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As the season begins, there is one thing that is striking. The New York Mets are great team with a terrifying offense and a deadly pitching lab (contrary to what many said). Regardless of this however, the Mets have an insanely good farm system. New York has a large amount of players who are in top 100 players and some who aren’t but still are pretty great. Perhaps New York can use such a farm system to pull of another Francisco Lindor-sized deal.
A Bo Bichette Trade Could Be the Next Lindor Trade
This isn’t saying that Bo Bichette can be the next Lindor talent wise. This is saying that another blockbuster trade can be made just like the Lindor trade. Bichette was great for three seasons straight from 2021-23. However, Bichette collapsed offensively in 2024 with just 4 homers and a .225 average in 81 games. This seems to make the Toronto Blue Jays, who just extended Vladimir Guerrero Jr., weary of extending Bichette also.
Bichette is just 27 and is also free agent after 2025 (Lindor was 27). The Mets wouldn’t want a player who just does what Bichette did in 2024. However, it is more likely than not that Bichette will return to star form. The Blue Jays are in a position to where they can compete at the moment. However, if the Jays don’t do well in 2025, this trade could become very realistic.
The Lindor Trade Was One of the Best Trades Ever
This isn’t an overreaction. The Met’s gave up barely anything to the Guardians for Lindor. Some players were decent, but not anywhere near the level of Lindor. Lindor didn’t perform well in his first season with New York, hitting just 20 homers and missing a large amount of time. However, in 2022, Lindor produced his first 100 RBI season in his career.
Then, Lindor gave his first 30/30 season in 2023, and then, to top things off, Lindor gave an MVP season in 2024 with 33 Homers and an insane finish to season. Even with all the disrespect, such as ESPN ranking Lindor below Elly Del La Cruz, however, Lindor is amazing. Del La Cruz had nearly double the amount of strikeouts, had a lower average, had 8 less homers, lower RBI’s, lower runs, lower doubles, and had a lower WAR than Lindor in 2024, but, whatever, he’s better.
The Mets Have Ability to Pull Off a Huge Trade.
The Mets’ farm system is powerful and that is a good thing. However, the Mets have too many stars for all of these prospects to come up and make a difference in New York. Many can and will, but certainly not all of them. Bichette would be hard to acquire, but the farm system is strong enough to acquire such a player.
Really, all of this depends on whether or not the Blue Jays can compete this season. New York would likely have to put Bichette at second base because Lindor is a better Shortstop. However, this move still wouldn’t be bad. Brett Baty hasn’t performed well as Jeff McNeil consistently deals with injury issues and even performance issues. If McNeil can suddenly do what he did in the second half of last season, than there is no need for Bichette. However, Bichette still seems like a good trade target.
Overall, the Met’s probably want to trade for a starting pitcher this season. However, so far the offense has been worse than the pitching. Perhaps such a trade for Bichette would make New York’s offense into what it wants- a terrifying offense. New York already has a great offense that just hasn’t really woken up yet. However, there is always room for improvements.
More must-reads:
- Juan Soto opens up about slow start to first season with Mets
- Three stars of the night in MLB
- The '2024 MLB rookie home run leaders' quiz
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AL knee-jerk reactions: Yankees, Orioles, Guardians have huge problems to solve
Now that teams are roughly 14 percent through a 162-game regular season, certain truths are evident. The Chicago White Sox still stink, the AL Central is (mostly) dreadful and the New York Yankees seem a good bet to win the AL East. But do they need to make a major move in the bullpen? As they look forward to a summer of baseball, Yardbarker MLB writers offer knee-jerk reactions for all American League teams. (Records and statistics are through Monday.) AL East BALTIMORE ORIOLES (9-12) | The pitching simply isn’t there | Baltimore’s league-worst 5.43 staff ERA heading into play Tuesday is worrisome and one not even a star-studded lineup can mask. The Orioles need better pitching to have any chance of competing in the East. BOSTON RED SOX (13-11) | SS Trevor Story is back on the map | Story has spent much of his Red Sox tenure on the shelf with various injuries, but the former Colorado Rockies All-Star seems back to his hitting ways in 2025 (.337/.366/.528 slash and an .866 OPS). Health will remain a lingering question for Story, but for now, Boston will welcome this level of production. NEW YORK YANKEES (14-9) | Closer Devin Williams isn't "The Guy" | The Yankees usually construct a dominant bullpen, which means closer Williams, acquired in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers this past winter, is not guaranteed to hold on to his job. He has a dreadful 9.00 ERA in nine appearances. TAMPA BAY RAYS (9-13) | First baseman Jonathan Aranda is the real deal | One of the surprise stories of 2025 is the emergence of Aranda, whose .355 average and 1.115 OPS are among the league leaders but unsustainable. His walk-off home run Saturday against the Yankees' Williams is a sign Aranda is rolling. TORONTO BLUE JAYS (12-11) | Pitcher Chris Bassitt is a Cy Young contender | Bassitt sports a miniscule 0.77 ERA over his first four starts, a pleasant early surprise. If the 36-year-old right-hander continues to throw anywhere near his current pace, he’ll be firmly in the discussion for baseball’s most prestigious pitching award at season’s end. — Seth Carlson AL West ATHLETICS (10-12) | Pitcher Luis Severino will be worth every penny of his contract | Severino signed a three-year, $67M contract with the A’s, the most lucrative free-agent deal in franchise history. He is everything the A’s could have hoped for, leading the majors with 33.2 innings and posting a 3.31 ERA and a 1.041 WHIP. That performance will help stabilize what is still a relatively unproven pitching staff. HOUSTON ASTROS (11-11) | 1B Christian Walker signing a big whiff | The Astros have been trying to find an answer at first since letting Yuli Gurriel depart after the 2022 season. Walker, who signed a three-year, $60M contract during the offseason, may not be at Jose Abreu’s level of disappointment, but he is not far off (.156/.253/.260 batting line with two homers in 87 plate appearances). LOS ANGELES ANGELS (11-10) | Reliever Ryan Johnson ready to be force in bullpen | After a rough first outing in which he allowed five runs in 1.2 innings, he has been one of the more quietly impressive relievers for the Angels. He has a 1.23 ERA and a 1.227 WHIP in his 7.1 innings since, issuing just one walk with six strikeouts. Not bad for a guy who bypassed the minors. SEATTLE MARINERS (12-10) | Age catching up with pitcher Luis Castillo | Castillo, 32, has been a dependable part of the starting rotation, taking the ball every fifth day and making at least 30 starts in five of the past six non-pandemic seasons. However, he has struggled to start the season, posting a 4.44 ERA and a 1.595 WHIP in his 26.1 innings with a career-low 19 percent strikeout rate. TEXAS RANGERS (13-9) | Pitcher Tyler Mahle is a Cy Young candidate | Mahle has bounced back from a litany of injuries over the past three seasons to re-emerge as a potential All-Star. He leads the majors with a 0.68 ERA and 1.5 pitching bWAR. If he continues his hot start, Mahle will bring home nice hardware after the season. — David Hill AL Central CHICAGO WHITE SOX (5-17)| White Sox on path to respectability | The White Sox are not going to contend in 2025 and have the second-worst record in the majors. However, players such as infielder Chase Meidroth, catcher Edgar Quero and pitcher Sean Burke are showing why they are part of the future. The White Sox could put together a respectable season as more youngsters reach the majors. CLEVELAND GUARDIANS (13-9) | Closer Emmanuel Clase is done | Clase's 219.2 innings from 2022-24 are the second most in the majors for a reliever. That usage has caught up to Clase, who has already allowed nearly twice as many earned runs (nine) this season as he did in all of 2024 (five). DETROIT TIGERS (14-9) | Don’t write off Javy Baez | Baez was essentially an afterthought heading into 2025, an expensive bench player who was on the roster because of his six-year, $140M contract. He is showing signs of life with a .268/.305/.321 batting line in 59 plate appearances while providing great versatility (he has played third, short and center). KANSAS CITY ROYALS (9-14) | Pull the plug on outfielder MJ Melendez | 2025 is a make-or-break year for Melendez, who has become less productive with each season. He has just four hits in 52 plate appearances with 20 strikeouts, so it's time to send Melendez to Triple-A to see if a reset will make a difference. MINNESOTA TWINS (7-15) | Closer Jhoan Duran is back | Duran missed the beginning of the 2024 season because of an oblique injury and never seemed right throughout the season. He is far more effective this season, posting a 0.96 ERA and an 0.857 WHIP over his 9.1 innings with nine strikeouts. With the Twins struggling to score, a healthy Duran will be a difference-maker. — David Hill
NFL coaches share brutal Shedeur Sanders evaluations amid draft rumors
Before the 2025 NFL Draft begins Thursday, both Albert Breer and Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated suggested that Colorado's Shedeur Sanders could slide to the second round, although many view Sanders as the draft's second-best quarterback. For an article published on Tuesday, Breer spoke with NFL coaches about why multiple signal-callers may be drafted before Sanders. "If his last name was Breer," an unnamed NFC quarterbacks coach said about Sanders, "and he was coming out of Minnesota, he’d be a sixth-round pick. He doesn’t play with good feet. He’s late on stuff. He has an average arm. His accuracy is OK, but he has no timing, no anticipation. He flashes some throws, but he’s an average player, not a great athlete. Even if you watch his pro day, there’s no timing or rhythm. He takes extra hitches." It was once thought early into the pre-draft process that Sanders could go to the Cleveland Browns at pick No. 2 or to the New York Giants at No. 3. However, an update from ESPN's Peter Schrager shared on Tuesday indicated those teams are more likely to trade their first-round selections than use those assets to land Sanders. The Tennessee Titans are expected to make Miami quarterback Cam Ward the draft's first choice. Criticisms of Sanders' athleticism hovered over his draft status from before the NFL Scouting Combine up until he tossed "a decent percentage of wobblers" during his pro day workout on April 4. Additionally, it's believed some coaches may not want to deal with how drafting Sanders could result in a club being linked with Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, Shedeur’s father. Depending on where Shedeur ends up, Deion could be an option for an NFL team as soon as next year. "It’s so hard because there really is no redeemable quality that’s at a high end," one NFC coordinator told Breer about Shedeur Sanders. "Give him credit — when someone’s open, he’s accurate. He’s tough. He’s resilient. But in terms of a pure thrower, he’s not up there with the top starters in the NFL; he’s well below that. … Looking at last year’s class, for me, he’s closer to [2024 fifth-round draft choice Spencer Rattler]. If there’s a world where it works out, it’s because he’s accurate, tough, has some savvy, but I’d be surprised if he was a really good starter." As of Tuesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed a Pittsburgh Steelers team that possesses the 21st overall pick of the draft as the betting favorite at +190 odds to take Sanders. Pittsburgh will likely draft a quarterback even if the club signs veteran Aaron Rodgers before Thursday night arrives.
Kirk Cousins' big decision 'surprised' the Falcons
Although Kirk Cousins attempted to convince owner Arthur Blank to release him back in March, the demoted quarterback has not necessarily become a malcontent in Atlanta. He reported for the start of voluntary offseason workouts on Tuesday, WSB’s Zach Klein reports. This act surprised some in the building, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo. This comes during an interesting stretch, as Cousins is not open to waiving his no-trade clause until after the draft. The quarterback who brought a tampering penalty for the Falcons last year still wields some power, via the clause, and he is aiming to avoid repeating a situation like the one that defined his 2024 in Atlanta. Surprise Falcons first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. reshaped Cousins’ Falcons path weeks after he signed, and the QB will have more information about the position’s landscape after the likes of Shedeur Sanders, Jaxson Dart, Tyler Shough and Jalen Milroe are dispersed to teams. Though, Cousins also runs the risk of seeing the a starter route close after the draft; Aaron Rodgers‘ decision (as it relates to the Steelers) also stands to impact Cousins’ options. A recent report suggested the Falcons were not interested in a Day 3 pick for Cousins. The team’s party line has remained a Penix-Cousins depth chart remains firmly in play, even as many around the league have doubted that. The Falcons added some QB insurance Monday night by signing Easton Stick. The ex-Chargers backup, though, profiles as a more likely third-string option for Atlanta. If the team does have a Cousins trade in the offing, a new backup would likely be needed — especially considering Penix’s injury history. Injuries marring four Penix seasons at Indiana will assuredly factor into the Falcons’ thinking with Cousins. The Falcons have set an unrealistic salary demand regarding a Cousins swap, with multiple reports pointing to the team asking an acquiring club to take on at least $20M of his 2025 money. Cousins’ 2026 $10M guarantee is also subject to offset language, which would stick the acquiring team with that tab as well. Anything in the vicinity of $20M in 2025 is likely a nonstarter for teams, and it may have contributed to the Browns choosing to reunite with Joe Flacco. For now, Cousins remains on Atlanta’s roster. It would be odd if Cousins showed for Falcons OTAs, as QBs on the way out — or suspected to be on the way out, as the 2022 Jimmy Garoppolo situation reminded — are rarely part of such workouts. But he was in the building for the start of the team’s program. How the QB dominoes fall this weekend will set the stage for Falcons trade talks to intensify.
Former NFL kicker announces he will run for Congress
Former NFL kicker Jay Feely is taking a break from football to launch a career in politics. Feely announced on Tuesday that he will run for the U.S. House of Representatives in Arizona's 5th Congressional District during the 2026 midterm elections. The seat that Feely will be campaigning for is currently held by Rep. Andy Biggs, who is in his fifth Congressional term but announced in January that he is running for governor of Arizona. Feely, 48, is running as a Republican. He said he was asked by U.S. President Donald Trump to run in 2022, but he did not want to pursue a career in politics while his children were still in high school. Feely retired after the 2014 season and began working as a broadcaster for CBS. He thanked the network and his colleagues in a social media post on Tuesday. Feely spent 14 seasons as a kicker in the NFL, including four with the Arizona Cardinals from 2010-2013. The former Michigan national champion began his career with the Atlanta Falcons in 2001 and played for six different teams. Feely made 82.6% of his field-goal attempts during his career, including a career-long of 61 yards.
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