BT and Sal dive headfirst into the Mets' offseason dilemma, sparked by a report that David Stearns is "reluctant" to give long-term deals to free-agent starting pitchers like Framber Valdez.

Sal argues this philosophy is smart money, insisting the Mets should avoid overpaying for a non-ace like Valdez and instead aggressively target trade-and-extend options like Tarik Skubal. BT agrees Valdez isn't a true ace, but asks if the Mets can afford to be choosy after last year's rotation collapse. The debate heats up on the question of value: is a three-year deal for Michael King smarter than seven years for Valdez?

The discussion expands to the future of the core, with Sal advocating for the emotional release of Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz if they demand reckless contracts, believing the Mets haven't won with them anyway. The hosts analyze Stearns' strategy and ask whether his dedication to player development will clash with the need to win now.

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