The Crane Pool Forum

It seems the Mets have some level of interest in both JDs Martinez and Davis. If you were Steve Cohen and/or STOINS, which player, if either, would you be looking to acquire with the Mets first game about 2 weeks away?

Davis might come cheaper and could play some third. Martinez is older but a decidedly more dangerous hitter. Both would cost the Mets 110% of the agreed-up salary for luxury tax purposes, so one theoretical year of JD Martinez at a theoretical salary of $15 million dollars would in reality be $31.5MM for the tax hit. Say you got JD Davis at a tidy $7MM buxxx. For the Mets, that jumps to $14.7MM.

So JD1? JD2? Or just dismiss?

I saw a headline that said "METS TALKING TO JD" and I assumed it was Davis. (But I was wrong.)

I'd be happy to get either of them, but I think Davis is a safer and more reasonable choice.

PHUN PHACT: J.D. Drew's full name is "David Jonathan Drew," and so, he isn't a J.D. at all, except in the most dyslexic sense.

Also, J.D. Davis's middle initial isn't D. I think he's Jonathan Gregory Davis.

This thread is becoming exactly what I hoped it would become.

JD is a nickname that a lot of people end up with if their first name begins with J and their last name begins with D and they are both fairly common handles. I have a former coworker John Daniel who goes by that same moniker

I dunno, J D Davis would be interesting and fun to have around. It's only
money and tax... so I vote what the hay!

I'm optimistic that Baty on his second go-around will be a little better this year, which leaves the right-handed side of the 3B platoon (if needed) and DH. I don't see Vientos getting 500 ABs like JD Davis got last year, but I think he could easily be 2022 JD Davis at a fraction of the cost. The danger is if Vientos is hurt for an extended period of time and Baty struggles. The Mets seem a little thin on right-handed hitting 3Bman. But that's a lot of if's, so fugg it, I'm going JD Martinez. His statcast is still elite for any age and Lindor/Alonso/Martinez is a terrifying middle of the order.

Let Vientos have a shot. JD didn't really do so well in that DH role with the Mets.

Davis is younger, but not consistently good.
Martinez is older, and has had many good years.
If they aren't going with Vientos, pay for the production Martinez would deliver.
Let the actuaries calculate the value of each incremental run he drives in over Davis.
Later

davis gives better insurance at the hot corner than anything we have, and should be fairly cheap. we don't gotta give him what he lost from the giants, afterall, though i expect it to be close. and if anything were to happen to pete, he could presumably cross the infield and not be an outright disaster.

martinez is a primary dh, who can kinda play in the outfield, where we have a bunch of much better gloves already. and, well, he's not exactly good out there. he's never played first in the majors, and really only serves to keep the lesser of vientos or baty out of the dh.

if we were really in the hunt this season, and martinez' bat would put us over the top, or inch us closer even, i'd say go get him.

but since we're definitely not doing that, davis makes a hell of a lot of sense. unless you really truly believe that vientos can get the dh job done, and keep the job moving forward, along with baty at 3b.

bring him in. build a three-headed, two position monster, and play the hot hands. it affords you the luxury, too, of not overplaying a kid when they slump. and also lets you rest them as needed without decline in the lineup.

The Mets are definitely in the hunt. They're on the make.

Re-reading better up top, 110% is just an additional 10% and not
like double plus another ten percent. That said, I know nothing about
the luxury tax rates and caps and stuff...

kcmets wrote: ↑Wed Mar 13, 2024 2:07 pm Re-reading better up top, 110% is just an additional 10% and not
like double plus another ten percent. That said, I know nothing about
the luxury tax rates and caps and stuff...

It's 110% not 10%.

If the Mets currently sign a guy for $10 million dollars, they will be taxed at 110% of that, resulting in them paying out an extra $11MM for a total of $21 million bucks.

Didn't Davis badmouth the Mets ?

Maybe you get Martinez and if the team sucks balls as much as they might, you sell him to a contender in July, collecting some juicy prospects.

Davis I liked while he was around but played his way into the "OK we'll trade him for Darin Ruf, as long as we also throw in a promising young pitcher" category.

I'd be surprised given what they've signaled this year they'd want either of the JDs. Let the Baty/Vientos duo stand up or not

A Boy Named Seo wrote: ↑Wed Mar 13, 2024 2:14 pmIt's 110% not 10%.

You're right. I'll be out back straightening up...

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: ↑Wed Mar 13, 2024 2:26 pm Let the Baty/Vientos duo stand up or not

That's been the plan. I think it probably still is, but I suppose it's possible that they'll deviate a bit. I don't think pivoting to J.D. Davis would be that much of a detour. But we'll see...

Indeed, it's not yet clear if they're going to get their opportunities at third or at DH, or perhaps at another position entirely. It's also not clear whether they'll be splitting a role or striving separately.

A Boy Named Seo wrote: ↑Wed Mar 13, 2024 12:58 pm... and Lindor/Alonso/Martinez is a terrifying middle of the order.

Don't forget that you get to wash that down with a stiff cup of Álvarez.

metirish wrote: ↑Wed Mar 13, 2024 2:25 pm Didn't Davis badmouth the Mets ?

You would too if you got traded for Darin Ruf. I could let bygones be bygones here.

Oh definitely I would too, just wasn't sure if it was him

kcmets wrote: ↑Wed Mar 13, 2024 2:30 pm

A Boy Named Seo wrote: ↑Wed Mar 13, 2024 2:14 pmIt's 110% not 10%.

You're right. I'll be out back straightening up...

Nah, it's tough because it gets glossed over occasionally, maybe because some teams pay no tax and others pay at different rates. All this makes forecasting payroll, Verlander's vesting option, re-signing Pete, so difficult. You know Cohen can, but who knows when he'll decide it's worth it.

I find myself rooting for the J.D. Davis thing to happen.

Vientos homered again two days ago, but his .206 / .250 / .500 // .750 line in 36 plate appearances, with three homers and three RBI, kind of makes him the very model of the modern hitter and everything wrong with the Mets offense — capable of great things but muddled in mediocrity, with data points positioned in the extremes cancelling each other out.

I'm telling you, it's not the talent, but the philosophy.

Edgy MD wrote: ↑Fri Mar 15, 2024 12:38 pm I'm telling you, it's not the talent, but the philosophy.

You're preaching to the choir, and I'm in the Baritone section.
Wholeheartedly agree.
Later