Those “locks” currently consist of Edwin Díaz, Reed Garrett, Dedniel Núñez, and José Buttó, of course, pending no injuries or trade. Also notable, all four of those arms are right-handed pitchers.

The Potential Internal Options

Other relievers currently on the Mets 40-man roster are Huascar Brazobán, Dylan Covey, Justin Hagenman, Kevin Herget, Max Kranick, Sean Reid-Foley, Danny Young, and Tyler Zuber. Traditional starting pitchers, Paul Blackburn, Tylor Megill, and Griffin Canning, may all be considered in a long-relief type of role as well.

Of the group of middle-reliever options, Young is the only left-handed pitcher. Further, of those, Brazobán (xERA below 3.64 in each big-league season) and Reid-Foley (2.15 ERA across 29 1/3 innings the last two seasons) are the only two that have seen any sense of sustained success in the big leagues.

Elsewhere, the Mets have non-roster invitees in Génesis Cabrera (LHP), Chris Devenski (RHP), Grant Hartwig (RHP), Anthony Gose (LHP), Oliver Ortega (RHP), and Rico Garcia (RHP) set to join them in camp. Additionally, minor leaguer right-handed relievers Trey McLoughlin (1.89 ERA across 33 1/3 Double-A innings in 2024) and Bryce Montes de Oca (struggled in 2024 after returning from elbow surgery) are other potential options.

Then, there is always a possibility that a current starter in the minor leagues can emerge as a bullpen option with the big club, such as Buttó did. Some names to keep an eye on are Blade Tidwell and Dom Hamel.

Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The External Options

Surprisingly, the bullpen market thus far through free agency has been extremely slow moving. There are still a plethora of higher-end options in Tanner Scott, Kenley Jansen, Jeff Hoffman, David Robertson, Kirby Yates, and Carlos Estévez. However, as president of baseball operations David Stearns has shown in the past, he usually builds his bullpen through lower-cost options.

There are still several that would fit the bill left. This list consists of Scott Barlow, Caleb Ferguson, Andrew Chafin, Ryne Stanek, and the list goes on and on. All signs point to Stearns either leaning more on internal options, or going shopping in this tier of player rather than the higher-tier of guys outlined above.

The Final Product

With all that being said, here is one option for how the Mets’ Opening Day bullpen can look:

• The Locks (4):
  • Edwin Díaz (RHP)
  • José Buttó (RHP)
  • Reed Garrett (RHP)
  • Dedniel Núñez (RHP)
• Free Agent Acquisitions (1+1):
  • Left-Handed (1):
    • Danny Coulombe
    • Jalen Beeks
    • Caleb Ferguson
    • Scott Alexander
    • A.J. Minter
  • Right-Handed (1):
    • Chris Martin
    • Paul Sewald
    • Austin Voth
    • Scott Barlow
    • Ryne Stanek
• Surprise Camp Performer (1):
  • Génesis Cabrera (LHP)
  • Chris Devenski (RHP)
  • Grant Hartwig (RHP)
  • Trey McLoughlin (LHP)
  • Bryce Montes de Oca (RHP)
• Long Reliever (1):
  • Griffin Canning (RHP)
  • Tylor Megill (RHP)
  • Paul Blackburn (RHP)

Take the first four, one from each external left-handed and right-handed reliever option, one from a potential camp surprise performer, and one on-roster longer reliever and you have your 2025 bullpen. This plan would fit David Stearns philosophy of relatively lower-cost options in his bullpen, yet potentially effective.

A bullpen is a vital part to any team, and, as we saw in 2024, is ever-changing, just because you do not get it right at the beginning of the season, does not mean it won’t come together. Regardless, it will be interesting to see how the Mets approach the unit the rest of the offseason.

The post Roadmapping How To Fill Out The Rest Of The Mets’ Bullpen appeared first on Metsmerized.

Position: RP B/T: R/R

Age: 38 (06/02/1986)

2024 Traditional Stats: 45 G, 44 1/3 IP, 3.45 ERA, 1.128 WHIP, 3-1, 50 K, 3 BB

2024 Advanced Stats: 124 ERA+, 27.8% K%, 1.7% BB%, 3.29 xERA, 2.78 FIP, 2.61 xFIP, 0.9 fWAR, 0.2 bWAR

Rundown

Chris Martin had a magical 2023 season that ended with him receiving a Cy Young vote. While his 3.45 ERA was a far cry from the 1.05 mark he posted in 2023, he improved in a lot of ways in 2024. His strikeout rate jumped from 23.1% to 27.8%, his walk rate dropped to a minuscule 1.7% and his xFIP fell from 2.90 to 2.61. A master of control, the 38-year-old amassed a career-best strikeout-to-walk ratio of an eye-popping 16.67.

Statcast indicates that Martin got quite unlucky this season as well. He over-performed his xERA by over two runs in 2023, but his xERA of 3.29 and FIP of 2.78 this year were lower than his ERA by a sizable amount. Opponents batted .276 against him, but they also had a BABiP of .359, the highest he’s ever allowed over the course of a full season. Hitters also posted a .257 xBA when facing him, which is lower than his .265 mark from 2023. The biggest concern with Martin is the long ball – his home run rate nearly tripled from 1% to 2.8%, and his fly ball rate increased from 15.2% to 21.1%. Still, he allowed just nine extra-base hits on the season, giving up fewer than 10 for the second straight year.

Martin relies on a four-pitch mix – a cutter, four-seamer, splitter and sinker. His velocity was down across the board, but his batted-ball data improved significantly on both his four-seamer and cutter. Martin’s cutter was his most effective pitch, registering a 27.6% whiff rate (up from 20.9% in 2023) and a plus-3 run value. Opponents batted .323 against his splitter, though all hits against it were singles.

Contract

Martin isn’t listed on MLB Trade Rumors‘ Top 50 Free Agents list. FanGraphs predicts he will sign a one-year contract worth $7 million. His last deal was worth $17.5 million over two years from the Red Sox.

Recommendation

Martin has been one of the game’s more underrated arms over the last six years, never recording an ERA+ lower than 111. During that stretch, he hasn’t posted a walk rate higher than 4.5%, and the Mets served up the third-most free passes in the majors in 2024. While he’s never been a team’s closer, he’s frequently been deployed in high-leverage situations and has a 1.88 ERA in 14 2/3 postseason innings. The Mets could use another battle-tested arm for a bullpen that was heavily taxed for much of the 2024 season. Despite his age, Martin would make for a solid fit in Flushing.

The post Free Agent Profile: Chris Martin, RP appeared first on Metsmerized.

While the Mets’ bullpen has hit its stride post All-Star break, one of the lone bright spots in the Mets’ ‘pen during the early part of the season could make his return very soon. Reed Garrett, who posted a 1.04 ERA in his first 26 innings of his 2024 season, was placed on the 15-day IL with right elbow inflammation on July 10. Garrett had a steep decline prior to being placed on the IL, climbing to a 3.64 ERA and 1.43 WHIP. 

The Mets are hoping to get the high-end reliever that they saw early in the season upon his return. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told the media that there is a “good chance” the 31-year-old RHP will return to the team during their upcoming weekend series in Seattle. Garrett struck out three in a scoreless frame during his second rehab appearance and looks to add to the backend of the Mets’ bullpen.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Mets tied up their series in Colorado on Wednesday night as they beat the Rockies by a score of 5-3. Paul Blackburn had another wonderful outing, only giving up two runs (one earned) on five hits in his second start as a Met. After scoring two runs in the first two innings, the Mets’ offense went quiet up until the ninth inning. However, with the bases loaded in a 2-2 game, Francisco Lindor came up clutch again with a two-RBI base hit and Jesse Winker added on an RBI single to hand the Mets a three-run lead. Despite giving up a run in the ninth, Edwin Díaz completed the Mets’ win with his 14th save of the season.

The Amazin’s, who are now only 0.5 GB of the Braves for the third Wild Card spot, will look to take the rubber game in Colorado on Thursday. David Peterson (5-1, 3.47 ERA) of the Mets is set to face Austin Gomber (3-7, 4.66 ERA) of the Rockies for a 3:10 p.m. ET start at Coors Field.

Latest Mets News

The Mets come in 10th in Baseball America‘s midseason farm system ranking.

Mets pitching prospect Brandon Sproat will make his Triple-A debut as he will pitch for the Syracuse Mets at 6:35 p.m. on Thursday.

Starling Marte singled in his first plate appearance with Low-A St. Lucie during his rehab assignment, and followed it up by stealing second base. For more on Marte’s rehab assignment, click here.

Luisangel Acuña hit his sixth home run of the season for Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday. It was his third consecutive at-bat with an extra-base hit.

Luisangel Acuña launched his sixth homer of the season for Triple-A Syracuse.

It was his third consecutive at-bat with an XBH.
pic.twitter.com/YK86e34Z7t

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) August 7, 2024

Latest MLB News

Former Met J.D. Davis signed with the Baltimore Orioles, per Jon Heyman of The New York Post. Davis was most recently released by the Yankees and is hitting .218/.293/.338 on the season.

The Chicago Cubs signed former Mets pitcher Adrian Houser to a minor league deal, per MLB.com. Houser finished his short Mets tenure in the bullpen, posting a 5.84 combined ERA as a starter and reliever.

Free-agent pitcher Rich Hill is throwing for interested teams on Friday, August 9 in Waltham, Mass., per Robert Murray of FanSided. The Dodgers and Yankees are among the teams that have shown interest in the 44-year-old pitcher.

Brusdar Graterol, who seemed to have suffered a possible season-ending hamstring injury in his first outing of the season, might be able to return this season, per Dodger Insider. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the MRI showed it was a grade 1 hamstring strain and they are hopeful to have Graterol back this season.

The Baltimore Orioles placed OF Heston Kjerstad on the 10-day IL with a concussion, retroactive to August 1. The club also placed RHP Grayson Rodriguez on the 15-day IL with right lat/teres discomfort, retroactive to August 4.

The Boston Red Sox placed OF Tyler O’Neill on the 10-day IL, retroactive to August 4, with a left leg injection. They also called up INF/OF Enmanuel Valdez from Triple-A Worcester and recalled RHP Chris Martin from the 15-day IL.

With his home run in the Orioles’ 7-3 win over the Blue Jays on Wednesday night, Jackson Holliday became the youngest player in American League history to homer in three straight games.

Latest on MMO

The Mets’ deadline acquisitions have been put to the test early on. 

Luisangel Acuña delivers the walk-off knock for Syracuse.

Starling Marte returns to action in St. Lucie.

On This Date in Mets History

2014: Bartolo Colón records the 200th win of his career as he throws eight innings of one-run ball in a 5-4 Mets win against the Phillies. He joined Juan Marichal and Pedro Martínez as the only Dominican-born pitchers to reach the 200 win milestone.

2011: The Mets come back from a four-run deficit in the eight inning, scoring five runs in the final two innings to beat the Padres by a score of 9-8. Lucas Duda smacked a two-RBI walk-off single off Heath Bell to win the game. Jason Bay also hit his 200th career home run during this game.

1997: The Mets trade Lance Johnson, Mark Clark, and Manny Alexander to the Cubs for Turk Wendell, Mel Rojas and Brian McRae. Wendell would go on to be a big piece of their 1999 and 2000 playoff runs, posting a 2.84 ERA in the 13 postseason games he pitched in during those two runs. 

Birthdays: John Hudek (58)

The post Morning Briefing: ‘Good Chance’ Reed Garrett Returns Against Seattle appeared first on Metsmerized.

The San Diego Padres continued to rebuild their bullpen. With a number of their top relievers in free agency, San Diego is close to adding South Korean reliever Woo Suk Go, who could serve as the teams closer. The deal was first reported by Jon Heyman of the New York Post. 

The 25-year-old has pitched in parts of seven seasons with the Korean Baseball Organization. He has operated as the closer for the LG Twins for the past five seasons. In four of those five seasons, Go has had an ERA below 4.00. 

Go had a record of 3-8, an ERA of 3.68, 15 saves, and 59 strikeouts in 44 innings last season. 

Latest Mets News 

The Mets removed the white shadow on the logo of their black hats. See the change here. 

Darryl Strawberry opened up in a podcast interview with baseball writer Erik Sherman.

Latest MLB News

The Arizona Diamondbacks are signing free agent catcher Tucker Barnhart to a minor league contract, which includes an invite to spring training, per Robert Murray of Fansided.

The Cincinnati Reds announced the contract of Frankie Montas and the decision to designate catcher Austin Wynns for assignment. 

Fernando Tatis Jr. became at least the 2nd player since 2006 to homer in a Dominican League game on his birthday, per Sarah Langs of mlb.com. 

Latest on MMO 

The Metsmerized team gave its Mets New Year’s resolutions in our latest roundtable. 

Brian Wright makes the case for Adrian Gonzalez to be enshrined in Cooperstown.

Patrick Glynn profiles both Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin as trade candidates. 

The Mets Madness recap of the 2022 and 1999 Mets from Jack Ramsey.

At Mets Minors, they talked about the best starting pitchers from the 2023 season.

On this Date in Mets History

2000: The Mets officially released Bobby Bonilla on this day 24 years ago. With his release came decades of deferred payments, which will not stop until 2035. 

Birthdays: Mark Dewey (59), Luis Rivera (60), Jim Dwyer (74), John Sullivan (83)

The post Morning Briefing: Padres Close to Signing Woo Suk Go appeared first on Metsmerized.

It was reported that the Red Sox are looking to continue to shed salaries to make room for other free agents. This is wholly unnecessary because they’re the Boston Red Sox and one of the most valuable teams in baseball. But the Braves took advantage of this by taking a flier for Chris Sale, and other teams could look to make an impact by trading for Red Sox players with higher salaries.

Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin–two right-handed relievers for the Sox–are two who could fit the bill. So let’s do a quick rundown of both and look what it might take to acquire one of both of them.

Rundown

Kenley Jansen (36 years old, $16 million salary for 2024)

2023 Traditional Stats: 51 G, 3-6, 29 SV, 3.63 ERA, 1.276 WHIP, 44.2 IP, 51 K
2023 Advanced Stats: 1.1 fWAR, 3.66 FIP, 3.25 xERA, 27.7 K%, 9.0 BB%

Chris Martin (37, $9 million)

2023 Traditional Stats: 55 G, 4-1, 3 SV, 1.05 ERA, 1.032 WHIP, 51.1 IP, 46 K
2023 Advanced Stats: 1.5 fWAR, 2.44 FIP, 3.25 xERA, 23.1 K%, 4.0 BB%

Jansen and Martin joined the team the offseason prior to bolster a bullpen that was second-worst in the American League in 2022. The Red Sox gave them a combined $25 million per year over the next two seasons, and in 2023, the two individually performed pretty well for Boston–though Jansen left plenty to be desired.

Across 44.2 innings–not a ton for a guy you’re paying $16 million–Jansen compiled a 3.63 ERA and a career-worst 27.7% strikeout rate. There were worries before the season that Jansen would be affected by the pitch clock (he was a notoriously slow pitcher), but he had just three pitch clock violations all year. His struggles on the field came from being a 36-year-old in his 14th year in the league. He’s getting old! His iconic cutter got hit harder than it ever had, he’s missing less bats, and a poor defense–especially in the outfield–with the Sox didn’t help.

Martin is the opposite of Jansen in that he keeps the ball on the ground and kept contact weak. He didn’t allow a home run all season on his cutter and sinker/splitter, and he allowed just two across 51.1 innings. His 1.05 ERA across the season is nothing to scoff at, but it’s not something you’d expect him to repeat in 2024. But you do like to see that despite the frequency of contact, Martin kept runners off the bases with just a 4.0% walk rate and a 1.03 WHIP.

Both relievers, it ends up, had an xERA of 3.25. Martin got a bit lucky–as relievers can over a full season–that his contact typically landed where his infielders were, and Jansen certainly was hurt by his fly ball propensities and a weak outfield.

Acquisition Cost

What it takes to require one or both of these relievers probably partly depends on how much money the Mets are willing to eat–or, how much the Sox are willing to eat.

Boston reportedly is looking for controllable pitching while shedding salary, according to MassLive‘s Chris Cotillo. The Red Sox have shown a knack for getting good value out of their starting pitchers.

There are a range of names like Joey Lucchesi, Jose Butto, Justin Jarvis, and Tyler Stuart who could be used in various types of deals–all depending on if both relievers are involved and how much money the Sox are willing to eat.

The most realistic is that the Sox try to trade Jansen. He’s the more popular name, looks to clearly be regressing after over 800 MLB innings, and he’s owned the most money. They’ll need someone to close if Jansen’s gone, too, so trading away Chris Martin with him wouldn’t make much sense. So if the Sox ate $4 million of his $16 million salary, what would it cost the Mets? Probably not much.

My Thoughts

There’s one name in the Mets bullpen you can count on: Edwin Diaz. David Stearns is doing his best to build the bullpen from scratch, but you just don’t know what you’re going to get from the dozen players Stearns is giving a shot. These are the types of deals the Mets can afford. They can take on money for good players. And if all else fails, and the Mets fall out of contention before the trade deadline, you might be able to make up the value you traded away by trading them again.

Ideally, the Mets could try to find a deal for both relievers, but even if it’s just Jansen, he’d instantly improve the bullpen–and perhaps give Jansen a better role at this point of his career as a set up man.

The post Trade Profile: Kenley Jansen & Chris Martin, RHPs appeared first on Metsmerized.

Credit: Dale Zanine – USA TODAY

The Mets enter the 2022 off-season in dire need of bullpen help. Edwin Díaz, Adam Ottavino, Seth Lugo, Trevor May, Joely Rodríguez, Tommy Hunter, and Trevor Williams will all be free agents. In total, those seven pitchers recorded 379 1/3 innings for the Mets last season.

With the goal of competing in 2023, the Mets will have to build their pen from the plethora of options on the free-agent market. Below I have analyzed the most viable options for the Mets heading into the off-season.

Edwin Díaz

Díaz recorded one of the most dominant seasons as a closer in 2022. He struck out 50.2% of the batters he faced, pitched to a 1.31 ERA, and saved 32 out of 35 save opportunities. The Mets have stated their strong interest in re-signing Díaz and are not afraid to hand out the largest contract ever given to a closer.

Adam Ottavino

Ottavino looked vintage in 2022 and held down the eighth inning for the Mets. He cut down his walks per nine from 5.1 in 2021 to 2.2 in 2022 and recorded a WHIP under 1 for the first time since 2018.

Taylor Rogers

Taylor Rogers struggled after the all-star break once he was traded to the Brewers. He pitched to a 5.48 ERA in Milwaukee and walked 10 batters in 23 innings pitched. However, the left-hander struck out 14.1 batters per nine with the Brewers and was an all-star in 2021.

David Robertson

David Robertson continues to be a dominant reliever at 37 and was an instrumental piece in the Phillies play-off run. He pitched to a 2.40 ERA in 63 2/3 innings in the regular season and struck out 11.5 batters per nine.

Rafael Montero

Add old friend Rafael Montero to the list of pitchers that the Houston Astros have fixed over the last five years. In 2022, he pitched to a 2.37 ERA in 68 1/3 innings and held batters to a slash line of .193/.268/.267/.535.

Michael Fulmer

Michael Fulmer was relegated to the bullpen in 2021 after he struggled with injury and poor performance as a starter. Although he has been better as a reliever, Fulmer’s numbers are not eye popping. In 133 1/3 innings as a reliever, Fulmer has a 1.320 WHIP and 3.17 ERA.

Corey Knebel

Corey Knebel signed a one-year deal with the Phillies in 2022 after reviving his career with the Dodgers the year prior. He struggled in the earlier portion of the season and lost his closers role after blowing four saves in 16 opportunities. Overall, Knebel took a step back in 2022, finishing with a 8.3 SO/9, 1.366 WHIP, and 4.46 FIP.

Kenley Jansen

Kenley Jansen stepped into the Braves closer role last season and proved to be reliable. While he gave up 1.1 home runs per nine innings, he led the National League with 41 saves and 51 games finished. Jansen also finished with a respectable 3.38 ERA.

Seth Lugo

Lugo was a bulldog for the Mets in 2022 and pitched 65 innings last season. While Lugo finished with an average 3.50 ERA in 2022, his SO/9 have gone down every year since 2019.

Robert Suarez

Robert Suarez made his MLB debut in 2022 after spending seven years between the Mexican League and NPB in Japan. He pitched to a 2.27 ERA and struck out 11.5 batters per nine over 44 2/3 innings. While he is 31, Suarez will be a hot commodity in the off season.

Brad Hand

Brad Hand proved last season that his short stint with the Mets in 2021 was not a fluke. He pitched to a 2.80 ERA and allowed only two home runs in 45 innings pitched. Hand will be targeted by many clubs this off-season due to the limited amount of left handers available.

Chris Martin

Chris Martin flourished after being traded to the Dodgers before the deadline in 2022. In LA, he pitched to a 1.46 ERA and walked one batter in 24 2/3 innings pitched. While Martin is 36, he has been one of the most reliable relievers in baseball. Since 2019, he has pitched in 173 innings and recorded a 144 ERA+.

Trevor May

May’s 2022 season was forgettable as the reliever dealt with injuries and only pitched 25 innings. While May pitched to a 5.04 ERA, his FIP finished at 3.87. Expect a bounce back season from May in 2023.

Matt Strahm

Matt Strahm bounced back with the Red Sox in 2022 after his season was cut short by injury last year. He pitched to a 3.83 ERA in 44 2/3 innings pitched. While Strahm struck out 10.5 batters per nine, he struggled with base runners and recorded a 1.231 WHIP in 2022.

Trevor Williams

Williams was the equivalent of a utility infielder out of the Mets bullpen in 2022. He logged 89 2/3 innings pitched, started nine games, and recorded one save last season. Meanwhile, Williams finished with a 3.21 ERA and 120 OPS+.

Brad Boxberger

Brad Boxberger finished another great year with the Brewers and recorded consecutive seasons of 64 innings pitched. While his 2.95 ERA was better in 2022, his 9.6 SO/9 and 1.234 WHIP were worse.

Will Smith

Will Smith revitalized his 2022 season after being traded to the Astros. After allowing seven home runs in 37 innings with the Braves, Smith pitched to a 3.27 ERA in Houston and allowed two home runs in 22 innings. Smith has been one of the most consistent left handed relievers since 2018 and has pitched to a 3.27 ERA over 261 1/3 innings.

The post Analyzing the 2023 Relief Pitching Free Agent Market appeared first on Metsmerized.

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

The trade deadline dominoes are starting to fall. The Colorado Rockies decided to re-sign closer Daniel Bard to a new contract, as MLB.com insider Mark Feinsand reports, the deal is for two years and about $19M. However, Bard wasn’t the only move to go down Saturday, so let’s look at the most recent rumors.

Rockies Plan to Hold Three Starters

NY Post‘s Jon Heyman reports that the Colorado Rockies plan to keep three of their starting pitchers. Kyle Freeland, Antonio Senzatela, and German Marquez will most likely be staying put in Colorado, as the team does not seem anxious to wheel and deal.

Heyman reports that the Rockies have not found much traction in All-Star 1B C.J. Cron trade talks. Cron is slashing .280/.335/.521 this year with 22 home runs and 71 runs batted in.

Phillies Add Infield Depth

The Philadelphia Phillies acquired shortstop Edmundo Sosa from the Cardinals on Saturday, as The Athletic‘s Ken Rosenthal reported. Sosa has played second base, shortstop, and third base this year. In 122 at-bats, he is slashing .189/.244/.270, with zero home runs. 

Dodgers Add Bullpen Arm

ESPN‘s Buster Olney reported that the Los Angeles Dodgers had acquired right-handed reliever Chris Martin from the Chicago Cubs. Martin, 36, has a 4.31 ERA this season, with a 3.02 FIP and 1.34 WHIP. The Dodgers are believed to still be in on Juan Soto, but that will not stop the team from adding to the rest of their roster.

MLB.com Cubs reporter Jordan Bastian has the details of the return for Martin. The Cubs will receive 27-year-old utility man Zach McKinstry.

Braves Looking for Outfield Depth

MLB.com insider Mark Feinsand reports that the Atlanta Braves are searching for outfield depth and may have a specific target in mind. Michael A. Taylor, 31, is the player on their radar. Taylor is in the first year of a two-year, $9M deal with the Kansas City Royals. With the Royals out of it, perhaps the Braves can acquire him. Taylor has played 72 games, slashing .275/.345/.395 this season with the Royals.

The post Rumor Roundup: Bard Re-Signs in Colorado appeared first on Metsmerized.

Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

In front of a sold out crowd sans the presence of super fan Mary Hart, and Gavin Lux in the lineup, the Dodgers dusted off their humiliating loss to stave off elimination.

Chris Taylor, the guy responsible for his teammates donning uniforms late into October, launched a postseason record three home runs in a win or go home, showing Braves offensive man of the hour, Eddie Rosario, whatever you can do, I an do better.

It was an ominous start when Joe Kelly, the first of many bullpen bodies to take the mound, left the game with bicep tightness after surrendering a sneaky Ozzie Alibies single, followed by a two-run homer to Freddie Freeman, one batter shy of completing the inning.

Former Atlanta reliever Evan Phillips came to the rescue earlier than expected, striking out Adam Duvall, preventing any further damage.

Braves ace Max Fried, who looks like an older version of the boy who took me to the sixth grade prom, surrendered a lone single to Trea Turner in the bottom frame, hopefully a sign of good things to come for the slumping second baseman.

Evans returned for seconds in the top of the second, getting Joc Pederson on a pop up to center, fanning Dansby Swanson and Travis d’Arnaud looking and swinging at a series of nasty sliders – prompting Ron Darling to share through Braves skipper Brian Snitker, that the righty didn’t have that stuff when pitching for Atlanta.

In the bottom half leadoff batter A.J. Pollock took Fried’s 94 mph four-seamer into the left field seats. Albert Pujols proving he’s still got game, delivered a sharp single to left, and Taylor, hammered a first pitch fastball, much further in the same direction, 406 ft. to be exact, putting LA ahead, 3-2.

Alex Vesia and his porn mustache, reminiscent of Charlie Finley’s Oakland A’s, replaced Phillips. As Will Smith flashed a sequence of signs, my husband complained that he was getting mixed signals. Max Fried, a good hitting pitcher, was punched out on a called strike three. Rosario singled to center, Albies flied out to left and with Freddie Freeman and his scorched bat at the plate, Smith nailed Rosario trying to swipe second.

In the bottom of the third, we learned that Sandy Koufax was Fried’s favorite player, sharing not only their Jewish heritage, but also his number 32, that he wore in high school. Unable to channel his hero, the lanky lefty lost Pollock on a base hit to left, followed by Pujol’s single to right center, and Taylor’s RBI single up the middle.

With a 4-2 lead, Dodger reliever Brusdar Graterol, always appearing hopped up on Adderall, retired the side in order in the fourth, striking out Duvall on a 90 mph slider after three servings of 100 mph heat.

Fried answered back with his first 1,2,3 inning on milder in comparison pitches in the mid-90’s.

In the top of the fifth, Graterol used eight pitches to erase the side in order, getting Pederson swinging and looking at a cutter, sinker and slider.

Leading off the bottom frame, Smith drew a walk and was eliminated along with Pollock on a 643 double play. Pujols free pass on seven pitches ended Fried’s outing, bringing Chris Martin to the mound. On his third pitch, Taylor took his namesakes 95 mph four-seam fastball into the center field seats for two more ribbies, extending the Dodger lead 6-2, receiving another hug at the plate from Pujols.

Blake Treinen, a calmer version of Graterol, took care of business in the top of the sixth keeping the hot-hitting Rosario from cashing in on his double by getting Albies and Freeman to fly out to left.

Braves brought in Dylan Lee to stop the bleeding in bottom half, which he succeeded, allowing a sole single to the surging Turner, who for the first time in the NLCS, was sitting at 2-3.

It took Treinen six pitches to retire the Braves in order in the seventh. And in the bottom of the inning, it took Taylor the same amount to drive in his sixth run, with a solo blast to left center, his third, living up to his moniker, CT3.

Corey Knebel struck out the side in the top of the eighth after surrendering a lead off single to Swanson. Jacob Webb had the dubious honor of pitching to the Dodgers in the bottom half, and didn’t fare better than those who preceded. Betts was back to playing like Betts, singling and stealing second. Turner brought him home on his first RBI base hit of the NLCS. Seager singled to center and Pollock, playing second fiddle to Taylor, knocked in three more runs with his second homer on a 94 mph four-seamer.

Kenley Jansen closed it out, retiring the Braves heart of the order, in order, with his signature hip twitching pitching.

So, for the Dodgers it’s now on to Atlanta with a hopeful, let’s win there.

The post Dodgers Say, ‘Not So fast,’ Beating the Braves to Survive Another Day appeared first on Metsmerized.

Good Morning, Mets fans!

Last night, Michael Wacha made his third start of the season against the Miami Marlins at Citi Field. While Wacha struck out a surprising nine in five innings, the Mets ultimately faltered, falling 4-3 to the red-hot Marlins.

Tonight at 7:10 PM, LHP David Peterson (1-1, 3.86 ERA) will take the mound for the second game of the series against whomever the Marlins decide is pitching on Saturday evening. Their pitcher is currently TBD. The game will be televised on SNY and broadcast on WCBS 880AM.

Latest Mets News

On Friday afternoon, the Mets announced that they had activated RHP Robert Gsellman from the Injured List after suffering right triceps tightness, LHP Daniel Zamora was optioned to the team’s alternate training site, and INF Luis Carpio was added to the Mets’ 60-man player pool.

Ryan Cordell who was designated for assignment, according to Justin Toscano of The Record, earlier this week, cleared waivers and was optioned to the team’s alternate site in Brooklyn.

According to Jeffery Flanagan, MLB beat writer for Kansas City Royals, has wrote that the Royals have been impressed with what they have been seeing from former Met Matt Harvey stating, “He’s throwing really well.” The Royals are planning to make a decision on how they want to use him shortly.

Latest MLB News

Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic reported that out of the 13,043 COVID-19 test samples only 13 tests came back positive which is 0.1 percent as new positive cases. Out of the 13, seven were players, and six were staff members.

The Cubs and Yankees have been trying to create their own “bubble” while in team hotels during trips, Patrick Mooney and Marc Carig of the Athletic wrote about the competitive advantage they are trying to create with this bubble-like atmosphere to stay safe during pandemic baseball.

Mark Saxon of MLB, reported that the St. Louis Cardinals game was postponed Friday night so the team can control the positive tests they just received.

Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times, reported that former Angels employee Eric Kay was charged with federal authorities in Texas with distributing fentanyl, which is in direct connection to the death of former Angels starting pitcher Tyler Skaggs.

The Tampa Bay Rays have selected the contract of former Mets relief pitcher, Sean Gilmartin.

The Kansas City Royals moved LHP Mike Montgomery and RHP Glenn Sparkman from the 10-day injured list to the 45-day injured list.

George Springer has sprained his right wrist as per, Manager Dusty Baker on Friday.

Latest NL East News

The Atlanta Braves made a slew of roster moves on Friday: placed RHP Chris Martin on the 10-day injured list (retroactive of August 6), with an esophageal constriction and recalled RHP Chad Sobotka to Atlanta. The Braves also claimed LHP Robbie Erlin off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Stephen Strasburg will make his 2020 debut for the Washington Nationals on Sunday against the Baltimore Orioles.

Latest on MMO

John Jackson discussed how the Mets should structure their starting rotation once Marcus Stroman rejoins the team.

Michael Mayer argues why Andres Gimenez should be considered as a consistent starter for the Mets.

Michelle Iannaou talks about the struggle of losing her Mets loving brother and how it still affects her today.

On this Day in Mets History

Happy Birthday to John Hudek (54)!

2014: Bartolo Colon joined Juan Marichal and Pedro Martinez and becomes the third pitcher from the Dominican Republic to win 200 major league games. He accomplished this feat after going eight innings giving up only six hits and one run to the Philadelphia Phillies in the Mets’ 5-4 win over their NL East rival.

Stay happy, healthy, and safe!

The post Morning Briefing: Mets’ Bats Continue To Struggle Against Scalding Marlins appeared first on Metsmerized.

The market for relievers is starting to heat up. Will Smith, Chris Martin, Darren O’Day, and Drew Pomeranz are already signed, and Dellin Betances is drawing interest from the Phillies. For the Mets to upgrade their bullpen, they need to move quickly before the remaining good options are taken.

Currently, Will Harris and Daniel Hudson are two of the top relievers left. Harris posted a 1.50 ERA with a 0.933 WHIP in 2019, while Hudson had a 2.47 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in 73 innings pitched. MLB Trade Rumors projected that Harris will get a two year, $18M deal, while Hudson is projected to receive a two year, $12M contract.

But these projections were made before Pomeranz landed a four year, $34M contract with the Padres on Saturday. The size of Pomeranz’s contract surprised many, and it could show that the price for relievers is going up – or that San Diego’s notoriously aggressive GM, A.J. Preller, overspent and misplayed the market.

Hopefully, the latter is true for the Mets sake. They are already close to reaching the luxury tax threshold without even making a move, and they desperately need bullpen help.

In 2019, the Mets’ bullpen ranked 25th in the MLB in ERA, and they saw their best options heading into the year – Edwin Diaz and Jeurys Familia – fall apart. Diaz struggled immensely with a 5.59 ERA, and  Familia was no better with a 5.70 ERA and an unsightly 1.73 WHIP.

Out of all the Mets’ relievers, Seth Lugo remains the only trustworthy option. Lugo recorded a 2.70 ERA with 104 strikeouts in 80 innings pitched last season. He also posted a 0.90 WHIP, and an outstanding 6.50 K/BB ratio.

Aside from Harris and Hudson, there are a few solid options, but not many. The Mets could look at Steve Cishek, a 33-year-old reliever with a career 2.69 ERA. He recorded a 2.95 ERA with a 1.20 WHIP last season with the Cubs, though his 4.54 FIP suggest that he could be in line for some regression in 2020.

Another option could be the Padres’ Craig Stammen. The 35-year-old reliever had a 3.29 ERA in 82 innings in 2019, and he is just one year removed from holding an excellent 2.73 ERA and 2.19 FIP.

The Mets could also think outside the box and look at trade candidates like Oakland’s Blake Treinen, or as Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic suggested Sunday night, Josh Hader from the Brewers. Rosenthal observes that Hader could be a fit given that GM Brodie Van Wagenen was previously his agent.

Regardless of what route the Mets take, they need aggressively pursue their options because they can’t head into 2020 with the same bullpen that hurt them so badly this year. Whether it’s taking a chances on high upside – but injury prone – relievers like Betances and Arodys Vizcaino, or adding dependable veterans like Harris, Hudson, or Stammen, the Mets must make significant changes to their bullpen. And if they don’t act quickly, these options could dwindle down very soon.

The post Mets Must Act Now on Reliever Market appeared first on Metsmerized.