No deal appears close, but there are options of multiple players that could make sense to be dealt, and the teams are led by two presidents of baseball operations who are eager to make maneuvers to help their roster.

Despite the talks on the rumor mill earlier this offseason, neither Francisco Lindor nor Fernando Tatis Jr. are a part of these talks.

But, right-hander Nick Pivetta, outfielder Ramón Laureano, and relievers Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon and Jeremiah Estrada are the names that have been discussed that “would fit the Mets’ needs,” according to the Athletic’s reporting.

It wouldn’t be the first time New York has shown interest in Miller, and Pivetta and Laureano are both solid veterans who would help the Mets bolster their team.

When it comes to a possible return, the Padres are interested in the Mets’ “young major leaguers and all of their top prospects.” According to the article, San Diego is eager to better their team, while simultaneously keeping the payroll steady.

It remains to be seen what, if anything, will come of these talks, but if news were to continue to break as often as it has this past week, stay tuned.

The post Mets and Padres Discussing Multiple Trade Options appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The beginning of the game was defined by the starters’ elevated pitch counts and the lack of production with runners on base. Both Frankie Montas and Dylan Cease threw a ton of pitches and created traffic on the basepaths, but they were both able to limit the opposition to just one run each through the first four innings. In that span, both pitchers left five runners stranded.

A pivotal moment in the game occurred at the top of the third inning, when the home plate umpire made two questionable strike calls on Juan Soto, who struck out looking. Soto was incensed, and to save him from being ejected, Carlos Mendoza sacrificed himself and got himself booted from the game. It was Mendoza’s third ejection of the season, and it caused him to miss the rest of what turned into a crazy game.

Just an inning later, Mark Vientos nearly had a two-run, go-ahead home run to give the Mets the lead. He sent a pitch by Cease deep to right field, over the wall, but Fernando Tatis Jr. made a brilliant leaping grab over the wall to bring it back and rob Vientos. The play kept the game tied at one, and Cease was able to get out of the inning without allowing the Mets to score.

In his next at-bat the following inning, with two outs and the bases loaded, Vientos lifted another Cease pitch to the same area of the ballpark. This time, it went way over Tatis’ head and gave Vientos that elusive home run he nearly had the previous inning, his first long ball in two months. This one was grand, turning a 1-1 tie into a 5-1 lead.

Vintage Vientos.
pic.twitter.com/sPPCt4fsmh

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) July 29, 2025

That statement slam didn’t last long, as Montas and Huascar Brazobán melted down in the bottom of the inning. The two combined to surrender five runs, including a two-run shot off the bat of Luis Arráez and a would-be, inning-ending ground ball out that Brazobán was too slow covering first to get. A massive shot of momentum for the Mets quickly turned in favor of the Padres, who now held a 6-5 lead.

After Brazobán was finally able to get out of the fifth inning, the game became much milder with neither team scoring until yet another crazy inning in the ninth. Adrián Morejón, Jeremiah Estrada and Jason Adam combined for three hitless innings, bridging the way to closer Robert Suarez. Suarez, who had only allowed one home run all season before Monday’s game, left a fastball middle-away for Ronny Mauricio, who crushed it over the wall in right-center field. Mauricio’s second home run in as many games tied the game and sent it to the bottom of the ninth.

The bottom of the inning began as a disaster, with a single and a Gregory Soto throwing error on a sacrifice bunt, putting the winning run on second with no outs. Soto quickly recorded two outs on a fielder’s choice and a strikeout, but with one out to go and in a two-strike count, Elias Díaz lined a base hit into left field to secure a Padres walk-off win.

The Mets’ loss ends their win streak at seven games and keeps them 1.5 games ahead of the Phillies in the National League East.

Player of the Game

Mark Vientos’ grand slam was massive in the moment, considering how it affected the game, but also considering the trade chatter surrounding Vientos recently. He’s had a really rough season, but he’s swung the bat well lately and was rewarded (almost twice) for it tonight.

On Deck

The Mets continue their series with the Padres Tuesday night with first pitch scheduled for 9:40 p.m. ET. Sean Manaea (1-1, 2.19 ERA) will take the mound for New York while San Diego’s starter is to be determined. The game will air on SNY and MLB Network.

The post Mets Win Streak Ends in Wild Loss to Padres appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

It was announced Friday afternoon that phenom Shohei Ohtani accepted an invitation to participate in the 2021 MLB Home Run Derby at Coors Field. Ohtani is the first individual to accept an invitation to what will be the first home run derby since 2019. Coincidentally enough, the New York Mets’ very own Pete Alonso won that event which took place at Progressive Field. So, with one participant locked in, who should the other seven invitees be?

American League

Shohei Ohtani

As mentioned above, the Japanese two-way player was the first player to accept his invitation. Ohtani has taken the MLB by storm this year, pitching to an ERA of 2.70 and striking out 73 batters over 53.1 innings. However, in this competition, he will have to rely on his hitting, which has also been worldly. 

Ohtani already has 22 home runs in only 257 at-bats. His 10.6 at-bats per home run hit ranks third in the MLB behind Fernando Tatis Jr. and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Also, when he hits the ball, he hits it hard. Per Baseball Savant, he has the most total barrels in the MLB and ranks inside the top-15 in average exit velocity. Ohtani is an extremely well-deserving first invitee.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

The current American League home run leader with 23 should certainly receive an invitation to the event. He ranks second in the MLB in at-bats per home run hit. Notably, he was the runner-up against Pete Alonso in the 2019 edition of the contest. Surely he would like some revenge after a historical performance that fell just short back in 2019.

The current AL MVP favorite has crushed the ball this year. Per Baseball Savant, he is top-three in the MLB in average exit velocity and has the fifth most total barrel contact. Watching him invoke his power-hitting prowess in the high-altitude of Colorado would certainly be a treat.

Matt Olson

He may not be the flashiest name on this list, but what a year he is having. The two-time Gold Glove winner is having a career year. He currently is batting 0.301 and has hit the fourth-most home runs and batted in the fourth amount of runs league-wide. His at-bats per home run hit rate of 12.3 ranks fourth in the MLB.

Like his counterparts, Olson is also blistering the ball when he makes contact. His average exit velocity ranks 14th in the MLB, and his total barrels rank seventh. As mentioned above, he may not be the most star-studded name on the list but given the power he has displayed this year, he would surely put on a great show.

Rafael Devers

Devers would surprisingly be a first-time entrant into the contest if he were to be invited. He ranks sixth in the AL with 17 home runs and has batted in the second-most runs. The most intriguing part of possibly seeing Devers is how hard he hits the ball.

Devers has a hard hit % of 57.2 which ranks third in the MLB, his 32 barrels rank third as well. Another interesting statistic is Devers’ average home run length is 11th highest in the MLB. All the statistics above, especially exaggerated at Coors Field, would make Devers must-see TV. 

Honorable Mentions

There are so many different names that can be included in the above top-four. Break out 28-year old rookie Adolis Garcia would also be another good candidate as he led the MLB in home runs for a large part of the season before being overtaken by Guerrero and others. Veterans Salvador Perez and Marcus Semien each have 18 home runs (tied fourth-best in AL). Jose Abreu, Giancarlo Stanton, and Nelson Cruz all have the pure power that would also put on a show in the high altitude.

National League

Fernando Tatis Jr.

What a year the 22-year-old shortstop is having. He currently leads the MLB with 22 home runs in only 198 at-bats. At a regular-season pace (roughly 580 at-bats) Tatis would be on pace to hit 60-plus homers. However, given some missed time he is on-pace for about 40. Additionally, his 9.0 at-bats per home run hit leads the MLB by a wide margin.

Tatis’ hard-hit percentage ranks fifth in the MLB and his average home run distance is 421 feet which is the fourth highest. This is a deadly combination, especially at Coors Field. Let’s hope we get to see Tatis put on a show at the most hitter-friendly ballpark of all time.

Ronald Acuña Jr.

A theme has surely developed above by now, and that is the age of these power-hitting superstars. The 23-year-old Acuna has missed some time this year but still has the second-most homer runs in the NL with 18. His at-bats per home run hit rate of 12.7 ranks just behind Matt Olson at fifth. 

Whenever Acuna hits the ball it is always a show. His average exit velocity ranks fifth in the MLB, his number of barrels second, and hard hit percentage is fifth. Like many of the above, watching Acuna in Coors Field teeing off batting practice-like pitches would be an absolute show. 

Ryan McMahon

One of the MLB’s breakout players this season is the 26-year-old Colorado Rockies’ infielder. McMahon is well on his way to put up career numbers as he already has 16 home runs, 44 runs batted in, and an on-base plus slugging (OPS) of .824.

McMahon’s average home run distance of 416 feet ranks seventh. His 17th highest sweet spot percentage indicates when he makes contact it is of the solid variety. At the end of the day, who does not want to see the hometown guy perform in front of his fans?

Pete Alonso

The defending champion should get a chance to retain his crown, right? Well, if Alonso were to get selected it would be for that reason. Like many of the New York Mets’ hitters, Alonso has gotten off to a bit of a slow start by his standards. His 10 home runs only rank tied for 27th in the NL and his at-bats per home run hit rate is 33rd in the MLB.

Despite this, Alonso is still killing the baseball whenever he makes contact. His average exit velocity ranks in the MLB’s 90th percentile, maximum exit velocity in the 99th, and his barrel percentage in the 95th. Everyone saw what he did in Cleveland, imagine what the “Polar Bear” would do in Colorado?

Honorable Mentions

If Alonso were not to get selected as the fourth participant, there would be several other great options. Chicago Cubs’ slugger Javier Baez ranks ninth in the MLB in at-bats per home run hit, he would certainly be a strong choice. Cincinnati Reds’ breakout outfielder Jesse Winker ranks third in the NL with 17 home runs, he would also be a great selection. Other possible options are Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, and Eduardo Escobar. 

Get Ready For A Show

Coors Field will be hosting the MLB Home Run Derby for the first time in its ballpark history. As everyone is well aware, the ballpark is a hitter’s best friend. Due to the high altitude, the runs per game, as well as home runs per game average is always one of the highest, if not the highest in the MLB. Add in the young sluggers of the likes of Ohtani, Tatis, Guerrero and Acuna the possibilities are endless. Now, let’s just hope the right individuals are invited and those accept it.

The post Ohtani to Participate In Home Run Derby, Who Else Should? appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Good Morning, Mets fans!

Latest Mets News

Marcus Stroman announced over Twitter that him and Dominic Smith have paired together to play other celebrities in a virtual beer pong tournament.

Former Met and current free agent, Matt Harvey, posted a video to his Instagram of him throwing during one of his recent bullpen outings.

Robinson Cano tweeted out a plea asking the public to remain indoors and help the CDC by donating to the Emergency Response Fund. 

Latest MLB News

The USA Today’s staff listed 50 sports books to read while on quarantine.

The White Sox signed southpaw Christian Friedrich to a minor-league pact.

Latest NL East News 

Matt Kelly of MLB.com highlights the Braves’ Kyle Wright as one of the ten players that could catapult an impressive Spring Training into a successful 2020 campaign.

Latest on MMO

Sam Lebowitz analyzes Brett Baty, MMO’s No.6 Mets prospect.

Brian Wright highlights some special moments of the Mets’ 1969 Game 3 World Series Win against the Orioles.

Jack Hendon ranks the NL East’s catchers.

Michelle Ioannou can’t wait for baseball to return.

On This Date in Mets History 

1978: The Mets sent franchise stalwart Bud Harrelson to the Phillies.

2007: Fernando Tatis was brought abroad.

Stay Safe, Mets Fans!

The post Morning Briefing: Stroman, Smith Ready For Virtual Tournament appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

3 UP

1. Buffalo Charging

Historically, August has been one of the better months of Wilson Ramos‘ career. This year, Ramos took his play in August to an even higher level than he ever has.

Ramos finished the month with an active 24 game hitting streak putting him just six games behind Moises Alou for the Mets team record. Overall, he registered a hit in 25 of the 26 games he played in August hitting .434/.462/.576 with five doubles, three homers and 20 RBI.

One other note is he’s been catching everyone with the concerns about his defense quieting down. Perhaps, this is a case of his defense being acceptable when he hits. It’s also possible he and the pitching staff have gotten more comfortable with one another.

Whatever the case, this is the Ramos everyone had hoped to get when he was signed. With him playing this way, the Mets suddenly look like contenders.

2. Postseason Awards Race Heating Up

With Fernando Tatis, Jr. going down with an injury, it made the National League Rookie of the Year award Pete Alonso‘s to lose. Alonso isn’t losing it.

During the Month of August, Alonso hit .283/.372/.566 with six doubles, eight homers and 24 RBI. With a month remaining in the season, he already surpassed Cody Bellinger for the National League rookie record, and he’s surpassed Todd Hundley and Carlos Beltran for the Mets single season record.

By August, he’s wrapped up the award, and he may not be the only Mets player to win a postseason award.

In August, Jacob deGrom was 2-1 with a 2.18 ERA, 0.788 WHIP, and a 10.9 K/9. Because this is deGrom, it should come as no surprise it’s not even his best month this year. Because it’s deGrom, it should come as no surprise he’s in the thick of the Cy Young race.

Currently, deGrom is in the top five in bWAR, fWAR, ERA, K/9, innings, strikeouts, K/BB, FIP, and other important categories. Right now, this Cy Young race is wide open, and he’s put himself in position to win it.

3. Less Bull

By ERA, the Mets had the fourth best bullpen in the National League in August. That’s a huge step forward from where they were for much of the season.

This is the result of more than just Seth Lugo, who continues to be great. Justin Wilson has a 0.93 ERA since coming off the IL. Luis Avilan has allowed just two hits to left-handed hitters all season.

Recently, we’ve seen Jeurys Familia and Edwin Diaz rejuvenate themselves to once again become reliable late inning options. Throw in surprising contributions from Paul Sewald and Brad Brach, and suddenly, this is a deep, versatile, and dependable bullpen.

3 DOWN

1. Mets Blew Golden Opportunity

The Mets had six games against the Braves, and they’d lose five of those six games. As a result, they are 13.5 games out of the division leaving the Wild Card as their only shot to make the postseason.

To close out the month, the Mets had three games against the Cubs at home. Of note, the Mets entered that series 13 games over .500 at home, and the Cubs entered the series 14 games under .500 on the road.

The Mets were swept by the Cubs moving them from two out to five out. If the Mets swept the series, they’d have the second Wild Card. If they took two of three, they’d be one out.

In total, the Mets stepped up in competition towards the end of the month, and they lost six straight. That stretch took winning the division out of the equation, and it made winning the Wild Card all the more difficult.

2. Stroman Has Not Reached Full Potential Yet

The Mets shocked many when they acquired Marcus Stroman from the Blue Jays. With Stroman having a career year, being a local kid, and having big game experience, it looked like this could be a move to push the Mets over the top.

Instead, Stroman has largely struggled not registering a quality start in his five starts for the Mets. So far, he’s 1-1 with a 4.91 ERA, 1.675 WHIP, and a 2.08 K/BB with the team.

While he’s struggled, it should be noted he’s kept the Mets in games, and the team has won four of the five games he’s pitched. Hopefully, in September, Stroman will begin to look much more like the player he was with the Blue Jays.

3. Depth Exposed

One of the things which has continued to hurt the Mets all season is their depth. We see them cycle through Chris Mazza, Drew Gagnon, Walker Lockett, and others for that last spot in the bullpen with no one sticking.

On the bench, it’s been a series of players like Carlos Gomez, Aaron Altherr, Adeiny Hechavarria, and others. Making this cycle all the more maddening is the apparent driving force behind these moves is more salary than performance based.

This has led to the Mets taking Hail Marys on guys like Joe Panik and Brad Brach to varying degrees of success. It’s also led to them rushing back Jeff McNeil and potentially doing the same with Brandon Nimmo and Robinson Cano. The hope is these decisions will not have long lasting ramifications.

The post August 3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Continue to Fight For Wild Card appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

If you are a Mets fan, you know that David Wright is still with team, or that Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran are in Toronto and St. Louis, respectively. But what happened to guys like Nick Evans or Rod Barajas? We have the answers.

11 Players who made it into a game in 2010 with the Mets, are still employed by the team. That would be the aforementioned David Wright, Ike Davis, Ruben Tejada (Although he is currently with Triple-A Las Vegas, he is still on the Mets payroll), Lucas Duda, Justin Turner, Jon Niese, Pedro Feliciano (Although he made another stop in the Bronx, he is with the Mets once again), Bobby Parnell, Dillon Gee, Johan Santana, and Jenrry Mejia.

10 players are employed by another Major League team. That would be Jose Reyes, Angel Pagan, Beltran, Josh Thole, Henry Blanco, Joaquin Arias, Mike Pelfrey, R.A. Dickey, Francisco Rodriguez, and Oliver Perez.

As you may know, Jose Reyes was traded from the Miami Marlins to the Toronto Blue Jays this past offseason in a blockbuster deal involving Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, and now former Met, John Buck. Reyes now puts on his uniform in the same locker room as R.A. Dickey and Josh Thole, who were traded together this past offseason from the Mets for Travis d’Arnaud, Buck, and Noah Syndergaard (don’t forget Wuilmer Beccera!). Angel Pagan was traded to the San Francisco Giants prior to the 2012 season for outfielder Andres Torres and pitcher Ramon Ramirez who have both since played again for the team they were traded from.

Carlos Beltran was traded at the deadline in 2011 to the Giants for Zack Wheeler, but has since made his home in St. Louis playing for the Cardinals, where he has enjoyed a couple of very nice seasons, including an All Star appearance this summer. Henry Blanco, who served as the Mets backup catcher in 2010, beat out Josh Thole for the same position on this year’s Toronto Blue Jays team, but was released and then signed by the Seattle Mariners who made the corresponding move by releasing 2012 Met alumni, Kelly Shoppach. Blanco played in Arizona for the Diamondbacks in 2011 and 2012.

Joaquin Arias, of whom the Mets received for Jeff Francoeur late in the 2010 season, played for the Kansas City Royals in 2011, and was then given a championship ring after serving as Pablo Sandoval‘s ninth inning defensive replacement in 2012 for the San Francisco Giants. He has been a key hitter off the bench for the Giants in 2013. Mike Pelfrey, after failing to play a month in the 2012 season, was signed by the Minnesota Twins, where his 5-10 record and 5.06 ERA is good enough to keep him in the starting rotation.

Francisco Rodriguez was traded to the Brewers in 2011 for Daniel Herrera (yes the 5-6 guy) and a minor leaguer, but was traded to the Baltimore Orioles at the deadline this year, downgrading from a closer to a setup man. Finally, Oliver Perez signed a two-year deal with the Seattle Mariners in 2012 and is proving to be an effective arm out of their bullpen. You would think that Perez’s ERA of 9.72 with Henry Blanco behind the plate would be the highest among catchers who have caught the Mexican native, but no. That award goes to Josh Thole, who provides Ollie with a sparkling 16.20 ERA.

Eight players are in the minor leagues with another organization. They are Mike Nickeas, Mike Hessman, Luis Hernandez, Mike Jacobs, Nick Evans, Hisanori Takahashi, Fernando Nieve, and Pat Misch.

Mike Nickeas, who was in the same deal that sent R.A. Dickey north of the border, is currently with the Blue Jays Triple-A team, the Buffalo Bisons, a team Nickeas has played for many times when they were the Mets affiliate. Nickeas has failed to make the Majors this season, playing 55 games in Buffalo. Mike Hessman, who is seven home runs shy of 400 for his minor league career and one shy of 15 for his Major League career, is currently a member of the Louisville Bats, the Triple-A team of the Cincinnati Reds, where he is teammates with base stealing extraordinaire, Billy Hamilton. Hessman played in Japan in 2011 for the Orix Buffaloes, and was with the Astros Triple A team in 2012.

Luis Hernandez, who played all of 17 games for the Mets, is with the Indians Triple-A team, after playing in the Texas Rangers organization in 2012. Nick Evans is the only 2010 Met alumni playing in Double-A. Evans, who is a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks affiliated Mobile Baybears, was a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates organization in 2012. Mike Jacobs was the placeholder at first base until Ike Davis came up in 2010 but he is now with the Diamondbacks Triple-A team. Jacobs also stopped in Colorado Springs, Toronto, and Mexico. Hisanori Takahashi, who has 12 games started and 21 games finished as a Met, has played in the Majors with the Angels, Pirates, and Cubs. He is now a member of the Colorado Rockies Triple-A team. Fernando Nieve hasn’t played in the Majors since 2010, but he has played with the Astros, Dodgers, Indians, and currently the Athletics, all in Triple-A. Finally, Pat MIsch has seen time with the Phillies and Tigers Triple-A teams.

Five players are not currently with a Major League organization. The names are Jeff Francoeur, Rod Barajas, Jason Bay, John Maine, and Sean Green.

Francoeur was traded to the Rangers for Joaquin Arias in August of 2010. He spent the rest of the year there. Frenchy played in Kansas City during 2011 and 2012, but was released midway through the 2013 season. The Giants picked him up, where he played 22 games. Francouer was designated for assignment of August 20th, and released two days later. Barajas played with the Pirates in 2011 and 2012, before being signed by the Diamondbacks. He ultimately lost the bid to be Miguel Montero‘s backup, as the DBacks went with Wil Nieves instead.

Jason Bay, who was released after the 2012 season much to the delight of Mets fans, was signed by the Mariners for the 2013 season. He hit a home run in his first spring training at bat, but after a disapointing season, was released of August 6th to make room for Mike Morse. John Maine spent 2011 in the Colorado Rockies minor league system, and pitched for the Scranton/Wilkes-Bare Yankees for all of 2012. He played for the Miami Marlins in April of this year, but was released on April 22. The sidearmer, Sean Green pitched with the Brewers in 2011, before playing with the Texas Rangers’ Triple A team in 2012. He also pitched with the Somerset Patriots in 2012 of the Independent Leagues but has not found a team since.

Six players have officially retired. They are Luis Castillo, Alex Cora, Fernando Tatis, Gary Matthews Jr., Frank Catalanotto, and Tobi Stoner.

Luis Castillo was released by the Mets at the same time they released Oliver Perez. Castillo signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, but after a disappointing spring training, he was released, at which time he retired. Alex Cora was released by the Mets in August of 2010, and he played the rest of the year with the Rangers. He played with the Washington Nationals in 2011, and was signed by the Cardinals in the spring of 2012, which didn’t work out. He is now a baseball analyst for ESPN (his brother Joey does the same work for MLB Network). Fernando Tatis was injured of July 4th of 2010. He was placed on the DL the next day and was transferred to the 60-day DL 10 days later. That turned out to be his last major league game as he retired after the season.

The “Son of the Sarge”, Gary Matthews Jr., was released by the Mets on June 15th, 2010. He signed with the Reds on June 24th and played the rest of the year with their Triple-A team, before retiring. Frank Catalanotto was designated for assignment of May 10th, when the Mets brought up Chris Carter. After failing to sign with another team, he retired in March of 2011. Finally, the German-born Tobi Stoner was released by the Mets in March of 2012. During that season, he played in the Independent Leagues with the Bridgeport Blue Fish and the Somerset Patriots. He retired before the 2013 season.

Four players are currently playing in foreign countries. Chris Carter, Manny Acosta, and Ryota Igarashi are playing in Japan, and Jesus Feliciano is playing in Mexico.

Carter (no not the former A’s prospect) played in the Tampa Bay Rays and Atlanta Braves Minor League system in 2011 before moving to Japan to play with the Seibu Lions in 2012 and 2013. Carter is 3-26 (.115) with three RBI in nine games this year. He is teammates with Kazuhisa Ishii. Manny Acosta pitched for the Mets through 2012 but signed with the Yomuri Giants in 2013 after being released. In 14 games he has an ERA of 5.54. His teammates include former major leaguers Scott Mathieson and John Bowker.

Ryota Igarashi played with the Mets until 2011. He then played in the minor leagues with the Yankees and the Blue Jays in 2012 though he pitched in the majors with both teams. He is now pitching with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks where he sports a 2.15 ERA in 36 games. He is teammates with with Vicente Padilla and former Mets minor leaguer Wily Mo Pena. Jesus Feliciano, who has signed with the Mets four different times in his career, played in all of his 54 career games with the Mets in 2010. He played with the Buffalo Bisons in 2011, the Durham Bulls in 2012, and he is now playing in Mexico with the Rojos del Aguila de Veracruz. He has only played in three games with one hit.

One player is currently a coach. Elmer Dessens is the assistant pitching coach for the AZL Reds in the Arizona League (The Arizona equivalent to Florida’s Gulf Coast League). And here’s a fun piece of information. The manager of that AZL Reds team is former Met, Eli Marrero who the Mets received in 2006 when they traded Kazuo Matsui to the Rockies.

Well, now you know what happened to the 2010 Mets. Next week we’ll look at the players from Citi Field’s inaugural year, 2009.

LGM

The post The 2010 Mets: Where Are They Now? appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Next year is going to be a tough year for the New York Mets.  There might not be a lot of fun to be had at Citi Field in 2011.  In October when the season is over it would be nice to look at some fun times that the 2011 season produced.  One of the few fun experiences for me at least in 2010 was the Mets Hall Of Fame Induction.  Seeing Darryl Strawberry, Dwight “Doc” Gooden, Davey Johnson and Frank Cashen is something that I’m glad I got to see at Citi Field in 2010.  It also gave me something to look forward to as the season was getting away from the Mets in 2010.

The Mets have only retired 3 numbers in their history.  37 for Casey Stengel, 14 for Gil Hodges and 41 for the Franchise Tom Seaver.  Of course the Mets like the rest of Major League Baseball have retired 42 for Jackie Robinson.  Only one of the numbers retired is from a player.  I believe Keith Hernandez deserves to be the next player to join that elite club.

Keith played before I can really remember watching baseball.  I know to some younger than I am they know him from his Seinfeld episodes as well as being part of the best broadcasting team on TV.  Keith was one of the best first baseman to ever play this game.  I personally think he should be in Cooperstown.  He helped Daryl and Doc when they came up.  There is no way the Mets would have won a World Series without Keith.  Today he informs and entertains us in the broadcast booth.  He’s a New York Met for life.

When I would see Fernando Tatis grounding into double plays wearing number 17 I wanted to pull my hair out.  Keith has earned the right to have his number retired. It would be fun to look forward to and I’m sure the ceremony would be fun to experience in 2011.  The Mets did promise that when they moved to their new park more numbers would be retired.  I think it’s time to retire Keith’s 17 once and for all.

The post Mets Should Retire # 17 In 2011 appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Thankfully there are only 6 more games left of this horrible season.  That also means only 6 more games left of some jerryball.  Last year after the season ended the Mets did a bit of a media blitz that concluded with Jeff Wilpon, Omar Minaya and Dave Howard going on WFAN with Mike Francesa.  They made a bunch of promises and some excuses that for some reason had Mets fans hopeful for 2010.  I posted a blog here on this site the day after, which you can read here.  I didn’t like what I heard on Francesa’s show and I got blasted in the comments section. Unfortunately I was right to be skeptical as they lied to us.

Jeff Wilpon said the Mets were committed to building a championship caliber team and that spending would not be limited.  Well, after signing the bust that is Jason Bay the Mets didn’t spend much.  Gary Matthews Jr., Mike Jacobs and Frank Catalanotto were in the starting lineup on opening day.  For some reason Fernando Tatis and Alex Cora were still on this team.  I’m sorry but those guys don’t belong on a championship caliber team.

Omar and little Jeff said that there would be no more mishandling of injuries. Unfortunately that was a big old lie as well.  Look at how Jose Reyes’ oblique injury was handled.  Reyes was put into the lineup while suffering with oblique injury, and only allowed to bat from one side of the plate.  I don’t see how that is improving on handling injuries.  Jason Bay after hitting his head off the outfield wall in Dodger Stadium not only stayed in that game, he played the next one and then flew on a plane to New York and hasn’t played since.  Johan Santana’s injury was misdiagnosed as a pectoral problem.  Now I’m no doctor but I think the training staff might have missed human anatomy 101.  Plus Santana before being diagnosed correctly was allowed to throw and not even given an MRI.  They also promised to communicate better with the fans and media about the injuries.  Once Santana was diagnosed correctly, the Mets had a press conference where they tried to play down the severity of this shoulder injury by citing position players who came back from the same surgery.  They of course didn’t mention that pitchers who have had the same surgery as Johan has have yet to come back and throw a pitch in the majors.

I’m sure once this season is over the Mets will do another media blitz.  They will say things that sound good but in reality it will only be more cheap talk and hollow promises.

The post The Mets Lied To Us appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

For those of you who don’t like the idea of Alex Cora playing everyday, have no fear as Luis Castillo will be making his return shortly, tweets Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.

Castillo will be playing his final rehab (0-2 in his first game) starts this weekend and will be returning to the Mets in time for the Los Angeles Dodgers series. The Mets have 20 days to activate him.

Mets reliever Sean Green began his rehab Thursday by throwing a scoreless inning for St. Lucie. The Mets now have only 30 days to activate him.

Fernando Tatis was placed on the 60-day disabled list after successful shoulder surgery yesterday. SNY is reporting that he is likely done for the season. I don’t see the Mets resigning him. So he may have had his last appearance as a Met.

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Anthony McCarron of the Daily News is reporting that the Mets recalled left handed reliever Raul Valdes from Triple-A Buffalo and that he will be available for tonight’s game.

Valdes was 0-1 with a 3.68 ERA in 29.1 innings pitched this season.

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