Saturday afternoon’s game against the Yankees was a tough pill as the Mets lost 2-1. Despite Robert Gsellman having a stronger outing than his last, the Mets bullpen were unable to secure the win. Gsellman allowed only one run and four hits over the four innings he pitched. With four strikeouts, the pitcher had good placement of  his deliveries with a good command of his fastball. 

Steven Matz made a good bullpen appearance and with a solid outing from Jeurys Familia, the Mets had a good chance of winning for most of the game. Dellin Betances entered to close the game yet dropped the ball as he allowed a run on a wild pitch to give the Yankees the walk-off win.

The Mets bats were quiet until the eighth when Wilson Ramos hit a solo homer, tying the game.

The most notable aspect of the game was the Mets defense having a stellar game, with two put-outs at home plate to keep the score close. 

Pitching

Gsellman went into his second start strongly doing a good job of controlling his ball and keeping it in the zone. The bottom of the first started off with DJ LeMahieu flying out to Billy Hamilton with Luke Voit coming up to bat. 

Voit hit a line drive single home run to right field giving the Yankees an early lead. Gsellman managed to get out of the frame without any other issues striking out Aaron Hicks and Mike Tauchman lining out to Brandon Nimmo. 

After an easy second, the third was going well for Gsellman getting the first two outs quickly, that was until LeMahieu hit a triple to right field with Michael Conforto unable to get the ball, Hamilton then came in slowly failing to make the play.

Gsellman allowed a single to Tauchman in the fourth who then got to third on an error from the pitcher. Clint Frazier reached on a fielder’s choice with Tachman being thrown out at home on a great play from J.D. Davis who got the ball home quickly for the second out. 

Brett Gardner stepped to the plate hitting a bomb to the outfield with Hamilton locating the ball quickly with a great throw home, Wilson Ramos then tagged out Frazier at the plate retiring the inning. 

With Steven Matz entering in the fifth to relieve Gsellman, the usual starter being bumped to the bullpen, after allowing 19 runs over 11 innings pitched. The Long Island native had a stellar performance with a clean line and two strikeouts in his first time on the mound since August fifteenth. 

Jared Hughes took the mound in the sixth doing a better job than his previous outings, his sinker being particularly nasty in his outing. Hughes got the first two outs quickly then began to fall behind the count as he walked Aaron Hicks but retired the side without a change in score.

Brad Brach entered in the seventh struggling greatly right away allowed back to back walks with no outs. Gardner advanced to third on a wild pitch Brach then walking Mike Ford making it a full house.

Luis Rojas then made the decision to bring in Jeurys Familia in the seventh with the bases loaded. Familia had an effective outing getting out of hot water unscathed. 

Justin Wilson made it out of the eighth without any damage.

Dellin Betances came in to face his former teammates and gave up the tie.  A leadoff walk to Frazier came back to bite Betances as he gave up a single to Jordy Mercer with the Yankees then winning the game 2-1 on a walk-off wild pitch Frazier scoring to end the game.

Offense 

The Mets bats came up empty the first two innings with Amed Rosario singling to left field only to be caught stealing . Unable to get another hit until the fifth, Pete Alonso singled on a ground ball to Gardner eventually getting picked off in a 4-6-3 double play. Ramos singled short after with the Mets offense getting into a groove at the plate. 

Wilson Ramos greeted Yankee relief pitcher Adam Ottovino with a home run to tie the game in the top of the eighth. 

Davis got hit by a pitch bringing on a base runner with two outs but Conforto lined out to end the inning. 

On Deck

Rick Porcello (1-4-0, 6.43 ERA) will take the mound to face the Yankees in Sunday’s first game of the doubleheader which will only be seven innings. The pitcher has been struggling as of late allowing four runs in three innings his last outing. The game will start at 1:05 pm EST

In the second game of the day, Seth Lugo (1-2 2.03) will start in their late afternoon game with the Yankees pitcher yet to be announced. Lugo had his first start in two years last week and had a stellar outing in doing so. 

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Photo by Ed Delany/MMO

MIAMI MARLINS (7-3) VS. NEW YORK METS (4-6-1)
Tuesday, March 3, 2020 • 1:10 p.m.
Clover Park • Port St. Lucie, FL
RHP Jordan Yamamoto (1-0, 3.60) vs. RHP Noah Syndergaard (0-0, 0.00)
SNY

The Mets enjoyed the rare off day in Spring Training yesterday after they split games against the Nationals and Marlins on Sunday. With a split squad day heading into an off-day, a lot of starters saw action and there’s quite a lot to catch up on before looking at today’s game.

Sunday Recap

The main headline from Sunday was Jacob deGrom. Jacob made his spring debut and he was the first Met this spring to pitch 3.0 innings. He allowed 1 hit and struck out two and that was it. He was himself. In a better sign for the Mets, the regular relievers that followed him all had great days. Diaz allowed a double but nothing else as he lowered his Spring ERA to 9.00. Justin Wilson continued his fantastic spring.

This time he struck out the side in one inning of work. Tyler Bashlor, trying to make it into the bullpen from the start of the season, allowed two hits but didn’t allow either of them to score. The only likely member of the 26-man roster to pitch in the other game did great. Wacha became the second Mets starter to throw 3.0 scoreless innings. He allowed 2 hits and a walk and as of right now everyone battling for that last rotations spot is doing great.

Things weren’t so great with the bats against Miami on Sunday. The Mets only mustered three hits, two of them from Eduardo Nunez and one from Ryan Cordell who has a .700 OPS in a small sample size this spring. Things were different in St. Lucie where Jeff McNeil had two hits and walk, raising his small sample size batting average to .500 and his OPS to 1.120. Robinson Cano had a double and Michael Conforto hit a homer on his birthday.

On the Mound Today

Noah Syndergaard is schedule to start the game for the Mets today, probably aiming for 3.0 innings of work. In his first outing he allowed a hit and struck out 2. He’s scheduled to be followed by Gsellman, Familia, Brach and Sewald. Out of that group, Familia has lock on a roster spot and Brach really has to self-destruct to lose his. Gsellman is on the bubble right now and Sewald is on the wrong side of the bubble – so important outings for both of them.

Mets Lineup

1. Jeff McNeil – 3B
2. Brandon Nimmo – CF
3. Robinson Cano – 2B
4. Pete Alonso – 1B
5. Michael Conforto – RF
6. Wilson Ramos – C
7. Amed Rosario – SS
8. Dominic Smith – LF
9. Jake Marisnick (DH)

You could make the argument that this is the starting lineup, maybe not necessarily in this order, for the Mets when J.D. Davis is out and the Mets have a DH.

Check 213 Miles From Shea for more Mets insights!

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Fantastic news came out on Christmas Eve that the Mets signed four-time All-Star RHP Dellin Betances. So, are the Mets going to add more players to the bullpen? Right now, it doesn’t appear likely. 

While the Mets might be wise to add another bullpen piece, their current roster isn’t flexible. The issue stems from Brad Brach, Justin Wilson, Jeurys Familia, and Michael Wacha being on major league deals. 

Obviously, even though they have options on them, the Mets are also not optioning Seth Lugo or Edwin Diaz. This addition leads to the team having seven spots in the bullpen filled already. 

The 26th roster spot being added offers the ability to carry eight relievers, but that last spot as of now would go to Robert Gsellman.

Given Gsellman has options, the right-hander might be the most expendable when considering the other seven arms slated to be in the bullpen.

While Gsellman has pitched an average of 71 IP over the past two years in the bullpen, those innings have come with multiple poor outings, which explains his ERA being 4.45 during that period. With that being the case, his roster spot might not need to be guaranteed to him. 

If the Mets do decide to option Gsellman, it would open up the possibility of the Mets adding another bullpen piece.

These possibilities could include arms like Pedro Strop, Brandon Kintzler, Steve Cishek, Craig Stammen, or Francisco Liriano.

One of these players, most notably Cishek, could provide a higher floor than Gsellman and would further strengthen the bullpen.

The concern amongst Mets fans would be that the other holes, such as backup catcher and center fielder, would go unaddressed. So, would adding another bullpen piece make it unlikely that they’d acquire players to fill those needs?

I would guess that it would it more likely only one of those needs gets addressed. The Mets would essentially be canceling out the money they just got back from renegotiation Yoenis Cespedes‘ deal due to a grievance, further pushing them closer to the luxury tax. 

If the Mets were to add a player to the bullpen at around $6 million, the median value for the CBT would be at $204 million, which would give them only $4 million to work with before hitting the $208 million threshold.

It’s possible the Mets could sign a backup catcher like Kevin Plawecki for that money, but acquiring someone making a salary like that of Starling Marte would be an unlikely addition unless the Mets were to find a way to unload salary. 

That being said, it appears worth it when considering how much the bullpen hurt the team this past season.

The post Should Mets Add Another Reliever? appeared first on Metsmerized.

The Mets won again! More importantly, Jason Vargas allowed only one run over two innings and Smith, Avilan, Bashlor, Rhame, David Peterson and Torres behind him all pitched one inning without allowing a run. Michael Conforto and Pete Alonso each collected a couple of hits and J.D. Davis knocked in a double. Today the Mets will travel to Lakeland and bring with them a good crop of pitchers to watch.

Unfortunately, there is no video for today’s game though you can listen to Tigers audio on MLB APP.

Mets Lineup

1. Amed Rosario (SS)
2. Andres Gimenez (DH)
3. Dominic Smith (1B)
4. Rymer Liriano (RF)
5. Devin Mesoraco (C)
6. Tim Tebow (LF)
7. Gregor Blanco (CF)
8. Gavin Cecchini (2B)
9. Arismendy Alcantara (3B)

Things to watch in no particular order:

1. Jacob deGrom is making his second spring training start today. In his last outing he pitched one inning and allowed one run over 2 hits. He’ll go at least two innings today
2. Lugo and Gsellman are both listed after deGrom today. The pair were important in the pen last year and look to be locked in the pen this year. Seth Lugo has pitched one inning this spring with a walk and nothing else. Gsellman has allowed 2 runs off 2 hits and a walk in one inning of work.
3. PJ Conlon will see work today! The Belfast native had a clean inning of work his last time out.
4. One roster start battle that is on going – a lefty spot out of the pen. At the start of spring there was one for Wilson and maybe one for Zamora. Zamora has to fight off Avilan and possibly Santiago. Avilan had a good inning of work yesterday. This will be Zamora’s second outing, in his first he allowed a walk and nothing else.
5. Tim Tebow gets the start for the first time in a couple of days. I’m on team “Tebow makes baseball fun if you don’t take him to seriously”, so I’m ok with this early on in Spring. I know that’s a divisive opinion.
6. Blanco is getting another start in the outfield today as he continues to get the long look in spring we expected him to get. In 11 PA’s this year he is hitting .222/.364/.586
7. Dominic Smith in 7 PAs has hit .600/.714/.600. He’s looked good so far but also small sample sizes.

Check 213 Miles From Shea for more Mets Insights!

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Wednesday, July 4, 2018 • 7:07 p.m.
Rogers Centre • Toronto, ON
RHP Corey Oswalt (0-1, 9.82) vs. RHP Marcus Stroman (1-5, 6.02)
SNY • WOR 710 AM • 104.3 WAXQ-FM HD 2 • ESPN 1050

Even for the standards established by the 2018 Mets – last night was a bad night up North and the Mets will try to reverse it today. Last night the Mets had a 6-1 lead off homers from Cabrera, Mesoraco and Flores plus a good start by Wheeler. Then the bullpen happened and everything fell apart. Swarzak faced four batters and could only get one out, Gsellman needed to get one out and not allow a game-tying three-run homer (which is exactly what he did), with two outs in the eighth the Mets allowed another two-run homer. It was just a bad night.

Mets Lineup

1. Brandon Nimmo  CF
2. Jose Bautista  RF
3. Asdrubal Cabrera  2B
4. Michael Conforto  LF
5. Wilmer Flores  DH
6. Todd Frazier  3B
7. Dominic Smith  1B
8. Kevin Plawecki  C
9. Jose Reyes  SS

Blue Jays Lineup

1. Curtis Granderson  RF
2. Teoscar Hernandez  LF
3. Yangervis Solarte  3B
4. Justin Smoak  1B
5. Kendrys Morales  DH
6. Russell Martin  C
7. Randal Grichuk  CF
8. Lourdes Gurriel  2B
9. Aledmys Diaz  SS

Tonight Corey Oswalt will make his second start of 2018 and hopefully allow the Mets to forget last night. Last time out Oswalt was given a three-hour heads-up that he was starting the game and in Miami, he allowed 6 runs over 2.2 innings. In his major league debut in April, he allowed two runs over 4.2 innings. For Las Vegas this year he has a 5.32 ERA over 10 starts, last year he had a 2.28 ERA in Binghamton over 24 starts.

The Mets bats draw Marcus Stroman who has a 6.02 ERA over nine starts and 49.1 innings with a 4.18 FIP, 1.520 WHIP and 70 ERA+. But the stats do not tell the whole story. before landing on the DL after his start on May 8th, he had a 7.71 ERA. In his two starts since coming back, he has allowed two runs, one earned, over 12 innings from 10 hits and a walk. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

• Frazier 4-11, HR, 3 BB
• Cabrera 2-2, 2B
• Mesoraco 0-2

Game Notes

The pen suffered its major league-leading 22nd loss last night. New York’s bullpen is 3-14 with a 6.53 ERA (89 earned runs/122.2 innings) in their last 36 games (dating to May 25).

The Mets have hit 29 home runs in their last 23 games, including three last night and 43 homers in their last 37 games, but, 30 of those have been solo blasts. New York’s pitching staff has surrendered 27 homers in its last 12 games and 41 home runs in its last 22 contests.

Wilmer Flores has driven in 10 runs in his last nine games and has 13 RBI in his last 14 games…Flores has hit in career-high 10 straight games, going 11-38 (.289). Asdrubal Cabrera hit a team season-high 11 consecutive games
from March 31-April 13. Flores has reached base in a career-best 17 straight games with a plate appearance. Over his last 36 games, Flores is batting .292 (33-113) with nine doubles, five home runs, 21 RBI, 12 runs scored, 10 walks and a .344 OBP (dating back to May 4).

The Mets will begin an 11-game homestand on Friday to close out the first half of the year. The Rays, Phillies and
Nationals all visit Citi Field, including a doubleheader on Monday, July 9 vs. Philadelphia. The first 25,000 fans will receive a Jacob deGrom bobblehead prior to the 4:10 p.m. game on Saturday, July 7.

Let’s Go Mets!

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I will go on the record and say I love the idea of having these two as relievers. I also would love to see Zack Wheeler as a reliever but the Jason Vargas injury keeps him in the rotation for now.

Both Gsellman and Lugo came up in 2016 and helped pitch the Mets into the playoffs. Gsellman flashed a 95 MPH sinker which was nearly impossible to elevate while Lugo flashed a nasty curveball. In 2017, they took a step back performance wise as did their stuff. While both of them dealt with injuries, it’s also possible that their stuff plays better in the bullpen.

In a very small sample (four innings) as a reliever, Gsellman posted a 2.25 ERA and 1.91 FIP in his work in the bullpen. While in the bullpen, his sinker’s velocity averaged 94-96 whereas his sinker struggled to reach 93 as a starter. This is a common trend with pitchers who go to the bullpen. They gain velocity on their pitches which makes them tougher to hit. Starter turned reliever Brandon Morrow for example saw a three MPH jump on his fastball in just one season.

Even with his struggles in 2017, Gsellman had the 34th lowest exit velocity (out of 325) against him among pitchers with 150 balls in play against them. It’s possible his stuff plays better in the bullpen and he is able to generate even weaker contact.

Unlike Gsellman, Lugo’s 2017 was not a complete nightmare but it was definitely a step back from 2016. Despite his issues in 2017, Lugo held hitters to a .260/.299/.426 slash their first and second time through the order with a 3.26 ERA, 8.4 K/9, and 3.71 FIP. His third time through the order, hitters hit .352/.412/.506 with a .389 wOBA, and 4.91 FIP. Him in the bullpen makes perfect sense given the stark difference in his stats the first two times through the order and the third time through the order.

As for the stuff, Lugo’s fastball averaged 91 MPH in 2017. In 2016, he was around 91-93 as a starter but averaged more of 93-95 as a reliever. An uptick in his fastball as a reliever would go a long way to complement his curveball. His curveball generated the fourth (out of 422) highest spin rate in all of baseball in 2017 at 3,060 Revolutions per Minute.

Both have begun their transition to the bullpen this spring and have shown promising results. Lugo for example has a K/9 of 9.3 and Gsellman has three times as many ground ball outs to fly ball outs. Using these guys in a bullpen role as a “Relief Ace.” Many teams around baseball are doing this and it has worked very well for some, the Mets could be the next to reap rewards.

The post Projecting Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo as Relievers appeared first on Metsmerized.

New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson is open to trading from the back-end of the teams starting pitching depth according to Mike Puma of the New York Post.

The trio of Seth Lugo, Robert Gsellman and Rafael Montero made a combined 58 starts in 2017. Lugo had the best season of the group with a 4.71 ERA, 3.95 FIP and 3.40 SO/W.

The Mets are expected to look for a second baseman on the trade market that could include Ian Kinsler, Yangervis Solarte, Dee Gordon and Brian Dozier. They’re also in search of depth that can play first base and corner outfield.

However, Alderson realizes the risk with trading away a team that went through so much starting pitching depth in 2017, “But I want to emphasize that we thought we had quite a bit of depth last year and ended up with none, so we do have to be careful about that.”

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In a report by Mike Puma of the New York Post, Terry Collins said that Addison Reed, Hansel Robles, Jerry Blevins and Fernando Salas are all locked into bullpen spots (Collins seems to be presuming a Jeurys Familia suspension) to begin the season and mentioned the following pitchers as candidates for the final two spots:

LHP Josh Smoker

2016 Stats: 3-0, 4.70 ERA, 20 G, 15.1 IP, 1.304 WHIP, 14.7 K/9

While Smoker is a left-handed pitcher, he has reverse splits. In total, he struggled against left-handed batters and pitching multiple innings. Despite these issues, he can make a strong case for himself with his high strikeout rate.

LHP Josh Edgin

2016 Stats: 1-0, 5.23 ERA, 16 G, 10.1 IP, 1.548 WHIP, 9.6 K/9

Edgin struggled in his return from Tommy John due in large part to his not fully regaining his velocity. Despite these struggles, and with the caveat of an extremely small sample size, Edgin pitched well to left-handed batters limiting them to a .235/.300/.235 batting line.

Edgin may have the inside track to making the bullpen as he is out of options.

RHP Erik Goeddel

2016 Stats: 2-2, 4.54 ERA, 36 G, 35.2 IP, 1.318 WHIP, 9.1 K/9

Heading into the 2016 season, Goeddel had a 2.48 career ERA. The poor numbers from the 2016 season may be the result of a bone spur in his elbow that needed to be surgically removed in the offseason. With the successful surgery, it is reasonable to expect Goeddel can pitch like he had prior to 2016.

RHP Seth Lugo

2016 Stats: 5-2, 2.67 ERA, 17 G, 8 GS, 64.0 IP, 1.094 WHIP, 6.3 K/9

After struggling in the rotation in Vegas, he was moved to the bullpen where he thrived.  Before being thrust into the starting rotation late in the season, Lugo had made nine relief appearances going 0-1 with a 2.65 ERA, 0.941 WHIP, and an 8.5 K/9.

He also thrived in the rotation earning his way into a three man competition for the fifth starters role. Should he lose the question is whether he’s better suited to a bullpen role or if he’s better suited being stretched out in Vegas?

RHP Robert Gsellman

2016 Stats: 4-2, 2.42 ERA, 8 G, 7 GS, 44.2 IP, 1.276 WHIP, 8.5 K/9

Like Lugo, Gsellman was thrust into the starting rotation due to injuries, and he thrived. While in the majors, Gsellman found an extra gear or two with his fastball making him even more lethal on the mound.

Now, given his young age and service time issues, it’s doubtful the Mets move him in the bullpen should he lose the fifth starter competition.  

RHP Zack Wheeler

2014 Stats: 11-11, 3.54 ERA, 32 G, 32 GS, 1.85.1 IP, 1.327 WHIP, 9.1 K/9

In the second half of the 2014 season, Wheeler seemed to realize his potential. During that stretch, he was 6-3 with a 3.04 ERA, 1.286 WHIP, and a 9.6 K/9.

He would then need Tommy John surgery on the eve of the 2015 season. He was supposed to return in 2016, but he couldn’t due to a number of setbacks. Now, no one knows what to expect from him either today or years down the road.

Certainly, whatever concerns you had were not alleviated by his having a sore elbow on the first day he started throwing this Spring.

LHP Tom Gorzelanny

2016 Stats: 1-0, 21.00 ERA, 7 G, 3.0 IP, 3.000 WHIP, 12.0 K/9.

Gorzelanny has had a rough few years, but he is still capable of getting left-handed batter out. Last year, he limited them to a .111/.273/.111 batting line in 11 PA. His career numbers are .229/.302/.356. With numbers like these, he’s got potential as a LOOGY.

Like Edgin, it appears Gorzellany may have a good shot to make the bullpen with Collins saying of him, “We will see how effective he is against lefties [b]ecause certainly having that experience down there will be a big factor if he shows us this spring he can get outs.”

For what it’s worth, Collins indicated he would not be adverse to carrying two additional left-handed relievers. This comment would appear that Collins is prepared to give Smoker, Edgin, and Gorzelanny a long look during Spring Training.

Ultimately, it appears who will join the bullpen will depend on who claims the fifth starters job and whether the Mets feel the two are better suited to joining the bullpen or being stretched out in the majors.

Collins fails to mention Jeurys Familia in the piece as we wait to hear if he will be suspended or not, and possibly for how long.

The post Terry Collins Names Candidates For Final Two Bullpen Spots appeared first on Metsmerized.

According to a report by Adam Rubin for Baseball America, left-handed pitching prospect P.J. Conlon has been invited to big league camp.

Conlon, 23, began last season with the Columbia Fireflies before a mid-season promotion to High-A St. Lucie. Combined over 24 starts and one relief appearance, he went 12-2 with a minor league best 1.65 ERA and 0.979 WHIP in 142 innings pitched with a 4.67 strikeout to walk ratio.

For his outstanding efforts, the Mets named the Irish-born Conlon the Organizational Pitcher of the Year. Conlon was also recognized by MLB Pipeline as the Mets Pitching Prospect of the Year.

“You set goals for yourself before the season starts, but it’s never really result-oriented such as an award like this,” Conlon said. “To be recognized like this is just a bonus. It’s definitely a huge honor. Gsellman was pitcher of the year last year and now he’s up here. It’s just nice to see hard work paying off to know I really do belong here in pro baseball.”

General manager Sandy Alderson told Rubin that Conlon will receive consideration for a big league bullpen role out of spring training.

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Keith Law of ESPN, continued his Top 100 Major League Prospects countdown today after doing his first twenty players yesterday that included New York Mets right-hander Justin Dunn at #84. Law ranked 80-61 today with Mets right-hander Robert Gsellman coming in as the 76th best prospect in baseball.

Law said this about Gsellman who made his Major League debut in 2016: ”Gsellman was a crafty, command right-hander until mid-2016, when his velocity started to climb rapidly, so that when he reached the majors in August, he was pitching at 92-96 mph. Gsellman is a sinkerballer by trade, complemented with the slightly above average curveball he uses as a put-away pitch as well as an average changeup — and, of course, if Dan Warthen has laid hands on a guy, he probably has a decent slider too.”

In our MMO Top 30 Mets Prospects list we had Gsellman at number three after added velocity and the addition of a slider pushed his ceiling to a top of the rotation starter.

Gsellman made a strong impression with the big league club last season, pitching to a 4-2 record with an ERA of just 2.42. He threw 44.2 innings while striking out 42 batters and only allowing one home run.

With the bulk of the Mets rotation coming off injuries, Gsellman could see plenty of innings as a starter in 2017 and maybe some in the bullpen as well.

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