New York Mets: Unwrapping the ultimate fan’s Christmas wish list
In the spirit of the holiday season, we uncover the ultimate wish list that all New York Mets fans wish to have under their Christmas tree.
It has been an unprecedented year to be a New York Mets fan, to say the least. From a 60-game shortened season to now having a new billionaire owner, it sure has been a roller coaster of emotions in 2020 for all fans of the ball club. With the organization now having a new billionaire owner in Steve Cohen, who many may dub as Santa Claus in Queens this year especially with the similar name abbreviation of SC, many fans had already begun filling out their Christmas wish lists for the Mets earlier than normal this year.
What makes the Holiday season different this year for Mets fans, is the simple fact that we now have an engaging owner who loves to hear what the fans have to say, and he already seems to be steering the organization in the right direction after years of futility under the Wilpons ownership. You could almost call it a Christmas miracle all in itself that the Wilpons are gone, but with the Wilpons now on the outs, all of our Christmas lists have now changed dramatically.
On every Mets fan’s Christmas list you can imagine there are multiple big gift items that they hope to see in 2021, but we also can’t forget that there are some smaller gifts as well as fun stocking stuffers that can complement those bigger gift ideas underneath the Christmas tree. In the spirit of Christmas, I thought it’d be fun to explore all of those potential gifts that Mets fans are hoping to unwrap that are on their wish list this year.
Cue the Christmas music, grab yourself a cup of hot cocoa, and find a comfortable seat underneath the Christmas tree as we explore the ultimate Mets fan’s Christmas wish list together.
New York Mets Stocking Stuffers
One of the most underrated parts of Christmas morning is the stocking stuffers. Of course, we are always excited to go and unwrap the larger gifts that await under the tree, but there are always some hidden gems that tend to have more value than you realize that are stuffed inside of those deep stockings. That same sentiment applies here as we have some very small but exceptionally valuable gifts that Mets fans would love to possess.
The first gift that we would love to pull out of our stocking is the return of Mets Old-Timers’ Day. While owner Steve Cohen has all but confirmed it will be returning at some point, this gift has already set the vibes for a great Christmas Day.
With the countless number of former Mets players that could take the field on a summer afternoon, it would easily be one of the most anticipated days on the Mets schedule every season. I can already imagine a picturesque scene with Mike Piazza digging in the box to take a pitch from Doc Gooden as well as the potential competitive back and forth dialogue between Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez. What a glorious day it will be.
Another great stocking stuffer would be the return of the Mets Friday night black jerseys. I have some fond memories of those jerseys being worn which includes Robin Ventura’s grand slam single at the top of that list. With many fans and some players clamoring for the return of the jerseys, it would be fitting to see them return at some point in 2021. We’ve seen so many Mets greats including David Wright rock the black jersey in the past and it would only be fitting to see our new stars in those throwbacks.
Our last stocking stuffer includes the removal of the unsightly Chick-Fil-A foul poles. Don’t get me wrong I am a living and breathing Chick-Fil-A junkie, but this marketing effort for the Mets goes down as one of the worst decisions that the organization has made.
There have been many complaints from Mets fans regarding the obstructed view the foul poles provide, and we can’t forget to mention the Minor League look it gives a big market franchise. it seems there are better ways that the organization can incorporate a Chick-Fil-A sponsorship without losing integrity among the fan base. Just give us back our regular foul poles!
New York Mets Small Gifts
We now turn our attention from the stocking stuffers to the smaller gifts that lay wrapped underneath the Christmas tree. These smaller gifts that are on many Mets fans Christmas lists have more to do with the on-field product, rather than the off-field product that we had in our stockings.
First and foremost we would like to see some starting rotation depth. Last year the Mets struggled with depth issues in the starting rotation and that should be an area the front office will look to target this winter.
The Mets recently signed former Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Jerad Eickhoff to a minor league deal and they surely will add a few more arms on minor league deals before heading to Port St Lucie. The Mets need to have some more palatable options available in Syracuse should a starter go down, as last season seemed to be an unmitigated disaster in terms of depth. It’s also that much more important of a need due to the fact that former General Manager Brodie Van Wagenen depleted much of the pitching in the upper levels of the minors to trades.
Another smaller gift that many Mets fans would love to unwrap under the Christmas tree would be a splash during the international signing period. The Mets have the opportunity to sign one of the top talents from Cuba in Yoelqui Cespedes or Oscar Colas, which would add a tremendous boost to their light farm system. It would also give the organization a potential impact player that could be Major League ready in a year or two, which the Mets don’t currently have in the upper echelon of their pipeline.
We have one final small gift we would like to unwrap before making our way to the bigger gifts that await us on our Christmas list. Our final small gift is a left-handed reliever. The Mets recently signed former reliever Jerry Blevins but after he did not throw a pitch during the 2020 season, it’s not realistic to put all of their chips in on the 37-year old southpaw.
It remains to be seen if the Mets get involved in the bidding on Brad Hand or if they make a play to re-sign Justin Wilson. There is also a possibility the Mets make a trade for a left-handed reliever if they aren’t impressed with the options on the free-agent market. But it’s abundantly clear that the organization needs to add at least one more left-hander to the bullpen this offseason.
New York Mets Large Gifts
We’ve finally made it to the highly coveted part of our Christmas list. We are now staring at the big gifts that are wrapped in the fancy shiny wrapping paper with the oversized bows on top. Without any further ado let’s unpack these gifts that all Mets fans have on their Christmas list.
The first gift we unwrap is free-agent outfielder George Springer. New General Manager Jared Porter has already publicly made it known that the organization has an interest in acquiring the free-agent outfielder and it makes too much sense not to happen at this point.
The 31-year old outfielder would give the Mets a dynamic center fielder that could also help break up their left-handed dominant lineup. Springer has been described as the Mets’ number one target this offseason by practically everyone around baseball, and it’s no secret that he’s been the number one target on many Mets fans’ wish lists as well.
The second large gift that’s on many Mets fans’ wish lists is starting pitcher Trevor Bauer. If you couldn’t tell Bauer also comes wrapped in the brightest wrapping paper available. The Mets need another starting pitcher or possibly two, and Bauer would instantly give the organization one of the best starting rotations in baseball.
It’s tantalizing thinking of a starting rotation with both Bauer and ace Jacob deGrom headlining a potent one-two punch. Bauer’s addition also deepens the starting rotation as Marcus Stroman would be pushed down to the number three spot, and I haven’t even mentioned the return of Noah Syndergaard at some point next summer. The Mets would have a revamped super-rotation should Bauer’s signing fall into place.
The last large gift that we would love to unwrap is a blockbuster trade for a star player. I’m going to specifically say Francisco Lindor here. The Mets are one of the top fits for the star shortstop and the front office can afford to extend him without letting him hit the open market.
The longer the Cleveland Indians hold on to Lindor, the less they should expect to receive for him in a trade. The Mets have two good shortstops in Andres Gimenez and Amed Rosario, but the addition of Lindor who is considered the best shortstop in baseball can provide the Mets a further boost both offensively and defensively.
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The Dodgers reaped the rewards of adding a top ten overall player in Mookie Betts last offseason and he had a big hand in helping them get over the hump to their first World Series title since 1988. The Mets have the ability to make that same move this offseason and it makes too much sense not to happen. Merry Christmas!