The Mets (63-54) fell to the Pirates (68-46) by a score of 5-3 in 14 innings on Saturday night.

Jon Niese turned in a decent outing for the Mets, giving up 3 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks in 6 innings, striking out 5.

The Mets were bitten by the long ball in the first inning for the third straight game. After a questionable call by Bob Davidson behind the plate put Andrew McCutchen on first with a two-out walk, Aramis Ramirez sent Niese’s next pitch over the wall to put the Pirates up 2-0. Gregory Polanco extended Pittsburgh’s lead in the third inning with a solo shot that put the visitors up 3-0.

The Mets failed to do anything against Pittsburgh starter Charlie Morton early in the game. But after Carlos Torres worked a scoreless top of the seventh in relief of Niese, the Mets came roaring back after the stretch to get their starter off the hook. Juan Uribe led off the frame with a solo shot, and after a throwing error by Aramis Ramirez put Travis d’Arnaud on base with one out, Michael Conforto rocketed one over the wall in right to tie the game at three and send Morton to the showers.

After Tyler Clippard worked through the top of the eighth, Jeurys Familia put up a zero in the ninth with some major help from Yoenis Cespedes. Sean Rodriguez hit one into the gap for an extra-base hit, but when the ball took an odd bounce, he turned for third and was gunned down by an absolute missile from Cespedes.

The game headed to extras, where Hansel Robles pitched three strong innings out of the bullpen for the Mets. The Mets got the winning run in scoring position in the bottom of the 12th when Lucas Duda worked a pinch-hit walk and Ruben Tejada singled, but Wilmer Flores struck out to extend the ballgame.

Sean Gilmartin pitched a scoreless frame in the 13th, but the Pirates got to him in the 14th to win the game. A leadoff double by Francisco Cervelli put the go-ahead run in scoring position. Starling Marte grounded one to Daniel Murphy, who made a poor decision and tried to get the lead runner rather than taking the sure out at first, and instead got nothing. Chris Stewart lined a single into center to put the Pirates up 4-3, and with runners still on the corners, Rodriguez popped one over the drawn-in infield to make it 5-3. Gilmartin got out of the inning thanks to a double-play on a popped-up bunt attempt and a runner caught stealing, but the damage had been done.

Kelly Johnson doubled with one out in the bottom of the 14th against Pirates closer Mark Melancon, but Travis d’Arnaud and Anthony Recker‘s well-hit drives both found the glove of Andrew McCutchen, and the Pirates escaped with an extra-inning victory for the second straight night, allowing Ne-Yo to finally take the stage for his postgame concert.

For the most part, the Mets offense has quieted down lately. But the resilience is still there, as shown by their comeback in the seventh inning— a combined effort from veteran Juan Uribe and rookie Michael Conforto. Conforto hasn’t been putting up great numbers, but he’s shown a good eye and has been hitting the ball quite hard, which is all you can ask for. As for Uribe, I’m not sure how he’s successful— he pulls out on every swing, and it seems like he’d never get a hit if pitchers just stuck with off-speed pitches on the outside part of the plate. But he seems to make it work.

Niese wasn’t great tonight, but he kept the Mets in the game, as he has done in nearly every single start the last few months. However, the Mets can’t keep giving up all these first inning runs. It cost them a game back in Tampa, and it’s definitely been an issue the last three games here at home.

The bullpen did a solid job, taking over in the 7th and keeping the Pirates off the board until the 14th inning. Robles in particular was terrific. At some point, the offense has to pick up the relievers and put the ballgame away.

Murphy hasn’t made many mistakes over the last few months, but his gaffe tonight was boneheaded to say the least. The Mets probably weren’t putting up a zero in that inning anyway, but he certainly didn’t help the cause (of course, the issue was that he was trying far too hard to keep that go-ahead run off the board).

Cespedes has been hitting well, and we finally saw that arm tonight. He’s a terrific ballplayer, and it’s frustrating that—while I won’t waste too many words on it tonight— we almost certainly won’t see him in a Met uniform next year. Let’s try to enjoy him while he’s here, but we can’t get too attached.

Bob Davison was a huge detriment to this game. A home plate umpire’s presence should never be as noticeable as it was tonight. I don’t think anybody in either dugout was happy with him in this (extended) contest.

It’s a frustrating loss, but not an infuriating loss. The Mets have hung with one of the better teams in the league the last two nights, and while moral victories don’t count in the standings, their small cushion in the NL East allows one to avoid living and dying with each game. In the long run, however, the Mets will need to win these games more often than not. And they’ll certainly need to avoid the sweep with their ace on the hill next game.

Up Next: The Mets will wrap up their series with the Pirates on Sunday afternoon at Citi Field. Matt Harvey (11-7, 2.61 ERA) will face Jeff Locke (6-7, 4.43 ERA) at 1:10 PM.

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Aramis Ramirez

Ramirez, 37, has been dealt from the Brewers to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Pittsburgh’s 30th-ranked prospect — right-handed pitcher Yhonathan Barrios — and salary relief.

The Pirates will reportedly absorb $3 million of the $5.74 million left on Ramirez’s contract this season. In 81 games with the Brewers this season, Ramirez is hitting .247/.295/.430 with 11 home runs and 18 doubles. However, he’s really picked it up lately and is slashing .352/.422/.500 this month. The third baseman has said numerous times he will be retiring at the end of this year.

Barrios is a converted infielder and clocked in at 30th on the Fangraphs list in a Brewers system that isn’t particularly strong. For reference, Fangraphs ranked Miller Diaz as the 30th-ranked prospect in the Mets system before the season.

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It’s officially trade season, ladies and gentlemen. The All-Star break has come and gone, which means that soon it’s time for teams to truthfully evaluate where they are this season. Sandy Alderson was right in saying that the trade market is only beginning to materialize at this point in the season, because no matter how badly a front office pursues a player in June, it’s unlikely that anything will become of it immediately.

Backing off until the deadline looms larger is a helpful strategy to more effectively assess a team’s needs. Not every team is able to figure out whether buyers or sellers until just about this point in the year, where the team has already played roughly 90 games, and it becomes clearer who should be in contention at the end of the year. It also helps to ensure that both sides receive roughly equal value for the assets they are trading away. The longer teams wait, the more “fair” a trade will be.

In case you haven’t heard this said at least five times a day over the past month and a half, the Mets need a bat. The return of David Wright isn’t necessarily a guarantee, which means that unless Dilson Herrera looking markedly better in his latest stint in Vegas, Ruben Tejada will be playing shortstop for a team with playoff aspirations.

Lucas Duda has been a catastrophe for a while, throwing up a highly upsetting slash line of .166/.279/.287 in his last 43 games. Juan Lagares has never been a very good hitter, but this year he’s even worse than expected. Kevin Plawecki has been great recently, but Travis d’Arnaud looked primed for an All-Star season if he weren’t stopped by two separate injuries.

And now for everyone’s favorite whipping boy, Michael Cuddyer. I liked the deal at the time, because it was clear that the Mets needed a corner outfielder, and he was one of the only options out there. Sure, the contract was a little pricey, but I thought he’d be worth at least most of it. I preferred him to Melky Cabrera because the Melk Man’s performance has been hard to predict, and the Mets couldn’t afford a down year from him. There was also talk about Nelson Cruz, despite the fact that his second half was significantly worse than his first half. Without allowing hindsight to affect my view, all things considered, Cuddyer was the guy.

Unfortunately, he’s been an abject failure to this point. He’s having the worst season of his career, which is to be expected at age 36, but the extent of his decline is the surprising part. He’s certainly earned his new names, Michael Cruddyer, as well as my favorite, Michael Cadaver.

I do think that the pitching is good enough that technically, the Mets can sustain this level of hitting and make the postseason, so they don’t need a hitter. Not trading for a bat will not kill the season. But it makes all the sense in the world, and it could be the thing that pushes them over the top. Whether or not that last sentence is equal to need, well that’s a semantic debate.

First off, we need to look at the trade assets before diving into the trade market. Dillon Gee has absolutely no trade value at this point. Sandy blew it with him. His value was highest in the middle of last season, when he was outperforming his talent, and Alderson kept holding out to find the perfect trade for Gee. A combination of overvaluing Gee and hoping some other team overvalues Gee, has led to a pitcher who has little value to his own team and none to anyone else.

Bartolo Colon could entice some other teams, especially if the Mets eat some of his salary, but it’s very likely that any team gets offered Colon will hold out for a better pitcher from another team, or his own teammate, Jon Niese. Niese has been pitching great after a slow start to the season, and the fact that he’s a 28 year old lefty, with three years on a manageable contract after this season (with two of them being team options), makes him an ideal trade candidate. I know that the injury to Steven Matz complicates things, but the Mets can cover for the fifth spot in their rotation for the time being.

Rafael Montero has supposedly resurfaced, and Logan Verrett is back to starting in Las Vegas. Between the time Niese is traded, which will presumably be near the end of the month, and when Matz is cleared to return, the Mets won’t be any worse for giving Verrett a couple of spot starts. Worst case scenario, the other number 35, the aforementioned Dillon Gee comes back and makes two terrible starts while we wait for the Long Island kid to return to the mound.

Now that he’s rehabbing from a shoulder injury suffered in April, Rafael Montero will attract some other teams. The Mets may consider him expendable because they can field a five man rotation over the next few years without him, but the other 29 teams in the league still see him as one of New York’s top prospects, and someone who could be a part of their rotation for years to come.

Michael Fulmer and Gabriel Ynoa are Double-A pitchers who would be more highly regarded if they were on a team that didn’t already have so many young, MLB-ready pitching. With the sheer numbers at the major league level, it’s hard to imagine Fulmer or Ynoa cracking the rotation next year, so it makes sense to see what possible return he could garner.

Niese, Montero, and Fulmer/Ynoa are, in that order, the most likely to be traded. One of them, or some combination of them could net a pretty good position player to help the team chase the playoffs. However, there are some other options who could be dealt in the right deal for a possible star player.

The front office will be, and rightfully so, reluctant to trade any of the young star pitchers. We know this already, but I think everybody has a price. There are a few scenarios where I would consider trading away one of them, but it would really take a lot. But which of the young studs could be moved?

Jacob deGrom and Matt Harvey are established as untouchable, and while he’s the most replaceable of Generation K-Prime (that’s a math joke for all of you who have tried to forget the trauma of calculus), I don’t know how likely it is that another team would want to take on Zack Wheeler as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. While the success rate of the procedure is high, there is always risk involved with any injury.

That leaves Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz. Matz has a very simple advantage, which will make him more likely to stay in Flushing for the long haul: he’s left-handed. Being able to trot out a rotation that includes at least one lefty in Matz is important, so if any of the five were to be dealt, it would likely be Thor however all of them have been deemed off limits.

I wouldn’t rule out one of the two catchers being traded. If the Mets are confident that Travis d’Arnaud can actually stay on the field, citing the fact that a lot of his injuries are simply freak accidents, then Kevin Plawecki could be dangled out there. If the opposite is true, and Mets management is tired of TdA’s constant trips to the Disabled List, while believing that since Plawecki has gotten over his illness, he’s done enough to show that he can hit on the Major League level, d’Arnaud could be on the block.

With Conforto being more of a sure thing at this stage, Brandon Nimmo should be made available as well.

As much as I’d love for the Mets to trade Daniel Murphy, they just can’t with the current state of the offense. It’s very unfortunate, because I don’t see him returning after this year unless David Wright’s career could legitimately be over, but they can’t trade him away.

To recap, the most available assets would have to be Colon, Niese, Montero, Fulmer, and Ynoa, while Wheeler, either Plawecki or d’Arnaud (I would prefer to deal Plawecki), Nimmo, and Gavin Cecchini could potentially move in the perfect deal.

You probably knew all of that already, so let’s get to the juicier part of this article, all the potential trade targets – reported or rumored. The players have been divided into the following subsections: Very Unlikely, Somewhat Likely and Very Likely. Enjoy…

Very Unlikely

Aramis Ramirez

He’s been in the league nearly as long as I’ve been alive, and he’s just not good enough anymore. He may he a slight upgrade over Ruben Tejada, but the difference is not large enough to waste any time or money attempting to pursue him. However, it’s very possible that he could to come as a throw in from Milwaukee in a trade package, which is fine if the Brewers eat some of his remaining salary, but I doubt that happens anyway. He definitely shouldn’t be the centerpiece of any trade involving the Brewers.

Jose Bautista or Edwin Encarnacion

It’s possible that the Blue Jays will be willing to trade away either, but don’t take that as a sign that they’ll be coming to the Mets. The Jays have a scary offense, but they could use pitching help. Of course, it didn’t help that two and a half years ago, they traded away a right handed pitcher with curly blonde hair for a man currently sporting a 4.87 ERA for them. But I digress.

Both Bautista and Encarnacion can be free agents after 2016, and neither makes sense for the Mets. Bautista, while he’s still a great hitter, is just old. At 34 years old, and only a year and a half left on his contract, he’s not worth the short term gamble. As for Encarnacion, he’ll be coming to New York to either platoon with Lucas Duda at first base, or Terry Collins will have to shove one of them to left field on a regular basis, which will be a calamity that no fan should ever have to suffer. And you think Cuddyer has no range out there…

I also could have avoided that last paragraph by saying that neither Bautista nor Encarnacion will be traded anywhere. There are ways for Toronto to improve their rotation without dealing one of their two mashers, which I will get to later.

Now that’s what I call a tease.

Troy Tulowitzki

End the charade, this trade is never going to happen. Between concerns about Tulo’s durability, the fact that he’s 30 years old (remember, he was the next big thing back when the Rockies made the World Series…eight years ago), and the fact that he’s spent his entire career at Coors Field, the Mets simply can’t afford to give up Noah Syndergaard for Tulowitzki. Unfortunately, if the Mets were to offer anything less, Rockies GM Jeff Bridich hangs up the phone.

Andre Ethier

First of all, I don’t think the Dodgers will be trading Ethier, but even if they were, the Mets won’t be able to get him for financial reasons. Assuming that his main role on the Mets (aside from occasionally starting against right handed pitching in center) will be playing left field over Michael Cuddyer, it’ll mean that the Wilpons will be paying $30.5 million to left fielders next year between the two. It’s possible that the Dodgers will think about covering some of his remaining contract, but it would be better for them to swallow Ethier’s $18 million than pay him $9 million or so and lose his production entirely.

Brock Holt

Plain and simple, he’s much more valuable to the Red Sox than he would be in a trade. Despite Boston’s desperate need for reliable Major League pitching, their only All-Star is probably the least likely candidate to be traded this season. He’s able to be plugged in at pretty much any position, spending a lot of time this year at second base while Dustin Pedroia was injured, but will find himself starting over Shane Victorino in the outfield or Mike Napoli at first now that Pedroia is back. On top of his well-known versatility, he’s also hitting very well. He’s not worth Syndergaard, but at this point in time, a trade involving Montero or Fulmer/Ynoa won’t be too enticing for the Red Sox either.

Yasiel Puig

By all accounts, Puig is a very hard man to deal with. Fortunately for him, his bank account, and his future in baseball, he’s an incredibly talented player. There are a lot of reasons to dislike him personally, but the Dodgers sure appreciate the production he provides them when he’s on. Would I trade Syndergaard straight up for Puig? In a heartbeat. I’m sure the Dodgers would heavily consider that, but they wouldn’t want to make that deal right now.

Starlin Castro, Addison Russell, Javier Baez

There is no dream win-win deal to be had here. The sides just don’t match up right now as well as they did this time a year ago. It’s possible that the clubs can strike a deal in the offseason, but there isn’t a mutually beneficial trade that will help both teams in their Wild Card chase.

Starlin Castro is currently in the midst of his second disastrous year out of the last three, and even when he’s going well, he’s quite overrated. A lot of his value has always been rooted in the fact that the shortstop position is generally weak, and he’s one of the few players who is able to provide above average offensive production at the position. While this is somewhat true (again, even with his good 2014 season taken into account, he’s overall been below average for two and a half years) I take that to mean that it’s not worth selling off too many assets to get an above average but not great hitter simply because he’s a relative star at his position, and would rather live with below average production at short because most of the league is in the same boat. It also hurts Castro that he’s a bad defender at the most important defensive position outside of the battery. Epstein will value Castro more than he should, and he’s simply not worth the asking price.

Addison Russell isn’t good enough at this moment for the Mets to worry about trading for him. Sure, he’ll be very good in a year or two, and a trade involving him and Wheeler could very much be on the table, but he’s not what the Mets need in July 2015.

Javier Baez had a disappointing trail run with the big club last year, where the aggressiveness which suited him so well in the minors quickly became a problem against higher quality pitching. Currently, he’s sidelined with an injury, but was tearing up AAA again, and was able to reduce his strikeout rate in the 37 games he’s played so far. He’s not necessarily a sure thing, which is why he’s not coming to the Mets this month. The team is looking for polished offensive players who can provide a boost to the lineup as the postseason draws clear. Baez and polished don’t belong in the same sentence yet.

Speaking of unpolished, Arismendy Alcantara would be a bad trade target at this stage. Much like Baez, a deal involving him may make sense in a year or two, but right now, Alcantara is not an offensive upgrade anywhere except maybe shortstop. Maybe.

If I burst your bubble with any of those, I’m sorry. But now here’s the most juicy part of this article, all the people the Mets could actually trade for, along with a potential deal for each. I get to play Baseball Maverick for a few minutes here, and boy does it feel good. I am Sandy, hear me roar. I went through the rosters of almost every team in the league (I didn’t bother looking at the Phillies for two reasons that are interconnected. First, the mere sight of their roster is bad for one’s vision, which also means they have no players who could be useful for the Mets.), and picked out all of the players whose acquisition could help the Mets. I will order them from the least to most desirable option. You may look at some of these names and groan, but all of these guys are upgrades over what we’re dealing with currently, whether it be in the lineup or off the bench. One of these guys will likely be a Met by August 1:

Jean Segura

What is Jean Segura exactly? Ruben Tejada with offensive upside?

He had a great first half two years ago which earned him an All-Star spot, but has been a train wreck at the plate since then. However, he’s a very good defender, and he’s still young. There’s reason to believe in him, because not just anyone can post an .849 OPS in half a season at age 23. The case against him, though: literally his entire career otherwise.

I happen to be a believer, and we’ll see how he looks when he reaches his offensive peak years, but in the short term, he’s not much of an upgrade. But, he’s a useful asset, just in case he gets his offensive form back.

I’ll get to the tangible trade later, because it’ll involve one of his teammates.

Somewhat Likely

Danny Valencia or Chris Colabello

Okay, so I sort of lied when I said that the Mets won’t be getting a slugger from Toronto. They very much could get one of their less heralded bats, Danny Valencia or Chris Colabello. I know exactly what you’re doing right now. You’re smirking, shaking your head, and thinking, “he can’t be serious. This is what’s going to get us over the hump?”

My response: yep.

The pitching is great enough, that the smallest boost to the offense could mean the difference between making the Wild Card game, or sitting at home and watching the playoffs.

I’m combining Colabello and Valencia because they are essentially the same player.

Valencia is 30 years old, and under team control through 2018. He’s a third baseman by trade, but with Josh Donaldson manning the position in Toronto, he’s been playing a lot of left field. He’s mostly known for owning left-handed pitching, but this year he’s hitting .299/.331/.526 overall, and his numbers are relatively similar no matter what type of pitcher he’s facing.

(Random nugget while I was looking through Valencia’s page on FanGraphs, supposedly he hasn’t hit a single pop out in 146 plate appearances this season. Inconsequential, but interesting nontheless. I’m sure by the time you’re reading this, he will have popped out to third base five minutes earlier.)

Chris Colabello is a former independent baseball player who’s in the middle of his first full season in the big leagues. At 31 years old, he won’t even be hitting arbitration until 2017, so if the Mets acquired him, they’d expect him to at least be a bench piece for the next few years. His 140 wRC+ will certainly drop, even if he has a higher line drive percentage than Mike Trout (25.8% to Trout’s 24.8%), but he’s been great this year, and if his production the rest of the year is anywhere close to what he’s already shown, he could be the best hitter on the Mets down the stretch.

The reason why they’re so low on my list is because the fluke potential is off the charts with these guys. Neither is an everyday player on their current team, and there’s a very good chance that they each had great first halves, and are poised to fall off as the season wears on.

However, if all else fails, it won’t be the end of the world if the Mets have to settle for one of these guys.

So how would an actual deal between these two look? The Blue Jays need a pitcher, there’s no secret about that, so Jon Niese will be shipped North of the border. The Mets won’t be getting great value for Niese if they only get Colabello or Valencia, so the Jays should throw in a mid to low level prospect or two who the Mets can potentially develop. The Alderson regime has certainly had an eye for prospects who weren’t very highly regarded, picking up Dilson Herrera and Vic Black in what should have been a throwaway deal with Pittsburgh, and even snagging Wuilmer Becerra from these very Jays in the Dickey trade. After looking through Toronto’s prospect list, there are a few guys who caught my attention. Be warned, however, that I don’t know which of these guys the Blue Jays value highly, so while I may be off on which players they’d be willing to trade, it’ll be guys generally in that range. Here’s something that feels fair for both sides:

Mets Get: Chris Colabello or Danny Valencia, Andy Burns, Rowdy Tellez

Blue Jays Get: Jon Niese, Player to be Named Later

Ben Paulsen

His stats look good on the surface, but, I’m only stating the obvious when I say these five letters: Coors.

He’s essentially an average hitter away from home, but he’s on this list because that would be an upgrade somewhere on the team. If acquiring Paulsen were the only move made at the deadline, I would be very upset. However, he’ll be a nice piece to have. He’s mainly a first baseman, but has a decent amount of experience in the corner outfield positions, which makes him a less versatile, but offensively superior version to Eric Campbell, and less Soup in our lives is best for everyone involved.

As for the deal, Paulsen doesn’t really have all that much value, and the Rockies aren’t looking to contend right now, so I’m going to go with some damaged goods, as well as a decent pitcher, because everyone knows the Rockies are always for looking less terrible pitching options.

Mets Get: Ben Paulsen

Rockies Get: Dillon Gee, Cesar Puello, Seth Lugo

David Murphy or Ryan Raburn

Here are two more players who are virtually interchangeable, Cleveland’s David Murphy and Ryan Raburn. Murphy’s a lefty, and Raburn is a righty, but otherwise they’re similar. Both are bad defensive players who ideally would be limited to DHing, but can be forced into a corner outfield if need be.

Need exists in Flushing.

Much like the guys in Toronto, it would be silly to expect either of them to continue their current performance through the end of the season. Murphy is hitting .307/.357/.458 while Raburn is hitting .287/.371/.508. Impossible for these guys to continue that level of play. However, both of these guys have pretty long track records of being very useful. Murphy has more experience as an everyday player, going back to his days with the Texas Rangers, but Raburn was a regular in Detroit for a while as well.

The issue here is their age, and in turn, the sustainability of their stats. Raburn was abysmal in 2014, while you have to go back to 2012 to find a year in which Murphy was above average for a full season. One of these guys will certainly be an upgrade on the bench, but what version of them appears if pushed into an everyday role is a question.

Also, they’ve each pitched this season, so they could be a boost to the bullpen if needed. I’m looking at you Alex Torres.

The Indians actually need offensive help, if they want to contend this season. However, it’s possible that they fall further back in the race over the next couple of weeks, making both Murphy and Raburn potentially available. Each has a team option for next season, which does increase their value a bit, but neither will demand a great return.

Mets Get: David Murphy/Ryan Raburn

Indians Get: Matt Bowman, Seth Lugo

Alex Guerrero

After tearing up the Cuban National Series prior to being signed by the Dodgers, as well as Triple-A last year, Guerrero has been good this year in LA. He has a super aggressive approach at the plate, and his .267 OBP is certainly a major issue, but the Mets just have to take what they can get at this point. The good part is, he has a lot of pop in his bat when he gets a pitch to drive. That sort of approach is probably better suited for a bench role, but again, with the current state of the Mets, I’m okay with putting him in the starting lineup. He swings at pitches outside of the zone 8% more than average, and makes contact on outside pitches 10% less than the average hitter. He showed a lot more patience when he was in Cuba, so maybe that’s something which can be fixed.

So what’s so enticing about him?

That .490 slugging percentage.

By the way, the Dodgers need a starter. If they strike out on Cole Hamels or Johnny Cueto, Jon Niese is a decent option.

Mets Get: Alex Guerrero, Scott Schleber

Dodgers Get: Jon Niese, Matt Bowman

Will Venable

Venable has recovered nicely from his fiasco of a 2014, to a slightly lesser version of what he’s always been. Venable is an okay defender in center, and has always hit fairly well. He won’t blow anybody away, but he’s a very solid player. He will be able to provide some power and speed to any lineup. For the Mets, he’d essentially be Curtis Granderson with a lower OBP. I’ll take it.

He won’t cost much by way of assets nor cash. He’s a free agent at the end of the year, but it won’t be difficult to retain him especially given his age. The Padres will be pawning off pieces at the deadline to fix all the mistakes they made during the offseason, so they’re just looking to get some sort of value out of Venable.

Mets Get: Will Venable

Padres Get: Casey Meisner

Ender Inciarte

The Diamondbacks need to deal one of their outfielders. Whether it’s Inciarte or a teammate of his who I’ll mention later, a trade will help their rotation which is in desperate need of some solid pieces. Playing Yasmany Tomas in right full time opens up a regular spot in the lineup for Jake Lamb, which he deserves.

Inciarte is in short, a lefty Juan Lagares who isn’t quite the defensive superstar, but light years more polished offensively than Lagares at this point. If I see Lagares at the top of the lineup once again simply because he’s fast, I’m going to cry. He’s not a good hitter, and right now, he’s even worse than expected. He’s so bad at the plate that no matter how good he is defensively, he’s a net loss. He certainly has the potential of being a league average hitter, which is what he was in 2014, but he has a lot to work on.

Inciarte, however, is already an average offensive player. Much like Lagares, he doesn’t walk very much, but his .287 batting average recovers a lot of the value lost by his aggressive approach. He’s shown a lot more patience and power in the minors than he has in just over a full season in the big leagues, so there’s certainly reason to believe that he’ll develop into an even better hitter.

He’s currently an immediate upgrade at a corner outfield spot and at the top of the order, and assuming there are other moves made either at the deadline or in the offseason, the Mets could greatly benefit from platooning Lagares and Inciarte, or even dangling Lagares on the trade market to see how highly other teams value him. Lagares has a higher offensive ceiling, but the Mets don’t need to wait around to see him maybe get there if they have Inciarte.

He won’t solve the current offensive woes by himself, but if they were able to get another player along with Inciarte, I’d love it. They’d be building for now, but with an eye towards the future as well.

He’s under team control through the 2020 season, which should drive up his value, but I think he’s worth it.

Mets Get: Ender Inciarte, Domingo Leyba

Diamondbacks Get: Rafael Montero, Gabriel Ynoa/Michael Fulmer

Scott Van Slyke

If the Dodgers planned to trade one of their bench pieces and a prospect for a pitcher, it’ll probably be between Guerrero and Van Slyke. Van Slyke is clearly the more desirable of the two.

He’s been a part time player for the Dodgers his whole career, being stuck on a team which seems to always have more outfielders than they need. but he’s been great in his role as a backup and pinch hitter. He’s in the midst of his worst season, and he’s still having a much better year than most Mets. I’ve always wanted to see how he’d do starting for some team in the league, because I think he’s earned that right. If the Mets aren’t comfortable with that experiment yet, and I don’t see why they wouldn’t be, he’s a more than capable bat off the bench. In his career, he’s 15-for-46 as a pinch hitter with three home runs, so at the very least, he can be expected to fill John Mayberry’s role, except he’ll actually produce.

Mets Get: Scott Van Slyke, Austin Barnes, Jacob Rhame

Dodgers Get: Jon Niese, Rafael Montero

Yoenis Cespedes

Reports surfaced last night that the Tigers would be willing to listen to offers for David Price and Cespedes, which surprised me because the owner turned 86 years old yesterday, so I didn’t think they’d want to rebuild.

I think Cespedes is overrated. He burst onto the scene in 2012, but has yet to reach those heights since. His walks are down, which greatly affects his OBP. His raw power is amazing, and his throwing arm is very impressive, but he’s not advanced enough as a hitter to justify giving up the farm and giving him a huge contract.

However, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, he’s better than what the Mets have now. He’s a free agent after this year, and while I wouldn’t pay him a ridiculous amount of money, I could see the Wilpons being willing to dole out $15 million a year for him. They would have to re-sign him in order for this trade to make sense, but trading a prospect for an above average major leaguer at the same position is fine.

The thing with Cespedes is, the Mets can easily give up less in a trade and get similar, if not better overall production in return. The player won’t be as flashy as Cespedes, but a lot of the hype around Cespedes is hot air.

Mets Get: Yoenis Cespedes

Tigers Get: Brandon Nimmo

Colby Rasmus

Rasmus’s career has always been a little bit disappointing, but not terrible. He never fully developed into the star player he was expected to be when he was rising through the minor leagues in St. Louis, but he’s turned into a good three true outcomes hitter. His batting average is not pretty, but he’ll get the job done. It also happens to be a great time to buy on Rasmus because he’s entering his offensive prime. Maybe he can finally put it all together. Even if he doesn’t he’s an upgrade over what the Mets are running out there currently. He’s a free agent after this season, but I don’t expect him to command a ridiculous amount of money.

The ‘Stros will be looking for a starter at the deadline. With George Springer out, they might be reluctant to trade Rasmus, but in the long run, it might make sense because once Springer returns, they’ll have three capable outfielders alongside Preston Tucker and Jake Marisnick. Houston will be in the market for other starting pitchers, and have been linked to Scott Kazmir, but Niese is a good fallback option.

Mets Get: Colby Rasmus

Astros Get: Jon Niese

Very Likely

Ben Zobrist

Offensive production and defensive versatility is what Ben Zobrist is all about. It’s unclear how much longer he’ll be this good, because he’s well into his thirties, but for now at least, he’ll be a great addition to the Mets. He’d probably be best playing shortstop over Ruben Tejada, but Terry Collins may also decide to stick him at second base while moving Wilmer Flores back to short. Being a switch hitter, he could start in right against a right-handed pitcher if Michael Cuddyer is in an extended slump (so, all the time), and shifting Curtis Granderson and his noodle arm to left field. The options are really endless for Zobrist, and there’s a lot to love about that. Not to mention the fact that he’s reliably above average at the dish every year.

The deadline will be a major success if the Mets were able to acquire Zobrist along with this next guy.

Josh Reddick

Throw out his bad 2013, and you’ll see that Reddick has been very good each year that he has gotten regular playing time. He had that 32 home run 2012 season which got him noticed for the first time, but while he’s only on pace for 24 dingers this year, the power numbers are overall the same, and he’s getting on base a lot more, thanks to a simple change in his approach. He doesn’t strikeout as much as he used to, because he’s stopped hacking at pitches low and away. That conscious change bodes well for his future. He’s a good player with a year left on his contract who’s about to get to the best years of career.

The Athletics will seemingly always be looking to contend very soon, so they would like a prospect or two who is in position to help the team next year. Alderson calls up the man he mentored, and we have a great trade on our hands. Whoever Billy Beane prefers out of Fulmer, Montero, and Ynoa will go. Niese gives Oakland a good lefty starter entering his prime, which will be important especially if they trade away Scott Kazmir. It’s also possible that they don’t want Niese, which is okay with me, so they can take two of the three young pitchers.

Mets Get: Josh Reddick, Ben Zobrist

Athletics Get: Jon Niese, Brandon Nimmo, Gabriel Ynoa/Michael Fulmer/Rafael Montero OR Brandon Nimmo, Rafael Montero, Gabriel Ynoa/Michael Fulmer

David Peralta

If I were in the Arizona braintrust, I would look harder at trading Peralta, because he has higher trade value, and therefore should bring back a better return than Inciarte. The difference in offensive talent between the two shouldn’t matter to a team that’s already one of the best offenses in baseball.

Peralta was pretty good last year in 88 games, but is absolutely tearing it up this season, hitting .275/.348/.502 with 7 triples on the year to date. The lack of publicity surrounding him may make it look like this is a fluke, but at his age, and with his track record in the minor leagues, no one should be shocked by this. I don’t think he’s going to be quite this good for so many years to come, but even a diminished version of what he’s doing at the moment will make him a staple in the middle of any order.

Mets Get: David Peralta, Player to be Named Later

Diamondbacks Get: Jon Niese, Matt Reynolds, Rafael Montero

Gerardo Parra

I’ve always been a huge fan of Parra’s, and now that he’s having by far his best offensive season, other people are taking notice. Always known for his great outfield defense, he’d been a pretty average to below average hitter, never posting a wRC+ above 106. But this year, he’s been great, hitting .313/.348/.500. There’s some cause for concern, as his home run to fly ball ratio is far better than his career average, which may be a sign of some luck, but his hard hit ball percentage is also up, so there may be something to it. As I’ve mentioned with a few other guys already, the fact that he’s entering his prime now at age 28 means that there’s a chance this is sustainable.

Now here’s where the aforementioned Jean Segura comes back into the fold. If the Mets were able to get both Segura and Parra, the deadline will have been a success. Parra’s in a contract year, which depresses some of the trade value he otherwise would have had, but the upside of both is what teams will pay for.

Mets Get: Gerardo Parra, Jean Segura

Brewers Get: Rafael Montero, Matt Reynolds, Michael Fulmer/Gabriel Ynoa

Jay Bruce

His awful 2014 made me forget how good he was prior to that. He’s a much better and more consistent version of Rasmus in that they’re both three true outcome guys, but Bruce had career averages of .257/.330/.482 prior to last year. Mind you, he’s playing in a left handed hitter’s heaven in Cincinnati, but even when adjusted for park effects, his track record is very good. I’m comfortable ignoring what he did last year because he’s right back to his normal self in 2015. It’s unclear what caused his drop off, but it seems to be a non-factor anymore. He’s signed through 2016 with a team option for the ’17 season at a pretty good price. He has an absolute cannon out in right field, and he’s also deceptively quick. What’s not to love about him.

Mets Get: Jay Bruce

Reds Get: Brandon Nimmo

Carlos Gomez

Ah, our former prospect could return seven years after being one of the main pieces of the Johan Santana trade. I was sad to see him go at the time, but of course I was fine with it. Since then, he’s developed into one of the top center fielders in the game. He fully broke out a couple of years ago, hitting for more power than he ever had in his major league career. I actually picked him to be NL MVP this year because I thought the Brewers would be able to snag the second Wild Card spot (I was wrong). Overall he’s having a down year thanks to a slow April and an injury, but he’s turned it around, and has hit .279/.352/.462 since May 11. He’s a free agent after next season, and he’ll be in very high demand if the Mets don’t lock him up beforehand, so they really need to be proactive in keeping him around.

Much like the trade with Parra, I’d expect Segura to be involved as well. I would include Juan Lagares in this deal, but he’s such an offensive zero right now that I don’t think another team would be comfortable making him their center fielder of the future. However, Brandon Nimmo…

Mets Get: Carlos Gomez, Jean Segura

Brewers Get: Brandon Nimmo, Matt Reynolds, Rafael Montero

Justin Upton

Upton’s name has always been bigger than his production, and I say that as a longtime Upton believer. At the same time, he’s still very good. Grantland contributor Rany Jazayerli put it best: Justin Upton’s career has always been “simultaneously valuable and a little disappointing.” His impending free agency kills some of his trade value, but he will be able to help any team who he joins in their playoff hunt. And who knows, maybe now that he’s about to peak, he can finally become the All-Star who he’s supposed to have been this whole time.

Mets Get: Justin Upton

Padres Get: Brandon Nimmo, Rafael Montero, Marcos Molina

So those are all the options the Mets have been reportedly linked to in recent weeks. Hopefully Sandy can find a way to bring one or two to the Mets as we bolster the team for a playoff run.

Metsmerized, a Fan Site with Pride, Passion and Personality!

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Are Mets eyeing Milwaukee’s Jean Segura?

According to Jon Morosi of Fox Sports, the Mets and Brewers have begun preliminary trade talks. Morosi says the Mets are keying in on the Brewers’ position players.

On Tuesday we learned that Aramis Ramirez was not a consideration according to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York who spoke to a team source.

“The Mets are not expected to pursue a player locked into third base, including Milwaukee’s Aramis Ramirez. The Mets do not want to be boxed in once David Wright ultimately returns from his lower-back injury.”

They are also not keen on Ramirez’s diminishing skills anyway, and do not view him as an upgrade over what they have, writes Rubin.

So who could it be? Jean Segura, Gerardo Parra, Carlos Gomez? Ryan Braun?

More importantly, if the Brewers are having a fire sale and are looking for top end prospects, who will the Mets deal?

Or is this just another flimsy rumor that goes nowhere?

Time will tell.

June 5

The Mets director of pro scouting, Jim D’Aloia, was in Minnesota on Friday night presumably to scout the Milwaukee Brewers.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports says that the Mets and Brewers have not talked in several weeks, but that Milwaukee could have two possible fits for the Mets; third baseman Aramis Ramirez and shortstop Jean Segura.

Ramirez is the more practical fit says Rosenthal, and not only would he be the easiest to acquire, but he no longer has any trade protection because he plans to retire at the end of the season.

Ramirez is having a brutal season, hitting .208 with six homers and 16 RBI and it’s believed the Brewers are anxious to unload him. The 37-year old veteran was owed $14 million for the 2015 season.

Last week, Milwaukee beat writer Todd Rosiak of the Journal-Sentinel reported that the Brewers could also trade outfielder Ryan Braun, but only if a team were able to take on his entire salary which he calls unlikely. Carlos Gomez could also be had but only for a very substantial package of top prospects.

Finally, Rosenthal also adds that as for Ben Zobrist the Mets are definitely interested, but also realize that they will probably be outbid by other teams. The Washington Nationals reportedly reached out to Oakland on Friday.

The post Report: Mets and Brewers Initiate Trade Talks appeared first on Metsmerized.

The 2014 MLB All-Star Game was held Tuesday night at Target Field in Minnesota.

In what will be his last All-Star appearance, Derek Jeter led off the game for the American League and paused to accept an incredible ovation from fans and players alike. In typical Jeter-like fashion, he then lined a double to the opposite field.

Adam Wainwright started the game for the National League and surrendered the double to Jeter. The Angels Mike Trout would follow with an RBI triple to give the AL an early lead. After a strikeout by Robinson Cano, Trout would come around to score on a two-run missile of a home run off the bat of Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera— adding to the AL’s lead by making it 3-0.

The National League would quickly get two runs back in the top of the second off Boston left-hander Jon Lester. Chase Utley would get the NL on the board when he slammed a double off the right-centerfield wall to plate Aramis Ramirez. Brewers backstop Jonathan Lucroy would follow with a double of his own that would score Utley, drawing the NL within one run.

Yu Darvish and Clayton Kershaw would halt the scoring in the third, each pitching a scoreless frame for their respective league.

However, the NL would draw even in the fourth off of White Sox ace Chris Sale on the back of Lucroy’s second double of the night, scoring Dee Gordon from second.

The American League would go ahead for good in the bottom of the fifth when Trout doubled in the A’s Derek Norris. Astros second basemen Jose Altuve would tack on an insurance run by hitting a sacrifice fly off of Tyler Clippard, scoring Aramis Ramirez once again. Both runs in the inning were charged to former Twin Pat Neshek.

The Mets Daniel Murphy would enter the game in the bottom of the seventh. He would get his first and only at-bat in the top of the 8th, and struck out with two runners on against Fernando Rodney.

Twins closer and Minnesota native Glen Perkins would close the game out for the AL, setting down the NL in order.

Derek Jeter finished the game 2-2 with a run scored. He was removed from the game in the top of the fourth to another large ovation.

The Angels Mike Trout was named MVP of the game. He finished 2 for 3 at the plate with a triple, a double, two RBI’s and a run scored.

(Photo credit: L.G. PATTERSON/MLB.COM)

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The Mets (29-37) lost to the Brewers (40-27) on Thursday night by a score of 5-1 in 13 innings at Citi Field.

Jon Niese got the start for the Mets and was fantastic, allowing one run on six hits and a walk in 7.2 innings, striking out eight and throwing 97 pitches.

The Brewers scored first in the top of the 2nd, on a solo shot by Aramis Ramirez. Niese got himself into a few of uncomfortable spots thanks to a couple hit batsmen and some scattered singles, but cruised for much of the night.

The Mets got their lone run off of Kyle Lohse in the bottom of the 4th. Daniel Murphy opened the frame with a single to center, and ended up on 3rd after the ball somehow got by Carlos Gomez. Murphy then scored on a sacrifice fly from Bobby Abreu.

With 2 outs and Niese rolling in the top of the 8th, Gomez hit the lefty’s 97th pitch of the night into center for a base hit. Terry Collins came out of the dugout to make a double switch and bring in a reliever, and a visibly upset Niese didn’t take it very well.

Jeurys Familia came in and got the 3rd out, and breezed through the top of the 9th. The Mets had the winning run in scoring position in the bottom of the 9th, but Ruben Tejada grounded out to send the two teams to extras.

The Mets had a runner in scoring position once again in the bottom of the 10th, but Eric Campbell failed to drive in the run with two outs.

The Mets looked like they might win it in the bottom of the 11th after David Wright walked, stole 2nd, and advanced to 3rd on a grounder with only 1 out. Alas, after Chris Young worked a walk and Curtis Granderson was intentionally walked to load the bases, Wilmer Flores was unable to get the ball in the air, instead grounding out to 1st baseman Mark Reynolds, who threw home to erase Wright. With 2 outs, Anthony Recker came up to the plate looking to be the hero, but on a 2-2 pitch, Recker was rung up by Angel Hernandez on a pitch that did not appear to be in the strike zone. A furious Recker was ejected, and the teams headed to the 12th.

Carlos Torres worked in and out of trouble in the 12th, but after coming out for a 2nd inning, after having appeared in the previous night’s game, the righty looked absolutely exhausted in the 13th. The Brewers tagged Torres for four runs, the last of which was charged to Carlos despite scoring when Dana Eveland hit Rickie Weeks with the bases loaded.

The Mets went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 13th against Francisco Rodriguez to end the ballgame, giving New York a rather depressing loss.

Well, that wasn’t much fun. The Mets didn’t hit tonight, and couldn’t get it done despite having several chances to win it late.

Niese was fantastic, and had every right to be upset when he was taken out. Terry made some pretty questionable moves in this game. Pulling Niese earlier than he had to, and pulling josh Edgin after facing only 1 hitter… this is why the Mets always have a tired bullpen, and maybe it’s why Terry somehow convinced himself that leaving Torres in so long was a decent idea.

The Mets can’t be making money right now. The crowds are just pathetic. You could really notice this when Niese left to a very weak ovation after a very strong performance. It’s really just a question of whether Fred Wilpon’s bank account can hold up long enough for him to reach his dream of being able to hand the team on to Jeffy. He’s a pretty rich guy despite all of his Mets-and-Madoff-related problems, so the Wilpons are probably here for the long haul, in my opinion.

The one thing I loved about tonight’s game? The broadcast was amazing. No commercials, no annoying jingles or slogans, just the SNY broadcast team talking baseball and exploring Citi Field all night long. They even sent Kevin out there to do some groundskeeping at one point. The lack of a commercial breaks seemed to make it less frustrating when the Mets made the third out at the end of each inning. The Mets should definitely do this more often.

Up Next:

The Mets will begin a 3-game series with the San Diego Padres on Friday night at Citi Field. Bartolo Colon (5-5, 4.31 ERA) will face off against Andrew Cashner (2-5, 2.13 ERA).

Yep. “2-5, 2.13 ERA.” Maybe he belongs on our team…

Game Notes:

Curtis Granderson was not in the lineup originally due to an issue with his calf.  Zack Wheeler came in to pinch-run for Granderson after his intentional walk. LGM!

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The New York Mets, Major League Baseball and MLB Advanced Media today announced that David Wright was named the club’s nominee for the 2013 Hank Aaron Award.  Fans can vote exclusively online at Mets.com and MLB.com.

Wright, who was named to his seventh All-Star team (fifth as starter), led the Mets with a .307 batting average.  The third baseman hit 18 home runs with 58 runs batted in, despite missing six weeks with a right hamstring injury.  Wright homered in three straight games twice, and also passed Mike Piazza to move in to second on the Mets all-time home run list with 222. On June 23^rd, Wright collected four extra base hits (two doubles, one triple and one home run) to tie the franchise record. Wright was named the fourth captain in club history by his teammates in March.

For the fourth straight year, a special panel of Hall of Fame players led by Hank Aaron will join fans in voting for the award, which is officially sanctioned by Major League Baseball and has recognized the most outstanding offensive performer in each League since it was established in 1999.

The Hall of Fame panel led by Aaron includes some of the greatest offensive players of all-time –Roberto Alomar, Johnny Bench, Tony Gwynn, Paul Molitor, Eddie Murray and Robin Yount.  These Hall of Famers – who combined for 15,581 hits, 6,902 RBI and 1,334 home runs – have all been personally selected by Hank Aaron to lend their expertise to select the best offensive performer in each League.

Through October 10, fans will have the opportunity to select one American League and one National League winner from a list comprising of one finalist per Club. The winners of the 2013 Hank Aaron Award will be announced during the 2013 World Series.

“It is a great honor that Major League Baseball recognizes the most outstanding offensive performer in each League with an award in my name,” said Hank Aaron. “The game is full of so many talented players today that I am thankful my fellow Hall of Famers and the fans assist in selecting the much deserving winners.”

Past winners of the Hank Aaron Award include: Miguel Cabrera and Buster Posey (2012), Jose Bautista and Matt Kemp (2011), Bautista and Joey Votto (2010); Derek Jeter and Albert Pujols (2009); Aramis Ramirez and Kevin Youkilis (2008); Alex Rodriguez and Prince Fielder (2007); Jeter and Ryan Howard (2006); David Ortiz and Andruw Jones (2005); Manny Ramirez and Barry Bonds (2004); Rodriguez and Pujols (2003); Rodriguez and Bonds (2001-02); Carlos Delgado and Todd Helton (2000) and Manny Ramirez and Sammy Sosa (1999).

The Hank Aaron Award was introduced in 1999 to honor the 25th Anniversary of Aaron breaking Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record, and, at that time, was the first major award introduced by Major League Baseball in more than 25 years.

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Photo By Clayton Collier

That’s a Wrap!

In a game in which the Mets honored one of the greatest players to ever play in Flushing, the Amazin’s played like a contending baseball team, concluding their 2013 season on a high note, besting the Brewers 3-2.

Eric Young Jr. led things off with a soft single to center for the first hit of the game. He then proceeded to swipe second, in doing so also grabbing the NL Stolen Base lead over Milwaukee’s Jean Segura. Young wasn’t done as he then stole third for good measure, and finally scored on a short fly ball from David Wright to give the Mets a 1-0 advantage. Young becomes the second Met to win the Stolen Base crown, the first being Jose Reyes who did so three times.

Jon Niese pitched well in his final start, going six innings, allowing two runs on six hits while walking two and punching out a pair. Niese actually got Sean Halton to ground into an inning-ending double play in the fourth, however first-base ump C.B. Bucknor called him safe, inciting an argument with Terry Collins. The blown call resulted in the go-ahead run to score, making it a 2-1 Milwaukee lead.

Come bottom of the eighth, the Mets rallied. Juan Lagares reached on a throwing error by shortstop Jeff Bianchi to get the ball rolling. Following that, Juan Centeno bunted himself on, allowing Lagares to score the tying run on yet another throwing error, this time by Jonathan Lucroy. The bunting game continued to be effective as Wilfredo Tovar reached base as well, sending Matt den Dekker–who pinch ran for Centeno–over to third. Eric Young Jr. came up and ripped a comebacker to the pitcher Brandon Kintzler, scoring den Dekker with the lead run and making it a one-run advantage.

Frank Francisco entered for the ninth and put together a 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts including a 2-2 four-seamer that froze Aramis Ramirez to end the 2013 season with a victory, defeating Milwaukee 3-2.

Young and Lagares each threw out a runner at home plate in the fourth. In doing so, Lagares notched his 15th outfield assist, a franchise rookie record and the most for a first-year player since Delmon Young who had 16 with Tampa Bay in 2007.

Daniel Murphy extended his hitting streak to 11 games and stole his 22nd consecutive base, the second longest stretch in team history.

Today’s attendance was 41,891, the third sell-out this season, bringing the Mets grand total to 2,135,657 for 2013.

Photo By Clayton Collier

After the game, Terry Collins thanked reporters for their work this year and told them that next season we will see something “fun”. When asked if we would be seeing him next year, he laughed and quipped “you’ll find out Monday”.

True to his word, we will indeed find out his future Monday as the Mets plan to announce Collins’ two-year extension tomorrow at noon.

It has been a year of highs and a fair share of lows, but the 2013 season is now officially in the books in Flushing, and nothing but positives lie ahead.

We thank all of our readers and writers for an incredible 2013 and look forward to this winter in which we will continue to bring you the best of all your New York Mets coverage here on MetsMerized.

Until then, buckle up, because October baseball is about to begin!

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Starting Lineup

1. Justin Turner – 1B
2. Daniel Murphy – 2B
3. David Wright – 3B
4. John Buck – DH
5. Lucas Duda – LF
6. Marlon Byrd – RF
7. Anthony Recker – C
8. Juan Lagares – CF
9. Omar Quintanilla – SS

Game Notes

Prior to tonight’s game, the Mets placed infielder Ruben Tejada on the 15-Day Disabled List with a right quad strain and selected the contract of infielder Omar Quintanilla from Las Vegas (AAA) of the Pacific Coast League. Quintanilla will wear #3 and was hitting .333 (42-126) with 26 runs scored, nine doubles, two triples, two home runs and 18 RBI in 47 games for Las Vegas. To make room on the 40-man roster, New York transferred RHP Frank Francisco to the 60-Day DL.

The Mets have won four games in a row for the first time since September 21-24, 2012. The last time the Mets won five in a row was May 5-9, 2012. This is the fifth time the Mets have won three in a row over the Yankees, last accomplished May 22 -June 18, 2010. The Mets have never won four in a row vs. the Yankees.

After winning the first three games, the Mets have won the season series vs. the Yankees for the third time. New York went 4-2 vs. the Yankees in 2004 and 2008. The Mets are now 3-8-6 in all-time season series against the Yankees.

The Mets scored five times in the first inning last night. It was the fifth time the Mets have scored five runs in an inning this year. The Mets scored five or more runs in an inning seven times all of last year. It was also the second time the Mets have scored five runs in the first inning against the Yankees. The other occurrence was June 22, 2012 at Citi Field. The Mets also scored five first-inning runs on April 12 at Minnesota.

The Mets scored nine runs last night. They had scored eight runs combined over their last four games. The last time the Mets scored nine or more runs was April 12 at Minnesota (16 runs).

David Wright is hitting .455 (5-11) with four runs scored and two RBI over the last three games vs. the Yankees. On Monday, Wright hit a solo home run in the seventh inning that tied the game. On Tuesday, he had an RBI single in the ninth that tied the game. Wright’s home run on Monday was his ninth against the Yankees, the most by a Mets player against their crosstown rival…Cliff Floyd and Mike Piazza each had eight. Wright had one hit last night extending his team record with 55 career hits vs. the Yankees.

Daniel Murphy has at least one hit in 14 of his last 17 games, batting .397 (27-68) with nine doubles, two home runs and 10 RBI over that clip. Murphy collected his 17th double last night and is tied for first in the NL with Cincinnati’s Jay Bruce. Since the start of 2012 season, he has 57 doubles, tied for the second most in the NL, one behind Milwaukee’s Aramis Ramirez. Murphy is 8-14 with runners in scoring position and two outs this season.

Game Preview

The Mets go for 5 in a row, the series sweep and the season sweep tonight as they take on the Yankees. Last night the Mets showed shades of their former selves from the first two weeks of the season jumping out early scoring 5 runs in the first and then scoring 9 runs overall. Hefner finally got a win on the season and everyone (staying true to the orange and blue at least) went home happy. Tonight Dillon Gee looks to hop back on the right track as the Amazin’s look to continue hitting the ball against Vidal Nuno.

Dillon Gee is 2-6 over 10 games and 49.2 innings pitched this season with a 6.34 ERA. The last three starts have not been pretty for Gee pitching a total of 14 innings with a 8.36 ERA. He’s only reached 6.o innings twice this season. Last year in one start against the Yankees he allowed 3 ER over 7 innings and 5 hits with 5 strikeouts. The Yankees have the following numbers against Gee:

Cano 2-6, 3B
Overbay 1-6
Gardner 0-4

The Mets bats will get a look at Vidal Nuno tonight who is 1-1 this season over 4 games and 2 starts over 14.0 innings with a 1.93 ERA. Specifically in his starts, he has pitched 11.0 innings allowing 2 ER. In the minors this year he was 2-0 over 23.1 innings with a 1.54 ERA. Since he made his debut this season, he has never faced the Mets and never faced anyone on the Mets roster.

Lets Go Mets!

The post Mets vs Yankees: Turner At 1B Leading Off, Lagares In CF, Quintanilla At SS appeared first on Metsmerized.

Headley was voted the top defensive third baseman in the National League by managers and coaches. He was never really considered a solid defender at the hot corner, but this season he was a regular on Web Gems and turned in a National League leading .976 fielding percentage among all third basemen.

It probably didn’t hurt Headley’s chances that he also had one of the best offensive seasons at third base, batting .286 with 31 home runs and a league leading 115 Runs Batted In. Even though offense shouldn’t matter, I believe managers and coaches are still swayed by it.

David Wright was also nominated along with Aramis Ramirez. It would have been nice to see Wright cop the award, but after a few disappointing defensive seasons leading up to 2012, I’m sure that came into play.

Wright finished the season with a .974 fielding percentage and showed some improved range and really flashed the leather all year long. It would be great to see him replicate this improvement next season.

Here are all the 2012 Gold Glove Winners:

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