Good morning, Mets fans!

Today the Mets will open a series against the Tampa Bay Rays. For Pete Alonso, this will be a special weekend as he returns home to Tampa. He will have the opportunity to play in his hometown this weekend in front of many friends and family as the Mets look to keep their bats and their win streak alive against the Rays. 

Latest Mets News 

Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times describes the excitement that Pete Alonso has to look forward to as he returns home to Tampa where he will have the opportunity to play in front of his friends and family at Tropicana Field.

Jacob Resnick of SNY reported on Thursday that Mets minor league right-handed pitcher Bryce Hutchinson is stepping away from baseball and will be focusing on the Twitch brand he has grown of over 150k followers. In 2019, Hutchinson had a 2.90 ERA out of the bullpen in Low-A ball.

According to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, Brandon Nimmo began a rehab assignment for the Triple-A Syracuse Mets on Thursday night. He is eligible to return from the injured list today while the Mets are in Tampa. Per John Flanigan of Metsmerized, Syracuse Mets manager Chad Kreuter has stated he expects Nimmo to be on rehab assignment with the team through Saturday.

According to Metsmerized’s Michael Mayer, the Seattle Mariners have signed former New York Met Eric Campbell to a minor league contract.

The New York Mets’ Team Store is back open. Fans can visit the store on non-game days from 10am-5pm Tuesday through Saturday.

Latest Mets Minor League News

Per Michael Mayer of Metsmerized, the St. Lucie Mets have placed 2020 first round draft pick Pete Crow-Armstrong on the 7-day injured list. He is currently hitting .417/.563/.500 on the season.

Michael Mayer of Metsmerized also reported that Mets top prospect Francisco Alvarez left Thursday night’s game for the St. Lucie Mets against Daytona after a collision at home plate.

Michael Mayer of Metsmerized tweeted on Thursday that Mets shortstop prospect Ronny Mauricio was named High-A East Player of the Week. He is hitting .310/.355/.759 with three home runs and eight RBI’s this season with the Brooklyn Cyclones.

John Flanigan of Metsmerized reported on Thursday night that Mets right-handed pitching prospect Harol Gonzalez underwent season-ending Tommy John Surgery last Thursday.

Latest MLB News

Per Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the MLB Players Association has filed a grievance that MLB did not attempt to play as many games as possible in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season. MLB in return filed a counter-grievance.

As reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Albert Pujols, who was released by the Angels has cleared waivers and is free to sign with any club. The Angels will be responsible for and obligated to pay the rest of Pujols’ $30 million salary, minus the pro-rated portion of the league minimum.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on Thursday that according to a source, Alex Rodriguez and tech entrepreneur Marc Lore have reached an agreement to purchase the Minnesota Timberwolves from Glen Taylor for $1.5 billion.

Per Nick Stellini, CDC Director of Rochelle Walensky stated that the agency is looking into the New York Yankees’ COVID-19 outbreak due to the amount of positives the team currently has. Linsey Adler of The Athletic reported on Thursday afternoon that Gleyber Torres was among the Yankees’ newest positive players/coaches.

Per MiLB-Transactions, the Minnesota Twins have signed infielder Daniel Descalso to a minor league contract.

Via Hunter Pence – “Buckle up for the new episode of Baseball Barista with Grant Brisbee.”

Per William Boor of MLB Pipeline, according to a source, Arizona Diamondbacks’ top prospect Corbin Carroll will be undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery.

Per Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record/USA Network, Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks underwent an MRI and X-Rays for a left wrist issue and his status is still being evaluated. He did not play Thursday night against the Rays.

On a heavy injury-laden night, Zach Buchanan of The Athletic reported that the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Asdrubal Cabrera was being helped off the field with what appeared to be an apparent right leg injury after attempting to steal second base and “tumbling” on his way there.

Mets Minor League Affiliate Scores from Saturday, May 8, 2021

• Lucie Mets 2 Daytona Tortugas 15 (Doubleheader – Game 1)
• Lucie Mets 2 Daytona Tortugas 0 (Doubleheader – Game 2)
• Syracuse Mets 4 Worcester Red Sox 7
• Binghamton Rumblie Ponies 6 Altoona Curve 9
• Brooklyn Cyclones 2 Greenville Drive 8

Latest on MMO

Connor Grey recaps the Mets Minor League affiliate games from Wednesday night, including Quinn Brodey hitting a home run in Syracuse’s win on Wednesday night.

Patrick Glynn dives into three up and three down from the Mets’ last seven games.

Pat Ragazzo journeys into how Mets’ Jeurys Familia is turning back the clock.

Nate Mendelson discusses the MLBPA seeking $500 million in new grievance against MLB.

Anthony E. Parelli writes an NL East Roundup and dives into the Mets grabbing hold of first place.

Joe D. talks about the CDC’s newest guideline of vaccinated individuals being able to go out without masks on.

Michelle Ioannou and the MMO Team discuss Matt Harvey’s return to Citi Field in their latest MMO Roundtable.

Beyond the Blog

Mets Maniacs: On the latest episode of Mets Maniacs, host Mike Breznak is joined by special guest Josh Grossman as they dive into the Jacob deGrom’s injury, the Orioles series, Harvey’s homecoming, the seven-game win streak, and what to expect in the upcoming Rays series.  Make sure to follow the show on Twitter @MetsManiacsPod!

Locked On Mets: On today’s episode, host Ryan Finkelstein previews the Mets upcoming series against the Tampa Bay Rays, as New York looks to extend their winning streak. Ryan is also joined by MMO’s Brian Wright for a Flashback Friday special, as they discuss some of the best debuts in the Mets history.

On This Date in Mets History

1972: Willie Mays returns to New York in his debut with the Mets. He hit the game-winning home run off of Don Carrithers to defeat his former team 5-4.

2006: On Mother’s Day, with his mom in the stands, Bill Hall hit a walk-off home run to beat the Mets at Millar Park 6-5.

2009: The Mets collected a franchise-record seven stolen bases in their 7-4 win over the Giants.

Birthdays: Brian Lawrence (45), Takashi Kashiwada (50), Dick Tidrow (74)

Let’s go Mets!

The post Morning Briefing: It’s Homecoming Weekend for Pete Alonso appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Good morning, folks!

deLatest Mets News

Jacob deGrom is the NL Cy Young. He won in a pretty decisive manner, securing 29-of-30 first place votes. deGrom had a 1.70 ERA, 10.0 bWAR, 1.98 FIP, 217 ERA+, and 269 strikeouts over 217 innings. Yeah that is pretty good.

Many Mets and both Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez, congratulated Jacob deGrom for winning the Cy Young.

The entire Mets staff including Mickey Callaway, Omar Minaya, Tommy Tanous, and John Ricco watched the announcement in Brodie Van Wagenen’s office:

We piled in my office to watch the historic announcement. Congrats @JdeGrom19 on the #NLCyYoung! pic.twitter.com/hMSQqR9ybI

— Brodie Van Wagenen (@RocBVW) November 15, 2018

Mark Simon of Sports Info writes about what made Jacob deGrom so good in 2018.

In other news, Ed Kranepol is still looking for a kidney.

Jay Horwitz has a podcast out now.

Latest MLB News

Alex Cora was extended through 2021 with an option for 2022.

According to Jacob Resnick on Twitter, Juan Centeno signed with the Red Sox, Eric Campbell is with Oakland, and Wilfredo Tovar is with the Angels.

The Indians and Pirates completed a minor five player trade.

Latest NL East News

Mark Bowman explores relievers for the Braves.

Max Scherzer lost the NL Cy Young to Jacob deGrom, he did receive one first place vote.

The Phillies placed Justin Bour on waivers.

Aaron Nola also lost the NL Cy Young to Jacob deGrom.

Latest on MMO

Josh Finklestein writes about Peter Alonso‘s relationship with Brodie Van Wagenen.

Josh also looks at the top moments of deGrom’s career.

Jack Ramsey has the latest Hot Stove News.

This Day in Mets History

2006: Traded Heath Bell and Royce Ring to the Padres for Ben Johnson and Jon Adkins.

2012: Signed right-hander Carlos Torres.

Birthdays: Randy Niemann turns 63

The post Morning Briefing: Long Live DeKing appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

3 UP

1.  Rosario Raking

When he was called up to the majors, Amed Rosario was playing great defensively, and he was finding himself offensively. Well, if the past month is any judge, Rosario has found himself.  In the month of September, he’s hitting .429/.478/.476 with a double and a stolen base.

It’s more than just the stats. Much like his mentor, Jose Reyes, Rosario has been able to get on base and create runs using his speed.  He’s a dynamic player who can affect a game in a lot of ways, and we’re seeing him just scratch the surface now.

Unfortunately, Rosario left yesterday’s game with a hip flexor injury.

2.  Smith’s Power Stroke

One of the major questions about Dominic Smith during his minor league career and when he was called up to the majors was his ability to hit for power.  Well, as noted by ESPN‘s Mark Simon, Smith is ranked third in the majors in exit velocity in the Month of September.

Unlike former Met Eric Campbell, we have seen tangible results with Smith’s exit velocity.  The first baseman has hit three doubles and four homers already in the month, and he is slugging a robust .545.  This streak follows the power hitting trends we have seen from him at the end of last year and the second half of this year prior to his call-up to the majors.

3.  Bruce Walk-Off

While the Mets were getting embarrassed and outclassed again, Jay Bruce was in Cleveland hitting a walk-off double to secure the Indians 22nd straight win.

Overall, there have not been many things to root for this season, but Bruce has been one of them.  After a tough 2016 tenure with the Mets, he rebounded and had a great year with the Mets.  He’s one of the good guys, and it’s nice to see him in a much better situation winning games.

3 DOWN

1.  Dejected Harvey

Time and again after a poor start, Matt Harvey would find reasons for hope.  He would point to his velocity being there.  Other times, Harvey would point out his stuff is improving.  When all else fails, Harvey would say he just needed to make mechanical adjustments.

After a 3.1 inning start against the Cubs, Harvey just fessed up.  He’s not had a lot good happen to him over the past few injury riddled seasons.  The fire, competitive spirit, and fight we’ve seen from him in past moments seemed long gone.  That’s probably what happens to you when you’ve dealt with Tommy John and TOS.  It is also the result of him having a 5.45 ERA and a 1.517 WHIP over the last two years.

This isn’t Harvey, and he knows it.  There’s still some time and a whole offseason for him to hopefully get back to that point.  But for right now, it’s time to admit things are wrong with him and move on from there.

2.  The Bullpen

In this series, the Mets made 17 pitching changes.  The first 15 relievers brought in allowed a run, inherited run, or both.  The collective performance of the bullpen led to the Cubs scoring a ton of runs.  In fact, the Mets allowed 39 runs which is the most they have allowed in a three game series in their history. Put another way, the Mets have achieved a new low this year.

3.  Officially Eliminated

As put so succinctly and damningly by MMO‘s Michael Mayer yesterday, the Mets have suffered their seventh losing season during Sandy Alderson’s nine year tenure as the Mets GM.

After last night’s loss, the Mets have also officially missed the postseason for the seventh time over the last nine years. This is now the second earliest the Mets have been eliminated from postseason contention.

Long story short, this season has been a complete and utter disaster, and it’s been indicative of the struggles the Mets have had during the Sandy Alderson Era. In order to change that narrative, the Mets are going to have to go out this offseason and make the changes necessary to make this a winning team again.

If not, we very well could remember this era for Sandy falling to deliver a World Series or at least a prolonged stretch of winning.

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Cubs Maul Mets In Sweep appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

After a long offseason of inaction following the re-signing of outfielder Yoenis Cespedes to a four-year, $110 million dollar deal in November, the New York Mets sprung back into action last week, re-signing left-hander Jerry Blevins and right-hander Fernando Salas to one-year deals and even adding veteran southpaw Tom Gorzelanny on a minor-league contract.

So in one fell swoop they completed their No. 2 offseason priority which was to secure two veteran arms for the bullpen. And the interesting part is that they didn’t have to trade Jay Bruce to free up the payroll dollars to get each of those deals done. It looks like the former Reds slugger will go into the the 2017 season as the de facto right fielder for the New York Mets. As Jerry Seinfeld would say, “Not that there’s anything wrong with that.”

Blevins, 33, was the biggest prize of the bullpen bounty, signing a one year deal for $6.5 million with a team option for $6 million. It’s important to remember that Blevins began the offseason looking for a three year, $19 million dollar deal, so what a coup this is for Sandy Alderson who played his hand brilliantly.

In Blevins the Mets get a sure-fire commodity who gave them a 2.79 ERA in 73 games last season, while striking out 52, walking 15, and posting a career-best 11.1 strikeout rate. Not only did he hold lefty batters to a .637 OPS for the Mets in 2016, but he was even better against right-handed batters who he held to a .611 OPS in 55 at-bats.

Salas, 31, got a one-year deal worth $3 million dollars which seems like a steal compared to some of the other deals similar pitchers have received in previous offseasons. Salas posted a 2.08 ERA and 19/0 K/BB ratio over 17.1 innings with the Mets in 2016 after coming over in a trade from the Angels at the deadline. For his career he has a 3.64 ERA and K/BB ratio of 385/114 in 388.1 innings over seven seasons.

I read a few articles elsewhere over the weekend that the Mets are “bringing the band back,” or essentially showing up with the “same old team” as last year – the one that barely scraped by and lost the Wild Card. Some people…

If you think this is the same team as last year, put down the pipe and think again. Last Opening Day we had Eric Campbell, Logan Verrett, Alejandro De Aza, Antonio Bastardo, Kevin Plawecki, and Jim Henderson in the home team dugout. A motley crew to say the least.

Those names have now been replaced with Jay Bruce, Robert Gsellman, Seth Lugo, Fernando Salas, Jose Reyes, and Rene Rivera. That’s quite a big upgrade. In fact, it’s actually a formidable upgrade and anyone who can’t see that really isn’t very good at baseball.

Meanwhile the Nationals… What have they done? Their bullpen is in complete shambles. Sure they got Adam Eaton, but he essentially replaces the offense they lost behind the plate with Wilson Ramos. Daniel Murphy is due for some regression, Ryan Zimmerman batted .218 last season Jayson Werth batted .244.

Look, all I’m saying is that the Washington Nationals are not exactly the unbeatable force that everyone is making them out to be. And that the New York Mets are not a team with a second place ceiling at best. And when are these so-called experts ever right anyway?

I’ve been following baseball long enough to know that there are only two absolutes in this game. Number one, nobody ever wins anything on paper. And number two, there’s no telling who lady luck will smile upon in any given season.

The way I see it, we have a tremendous team entering the new season and we have much to be excited about here. This is a significantly better group of players than the team we had on last year’s Opening Day roster. This could be the year that for the very first time we’ll finally get to see the Fab Five all taking a turn in the same starting rotation. Potentially, we could have five 25 homer bats in the same starting lineup. Last season we had the third best bullpen in baseball, this year it could be the best. This is the best team on balance that we’ve had in years. I’m really feeling it this season… This is a team every Met fan needs to get behind.

The post These Are Not The Same Old Mets appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

As Major League Baseball mourned the tragic loss of Marlin’s ace pitcher Jose Fernandez, the #16 jersey bearing his name hung on the back wall of every doleful dugout.

And on this somber Sunday at Citi Field, the Mets muscled their way through their emotions in their final regular season home game with a payback 17-0 pummeling of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Rookie Robert Gsellman got the 6th inning goat off his back by tossing seven strong shutout innings of three-hit ball, striking out a career high eight batters for his third win of the season.

Gsellman had no trouble with his curve and some good fortune with his bat beating out a bunt single for his first big league hit.

For the Mets it was literally a walk in the park as the Phillies’ failure to find the plate resulted in nine walks, four hit batters, and three wild pitches, loading the bases five times, gifting New York with an embarrassment of riches of runs.

The beleaguered Jay Bruce, coming off the high of his Saturday night home run, doubled twice, hopefully a sign that he’s peaking, albeit way past his due date, to help his team pull off a second consecutive playoff spot.

Curtis Granderson belted another jack joining Bruce and Yoenis Cespedes in the 30 HR club, and like the Cincinnati transplant that’s finally producing, Granderson’s bat will be major factor as the Wild Card race nears the finish line.

Phillies manager Pete Mackanin gave starter Jake Thompson the hook in the 4th after the rookie allowed 4 of 5 Mets batters to reach base, but their battered bullpen, not faring much better, allowed 14 runs in the next four innings.

With the Mets cruising 7-0, Asdrubal Cabrera, along with his compromised knees, crushed a grand slam, and the hits and runs kept coming when Terry Collins brought Michael Conforto and Eric Campbell in off the bench.

The usual relief options got some rest. Fernando Salas struck out the side in the 8th, Jerry Blevins had an easy 1,2,3 ninth and the Mets took 3 of 4 from their downtrodden rivals.

On Monday, the Mets travel to Miami to face a shaken Marlins team that surely wants to honor the loss of the beloved and cherished, Jose Fernandez. And as the show must go on, Bartolo Colon will have the unfortunate task of trying to prevent that from happening.

Here are some interesting takeaways from Sunday’s win:

The 17 runs by the Mets are the most in a home game in Citi Field history, passing the 15 runs the Mets scored in a 15-2 victory over the Dodgers on July 25, 2015. The 17 runs are also tied for the most in any home game in Mets history, matching the 17 runs the Mets scored in a 17-3 win over the Florida Marlins in the second game of a doubleheader on July 8, 2006.

The 17 runs are tied for the eighth-most runs scored in a Mets game in team history. It’s the fifth time that the Mets have scored 17 runs in a game (last – June 27, 2012 at Chicago-NL in a 17-1 win).

The 17-0 shutout win is the largest margin of victory in a Mets shutout in team history, passing a pair of 14-0 shutout wins (July 29, 1965 at Chicago-NL and April 19, 1998 at Cincinnati). The shutout is the 13th by Mets pitching this season. The last 17-0 shutout win in the major leagues occurred June 17, 2015 by the Chicago Cubs at Cleveland.

New York’s 17-run margin of victory is the second-largest margin of victory in Mets history. The biggest margin of victory was 18 runs in a 19-1 win at Wrigley Field on May 26, 1964 vs. the Cubs.

The post Mets Set Franchise Record With 17 Run Shutout In Regular Season Finale At Citi appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

And of course the Pacific Coast League has named Las Vegas 51s infielder T.J. Rivera Player of the Month for May. Because, why not?

Rivera, 27,  batted .373 in May with five home runs and 31 RBI, and currently leads the Pacific Coast League with 48 RBI.

He is batting a team leading .358 with a .398 on-base and .912 OPS for the season, and is a career .322 hitter in six minor league seasons.

Original Article – June 2

Maybe it’s time for the Mets to try on an unconventional hat. For many individuals and even for some sports teams, success comes as a result of taking a risk, of thinking out of the box, of being true to themselves. How else would you explain R.A. Dickey’s Cy Young success for the Mets several years ago?

It’s human nature sometimes to be cautious to overly analyze all the reasons something may not work choosing to stay with the original plan without taking the risk of making changes. Yet history shows when people find the courage to dare, the ability to take a “leap in faith” and pursue an unconventional path, great things sometimes happen.

Our New York Mets have reached a challenging juncture in the current baseball campaign. The Mets team was built around solid pitching and the home run power to score runs. That plan has worked admirably throughout the first quarter of the baseball campaign, but injuries shelving three of the eight original position players threaten to derail the Mets baseball train. It’s not time for “Panic City” but to steady a rocking ship. The Mets need some offensive support.

Is it possible that help already exists in the Mets system? What would be the harm of finally giving T.J. Rivera a chance to prove that he can hit at the major league level? The kid has hit at every level he’s played in professional baseball, and he’s simply ripping it up in Las Vegas. Concerns about his lack of defense range are secondary if Rivera is given a shot to prove his worth at third base.

But let’s not pretend that spinal stenosis has not already reduced David Wright to a shell of his former self on the defensive side of the field in the first place. It’s Rivera’s bat that we could use at the moment.

I am aware that if Rivera is elevated to the big squad, someone currently on the 40-man roster becomes vulnerable. There is an old saying that growth and comfort do not coexist. Sticking with the plan as originally devised is not the answer when aggressive risk-taking behaviors positioned us for success in the first place.

The Mets could easily make room on the 40 by removing Akeel Morris, Eric Campbell or if the news on Wright is true, put him on the 60 day DL or Lucas Duda for that matter. The point is the 40 is a weak excuse for not bringing up Rivera.

In just under 200 at-bats this spring in Las Vegas, T.J. Rivera has a .365/.399/.531 slash line. A proven contact hitter, Rivera has 12 doubles, 6 home runs and leads the team with 45 RBI’s, the top RBI total in the Pacific Coast League.

A recent PCL Player of the Week, Rivera recently led the conference in batting average although currently he has dipped to second in the batting title race. The Las Vegas infielder might provide the Mets with some small ball run production during a time when their HR production is lagging.

In an ESPN story on Rivera Adam Rubin wondered if there might be something in Rivera’s swing that is blocking his final step to the big leagues.

But, a National League scout threw water on that fire quickly:

“No there is not,” the scout told Rubin in reference to a possible flaw in his swing. “He just needs and opportunity. The kid hits and keeps hitting.”

In the spring it was Kevin Plawecki who marveled at Rivera’s work in the batter’s box and wondered out loud what it would take for someone to recognize that this kid could hit in the major leagues.

Even Ty Kelly, who recently got his major league shot with the Mets, heaped praise on Rivera to Rubin and was shocked he was promoted over Rivera.

“He swings at everything and hits everything, basically. One of the first basemen in the last series asked if there was a magnet on his barrel. He’s one of those guys. He doesn’t ever have to take pitches. He’s going to get hits because he can hit from his eyes to his ankles.”

For his part, Rivera keeps a bulldog mentality confident that if he continues to do what he always does – hit – his dream of becoming a major leaguer will come true.

When you look at the batting average numbers over other 51’s who got at least a cup of coffee at Citi Field over the past two seasons, you have to scratch your head at why TJ hasd’t received a shot.

T.J. Rivera .322
Dilson Herrera .301
Eric Campbell .288
Darrell Ceciliani .287
Ty Kelly .280
Kirk Nieuwenhuis .276
Matt Reynolds .275
Danny Muno .274
Johnny Monell .270

But, it’s not just about T.J. Rivera earning his shot. It’s more about the Mets utilizing a tool available in their own system to combat a troubling offensive drought.

The post T.J. Rivera Named Player of the Month appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Soup’s up! Just when we thought that Eric Campbell had left for good, he’s back.

The 29 year old utility man will join the Mets for their doubleheader against Pittsburgh tonight.

However a stipulation in the current Collective Bargaining Agreement only makes him eligible for the second game of the doubleheader as the team’s 26th man.

In his first go around with the big league club, Campbell slashed a dismal .159/.270/.222 over 63 at-bats while playing mostly first base.

Still a true utility man, he also made appearances at second base, third base and left field.

He’ll likely see action as a pinch hitter or defensive replacement later tonight.

The post Eric Campbell to Join Mets for Doubleheader appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

In what was presumably a cost-cutting measure, the New York Mets released Ruben Tejada during Spring Training. As a result, the Mets started the season with Eric Campbell on the Opening Day roster and suspect organizational depth behind him.

When Lucas Duda went down with a stress fracture in his lower back, the team’s depth issues were exposed. Campbell has started in 14 of the last 18 games for the Mets and is hitting just .182/.303/.255 on the season with 20 strikeouts in 55 at-bats. The only reason why Campbell is playing every day is because Wilmer Flores is still on the DL and the team’s other two options, Matt Reynolds and Ty Kelly, are even more underwhelming than Campbell. The Mets need to get better on the bench and soon.

The obvious and most likely answer, is Flores, once he comes off the DL. That’s assuming he turns around his thus far disappointing season when he takes over the first base job in Duda’s absence. But the Mets still need to replace Flo’s role as the utility infielder. The Mets still need someone who can play semi-regularly at third when David Wright sits, and Campbell, Reynolds and Kelly are not the answer. Neither of them are proven major league commodities, nor are they as good – and proven – as Tejada is.

As per ESPN’s Mark Saxson, Tejada has been designated for assignment by the St. Louis Cardinals.  This gives the Cards 10 days to either trade him, release him, put him on waivers, or outright him to the minors (which Tejada could refuse). If you ask me, the Mets should be interested.

If Tejada were to come back, the Mets’ bench would be instantly improved. In his last two seasons with the Mets, Tejada averaged 118 games while batting .249/.340/.330. Not earth-shattering I know, but certainly a considerable improvement over the production the Mets are getting now.

Plus it’s worth noting that while working with hitting coach Kevin Long last season, Tejada produced a .287/.362/.362 batting line in the second half. He eventually wrestled the starting shortstop position away from Wilmer Flores, the same Flores whom the Mets are relying upon heavily this year. Tejada plays an above average second, third, and short.

This year, the Mets don’t need Tejada to take over the shortstop position. Instead, the Mets need to strengthen their bench with capable major league players. The only obstacle to adding Tejada would be the money. But at the prorated portion of $1.5 million, which was half of the contract the Mets had tendered him in the first place, the dollars shouldn’t be an obstacle.

This isn’t about adding a big bat to replace Lucas Duda, it’s about improving on the poor production the Mets have been getting from the utility infielders on the bench.

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The post Should Mets Bring Back Ruben Tejada For Bench Role appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

With the unfortunate developments on first baseman Lucas Duda not looking rosy for the New York Mets for the next several weeks, the talk has been on whom among the in-house options could fill in during his absence.

The usual suspects have been mentioned, Eric Campbell, Wilmer Flores upon his return from his own DL stint later this week, recent call-up Ty Kelly, and the potential for even Michael Conforto and or David Wright to get reps there as well.

It makes some sense to see how Wright would fare at first base, given his spinal stenosis and how long it takes him to prepare each game he plays. Maybe shifting to the opposite corner would help with his back, not having to make those long throws across the field. With Conforto, I’d rather the 23-year-old continue to focus his attention at the plate, and play in left-field, at least for the remainder of 2016.

With that being said, it looks like the Mets are in some agreement with me, as David Lennon of Newsday tweeted out a quote from assistant GM John Ricco before the Mets got underway in Washington to face the Nationals.

“We are not going to be able to replace Lucas Duda internally”. The Mets could look to trade for Lucas Duda’s replacement at first base, Ricco told reporters.

This could also mean that the Mets wont be able to duplicate what Duda offers the club, but I think the Mets realize that their in-house options aren’t so great. So where does this leave the team going forward?

One possible solution is Milwaukee Brewers’ catcher/first baseman Jonathan Lucroy, who’s in his final year of the 5-year $11 million contract he signed back in 2012. The good news is, he wouldn’t be a rental player, as he has a team option for 2017 at $5.25 million, a bargain for an All-Star caliber player still in his prime.

The Mets and Brewers talked last summer before the trade deadline about a blockbuster trade involving Wilmer Flores and Zack Wheeler for center-fielder Carlos Gomez, however the framework fell apart when the Mets didn’t like what they saw from Gomez’s medical reports. So needless to say, these two teams might need to let bygones be bygones, and work towards a new deal involving Lucroy.

Lucroy, 29, has been a solid catcher for the Brew Crew for the past several seasons. From 2011 to 2015, he’s put up a solid line of .286/.345/.443, which amounts to an OPS of .788. He’s amassed 68 home runs during that five-year period, with 311 runs batted in and averaging an OPS+ of 114 in that stretch.

And so far in 2016, Lucroy’s enjoyed a solid bounce back season after a down year in 2015. To date, Lucroy has put up a stat line of .287/.352/.473 for an OPS of .825. He’s hit 6 home runs, with 17 runs batted in, putting up an OPS+ of 120. As of Monday night, Lucroy ranked second among Major League catchers in OPS, slugging, home runs, and extra base hits.

His defensive abilities have also been highly praised throughout his 7-year career, notably for his pitch framing and his improving arm behind the dish. In 2012, he had a caught stealing rate of 21%, well below the league average of 27%. In 2013 he went up one percentage point to 22%, followed by 26%, 28% last season, and now is up to 36% this year.

Of course, Lucroy would be brought here to be the permanent stopgap at first base while Duda is recovering from his stress fracture in his lower back. Lucroy has seen a little time at first base during his Major League career, manning the position in 43 games in his career, posting a .988 fielding percentage.

Before the Brewers asked Lucroy to play first back in 2013 for a few games, he last played the position during a stint in a college summer league back in 2006. But he looks like he’s been able to handle first in the limited time he’s been there, and would be a better option than moving Neil Walker over, whose never played first before professionally, or sticking with Eric Campbell, who has done a good job defensively, but provides little at the plate.

Two questions arise if the Mets were to trade for Lucroy: 1. What would the Brewers want in return for him? 2. What would happen to Travis d’Arnaud?

In trying to answer the first question, teams this past off-season repeatedly asked the Brewers about Lucroy and his availability, but held off due to the “high cost” the Brewers were asking for in return. Teams that were reportedly interested in trading for Lucroy were the Texas Rangers, Washington Nationals, Oakland Athletics, and Houston Astros.

Considering that the Brewers don’t have a viable option to replace Lucroy at catcher in the Majors, they do however have 28-year-old Manny Pina in Triple A Colorado, who currently has a .960 OPS. But he’s more of a journeyman minor leaguer, amassing over 750 minor league games since 2005. Could a swap with the Brewers include a Met catcher and young pitcher? Could the Mets swing a deal that would include d’Arnaud? This would also answer the second question on what would happen to the 27-year-old right-handed catcher upon his return from the disabled list.

While fans have been split on d’Arnaud for years, loving the potential he offers with his bat, yet unable to play a full season due to injuries, it seems we might never see d’Arnaud live up to his full potential due to what seems to be a perennial injury or two. In d’Arnaud, the Brewers are buying high on a young, affordable, under contract player while they rebuild their club. His earliest arbitration year would be in 2017, and the earliest he could be a free agent would not be until 2020, so the Brewers would be gaining several years of control, compared to the year and a half left on Lucroy’s deal. And of course there would be additional pieces added to such a trade, but d’Arnaud would be a major centerpiece.

The Mets could keep playing Kevin Plawecki and Rene Rivera at catcher, while Lucroy plays first. Once Duda is cleared to play and ready to return, the Mets could slide Lucroy back at catcher, and keep Plawecki as his backup.

All of this is obviously just posture at this point, and the Brewers might be asking for a heck of a lot more than what the Mets are willing to give up in a trade. However, Sandy Alderson should make a note of dialing Brewers’ GM David Stearns, and initiating some dialogue that might prove to be an upgrade offensively, and health wise for the immediate future for the Mets.

The post Jonathan Lucroy Should Be A Priority appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

It’s only a little over a month into the season, but as the Mets head into the one-quarter pole of 2016, it hasn’t all been peaches and cream for our hometown team. Matt Harvey has been a shell of the pitcher who returned in such indomitable style a season ago – this when all of us were expecting even more dominance in his second year removed from Tommy John surgery.

It’s been well established by team brass and management that the Mets offense is one that will pummel the opposition with home runs – as their league leading total will tell you. We all know this isn’t a small ball team – and while there’s nothing wrong with a lineup featuring a one through eight who can pop one out at any time – it comes with the typical feast or famine streakiness that usually plagues all such teams.

There are a few other minor concerns or hiccups, but the one area of this team that has performed glaringly ugly so far this season, has been the woeful production off the bench – a bench which I called the strongest we’ve had in many years in my 2016 season preview.

Wilmer Flores is batting .179 with a .564 OPS and 56 wRC+ in 49 plate appearances, and his -0.2 fWAR would be the worst on the team if not for Alejandro De Aza who is batting .188 with a .568 OPS and a 57 wRC+ in 35 plate appearances. And while you could make a case that both of these players are victims of inconsistent playing time, the fact is that landscape is not going to change for either of them unless the Mets get socked with a few devastating injuries to their regular starters.

And while inconsistency may explain the underwhelming performances of Flores and De Aza, it provides no such safe haven for backup catcher Kevin Plawecki – who has looked absolutely overmatched by MLB pitching. Plawecki is batting .189 with a team low .522 OPS in 45 plate appearances.

Then there’s old reliable, Eric Campbell, who hasn’t accrued nearly the playing time of the other three, but is certainly veering into ugly terrain as his 35.7 strikeout rate and his .182 slugging percentage would attest.

What makes things worse is when Terry Collins decides to give 2-3 of his regulars the same game off, and then plops 2-3 of these guys into the starting lineup at the same time.

As I prefaced in the beginning of this post, this could all be an anomaly or just a really awful looking small sample size – but what if it isn’t? What if Wilmer Flores and Alejandro De Aza can’t adjust to their reduced roles? What if Kevin Plawecki really isn’t major league ready? What if Eric Campbell is just… well… Eric Campbell?

On the plus side, Juan Lagares has totally embraced his limited role and has provided the team with some timely hits and sparkling defense. Now if only the other four can get with the program.

The post The Mets Bench Has Been Underwhelming Thus Far appeared first on Metsmerized Online.