With a struggling bullpen and an influx of moves on the horizon, the Mets DFA’d both RHP Adrian Houser and RHP Shintaro Fujinami on July 26. While Fujinami cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday, Houser was released by the club on Wednesday, per Will Sammon of The Athletic. The Mets also released RHP Ty Adcock. 

Houser, who was acquired along with Tyrone Taylor from the Brewers in the offseason, had his ups and downs throughout his short Mets tenure. The veteran started in the Mets’ rotation, where he struggled severely, having his ERA balloon up to 8.37 at its highest. The Mets then moved him to the bullpen, where he thrived for a short period, but he came back down to Earth recently, and his subpar performance made him expendable. Houser posted a 5.84 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 1-5 record in his 69 1/3 innings and 23 games with the Mets.

At Citi Field on Wednesday, the Mets finished their homestand and series against the Minnesota Twins in disappointing fashion. While a Mark Vientos home run gave the Mets an early 2-1 lead in the second inning, it would all go downhill from there. Luis Severino had one of his worst outings in Queens, only lasting three innings while giving up six runs on six hits, leading to an 8-3 Mets loss. However, the Mets leave Citi Field with the series win and a 4-3 record during their homestand. Click here for a full game recap. 

The Mets are now going on a West Coast trip. Their first stop will be in Anaheim, where they will take on the Los Angeles Angels for three games. They will have Thursday off and be back in action on Friday night when Paul Blackburn will make his Mets debut on the mound. 

Photo by David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Latest Mets News

Baseball America ranked all 89 prospects dealt at the trade deadline. Here is where the pieces the Mets parted with landed: RHP Tyler Stuart (35), RHP Kade Morris (41), RHP Paul Gervase (75), OF Rhylan Thomas (82) and INF Wilfredo Lara (86).

The Mets optioned newly acquired right-handed relief pitcher Tyler Zuber to Triple-A Syracuse prior to Wednesday’s game. They also optioned LHP Matt Gage to Syracuse and activated former Marlin RHP Huascar Brazobán.

Two new promotions were added to the Mets’ schedule for their mid-August homestand. On Saturday, August 17, against the Marlins, the first 15,000 fans will receive an “OMG” T-shirt, and fans can get an “OMG” foam finger through a special ticket offer for the game on Tuesday, August 20th, against the Orioles.

The Mets’ newest starter, Paul Blackburn, will make his first start for the Amazin’s on Friday against the Angels. Tylor Megill, slated to start that game, has been put in the bullpen. He went two innings while giving up one run on three hits during his first appearance out of the ‘pen on Wednesday against the Twins. Click here to learn about Blackburn.

Reed Garrett looked “really good” in his live session on Wednesday, per Joe Pantorno of amNewYork. Garrett, who hit 97 mph in his live session, will be making a rehab appearance on Saturday for the Syracuse Mets. 

Sean Reid-Foley was on point during his rehab appearance for Double-A Binghamton, getting all three batters he faced to strike out swinging. 

Brandon Nimmo left Wednesday’s loss to the Minnesota Twins after fouling a ball off his foot in the sixth inning. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters after the game that X-rays were negative and Nimmo should be good to go for Friday. Click here for more on Nimmo’s injury.

The Mets signed 18 of their 20 draft picks in the 2024 MLB Draft. The only players the Mets did not sign were ninth-rounder RHP Jaxon Jelkin and 20th-rounder SS Adam Haight.

Latest MLB News

The Houston Astros DFA’d former Mets pitcher Rafael Montero, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic. The flame-throwing right-hander was in year two of his three-year, $34.5 million deal.

St. Louis Cardinals veteran RHP Lance Lynn was placed on the 15-day IL with right knee inflammation. Lynn has a 4.06 ERA and 1.36 WHIP in 106 1/3 innings of work this season.

Jackson Holliday‘s first career home run was a grand slam, which he rocketed deep into right field, onto Eutaw Street.

JACKSON HOLLIDAY!

His first big league homer is a grand slam! pic.twitter.com/UhYSrT2MiQ

— MLB (@MLB) July 31, 2024

Baltimore Orioles third baseman Jordan Westburg fractured his hand after getting hit by a pitch in the fifth inning of Wednesday’s game, per Steve Melewski of MASN Sports. The club hopes he can return by the end of the season.

Former Mets catcher James McCann played in Wednesday’s Orioles game with multiple nasal fractures after taking a 95 mph fastball to the face on Monday. McCann sported a new mask to do so.

Latest on MMO

See what MMO writers graded the Mets’ trade deadline.

The Mets activated their newest reliever, Huascar Brazobán.

More on the news of Nimmo fighting off an injury scare.

The Mets signed 18 of their 20 draft picks.

On This Date in Mets History

2015: Lucas Duda drives in all three Mets runs as his two home runs and eighth-inning go-ahead RBI double power the Mets past the Nationals. This win puts the Mets one game back of the Washington Nationals for first place in the NL East. 

2010: 1986 World Series champions Darryl Strawberry, Dwight “Doc” Gooden, Davey Johnson, and Frank Cashen are inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame.

1999: Pitcher Pat Mahomes gives the Mets a 13th-inning lead with a two-out base hit and gets the save in the bottom of the frame to beat the Cubs in Wrigley. 

1989: Kevin McReynolds finishes off the fifth cycle in Mets history with his ninth-inning triple.

Birthdays: Brian Bohanon (56), Gregg Jefferies (57)

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Release Adrian Houser appeared first on Metsmerized.

Out of the ten picks that the Mets made on Tuesday, seven were pitchers, and all were right-handed arms. They also returned to schools that they took on Days 1 and 2 when they selected players from Houston and USC.

The Mets began Day 3 by going with a New Yorker in Round 11 in Nick Roselli, a second baseman out of Binghamton University. Roselli is from Levittown, New York and is coming off a strong 2024 season with the Bearcats where he had a slash line of .388/.492/.738 with eight home runs, 21 RBIs, as many walks as strikeouts (21), and an .OPS of 1.230.

Roselli missed some time early in the season with a hand injury and he was still able to have an impressive season in the America East Conference. As Brian Recca from Prospects Live points out, the left-handed hitting second baseman shows a good approach at the plate and has good bat speed.

2B Nick Roselli ’24@BinghamtonBASE
5/16-5/17

Some I/O + swings from Roselli. Strong, stout build w/ quick bat. Mature approach w/ the ability to impact the ball at the top/bottom of zone. Went 3-8, 1 BB, 1 2B; 3-5, 1 2B, 2 HR on 5/18. .398/.504/.765 on the year w/ strong data. pic.twitter.com/Ocazz2EWzs

— Brian Recca (@brian_recca) May 20, 2024

The pitching trend began for the Mets in round 12 with the selection of Kansas right-hander Ethan Lanthier. Lanthier transferred from St. Cloud State to Kansas for the 2024 season and the reliever had 42 strikeouts to 19 walks in 37 innings of work.

Kansas’s coach, Dan Fitzgerland, had some comments about Lanthier after the draft and mentioned how the key pitch to watch for him in terms of his offspeed stuff is going to be the slider.

“(Lanthier) has a huge fastball and great feel for a well-above-average slider. He’s a great competitor and an outstanding teammate.”

Mets 12-353: Ethan Lanthier, RHP, Kansas — tall/loose reliever, lively low/mid 90s FB, avg/abv sweepy SL, fair CH, phys/arsenal to start though blw-avg control and mechanics make for relief only outlook

— Taylor Blake Ward (@TaylorBlakeWard) July 16, 2024

In round 13, the Mets shifted their focus out west by selecting Oregon right-hander R.J. Gordon. Gordon missed the entire 2023 season and had his first year as a starter this past year (Opening Day starter). In 17 starts, the 22-year-old right-hander pitched to a 5.13 ERA and had 87 strikeouts to 46 walks in 93 2/3 innings.

Gordon was second in the Pac-12 in innings pitched and had the most starts of any pitcher.

Gordon sat out the 2023 season due to getting an internal brace repair in the UCL. He told the media before the season that it wasn’t torn. In addition to his fastball, changeup, and curveball, the right-hander mentioned adding a cutter into the arsenal this year.

In addition to learning the cutter, Prospects Live pointed out back in June that Gordon might have a sweeper to go-to as well.

“Well, it looks like before his March 15th start vs Cal, Gordon added a sweeper full-time and is throwing his cutter harder. Averaging 13 inches of sweep at 83 MPH, this sweeper has the makings of a true out pitch vs right-handed hitters.”

Tanner Witt, Photo by Aileen Vela of The Daily Texan

In Round 14, the Mets made an intriguing selection by picking Texas right-hander Tanner Witt. Witt had an excellent start to his collegiate career, but he had Tommy John surgery in 2022. He was picked by the Orioles in the 18th round last year, but decided to go back to the Longhorns.

Witt only appeared in five games this past season, and he had more walks (8) than strikeouts (6) and allowed four home runs over 9 1/3 innings of work. His fastball is around 90-94 mph, and his curveball is strong.

Witt also had a cleanup procedure for scar tissue in his elbow, which caused him not to pitch much this year. This is a pick where the Mets hope Witt shows some of the dominance he had when he was a hyped-up draft prospect in 2020. Hopefully, Witt’s loyalty to Texas won’t end up costing him a good professional career.

The Mets went back to Houston for Round 15 to take right-handed pitcher Owen Woodward. Woodward was mainly a reliever with the Cougars. In 10 outings (1 start), his command popped off the page with 36 strikeouts to only four walks in 23 1/3 innings.

His one start came against Texas on April 12. He pitched 4.2 innings, allowed one run on one hit, and struck out 10 on 71 pitches. However, Woodward left that game with an elbow injury and did not make another appearance the rest of the season.

Five ?s in a row! Six up, six down! @owenwoodward18 pic.twitter.com/HwQcvPHlg9

— Houston Baseball (@UHCougarBB) April 12, 2024

Unfortunately, Woodward’s headlines don’t just include his pitching. Back in 2022, when he was at Weatherford College, Woodward allowed a home run. As the player was rounding third base, he ended up tackling that player after Phillips said something to him before the tackle.

For Round 16, the Mets return to the West Coast to take USC right-hander Josh Blum. Unlike Will Watson from Day 2, Blum pitched out of the bullpen for the Trojans and had a 1.87 ERA in 27 games (10 saves). He had 45 strikeouts to 11 walks in 33 2/3 innings.

Blum was one of the better closers in the country. He was 14th in the NCAA in saves and held opponents to just a .154 batting average. In addition to a fastball that can reach the mid-90s in velocity, the tilt on some of his offspeed pitches can help him bring deception as a closer in pro ball.

Josh Blum (‘24 elig.) records a quick 1-2-3 inning to close it out. Heavy CU/SL usage. CU sat 87-88 mph with short, late bite. Creates late tilting action SL at 82-84 mph (2570 rpm). Attacks the zone and works quickly @USC_Baseball pic.twitter.com/CvX7mzzEDu

— PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) May 22, 2024

The Mets took a brief break from the pitching in Round 17 by going with Miami (FL) outfielder Jacoby Long. Long mainly played left field and center field with the Hurricanes. In 53 games last year, he had a slash line of .303/.371/.446 with four home runs, 24 RBIs, and ten stolen bases in his first full season as the starter.

Long is a player who will be known more for his speed, which helped him make some fantastic catches in the ACC.

?️ Add this #SCTop10 snag to the Jacoby Long highlight reel!

?: https://t.co/i7JouIHHfQ pic.twitter.com/Vo31ThVWlL

— Miami Hurricanes Baseball (@CanesBaseball) May 4, 2024

The Mets went the high school route for two of their last three picks. It started in round 18 with the selection of right-hander Jace Hampson from Lynwood High School (Washington). Hampson is an Oregon commit. When he was at the West Coast League last summer, he mentioned he grew up playing shortstop despite being recognized for his above-average skills at third base.

For round 19, the Mets went with North Southeastern University right-hander Frank Elissalt. Elissalt transferred from La Salle to Division II North Southeastern. This past season, he made 19 appearances (three starts) and had 62 strikeouts to 17 walks in 51 innings.

What stands out about Elissalt is going to be his fastball. While at the MLB Draft League in 2022, he had one of the best spin rates on his fastball of any pitcher in the league.

The Mets returned to a Washington high school player for shortstop Adam Haight from Cedar Park Christian High School for their final pick. Haight is a commit to Oregon State.

If he decides to sign a pro contract, he shows good potential with his approach at the plate.

The Mets have also signed the following undrafted players: RHP Hoss Brewer, RHP Chandler Marsh (fastball up to 99 mph) and RHP Hayden Cooper.

Day 1 Recap

Day 2 Recap

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