes and stuff probably stay, but some of the people probably don't.
So if you're happy with the way the minor leagues are going and you're Steve Cohen, that makes you more reluctant to, to make that move.
I think they're a little worried about how the minor leagues look this year, and he's even said that on that podcast.
Like, some people have regressed.
So it's another example of like, is this a one-year temporary problem, or is this a sign of things to come?
And he's gonna have to decide that.
But like, I think if you're firing Stearns, you don't believe that anything's going in the right direction.
But if you believe the minor league and development stuff is, you're gonna give him a little bit longer leash.
Diane Washburn on X said, "Do you think the Mets can build a competitive team for 2027?"
100%.
100%.
I I know I have not been in Mets land long, so I maybe am overestimating the resilience here.
But I d- I mean, I think they'll be better next year.
I mean, they have I think they have to be, right?
They one of the worst records in baseball.
So knock on wood with that.
But I, I do think, I think they will learn lessons, you know?
I think, I think David Stearns tried to address, you know, clubhouse stuff this winter, and I think like that had to be done, but the result hasn't worked.
But okay, now you see you need more depth.
Maybe you do need some kind of different anchor in the clubhouse, so you make that change, and maybe little by little you start to get there.
So yeah.
I think whether it's Stearns or not, I think it will be Stearns, I think they're gonna be competitive.
It's gonna be a weird off-season given the, the CBA, but I, I think they'll be aggressive.
I think they'll try not to repeat mistakes.
And, and in theory, that should lead them to a better place, but I know it's the Mets and, I am learning quickly that nothing ever really goes the way you think it will.
Yeah.
I see our producers clipping you being like, "It can only go up from here."
I know.
I was like, "Nah."
Next year when it actually is like worse.
I do have a question for So for the fans who don't understand CBA, you know, potential lockout, can you just elaborate on, on whether or not teams can talk to players and stuff throughout that lockout?
Like, how does that affect trade, signings, that kind of stuff?
Yeah.
It's a It's complicated, but if there is no CBA deal by the end of November, then that is when the owners will probably lock out the players, and this is what we saw in the last cycle.
So that means in early December, I think it's December 1st, I might be wrong, they would lock out the players, and at that date, everything stops.
Transactions stop.
You can't talk to players.
Executives can go to New Zealand and not return for three weeks with the longest vacations of their lives.
It just stops, and everyone waits because the rules are under negotiation.
You know, the It's just a complete stop until you have rules by which you can play again.
So what that led to last time around was a crazy bunch of signings right before December.
If you remember, Simeon, Seeger, all these guys just signed massive contracts.
And then once the agreement is made, presuming that happens before the season, you get a whole nother round of chaos.
And in the meantime, everyone sits still and waits to see what's gonna happen.
And so if you're the Mets, for example, and you're wondering what rules you're gonna be playing by as you try to make this a winner, you're looking at an absolutely hectic off-season with some very important decisions that you're gonna have to make very fast.
Like, do you go and get everything you need before the lockout, not knowing the rules, and hope that it still holds up?
That's one way to do it.
Or do you wait and hope that you can find what you need afterward?
Another way to do it.
But it's gonna be hectic.
And, and once you get that lockout in place, you just have to wait, and you have to wait and see what the rules are.
And you know, what you have in place is, is the only sure thing, so it's gonna be not the easiest time to be trying to- No turn this ship around.
If baseball's a game of strategy enough, then you just add in like a whole nother layer during a really imperative off-season for the New York Mets.
Kevin Dwyer on X, "Is it unpopular opinion if I say Teren should be the everyday catcher and Taylor needs to be in the lineup more often?
They are battlers and have had a much needed approach in the batter's box.
Pretty good defensively as well.
Have been for years, but somehow seem devalued."
Not an unpopular opinion with me at all, and I, I think the Mets have come to a very similar conclusion with Teren's at least.
You know, we saw it at the end of sort of Mendy's tenure.
They started evening out the playing time a little bit.
There was a time there where the ERAs of starters working with Teren's were just so much better than they were with Alvarez that I think it got a little bit impossible to ignore.
So I think what you'll see It's, it's complicated now, right?
Because with Jorge Polanco back in the designated hitter spot, if you play Teren's behind the plate, you don't have a place for Alvarez to hit.
So it gets a little bit complicated to get Alvarez's bat in there, which they need to.
Andy Green has said what they're gonna try to do is get Alvarez the DH days when Polanco is off.
All of which is to say, I think Teren's, is gonna be as close to the everyday catcher as their offense can afford him to be.
And as for Taylor, I think he's made a great case to play more.
I just don't see where.
I don't think You know, I think in an ideal world, the, the 2026 Mets are charging to the postseason and he's like the best fourth outfielder you can possibly find.
That's not where they are.
But he is excellent off the bench.
He can produce even when he hasn't played in a while.
He's a really good defender, good teammate, all these things.
So I completely agree.
I just don't think there's a spot for him in the lineup of a team that's trying to give young guys run.
I think they should probably get something for him at the deadline if they want to, and they should want to.
So I think other teams will value him very highly, but I just think he's a great asset on a winning team.
And on a team like this, there's just not that much incentive to give him playing time because he's not a part of 2027.
Where do you What kind of value do you place on Francisco Alvarez with, with, you know, there's some guys in the minors that are doing pretty well.
Yeah, it's tough.
I think we will find out a lot about how at least the industry values him because, you know, just in talking to people around the Mets, I think they're gonna listen if people want him, you know.
He, he I think has now proven that despite a good attitude, a good work ethic, and a desire to be really good defensively, you know, he's not as good at calling a game as Terrence.
He can be a little inconsistent defensively.
But if you get him in the lineup every day, you know, he can hit, and he has crazy power.
So if you're a team that has a really good defensive catcher, and you want somebody who can take, you know, big at-bats in the DH spot, he could be a really nice acquisition for somebody, and he's got a few years of control left.
So I, I mean, I think, I think he's very valuable.
I just don't know that he's as valuable to the New York Mets as he might be to a different team right now.
So I'll be interested to see if the market decides that too.
That being said, you know, former first-round pick, a guy people there love, you know, the personality of.
I think, you know, David Stearns is not gonna want to be the guy who gave up on him if he turns into, you know, what everyone thought he could be.
So it's gonna be an interesting calculation.
But I do think right now the difference defensively between him and Terrence, especially with a pitching staff that is getting increasingly younger and will continue to do so next year, is substantial enough that he's probably, unless something really changes with his defense or, you know, he's hitting in a way you can't ignore, I just don't think he's doing more than splitting time for them down the line.
And if that's the case, then maybe he's more valuable to someone else.
That's really well said.
I was just thinking about this because I was just at the Futures Game, in Philadelphia, and four years ago I was at the Futures Game in Los Angeles, and the two futures for the Mets, the representatives for the Mets were Mark Vientos and Francisco Alvarez.
And I thought like, "Oh man, they're still, like they're still trying to find their roles on this team four years later."
But they are in the big leagues, and they are, you know, they have both shown a lot of promise, especially when it comes to power.
So it is interesting, this is so off topic, but it is interesting to just kind of see the development over time of what the organizations think of these prospects and how they pan out or don't pan out or they're still waiting to pan out, that kind of stuff.
Long Island Lobsters on X, "What do you think Nolan McLain's ceiling is?
Should the Mets let him hit again?"
I know we've talked about his ceiling a lot, but, um- Yeah should the Mets let him hit again?
That's a wild question.
I don't think they're quite there yet.
I mean, I'd love to see it.
Uh- S- he was like the hitter, right, and Carson Bent was the pitcher at OK State.
So, yeah.
So I mean, maybe if Carson Bent is this good.
But no.
I mean, I think his ceiling is as high as it can possibly be.
Nothing I've seen this year has changed that for me.
I think h- I think he, his like limiting factor right now is totally mental and maturity.
And, and he is And that's not to say he's immature or that he's like kind of mentally not there.
I think he is.
But I think like to go from being really, really good with his stuff to being an ace, that's the step he's trying to take, and I think he will, he'll take it.
I think he'll take it.
And I think he'll take it more easily if they can put some people around him so he doesn't have to be the guy, 'cause he's had to be the guy this year.
And as we've seen in so many other places, when you are relying on someone to be the guy who hasn't been the guy before, it's, it puts pressure on them that, that, is maybe too much to carry sometimes.
So I think with a better rotation around him, a year more under his belt, he's, he's gonna be great.
I think you can count on him as long as he stays healthy.
All right.
Last question before we get into trade deadline.
Tom on Facebook said, "Has there been any discussion with Soto on training him for first base next year?"
That's so interesting.
I ask this regularly just 'cause I'm curious.
You know, I watched Bryce Harper do it, after years of people saying he probably wouldn't.
I don't think they're there yet.
I think someday it'll happen for sure.
For sure.
Like I, you know, I don't Like Juan right now is putting a lot of effort into defense, and I know he's had some total brain farts the last week of the, before the break where he overran a couple balls.
But by and large, m- my eye test and what I've heard from the coaches too is like he's working his butt off.
They think he's doing a pretty good job out there, and I don't think there's a reason to move him yet, especially, if you're returning Jorge Polanco next year and kind of have a DH spot that is gonna be, taken up by that.
So I don't see it next year, but by the end of his contract, will Juan Soto have played some innings at first base?
I would, I would think so, yes.
Chelsea, the MLB trade deadline is rapidly approaching.
Or maybe not soon enough for some people.
But Mets fans- definitely, I mean, it seems to be top of mind.
They've been talking about it for a while.
So Mark on Facebook says, "Which player is most likely to be traded by August 3rd?"
I remember your answer from I think a, maybe two Mailbag episodes ago.
Has it changed?
Yeah, it's Soto.
No, I'm just kidding.
Um- Oh, okay no.
No.
Whoa No, no, no.
Ooh.
No, he's I don't, no.
No, I think it's still Brooks Riley.
You had me though.
For a second I was like, "Oh, she, like she's our insider.
She definitely knows more than me."
No.
Oh my God, no.
Don't, don't clip it.
It's not real.
I'm just being I'm joking.
That is the only one I'm like 100, 99.9% sure would not go.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I think Raley and Minter could go any day now, now that we're past the draft.
So I would, I would say tho- like Raley is the one I am 100% sure will go.
Um- Okay and Minter I think for sure.
Corbin on Facebook, "In your opinion, who is the player that the team should trade but won't, and which player do you think they will trade but should not?"
God, that's brutal.
Okay.
I think if there is someone interested in Brett Beatty they should trade him, and I think they will be nervous to do that.
So that is the one I think they should trade if they can but won't.
I think they, I think there are people there that believe there's stuff in the tank.
Especially as- Mm-hmm like a versatile guy.
So that's, take that for what it's worth.
Will trade Okay, so will trade but shouldn't.
I mean, probably one of the relievers, it's gonna be second-guessed, you know, regardless.
You know, is it Brasobn or Weaver, one of those two?
Like, I think you can argue, I think Weaver needs to be traded 'cause I think they've probably gotten like the best stretch that he's gonna give you in this two-year contract.
So trade him now and, and you've probably gotten the best out of him.
But I could see a guy like Brasobn being someone you're willing to part with for a price that then you kind of regret that you don't have going into next year, 'cause he's kind of a sleepy Not sleepy, like he's not a sleepy person, but pe- people sleep on him.
So yeah, I think probably the relievers, you know, you could trade the wrong one and feel bad about it later, but, to me, I, I, I don't know.
It's gonna be, that's gonna be a tough decision for them, 'cause they don't wanna empty the whole bullpen, so they're gonna have to pick and choose who they keep and, and that's, that's tough.
Relievers are tough.
Yeah.
So what kind of return is there with that extra year of control for Weaver?
I think Weaver could get a huge return right now.
That's another reason I think you have to do it.
Proven in New York, you know, that's a big one.
Like he's, he's done it now.
He's had tough stretches in New York too, obviously, but, proven on big stages, pitching as well as he's ever pitched, extra year of control.
$11 million is steep, I think that's what his deal is next year, but it's not st- you know, for a setup guy who could maybe close, that's pretty good.
So I think I'm try- I've been looking back at deals to kind of compare it, but I, I think you can try for a top 100 prospect and more.
I think.
So that to me is pretty good.
But I don't know.
Returns vary, it, it can vary so much, but I think he, outside of like a Lindor if you go that direction, I think Luke Weaver is getting you the best prospect, or best player if it isn't a prospect, I could see that being true too.
The best player, that you're gonna get if of, of I guess Alvarez could maybe do something too, but yeah, I think he's a, he's about as good a return as you can count on from any of the guys you have outside of like Lindor if you decide to go that route.
@NewYork5NY on X.
Hey Chelsea, have you heard anything about a potential Mets and Clay Holmes extension beyond the story of Clay Holmes having interest?
Oh, I'm so glad you asked.
I have.
I have heard that they hadn't talked as of last week, but that they expect to.
I think es- the Mets, as with most teams, were really locked in on the draft, so I think stuff that needs to move is gonna now move starting today, Wednesday, and into next week.
And from what I have heard, Mets are open, Holmes is open, and they're gonna I would expect them to talk.
So I think that will happen.
I don't know like what the likelihood is of it getting done in that scenario, but I do think the openness on both sides and, you know, the fact that they have a few weeks here before the deadline, before they kinda have to decide what to do, it, it means there's like as good a chance as any.
And, and if it doesn't happen, it's, it's, you know, they don't have- Okay to be valued in the line.
But I think, I think they will talk, and I think there's reason to believe it could happen.
Okay, let's switch gears a little bit.
Finally, the fun questions, which will- There are fun questions about the Mets they're just necessary, right?
Yeah.
Well, you'll see.
All right.
Tony lockdown X, "If you could get two fictional baseball players from movies or TV to play for the Mets, who would they be and why?"
Wow.
Great question.
I think Benny the Jet from The Sandlot, just pure speed.
You pair him with Benge Newing in the outfield.
You just DH Soto and ditch Polanco, think you're in great shape.
Respectfully to Jorge Polanco in this fake scenario.
And then, let's see.
Ah, it's so tough.
Man.
Like the rookie of the year kid would be fun.
We kinda need like a good story down the stretch, so like Henry Rowengartner, the kid with like the bionic arm.
Yeah, I think that's the move.
I think that's the move.
Just something to like have fun with.
So yeah.
Okay.
Yeah.
All right.
Last question quickly here.
Andrew came on Facebook, "What's your favorite concession at City Field so far?"
'Cause this is your first year being there- Yeah almost every day.
Yeah.
No, for sure, and there's been reason to stress eat, so I respect it.
Yeah.
So I'm the worst 'cause I can't eat gluten and I don't eat meat, so me and concessions are usually like a little bit tense, but I like the Korean, is it Soul Bird, I think, in that market down the left field line.
They have some good fried rice that I get into sometimes when I, when I- Ooh, that sounds good don't have food.
So yeah, I think that's it.
But I'm also terrible, like I'm terrible for that 'cause I can't eat anything fun.
Yeah, mine is Shake Shack.
I would just like- Yeah to say, that you How do I say this without putting you on blast?
Chelsea likes to act like she doesn't eat healthy, but she eats so healthy for someone who's at a ballpark all the time.
Like I, I leave Yankee Stadium when I do our like hits together at Yankee I leave feeling badly about myself- No because I look over and you're having like almonds, and I'm stuffing my face with anything and every concession that I can find.
So, um- Yeah, that's, that's before the candy bowl that I have at my house, which does exist, so.
Yeah.
Well, pick your My younger brother- town.
Used to like stuff his face with candy, and I think that's the only thing I have in common with him is like his candy intake rivals my own, so.
Did you get scared when I said I didn't wanna put you on blast?
Yes.
Just terrified.
It could have gone so many ways.
I feel like you Oh my gosh.
All right.
Well, on that note, I think we have exhausted our time here on Mets Mailbag.
Thank you so much for watching this edition of Mets Mailbag if you're still with us.
Like we said before, we're gonna be with you every week of the Mets' 2026 season to answer your questions.
Submit your questions for next week's episode on S&Y's Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram account or drop them in the YouTube comments below this episode.
For Chelsea Janes, I'm Michelle Margona.
We will see you next week.
