Jose Siri spent the 2024 season with the Tampa Bay Rays, and his season played out like two entirely different seasons- the first and second half. Despite some of his struggles, he still accumulated 1.9 WAR, mostly thanks to his Gold Glove-caliber defense. To fully break down his value, we will split his contributions into offense and defense.

John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

Offense

Siri had a statistically poor 2024 season, slashing .187/.255/.366 with 18 home runs, 47 RBI and 14 stolen bases for an OPS of .620. One of Siri’s biggest issues is he struck out in 38% of his at-bats, 170 times on the season, to be exact. He struggled against righties, slashing .181/.249/.352 but hit a much better .204/.270/.408 against lefties. Siri only walked 31 times during the season, with 10 of those coming against lefties, against whom he only registered 112 plate appearances.

During the first half of the season, Siri slashed .203/.278/.395 with 12 home runs and nine stolen bases for a 117 OPS+ and a .274 BABIP over 291 plate appearances. The second half saw Siri’s stats fall off a cliff, with a .158/.212/.315 slash with six home runs and five stolen bases for a 69 OPS+ and a .236 BABIP over 157 plate appearances. While he had no documented injuries, something must have changed to see his stats in every major category drop drastically.

Siri hit much better away from Tropicana Field, home of the Rays, in nearly the same amount of games. Some of Siri’s batting average struggles can be attributed to a well-below-average BABIP of .225 at home but a much better .292 away from home. Siri barreled the ball in the 94th percentile but had low exit velocities due to poor contact and an extremely high chase rate, which limited the damage he could unlock. His average exit velocity of 87.5 put him in the 20th percentile. If he can get some luck from the BABIP fairy and use his ability to barrel up the right pitches, he could be in line for a much better season. Like 2023 when he posted a .761 OPS.

In terms of baserunning, Siri uses his 99th percentile Sprint Speed on both sides of the ball, and it allowed him to be in the 89th percentile of baserunning run value. If there is something the 2024 Mets lacked it was overall team speed considering after Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, Harrison Bader and Starling Marte, no everyday player posed a threat on the bases.

Despite such a poor 2024 season, Siri is only a season removed from a .222/.267/.494 slash in 2023, 25 home runs, 12 stolen bases, and a .761 OPS. If Siri can place his offense somewhere between the two seasons, it will allow his biggest contribution to shine, which is his…

Brad Rempel – USA TODAY SPORTS

Defense

Siri is a Gold Glove-caliber center fielder who passes both the eye test and advanced metrics. At 29 years old, he is still in his prime and could potentially be the best defensive center fielder the Mets have had since Juan Lagares won the award in 2014.  Siri had a 5.6 UZR/150 and 16 outs above average, which tied him for second most in all of the MLB. Over the last three years, Siri led all of the MLB with 40 OAA.

If the numbers don’t tell the whole tale, you can go down the wormhole and find many highlights on YouTube of Siri going out and getting the ball in center field, using his excellent range to get to balls most center fielders just can’t. Siri was in the 99th percentile of Outs Above Average, 97th percentile of arm strength and 99th percentile of sprint speed, which enables him to get great jumps on balls and even when he may not get the best read, use his speed to make up for any errors.

The majority of Siri’s value comes from his defense and he has played at least 100 games in every season since 2022. If only for his defense, Siri could still put up a close to 2 WAR season as he did in 2024. For what its worth, the Mets 2023 starting center fielder, Harrison Bader put up a 1.3 WAR with a slash of .236/.284/.373, hitting 12 home runs and stealing 17 bases. Siri had a much worse offensive season and was still worth .6 WAR more, thanks to his defense.

Conclusion

Jose Siri is the kind of risk/reward trade that David Stearns rode to success with the Brewers and is hoping to catch lightning in a bottle yet again. In addition to the low cost for obtaining Siri, by trading someone on the 40-man roster, Stearns has also left himself flexibility from a roster construction standpoint.

Lastly, Siri will make $2.3 million dollars for the 2025 season and is under team control until 2028. In a worst-case scenario, Siri becomes a late-inning defensive substitute, but in a best-case scenario can be the Mets everyday center fielder capable of winning a Gold Glove and potentially hitting 20 home runs and stealing 20 bases, all for the cost of a minor league reliever who may not have factored into the 2025 Mets bullpen.

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The Mets have acquired center fielder Jose Siri from the Rays in exchange for right-handed pitcher Eric Orze. Over parts of four seasons (three full) in the majors, he has slashed .210/.266/.408. Siri, 29, is primarily a defensive specialist, ranking in the 99th percentile for OAA with 16. While coming off a down season, he boasts an encouraging barrel rate that ranks in the 94th percentile. In return for Siri, Tampa Bay recieved Orze, a two-time cancer survivor. Orze has limited experience in the big leagues but strong numbers down in the minors.

Brad Rempel – USA TODAY SPORTS

Latest Mets News

Sources told MMO’s Mike Mayer that the Mets Triple-A hitting coach Collin Hetzler is departing the Mets organization for a job with the Red Sox. Hetzler once joined MMO’s weekly show in early 2023 to talk his work and promotion to Syracuse.

The Mets’ bench coach, John Gibbons, praised skipper Carlos Mendoza on a fantastic season. Gibbons called Mendoza a “sharp guy,” mentioning their in-game conversations, while also adding that he often felt like a “sounding board,” or a “security blanket.”

The MLB store in NYC is hosting a Meet & Greet with Mr. and Mrs. Met on November 23!

Latest MLB News

Ken Rosenthal writes in The Athletic that, horrifyingly, when Roki Sasaki signs, many international teenagers could lose life-changing money due to pool limits. Or, as Rosenthal says, players “will be abandoned by the team that signs him.” In a recent article, J.J. Cooper of Baseball America has also touched on this topic. Clubs cannot — which should be obvious (but isn’t always followed) — make secret deals or exceed their bonus pool allotments for him.

In some interesting news, Rosenthal of The Athletic published an article on potential new TV packages. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred wants to take control of local TV rights. The new TV plan would not contain blackouts and be a national package.

MLB Pipeline’s X account tweeted the compensation picks teams will receive in the 2025 draft if their free agents who are tied to qualifying offers sign with another team. These picks are awarded as part of the free agent signing process.

Outside of the Reds’ Nick Martinez, all players who received a qualifying offer will decline it, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinstand. The Mets will receive picks after the fourth round if Pete Alonso, Sean Manaea, or Luis Severino depart. Additionally, Newsday’s Tim Healey was first to announce earlier on Tuesday that Severino declined the qualifying offer.

The Rays’ Bobby Kinne is leaving Tampa Bay to join Cleveland’s staff, becoming the Guardians’ new director of baseball operations, reported Rosenthal. Kinne, 29, worked under his role as a pitching strategist for the Rays about a year, but had been with the Rays organization for more than six years.

According to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, the Rays added former Met Jake Mangum to their 40-man roster while designating Richard Lovelady for assignment. Mangum, 28, is getting his first ever call-up after a career year in Triple-A, but it’s at the expense of a lefty reliever in Lovelady, who pitched to a 3.77 ERA over 28 2/3 innings for Tampa Bay.

Managers of the Year have been announced in both leagues: It’s Brewers skipper Pat Murphy in the National League and rookie manager Stephen Vogt in the American League. Click here for the full voting in the NL, and here for the AL.

The New York Post’s Jon Heyman revealed that offers were likely not made during meetings with Juan Soto. In other news on the free agent slugger, Heyman tweeted that the Phillies were also planning to meet with Soto. However, it is unknown to what extent their interest goes. The Phillies’ John Middleton has already stated his opinion on things. “Juan Soto wants to be in New York,” Middleton speculated. So perhaps the Phillies’ interest will stay lukewarm, or perhaps not.

Latest on MMO

Andrew Steele-Davis wrote about why signing Soto is a must for the Mets.

Allison Waxman analyzed starting pitchers the Mets could target on short-term deals

On This Date in Mets History

1967: Tom Seaver was named the NL Rookie of the Year. Seaver’s magical rookie season featured a 2.76 ERA in 251 IP, including 18 complete games.

2006: The Mets signed veteran Moisés Alou to a deal worth $7.5 million. Alou finished off his illustrious career as a Met, hitting .342/.391/.507 over his 102 games in Queens.

Born On This Date: Ron Cash (1949), Kevin Lomon (1971), Lino Urdaneta (1979), Amed Rosario (1995).

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Siri had a rough year offensively in 2024 posting a 78 wRC+, but his glove was among the best in baseball, putting up up 16 OAA (99th percentile). Siri is a similar type of player to Harrison Bader, providing an elite glove, with an inconsistent but powerful bat. Siri has much more speed than Bader though, as his sprint speed was in the 99th percentile this past season. Siri and Bobby Witt Jr. were the only two qualified players to rank in the 99th percentile in both OAA and sprint speed. Much like Bader, Siri will likely end up splitting time with Tyrone Taylor in center field.

Siri began his professional baseball with the Reds back in 2012 when he signed with the organization as an international free agent. Siri didn’t debut until late into the 2021 season with the Houston Astros. At the 2022 trade deadline, he was traded to the Rays as part of a three-team deal that sent Trey Mancini to the Astros.

Orze, 27, is a right-handed reliever who made two appearances with the Mets in 2024, giving up four earned runs in those games. Orze showed flashes of his potential in Triple-A, posting a 2.92 ERA with 84 strikeouts in 61 2/3 innings.

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Triple-A

Worcester Red Sox (74-66) 7, Syracuse Mets (72-67) 0

BOX SCORE

• LF Drew Gilbert: 1-for-3, K (.645 OPS)
• SS Yolmer Sánchez: 1-for-3, K (.692 OPS)
• 2B Luisangel Acuña: 0-for-4, 3 K (.653 OPS)

It was a rough night for the Syracuse offense. Against Worcester on Wednesday, they managed only a pair of singles and combined to strike out 14 times (strikeouts from 8 of the 9 players in the starting lineup).

• RHP Mike Vasil (8-10, 5.93 ERA): 4 IP, 3 R, 4 H, 2 BB, 5 K (44 of 66 pitches for strikes)
• RHP Eric Orze (3.05): 1 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 2 K (16 of 24 pitches for strikes)
• LHP Joey Lucchesi (4.86): 2 IP, 4 R (2 ER), 2 H, 3 BB, K (31 of 58 pitches for strikes)
• RHP Trey McLoughlin (3.60): 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 2 K (12 of 19 pitches for strikes)

The bulk of the damage against Vasil came from one player. Vaughn Grissom had a solo home run in the bottom of the second and a two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth. Orze came in after Vasil and extended his scoreless streak to seven appearances.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Double-A

Binghamton Rumble Ponies (67-65) 8, Portland Sea Dogs (76-58) 4

BOX SCORE

• C Kevin Parada: 2-for-4, R, HR (11), 3 RBIs (40), K (.643 OPS)
• 2B Jett Williams: 2-for-5, R, 2B, RBI (3) (.582 OPS)
• LF Ryan Clifford: 1-for-4, RBI (53), BB, 2 K (.803 OPS)
• 3B Jaylen Palmer: 2-for-4, R, RBI (33) (.767 OPS)
• CF Alex Ramirez: 1-for-4, 2 R, BB, 2 SB, K (.599 OPS)

Binghamton’s offense was the opposite of Syracuse’s. Every player in the starting lineup recorded at least one hit, and they only struck out six times as a team. Clifford started the scoring with an RBI single in the top of the first. One inning later, Parada hit a two-run home run, his first home run since July 12. His three RBIs (single in the fourth) tied a season-high for him.

• RHP Jonah Tong (2.89): 3 1/3 IP, 3 R, 4 H, 4 BB, 5 K (50 of 85 pitches for strikes)
• RHP Justin Lawson (1-0, 0.00): 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 3 K (18 of 30 pitches for strikes)
• RHP TJ Shook (4.34): 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 3 K (12 of 14 pitches for strikes)
• RHP Joshua Cornielly (1.20): 2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 2 K (20 of 28 pitches for strikes)

Tong’s second Double-A outing was not as eventful as his first. After having two strikeouts in the first inning, he walked four batters over the next two-plus innings. However, the bullpen stepped up behind him, combining for eight strikeouts. Lawson was dominant in his Double-A debut. He has not allowed a run in seven straight appearances dating back to his time in Brooklyn.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Jett Williams Collects Two Hits in Binghamton Win appeared first on Metsmerized.

The Mets scored seven runs in one inning Friday night on their way to beating the Braves 8-4. At one point this season the Mets trailed the Braves by 10 games. Now the Mets find themselves half a game above the Braves. With the win on Friday, the Mets have guaranteed that they will at least split the series against the Braves and now they have an opportunity to create some distance.

Photo by Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Mets Lineup

1. Francisco Lindor – SS
2. Brandon Nimmo – CF
3. J.D. Martinez – DH
4. Pete Alonso – 1B
5. Jeff McNeil – LF
6. Mark Vientos – 3B
7. Jose Iglesias – 2B
8. DJ Stewart – RF
9. Luis Torrens – C

Tylor Megill returns to the Mets rotation this afternoon to fill in for injured pitcher Christian Scott. With the injury to Kodai Senga on Friday night, Megill will probably be sticking around for at least a few starts. Over 39 innings in the majors this season, Megill has a 5.08 ERA, 3.32 FIP, 1.436 WHIP and a 77 ERA+. In the minors this season he has made seven starts, totaling 27 1/3 innings with a 2.30 ERA. The Braves have the following career numbers against him:

• Orlando Arcia 1-7, 2B, BB, K
• Travis d’Arnaud 2-9, 2B, K
• Adam Duvall 1-2
• Whit Merrifield 0-3
• Sean Murphy 2-2, BB
• Matt Olson 2-11, 2 BB, 2 K
• Marcell Ozuna 5-9, 2B, HR, 2 K
• Austin Riley 5-21, 2B, HR, 8 K
• Eddie Rosario 6-12, 2 2B, HR, 2 BB, 2 K
• Luke Williams 0-2, K

Opposing Lineup

1. Jarred Kelenic – CF
2. Austin Riley – 3B
3. Marcell Ozuna – DH
4. Matt Olson – 1B
5. Adam Duvall – RF
6. Eddie Rosario – LF
7. Sean Murphy – C
8. Nacho Alvarez Jr. – 2B
9. Orlando Arcia – SS

The Mets bats will get a look at Atlanta rookie Spencer Schwellenbach this afternoon. Over his first nine major league starts he has pitched 50 2/3 innings with a 4.62 ERA, 3.83 FIP, 1.164 WHIP, and a 90 ERA+. He’s coming off of a rough start against the Cardinals where he allowed four runs from seven hits (three home runs) over six innings. Before that, he allowed one run in back-to-back starts against the Phillies and the Padres. This will be his first major league start against the Mets.

Game Notes

• Prior to the game, the Mets placed Kodai Senga on the 15-day injured list with a calf strain. The news comes with a positive angle as it could have been a season-ending achilles tear.
• Ryne Stanek has arrived in Queens and is on the 40-man roster. Tylor Megill was also recalled from Syracuse, with Eric Orze being optioned to Triple-A.
• With their win on Friday, the Mets took sole possession of the first National League wild card and erased a 10.5-game deficit to the Braves. The Mets also moved into second place in the NL East and are nine games behind the Phillies for first.

Three Things To Watch For

1. J.D. Martinez is heating up! J.D. had the big bat in Friday night’s game, going 3-for-4 and hitting a grand slam. It was his third multi-hit game in his last five, a stretch where he has gone 7-for-21 slashing .333/.364/.524. So far Martinez has a multi-hit day, followed by a day with no hits. Can he break that pattern today?
2. Mark Vientos. Vientos has been in a pretty solid groove over the last five games going 6-for-19 with a double and two homers (.316/.333/.684). He has five RBIs over this stretch and is part of the reason why the team’s batting lineup feels so deep right now. His strikeouts have been high though, eight over his last five games and 12 in his last nine played.
3. Mets bullpen. The Mets bullpen has to put in a bit of extra work over the last couple of games (literally on Thursday). Most likely José Buttó, Jake Diekman, and Adam Ottavino are out for today’s game. Alex Young and Danny Young put a lot of work in on Wednesday but should be good for today’s game. Questions for today’s game – Who will come in for Megill if he has an early exit? Stanek, just acquired in a trade Friday hasn’t pitched since Monday, will he be ready to go today?

Let’s go Mets!

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Kodai Senga is likely out for the remainder of the season, Mets Manager Carlos Mendoza told the media before Saturday’s matchup with the Braves.

“It’s pretty fair to say,” Mendoza said on Senga’s likelihood of missing the remainder of the season.

“Yeah it’s a huge blow but at the same time, we got to this place without him. Sucks for him, sucks for all of us. The way I’ve seen it we’ve been through a lot and if we get to see him pitch again this year we’re in a good spot. So hopefully that’s the case.”

Senga was placed on the 15-day injured list earlier today with a calf strain. The severity of the injury was revealed as a “high-grade” calf strain by Mendoza.

When asked if Senga would be healthy come playoffs, Mendoza couldn’t commit to saying the starter would be healthy.

“It’s hard to put a timetable here, especially (since) we’re talking about calves,” Mendoza said. “Those are tricky. We could be looking at 8-10 weeks before he’s a big-league pitcher. 85 pitches. So yeah, it’s hard to predict what we’re dealing with. It’s a high grade.”

Senga only pitched in one game this season. He was electric in his return, striking out nine batters in 5 1/3 innings before going down with his calf injury.

Original Post

Following Friday night’s win against the Braves, the Mets have deemed Kodai Senga‘s injury a calf strain and will place him on the 15-day injured list.

Before going down in the sixth Senga looked like he returned to his dominant self, striking out nine over five and a third with only two earned runs. A massive blow to the starting rotation that just got their missing piece back, will now miss some time.

Jul 26, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga (34) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Prior to Senga’s return, it was expected that the Mets go to a six-man rotation, but with his injury, Tylor Megill will slide right into the rotation.

He has been officially recalled from Triple-A Syracuse and will start Saturday afternoon against the Braves. It has not been easy for Megill in his eight major league starts this year. He has a 5.08 ERA over 39 innings pitched with 49 strikeouts and prior to being sent down gave up 10 runs in his last two starts. It is worth noting that Megill has only gone past five innings once in his eight starts. Even with the latest upgrades in the bullpen, it is going to be key for Megill to keep his pitch count low.

In regards to the bullpen the Mets’ new hard-throwing right-hander Ryne Stanek is officially activated and will wear No. 55. Stanek comes at a time that the bullpen needs desperately. With the latest injury news to Dedniel Núñez and multiple bullpen arms still on the injured list Stanek will be heavily relied on late in games. He was part of an Astros World Series title with fellow Met teammate Phil Maton and does not shy away from the big moment. Eric Orze was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse to make room on the major league roster.

The post Senga Will Likely Miss Remainder of Season With Calf Strain appeared first on Metsmerized.

The Mets also announced they have designated reliever Adrian Houser for assignment. Houser was recently moved out of the starting rotation and into the bullpen. The team also designated Shintaro Fujinami for assignment. With the injury to Núñez and Houser DFA’d, the Mets will recall Eric Orze from Triple-A Syracuse.

Photo by Jordan Godfree-USA TODAY Sports

Impact Of Losing Núñez

Núñez’s injury is the latest blow to a bullpen that lost Brooks Raley and Drew Smith for the season. Additionally, Sean Reid-Foley and Reed Garrett are still on the injured list. Núñez has been dynamic since bursting onto the scene this season. He’s compiled a 2.43 ERA in 24 games with 45 strikeouts in 33 1/3 innings of work. With injuries, Edwin Díaz‘s inconstancies, the struggles of Adam Ottavino and Jake Diekman, and the overall struggles of the bullpen, Núñez was a bright spot for a group that desperately needed it. 

Houser struggled as a starter with an 8.16 ERA. He had an ERA of 4.2o since moving to the bullpen. José Buttó has now emerged as a multi-innings reliever out of the bullpen. Fujinami came to the Mets with potential but continued to struggle with command. Overall, the bullpen continues to be a glaring hole that David Stearns is going to have to fix soon.

The post Núñez Lands on IL; Houser, Fujinami DFA’d appeared first on Metsmerized.

The 2024 MLB Home Run Derby field was officially set Wednesday as the final two spots were filled for the eight-man event. Earlier in the day, MLB announced that Rangers slugger Adolis García would be participating in the derby for the second year in a row. Shortly after, during last night’s Phillies-Dodgers game on ESPN, while mic’d up, Teoscar Hernández told the broadcast booth that he would be the final participant in the Home Run Derby. The two join two-time derby champ and Mets first baseman, Pete Alonso, as well as Gunnar Henderson, Marcell Ozuna, Alec Bohm, Bobby Witt Jr. and Jose Ramírez.

On Wednesday night, the Mets took Game 2 of their six-game homestand in another solid all-around performance, beating the Nationals 6-2. Luis Severino battled through 6 1/3 innings, only allowing 2 ER on 4 H and leaving the game at a 2-1 deficit. However, a four-run sixth inning led by Jose Iglesias put the Mets up 5-2, and it was smooth sailing for the Amazin’s from there on. The Mets are now only 0.5 games back of the Padres for the third Wild Card spot and 1.0 games back of the Cardinals for the second Wild Card spot. Click here for the full game breakdown.

It’s an early start for the Mets on Thursday as they’ll go for a sweep of the Nationals with David Peterson (3-0, 3.58 ERA) going against Mackenzie Gore (6-7, 3.83 ERA) at 1:10 p.m. ET.

Latest Mets News

The Mets placed RHP Reed Garrett on the 15-day IL with right elbow inflammation and activated newly acquired RHP Phil Maton. Along with that, they also optioned RHP Eric Orze to Triple-A Syracuse and called up LHP Danny Young from Syracuse. Click here for more information on the club’s moves.

The Mets are considering having Kodai Senga pitch Sunday at Triple-A Syracuse on standard rest, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. The club would rather give Senga five days of rest between starts, but the All-Star break prevents them from doing so now unless his next outing is a sim game.

Infield prospect JT Schwartz was promoted to Triple-A Syracuse after the 24-year-old hit .295/.408/.424 for Double-A Binghamton this season. 

Pitching prospect Jonah Tong continues to deal for High-A Brooklyn: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, 80 pitches/53 strikes. His High-A ERA is down to 2.85.

Ryan Clifford had another good night at the plate for Double-A Binghamton, going 3-for-5 with a double, two home runs, and six RBIs. He has a .923 OPS for the Binghamton Rumble Ponies.

Latest MLB News

Max Scherzer told A.J. Pierzynski of Foul Territory TV that he would not be willing to waive his no-trade clause at this year’s trade deadline. Scherzer in response to potentially waiving the no-trade clause, “Yeah, I’m not gonna do that… We’re gonna play better baseball. It’s gonna be a moot point to even talk about… We’re gonna win here.” 

HBO will be releasing a four-part documentary series on Pete Rose which will chronicle the life and career of one of sports’ most polarizing figures. The docuseries will premiere on July 24 on HBO Max.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco was placed on the restricted list after previously being on administrative leave, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Franco will not be paid and will not be able to accrue service time.

After being charged with sexual abuse and sexual exploitation against a minor on Tuesday, Franco is now also being accused of human trafficking according to a press release by Dominican authorities, per Juan Arturo of ESPN. If convicted, the crime has penalties up to 20 years in prison. 

Bobby Miller, who was supposed to be one of the top arms in the Los Angeles Dodgers rotation this season, was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Miller missed two months due to a right shoulder injury and has given up 19 earned runs in 17 1/3 IP since returning, ballooning his ERA to 8.07 on the season. 

The Tampa Bay Rays reportedly offered Aaron Judge a 10-yearm $300 million deal before he returned to the Yankees on a nine-year, $360 million deal in 2022, per Kristie Ackert of the Tampa Bay Times. The Rays, a notoriously frugal franchise, have only doled out two contracts topping $100 million in their history. 

A robot bartender is going to be serving drinks at Globe Life Field during All-Star Week in Texas. 

A robot bartender is going to be serving drinks during All-Star Week in Texas 👀🤖

(via @stensinthecity) pic.twitter.com/IGp4DM6ZAl

— MLB (@MLB) July 10, 2024

The New York Yankees signed left-handed relief pitcher Tim Mayza to a minor league deal, per Katie Woo and Brendan Kuty of The Athletic. Mayza was recently released by the Blue Jays after over six years in Toronto.

Former Mets RHP Matt Festa signed a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers, per Shawn McFarland of Dallas Morning News. The Staten Island native was DFA’d by the Mets on July 3rd after one appearance with the club.

Latest on MMO

Michael Famulari analyzes the Mets new acquisition, Phil Maton.

Mojo Hill details the Mets’ decision to put Reed Garrett on the injured list and the other bullpen moves.

Ricky Keeler highlights how Jose Quintana has hit his stride with Francisco Alvarez behind the dish.

On This Date in Mets History

2021: Francisco Alvarez hits a home run in the Futures Game during All-Star weekend at Coors Field in Colorado.

2018: Brandon Nimmo breaks a scoreless tie against the Phillies in the 11th inning with a three-run walk-off home run. 

2015: Matt Harvey hits his first career home run into the Party City Deck at Citi Field against Patrick Corbin of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

2006: After getting to the finals of the Home Run Derby the night prior, David Wright hits a home run in his first All-Star Game at-bat and joins Lee Mazzilli as the only Mets to ever go yard in the All-Star Game.

Birthdays: Blaine Boyer (43), Mark Little (52), Donne Wall (57), Jack Heidemann (75)

The post Morning Briefing: Home Run Derby Field is Set appeared first on Metsmerized.

After splitting their series against the Nationals, the Mets also had to settle for a series split with the Pirates to finish 4-4 on the road trip.

There were yet more implosions from a bullpen teetering on the edge, while an up-and-down offense also contributed to a disappointing finish to a long week.

And, on that note, let’s dive into another edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

3 UP

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

UNLIKELY HERO 

Luis Torrens continues to make big-time contributions for the Mets. Getting the start in Saturday’s game, the veteran went 3-for-4 at the plate in an offensive outburst. More importantly, he delivered a clutch two-out, three-run double that helped New York secure a 5-2 win. Torrens has been arguably the pickup of the year for the Mets, and his offensive upside makes him a valuable weapon to have in reserve.

COMEBACK KING

Edwin Díaz‘s absence was certainly felt. Serving a 10-game suspension for sticky stuff, the closer made his return on Saturday and made an immediate impact. Díaz fired a scoreless ninth to record his eighth save of the year. He also pitched the following day, blowing the save in the eighth before going back out and working a perfect ninth to secure the win. All in all, having Díaz back will help a bullpen that is clinging for life. Especially if he can pitch consistently at a peak level the rest of the way.

STARTING EXCELLENCE

In a series where the pitching was unreliable, Sean Manaea proved dependable in his start on Sunday. The lefty was excellent on the mound, putting together six scoreless innings while giving up just two hits with three walks and six strikeouts. As a result, he now owns a 3.43 ERA on the year. And, with the Mets needing attractive assets in order to acquire bullpen help, Manaea did his trade value no harm at all with a third consecutive impressive outing.

3 DOWN

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

LEARNING ON THE JOB

Manager Carlos Mendoza had a tough day on Monday. He pulled Christian Scott from the game, who was in his groove and had thrown only 77 pitches. However, despite giving up just two earned runs over 5.2 innings, Scott was on a pitch count and that game plan had to be stuck too. But, best laid plans and all that. Eric Orze, making his MLB debut, came in and instantly gave up three runs on two hits. Adrian Houser didn’t do any better, allowing three earned runs of his own.

It was a nightmare sixth inning for the Mets, and Mendoza was criticized for going to a taxed bullpen too early. Now, you can argue that Scott was pitching on four days’ rest for the first time in his career. He had also thrown 99 pitches in his last start. In my opinion, pulling Scott wasn’t the issue. Putting Orze into the game to face the most lethal part of Pittsburgh’s lineup in his first MLB outing was the mistake by Mendoza. Jake Diekman was available against a string of lefties (he’s actually good against them), and Adam Ottavino pitched just once in the six days leading up to Sunday. And that’s the error he should be held accountable for.

But, hey, Mendoza is just 89 games into his first job as a big league manager. Mistakes will happen. Unfortunately, it cost the Mets a game they really had to have.

FAMILIAR STORY

Let’s stick with the bullpen. Because we kind of have to at this point. Besides the sixth inning meltdown on Monday, the pen also collapsed in the series opener, with Jake Diekman and Ty Adcock combining to allow seven earned runs in just an ugly implosion after Luis Severino had already laid an egg in his start. After splitting in Washington, the Mets really needed to record a series win in Pittsburgh. Instead, they had to settle for another split thanks to more bullpen dramatics. With the price for bullpen help likely to be high given the market, it is hard to see things getting any better any time soon for a group of relievers that are about to fall off the cliff completely.

STREAKY  

A red-hot offense in June has started to come back down to earth in July. The Mets lineup put up just two runs in both of their losses in Pittsburgh. Additionally, they could only squeeze out three runs in a win on Saturday. In reality, a regression from an exhilarating June was always to be expected. But, with the bullpen in the current state it is, the offense needs to put up a bunch of runs just to stand a chance in any given game. Plus, too many key hitters are going cold at the same time. Pete Alonso hasn’t been great. J.D. Martinez has cooled off. There’s still little to no production from Jeff McNeil. The DJ Stewart experiment is also probably over. All in all, the bats cooling off didn’t help matters in Pittsburgh.

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But as it’s done all season, the bullpen halted the momentum. Abruptly as well.

With two outs in the sixth and 77 pitches thrown (he was on a pitch count), Scott was pulled for Eric Orze by Carlos Mendoza.

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Orze—making his major league debut—couldn’t record a single out. He walked Bryan Reynolds to start his relief appearance, then allowed consecutive hits to Oneil Cruz and Rowdy Tellez to put the Pirates in front 3-2.

Mendoza had seen enough and opted to pull Orze in favor of Adrian Houser. The righty had been lights out in June, pitching to a 1.08 ERA in 16 2/3 innings, and Mendoza hoped the righty could secure one final out to send the Mets to the seventh.

Unfortunately, Houser mirrored Orze’s performance. Nick Gonzales doubled to right field to bring in both Cruz and Tellez, later coming around on a wild pitch.

The Pirates’ barrage didn’t end there. Joshua Palacios launched a no-doubt homer to right field, rounding to the bases to extend the Pirates’ lead to 7-2. The Mets, who were tied 2-2 and one out away from the seventh, trailed by five runs in the blink of an eye.

The Mets couldn’t recover from the bullpen implosion in the sixth, and eventually fell to the Pirates 8-2, earning a series split with the Pirates. The game marked the end of an eight-game stretch on the road where the Mets went 4-4, mostly due to the bullpen failing to get important outs.

Two games specifically came in Washington on July 3 and the opening game against the Pirates. In D.C., the Mets held a 5-0 lead over the Nats, but Tylor Megill and the ‘pen squandered the lead.

In Game 1 against the Pirates, Luis Severino was pulled in the seventh inning after loading the bases with the Mets trailing 4-2, but Jake Diekman allowed a grand slam to Reynolds to put the game out of reach.

Both losses were gut punches. And they came against teams chasing the Mets in the wild-card race. But failing to meet expectations has been a theme of the Mets bullpen throughout the season. Especially recently.

Since June 23, the Mets bullpen has pitched to an 8.12 ERA, blowing two five-run leads and losing four games in which the Mets were either tied or winning. It’s been the biggest hole on this 2024 roster and something that was addressed after the loss to the Pirates on Sunday.

Speaking to the media after the loss, Nimmo on the inability to lock down wins.

“Definitely some games that got away from us,” Nimmo told the media. “But honestly that’s the story of the year so far. We haven’t been able to lock down wins. And that’s a problem. We’re hoping to address it.”

Addressing the bullpen will certainly be a top priority for David Stearns. Outside of Dedniel Núñez and Sean Reid-Foley, nobody in the ‘pen has an ERA under 3. That’s not a recipe for success.

Edwin Díaz returning from his 10-game suspension and Reid-Foley eventually from his injury will help, but at least one arm is needed to bolster a postseason-hopeful team. It’s so apparent that Nimmo petitioned Steve Cohen and the front office to make moves to help the Mets torrent offense.

Still, even with the bullpen struggling, and help potentially weeks away, Nimmo kept things positive. He acknowledged the tough road stretch and pointed out the Mets faced quality pitching.

“Honestly, going into this series we knew we were going to face really good pitching, even with the Nationals. So I was kinda thinking like, I know everybody thinks we were supposed to go 6-2 on this road trip, but honestly, 4-4 is not the worst would have loved 5-3. But with the pitching that we faced and the offensive production that the team’s put up, I think coming away with it we can still look at it positively.”

While the Mets went 4-4 against the Nationals and Pirates, Nimmo’s perspective was factual. The Mets faced tough pitchers in MacKenzie Gore, Jake Irvin, Paul Skenes, Luis Ortiz, and Mitch Keller, yet still averaged a respectable 4.13 runs per game.

The talent is there with this team, which they showed during an outstanding 16-8 June against worthy opponents. But there’s still work to be done. The Mets come home to face the Nationals again with a 44-45 record. They still remain out of the third wild card spot, and if they want to be buyers at the deadline, they’ll need to finish the first half of the season strong.

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