Alonso, who signed a five-year deal worth $155 million with Baltimore during this week’s Winter Meetings, stated that the Orioles checked all the boxes in terms of what he was looking for in free agency while standing out amongst his other suitors.

“As the offseason progressed and we got further along, this partnership was head and shoulders above everybody else,” Alonso said. “This park, this city, this organization, everything just clicked.”

Orioles owner David Rubenstein is particularly bullish about what Alonso brings to the table and the heights he could help the organization reach, comparing his addition to that of Frank Robinson ahead of the 1966 season, which ended in the club’s first-ever World Series victory.

“The result was we won a World Series that year, and we beat a team named the Los Angeles Dodgers, who people thought were unbeatable,” Rubenstein said.

Alonso received a glowing endorsement of Baltimore from his former Mets manager Buck Showalter, who held that same post with the Orioles from 2010 to 2018.

“He had nothing but beautiful things to say,” Alonso said.

The five-time All-Star first baseman shared his appreciation for his time in New York as well, though he also expressed his gratitude and excitement for his upcoming tenure in Baltimore.

“I’m very gracious for that opportunity,” Alonso said. “There’s some amazing people over there. Whether it be the locker room, the staff, cubbies, it’s phenomenal. I really enjoyed my time [there], but this right here, this organization, this city, I’m so proud to call it home.”

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Mets never extended a formal offer to Alonso this offseason after he turned down a player option worth $24 million for the 2026 campaign. The bidding got to a spot that New York wasn’t interested in reaching, per MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, leading a franchise staple and its all-time home run leader to walk after seven seasons.

Alonso closed out his stint as a Met with a slash line of .253/.341/.516 to go alongside 264 homers and 712 RBIs in 1,008 games.

New York, which also saw Edwin Díaz leave in favor of a three-year deal worth $69 million with the Los Angeles Dodgers, now has a fair amount of holes to fill over the coming months as it looks to construct a competitive roster for the 2026 season.

The Mets could look to replace Alonso internally by playing Mark Vientos, prospect Ryan Clifford or even Jeff McNeil at first base. They may also explore their external options on the free agent and trade markets, with the likes of Cody Bellinger (who would fit in the club’s outfield as well) and Willson Contreras sticking out as the top potential options at the moment.

The post Pete Alonso Shares Thanks to Mets During Orioles Introductory Press Conference appeared first on Metsmerized.

Per Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Mets never made a formal offer to Alonso as it became clear that he was getting more years and money than they were comfortable with.

Alonso has been with the Mets since he was drafted in 2016 as their second-round pick (No. 64 overall). Over the course of his seven-year career in the blue and orange, Alonso batted .253/.341/.516, with a .857 OPS. He hit 183 doubles, 264 home runs, driving in 712 RBIs, and 580 runs scored.

The 31-year-old slugger was the 2019 NL Rookie of the Year, where he set a rookie record in home runs (53). He was also a five-time All-Star and a Silver Slugger Award winner in his time in Flushing.

Alonso returned to the Mets on a two-year deal in 2025, opting out after posting one of his best seasons in baseball (.272/.347/.524 (.871 OPS), 38 HRs and 126 RBIs). However, the Mets were hesitant to dish out a lengthy deal for Alonso, and contract length was the sticking point in negotiations for the Mets and Alonso.

Pete is the third big name to leave the Mets this offseason, joining Edwin Díaz, who signed with the Dodgers on Tuesday. The Mets began to shake up their core when they traded Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers for Marcus Semien in late November.

The post Pete Alonso Agrees to Deal With Orioles appeared first on Metsmerized.

Position: 1B/OF/DH B/T: L/L
Player Data: Age: 32 (07/26/1993)

2025 Traditional Stats: 144 G, 544 PA, .281/.366/.437/.803, 133 H, 17 HR, 63 RBI
2025 Advanced Stats: 127 wRC+, 20.0 K%, 10.7 BB%, .330 BABIP, .350 xwOBA, 3.0 fWAR

Rundown

The 32-year-old Ryan O’Hearn started his big-league career with the Kansas City Royals. The former Sam Houston State Bearkat spent five seasons in Kansas City. However, since leaving, he has seemingly reinitialized a career that was trending downward fast after a terrific 2018 season. In 2018, his rookie season, he posted a career-best .950 OPS across a limited 149 at-bat sample. Though, following that strong rookie season he posted a negative wins above replacement in each of his final four seasons with the Royals. Since joining Baltimore in 2023, O’Hearn posted OPS seasons of .801, .761, and .803, respectively, over the last three seasons.

Contemplating a more robust sample, 2025 was O’Hearn’s best season. He split time between the Orioles and San Diego Padres, slashing .281/.366/.437 with 17 homers and 63 RBIs. His 2024 season was also strong, a year he posted the second-highest fWAR of his career. He slashed .264/.334/.427 (.761 OPS) to go along with 15 homers and 59 RBIs.

The underlying metrics in both 2024 and 2025 tell a very similar story; O’Hearn walks at an above-average, doesn’t swing-and-miss a ton, and makes strong contact. All has contributed to a huge turnaround for a player that struggled so dearly from 2019 through 2022.

O’Hearn is far from a perfect player though. His main issues come against left-handed pitching. He has only had between 340 and 475 at-bats the last three seasons due in large part to his inability to hit lefties. His career OPS against southpaws is .642, and in 2024 was barely above the .600 mark.

With that being said, an extremely interesting development occurred in 2025. O’Hearn posted a career-best .832 OPS against lefties which was even higher than the .795 mark he had against right-handed pitchers. This enabled the 32-year-old to post the most at-bats of his career (544).

Defensively, O’Hearns plus-five outs above average in 2025 was in the league’s 89th percentile. Over the last five seasons his fielding run value has been negative only once. For more context, in 2025, O’Hearn posted a plus-four defensive runs saved (DRS), plus-six outs above average (OAA), and plus-six fielding run value (FRV). All three of these figures ranked toward the top of the league and his overall defensive value, according to Fangraph’s ranked first among 30 first baseman. In comparison, Alonso ranked dead-last in Fangraph’s overall defensive value and near the bottom in DRS, OAA, and FRV, all of which were negative.

Contract

As far as what a deal may look like, O’Hearn would bring vast savings compared to Alonso. The Athletic projects a two-year, $24 million deal ($12 million annually) while Sportstrac only projects a two-year deal worth $11.5 million annually. O’Hearn only made $3.5 million last season in the final year of his deal.

Recommendation: Worth Checking In

All eyes are on Pete Alonso for New York this offseason. The Mets’ franchise leader in home runs is once again on the market. If Alonso were to walk, president of baseball operations, David Stearns, and his staff, will likely need to go externally for a replacement. O’Hearn would be someone that makes a lot of sense too.

O’Hearn has hit right-handed pitching at a very strong clip since his departure from Kansas City. His hitting profile also is strong, as he relies on walks, solid contact, and not a ton of swing-and-miss. He also provides a defensive upgrade at first and technically gives you some more versatility as he has also played in the outfield. To top it off, in 2025, he also showed major improvement against left-handed pitching which has been his demise all throughout his career. Granted, the larger sample indicates this more of a blip rather than sustainable. But, if is somehow is an indicator of what he will do going forward, bringing in O’Hearn would provide immense value.

Speaking of value, saving $15 million-plus annually to bring in O’Hearn and let Alonso walk would allow the Mets to sign some right-handed hitting insurance to platoon with O’Hearn. It also allows you to dedicate additional resources to a pitching staff that desperately needs help. If Alonso walks, O’Hearn should be considered heavily.

The post Free Agent Profile: Ryan O’Hearn, 1B/OF/DH appeared first on Metsmerized.

10. Marathon in Oakland

Game 2 of the 1973 World Series against the A’s was (for 23 years) the longest played by time. It remains one of the craziest as well. This game lasted four hours and 13 minutes and featured a fair share of miscues on both sides. Even the umpires were prone to mistakes, none more famous than a missed call when Bud Harrelson tried to score on a fly ball to left field.

Fortunately for the Mets, they salvaged a split with a 10-7, 12-inning victory. The blinding sun did no favors to fielders trying to make otherwise routine plays. Not even Willie Mays, in his final appearance, was immune. The A’s Mike Andrews contributed two errors in the late stages, which led to him being forcibly dismissed by owner Charles O. Finley.

9. Subway Series Victory

After coming agonizingly close to beating the Yankees in the first two games in The Bronx, the Mets could claim a win once the series got back to Shea Stadium. The Yankees, as usual, didn’t make it easy.

The Mets rallied to tie it in the sixth on a Todd Zeile RBI double. Then, in the eighth, Zeile singled and Benny Agbayani drove him home with a go-ahead double. Bubba Trammell added an insurance run with a sacrifice fly. John Franco earned the win and Armando Benítez closed the door, snapping the Yankees’ incredible 14-game World Series winning streak.

8. Carter’s Two Homers

The Mets evened the ’86 World Series with the Red Sox behind two home runs from their future Hall of Fame catcher, Gary Carter, who was making his first World Series appearance after 13 big-league seasons. The first blast came in the top of the fourth against Sox starter Al Nipper, and the second was a mammoth shot over the Green Monster on a curveball from reliever Steve Crawford.

Carter’s three RBIs and multi-homer game were the driving force behind the Mets’ 6-2 victory at Fenway Park.

“All I got on my mind is getting that World Series ring,” he said in the postgame interview. Carter was ensured he’d get that ring a few days later.

7. Wright Has the Power

He had spent 12 seasons waiting to make the Fall Classic. He had spent many months just hoping to be healthy. In his first World Series at-bat in New York (and the first World Series game at Citi Field) with a runner on base, David Wright sent a towering drive over the left-center field fence and sent the crowd into a frenzy. Wright’s classic swing put the Mets on top, 2-1. New York went on to capture their lone win of the series, 9-3, with Wright tacking on two more RBIs in the sixth with a single to center.

6. Dykstra Provides a Spark

Being down 2-0 in the series following a pair of losses at home, the Mets were in desperate need of a quick start in Boston. How’s a leadoff homer in the top of the first? Lenny Dykstra went deep against Red Sox starter Oil Can Boyd on the third pitch of the game.

Dykstra’s homer kicked off a four-run inning and helped swing the momentum in New York’s favor. Bob Ojeda took it from there, delivering a wonderful start against his former team as the Mets cruised to a 7-1 victory.

5. Seaver, Swoboda Save the Day

The Mets’ ace didn’t pitch like one in the 1969 World Series opener with the Orioles. He did on this afternoon, however, with New York holding a 2-1 series edge.

Tom Seaver went all 10 innings and allowed just a run on six hits. But he had some help. With the Mets up 1-0 in the ninth and runners on the corners, Brooks Robinson drove a sinking liner to right field. Ron Swoboda was not a great defender, but he was here. In fact, he made a catch that’s still unbelievable. His diving, backhanded grab before the ball touched the ground prevented the O’s from taking the lead.

The Mets won in the bottom of the 10th on a controversial error made on a J.C. Martin bunt, giving New York the chance to close it out at home.

4. Agee Takes Over

Is it possible for one player to win a game by himself? The Mets’ center fielder put that question to the test in the first World Series game at Shea Stadium.

Tommie Agee was known best for his glove, and he showcased that with two incredible catches. In the fourth inning with men on first and third, Agee made a backhanded running catch at the 396-foot mark on a ball off the bat of Elrod Hendricks. Then in the seventh, with the bases loaded and Nolan Ryan pitching, Agee dove by the warning track in right-center and hauled in a liner by Paul Blair.

Those two defensive gems overshadowed his leadoff home run against Jim Palmer. Agee saved five runs and created one for his own team in a 5-0 Mets victory.

3. “The Dream Has Come True”

The Mets were supposed to be World Series champions from the beginning of the 1986 season. They fulfilled that promise. The way in which they did it showed that for all their dominance, they had character and resolve when it mattered most.

For all the dramatics that played out in Game 6, the winner-take-all Game 7 was anything but a sure thing for New York. Boston jumped out to a 3-0 lead and held it into the sixth. That’s when the Mets’ offense finally got to Bruce Hurst. It loaded the bases for Keith Hernandez, who delivered the biggest hit of his career when he drove in two with a single to center. New York went on to score eight runs over the final three innings — including MVP Ray Knight‘s seventh-inning homer off Calvin Schiraldi and Darryl Strawberry‘s cherry-on-top blast in the eighth.

Jesse Orosco prevented the Red Sox from evening it in the top half of the inning, holding the tying run at second. He got the final three outs in order and initiated a celebration that was some six months in the waiting.

2. The Miracle is Complete

In April 1969, humans were hundreds of thousands of miles away from setting foot on the moon just as the Mets seemed far away from a World Series title. By October 15, both distances had been covered and both feats had been achieved.

With the Orioles up 3-0 and poised to take the series back to Baltimore, Cleon Jones was hit by a pitch (the famous “shoe polish” tactic from manager Gil Hodges). Donn Clendenon belted his third homer of the series to pull New York to within a run.

Al Weis, emblematic of the unlikely nature of the Mets’ unexpected success, delivered in the seventh with a game-tying home run — the only round-tripper he hit at Shea all year — to finish off a fabulous .455 batting average over the five games. Two doubles and two Oriole errors in the eighth led to a 5-3 Mets lead.

It was an advantage the Mets’ superb big-game pitcher would protect. Jerry Koosman allowed just one hit over the final six innings while his hitters mounted their comeback. The final out came off the bat of Davey Johnson and landed in the glove of Cleon Jones in left field.

1. Game 6

It’s been talked about, shown, and debated a million times over (at least). In film, in books, and in spoken word, October 25, 1986, is among the greatest days in the history of the universe for Mets fans and (for a while) among the worst for Red Sox fans.

Wally Backman and Hernandez flew out to start the bottom of the 10th with New York down two runs. It brought Boston within one out of its first title since 1918 and the Mets to within one out of their season being a colossal disappointment.

The rest is a sequence of events that remains unbelievable. A Gary Carter single, a Kevin Mitchell single, a Ray Knight single, a wild pitch by Bob Stanley, all leading up to Mookie Wilson‘s grounder.

The post The Top 10 Mets World Series Moments appeared first on Metsmerized.

Gregory Soto. (Photo credits: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

The disappointing end to the 2025 season for the New York Mets has been well documented. The team that once owned a league-best 45-24 record not only didn’t hold onto their division lead, but didn’t even make the playoffs. All despite having a clear path to do so on the last day of the season.

Following the disappointing season, a lot has been made of what exactly went wrong. One aspect that certainly contributed to things, and something that president of baseball operations David Stearns, himself, confirmed in his postseason press conference is that seemingly every move the team made at the trade deadline did not pan out.

With that being said, let’s take a look back at that July 31 trade deadline and see exactly how all players involved in trades the Mets made that day fared.

Deal No. 1

• Mets Receive: LHP Gregory Soto
• Orioles Receive: RHP Wellington Aracena, RHP Cameron Foster

Analysis:

A few days before the official deadline the Mets made their first move and went out and got much needed help for their bullpen. Gregory Soto, a left-handed reliever, was brought over from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for a couple pitching prospects.

Soto posted a 3.96 ERA and 3.33 FIP across 36 1/3 innings with Baltimore prior to the move. However, with the Mets those figures increased to a 4.50 ERA and 3.55 FIP across 24 innings. Soto allowed 33 hits across the 24 innings and saw his strikeout rate drop from 27.5% with Baltimore to only 21.8% with the Mets to end the season.

With that being said, the left-handed reliever was tremendous with New York his first month-plus with the team. Across his first 10 appearances, he did not allow an earned run. To take it even further, over his first 14 he only allowed an earned run once. In all, he had two scoreless debut appearances in August, then a sparkling 1.64 ERA in September. At first, the trade seemed like a tidy piece of business.

However, following suit with much of the pitching staff as a whole, Soto struggled mightily in September. In 11 September appearances Soto allowed at least a run in five of them, and of those five, in three he allowed multiple runs. In all, he posted a 7.94 ERA and allowed 20 hits across 11 1/3 September innings.

On the flip side, at the time of the deal, Wellington Aracena was the 15th-ranked prospect in Metsmerized’s midseason organizational prospect top-50 update. Meanwhile, Cameron Foster was unranked.

Aracena, who had a 2.38 ERA across 64 1/3 innings with Single-A St. Lucie prior to the deal, picked up right where he left off when he joined the Orioles’ organization. After a 23-inning run with Aberdeen (Single-A), where he posted a 2.35 ERA and 24 strikeouts, Aracena ended the season with 4 2/3 scoreless (six strikeouts) at the High-A level. The 20-year-old was only ranked 29th in Baseball America’s most recent Orioles top 30. However, a steady rise is expected if he keeps these type of performances up.

Meanwhile, Foster, 26 years old, performed decently for Baltimore’s Triple-A affiliate Norfolk down the stretch. He had a 3.38 ERA across 16 innings. It would not be surprising if he gets a shot at a lower leverage bullpen role for Baltimore in the near future.

Final Verdict: 

The thought process by David Stearns and staff was correct. The Mets really needed another left-handed option in the bullpen. An extremely underrated catastrophic event for New York was losing A.J. Minter early only. And, in addition, at the time of the deal, Brooks Raley only recently returned. So, it was not clear what exactly he was going to be, and that aside, New York just needed another reliable lefty out of the bullpen.

Soto had shown to be reliable and was exactly that early on in his tenure with New York. However, ultimately, with his performance going south in September, and the fact it appears Aracena seems to be a relatively decent prospect, looking back at this trade is a bit tough.

Grade: C-

Tyler Rogers. (Photo Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images)

Deal No. 2

• Mets Receive: LHP Tyler Rogers
• Giants Receive: OF Drew Gilbert, RHP José Buttó, RHP Blade Tidwell

Analysis:

The second deal the Mets made turned out to be comfortably the team’s best piece of business. New York acquired workhorse reliever Tyler Rogers from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for three players, two prospects and a major-leaguer, that were all once looked upon extremely positively within the organization.

By season’s end, the unorthodox thrower that is Rogers led relievers around the league in games at 81. The 34-year-0ld came to New York with a 1.80 ERA across 50 innings. Since his acquisition on July 31, Rogers appeared in 28 games for New York (53% of games since the deal), and performed very well with a 2.30 ERA across 27 1/3 innings. His play did dip slightly, but the overall sample was still very strong.

To acquire Rogers New York parted with one major leaguer and two prospects, one of which made his major-league debut by season’s end with the Giants. The two prospects, Drew Gilbert and Blade Tidwell, ranked 15th and 19th, respectively, in Metsmerized’s midseason organizational prospect top-50 update.

The established major leaguer was relief pitcher José Buttó. Buttó, who had thrown 167 innings across three-plus seasons with the Mets, struggled with the Giants down the stretch. In all, he posted a 4.50 ERA with San Francisco across 20 innings as he struggled mightily with walks (10). He specifically struggled in September as he posted a 7.27 ERA in the regular season’s last month.

Gilbert, who was once a top prospect in the Mets’ system as he was acquired in the Justin Verlander trade, hadn’t quite been developing in the minors how the Mets had hoped. As a result, they shipped him to San Francisco where he went 7-for-14 at the plate with Triple-A Sacramento before getting called up to make his major-league debut.

Gilbert ended up getting a 100 at-bat run to end the year, where he slashed a disappointing .190/.246/.350 (.598 OPS).  The metrics backed up the poor play at the plate, as his xBA, xwOBA, and exit velocity numbers all ranked below the league’s 25th percentile. He did play decently in the field though, as he posted a plus-two outs above average and flashed a strong arm (84th percentile arm strength).

Lastly, Tidwell, who had a cup of coffee in the majors with the Mets prior to the deal, performed well at the Triple-A level with Sacramento after the deal. Over 18 innings, he struck out 24 and only allowed three runs (1.50 ERA). He did have a couple stints on the injured list in the minors of the trade, but the performances were strong. If he can be a consistent performer at a major-league level remains to be seen.

Final Verdict: 

Rogers was superb for the Mets after the deal. He was certainly one midseason acquisition that panned out. Despite being a rental, the Mets did not exactly part with a lot either to get him.

The concerns with Gilbert, granted a smaller sample size, reared its head at the major-league level. Meanwhile, Buttó, who did not performances well down the stretch after the deal, was out of options and a relatively easier bullpen arm to replace. Lastly, Tidwell did once again flash his strong stuff at the Triple-A level, but did have to battle through some injuries.

Of the three, Tidwell seems to be the most compelling, but even he struggled a the major-league level with the Mets and a long-term starter outlook at the top level seems unlikely.

Grade: B+

Ryan Helsley. (Photo credits: Brad Penner-Imagn Images)

Deal No. 3

• Mets Receive: RHP Ryan Helsley
• Cardinals Receive: INF Jesus Baez, RHP Frank Elissalt, RHP Nate Dohm

Analysis:

One of the more mind-boggling aspects of the trade deadline was how poorly Ryan Helsley performed after the Mets acquired the star reliever from St. Louis. Helsley had been one of the best relief pitchers in the big leagues over the last three seasons, and, despite a down season with St. Louis prior to the deal, still owned a 3.00 ERA across 36 innings. However, disaster struck early, as Helsley went on to posted a 7.30 ERA over 20 innings with New York.

That 7.30 ERA can even be looked upon as deceiving, as the veteran closer posted seven scoreless innings to end the season. Over his first 16 appearances with the team, Helsley threw 14 innings and allowed 22 hits, 20 runs (16 earned), and eight walks. Over that time, he saw his ERA rise from 2.75 to 5.14. As a result, the Mets were no longer able to trust him in high leverage situations, the area that Helsley was brought to fulfill, limiting the flexibility New York had with their bullpen down the stretch. This put other pitchers in roles they were not on the team to fulfill exacerbating the bullpens struggles during the team’s free fall.

Sometimes a change of scenery midseason, especially for a player who had spent their first seven seasons in one spot, just doesn’t work out. With that being said, Helsley was on pace to have the worst year of his career since 2021 prior to the trade. And, despite the 3.00 ERA, his fastball was getting hit hard (.406 BA, .332 xBA) with St. Louis. The minute the elite slider went south, he was left helpless with the Mets.

To acquire Helsley New York parted with infielder prospect Jesus Baez and two pitching prospects; Frank Elissalt and Nate Dohm. Baez was by far the highest-rated player the Mets gave up at the deadline as he ranked No. 7 in Metsmerized’s midseason top 50 list. Meanwhile, Dohm came in at No. 17 and Elissalt was No. 38.

Baez struggled since the move for St. Louis. He posted a .243/.303/.378 slash line (.682 OPS) which was a large drop from his .742 OPS with High-A Brooklyn previous to the trade. Even before the trade, Baez was struggling mightily with Brooklyn as he posted a .651 OPS in July. These struggles then carried over to the Cardinals’ organization. Baseball America had the 20-year-old ranked as the Cardinals’ No. 5-ranked prospect in their most recent rankings. However, that is likely to change given his struggles to end 2025.

Dohm, a third-round pick in 2024, struggled in his time after the trade to the Cardinals’ organization after impressing greatly with High-A Brooklyn (2.62 ERA, 43 strikeouts over 34 1/3 innings). He posted a 5.11 ERA across 12 1/3 innings to end with the season with Peoria (High-A), but spent a lot of his time after the deal on the developmental list.

Much like his counterpart, Elissalt struggled mightily after the deal as well, posting a 5.59 ERA across 9 2/3 innings (three starts/four games) with Peoria (High-A). His season was then cut short with an injured list stint. Prior to the deal the 23-year-old performed admirably with High-A Brooklyn (3.02 ERA, 50 2/3 innings).

Final Verdict:

At the time of the trade, the thought of pairing Helsley with Edwin Díaz was tantalizing. New York envisioned pairing two of the National League’s best closers shutting down the eighth and ninth innings en route to a deep playoff run. Unfortunately, the deal did not work out in the slightest and the concerns about Helsley’s 2025 regression were exacerbated in New York. As a result, the trade looks like a complete failure.

By season’s end, the right-handed closer will depart the organization with a -0.2 fWAR. Being a rental, and given his performance, a return to New York is extremely unlikely. If it is any solace, all three of the prospects the Mets gave up in the deal performed poorly after the deal. Which, especially given how one of the pieces was rated in the organization’s top 10, and the other was encouraging on the top 15, would help lighten the blow somewhat.

Grade: F

Cedric Mullin. (Photo credits: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images)

Deal No. 4

• Mets Receive: OF Cedric Mullins
• Orioles Receive: RHP Anthony Nunez, RHP Raimón Gomez, RHP Chandler Marsh

Analysis:

One area the Mets were expected to address leading up to the deadline was the center field position. New York did just that by acquiring veteran Cedric Mullins. Mullins, a veteran of eight seasons with Baltimore, struggled mightily after the deal. With New York, he slashed .182/.284/.281 (.565 OPS) while playing uneven defense in center. The concern of acquiring Mullins was there from the start as despite a .738 OPS with Baltimore, which was the highest in his career since 2021, several of the underlying metrics pointed to regression being on the horizon.

By season’s end, Mullins ranked below the league’s 10th percentile in xwOBA, xBA, and xSLG. He also had subpar hard-hit rate, struck out a decent bit, and the defensive runs saved statistic questioned his ability in the field (negative-14 overall in 2025). Of course, all these numbers were furthered by his lackluster performance in New York. However, even before the trade, all those figures were at least in the ballpark of where they ended.

New York gave up a trio of lower-end pitching prospects in the deal. Anthony Nunez, Raimon Gómez, and Chandler Marsh ranked 23rd, 32nd, and 46th, respectively, in Metsmerized’s midseason top 50 update. All three have worked out of the bullpen thus far in their careers.

Nunez was enduring a terrific season in the Mets’ system between the High-A (0.63 ERA over 14 1/3 innings) and Double-A (2.10 ERA over 25 2/3 innings) levels. Baltimore promoted the 23-year-old to the Triple-A level where he appeared in 16 games out of the bullpen, posting a 3.45 ERA.

Gómez, who was put in the spotlight earlier this season for touching 104 mph, wasn’t able to pitch after the deal due to injury. He had a 4.63 ERA across two levels in the Mets’ system prior to the deal. Lastly, Marsh threw 10 innings at the High-A level for Aberdeen, posting a 1.80 ERA and 11 strikeouts. The 23-year-old had a 2.42 ERA across 52 total minor league innings out of the bullpen this season.

Final Verdict: 

Of the four trades on the list, this is really the only one where the player did not make much sense. It was clear the Mets needed a centerfielder, however, they may have rushed into getting the wrong one.

Mullins’ play, prior to the deal indicated a ton of regression and that is exactly what happened after he was brought to town. Luckily for the Mets, they did not have to give up much for the rental. This helps lighten the blow a bit, but Mullins’ struggles were certainly a detriment to the team down the stretch.

Grade: D

The post Revisiting The Mets’ Performance At The 2025 MLB Trade Deadline appeared first on Metsmerized.

Johnson was given the Mets’ managerial reins in 1984 by general manager Frank Cashen, who had built the Orioles into perennial contenders from the mid-1960s through the mid-1970s in the general manager and head of baseball operations roles. On the day Johnson was introduced as manager, he wore cowboys boots and talked about using computers (he held a degree the mathematics) to help determine optimal lineups. Both of these things caused a stir, and set the tone for how Johnson would approach his job. He went about his work in an audacious and  unapologetic manner, with an air of confidence that permeated into his team on the field.

Johnson posted a managerial record of 595-417 in Queens over six-plus seasons. In his six full seasons, the Mets finished first twice and second four times. He went on to manage the Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Washington Nationals. Over ten seasons with those teams, Davey finished in first place four times.

As a player, Johnson had 13 major league seasons with a slash line of .261/.340/.404. He slugged 136 home runs and had an OPS+ of 110 in his time with the Orioles, Braves, Phillies and Cubs. In one season with the Braves, he was one of three teammates to hit 40 or more home runs, joining Hank Aaron and Darrell Johnson with the long-ball heroics.

To understand the impact Johnson had on the Mets, it’s important to look at context. The Mets were in the abyss from 1977-1983. The Mets took the field each year with little hope, while the cross-town Yankees won two World Series titles and three pennants in that time period. Young talent had started to appear in 1983, with the promise of more coming. The Mets needed a manger with fresh ideas to take over after two seasons of George Bamberger and Frank Howard.

In came Johnson, whose ideas were not unprecedented, but definitely progressive for the time. He talked about getting the most out of a position by using “analytics” to determine who was the best fit for that day, rather than going with a set lineup. This was clearly his Orioles/Earl Weaver influence.

For example, in 1986, Johnson would play Kevin Mitchell at shortstop when Sid Fernandez was pitching. Johnson recognized that Fernandez induced a lot of contact in the air, which meant that he could weaken the infield defense a bit (Mitchell over Rafael Santana) to get Mitchell’s superior bat in the lineup. Davey also platooned his outfielders (Lenny Dykstra/Mookie Wilson/ Mitchell, occasionally Danny Heep) depending upon matchups, much more so than was common in that time.

Johnson’s brashness was a hallmark of his time in New York. The Mets had fallen short in 1985, losing a hard-fought division battle to the Cardinals. Going into 1986, he announced that not only were the Mets going to win, they were going to dominate. They did, putting up a 108-54 record.

After the Mets defeated the Astros in the National League Championship Series, the team partied hard, causing significant damage to the plane that brought them back to New York. Cashen wanted the players to pay for the damage. Johnson told the team that he was proud of them, that they deserved to celebrate, and that he would pay the bill, because their rambunctious nature was going to win the World Series. He was right. They got down two games to none and had to go on the road. We all know what happened in Game 6, then they rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win Game 7.

Johnson was fired in May of 1990 with the Mets struggling at 20-22. He left behind a legacy, doing something that only Gil Hodges had done before him. Tributes have poured in from former players, such as Darryl Strawberry, Keith Hernandez, and Dwight Gooden.

Rest in peace, Davey Johnson. Thank you for turning the Mets around in the 1980s, bringing them to a place that we hope to see again soon.

The post Remembering Former Mets Manager Davey Johnson appeared first on Metsmerized.

Note, all statistics are as of Sunday morning prior to the beginning of any games.

Gregory Soto Deal

The first deal the Mets made came on July 25 as New York acquired left-handed reliever Gregory Soto. In exchange, the Mets departed with two pitching prospects: Wellington Aracena and Cameron Foster. Aracena was the 15th ranked prospect in Metsmerized’s midseason top-50 list while Foster was unranked.

Aracena picked up right where he left off so far in the Orioles’ system. He appeared in one game at the Single-A level, the same level he was at with the Mets, and two games at the High-A level after a deserved promotion. Across those three combined starts he has thrown 13 2/3 innings allowing three hits, one run, and has struck out 17. The 20-year-old is continuing a sensational season.

Meanwhile, Foster, 26 years old, was assigned to Triple-A within the Orioles’ system, the same level he was with the Mets prior to the deal. He has appeared in five games in relief, allowing seven hits and three runs over 5 2/3 innings. His combined season Triple-A ERA sits at 9.64 through 9 1/3 innings.

Tyler Rogers Deal

In the team’s second deal leading up to the deadline, the Mets departed with three players in exchange for right-handed reliever Tyler Rogers. New York dealt big leaguer José Buttó and two Triple-A players in outfielder Drew Gilbert and right-handed pitcher Blade Tidwell. Gilbert and Tidwell ranked 15th and 19th, respectively, in Metsmerized’s top-50 midseason prospect list update.

Buttó has been strong in relief for the Giants since the deal. He has appeared in six games and has not allowed a run across 5 2/3 innings. He has allowed two hits and three walks. Meanwhile, 24-year-old Gilbert has made his major-league debut, but has struggled mightily, going 1-for-18 at the plate with five strikeouts.

Lastly, Tidwell has been terrific for San Francisco’s Triple-A team. He has appeared in three games (two starts) and has tossed 16 innings, allowing nine hits, three earned runs, and has struck out 23. Importantly, he has only walked five. A promotion back to the big leagues appears near.

Jesus Baez. Photo by James Villani, MMO

Ryan Helsley Deal

In the Mets’ third and final bullpen move, they acquired right-handed reliever Ryan Helsley. In exchange for him, they gave up infielder Jesus Baez as well as pitchers Frank Elissalt and Nate Dohm.

Baez was the highest-ranked prospect the Mets departed with, according to Metsmerized’s midseason top-50 prospect list (No. 7). He has struggled mightily at the High-A level since the deal, slashing .179/.304/.179 across 39 at-bats. Baez struggled mightily with High-A Brooklyn in the month prior to the trade.

The 23-year-old right-handed pitcher, Elissalt, has also struggled since the move. He has appeared in three games (two starts) at the same level he was at with the Mets prior to the move (High-A). In these three games, he has opted a 7.04 ERA across 7 2/3 innings. He has walked seven hitters which has directly led to his struggles.

Lastly, 22-year-old Nate Dohm has made two starts since the trade at the High-A level. He has thrown five innings and allowed two runs, four hits, and has struck out six. The former Mississippi State Bulldog has a 2.93 ERA across 67 2/3 innings on the season.

Cedric Mullins Deal

The last deal the Mets made prior to the deadline was their only position-player deal. New York acquired outfielder Cedric Mullins in exchange for three pitchers: Anthony Nunez, Raimon Gomez, and Chandler Marsh. They ranked 23rd, 32nd, and 46th, respectively, in Metsmerized’s midseason top-50 prospect list.

Nunez has appeared in the Double-A and Triple-A levels for the Orioles thus far, combing for five innings, one hit, one run, and six strikeouts. He is having a breakout season, as he owns a 1.60 ERA and 66 strikeouts over only 45 innings.

Marsh, 22 years old, has thrown four innings at the Double-A level for Baltimore, allowing five hits and two runs. His High-A ERA on the season sits at 3.57.

Gomez, a flamethrower, has not thrown a pitch in the Orioles’ system yet, as he is currently on the injured list.

The post Early Look At How The Trade Deadline Subtractions Have Performed appeared first on Metsmerized.

Soto, 30 years old, is in his seventh big-league season. After starting his major-league career with the Detroit Tigers, where he was named an All-Star twice and posted career seasons in 2021 and 2022, he was dealt midseason to Philadelphia. His time with the Phillies was turbulent, as he posted a 4.42 ERA across 95 2/3 innings in parts of two seasons. Soto was then dealt to the Baltimore Orioles in July of 2024, where he tossed 54 innings (4.33 ERA) before being dealt tt the Mets.

As mentioned, Soto’s best seasons came in 2021 and 2022 where he made the All-Star game in each season. In 2021, he posted a 3.39 ERA across 63 2/3 innings. He followed that up with a 3.28 ERA across 60 1/3 innings in 2022. On the surface, his play decreased in 2023 and 2024, after those All-Star seasons, as he posted a 4.62 ERA in 2023 and a 4.42 ERA in 2024. However, a deeper dive into those numbers paints a picture of some bad luck. His FIP across those two seasons sat at 3.59 and 3.68, respectively. Additionally, his 2.79 xERA in 2023 was the lowest figure of his career.

In 2025, Soto’s traditional numbers are much closer to his 2021 and 2022 seasons. Through 36 1/3 innings with Baltimore, Soto has posted a 3.96 ERA and 44 strikeouts allowing only 29 hits. His strikeout rate is the second-highest of his career and walk rate is the second-lowest of his career.

Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

A deeper dive into the analytics this season paint an even more encouraging picture. Soto’s xERA (3.34), FIP (3.28), and xFIP (3.80) are all comfortably lower than his actual ERA, showing that Soto’s been deserving of better results than he has been getting. Specifically, he is generating a ton of whiffs (87th percentile) and avoiding barrels when contact is made (94th percentile) which is helping suppress hits (.216 xBA, 83rd percentile). Additionally, playing mainly in a ballpark that is very kind to pitchers in Citi Field (22nd in Baseball Savant’s “ballpark factor” rankings) compared to Camden Yards (10th in Baseball Savant’s “ballpark factor” rankings), should also help get the ERA closer to what the underlying metrics are saying Soto deserves.

As far as his pitch arsenal goes, Soto is mainly a sinker and slider pitcher. He has thrown the sinker almost 52% of the time this season and his slider nearly 36% of the time. His slider is elite as it has an .182 BA and a .192 xBA. The slider has a “Stuff+” rating of 113, which ranks 91st among 336 qualified pitchers. Meanwhile, hitters are only hitting .220 against his sinker, which averages 96.7 mph.

The Mets dearly needed another reliable left-handed arm in their bullpen as the route to a National League pennant would likely feature facing some of the best left-handed hitters in the game such as Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, Shohei Ohtani, and Freddie Freeman. Soto’s splits against left-handed hitters, throughout his career, and this year specifically, are extremely strong. In his career, lefties are batting .206 with a .605 OPS against Soto. Meanwhile, in 2025, these figures are even stronger, as he has allowed an .138 batting average and .547 OPS to left-handed hitters.

With all that being said, the one area that Soto struggles, and really is the only area that has not allowed him to emerge as one of the best left-handed relievers in baseball, is his inconsistent control. Soto’s walk rate, despite being the second-best of his career, ranks in the league’s 10th percentile. His “Location+,” which is a pitch molding metric that basically weighs how often pitchers put their pitches in their desired location, is only 85 this season (average is 100). That figure is the eighth-lowest in the big leagues among 363 pitches to throw at least 30 innings this season.

Soto should compliment Brooks Raley well as the two left-handed pitchers in the Mets’ bullpen. As mentioned, this role is going to be extremely important come playoff time, as New York will likely have to contend with some of the premier left-handed hitters in the big leagues. The only aspect of his game that would hold Soto back is his control. However, if he can reel that in, he has elite stuff, as he has been displaying all season long in one of the better seasons of his career.

The post Deep Dive Into The Newest Mets Reliever, Gregory Soto appeared first on Metsmerized.

The Baltimore Orioles announced on Wednesday afternoon that Wednesday night’s scheduled game against the Mets in Baltimore was postponed due to rain.

The game is scheduled to be up as part of a split-admission doubleheader on Thursday. Game one is scheduled to begin at 12:05 P.M. ET with first pitch of game two scheduled for 5:05 P.M.

David Peterson (6-4, 3.18, 87 SO) was scheduled to pitch Wednesday night against the Orioles. Carlos Mendoza told SNY and members of the media that Peterson will go game one and that game two is to be determined.

Mendoza noted that game two could be a bullpen game, however it is yet to be determined depending on what happens during game one.

The Mets defeated the Orioles 7-6 on Tuesday night that included Pete Alonso’s 246th career home run. Alonso, originally in the lineup to play first base and bat fourth on Wednesday will now have to wait at least one more day to inch closer toward the Mets’ all-time home run record held by Darryl Strawberry of 252.

Following Thursday’s doubleheader, the Mets travel to Kansas City for the final series of the first half of the season before the All-Star break.

The post Mets vs Orioles Postponed, Split Doubleheader on Thursday appeared first on Metsmerized.

Also, good morning to any Knicks fans out there!

A good Wednesday for the guys in blue started in Arizona where the Mets took the rubber match against the Arizona Diamondbacks by a score of 7-1. Despite having some control issues early on, Kodai Senga found the range and went six innings of shutout ball, lowering his ERA to 1.16 on the season. Along with that, Juan Soto had his second multi-homer game of the season, going 2-for-4 with two long balls and three RBIs. Click here for a full game recap!

The Mets have an off day on Thursday and will start a three-game set against the Chicago Cubs on Friday at Citi Field. The projected starters are Clay Holmes, Tylor Megill and Griffin Canning. 

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Latest Mets News

The Mets signed veteran left-handed reliever Colin Poche to a minor-league contract and he will report to Syracuse. Click here for more on the signing. 

Padres’ Jose Iglesias was ‘totally shocked’ he didn’t receive contract offer from Mets in the offseason, per Anthony Rieber of Newsday.

Latest MLB News

The Baltimore Orioles acquired RHP Luis F. Castillo (not the All-Star) from the Seattle Mariners for cash considerations. 

The Los Angeles Dodgers announced Evan Phillips is on the IL with right forearm discomfort, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic.

Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino announced he will be playing for Team Italy in the 2026 WBC, per his X page.

Former Mets relief pitcher Stephen Nogosek signed a contract with the Kansas City Royals, per player agent John Shinn.

Alex Bregman launched his 200th career home run over the Green Monster on Wednesday night.

Breggy Bomb No. 200 💥 pic.twitter.com/E0QPmJ47lE

— MLB (@MLB) May 7, 2025

Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black told reporters that Kris Bryant is undergoing an ablation procedure on his lower back on Thursday.

The Cincinnati Reds placed on the 10-day injured list IF Noelvi Marte, retroactive to May 5th, with a left oblique strain. 

The Chicago White Sox placed outfielder Andrew Benintendi on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to May 5th, with a left calf strain.

Latest On MMO

The Mets sign a veteran lefty reliever.

Soto goes deep twice in the Mets’ win.

Mets have three players in Baseball America’s updated top 100. 

On This Date In Mets History

2010: Henry Blanco hits a walk-off home run to beat the Giants.

1961: New York’s National League expansion team announces that they will be known as the “Mets.” 

Born on This Date: Sean Gilmartin (1990), Adrián González (1982), John Maine (1981).

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