What could be next for the Mets?

By Mark Halpern

Since Steve Cohen purchased the Mets, his quest for a championship back in New York is beyond Aggressive. The first move he did as an owner was traded for Francisco Lindor, last year we saw him go get the likes of Starling Marte, Eduardo Escobar, and Chris Bassitt and just this year has kept Brandon Nimmo from getting away and Edwin Diaz but also brought in Justin Verlander with DeGrom leaving. Over the last month, Mets fans had hopes of Carlos Correra joining this already talented infield but his physical didn’t pan out and the Mets became frustrated and let him go. So what is in store for this team next?

     The Mets have a few areas that need addressing (what team doesn’t.) The Mets have a great outfield but need another on the bench who can fill in just as well as the starters. The first name that comes to mind is Brian Reynolds from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Reynolds, considered one of their top prospects, had a solid year batting .262/.345/.807. He has good speed and proved he can cover a lot of ground. However he is going to come at a very high cost as Mark Vientos and Rooney Mauricio would be like part of the trade but, Pittsburgh wants top pitching and that is not something the Mets are going to move. Another outfield option could be Baltimore’s Anthony Santander who is coming off a monster year by belting 33 home runs, 89 rbi, and a .240 average. That was his downside and that can be improved on and will also cost the Mets less. The last name for the outfield is Jurikson Profar. Profar is a young ballplayer who has a skill that few ball players have. He can play anywhere on the field if needed. He reminds me of Joe McEwing when he was with the Mets. Last year for the Padres he batted .243 with 15 home runs, 58 rbi’s but 80 runs scored. He has good speed, and great vision on the field and yes his hitting needs help but, having such a versatile player like him on the team makes the most sense.

    On the infield, the Mets are locked in at first, second, shortstop, catcher, and starting pitcher positions. Third base is a question for the Mets as they thought they had their hooks in Carlos Correra but, we know what happened there. Right now we have Brett Baty who is their top prospect at third base. Baty who only played one-month last year before tearing a ligament in his wrist will make the roster but, still as a rookie, having a mentor around for a couple of years would make great sense. Matt Chapman is a name that just leaps off the list of players in their final year. Chapman was traded from the A’s to the Blue Jays and is in the final year of his contract. Chapman is a great solid defender and has a powerful bat. His average will not impress you as he batted .229 last year but was coming off an injury. Chapman won’t come cheap by any means but, won’t cost as much as someone like Correa and could sign for the next 3 years to help Baty.   

    The free agents who signed their massive contracts are done, and a lot of the big names are off the board but there are still possibilities. I think the Mets need some Bullpen help as well and there are some names left the question becomes do they fit the Met’s roster? Spring Training is a month away and the World Baseball Classic is 2 months away and the Met’s star first baseman and star shortstop are playing so the Mets may be inclined to add a backup SS or 1B as well. We shall see as there is plenty of time before Opening Day.  

Snubbed 

By : Mike Rifkin

Wednesday, the NFL announced the finalists for awards. The finalists for Coach of the Year are Brian Daboll (Giants), Doug Pederson (Jaguars), Nick Sirianni (Eagles), Kyle Shannahan (49ers), and Sean McDermott (Bills). For me, there is one glaring omission from this group of coaches. 

Pete Carroll coached the Seahawks to a 9-8 record and a trip to the playoffs. 

After trading quarterback Russell Wilson everybody expected Seattle to struggle and pick at the top of the draft. They are picking at the draft, not because they struggled but because the Broncos were terrible. Pete Carroll got the most out of a team nobody had in the playoffs. 

We can say someone will get snubbed from an award every year, but I don’t understand. Pete Carroll got the most out of a team that nobody gave a chance to. I’m not saying Pete Carroll should have won the award, but not having him as a finalist is a joke. All of the finalists are deserving, but Pete Carroll deserves to be on this list as well. The Seahawks had an unbelievable season, and that disrespect becomes bulletin board material for next season. 

Leading By Example

By: Mike Rifkin

The NHL All-Star Game takes place next weekend, thus putting us at the halfway point of the season. At the halfway point, people debate who the current frontrunners for awards are. Two other captains deserve to be talked about regarding the Hart Trophy. Oilers Center Connor McDavid won the Hart Trophy (MVP) two seasons ago and finished second last season. McDavid is currently running away with the Art Ross Trophy ( most points) 15 ahead of teammate Leon Draisaitl; he is also leading the Rocket Richard race (most goals). 

The Boston Bruins are currently the best team in the NHL, with a record of 38-5-4. Patrice Bergeron is a big reason for their success. Bergeron has 18 goals and 38 points in 47 games played. Five of the eighteen goals he has scored are game-winning goals. Bergeron isn’t the flashy player McDavid is, but he has been solid his entire career, and I still feel he is underappreciated. Bergeron does everything for the Bruins, kills penalties, plays the power play, and takes all the crucial faceoffs. Bergeron has won 62 percent of faceoffs this season. The Bruins have a lot of good players, but they would not have the record they have if Patrice Bergeron decided not to return to them this season. 

Before McDavid was the NHL’S human highlight reel, Sidney Crosby was that guy. The Penguins captain has 23 goals and 57 points in 47 games played. Crosby has been the definition of consistency and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. Crosby has won 52 percent of his faceoffs. Where would the Penguins be without Crosby?

  McDavid is the best player in the NHL. What Crosby and Bergeron mean to their respective teams is why they should be up there when we talk MVP. 

The Best Vacancy

By Mike Rifkin

There are currently five head coaching vacancies in the NFL. Vacancies in Arizona, Carolina, Denver, Houston, and Indianapolis. Now for me, there is one job that stands out. 

The Houston Texans’ job is the one that stands out. First, I cannot entirely agree with how the front office handled the last two seasons with David Culley and Lovie Smith. Both guys took the job, and everyone on the outside knew they weren’t the long-term solution. Now I am going to give Lovie Smith much credit. The Texans played hard down the stretch, including competitive games against the Chiefs and Cowboys and an upset win at rival Titans. 

This job is appealing for a few reasons, one of which is the package they got in the Deshaun Watson trade. The Texans acquired the Browns’ first-round picks in In 2022,23, and 24 in exchange for Watson. The Texans will have 11 picks in the 2023 NFL draft, including number two and twelve in the first round. They might get more picks out of trades. One player who has been subject to trade rumors is Brandin Cooks. Cooks led the team with 57 catches and 699 yards in 13 games this season. 

Most insiders believe that the second overall pick will be a quarterback. Whether it’s CJ Stroud or Bryce Young, the new coach can get his choice of which one he’d prefer to have. 

The Texans do have some young talent. Running Back Dameon Pierce would’ve had 1,000 yards rushing if not for an injury at the end of the season. Rookie defensive backs Derek Stingley Jr. and Jalen Pitre had excellent rookie seasons. As bad as people make the Texans out to be, they only had a -1 turnover differential. The Texans will have 11 picks in the draft and 41 million dollars in cap space, the fifth most in the NFL and the highest of any team looking for a new coach. So a new coach can use the draft and free agency to help a roster that will need it. 

The biggest reason the Texans’ job is the best is not just the cap space or the number of picks. It’s the fact that you’re not tied to anyone. Look at Arizona. Whoever goes there is tied to Kyler Murray because of his extension last year; if you take the Denver job, you’re tied to Russell Wilson based on his contract. Now both are good quarterbacks, but Russ is coming off his worst season as a pro, and Kyler tore his ACL, and we need to see how the recovery is going. My question is, how patient are the owners going to be? At least in Houston, they can preach patience if there’s a plan.

   BUCCANEERS SEASON IN REVIEW/OFFSEASON PREVIEW

BY: Mike Rifkin

On Monday night, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2022 season ended with a 31-14 defeat at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys. For the Bucs, the 2022 season was one to forget. The only reason they made the playoffs was that the NFC South was the worst division in football. The Bucs were dealt big blows last offseason when Head Coach Bruce Arians retired. Arians’ retirement was not the only blow the offense took; Offensive linemen Ali Marpet and Alex Cappa did not return to the team. Marpet retired, and Cappa went to the Bengals. Center Ryan Jensen did re-sign with the team but did suffer an injury in training camp and was activated for Monday’s game. But the guy that Tom Brady and the Bucs missed the most was Rob Gronkowski. He had always been Brady’s security blanket in New England or Tampa Bay. Rumors swirled that Gronk would return to Tampa, but that never came to fruition. Last year the Bucs were +10 in turnover differential. This year they were a -2. 

As the Bucs enter the offseason, they have one question to answer before deciding the trajectory of this team. Is Tom Brady coming back? If that answer is yes, then the Bucs will do everything they can to be a legit Super Bowl contender. If the answer is no, the question will be, where do the Bucs go from here? Is someone like Derek Carr an excellent option to still be on a playoff team, or should they consider starting a rebuild as an organization? The one thing on a rebuild is that this past season, the NFC South was the worst division in the NFL. Bringing Brady back would help with two things, one being you would know who the quarterback in 2023 is, and the other, if Brady were to leave, they’d be charged 35.1 Million dollars in dead cap, although they can spread that out for a couple of years. Restructuring the contracts of Shaq Barrett, Shaq Mason, Chris Godwin, Carlton Davis, Vita Vea, and Ryan Jensen could help the Bucs save nearly 50 million dollars. 

Tom Brady was sacked 22 times this past season and twice in the wild-card game against the Cowboys. There was plenty of pressure in Tom Brady’s face all season. Some of that was due to inconsistent offensive line play, and some was Tom holding the ball. Tom had a career-low 52.6 QBR. So was Brady’s decline because the offensive line had injuries, or was it because Tom finally looked his age? The Bucs were last in the league rushing, averaging 76.9 yards per game. Last season they averaged 98.4 yards per game rushing. Was this regression because of the Offensive line or Leonard Fournette, whose numbers were down from last season. The inconsistencies of the offense have cost Byron Leftwich his job. The three years before this, the Bucs were a top-three scoring offense. This year they dropped to 25th. 

Tom Brady decides to play another year outside of Tampa, which I expect to happen. What do the Bucs do?

If the Bucs still view themselves as contenders 

  1. Sign Matt Pryor or Justin Pugh to help the offensive line. 
  2. Sign Baker Mayfield. There are better options like Jimmy Garoppolo or Derek Carr, but Mayfield will be cheaper than those guys plus, there’s an advantage of him being younger that he can be the quarterback for a while. 
  3. Re-sign Sean Murphy-Bunting. 
  4. Sign Jadeveon Clowney or Poona Ford. They would replace Akiem Hicks. Ford and Clowney are younger than Hicks and could cost around the same amount of money. Imagine Clowney across from a healthy Shaq Barrett. 

The other option the Bucs have is to try and start a rebuild.

  1. Trade Mike Evans OR Chris Godwin – Both guys are fantastic, but if the Bucs are going to start this over, one of them will have to go, and they can get draft picks in exchange. 
  2. Sign Sam Darnold or Baker Mayfield – Two guys are looking for an opportunity. I feel the same if the Bucs want to contend with going after Mayfield. If they want to rebuild, I’ll add Darnold to the conversation because of how well he played for Carolina down the stretch. 
  3. Move on from Lavonte David. David is still one of the best linebackers in the NFL, but if you’re starting a rebuild, do you want to pay much money to a 32-year-old linebacker? 
  4. Move on from Leonard Fournette. Rachaad White stepped up in a big way down the stretch.

BUCS DRAFT PICKS 

Rd1 (19) Trenton Simpson, LB – Clemson If the Bucs move on from Lavonte David, Simpson can fill the void. Simpson and Devon White can become a tremendously athletic linebacking duo.

RD2 (50) – Cody Mauch, OL North Dakota State – If 2022 was an indication, the Bucs might want to revamp the interior of their offensive line. Mauch has skills but also needs to develop a bit.

RD3 (82) Julius Brents, CB – Kansas St – The Bucs have two corners set to hit the free agent market. I wrote above that I’d bring back Murphy-Bunting, but the team still needs more depth. Brents brings good size and is an excellent tackler. It could be a fit in Todd Bowles’s scheme. 

METS FIND THEIR 4TH OUTFIELDERIN TOMMY PHAM

By Mark Halpern

In the wake of the Carlos Correa debacle almost two weeks ago, the Mets were looking again for another position player to add to this already impressive team. The Mets signed OF Tommy Pham today to a one-year $6 million contract, pending physical.

    Tommy Pham came up in the St Louis organization making his debut in 2014 and played for the Cardinals until 2018 when he was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in late 2018. He played for the Rays until the shortened 2020 season when he signed with the Padres until 2022. He split the 2022 season with the Reds and Red Sox. Pham, over his career, has become a solid hitter with good defense, above average speed, great vision on the basepath, and hits lefties well (which is something the Mets needed.) Pham’s speed is ideal for Citi field as the Stadium does yield Home Runs, but more doubles and triples, and that plays to Pham’s talent. He has a .354 OBP, which is ideal for scoring runs and accruing stolen bases. Pham had only had nine last year but 25 in 2019, a stat the Mets need more than what they had last year.

     He will be in the outfield mix that already includes 3-star players. Pham will join Leftfielder Mark Canha (Can do, Can do, Gary says Mark Canha can do), Center Fielder Brandon Nimmo, and Right Fielder Starling Marte. A great importance is that Pham has played some Centerfield but has mostly played the corner outfield positions. The Mets will probably use him as a left-handed Designated Hitter at times, as he hits lefties better than righties.

    Some fans might see this as a weaker signing, but this (after Duvall and Mancini were signed) signing meets more needs than certain fans realize. Billy Eppler and Steve Cohen have done a magnificent job putting this team on the field, and this doesn’t mean that the Mets won’t sign or trade for another big bat, and that’s how the old man sees it.

Yeah, Nay, or Okay: Royal Rumble Winners 

By: Allison Weiner

Welcome to my 1st series of blogs I like to call Yeah, Nay, or Okay. It’s where I rate each of the Royal Rumble winners and explain why I give it that rating. I will only use the Royal Rumble winners from 1992 to 2022 as they had the opportunity to have a world championship match at Wrestlemania or have won a title from the Royal Rumble. Sorry Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Big John Studd, and Hulk Hogan. I will also be including my prediction of the 2023 Royal Rumble Winners. Here is a list below of the Royal Rumble Winners and my ratings.

1992: Ric Flair-Yeah (According to his book, “To be the Man,” he was never expected to be in the Royal Rumble, but when he did, he showed off his skills that people would only see in WCW and Jim Crockett)

1993: Yokozuna-Okay (Love the push they gave Yokozuna, but I would have loved to have seen a “Macho” win for Randy Savage)

1994: Lex Luger-Nay (Should have only been one winner, and that should have been Bret Hart)

1994: Bret Hart-Yeah (He was the real winner and was the only one out of the two co-winners to win the WWF title)

1995: Shawn Michaels-Yeah (Shawn Michaels proved himself as the #1 entrance and had a memorable win)

1996: Shawn Michaels-Yeah (Only due to seeing Michaels vs Hart feud at Wrestlemania 12)

1997: Stone Cold Steve Austin-Okay (Should have fought for the WWF title)

1998: Stone Cold Steve Austin-Yeah (Was the actually start for Stone Cold)

1999: Vince McMahon- Nay (He never used that opportunity right away for Wrestlemania and should had been Stone Cold Steve Austin winning it that whole time)

2000: The Rock-Yeah (I Was excited to see Rock vs Triple H at Wrestlemania 2000. Gave me Shawn Michaels vibe) 

2001: Stone Cold Steve Austin-Yeah (Provided the best match in the best Wrestlemania ever)

2002: Triple H-Okay (Surprised to see him return from injury, but it could have gone either way with Triple H and Kurt Angle)

2003: Brock Lesnar- Yeah (It was a great use to build Brock Lesnar during that year)

2004: Chris Benoit- Okay

2005: Batista- Okay (Really thought John Cena would win this Rumble.)

2006: Rey Mysterio- Yeah (Rey is someone who deserved that win, especially after the loss of his friend, Eddie Guerrero)

2007: Undertaker- Yeah (I was going to say okay, but the way it ended when it came down to him and Shawn Michaels)

2008: John Cena-Yeah (It was a surprise but was well worth it after suffering a pectoral injury)

2009: Randy Orton-Okay

2010: Edge-Yeah (Same as 2008, returning from an injury and not expecting him to make it)

2011: Alberto Del Rio-

2012: Sheamus-Okay (There wasn’t anything special about this Royal Rumble)

2013: John Cena-Okay

2014: Batista-Nay (Should had been someone else in general, CM Punk or Roman Reigns)

2015: Roman Reigns-Nay (I think everyone knows why. It should have been Daniel Bryan or Dean Ambrose. This was the start of corporate trying to overpush Roman Reigns as the next face of WWE)

2016: Triple H-Okay

2017:Randy Orton-Okay

2018: Shinsuke Nakamura-Yeah (Was the best choice to set him up against AJ Styles) 

2018: Asuka-Yeah (To keep her undefeated streak alive during that time)

2019: Seth Rollins- Okay (There wasn’t a winner I would have thought to win, but this win was something to add to Rollins’s resume)

2019: Becky Lynch- Shocking Yeah (I thought Charlotte Flair was going to win, but the man’s storyline from there made her the superstar we saw in her)

2020: Drew Mcyntire-Yeah (A well deserved win and a way to set him up with Brock Lesnar during Wrestlemania)

2020: Charlotte Flair-Nay (She didn’t need the win. She should had won in 2019 to face Ronda at Wrestlemania)

2021: Edge-Okay

2021: Bianca Belair-Yeah (This was the push she needed to be a top star in the women’s division and to main event a memorable Wrestlemania)

2022: Brock Lesnar-Nay (He shouldn’t entered as #30, and yet he won the WWE title back at Elimination Chamber)

2022: Ronda Rousey-Nay (It was a shock to see, but I felt that she didn’t need the win)

Predicted 2023 Royal Rumble Winners: Cody Rhodes (Mens- Everyone wants the Rock, but I just don’t see it. I see him being the one to dethrone Roman Reigns.) and Becky Lynch (Womens- To finally see Becky vs Ronda as a singles match at Wrestlemania, or see Becky vs Charlotte Flair again in a stipulation match at Wrestlemania)

Surging In Seattle

By: Mike Rifkin

Most NHL teams have hit the halfway point of their schedule. If they haven’t yet, they are close. One of the best stories of the first half of the season is the play of the second-year Seattle Kraken. Last season the Kraken finished with a record of 27-49-6, the second-worst record in the Western Conference and the third-worst record in the NHL. So far this season, the Kraken are 23-12-4 and in third place in the Pacific Division. 

On Monday night, the Kraken beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-0 for their fifth straight win. Last season the Kraken were 11-27-3 on the road. After last night’s victory, they are now 13-4-2 on the road this season. Last season, the Kraken averaged 2.60 goals per game; this year, they are averaging 3.67 goals per game. Last season the Kraken had three players (Jared McCann, Yanni Gourde, and Jordan Eberle) hit the 20-goal mark. This year the Kraken looks like they will have more. McCann has 19; rookie Matty Beniers has 15; Daniel Sprong has 13. Andre Burakovsky has 11, and Eberle and Jaden Schwartz are at nine each. 

One primary reason for the Kraken’s success is Martin Jones’s play. The backup goalie has a record of 19-5-3 with a 2.78 GAA, a .894 save percentage, and two shutouts. This season has been Jones’ best season since he took the San Jose Sharks to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2016. 

Now I’m not going to sit here in the middle of January and say confidently that the Kraken will make the playoffs. They have made a statement on this current five-game winning streak against the Islanders, Oilers, Maple Leafs, Senators, and Canadiens. But they have an opportunity to make a significant statement with games coming up against the Bruins, Lightning, Oilers (again), and Avalanche. If the Kraken do find a way to make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, Dave Hakstol should be the front-runner for the Jack Adams Trophy as coach of the year.

Week 18: Jets at Dolphins 

By Ross Mazin and Mike Rifkin

The Jets face their division rival Dolphins Sunday afternoon in Miami. The Jets were eliminated from playoff contention after losing last week to the Seahawks. The Dolphins can still make the playoffs with a win and a Patriots loss. 

The Jets are coming off a disappointing loss at Seattle last week. Mike White was 23-46 for 240 yards and two interceptions, and Ty Johnson had eight carries for 46 yards. The Jets turned the ball over three times. The Jets’ defense gave up 346 yards of total offense and didn’t force a single turnover.

The Dolphins are coming off a loss against New England last week. Teddy Bridgewater was 12-19 for 161 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Skylar Thompson eventually came in for an injured Bridgewater and went 12-21 for 104 yards, one touchdown, and an interception. With Bridgewater injured, Thompson will play against the Jets for the second time this season. In week five, after Bridgewater got hurt on the opening series, Thompson went 19-33 for 166 yards and an interception. Thompson also lost a fumble. Something the Dolphins can build off of the first meeting, Raheem Mostert ran the ball for 113 yards and a touchdown; as a team, the Dolphins ran for 137 yards. 

With Mike White out, the Jets will turn to Joe Flacco to try and end Miami’s season. The Dolphins will rely on their seventh-round draft pick to keep their playoff dreams alive. Two backup quarterbacks are playing the final regular season game for these two-division rivals.

Ross Predicts: Jets 21- Dolphins 10

BEST EVER?

BY: Mike Rifkin

Saturday, a day when we celebrated the coming New Year surrounded by friends and family, was also the day when the College Football Playoff semifinals were played. As College Football fans, we got the best two semifinal games since this format was instituted in 2014. 

The first game saw the TCU Horned Frogs taking on the Michigan Wolverines. Many people did not give TCU  a chance in the game, and they pulled off a 51-45 win. Quarterback Max Duggan accounted for 282 yards and had four touchdowns ( 2 rush and two passes) for the Frogs. The Horned Frogs ran the ball for 263 yards as a team, and their defense had two interceptions returned for touchdowns. For the Wolverines, JJ Mccarthy accounted for 395 yards, three touchdowns ( 2 passes, one rush), and two interceptions. Michigan had to play this game without running back Blake Corum, who had a knee injury. Corum was 11th in the country in rushing. Donovan Edwards filled in and had 119 yards on 23 carries. There were a lot of big plays in this game, but two that there are two that stand out. The first one was on the opening drive by Michigan, where on fourth and goal, they tried to run a “Philly Special,” and TCU wound up getting a stop behind the line of scrimmage. The other came in the Second quarter when Mccarthy hit a deep shot to Roman Wilson for what looked to be a touchdown, but the replay official said he was short of the endzone. On the next play, Michigan fumbles and turns it over. 

The second game saw the Georgia Bulldogs beat the Ohio State Buckeyes 42-41. The Bulldogs outscored the Buckeyes 18-3 in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Stetson Bennett threw for 398 yards and accounted for four touchdowns ( 3 passes, one rush). Georgia’s offense picked up their defense, which has been so good the last two seasons. On Saturday, that defense was picked apart by CJ Stroud. The future first-round pick threw 348 yards and four touchdowns against a great defense. Ohio State led 21-7 in the first half and 38-24 in the fourth quarter and couldn’t hold the lead. The game came down to a 50-yard field goal by Noah Ruggles, who missed it. 

Experts talk about wanting the four best teams in the playoffs. For the first time, not only did they get the four teams right, but everyone was equal. There was no domination; we got two excellent games, and I’ll say this was the best College Football Semifinals ever.