u/outta_time11

Hey all, anyone having issues getting their defect submissions fulfilled by Topps? I submitted a few cards back in March that were approved and received. I've had radio silence since, and it's way past their 12-14 week processing time (it's now week 20). Really frustrating, as I can't get any answers as to what's going on. Thanks!

We all know this season has been a wreck. I think that horse has been beaten to death about 10 times over at this point. The real question is, where do the Mets go from here?

*Please note this is long. Feel free to read or not. Just felt like getting my thoughts down uninterrupted.

First off, David Stearns. Even though we're frustrated, Steve Cohen is a smart guy. I'd like to believe he understands that turning over your baseball ops department every 2-3 years doesn't exactly lend itself to the development of a franchise. He chose Stearns for a reason, and for better or worse he's going to give him enough rope to hang himself with. Do I love that? Not really, no, but I can respect it. My gut says that Stearns's rebuild of the organization was delayed by how the team contended the few years. Rather than tear it down immediately, he had to try and fill the gaps and create a potential World Series winning roster. Now, no doubt those decisions have looked rough - guys like Montas, Blackburn, Houser, etc. were not good pickups. It's tough for us, as fans, to watch those types of performances. Play devil's advocate for a moment. Imagine you're playing dynasty or keeper fantasy baseball. You take over a team from someone else. It's not how you'd build a roster, but it's yours. Are you able to turn it around immediately? Or does it take a couple years to get where you want to go?

Now, we all know of the rumors floating around about a potential salary cap. If it does come to fruition, I'm not sure how MLB would implement it given the current salaries of certain teams (Dodgers, Yankees, Mets, etc.). It's very possible those teams get penalized for overspending up front, or at least until they get under the cap. So how do the Mets, a team with a $366mm payroll (per Fangraphs), get their costs under control? First thing you attack is expiring contracts. Alonso, and gosh did I love Alonso, was a prime candidate to be jettisoned. Not only did he want a lot of money (which I personally think was worthwhile, don't misunderstand me), but historically, as guys age, their swing speeds come down, their contact metrics (especially for those who don't have great averages to begin with) come down, and so on. Look at Albert Pujols - I know he was injured, but it's a good example. Same with Miguel Cabrera. Take emotion out of the equation - do you give 5/$150mm to a guy who's in his 30s, is limited defensively, and has a good amount of risk in performance drop off? No, logic dictates you let him go. Now to be abundantly clear - if it was me, I sign Alonso. I happen to believe he's a great ballplayer, great hitter (who would've been great protection for Soto), and has a ton of intangibles that made him invaluable to the Mets organization. But if you're trying to bring costs down, cuts have to be made.

So what happens next? No doubt, Semien has been bad this year. He's been awful on both sides of the ball. But his contract expires sooner than Nimmo's, who's begun to struggle with injuries. Now I'm happy to say that Nimmo is having a good year, because I like him a lot. But he's also 33, would've been limited to DH (or limited OF reps, where he's no longer a plus fielder), and is owed $20mm+ a year until 2030. Not a great use of funds, if you think about it. Plus, we wouldn't be seeing what's obviously going to be a great young core in Ewing & Benge (and of course Soto).

Same goes for the pitching. While I'd have preferred to bring back Severino, he hasn't exactly been great for the A's. Manaea and Senga were solid arms who just haven't been the same since injuries. That's a wildcard in baseball. There are tons of pitchers every year who succumb to injuries and long layoffs (i.e. Tommy John). Would we have felt better waiting for Garrett Crochet while our rotation tumbles? Or Gerrit Cole, who the Yankees owe $36mm a year and hasn't really been sharp?

I started this....well....rant by saying where do the Mets go from here, but so far I've only talked about the past. So let's get back towards the positives. The bullpen has been fantastic this year. That's an area the Mets have traditionally struggled in, so it's great to see them stockpiling quality arms that we can lean on late in games. Yes, a lot of those guys will likely be traded, but hopefully they'll either be re-signed in the offseason or a new crop of positive contributors is brought in. I don't know what'll ultimately become of Clay Holmes, but he was great before he got hurt. McLean, Scott, and now Thornton look like the core of a solid rotation - and controllable and cheap at that. I wouldn't hate seeing Senga moved to a middle reliever at this point - his velo can still play in short stints. There's potential here - maybe not the level of excitement we had a decade ago - but potential. I'd like to see the Mets add an ace to keep the pressure off McLean, but I don't think Skubal is the guy. Not sure who it'll be, but you never know.

The offense has some solid pieces too. Soto is obvious, but Benge and Ewing have done a great job. Lindor is a question mark - I think he's still talented, but no idea if he'll be here come next season. I still have faith in Alvarez/Torrens as a catching tandem - Alvarez is still talented offensively, while Torrens is a fantastic defender. I'd probably think about moving Alvarez to 1B or DH - the Mets are a much better pitching staff with Torrens calling games - and bringing in another catcher. I do think it's time to move on from some of the other Mets - Baty, Vientos, Semien, Melendez, Wagaman. Hopefully Polanco can get back to being a contributor, and the same goes for Robert. Not every free agent addition has to be a big contract. I think the Mets have the potential to work around the edges this offseason and add some quality players without breaking the bank. Some of that will depend on Bichette, who I think will ultimately opt out, but he's another good bat to bounce back.

All of this is to say that it's not all doom and gloom for our beloved team. If you look closely, there's hints of what could ultimately be a very good roster in the not to distant future. The key is going to be picking the right pieces to add in the short term, and more than anything, developing a better farm system. Hopefully this year's draft helps point us in the right direction. As Pete Alonso would say, LFGM!

Hey all, taking a weekend trip with my wife and infant. It's a beach town, not sure how much we'll be at the beach. Any suggestions for film? Was going to grab Ektar 100, but wasn't sure that was a good plan in case I shoot in the evening. I don't expect to shoot more than one roll, so looking for something versatile. Thanks!

Hoping someone can help me out. Looking to put a new seat cushion in my truck (2023 Lariat). I've found two very similar part numbers, one being 2x the cost of the other.

Ford PC3Z-1663223-C

Ford PC3Z-1663223-A

I think the -C part is for the max recline seats. Anyone know if that'll make any difference if I put it in a non-max recline seat? Thanks a bunch!