Scott Boras had his annual appearance where he fielded questions from reporters on his clients during this free agency period, and the Boras zingers were out in full force. While the super agent made sure to pump up his clients, there were a lot of Mets related reports to come from his rebuttals. One being on Juan Soto, as Boras mentioned that Soto will go through a “thorough process” while mentioning that the Mets have been very aggressive in the Soto market.

Scott pulled out one of his classic one-liners in regards to Pete Alonso‘s free agent market: “We hear a lot about the bare market for power-hitting first basemen. For Pete’s sake, it’s the polar opposite.” Along with Alonso, Boras also commented on Sean Manaea‘s market, which he said is very vast and that the LHP has many suitors.

For more on Boras’ comments, click here!

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Latest Mets News

David Stearns talked to reporters and addressed many topics, while praising Steve Cohen’s willingness to invest in the club. Click here for more on Stearns’ comments.

Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns also told reporters that he went to Japan to scout pending free agent Roki Sasaki in September. Click here for more on that news. 

The Mets agreed to terms with RHP Rico Garcia on a minor league deal with an invite to MLB camp, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Garcia had 20 saves in the International League for the Nationals organization last season, which led the league.

Baseball America released their top 10 Mets prospects for 2025, headlined by Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat.

The Mets have several minor league free agents, including OF DJ Stewart and 1B/3B Mike Brosseau, per Baseball America.

Latest MLB News

The Seattle Mariners are among teams that have closely evaluated Hye-seong Kim who will be posted from the Kiwoom Heroes of the KBO this off-season, per Jon Morosi of MLB Network. He had an .841 OPS with 30 SB in his age 25 season.

The Los Angeles Angels agreed to a one-year deal with longtime Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks, per Bruce Levine of 670 The Score.

Boras told reporters that his client and Astros third baseman Alex Bregman had a bone chip removed from his throwing elbow and should be back swinging in a couple of weeks, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic. The free agent should be good to go for spring training. 

The San Diego Padres agreed to a two-year extension through 2027 with manger Mike Shildt, who made the playoffs in his first year in San Diego.

The Cleveland Guardians and catcher Austin Hedges agreed on a one-year contract to bring him back with the club, per Jeff Passan of ESPN.

Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras will be moving to first base after spending most of his career behind the plate, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN.

The Houston Astros have had internal discussions around the possibility of trading setup man Ryan Pressly, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Pressly lost his closer job to Josh Hader, who secured a $95 million contract with Houston last offseason, and will be making $14 million in 2025.

Former MVP Mookie Betts and three-time World Series champ is expected to be moved back to the infield for the 2025 season, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

Brewers free agent shortstop Willy Adames is willing to move from his shortstop position if the right offer from a competitive club came around, per Will Sammon and Katie Woo of The Athletic. Other reports have said the Mets could move Adames to third, while other teams have thought of moving him to second base.

Jon Heyman reported that Juan Soto has been reached out to by the Mets, Yankees, Dodgers, Rays, Blue Jays, Red Sox, and Giants, per a Bleacher Report live stream.

Latest on MMO

Scott Boras speaks on free agent market.

Get to know possible Mets free agent target Tim Hill.

Take a look at what grade MMO gave Jose Quintana for his 2024 season.

On This Date in Mets History

2012: The Mets and Jason Bay come to an agreement to terminate the outfielder’s contract a year early. Bay only hit .239 in his three seasons in Queens after signing a four-year, $66 million deal.

Born On This Date: Dick Stuart (1932), Orlando Mercado (1961), Andy Tomberlin (1966), Glendon Rusch (1974), Kris Benson (1974), Willie Collazo (1979).

The post Morning Briefing: Boras Holds Court on Clients appeared first on Metsmerized.

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

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

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

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

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

Latest Mets News

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) August 7, 2024

Latest MLB News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Latest on MMO

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

Luisangel Acuña delivers the walk-off knock for Syracuse.

Starling Marte returns to action in St. Lucie.

On This Date in Mets History

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

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

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

Birthdays: John Hudek (58)

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

The Mets made history yesterday! Unfortunately, as per usual, the Amazins were on the wrong side of history.

With Thursday’s loss to the Cleveland Guardians, it was the first time in franchise history that the Mets were swept by Cleveland. This continued the Mets’ freefall as of late, continuing to lose series as they drop to seven games under .500, their lowest point of the season thus far.

Despite holding a 3-0 lead going into the bottom of the sixth and having one of his better performances of the season, José Quintana would give up a three-run blast to former Met Andrés Giménez to tie the game. The Mets were shut out the rest of the way, ending up in yet another loss. For a full breakdown of the game, click here.

Luckily, the Mets will return to Queens for a 10-game home stand, hosting three West Coast teams in hopes of grasping some sort of momentum. They start off with the Giants on Friday, with Christian Scott expected to get the ball for a 7:10 p.m. ET start time.

David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Latest Mets News

Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez is scheduled to take batting practice during the Mets’ next homestand which starts Friday, per Mike Puma of the New York Post. To learn more about Alvarez’s rehab progression, click here.

Mets two-way prospect Nolan McLean made his Double-A debut on the mound for the Binghamton Rumble Ponies. His line: 4 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 0 BB, and 5 K.

Latest MLB News

The MLB and MLBPA announced an expansion of financial programs to support living Negro Leagues players. The benefits are extended to alumni who played in fewer than four seasons in the Negro Leagues. 

Dallas Keuchel was released by the Mariners Triple-A affiliate Tacoma Rainiers. The 36-year-old veteran starting pitcher made seven starts, posting a 4.74 ERA.

The San Diego Padres placed INF Xander Bogaerts on the 10-day IL, retroactive to May 21, with a left shoulder fracture. He intends to play again this season, per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

The contract of outfielder David Peralta was selected by the San Diego Padres. 

White Sox outfielder Eloy Jiménez was placed on the 10-day IL with a left hamstring strain. 

The Texas Rangers signed RHP Nabil Crismatt to a minor league deal, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.

The Seattle Mariners acquired RHP relief pitcher Mike Baumann from the Baltimore Orioles for catcher Blake Hunt, per Jeff Passan of ESPN.

Latest on MMO

Mark Vientos has been making the most of his opportunity. 

Francisco Alvarez is on his way back to the field.

See what MMO readers had to say about Nolan McLean’s first start in Double-A.

On This Date in Mets History

2010: The Mets beat the Yankees behind 7 2/3 innings of one-run ball from Johan Santana and two Jason Bay home runs.

2009: Omar Santos hits a go-ahead two-run homer off of Jonathan Papelbon, who had not blown a save up until that point in the season. 

1999: The Mets rally for five runs in the ninth inning to take a one-run lead against Curt Shilling, who had thrown eight scoreless innings prior.

Birthdays: Vic Black (36), Ricky Gutiérrez (54), Butch Metzger (72), Pepe Mangual (72)

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Get Swept in Cleveland For First Time appeared first on Metsmerized.

This off-season, we’re looking at the Mets’ history with free agency. The regrettable list includes names like Jed Lowrie, Kaz Matsui, and most recently Óliver Pérez. Taking the runner-up position is an outfielder very worthy of being at the top (or bottom?). And as far as on-field performance is concerned, that’s definitely the case. 

Dollar for dollar and game for game, no offseason signing was more disappointing.

Jason Bay became a budding star in Pittsburgh. He had four seasons averaging 28 homers, 94 RBIs, and an OPS+ of 129. He was the Rookie of the Year in 2004 and an All-Star in 2005 and 2006.

Bay moved on to Boston at the ’08 trade deadline, a big market with a demanding fanbase. There, in 2009, he finished seventh in the MVP race, earning another All-Star Game selection, slashing .267/.384/.537, and driving in 119 RBI.

By the end of 2009, he was a free agent garnering strong demand.

After considering the likes of fellow outfielder Matt Holliday, the Mets won the bidding war for Bay at four years and $66 million. Ironically enough, he was signed by Omar Minaya — the general manager who traded the 22nd-round pick to Queens as a young prospect while an Expos executive. Too bad the Mets didn’t keep him, because he instead went on to the Padre organization before finding his way with Pittsburgh.

Bay hit 36 homers during that one full year in Boston. He couldn’t match that in New York — not just for a single season but combined for all three seasons. Why not four? Because the Mets and Bay agreed to part ways before the contract was fulfilled, putting an end to this colossal failure.

The dark cloud that hovered over the Mets in 2009 continued to linger and embraced Bay with open arms. He played in only 95 games, with the biggest setback of that 2010 season coming in a July game in Los Angeles. He crashed into the fence at Dodger Stadium trying to catch a fly ball, suffering a concussion in the process. He wasn’t performing well before the injury, and he certainly wasn’t after. His first year ended at .259/.347/.402 with six homers, 47 RBIs, and 48 runs scored.

Staying on the field, or the inability to do so, was a theme throughout Bay’s career in New York as he wound up playing in just 288 games. In 2011, he managed 509 plate appearances but his OPS+ dipped below league average (97).

If the pressure from fans was impacting the quiet outfielder, it continued to show as he entered his third year. Bay began the 2012 campaign still a starter in left field but his spot was certainly in question given past performance — hard to believe considering he was the starting left fielder for the American League All-Stars three years ago.

Keeping on theme with injuries, Bay fractured a rib on April 23 while diving to make a catch. In the seven games following his return, his overall slash line tanked to .187/.253/.373. Then on June 15, he had another unfortunate collision with a wall and had to deal with yet another concussion. Used primarily as a late-inning defensive replacement for the duration, he finished with 215 plate appearances and an unbearably low OPS+ of 48.

It was another completely lost season. And for the Mets, it was the last season with Bay on the roster.

By November, the two sides mutually chose to terminate the contract a year early. Bay went to Seattle, where he played just one more season and in only 68 games.

There are many stories of players who enjoy great careers both before and after the Mets. That’s not the case with Bay. He’s a member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame as well as the mythical Mets Bust Hall of Fame. It’s clear New York was where his career began to nosedive. Unfortunately for the Mets, they had to endure it along with him.

The post Mets Worst Free-Agent Signing No 2: Jason Bay appeared first on Metsmerized.

Good morning Mets fans! The New York Mets were idle on Thursday as they received a day off. During their day off, they took a half game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies, closed within 2.5 games of the Chicago Cubs and fell back to 3.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers.

Latest Mets News

The Mets open a three-game series with the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Jacob deGrom (9-8, 2.61 ERA) will look to continue his strong second half and try to bolster his case for a second consecutive Cy Young Award as he faces off with Luis Castillo (15-6, 3.22 ERA) of the Reds. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. EDT, with game coverage on SNY, WCBS 880 and ESPN Deportes 1050.

Andres Gimenez and Ali Sanchez both got in some action as the Arizona Fall League got underway on Wednesday. Gimenez drove in the game-winning run for the Scottsdale Scorpions with a RBI double in the top of the ninth. Sanchez, a catcher, came in as a defensive replacement at first base in the bottom of the ninth.

Tim Britton of The Athletic wrote a piece on how the Mets are rallying around Leighton Accardo; the seven-year-old daughter of Mets’ pitching strategist Jeremy Accardo. Leighton was diagnosed with Stage IV germ cell cancer during the second week of May.

Ken Davidoff of the New York Post argues that the Mets can make a strong case for having the deepest roster of anyone in the NL Wild Card race.

Latest MLB News

The New York Yankees clinched the American League East division with a 9-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. It was their first divisional title since 2012.

Although celebrations were had in the Bronx on Thursday night, the Yankees did receive bad news on Thursday afternoon about Domingo German. The 27-year-old was placed on administrative leave while under investigation for a domestic violence incident, as announced by MLB.

Anthony Rizzo made his return to the Cubs’ lineup. The team also announced that Craig Kimbrel was activated from the 10-day injured list and Addison Russell was activated from the 7-day concussion list.

Kolten Wong suffered a mild hamstring strain in Thursday’s contest against the Cubs and will get a MRI on Friday according to Derrick S. Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

In what has become a three-way AL Wild Card race, the Oakland Athletics sit in the first Wild Card spot with a 2.0-game lead over both the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Indians who currently share the second Wild Card spot.

In the NL Wild Card race, the Washington Nationals hold a 1.0-game lead while in the first Wild Card spot and the Milwaukee Brewers hold a 1.0-game lead while in the second Wild Card spot. The Cubs (82-71; 1.0 game back), Mets (79-73; 3.5 games back), Phillies (78-73; 4.0 games back) and Arizona Diamondbacks (78-75; 5.0 games back) are all in the hunt.

Latest NL East News

The Atlanta Braves (94-60) remain atop the NL East standings, followed by the Nationals (83-68; 9.5 games back), Mets (79-73; 14.0 games back), Phillies (78-73; 14.5 games back) and Miami Marlins (53-99; 40.0 games back).

The Braves beat the Phillies 5-4. Just like the Mets, both the Marlins and Nationals had the day off.

Latest on MMO/MMN

Michael Mayer wrote about the NL Cy Young race and how Max Scherzer‘s recent rough start further opens it up.

Mayer also listed an updated version of the Mets top 30 prospects according to Mets Minors.

Tim Ryder broke down Noah Syndergaard‘s start against the Rockies on Wednesday.

Matt Musico wrote about deGrom’s strong second half and how it mirrors his second half from last season.

John Sheridan wrote an update on the NL Wild Card race prior to Thursday’s games around the league.

Sheridan continued his “3 Up, 3 Down” series after the Mets’ three-game set with the Colorado Rockies.

Sheridan also listed and wrote about the pitching leaders within the Mets’ minor league short season teams.

This Day in Mets History

1966: In their fifth year as a franchise, the Mets won their 63rd game of the season to clinch their first non-100 loss season.

1969: The eventual world champion Mets were no-hit by Bob Moose of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

1973: Willie Mays officially announced his retirement at a press conference which was held at the Diamond Club at Shea Stadium. Later that night the Mets also beat the Pirates 4-3 in what became known as the “Ball on the Wall Game.”

Birthdays: AJ Ramos turns 33, Jason Bay turns 41, Dave Gallagher turns 59 and Dennis Ribant turns 78.

The post Morning Briefing: DeGrom Looks To Bolster Cy Young Case  appeared first on Metsmerized.

An MMO Fan Shot by Noah Rainwater

I don’t remember much about the summer of 2004. I vaguely remember turning 21 that June, taking an ill-advised trip to Atlantic City, and realizing that all casinos are not created equal. (Apparently you have to win twice at the Taj Majal, once at the table, and once again in the parking garage, successfully making it to your car without getting stabbed).

AC trips aside, I spent the majority of my summer life-guarding at a small apartment complex in Jersey. If that sounds boring to you, it’s because it was. Wake up at noon, open pool at one. Rescue children whose parents were too irresponsible to watch them. Unsuccessfully hit on mediocre chicks. Listen to Mike and the Mad Dog.

If my summer was a reality show, it would have been cancelled after the first episode.

Absolutely nothing of note happened over those three months. Nothing I can remember anyway. Except for one day. July 30. The day we traded Scott Kazmir.

A little after 4:00 P.M. a somber Eddie Coleman came on WFAN to announce that the Mets had acquired Kris Benson AND Victor Zambrano. Mad Dog, working alone that day, then asked, “So what’d the Mets give up Eddie?” “Well, they gave up a lot Chris.”Before going to work that morning I read a blurb in the Star Ledger about how the Mets were interested in Victor Zambrano. But that the deal was unlikely because Zambrano was complaining of elbow soreness and the Devil Rays were asking for Scott Kazmir. This made me laugh. The Devil Rays were known for making ridiculous trade offers. No way. Not happening.

For the first ten minutes I talked myself into the deal. I knew a little bit about Zambrano, that he had a good K/9, but control issues. I also knew Benson was a former number one pick, and at one time a top pitching prospect. So I tried to get excited about the trade(s). Then Chris took his first caller.

“Honestly Chris, what’s the point of being a Mets fan?”

That’s when it sunk in. Despair. Then anger.

Wait, did we really just trade the Mets’ top pitching prospect  for Victor Zambrano?

Here’s eight thoughts on the deal.

VALUE

Even if Scott Kazmir had blown out his arm, never pitched a day in the majors, and Zambrano won multiple CY Young awards, the trade still would have been a failure from a value standpoint. After the trade, Texas came out and said they would have considered trading Mark Teixeira in a Kazmir package. The Phillies mentioned that they would have parted with their slugging minor league first basemen, Ryan Howard, who was blocked behind Jim Thome at the time. Even if the reports were just heresay, there’s no denying the fact that on the day of the trade, July 30, 2004, Scott Kazmir was the top pitching prospect in baseball. A highly regarded, 20 year old lefty, with a high 90’s fastball and plus slider. He certainly could have brought back a lot more than a pitcher who was best known for leading the AL in walks, wild pitches, and hit batsmen. If Kazmir was worth a dollar, the Mets sold him for a nickel.

IMPULSE

When Texas came out and said they would have entertained trading Teixeira for Kazmir, there were two messages being sent. The previously mentioned point that Kazmir was worth a lot more than what the Mets got. And the second, and one that’s equally important, is that no one knew Kazmir was available. Which probably means that Kazmir wasn’t available, at least not until the Devil Rays asked for him. This is fine of course. The problem that occurs is, once the Mets internally decide that they are willing to trade him, they never stop and think, “Hey maybe we can get someone better than Victor Zambrano for Kazmir?” A month earlier, the front office viewed Kazmir as the teams future ace, and virtually untouchable. Then, after a better than expected record in July, they send him packing without even letting other teams know he was available? The trade reeks of an impulse buy. Like the time a 19 year old me spent two thousand dollars on a set of 18’ Lexani Rims, after putting a total of 15 minutes thought into the purchase.

Mom: “I thought you were saving that money to study abroad?”

Me: “Um……well…….Um……..Look how shiny they are!”

WHO’S IN CHARGE HERE?

Following the trade, rumors leaked that Jeff Wilpon, and not GM Jim Duquette, was in charge of roster decisions. Reports surfaced that Al Lieter hadn’t liked Kazmir, dating back to a spring training incident involving clubhouse music, and that Lieter and Tom Glavine were known to play golf with Jeff Wilpon. Were they an influence in trading Kazmir? And why was Rick Peterson, the teams pitching coach, allowed so much input regarding the trade? Did Peterson’s opinion trump Duquette’s? The question as to who was actually in charge became a big debate for the rest of the season. Only later would it be confirmed that the Mets had far too many voices making decisions about the roster. Or as Jim Duquette puts it in this 2006 New York Times article, “We had too many cooks in the kitchen, In that situation, if someone disagrees, he might not speak up. The loudest voices are the ones that get heard. It does become sort of like a mob mentality.”

INCOMPETENCE AND DISTRUST

After the Kazmir trade there was a distrust between fans and ownership. And rightfully so. In the aftermath of the trade, a slew of rumors came out about the Mets and how they run their front office. Rumors the Mets denied. But as a fan, even the most optimistic, you couldn’t help but think that the people in charge of your favorite team were vastly incompetent. And to top it off, they were now lying about it. The whole thing came across like a bad corporate cover up. Even 12 years later, I still find myself doubting almost everything ownership says.

15 MINUTE RICK

Rick Peterson’s Met obituary is a short one. Six words to be exact. I’ll fix him in 15 minutes. When he retires from baseball, Peterson will be remembered for helping develop the big three of Mulder, Hudson, and Zito. Maybe people will also praise his many innovations in the study of pitching mechanics. But Met fans will most likely remember him for the influence he had in trading Kazmir for Zambrano. It’s not totally fair. The Mets could have said something like “Hey Rick, we’re gonna try to get Zambrano for you, but there’s no effing way we’re trading Kazmir for him.” Peterson never should have had the power to be so influential in the decision. But he was. And his arrogance, and subsequent failure to “fix” Zambrano, is what a lot of Mets fans will remember.

POOR VICTOR ZAMBRANO

I always felt kind of bad for Victor. It’s not like he was a free agent we gave big money to and didn’t perform (I’m looking at you, Jason Bay). I think he always knew who he was as a player. A fringe major league starter with control issues. It’s not like he told the Mets to make the deal. I can only imagine how the conversation went after the trade went through.

Rays Manager: Hey Vic, we just traded you to the Mets.

Zambrano: Oh… Did you get anything good back for me?

Rays Manager: Ha! Yeah we did… Scott Kazmir, only the best lefthanded pitching prospect in baseball! Don’t worry, no pressure Vic…

2007 COLLAPSE

Kazmir s big league career may have never lived up to the expectations we all had back in 2004. For one season however, it did. In 2007 he led the league in strikeouts and made the All-Star team. His final numbers: 206 IP, 3.48 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 239 K’s. Do the Mets collapse in 2007 if Kazmir is pitching every 5th day? It’s a fair question to ask.

PEDRO, CARLOS, AND OMAR

After the 2003 season, Omar Minaya was offered the GM job to share with Jim Duquette. They would be co-general managers and have equal power. Minaya declined the offer. After the embarrassment of the Kazmir trade and another losing season, Wilpon offered Minaya the full time gig in the fall of 2004. Telling Omar, “ We’ve become totally irrelevant.” The rest is Mets history. Omar convinces ownership that they must spend money to compete in the New York market. Taking almost the opposite approach of Jim Duquette and his “we won’t sign anyone to more than a three year contract” method that ended up costing us Vladimir Guerrero the previous offseason. The Mets went out and spent big on Pedro Martinez, Carlos Beltran, and traded for highly priced first basemen Carlos Delgado. If Kazmir comes up to Shea in 2004, does he create enough buzz that Fred sticks with Duquette another season? Do we not then sign Pedro and Beltran?

It’s been a little over eight years since the Kazmir trade, and in that time the sting has mostly worn off. Scott Kazmir never won a Cy Young or a World Series. He never became Nolan Ryan or Dwight Gooden. Time, will undoubtedly diminish the significance of the trade. The incompetence of it eventually fading away behind the Mets’ more recent incompetence. In 20 years when a young fan reads about it, he will see only the career stats of both pitchers. Never truly knowing what a colossal blunder the trade was at the time. Even now, I still wonder how Tampa was able to pry Kazmir from the Mets? How could they have ripped us off so badly? It’s as if Jeff Wilpon stumbled into the wrong casino, and there in the parking deck were the Devil Rays, holding a knife, asking for his blue chip.

* * * * * * * * *

This MMO Fan Shot was submitted by MMO reader Noah Rainwater. Have something you want to say about the Mets?  Send your Fan Shot to GetMetsmerized@aol.com.

The post MMO Fan Shot: Revisiting The Scott Kazmir Trade appeared first on Metsmerized.

“He was good. Until he went to the Mets.”

If you’re a Mets fan, there’s a solid chance you say or hear that sentence at least ten times per year. The Mets have had several notable occurrences of “He Was Good Until He Went To The Mets” syndrome over their five decades of play, and countless players have fallen prey to it.

When the Mets turned 50, they released an “All-Time Team” to remember the greats who wore the orange and blue. But if you’re a die-hard Mets fan, you know that the greats are only half of the story. For every Keith Hernandez, there’s a Mo Vaughn. For every Mike Piazza, there’s a Jim Fregosi. For every… you get it.

So now we have an all-time “He Was Good Until He Went To The Mets Team.” This team was built with the players at each position who had the best careers prior to a lackluster stay with the Mets:

Catcher – Yogi Berra

After Berra was fired as Yankees manager in 1964, the Mets immediately scooped him up as a player/coach. Many people don’t even realize that Berra played for the Mets– albeit for four games in 1965. He went 2-for-9, and retired after striking out three times in a game for the second time ever on May 9. The American icon went on to coach and manage with the Mets for the next decade, including in a memorable run to the World Series in 1973.

First Baseman – Mo Vaughn

Vaughn looked like a potential Hall of Famer when he played for the Red Sox and Angels. From 1993-2000, an average season for Vaughn was .305/.394/.552 with 35 home runs and 111 RBI. But it was all downhill after the 2000 season. He missed all of 2001 with a torn bicep and was traded to the Mets for Kevin Appier prior to the 2002 season.
While Appier won 14 games and helped the Angels win the 2002 World Series,

Vaughn did little for the Mets. His first year with the team was far below his pre-injury averages– albeit not awful. He batted .259/.349/.456 with 26 home runs and 72 RBI. However, he played in just 27 games in 2003 and missed all of 2004 with a career-ending knee injury. The Mets paid him $46 million dollars over these three seasons to play in just 158 games.

Vaughn is perhaps best remembered by Mets fans for his weight issues; despite once weighing 225 pounds, Vaughn had skyrocketed to 275 pounds when he was with the Mets. This led to many an angry call into “Mike and the Mad Dog.”

Second Baseman – Roberto Alomar

Alomar has a plaque in Cooperstown today, but it’s safe to say this has little to do with his time on the Mets.
Much like Vaughn, Alomar was acquired from the Indians during the 2002 offseason to revitalize the team. The Mets would be acquiring a 32-year-old player who had made 12 consecutive All-Star teams and won 11 consecutive Gold Gloves.

Both of these streaks ended once he came to the Mets. Alomar batted just .266/.331/.376 in 2002, and after putting up similar numbers the following season, was traded to the White Sox in July of 2003. Alomar played just one more season before calling it a career.
The trades for Vaughn and Alomar helped end Steve Phillips’ time as GM of the Mets, who was fired in 2003.

(Dis)Honorable mention #1 – Carlos Baerga

Baerga was the first second baseman since Rogers Hornsby to record consecutive seasons of 200+ hits, 20 home runs and 100 RBI when he did so in 1992 and 1993. After he was traded to the Mets in 1996, he never reached any of these plateaus again.

(Dis)Honorable mention #2 – Luis Castillo

Castillo won three Gold Gloves with the Marlins, yet is best remembered as a Met for failing to catch a pop-up. Enough said.

Shortstop: Kaz Matsui

Matsui is a legend in Japan, where he batted .309/.362/.486 with 150 home runs and 306 steals from from 1995-2003. This 2003 scouting report on ESPN.com called him “More talented than Hideki Matsui,” and the “Best all-around player [in Japan] since Ichiro left.”

So when Matsui decided to take his talents to America, the Mets signed him to a three-year, $20 million contract prior to the 2004 season. The team was so confident in his abilities that it moved highly-touted shortstop prospect Jose Reyes to second base to make room for Matsui.

Unlike the other Matsui in New York at the time, Kaz failed to meet expectations. He batted just .256/.308/.363 in three injury-plagued seasons with the Mets. He was traded to the Rockies in June of 2006. He spent the next four seasons with the Rockies and Astros before heading back to Japan in 2011.

In case you’re wondering, Matsui still plays in Japan for the Rakuten Golden Eagles, where he batted .256/.324/.366 with ten home runs and 48 RBI in 126 games last season.

Third Base – Jim Fregosi

Before the days of David Wright, the Mets struggled to find an everyday third baseman throughout much of their early history. In fact, they had eight different starting third basemen from 1962-1971.

The Mets hoped to put an end to these woes when they acquired Jim Fregosi from the Angels in December of 1971. Fregosi was a six-time All-Star with a bWAR of 44.8 and an OPS+ of 119 from 1963-1970. But a down season in 1971 made him expendable for the Angels, who traded him to the Mets for some young pitcher named Nolan Ryan.

Unfortunately for the Mets, the man bought in to be the third baseman of the future had a short and forgettable stay in Flushing. He batted an abysmal .233/.319/.328 with five home runs and 43 RBI in 146 games in 1972 and 1973. The Mets’ search for a star third baseman would continue until Howard Johnson made his debut with the team in 1985. Meanwhile, Nolan Ryan went on to throw over 5,000 strikeouts and seven no-hitters en route to the Hall of Fame.

Outfield – Jason Bay

After a season in which Daniel Murphy led the Mets with just 12 home runs, the Mets were in desperate need of a power hitter. So they signed Bay to a four-year, $66 million contract. Bay came to the Mets with seven consecutive seasons of at least 20 home runs and 80 RBI, and was coming off a season in which he hit 36 home runs and 119 RBI with the Red Sox.

In three years with the Mets, Bay hit just 26 home runs and 124 RBI. He batted just .234/.318/.369, and had his contract terminated prior to the 2013 season.

Outfield – Vince Coleman 

Coleman stole 549 bases during the first six seasons of his career with the Cardinals. He is one of just four players in the modern era to steal over 100 bases in a season, which he did three times from 1985-1987.

It looked like the Mets were signing the next Lou Brock when they signed him in 1990. What they got was one of the biggest embarrassments in team history. Coleman, who played with the Mets from 1991-1993, never played more than 100 games in a season.

Aside from the disappointing on-field performance, his off-field behavior was even worse. He was gone for good after he was charged with felony a firecracker at a group of fans at Dodger Stadium, which injured three people– including a two-year-old girl. Prior to this dubious incident, he injured Dwight Gooden by swinging a golf club in the clubhouse and had been suspended for feuding with manager Jeff Torborg.

Outfield – Willie Mays:

The “Say Hey Kid” was traded to the Mets in the middle of the 1972 season. Mays was 41 at the time, and was hardly the player he used to be. He hit just .238/.352/.294 in 135 games with the Mets from 1972-1973 to finish out his career.

Unlike many of the players on the “He Was Good Until He Went to the Mets” team, Mays is still looked at with reverence by the organization and fans, so much so that his No. 24 jersey has remained mostly out of circulation since he retired.

(Dis)Honorable Mention #1 – Bobby Bonilla

Many Mets fans would probably put Bonilla over Mays on this list, but from a purely numerical standpoint, Bonilla was actually not awful. He made two All-Star teams in four seasons while he recorded an OPS+ over 120 in each of his first four years with the team.

(Dis)Honorable Mention #2 – George Foster

Much like Bonilla, Foster didn’t live up to the hype of his five-year, $10 million contract, the second-largest in baseball history in 1982, but still put up decent numbers. Foster had at least 20 home runs in three of his five years with the Mets and had two years with a WAR over 1.5.

(Dis)Honorable Mention #3 – Duke Snider

Snider was a Hall of Famer and fan-favorite in New York as a Brooklyn Dodger before the team relocated to Los Angeles in 1958. He came back to New York in 1963 when he was sold to the Mets, where he batted .243/.345/.401 with 14 homers and 45 RBI in his only season with the team.

Starting Pitcher – Pedro Martinez

Pedro signed a four-year, $53 million dollar contract with the Mets in December of 2004. This represented a new era in Mets history, and was a major factor in persuading Carlos Beltran to sign. However, he contributed little on the field after the first year of his deal.

Martinez’s first season with the Mets was electrifying, as he went 15-8 with a 2.82 ERA and a league-leading 0.949 WHIP and 4.43 strikeout-to-walk ratio. After this season,Pedro would never make more than 24 starts in a season again, and recorded a 4.74 ERA throughout his remaining time with the Mets. A healthy Pedro could have made all the difference in 2007 and 2008, when the Mets were eliminated on the last day of the season.

Starting Pitcher – Tom Glavine

Glavine was one of the best pitchers of his era with the Braves, and was pretty solid with the Mets as well. He went 61-56 with a 3.97 ERA during his five seasons in New York. But he will always be remembered for his performance on the final day of the 2007 season, when he allowed seven runs in one-third of an inning to the last-place Marlins. Not a good time to have the worst start of your career.

Starting Pitcher – Warren Spahn

As a Brave, Spahn averaged 20 wins from 1947-1963. But after going 6-13 with a 5.29 ERA in 1964, he was sold to the Mets.
Much like Berra, Spahn had an oft-forgotten abbreviated cameo with the Mets in 1965. He was purchased and given both a spot in the rotation and the title of pitching coach.

Spahn had won 356 games prior to joining the Mets, and still believed that he could get to 400 wins when he joined the team. This proved to be a fruitless endeavor, however, as the 44-year-old went just 4-12 with a 4.36 ERA before being released midseason.

While on the Mets, Spahn was reunited with Casey Stengel, who he had played under with the Boston Braves in 1942. Reminiscing on his time with the Mets, Spahn once said: “I’m probably the only guy who worked with Stengel before and after he was a genius.”

Relief Pitcher: Francisco Rodriguez

The 2008 Mets’ bullpen was so bad that had their games ended in the eighth inning, they would have won the NL East by 12 games rather than losing it by three games. So that offseason, they signed Francisco Rodriguez, who was fresh off setting a single-season record with 62 saves, to a three-year, $37 million contract.

Rodriguez failed as a member of the Mets. His ERA ballooned to 3.71 in 2009– more than a run higher than it had been in 2008. He suffered a season-ending thumb injury in August of 2010 by assaulting his girlfriend’s father following a loss. “K-Rod” was traded to the Brewers in a salary-dump trade in 2011, where he has since made two All-Star teams.

Relief Pitcher – J.J. Putz

Putz recorded a 5.22 ERA as the setup man in 2009 before suffering a season-ending elbow injury that June. Putz was a stellar closer for the Mariners prior to 2009, as he had a 3.07 ERA and 101 saves in his six-year tenure with the team. After his time with the Mets, he recorded two 30-plus save seasons with the Diamondbacks in 2011 and 2012.
Putz later said that the Mets never gave him a physical upon acquisition. As Mets fans found out last year, medicals are rather important.

Manager – Art Howe

Howe was bought in in 2003 to be the Mets’ manager following Bobby Valentine‘s firing. Howe was the hottest managerial name on the market, as he had just led the Athletics to three consecutive playoff appearances. If he could lead the $40 million payroll Oakland A’s to three straight playoff appearances. Imagine what he could do with more than double that budget?

Not much. Howe went 137-186 in his two years on the job. He was fired following the 2004 season, and never managed again after leaving the Mets.

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From All-Star to disappointment; that’s what fans saw as Jason Bay took the podium last night representing the Pirates at the 2016 MLB Draft.

Pittsburgh fans had a two-time All-Star and a middle-of-the-order slugger. Mets fans, however, saw what could have been, rather than what was.

Bay, in the area for the first time since retiring in 2013, holds similar feelings about his time in New York.

“When I look back,” he told MMO. “I just wish I had done better.”

Bay hit just .234 with 26 home runs in three seasons with the Mets after signing a 4-year, $66 million contract. He was bought out of his contract in 2012.

“I don’t regret it by any means, but I went there to do a job and I didn’t do it,” Bay said candidly about his Mets career. “Ultimately I live with that. It’s a performance-based game, it’s ‘what have you done?’ And I didn’t get it done.”

Bay said he was thrilled to see the Amazin’s capture the National League Pennant last season, and marveled at the quality of the “amazing” pitching staff. The 37-year-old still keeps in touch with several former teammates, including David Wright.

“Nobody cares more than he does,” he said. “He signed with the Mets at a time where things weren’t going well. He wanted to be here. He’s loyal to the Wilpons, he’s loyal to the team, and that goes a long way.”

Bay, who endured two concussions and a broken rib in New York, said injuries were one of the most infuriating parts of his Mets tenure.

“The toughest part is when you’re not healthy, there’s nothing you can do,” he said. “You can’t do anyone any good and that’s a very frustrating feeling.”

While he said he sympathizes with Wright’s situation, Bay stopped short of likening their struggles with injuries.

“I didn’t really build up any good will, I kind of came in here with expectations and didn’t get it done,” he said. “David’s built up an endless supply of good will in my opinion.”

The post MMO Exclusive: Jason Bay Wishes Things Could Have Been Better With Mets appeared first on Metsmerized.

It’s Opening Day, and what could be better?

There’s a little extra kick in your step this morning and getting out of bed wasn’t the drag it usually is… You woke up smiling as the little voices in your head said, It’s Opening Day, baby!”

The Mets and you are tangled in a deep, long-term love affair… And every year at this time your palms get a little sweaty, your heart is racing, and you find yourself constantly checking the time as we get closer and closer to the first pitch and the sounds of leather popping and the crack of the bat. It has all the feel and excitement of a first date and in many ways it is. For most of us the Mets represent the longest relationship we’ve ever had in our lives. We’re never gonna divorce them, we’re never gonna leave them. Face it, this is true love.

This Opening Day in particular feels extra special compared to years past. I’ve completely bought into the plan and I’m emotionally invested in this team and all the players.

Like any other MLB team, the Mets begin the new season with some questions and are far from perfect, but you just know that this year is going to be different. This year is going to be special. I’m not saying we’re gonna win 108 games and bulldoze through the league and the division. But I believe we have an 86 win team with a chance at 90 wins if things break right, and after the last six seasons I’ll take it!

I’m excited to see Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom pitch together for the first time ever and form one of the most lethal 1-2 punches in the league. I’m looking forward to seeing Juan Lagares develop into the rising star I always believed he’d be. I’m dying to see Jenrry Mejia do that thing he does after closing out a game, and watching Lucas Duda launching baseballs over the wall and chugging around the bases.

We have a great team! I love the blend of young emerging talent and the proven veterans. Suddenly we went from having one player with post season experience in David Wright, to having Granderson, Cuddyer, Mayberry, Colon, Blevins and Torres, all with postseason experience, and don’t underestimate the importance of that.

And what about Steven Matz, Noah Syndergaard, Akeel Morris, Matt Reynolds, Kevin Plawecki and all that other great talent on the way? This team is finally built for success and we have the minor league pipeline to sustain it.

For once I actually agree with manager Terry Collins who said, “We have high expectations. This is the year. It’s time to win. We’ve got a good team. We’ve got a great clubhouse. We’re going to compete.”

Yes, we still have some questions, but who doesn’t? The important thing is we have the elite pitching and once you have that the rest is just small potatoes. Great pitching always beats great hitting. Great pitching wins championships.

It’s Opening Day! So don’t be afraid to Dream a little, and it’s okay to Believe for a day… That’s what it’s all about.

It’s Opening Day, and what could be better.

The post It’s Opening Day, And What Could Be Better? appeared first on Metsmerized.

I think it is safe to say that Curtis Granderson has been one of the most offensively productive players in the league since April 29th. Mets fans remember the slow start that Granderson got off too, which drew comparisons to Jason Bay from the harshly critical Mets Twitter community.

In a recent article on ESPNNewYork.com, Adam Rubin noted that Granderson has the seventh-best OPS at .895 since April 29th. The six players that rank above him during that span are all All-Stars.

Furthermore, Granderson is batting .276 with twelve homeruns, and has been a patient slugger drawing 41 walks, which ranks 2nd most in the majors during that span.  His ability to work the count has increased the amount of hittable pitches he has targeted recently.

During Monday’s game against the Braves, Granderson was able to get around on a fastball on the outside part of the plate and hit a homerun over the right-field wall to tie the game in the 8th inning. Those are the clutch RBI’s the Mets need from a guy like Granderson, especially with David Wright not putting up David Wright numbers. Six of Grandy’s homeruns this season have came against left-handed pitching which has quieted those believed he needed to be in a platoon-role.

What does all this mean? In most cases, don’t doubt a proven slugger who is healthy. If the guy is healthy, he will (in most cases) figure it out and produce at a level that is norm to him. Sure, Jason Bay is still fresh in the minds of Mets fans, but I believe it is safe to say that Granderson is a piece of what the Mets hope will be a contending team over the next few years.

The post After A Slow Start, Granderson Has Quieted His Critics appeared first on Metsmerized.