Per multiple sources including James Wagner of the New York Times, the Mets have made the next round of cuts from camp. Pitchers Ben Rowen and Erik Goeddel, infielders Gavin Cecchini and Matt Reynolds, and outfielder Travis Taijeron have been sent to the Minor Leagues.

As the bullpen competition gets tighter, cutting Rowen surprised me. He was a strong candidate and after posting a 1.93 ERA and 0.64 WHIP in 9.1 spring innings I thought he had more of a shot. Though, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in a Major League uniform sooner rather than later.

While Erik Goeddel might have been a surprising cut last season, it makes a little more sense this year. In 6.1 spring innings, he pitched to a 9.95 ERA and 1.89 WHIP. He and his splitter have potential to make an impact at the Major League level, but he still has work to do before that can happen.

The rest of the cuts are not in the least bit surprising. While they are all very talented players, the Mets don’t have spots for them on the 25-man roster. With the uncertainty surrounding David Wright, it’s possible Reynolds or Ceccini get brief tastes of the Show this season. However, with T.J. Rivera probably next in line, that is unlikely. They all have bright futures, though, and 2018 spring training could end very differently for them.

The post Rowen, Taijeron, Cecchini, Reynolds, Goeddel Cut From Camp appeared first on Metsmerized.

The New York Mets traveled to Jupiter to take on the St. Louis Cardinals at Rodger Dean Stadium. The minor league Mets led them late as they defeated the Cardinals 5-4.

Pitching

Rob Gsellman got the start and made another strong case for the fifth starter spot in the rotation. He threw five strong innings, allowing only one run on four hits while striking out three.

Jerry Blevins pitched next, walking the only batter he faced, he was charged with an unearned run when that man came in to score on an error.

Addison Reed came in and had a positive outing, he allowed a hit and struck out one.

Josh Edgin pitched one inning, allowing a run on one hit and striking out one.

Submariner Ben Rowen came in with a man on in the eighth with the Mets up by two. He allowed the inherited runner to score on a wild pitch. He then allowed another run on a sacrifice fly.

Corey Taylor continued his strong spring, working around an error to secure a save. His ERA on the spring is down to 1.13.

Hitting

Matt Reynolds got the Mets scoring started with a sacrifice fly, bringing in Wilmer Flores. Flores added a sac-fly of his own later in the game. Wilmer now has 10 RBIs on the spring, seven of which have come in the past two days. He also made a beautiful play over at first.

Juan Lagares displayed some power as he hit his first home run of the spring. Despite only a .206 batting average, Lagares has hit the ball hard all spring.

Michael Conforto continued his red hot week, picking up a triple. He is now hitting .366 this spring, and is 5-for-10 over his last four games.

Kevin Plawecki picked up two hits, one of which was a solo home run, he is hitting .294 on the spring.

Luis Carpio and Xorge Carrillo both picked up doubles late to give the Mets the lead.

Gavin Cecchini, Tim Tebow, and Travis Taijeron all picked up base hits.

Up Next

Jacob deGrom looks to continue his strong spring as the Mets return home to take on the Marlins at 1:10 PM.

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The New York Mets return to First Data Field today to host the St. Louis Cardinals with Steven Matz on the mound vs Adam Wainwright. The game begins at 1:10 PM, it will be shown on SNY and on radio via WOR.

Matz will be making his third start of the spring. In five Grapefruit League innings, he has yet to allow an earned run on six hits, zero walks and three strikeouts.

Also expected to pitch for the Mets today are RHP Ben Rowen, LHP Jerry Blevins, RHP Addison Reed and RHP Erik Goeddel.

Injury Update: Brandon Nimmo is listed as an eligible bench player and is available to pinch hit.

New York Mets

1. Curtis Granderson, CF
2. Asdrubal Cabrera, SS
3. Yoenis Cespedes, LF
4. Neil Walker, 2B
5. Jay Bruce, RF
6. Lucas Duda, 1B
7. Wilmer Flores, 3B
8. Travis d’Arnaud, C
9. Steven Matz, P

 St. Louis Cardinals 

1. Thomas Pham, CF
2. Alednys Diaz, SS
3. Matt Carpenter, 1B
4. Stephen Piscotty, RF
5. Jhonny Peralta, 3B
6. Jedd Gyorko, 2B
7. Jose Martinez, LF
8. Eric Fryer, C
9. Adam Wainwright, P

The post MMO Game Thread: Cardinals vs Mets, 1:10 PM appeared first on Metsmerized.

The New York Mets traveled to West Palm Beach to take on the Nationals at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, where they were defeated by the score of 3-1.

Pitching

Zack Wheeler made his second start of the spring. His velocity on his fastball sat around 94-95 MPH, and hit 96 and 97 at one point. He allowed two runs, one on a solo home run to Bryce Harper on an offspeed pitch in the first. He lasted 2.1 innings, throwing 50 pitches, and allowing two runs on three hits and striking out two.

Lefty Tom Gorzelanny pitched next for the Mets. He faced one batter, getting Bryce Harper to ground into an inning ending double play.

Submarine pitcher Ben Rowen came on in relief of Gorzelanny. He threw two innings, allowing one run on one hit and a walk.

The battle for the left handed reliever spot continued as Josh Smoker pitched next. He threw a perfect inning, highlighted by a three pitch strikeout of Bryce Harper.

Josh Edgin and Beck Wheeler tossed one scoreless inning as a piece as well.

Offense

Offensively the Mets did not get much going as they were held hitless through six innings.

Asdrubal Cabrera picked up the Mets first, and only hit of the game, a double to right. Asdrubal is hitting .310 this spring. He came around to score when Lucas Duda reached on an error.

On Deck

The Mets return home to take on the St. Louis Cardinals at 1:05 at First Data Field. Steven Matz will get the start for the Mets, he will be opposed by Adam Wainwright.

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Zack Wheeler will make his second start of Grapefruit League play this afternoon as the New York Mets travel to the The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches to play the Washington Nationals. He will be opposed by Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez . The game starts at 1:05 PM and will not be televised nor on WOR.

Wheeler made his spring debut last Friday against the Atlatna Braves. He went two innings allowing one run on two hits, walk and one strikeout. He reportedly hit 95 MPH with his fastball in his first start since a rehab appearance for the St. Lucie Mets last season.

Also expected to pitch for the Mets are LHP Josh Smoker, LHP Tom Gorzelanny, LHP David Roseboom, LHP Josh Edgin and RHP Ben Rowen.

New York Mets

1. Curtis Granderson, RF
2. Asdrubal Cabrera, SS
3. Neil Walker, 2B
4. Lucas Duda, 1B
5. Juan Lagares, CF
6. Kevin Plawecki, C
7. Travis Taijeron, LF
8. Phillip Evans, 3B
9. Gavin Cecchini, DH

Washington Nationals 

1. Trea Turner, SS
2. Jayson Werth, LF
3. Bryce Harper, RF
4. Anthony Rendon, 3B
5. Pedro Severino, C
6. Ryan Zimmerman, 1B
7. Adam Eaton, CF
8. Stephen Drew, 2B
9. Michael Taylor, DH

The post MMO Game Thread: Mets vs Nationals, 1:05 PM appeared first on Metsmerized.

RHP Matt Harvey will make his third start of Grapefruit League play this afternoon as the New York Mets travel to Jupiter to take on the Miami Marlins. He will be opposed by LHP Justin Nicolino in a 1:05 PM matchup. The game will be not be broadcast on TV or radio.

Also scheduled to pitch for the Mets this afternoon are Zack Wheeler, Ben Rowen, Sean Gilmartin and Paul Sewald.

Update: Wheeler scratched due to illness. Lots of players fighting the flu.

Harvey has not exactly been fantastic so far this spring, going 0-2 with a 9.64 ERA. In 4.2 innings he has struck out five batters. He looks to rebound against the Marlins, against whom the Mets are 4-0 so far this spring.

Michael Conforto will play center field today, a position at which he impressed last season. He is, however, not the long-term solution for that position after Curtis Granderson leaves, that title probably goes to Juan Lagares (or 2018 free agent Lorenzo Cain??).

Tim Tebow is starting in right field, giving Jay Bruce (DH) the day off from playing in the field. The Mets have a good mix of established veterans and up-and-coming prospects playing today, giving L.J. Mazzilli and Luis Guillorme looks as well.

The game will not be televised or broadcast on Mets radio, which is fine considering Mets fans don’t like seeing or hearing Mets games at all. It’s not like that’s pretty much the only thing I ever want to do or anything.

Mets Lineup

1. Matt Reynolds, SS
2. Michael Conforto, CF
3. Yoenis Cespedes, LF
4. Jay Bruce, DH
5. Wilmer Flores, 1B
6. Travis d’Arnaud, C
7. Tim Tebow, RF
8. L.J. Mazzilli, 3B
9. Luis Guillorme, 2B

Marlins Lineup

1. Dee Gordon, 2B
2. Ichiro Suzuki, RF
3. J.T. Realmuto, DH
4. Justin Bour, 1B
5. Marcell Ozuna, LF
6. Derek Dietrich, 2B
7. Adeiny Hechavarria, SS
8. Matt den Dekker, CF
9. Tomas Telis, C

Follow me on twitter @LBarer32 LGM!!!

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T.J. Rivera and Travis d’Arnaud provided all the power as the New York Mets defeated the Florida Marlins by a score of 3-1 on Tuesday afternoon at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida.

After d’Arnaud homered to put the Mets up 1-0 in the second inning, Rivera made it back-to-back dingers when he crushed one over the left-center field wall for the second run of the game. D’Arnaud really needed that big fly as he looks to get the monkey off his back this Spring, so far, so good.

The Mets would tack on an insurance run in the eighth inning after they loaded the bases with nobody out. However the run scored on a double-play grounder to shortstop by Luis Guillorme.

Gavin Cecchini had a solid game at third base, going 2-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base. He is having a good spring so far and could be an option if Jose Reyes doesn’t work out at the hot corner.

Seth Lugo got the start for the Mets and he gave them three scoreless innings allowing just two harmless singles and striking out a pair. A nice showing for Lugo who is all but assured of a spot in the Mets bullpen at the very least to begin the season.

Right-handers Logan Taylor, Kevin McGowan (unearned run) and Ricky Knapp as well as lefty Adam Wilk each got some work in the game, and Josh Smoker pitched a scoreless frame in the ninth to seal the victory and earn the save.

Amed Rosario committed a throwing error in the game, but that was offset by three dazzling plays at shortstop. The kid is legit.

On Deck:

The Mets will remain in Jupiter to play the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday. Highly regarded RHP Marcos Molina will get the start and oppose RHP Carlos Martinez for the Cardinals. Also expected to pitch for the Mets are RHP Corey Taylor, RHP Paul Sewald, LHP David Roseboom, RHP Ben Rowen, and RHP Fernando Salas.

Let’s Go Freaking Mets!

The post Spring Training Recap: Rivera and d’Arnaud Homer in Mets 3-1 Win Over Marlins appeared first on Metsmerized.

Here’s a quick update on the top relievers still available on the free agent market. In no particular order here you go:

LHP Jerry Blevins – The Los Angeles Dodgers may be closing in on the former Met according to the most recent reports. Blevins was as steady as they come in 2016, pitching to a 2.79 ERA over 73 appearances. The southpaw accumulated 42 innings while pitching to a WHIP of 1.21. He had success against both right-handed and left-handed hitters, while at times just being used against lefties. The 33 year-old is searching for a three year deal this offseason but it’s likely he settles for a two year or even a one year deal as spring training nears.

LHP Craig Breslow – According to Peter Gammons of MLB Network, 13-16 attended his showcase on Monday including the Mets. Gammons said Breslow is working with a new arm angle that is creating better movement than he displayed in 2016 which was a gruesome year statistically for the veteran lefty. From 2014 to 2016, Breslow has gone 2-10 with a 4.93 ERA (5.16 FIP), striking out 90 batters in 133.1 innings.

RHP Greg Holland  – Holland is looking to latch on as a closer somewhere and he’s getting close to signing with a new team, possibly even the Washington Nationals who have been strongly connected to him. In 2013 and 2014, Holland was one of the most dominant closers in the game, saving 93 games and pitching to a 1.32 ERA. In 129.1 innings he struck out 193 batters and pitched to an 0.889 WHIP. When his average fastball velocity took a downward turn in 2015, from over 96 MPH to 93.6 MPH, it was discovered that he had actually torn his ulnar collateral ligament late in the 2014 season, and it surely affected his performance. It will be 17 months since his surgery when 2017 spring training arrives.

RHP Sergio Romo – Since 2008, Romo has been one of the most consistent relievers in the game for the San Francisco Giants. He sports a career 2.58 ERA and 2.71 FIP to go with a 0.8 HR/9, 1.8 BB/9, and 10.2 K/9. He has plenty of closing experience, having saved 84 games in his career. There has been very little chatter on the market for Romo to this point.

RHP Joe Blanton – Could be one of those relievers that accepts a one-year deal which might make him attractive to the Mets, however the Dodgers are also connected to him. Since moving to the bullpen full-time in 2015, Blanton has been very effective. In 2016, he went 7-2 with a 2.48 ERA (3.33 FIP) with a 1.013 WHIP. Both the Dodgers and Rockies have shown interest in the right-hander.

RHP Joe Smith – Since 2009, this former Met has been one of the most reliable relievers in the game, appearing in 503 games (7th among Major League relievers), with a 2.80 ERA, 146 holds (5th), 1.151 WHIP, and 203 runners stranded (6th). Smith’s best overall season came in 2014 as a member of the Angels, where he posted a career best 1.81 ERA, tied his career high in wins with seven, pitched a career high 74.2 innings, had a career high 68 strikeouts, and posted his best WHIP at 0.804 (6th in the majors). Another reliever for who’s market has been extremely quiet.

RHP Fernando Salas – He is still drawing interest from six unnamed teams, sources tell Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press. The 31 year-old had a Reed-like impact on the Mets after he was acquired from the Angels on August 31. In 17 appearances, he was 0-1 with a 2.08 ERA, a 0.635 WHIP, and a 9.9 K/9. Salas completely took over the seventh inning role, and he allowed both Reed and Familia some rest down the stretch. He could continue to be an effective weapon for the Mets going forward if they were to bring him back.

LHP Travis Wood – The Cubs remain interested in bringing back the lefty after missing out on Tyson Ross. Once a full time starter, Wood was an important cog in the Cubs’ bullpen during their World Series run. He was extremely effective against lefties in 2016, holding them to a .128/.208/.239 slash line. Overall, he went 4-0 with a 2.95 ERA. He has also been used as a pinch hitter, as he has nine career home runs.

RHP Matt Belisle – Here’s another bullpen arm that’s possibly looking at a one year deal. The 36-year old reliever had a good 2016 season with the Washington Nationals. In 46 innings he had a 1.76 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and a strong 4.57 K/BB ratio. Given his age and the fact that only received a minor league deal last year I would expect his price range to be a perfect for the Mets.

RHP David Hernandez – The 31-year old pitched a ton for the Phillies last season with 72.2 innings over 70 appearances in which he finished 16 games. He did strike out 80 batters in 2016, but also allowed 77 hits and 11 home runs. The good news is that he still throws hard (averaged 95 MPH on his fastball) and opponents had only a .576 OPS off his breaking ball last season.

LHP Boone Logan – He had great season with the Rockies with a ERA of 3.69 in 66 games. He struck out 57 batters in 46.1 innings while pitching to an impressive WHIP of 1.01. Logan was even better vs lefties in 2016, holding to them a lowly .142/.222/.252 slash line. It was reported very early in the offseason that the Mets were showing interest in the former Yankee.

LHP Javier Lopez – The overall numbers for his 2016 aren’t that appealing (4.50 ERA, 1.46 WHIP), but he was much better against left-handed hitters to which he to a .622 OPS. Lopez is the perfect definition of a LOOGY, he rarely pitches to more than a couple of batters and has held lefties to a .202/.283/.289 slash line in his career. He could be a good low cost back-up option to Blevins and Logan for the Mets.

Final Thoughts

Is it possible that the Mets forego signing any reliever to a major league deal this offseason? It’s quite possible, especially if you take what Sandy Alderson had to say on the matter to heart. Last Friday during a luncheon at Citi Field, Alderson told beat reporters:

“If you go back and look at our history, we haven’t exactly come up cherries on signing free agent relievers and I think that has a lot to do with the volatility they represent. The fact is, once you commit to someone that eliminates and detracts from the flexibility we currently have right now and I think we have flexibility with quality.” (Matt Ehalt, NJ.com)

This could just be GM-speak, or it’s quite possible that Sandy Alderson has a lot of confidence – as do I – in the plethora of internal options that the team is flush with. In addition to battle-tested pitchers like Robert Gsellman, Seth Lugo, Josh Smoker and potentially Zack Wheeler, the Mets also have Paul Sewald waiting in the wings at Las Vegas. Oft-forgotten left-hander Josh Edgin is also still in the mix.

One more name that could make an impact this Spring as he looks to make the Opening Day roster, is right-hander Ben Rowen, who the Mets signed to a minor league deal last month. To say that the front office is really buzzing over him would be an understatement.

The post Latest on Reliever Market: Dodgers Have Blevins On Radar, Holland Nearing Decision appeared first on Metsmerized.

This past Thursday, the New York Mets announced a pair of minor league signings of right-handed pitchers Cory Burns and Ben Rowen. Rowen’s contract guarantees him an invite to major league spring training, a sign that the Mets might have legitimate interest in seeing what Rowen and his submarine style pitching can offer the club in 2017.

Rowen, 28, was a 22nd round draft pick by the Texas Rangers in the 2010 MLB Draft. Since then, Rowen has bounced around the minor leagues with different affiliates, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays, and the Milwaukee Brewers, his most recent team.

Rowen has spent minimal time in the majors since 2010, getting his first call up with the Rangers in 2014 for eight games, and then this past year with the Brewers for four games. The results were mixed, as evidenced by his 6.94 ERA and 2.06 WHIP, however, it’s hard to gauge those numbers since it was only done with 11.2 innings pitched combined.

His tenure in the minor leagues is a much different story. For his minor league career, Rowen has posted a minuscule 1.85 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in 384.2 innings, recording 43 saves in 53 opportunities. The six-foot-four right-hander has also posted strong splits throughout his MILB career, including this past season with Triple A Buffalo, where Rowen posted a 2.03 ERA and .220 average against left-handers, and a 2.65 ERA with a .269 average against right-handed hitters. In 2015 with Double A Bowie, Rowen once again posted solid splits, 2.16 ERA against lefties and 2.33 ERA against right-handers. In total for his 2015 season, Rowen held opposing right-handers to a .545 OPS, and lefties to a .493 OPS.

Though Rowen’s fastball tops out in the low 80’s, his calling card is his submarine style pitching, and his penchant for inducing ground balls due to his sink on both his fastball and slider. Rowen’s posted at least a 60% ground ball percentage in 11 of 17 different stops along his career, including all minor and major league levels, and winter ball. Rowen has also posted a FIP under 3.00 in 13 of the aforementioned 17 stops in his career.

Rowen has been mastering the submarine pitching style for years now. In a FanGraphs interview conducted in February 2014, Rowen talked about the progression:

“I’ve been throwing submarine for about eight years now. Before that, my high school coach told me to throw sidearm. I think it was a good progression to throw sidearm for four years and then move down. Mechanically, it was easier than going from overhand straight to submarine.”

Add three more seasons to that eight year total, and Rowen has been working at throwing submarine for 11 years now, something that should appeal to the Mets since it appears Rowen is comfortable with his mechanics. With experience on his side, Rowen just needs an opportunity with a big club to showcase what he can offer over a full 162-game season. And that’s where the Mets fit in to this narrative.

The Mets have been looking to bolster their bullpen for 2017, especially considering closer Jeurys Familia will likely be suspended for his role in a domestic violence arrest in late October. The Daily News’ Kristie Ackert reported Friday that industry sources believe Familia will be suspended for at least 30 games next season, the same number of games Aroldis Chapman was suspended for to start the 2016 year.

With Addison Reed likely sliding into the closer’s role to begin the year, the Mets need to fill the back end of the bullpen and also look to retain LHP Jerry Blevins, who held lefties to a .636 OPS in ’16, and has also pitched with solid splits throughout his career. The Mets have balked at the free agent market thus far, seeing the likes of Brad Ziegler, Fernando Rodney, Koji Uehara, Mike Dunn, Brett Cecil, and Joaquin Benoit sign with other clubs.

Though there are some strong free agent names still left on the board, the Mets are always looking for undervalued or minor league deals for relievers. The market has risen over the past few years, where clubs are placing a higher emphasis on having strong bullpens, following in the footsteps of teams like the Giants, Royals, Indians and Cubs.

While the minor league signings of Rowen and Burns CANNOT be the only bullpen moves Sandy Alderson and Co. makes, Rowen does offer a ton of intrigue and should be given a decent look this spring in Port St. Lucie. No, he’s not Brad Ziegler, an arm many fans were pining to get, however, Rowen offers similar traits (sidearm, ground ball rate) and should be given a chance to demonstrate to the Mets what he can do to help piece their pen together for 2017.

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