July 1 has infamously become known as Bobby Bonilla Day, a narrative which has been popularized around baseball over the years. Mets owner Steve Cohen even tweeted his happy Bobby Bonilla Day wishes this morning.

Bonilla gets paid his 12th installment of $1,193,248.20 today, with 13 years of deferments remaining. The Mets have paid him a total of $14,318,878.40, with $15,512,221.60 left, as Darren Rovell pointed out. But what a lot of fans don’t realize, even in 2022, is he’s far from the only player on a deferred contract.

Look no further than Metsmerized’s own Michael Mayer, who has provided extensive research on the matter that he shares every year. Today is not just Bobby Bonilla Day — it’s the more accurately titled MLB Deferment Day. Here is his annual thread, where Mayer dug up numerous other examples of deferred contracts.

Happy Deferment Day!

This thread is dedicated to past, present, and future deferred contracts given to Major League Baseball players.

It started before Bobby Bonilla and goes well beyond him.

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) July 1, 2022

One of the ones that jumps out is former Orioles slugger Chris Davis. Baltimore owes him $42 million in deferred money over 15 years. That’s more than the Mets owe Bonilla. Yet nobody calls it Chris Davis Day.

These things extend far into the future, too. As Mayer points out, when Trevor Baauer signed with the Dodgers, they agreed to defer $20 million o f his 2021 salary to be paid in $2 million installments every December 1 from 2031 to 2040. Maybe we should all reconvene in nine years and start celebrating Trevor Bauer Day.

Another player with a large amount of deferred money on his contract is none other than Jacob deGrom. The Mets’ star right-hander agreed to defer $52.5 million when he signed his extension. Again, that’s more than Bonilla is being paid. He will be paid as late as July 1, 2039.

So you get the point. As Mayer rightly points out, deferred contracts started before Bonilla and go well beyond him. It might be fun to celebrate Bobby Bonilla for the fun or spectacle of it, but it’s far from just him that this day is truly about.

The post July 1 Is Much More Than Just Bobby Bonilla Day appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Wednesday, September 9, 2020 • 7:10 p.m.
Citi Field • Flushing, NY
RHP Jorge Lopez (1-0, 5.59) vs. RHP Rick Porcello (1-4, 5.54)
SNY • WCBS 880 AM • WQBU 92.7 FM

After losing a heart breaker on Sunday, the Mets followed up with losing a laugher of a game last night. Michael Wacha had a terrible night and the Mets ended up losing 11-2. It is worth noting that in the last two-game set with the Orioles, the Mets lost the first game before using the second game to jump-start a mini-run. Here’s hoping the same thing happens tonight.

Mets Lineup

1. Brandon Nimmo – CF
2. Michael Conforto – RF
3. J.D. Davis – 3B
4. Dominic Smith – 1B
5. Robinson Cano – 2B
6. Pete Alonso – DH
7. Jeff McNeil – LF
8. Andres Gimenez – SS
9. Robinson Chirinos – C

Orioles Lineup

1. Cedric Mullins – CF
2. Jose Iglesias – SS
3. Renato Nunez – DH
4. DJ Stewart – RF
5. Ryan Mountcastle – LF
6. Rio Ruiz – 3B
7. Hanser Alberto – 2B
8. Chance Sisco – C
9. Pat Valaika – 1B

The Mets will be sending out Rick Porcello who has made eight starts, pitching 39 innings with a 5.54 ERA, 2.97 FIP, 1.462 WHIP and 77 ERA+. He’s coming off of one of his better starts of the season, allowing just two runs over six innings against the Phillies. It was also his first start where he tossed 100 pitches this season.

Porcello struggled against the Orioles last year, allowing 10 runs off 21 hits over 15 innings pitched. The Orioles have the following numbers against him:

• Cedric Mullins 0-0, BB
• Chance Sisco 3-8, 2B, 4 K
• Renato Nunez 2-10, HR, BB, 3 K
• Chris Davis 13-56, 2B, 4 HR, 2 BB, 16 K
• Rio Ruiz 2-7, BB, K
• Jose Iglesias 1-5, 2B
• Pedro Severino 1-5, K
• DJ Stewart 0-2

Jorge Lopez is slated to start for the Orioles tonight. He’s pitched in five games and has made two starts this year, totaling to 18.2 innings with a 4.82 ERA, 3.90 FIP, 1.179 WHIP and a 97 ERA+. His last two outings have been as a starter, he’s allowed six runs in 9.2 innings. The Mets have limited chances against Lopez with Conforto and Rosario each going 1-1 against him and Nimmo picking up a walk.

Game Notes

• Wednesday afternoon the Mets announced that Robert Gsellman is heading to the injured list with a fractured rib he suffered in last night’s outing. Gsellman exited the game in the eighth inning after grabbing his side following his 76th pitch of the night, which was a season-high.
• In place of Gsellman, Drew Smith was once again activated from the Alternate Site. Smith has appeared in eight games this year and has pitched to a 6.43 ERA. In his last outing, Smith yielded four runs (3 ER), more than doubling his season ERA.
• When asked about whether Jed Lowrie was close to returning prior to the game, manager Luis Rojas said, “I don’t know what he is doing.” This likely indicates that Lowrie will not return to the team this season.

Let’s Go Mets!

The post MMO Game Thread: Orioles vs Mets, 7:10 appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Good morning Mets fans! The New York Mets (20-22) dropped the rubber game in their series with the Washington Nationals (18-25) after losing 7-6 on Thursday afternoon. They now head to Miami where they seek their sixth consecutive win against the Miami Marlins (10-31) in 2019, and their eighth in a row dating back to 2018.

Latest Mets News

Jacob deGrom (3-4, 3.26 ERA) will look to continue his stretch of solid pitching on Friday evening as he takes the mound against Trevor Richards (0-5, 4.46 ERA) and the Marlins. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. EDT and coverage will be on SNY, WCBS 880 and ESPN 1050. 

Michael Conforto left Thursday’s game after a collision with Robinson Cano and was diagnosed with a concussion.

Jeff McNeil left Thursday’s game with an abdominal strain.

Carlos Gomez was removed in the seventh inning of the Syracuse Mets game. With Conforto likely heading to the 7-day concussion list, Gomez’s contract will be selected from the Mets and he will meet the Mets in Miami ahead of Friday’s game.

Steven Matz is scheduled to return from the injured list to start Saturday’s game against the Marlins, per Matt Ehalt of Yahoo Sports.

Greg Joyce of the New York Post wrote a piece on Keon Broxton who expressed his frustration to reporters following Thursday’s game in regards to his limited playing time.

Hannah Keyser of Yahoo Sports wrote a story on the NYIT DII baseball program which won its first NCAA Tournament game in 39 years after ex-Met beat reporter Adam Rubin hired former major leaguer Frank Catalanotto to coach the team and inject a winning culture into it.

Latest MLB News

The San Diego Padres broke the Mets’ record for most consecutive games without a no hitter (8,020 regular season games) to begin a franchise.

Robert Murray of The Athletic wrote about Zach Davies, who has bounced back from an injury-riddled 2018 to become the Milwaukee Brewers’ best and most consistent starter.

Chicago White Sox general manager Rick Hahn discussed Jose Abreu‘s future in the organization with MLB Network. He mentioned that “it’s certainly very likely that he’ll be here for the more enjoyable stages that lie ahead of us”

Odrisamer Despaigne opted out of his minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds according to Mark Polishuk of MLB Trade Rumors.

The Minnesota Twins optioned Trevor Hildenberger to Triple-A, selected the contract of Austin Adams and designated Addison Reed for release or assignment per Dustin Morse, who works in the Communications and Player Relations department for the Twins organization.

The Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals will play a series in London in 2020 according to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.

Mike Petriello of MLB.com makes a case for Chris Davis being named to the All-Star team in 2019.

Latest NL East News

In addition to the Mets loss to the Nationals, the Atlanta Braves defeated the Cardinals 10-2 and the Philadelphia Phillies fell to the Brewers 11-3.

The Phillies (24-19) are still at the top of the NL East standings, followed by the Braves (23-21; 1.5 games back), Mets (20-22; 3.5 games back), Nationals (18-25; 6.0 games back) and Marlins (10-31; 13.0 games back), respectively.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports wrote a piece on Phillies starter Zach Eflin who has overcome childhood tragedy through faith and family support.

Following Thursday’s game, Davey Martinez said that Anibal Sanchez has a hamstring strain, will have a MRI on Friday and will likely end up on the injured list thereafter.

Latest on MMO/MMN

Brian Greenzang broke down Wilmer Font‘s start from Wednesday.

Samantha Brown likewise broke down Zack Wheeler‘s start from Thursday.

Rich Coutinho posed the question of whether the Mets should be worried about Robinson Cano or not.

Matt Musico analyzed the production the Mets are getting out of Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo so far in 2019.

Jacob Resnick wrote a piece on Colin Holderman who has performed well so far in his return from Tommy John surgery.

This Day in Mets History

1939: Dick Smith, who played 66 games across the 1963-1964 seasons for the Mets, was born.

1973: Future Mets player and manager Bobby Valentine suffered a multiple compound leg fracture after getting his spikes caught in an outfield chain link fence at Anaheim Stadium. The injury was considered career-altering for the 23-year-old who broke into MLB as a top prospect at the age of 19.

1985: Valentine received his first managerial gig with the Texas Rangers after they fired skipper Doug Rader. Valentine went 581-605 with no postseason appearances in eight seasons with the Rangers before becoming manager of the Mets in 1996.

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Look To Extend Winning Streak Against Marlins appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

An MMO Fan Shot by Travis W.

Baseball is a business.

It is totally understandable that fans want their team to get the best players and that when owners fail to do so they are labeled ‘cheap’.

I am not here to defend the Wilpons. Not at all. For starters, I don’t know their financial situation (as private companies, MLB teams keep their books closed) or how they determine their budget for Mets players. While we would like for our owners to treat the Mets success as if it is the only thing in the world that matters, I get the distinct impression that the Wilpons run their baseball team like any other business. And for good reason. Baseball is a business. Players, agents and general managers say it all the time. It’s become a reality that has been amplified since free agency was first allowed.

So, why are teams apparently unwilling to hang out fair market contracts, forcing players to hold out longer into the offseason? Let’s examine some possible reasons.

Are the owners at fault?

The owners and GM’s seem to be getting the brunt of the animosity from fans. To me, however, it seems painfully obvious that the players and agents have manipulated the free agency market to ensure increasingly high salaries. Perhaps I am looking at it less like a fan and more as a businessman.

The agents should be trying to get the most money for their clients. If teams are not making satisfactory offers, then players and agents have the right to hold out for more money.

If you want to blame any owners for this market slow-down, you can probably blame certain owners who are either not around anymore or are being phased out of baseball decision-making. The children of George Steinbrenner and Mike Ilitch have assumed control from their free-spending fathers and do things a little differently. The same appears to be close to occurring in Washington with the Lerner family.

Is it true that MLB revenues continue to rise, and player salary percentages are dropping?

According to Forbes and MLB, the percentage of revenue that major league players (not including minor leaguers) have garnered as compensation compared with revenues has fluctuated between 48 percent and 52 percent for the last 15 years.

When you calculate in the minor league players as well, the player’s percentage has been between 55 percent and 59 percent, which is a similar percentage as the other three major pro sports. The players (MLB and MiLB) salary percentage peaked at 63 percent in 2003. Since then luxury-tax rules and more revenue sharing have been negotiated into collective bargaining agreements and are viewed as a likely reason for the drop.

However, the average MLB player salary has continued to rise, nearly doubling since 2004. And it has consistently been about half of MLB revenues. Therefore, you cannot directly blame salary/revenue percentages for the slow pace and (supposedly) smaller contracts over the past two off-seasons but it is fair to suggest that CBA agreements have indirectly contributed.

Are Teams Just Smarter?

I think we can all agree that Ivy League GM’s and analytic-based decision making has profoundly changed the game of baseball. The use of advanced analytics has made players more like commodities as opposed to actual people. There are so many statistical evaluation methods out there but the most important may be the projection models. Teams have finally decided to pay for projected future performance as opposed to past performance.

Just like in any other business, baseball teams will emulate the more successful teams. One way teams, especially this offseason, appear to be emulating winning teams is in building depth and flexibility. The way I understand it is this way: While I could stretch my budget and buy a Mercedes GLE, I feel that my Ford Escape works well enough to ensure flexibility in my budget, allowing me to buy numerous other useful items.

Perhaps you don’t like that analogy, considering that baseball owners are very wealthy. But, teams have figured out depth and flexibility are crucial to effective platoons and keeping players fresh over a long, grueling season. And, unfortunately for the Harper and Machado fans, the number-crunchers have determined that the depth and flexibility you can create over a ten year span out-weighs the 350 million you would have to pay for one player.

One way that teams try not to emulate other teams is to learn from the mega-contract given out over the past decade. So many mega-contracts have not worked out well and teams have rightfully become hesitant to dole out huge contracts. If it very fair to note that Harper and Machado are not the typical mega-contract candidates, given their relatively young age. I am confident that they will get their mega-contracts but probably not from owners who have been burned in the past.

So, Baltimore (Chris Davis), Anaheim (Josh Hamilton and Albert Pujols), and San Francisco (Matt Cain and Johnny Cueto) are all medium to large market teams with wealthy owners yet it’s doubtful they want to risk getting burned again. You can make similar cases for Atlanta, Arizona, and even Boston, who have an exceedingly high luxury tax partially because of bad contracts to Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez.

So…

It appears that there are quite a few reasons that have contributed, at least indirectly, to the recent slow-down in player contracts. You can be the judge if any one of those reasons matter more than others. However, there is one more major reason for the slow-down. Scott Boras, in my opinion, is the most culpable because MLB teams have little control over the irrational and egotistical actions of this man.

Scott Boras and the never ending offseason

It should be a surprise to nobody that Boras represents most of the top players still unsigned. Of the top 35 free agents this off-season (as ranked by MLBTradeRumors), Boras represents eight of them.

The three players he has brokered deals for so far were Matt Harvey, Zach Britton, and Japanese newcomer Yusei Kikuchi. That leaves five Boras clients – Bryce Harper, Dallas Keuchel, Marwin Gonzalez, Gio Gonzalez, and Mike Moustakas – playing the waiting (and hoping) game. Of the 27 non-Boras clients on that list all but two have signed. Manny Machado and Craig Kimbrel are the only two non-Boras clients among the top free agents that failed to sign.

What does this mean? Well, the obvious is that Boras represents lots of good players. And he has a long track record of securing larger than expected contracts for his clients. However, because his sample size is so large, there have been many notable failures. Sometimes, it is because he strongly encourages his clients to avoid signing extensions before they are free agent eligible. A player betting on themself is great as long the player does well and is healthy leading into free agency, but not so great if the player stumbles.

The waiting game

Boras did manage to get a player signed recently – Greg Holland. It’s easy to write off Holland because he was not considered a top free agent this offseason. But, it was Boras who advised Holland to reject a three-year, $52 million dollar deal from the Rockies last winter and wait for a bigger deal.

Holland ultimately had to settle for a one-year deal and had to do the same this season at a bargain basement price. Boras isn’t the only agent to make this mistake (see Grandal, Yasmani) but he is the most likely agent to advise his clients to wait. And wait. And wait. Usually it pays off, like when Victor Martinez tore his ACL in January of 2012 and the Tigers panicked and splurged on Boras client Prince Fielder.

But, there are numerous times when it has not worked out. In addition to Moustakas and Holland, just ask Carlos Pena, Ryan Madson, Kendrys Morales, or Stephen Drew if waiting was the right move. And can you imagine what would have happened if Martinez didn’t tear his ACL? Perhaps, Fielder may have went into spring training unsigned and ended up with a very different deal.

The Boras strategy is getting old

Boras is running out of owners that he can negotiate with directly, thereby bypassing the more rational and logical thinkers in the front office. As mentioned, this may happen soon in Washington as well. Mark Lerner, who has assumed control of the Nationals from his father, Ted, made a strong offer to Harper and appeared to draw a line in the sand. Boras, of course, indignantly and openly stated that Mark was not the key decision maker and proceeded to negotiate directly with Ted. There has been no deal yet so we’ll see how that plays out.

The waiting game strategy is also getting old, as teams begin to feel more comfortable waiting out Boras. If a pitchers keeps throwing the same pitch, no matter how great it is, it will eventually get crushed. Boras is a talented and relentless advocate for his clients but he needs to realize he needs a new pitch.

The trickle-down effect

Because so many of the top players are not signing, this leaves several mid-tier players in limbo. They are either waiting for the top free agents to set the market or they are known to be back-up options for teams that miss out on the top free agents. Either way, these players are willing to wait in the hope that Harper and Machado sign huge contracts that will allow them to ask for more in subsequent negotiations.

In addition, recent history has shown that when players do sign after spring training has begun they underperform, sometimes severely in the beginning as was the case last year with Alex Cobb, Lance Lynn, and Holland. They all got better as the season progressed, but is that an ideal tradeoff? I’m sure the fans would rather the players sign earlier so they don’t stink it up in the first half of the season.

The media is complicit

Over the last few years, the media in this country has been called into question. I believe strongly in that journalism as a whole has been unfairly demonized in this country. However, where I start to get perturbed is when the media piggyback on the agent’s hyperbole to manufacture a crisis when no crisis exists. It should not be surprising that sports commentators yearn for controversy and strong opinions to gain notoriety and increase viewership. They are not going to say anything critical of the players (and sometimes the agents) that they rely on for interviews and inside information.

In conclusion

Perhaps, if fans blamed Boras and his clients half as much as they blame and shame MLB owners, then we wouldn’t be waiting until February every year for teams to finalize their rosters. However, more realistically, perhaps MLB should just institute a signing period with pre-signing periods and deadlines like other pro sports utilize.

* * * * * * * * *

This Fan Shot was contributed by MMO community member and die-hard Mets fan Travis W. Have something you want to say about the Mets? Send your article to GetMetsmerized@aol.com or use this Contact Form. Or ask us about becoming a regular contributor.

The post MMO Fan Shot: Scott Boras and the Never Ending Offseason appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Happy Friday, Mets fans! Welcome back to another edition of the hot stove rumor roundup! Today’s news features a handful of one-year deals as well as discussions surrounding the fate of the Toronto Blue Jays, who are set to enter a rebuilding phase behind a prospect crop that may not be finished blooming.

Blue Jays not Ruling out Selling

In a recent conversation with reporters, Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins answered a handful of questions surrounding the team’s offseason plans. Having finished fourth in an AL East division that looks to be even more competitive next season, the Blue Jays were quick to part with such commodities as Josh Donaldson and Roberto Osuna over the summer in an attempt to round out one of the game’s best farm systems, though per Atkins, they may not be done.

Alongside votes of confidence in his middle infield of Lourdes Gurriel and Devon Travis, Atkins stated that he could “absolutely” foresee the organization trading off two of its prized starting pitchers in Aaron Sanchez and Marcus Stroman.

Formerly viewed as the younger focal points of the Jays’ rise to relevance as recently as 2016, Sanchez and Stroman are each coming off brutal seasons that all but destroyed their respective trade values, more so in the case of the latter. Sanchez averaged five walks per nine innings while averaging just over five innings per start to explain an underwhelming 4.89 ERA/4.74 FIP.

While Stroman’s 3.91 FIP and maintained pedigree as team ace speak to his value as a competitive rotation piece for interested teams, his 4.95 second-half ERA and total bWAR/fWAR of 0.2/1.5 best characterize a season plagued by shoulder fatigue and blisters that couldn’t be salvaged. It would be tough to envision a deal being made in which an interested team would risk overpaying for either arm, but Atkins seems committed to pulling the trigger should a team extend such a generous hand.

Angels, Phillies Swap Relievers

As announced by the Philadelphia Phillies early last night, right-handed reliever Luis Garcia has been traded to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for southpaw Jose Alvarez. Both pitchers are second-year arbitration eligible, projected to each make $1.7MM ahead of the 2019 season.

Garcia, 31, pitched to a brutal 6.07 ERA in 59 games last season, though admittedly made out better in terms of fielding independent metrics (3.51 FIP, 3.46 SIERA), and totaled a career-high 10.0 K/9 to go with a 14.5% swinging strike rate that could point to a rebound, especially with a more defensively capable infield playing behind him.

Alvarez, 29, worked a personal best 76 games as a situational lefty for the Angels, and impressed between a 2.85 ERA, 3.05 FIP, and 2.68 K/BB ratio. Left-handed hitters managed just a .604 OPS against Alvarez last season, an improvement over the still-tough .658 across Alvarez’s six-year career. Considering lefties compiled a .793 OPS against Philly relievers last season (the sixth-highest mark in baseball), acquiring Alvarez may turn out to be a substantial, economical benefit.

Royals Interested in Hamilton

Rustin Dodd of The Athletic has reported that the Kansas City Royals are “looking hard” at recently non-tendered outfielder Billy Hamilton.

The 28-year old Hamilton, whom the Royals have attempted to trade for in his days with the Cincinnati Reds, is just a few months removed from one of the weakest offensive showings of his career, even for a “speed-first” player that the Royals have typically had at their disposal in the form of Jarrod Dyson, Terrance Gore, and Billy Burns in recent years.

Despite playing in a career-high 153 games, Hamilton stole just 34 bases while hitting .236/.299/.327 with 132 strikeouts, and his .536 OPS away from Great American Ballpark – a noted hitter’s park – was the second-worst such road split among qualified hitters (42 points ahead of Baltimore’s Chris Davis). Granted, Hamilton has impressed on defense (6.7 career dWAR and 25 outfield assists since 2017), though the Royals’ 17 DRS in center field this past year doesn’t really necessitate such a reinforcement.

Astros Sign Chirinos

In more free agent news, veteran catcher Robinson Chirinos has signed a one-year pact with the Houston Astros, as first reported by Mark Berman of FOX26 Houston. Per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Chirinos will be paid $5.75MM next season.

Chirinos, 34, has spent the last five years behind the plate with the Texas Rangers, combining for a .233/.325/.443 slash line while setting a new career-high with 18 homers and 65 RBI in 113 games this past year. His 125 wRC+ in the second half of 2018 was the second-best mark among qualified big-league catchers, just seven runs behind Yasmani Grandal.

It’s worth noting that Chirinos caught just 6 of 59 attempting base-stealers in 2018, which would render him a defensive foil to incumbent backstop Max Stassi, who hosed 26% of runners despite hitting a putrid .091/.231/.091 the last two months of the year.

Schoop, Torreyes Ink with Twins

In Minnesota, two free agent infielders have come off the market. The first, Jonathan Schoop, signs a one-year deal worth $7.5MM, as first broken by Ken Rosenthal. In addition to Schoop, the Twins were able to snatch reserve shortstop Ronald Torreyes for a one-year deal that, per Jon Heyman of Fancred Sports, will pay $800K (MLB.com‘s Mark Feinsand first reported the agreement between the two sides).

Both moves will go some ways in shoring up a middle infield that currently hinges on Jorge Polanco and Ehire Adrianza, the former of whom has just one full year as a starting shortstop on his resume and the latter of whom, while a serviceable utility infielder, has been designated as just that across his past two years in the Twin Cities.

Schoop, 27, is coming off a dreadful 2018 in which he hit just .233/.266/.416 between the Orioles and Brewers, albeit a year removed from an All-Star campaign in which he played 160 games, hit 32 homers, and drove in 105. While he has just one defensive run saved to his name since 2015, Schoop could still rebound in a fashion similar to Ian Desmond in 2016 with the Rangers or Mitch Moreland with the Red Sox in 2017.

Torreyes, though signed to a major-league deal, isn’t necessarily a guarantee to make the team out of spring training. The 26-year old had been released by the Chicago Cubs just days after being designated for assignment by the New York Yankees, and only appeared in 41 games this past year, consistently shuttling between the Bronx and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. In four years at second base, Torreyes has committed just two errors, though his career .685 OPS could very well confine him to a smaller role, if one at all in 2019.

The post Hot Stove Rumor Roundup: Blue Jays Poised for Possible Teardown appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Good morning Mets fans! The New York Mets won the opener of their four-game series with the Washington Nationals last night by a score of 5-4 in a 12-inning affair. The Mets used a combined seven pitchers from the bullpen to get through the game after Jason Vargas (6-9, 6.25 ERA) left with two outs in the sixth inning.

Latest Mets News

Jacob deGrom (8-9, 1.78 ERA) takes the hill tonight in the nation’s capital as he looks to bring his pitching record to an even .500. He will be opposed by Joe Ross (0-0, 3.60 ERA) of the Nationals. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. EDT with the game being broadcast by SNY and 710 WOR.

Craig Edwards of Fangraphs made a case as to why deGrom should win the National League MVP award.

Dave Eiland praised the Mets rotation according to Mike Puma of the New York Post.

“That is why Mickey and I were pounding the nail prior to the [trade] deadline not get rid of any of them,” Eiland said. “We can win a championship with this rotation. It takes more than this rotation, but I will take this rotation in a 5 or 7-game series.”

David Newman will be leaving his position with the Mets as vice president of marketing and communications on Oct. 2 after serving in the position for 13 years according to Eric Fisher of SportsBusiness Daily.

Wilmer Flores was shut down for the season after learning that he has early-onset of arthritis in both of his knees.

Mickey Callaway told reporters before Thursday’s game that, “We would definitely target some starting pitching this winter.”

Latest MLB News

Dr. Meredith Wills of The Athletic followed up a prior study of hers on the thicker laces in baseballs with one that analyzed how that change could be behind MLB’s home run surge.

Dave Sheinin of the Washington Post wrote a piece on the history of “Phantom Big-Leaguers;” a term used in reference to baseball players promoted to the MLB level, but who never appeared in a game.

The Pittsburgh Pirates’ sports medicine director Todd Tomczyk told reporters that Chad Kuhl underwent Tommy John surgery.

Austin Maddox of the Boston Red Sox is likely out for the 2019 season after having surgery on his rotator cuff according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com.

Jon Heyman of Francred Sports wrote that the next big MLB import from Japan will be Yusei Kikuchi.

Our own Matt Musico wrote an article for The Sports Daily Blog on Chris Davis possibly putting together the worst season of the century.

San Diego Padres Vice President of Scouting, Don Welke, passed away on Wednesday two days before his 76th birthday according to Troy Hirsch of FOX 5 Sports. He spent more than 50 years in baseball.

Luke Voit became the New York Yankees’ 12th player with 10 or more home runs which is a MLB record.

Latest NL East News

Derek Jeter noted that Don Mattingly is likely to return as manager of the Miami Marlins in 2019 per ESPN.

The Atlanta Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies 8-3 on Thursday which lowered the Braves’ magic number to four.

In the game, Gabe Kapler faced an important pitching decision in the eighth inning and put Luis Garcia in instead of Hector Neris or Seranthony Dominguez. Garcia ended up giving up four runs and Kapler explained his decision to reporters after the game.

Latest on MMO/MMN

Musico analyzed some advanced stats behind Jeff McNeil‘s impressive start to his big league career.

John Sheridan continued his “3 Up, 3 Down” series after the Mets concluded their three-game set with the Phillies.

Dilip Sridhar put together MMN’s 2018 minor league All-Star team which consisted of the best players at each position chosen across all Mets minor league levels.

This Day in Mets History

1973: The Mets won to even their record to 77-77 and take over first place by half a game for the first time since May 27.

1987: Howard Johnson established a new National League home run record for a switch hitter as he hit his 36th of the season.

1987: In the same game, Darryl Strawberry stole two bases to become a member of the 30-30 club. Strawberry and Johnson became the first teammates in major league history to be in 30-30 club in the same season.

2001: In one of the most memorable moments in Mets history, Mike Piazza hit a home run in the top of the eighth inning to help defeat the Braves 3-2. The home run came in the first game since the September 11 terrorists attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

Birthdays: Antonio Bastardo turns 33, Joaquin Arias turns 34, Greg Burke turns 36, Scott Rice turns 37 and D.J. Dozier turns 53.

The post Morning Briefing: Piazza Helped New York Heal 17 Years Ago Today appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Negotiations between the Baltimore Orioles and free agent Mark Trumbo may have come to an abrupt end as the O’s have decided to pull the offer to their former slugger, according to reporter Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports. The deal the O’s had on the table was reportedly for four years and worth $52 million dollars, far short of the $80 million that Trumbo is believed to be seeking.

Trumbo, who turns 31 next month, led the league with 47 home runs last season while batting .256/.316/.533 and posting a 120 OPS+ and collecting 108 RBIs in 159 games for the Orioles. He played 95 of those games in right field, but his poor defense relegated him to the DH spot for more than a third of his playing time.

The Orioles reportedly had the best offer on the table to Trumbo and were very aggressive in trying to bring him back after a solid offensive campaign with the team. Kubatko mentions that last year, the O’s and first baseman Chris Davis had a similar breakdown in negotiations, but the two sides ultimately came to an agreement.

So at least for the time being, Trumbo remains a part of a large group of power-hitting first basemen and outfielders that are still unsigned almost two months into the offseason. Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Bautista, Pedro Alvarez, Mike Napoli, Adam Lind, Brandon Moss, Mark Reynolds and Chris Carter are among some of the big bats still available in the free agent market.

The breakdown in negotiations with the Orioles might open the door for the Colorado Rockies who are reportedly very interested in trying to land Trumbo to play first base and allow them to move the recently signed Ian Desmond to the outfield. The Rockies signed Desmond to a five year, $70 million dollar contract last week and forfeited their first round pick (No. 11 overall) in next year’s draft in the process.

If the Rockies are able to land Trumbo, they would then certainly deal one or two of their current outfielders which include David Dahl, Charlie Blackmon, Carlos Gonzalez and Gerardo Parra. It’s believed that Blackmon or Gonzalez will be flipped for some help in the rotation despite ownership’s assurances to both players recently that they are not being actively shopped. Certainly, the addition of Trumbo would change that.

Both CarGo and Blackmon are coming off very solid offensive campaigns with the latter looking like a nice option for the Mets who lack a true everyday center fielder. What makes Blackmon all the more impressive is his .939/.926 home/road splits in OPS.

Blackmon, 29, batted .324 last season with 35 doubles, five triples, 29 home runs, 111 runs scored and 17 stolen bases while batting leadoff for the Rockies. He still has two years of team control.

The post Orioles Pull Offer to Mark Trumbo Off the Table appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

An MMO Fan Shot by Peter S.

I have to admit, I can’t believe how many fans are buying into the “Yoenis Cespedes can’t hit good pitching” rhetoric. We are playing right into the Front Office’s hands by believing he is not good and isn’t worth a contract this offseason. Well, I don’t fall into that category. We are letting the Front Office let the best player we’ve ever had (besides Beltran) walk. Ok, Wright in his heyday was better – but you get my point.

So, I decided to do a little bit of research. I didn’t go into OPS as I believe it is not a good stat in small samples as a couple of homeruns can really weigh it in a players favor. Here goes:

The Question:

How would the top nine free agent hitters fare vs the last 10 winners of the Cy Young Award over the previous six seasons from both leagues?

The Cy Young Award Winners:

1. Jake Arrieta
2. R.A. Dickey
3. Felix Hernandez
4. Zack Greinke
5. Clayton Kershaw
6. Dallas Keuchel
7. Corey Kluber
8. David Price
9. Max Scherzer
10. Justin Verlander

The Top 9 Free Agent Hitters:

Yoenis Cespedes, Justin Upton, Jason Heyward, Ben Zobrist, Daniel Murphy, Chris Davis, Ian Desmond, Alex Gordon and Denard Span

So I pondered…what would these guys do, over 600 at-bats, vs the top pitchers in the game from the last 6 years? I mean, surely, the Cy Young winners is a good and fair barometer, right? So let’s start with the actual AB vs these pitchers:

Now, let’s look at each player’s career numbers over 162 games:

And finally, what would those guys’ numbers look like if they each faced this group of pitchers over 600 at-bats, to me, the best way to judge what that small sample really means:

I never thought I’d see Murphy’s numbers pop out like this, but it shows how well he fares vs good pitching. Of course, that is nowhere near his regular career home run numbers. So perhaps it’s just an outlier.

Cespedes, on the other hand, came in at .279 – 33 – 82 even though all we’ve been hearing is that he cannot hit good pitching. Obviously, these numbers prove otherwise. In fact, these numbers show that just about half of these guys can’t hit good pitching  consistently (Desmond, Zobrist, Gordon & Upton hit .225 or worse). Power wise, Cespedes is ahead of every free agent OF on this list, and well ahead of prodigious home run hitter Chris Davis.

Denard Span, who is reportedly a Met target, had a woeful showing so how is he going to help replace Cespedes? You want Zobrist over Murphy? I hope you see the difference in consistency vs good pitching.

But of course, this is a very small sample, and does not mean anything. But, can we stop saying that Cespedes can’t hit good pitching? Can we please stop talking like Zobrist is the answer? Judging either of these guys based on 150 AB or so makes a lot more sense than judging them based on playoff numbers. But, just in case people are wondering, career numbers for each player in the playoffs:

And if you extrapolate their postseason performance over 600 ABs:

To be fair, Cespedes’ power numbers are cut in a 1/3 off his career, but in terms of batting average, he is right on par with his career numbers. Ben Zobrist can’t shine Murphy’s shoes over 600 playoff AB. Alex Gordon, Mr. “KC Royals approach” – he has a career .222 BA in the playoffs. Not exactly consistent.

And of course, the one guy who will likely get the biggest contract this offseason is Jason Heyward. Please review his numbers above, and think to yourself… Is this guy really getting a better deal than Cespedes? Please, he is not a great player. He is not in Cespedes’ class offensively.

OK, so this argument has major flaws. I get it, there are more overall stats and the old “eye test” to consider. I mean, the NL figured out Cespedes, he can’t possibly make adjustments because he is a head case. I know, I know. He is not worth $20 million a year. I get it. People are scared. Just please, don’t tell me he can’t hit good pitching. It’s just not true. In fact, statistically speaking, he is the second best free agent hitter available vs good pitching. Of course, Sir Murphy is No. 1.

Thanks for giving me a few minutes to vent.

* * * * * * * *

This Fan Shot was contributed by Peter S.. Have something you want to say about the Mets? Share your opinions with over 30,000 Met fans who read this site daily.

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The post MMO Fan Shot: Who Says Cespedes Can’t Hit Good Pitching? appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Mets (64-56) were defeated by the Baltimore Orioles (62-57) by a score of 5-4 tonight at Camden Yards.

Pitching: 

Noah Syndergaard got the start for the Mets, and got himself into immediate danger in the first inning. The rookie right-hander let up a lead-off double to Manny Machado, which was followed by a single from Gerardo Parra.

Parra then stole second base, and Adam Jones walked to load the bases with nobody out. Syndergaard regrouped, and was able to strike out Chris Davis, and get Jonathan Schoop to ground into an inning ending double play.

In the fourth inning, Adam Jones hit a ground rule double to start the frame, which was followed by a walk to Chris Davis. Two batters later, Steve Clevenger hit a single to score Jones and get the Orioles on the board.

Thor pitched into the sixth inning, when the Orioles were able to knot the game up at three at the time, by allowing a two-run shot to Jonathan Schoop.

After allowing a hit to the next batter Steve Clevenger, Syndergaard was removed from the game. He gets a no-decision, and ties a franchise record for going nine straight road starts without a win.

In the seventh inning, Adam Jones hit a home run off of Hansel Robles, who had seemed to turn a corner, to tie up the game yet again.

In the bottom of the ninth, Carlos Torres came in and promptly served up a game-winning home run to Henry Urrutia. Torres falls to 4-5 on the season.

Offense:

In the first inning, Daniel Murphy hit a solo home run to give the Mets an early advantage. The home run was Murph’s ninth of the year.

In the fourth inning, Ubaldo Jimenez walked Lucas Duda to start off the frame. Duda was caught stealing on a failed hit-and-run play, and Juan Uribe struck out.

But with two out, Travis d’Arnaud and Michael Conforto walked and Wilmer Flores hit a single to give the Mets a 2-0 lead.

Daniel Murphy was able to tack on another run for the Mets in the fifth, with a single to score Curtis Granderson.

In the seventh inning, with the game tied, Wilmer Flores launched his 12th homer of the year to tie up the game at the time. Unfortunately, it would be the last Mets run as they failed to rally and win the game.

On deck:

The Mets are off tomorrow, but start a three game series in Colorado this weekend. Bartolo Colon (10-11, 4.58 ERA) gets the ball for the Mets for the opener. First pitch is scheduled for 8:40 PM.

The post MMO Game Recap: Orioles 5, Mets 4 appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

I’m pretty positive the Mets draft room during Thursday night’s First Year Player Draft was more surprised that Oregon State outfielder Michael Conforto was still on the board at number ten, than most Mets fans were when the Mets made him the first college bat selected by the team in six years.

While some reactions praised the selection, a number of fans expressed concern in Conforto. Here are three reasons why Michael Conforto will defy the criticism and be an important part of the New York Mets in the near future.

Pre-Draft Projections

In his final mock draft, released mere hours before the actual event unfolded, Baseball America’s John Manuel projected Conforto to be selected fourth overall by the Chicago Cubs. Obviously, in reality the Cubs opted to select college catcher/outfielder Kyle Schwarber, but let me tell you, Conforto wasn’t listed fourth for no reason. It’s one thing to be dubbed ‘one of the top hitters in the draft.’ But when you’re being touted as ‘the best college bat in the draft’ you deserve to be taken in the top five, unless, as we saw on Thursday, the pool is littered with pitchers. Jim Callis had Conforto going fourth as well, while MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo had him eighth.

College Stats

I know college statistics should be taken with a grain of salt, but this guy’s numbers stand out from the rest. In the Beavers’ 2014 campaign, Conforto hit a career best .351 with 24 extra base hits, and a modest 35 strikeouts in 194 official at bats. These numbers are superb, but two other figures stand out to me. Conforto walked 51 times this past season in 259 plate appearances, which would be a top 30 number in the National League in 2013. If stretched out across a full season, I’m sure Conforto’s patience will be among the league leaders. The other stat that popped out at me was his 1.062 OPS last season, which would have slotted right in between Miguel Cabrera and Chris Davis at the two spot in all of Major League Baseball. This monstrous number not only shows his patience and keen eye at the plate, but that when he makes contact, he’s shooting for extra bases.

The Highest of Honors

The Golden Spikes Award is considered by many to be the most prestigious award in all of amateur baseball. Past winners include Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper, and David Price. This year, Michael Conforto is one of three finalists for the award, along with pitchers A.J. Reed (drafted 42nd overall by the Houston Astros) and Aaron Nola (drafted seventh overall by the Philadelphia Phillies). I don’t know about you, but I think being one of the top three players in amateur baseball means you have serious talent, on and off the ball field.

I’m looking forward to seeing Michael Conforto prove his top ten draft pick status in the minor leagues this year, and soon enough he’ll be roaming the same outfield as Brandon Nimmo and Juan Lagares. The speed and defense aren’t quite there yet, but his stellar bat more than makes up for it. For now, welcome to the Mets, Michael!

LGM

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