According to Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated, the Mets attempted to trade Marte in December to the Royals for reliever Hunter Harvey. The club was also willing to eat some of Marte’s contract, but the deal fell through.

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

In the article, Ragazzo stated that the Mets viewed Marte as a valuable asset to their lineup heading into next season, especially with the possibility of Pete Alonso signing elsewhere.

Marte slashed .269/.327/.388 with 40 RBI in 94 games in 2024, but impressed in the National League Championship Series with a .333/.357/.481 line.

The 36-year-old can still swing the stick. And would be helpful to the Mets if he stayed on the roster. But the Mets outfield is crowded after the signing of Juan Soto and Jesse Winker, and Marte profiles more of a DH after he registered negative eight outs above average in 94 games.

The Mets roster still needs help around the edges. Below I highlighted three teams that could link with the Mets for a Marte trade.

Pirates

Reunions are fun? Right?

The Pirates are on the cusp of competing for the first time since 2015, and they desperately need help in their lineup. Oneil Cruz, Bryan Reynolds, and Andrew McCutchen were the only batters to club 2o homers, and no batter in their lineup registered a .800 OPS. Yikes.

Marte would be a beneficial boost to their lineup. And a fun story. Marte spent the first eight years of his career in Pittsburgh, helping the Buccos make the postseason three times and making an All-Star team in 2016.

Plus, the Pirates outfield needs help. Michael A. Taylor and Bryan De La Cruz posted OPSs below .600, with Taylor even batting below the Mendoza line. If healthy, Marte could slot at the top of the Pirates lineup and help their young rotation push for a Wild Card spot.

*Editor Note: Josh Fleming was changed for Joey Wentz, as Fleming is now in the Mariners organization.

Trade: 

Pirates receive: Starling Marte and $10.4 million

Mets receive: Joey Wentz

Orioles

The Orioles offense struggled down the stretch in 2024. The team posted a .691 OPS in August and mediocre .714 OPS in September, failing to catch the Yankees for the American League East title and then scoring only one run in two games against the Royals in the Wild Card round.

It wasn’t a pretty end. And entering 2025, the offense is presumably losing Anthony Santander, who led the team in homers (44) and RBIs (102), plus was second in OPS behind Gunnar Henderson.

Even with the youth revolution in Baltimore, the Orioles could use another bat. Especially an outfielder. Marte could become a platoon counterpart for Heston Kjerstad, something the Orioles were already doing when they tried Eloy Jiménez last season.

Trade

Baltimore receives: Starling Marte

Mets receive: Brandon Young (O’s No. 18 prospect)

Mariners

The worst-kept secret this offseason is the Mariners’ wish to move Luis Castillo.

Whether or not they act upon it is up in the air. Like the Pirates, the M’s want to improve their major league offense to support their staff of superstars. Marte fits that narrative.

Seattle’s offense, as well as their right fielders, was subpar last season. Julio Rodriguez struggled the majority of the year, but finished strong to post a 116 OPS+ season with 20 homers. Randy Arozarena was also brought in, but his bat wasn’t enough to push the Mariners into a playoff spot.

Meanwhile, Mitch Haniger was brought back to help in the lineup, but the 33-year-old had a poor season, registering -0.2 bWAR while slashing .208/.286/.334 in 121 games.

The M’s need help in their offense, and Marte would instantly impact their overall numbers. The organization slashed .213/.300/.363 against left-handed pitching, which Marte pulverized in 2024 (.310/.384/.460).

Trade

Mariners receive: Starling Marte, Jeff McNeil, Ronny Mauricio, Tylor Megill, $26.2 million

Mets receive: Luis Castillo, Trent Thornton 

The post Three Potential Trade Destinations for Starling Marte appeared first on Metsmerized.

Specifically, Rosenthal names the Mets, Cubs, Red Sox, and Orioles as the teams to have touched base with the Mariners on the righty. He reports that interest in Castillo jumped following the massive contract that lefty Max Fried received from the New York Yankees.

Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

Rosenthal notes that there is some hesitancy from the Mariners to trade Castillo, in large part due to their pitching depth behind their current rotation, but moving his contract would allow them to pursue offensive help on the open market that they otherwise might not be able to afford, including the likes of Christian Walker.

Castillo, 32, has been one of the more dependable starters in baseball since he debuted with the Reds in 2017. For his career, he has posted a 3.56 ERA with a WHIP of 1.18, and roughly 9.7 strikeouts every nine innings. 2024 was a down year for him all things considered, seeing his K/9 drop from 10.0 to 9.0, he made three fewer starts, and his fWAR dropped from 3.3 to 2.3. He is in the midst of a hefty contract with the Mariners, and is owed $68.5 million over the final three years of his contract.

The Mets are in need of at least one more starter in their rotation, if just that. The Mets have made a few moves for their rotation, but are missing a legitimate playoff-caliber starter to slot into the void left by new Athletic Luis Severino and current free agent Sean Manaea. Very likely, the Mets will need to add a pair of legitimate starters. Castillo would absolutely fit that bill, and could become one of the stronger starters in the Mets’ rotation.

For more information on Castillo and why the Mets are interested in the veteran righty, check out Metsmerized’s Luis Castillo trade profile from this winter.

The post Report: Mets Have Inquired On Seattle’s Luis Castillo appeared first on Metsmerized.

Position: SP B/T: R/R

Age: 32 (12/12/1992)

2024 Traditional Stats: 30 starts, 175.1 IP, 3.64 ERA, 1.169 WHIP, 11-12, 175 K, 47 BB

2024 Advanced Stats: 101 ERA+, 24.3% K%, 6.5% BB%, 3.94 xERA, 3.91 FIP, 3.82 xFIP, 2.3 fWAR, 1.8 bWAR

Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Rundown

No, not that Luis Castillo. It does seem somewhat appropriate though since the other Luis no longer has the worst dropped ball in Yankee Stadium history.

The pitching Castillo has seemingly been a Mets target for years now. From 2020-2022, he seemed like the perfect addition to a Mets team that desperately needed pitching help. After being dealt to Seattle, the rumors and fascinations over Castillo seemed to end for a period of time. However, with rumblings that Seattle is willing to shop Castillo, it might be time to examine his fit with the Mets again.

After bouncing around between the Giants and Marlins systems, Castillo finally broke onto the scene in Cincinnati. By 2019, Castillo broke out with a 3.40 ERA (137 ERA+) over 190.2 innings and posted a 5.2 bWAR. Castillo then backed that up with a strong pandemic-shortened campaign and another solid 2021 campaign. By 2022, he had become one of the most widely rumored trade candidates due to his production, the Reds’ lack of success, and the fact he was facing free agency. After posting a 2.86 ERA and 152 ERA+ in the first half, the Reds dealt him to Seattle for a group of prospects. Seattle promptly extended the right-hander to ensure he would not touch free agency.

The right-hander is potentially back on the market but there could be a reason for that. Castillo posted a 3.34 ERA, 118 ERA+, and 3.4 bWAR in 2023 and earned some Cy Young votes. However, he declined to a 3.64 ERA, 101 ERA+, and 1.8 bWAR in 2024. More alarmingly, Castillo’s velocity also declined and as a result, his contact rate against him went up while his swinging strike rate went down. Is there a reason for any of those numbers though? Here are some things that jumped out when looking into his numbers a bit more:

• Castillo was heavily featuring his changeup with the Reds. He used it over 30% of the time between 2019-2021. In 2024, he was throwing that at pitch 14.3% of the time.
• He was also featuring his four-seamer less than 30% of the time in those aforementioned three seasons but now he’s using it 45% of the time.
• He also has been trying to feature his slider more but he has also lost movement on said slider. In 2023, he had 1.4 inches of vertical drop but in 2024, he had -1 inches of vertical movement.
• Castillo’s arm angle dropped from 18 degrees in 2023 to 15 degrees in 2024.

The Mariners are very good at developing pitchers as evidenced by Bryan Woo, Bryce Miller, George Kirby, and Logan Gilbert. I do not want to pretend the problem for Castillo was as simple as “Hey fix your arm angle and go back to your pitch mixes from 2021.” With that being said, it might be that simple. I think it is certainly worth a shot because whatever Castillo tried doing in 2024 did not work for him.

Package

Despite the concerns I laid out above, I think Castillo would fetch a good return for Seattle. Castillo’s contract has aged like a fine wine despite his potential decline. He is slated to make $24.15 million from 2025-2027. Given the market for pitchers right now, that still seems like a coup. For example, Frankie Montas might have some solid underlying trends but the Mets would be very lucky if he produced like Castillo did in 2024, despite the latter’s struggles.

My guess, is any package likely starts with Brett Baty to Seattle. Perhaps another piece like Luisangel Acuña would make sense for Seattle along with a pitching piece.

Mets Receive:

• Luis Castillo

Mariners Receive:

• IF Brett Baty
• IF Luisangel Acuña
• RHP Jack Wenninger

Recommendation

I think it depends on how fixable the Mets think Castillo is. If they think he can return to 2019-2023 levels of being a 4-win starter, I think it is a good deal and the Mets should do it.

As mentioned above though, the return will not be minimal but I would still prefer Castillo to say Walker Buehler or Nick Pivetta though.

The post MMO Trade Profile: Luis Castillo, RHP appeared first on Metsmerized.

What a win! The Mets looked lifeless for the first eight innings of the rubber game against the Blue Jays on Wednesday afternoon, going into the ninth with no hits. However, Bowden Francis, who was looking to complete his no-hit bid, was rudely greeted by the potential NL MVP Francisco Lindor. Lindor ripped a fastball into the right field bleachers to tie the game at one apiece. Francisco Alvarez would give the Mets some much needed insurance with a three-run bomb, leading the Mets to a 6-2 win. Click here for the full game recap.

Lindor, who has come up aces seemingly every time the Mets have needed him, continues to do so in a pivotal playoff push. The Mets star shortstop came into this game with only two hits in his last five games, but after his 0-for-3 start, he was ready to turn the game around. Lindor’s ability to contribute with his glove on an everyday basis, plus his continued clutch play at the dish, have put him in a serious race for the National League MVP.

After an exciting win in Canada, the Mets will have an off day in Philadelphia as they prepare to face the Phillies for a three-game weekend set. Jose Quintana (8-9, 4.09 ERA) is lined up to face Aaron Nola (12-7, 3.41 ERA) in the opening game of the series in Philly on Friday.

Photo by Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Wild Card Update 

With their win over Toronto and the Braves losing in Washington on Wednesday night, the Mets are now a full game up on Atlanta for the third and final Wild Card spot.

The Diamondbacks thrashed the Rangers by a score of 14-4, keeping their lead over the Mets at two games. The Padres lost to the Mariners, 5-2, so Arizona leapfrogged a half-game ahead of them for the first Wild Card spot.

Latest Mets News

With some key matchups coming up, the Mets are manipulating their pitching staff in order to have Luis Severino, David Peterson and Sean Manaea lined up to face the Braves in the penultimate series of the season, per Tim Britton of The Athletic.

The Mets wore first responder hats on Wednesday to honor all of the lives lost and effected by 9/11. 

Honoring and remembering the heroes 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/4sjw0QXDmi

— New York Mets (@Mets) September 11, 2024

With his game-tying home run on Wednesday, Lindor became the fourth player this season to break a no-hit bid with a home run in the ninth inning or later, per Sarah Langs of MLB.com. This is the first time this has ever happened four times or more in a season on record.

Latest MLB News

Dave Roberts told reporters that former Mets and current Dodgers LHP Anthony Banda fractured his pitching hand by punching a “solid object” after another frustrating outing, per David Vassegh of SportsNetLA. Banda has struggled as of late, allowing seven runs and 10 hits in his last four outings, and is now on the IL with slim hope that he will be able to return this season. 

The Atlanta Braves placed starting pitcher Reynaldo López on the 15-day IL with right shoulder inflammation, per Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. This move effectively ends Lopez’s breakout regular season, where he had posted a 2.03 ERA in 128 2/3 IP.

Tampa Bay Rays RHP Edwin Uceta was given a three-game suspension and fined for intentionally throwing at Nick Castellanos of the Phillies on Tuesday night, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Rays manager Kevin Cash was suspended for Wednesday night’s game as well.

Current Red Sox and former Mariners, Yankees, and Dodgers southpaw starting pitcher James Paxton plans to retire at the end of the 2024 season, per Rob Bradford of Baseball Isn’t Boring. Paxton, who has spent 11 years in the big leagues, was placed on the 60-day IL last month and would likely only return if the Red Sox made the postseason. 

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington told reporters that current manager Derek Shelton is “the right person to manage this team in 2025,” confirming Shelton’s return to the club next season, per Kevin Gorman of Tribune-Review Sports. The Pirates were in the Wild Card race prior to August, where they went 8-19, subsequently falling out of the postseason race.

White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, who rarely speaks publicly, told the media that “solutions won’t happen overnight” in the midst of Chicago’s historically bad season, per Jesse Rogers of ABC 7.

Latest on MMO

Brandon Nimmo gives his thoughts on being moved down in the lineup.

The Mets’ offense could use a September wake-up call!

A Canadian comeback brought the Mets back into the final Wild Card spot.

On This Date in Mets History

2021: Francisco Lindor hits three home runs and drives in five runs in a Mets win over the Yankees. With this performance, Lindor became the first player to hit three home runs in a Subway Series bout.

2019: The Mets set a franchise record by hitting six home runs in a home game. Juan Lagares homered twice while Todd Frazier, Tomás Nido, Robinson Canó and Michael Conforto all hit long balls in a 11-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

2009: The Mets complete a roaring comeback against the Phillies by scoring six runs in the last three innings at Citizens Bank Park. David Wright led the charge with two home runs, the second giving the Mets the lead with two outs in the ninth inning.

1984: Dwight Gooden breaks Herb Score‘s rookie strikeout record by throwing his 246th strikeout of the season. Gooden finished his rookie season with 276 strikeouts.

Born On This Date: Luis Castillo (1975), Tito Navarro (1970), Keith Hughes (1963), Mario Ramirez (1957), Mickey Lolich (1940).

The post Morning Briefing: Francisco Lindor’s MVP Bid Continues appeared first on Metsmerized.

The New York Mets look to avoid being swept to day in Seattle. The Mariners have shutout the Mets in back-to-back games this weekend. The Atlanta Braves finally won broke their losing streak, meaning the Mets lost control of the third wild card spot. Meanwhile, the Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Diego Padres won yesterday as they move farther and farther ahead.

Mets Lineup

1. Francisco Lindor, SS
2. Brandon Nimmo, CF
3. J.D. Martinez, DH
4. Jesse Winker, LF
5. Pete Alonso, 1B
6. Jeff McNeil, 2B
7. Jose Iglesias, 3B
8. Ben Gamel, RF
9. Luis Torrens, C

Luis Severino has a 4.06 ERA, 4.38 FIP, 1.251 WHIP, and a 97 ERA+ over 128 2/3 innings. He’s in the midst of bad two game stretch, allowing 11 runs (10 earned) over eight innings. The Mets really need Severino to bounce back and get New York back on track this evening in Seattle.

The Mariners have the following career numbers against him:

• Randy Arozarena 0-3, 2 K
• Mitch Garver 0-3, BB, K
• Mitch Haniger 1-6, K
• Jorge Polanco 2-7, BB, K
• Justin Turner 1-4, 3 K

Luis Severino. Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Mariners Lineup

1. Victor Robles, CF
2. Randy Arozarena, LF
3. Cal Raleigh, C
4. Julio Rodriguez, DH
5. Jorge Polanco, 2B
6. Luke Raley, 1B
7. Josh Rojas, 3B
8. Dominic Canzone, RF
9. Leo Rivas, SS

The Mets bats will look to break out of their funk against another good Seattle Mariners starting pitcher, this time it’s Luis Castillo. Over 142 1/3 innings, Castillo has a 3.48 ERA, 3.57 FIP, 1.166 WHIP, and a 109 ERA+. He’s been the definition of average his last time two starts, allowing exactly three runs (all earned) over six innings in both games.

Castillo started against the Mets in Citi Field last September and allowed five runs from eight hits and two walks over five innings. The Mets have the following career numbers against Castillo:

• Pete Alonso 1-9, 2 K
• Harrison Bader 6-20, 2 2B, 4 BB, 9 K
• Ben Gamel 2-15, 2 2B, 4 BB, 9 K
• Francisco Lindor 3-9, 2 2B, K
• J.D. Martinez 0-2, BB, 2 K
• Jeff McNeil 4-9, 2B, HR
• Brandon Nimmo 1-6, 2B, 3 BB, K
• Tyrone Taylor 0-2, K
• Luis Torrens 1-3
• Mark Vientos 2-3, HR

Game Notes

Mark Vientos was a late scratch and replaced in the Mets’ Sunday lineup. He was scratched due to a sore left ankle.

The Mets have not scored a run over the last 19 innings.

The Seattle Mariners activated outfielder Julio Rodriguez off the injured list and he’ll bat fourth and serve as the team’s designated hitter in Sunday’s game.

Starling Marte is batting second for the Binghamton Rumble Ponies in today’s series finale against the Somerset Patriots. It’s his first rehab game with the Ponies

Three Things To Watch For

1. In search of hits. The Mets had only four hits on Saturday night, all singles. New York didn’t have an at bat with runners in scoring position. Just overall not a good feeling for the Mets and a low point of the road trip. They have just tonight to left on this grueling road trip. Can they muster up the energy tonight?
2. Don’t blame Lindor though. Lindor had two of the Mets four hits last night. On this road trip Lindor has gone 12-for-40 with a double and two walks, slashing .300/.333/.325. He’s only scored five times, though, which speaks to everyone hitting behind him.
3. Jose Buttó. We’ll probably see Buttó tonight with the Mets bullpen needing to put in extra work on Saturday after Sean Manaea pitched only three innings. On this road trip, Buttó has pitched four innings over two games striking out six batters, allowing one hit and no runs. Since joining the bullpen at the start of July, Buttó has pitched in ten games, 20 2/3 innings, with a 0.87 ERA (2.98 FIP) while striking out 24 batters.

The post Game Chat: Mets vs. Mariners, 7:10 P.M. appeared first on Metsmerized.

Last night, it was another tough go of it for the New York Mets’ offense against the elite pitching of the Seattle Mariners. After a tough first inning by Sean Manaea, the offense was unable to make any ground and New York dropped their second-straight game 4-0. The Mets have gotten shutout in back-to-back games and haven’t scored a run in 19 innings.

New York will look to salvage a game in the series on Sunday night baseball as Luis Severino and Luis Castillo are slated to face off.

With the loss, and the Atlanta Braves victory over Colorado, the Mets find themselves back a half-game back from the third wild card spot.

Latest Mets News

The New York Mets announced that they activated Reed Garrett from the injured list and sent left-handed reliever Alex Young to Triple-A Syracuse before their game versus Seattle on Saturday.

According to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, the New York Mets signed right-handed reliever Vinny Nittoli to a minor-league deal. Nittoli has a 2.73 ERA across 26 1/3 Triple-A innings this season. He has also thrown 12 major-league innings with Oakland and Baltimore where he has allowed two runs. The 33-year-old has spent time with the Mets in the past. He will report to Triple-A Syracuse.

The New York Mets’ 2024 first-round pick, Carson Benge, tallied two hits for the Florida Complex League Mets in the Bridge League. The hits were a 99 mph single and a 102 mph double.

Latest MLB News

The Pittsburgh Pirates announced that they released left-handed reliever Josh Walker. Walker was designated for assignment, then traded to Pittsburgh by New York before the trade deadline. The Mets received minor leaguer Nicolas Carreno in the deal.

The Kansas City Royals announced that they placed right-handed reliever Hunter Harvey on the 15-day injured list due to middle-back tightness. They recalled reliever Carlos Hernandez in a corresponding move.

The Cincinnati Reds announced that they activated right-handed pitcher Emilio Pagan from the 60-day injured list.

Latest On MMO

Chris Bello analyzed Jose Quintana‘s start from the Mets’ 6-0 defeat on Friday.

Chris Bello broke down Adam Ottavino‘s rough outing which followed Quintana’s appearance in the Mets’ game on Friday.

Chris Bello details Mets’ first-round pick Carson Benge’s big day in the Bridge League.

Chris Bello wrote about the Mets’ announced roster moves on Saturday before their game against Seattle.

On This Date In Mets History

1988: Mets catcher Gary Carter hit his 300th home run of his career.

Birthdays:

• Wilfredo Tovar (32)

The post Morning Briefing: Mets’ Scoreless Streak Reaches 19 Innings appeared first on Metsmerized.

Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, September 2, 2023 • 7:10 PM
Citi Field • Flushing, New York
RHP Luis Castillo (11-7, 3.01) vs. LHP David Peterson (3-7, 5.23)
SNY

The Mets are undefeated in the Ronny Mauricio era!

Mauricio collected his first hit in his major league debut last night. The ball came off of his bat at 117.3 MPH, which was the hardest-hit ball by a New York Met this year. What a way to start his career. Now the Mets will try to win the series tonight against the Mariners.

Mets Lineup

CF Brandon Nimmo
SS Francisco Lindor
LF Jeff McNeil
1B Pete Alonso
DH Daniel Vogelbach
RF DJ Stewart
3B Mark Vientos
C Omar Narváez
2B Ronny Mauricio

David Peterson will look to build off of his last start this evening. On the season he has pitched in 22 games totaling 84 1/3 innings with a 5.23 ERA, 4.71 FIP, 1.601 WHIP, and an 80 ERA+. His last time out he allowed only one run over seven innings from three hits and three walks while striking out eight batters, his best start in a while. He also threw over 100 pitches for the first time this season. The only current Mariner who has seen Peterson in a major league game is Josh Rojas (1-for-1).

Opposing Lineup

SS J.P. Crawford
CF Julio Rodríguez
3B Eugenio Suárez
DH Teoscar Hernández
C Cal Raleigh
1B Ty France
RF Dylan Moore
LF Sam Haggerty
2B José Caballero

The Mets bats will get a look at Luis Castillo tonight. The long-time Red was traded to the Mariners in the 2022 season. This year over 27 starts, 164 1/3 innings he has a 3.01 ERA, 3.64 FIP, 1.004 WHIP (league-leading), and a 136 ERA+. It makes sense that in addition to leading the league in WHIP, he is also leading the league in H/9 at 7.0. Over his last two starts, Castillo has held opponents to only one run from six hits while striking out 15 batters over 14 innings. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Omar Narváez 5-23, HR, 5 K, 2 BB
• Daniel Vogelbach 1-9, HR, 3 K, 5 BB
• Rafael Ortega 2-9, 3 K, 3 BB
• Brandon Nimmo 0-4, K, 2 BB
• Pete Alonso 0-5, 2 K
• Francisco Lindor 3-6, 2 2B
• Jeff McNeil 3-6, HR

Game Notes

Mauricio made his MLB debut last night and smashed a 117.3 mph double to right field in his first at-bat. It was the hardest-hit ball by a Met this season and the fourth-hardest-hit ball by a Met in the Statcast Era (Since 2015). It is the hardest-hit first career hit by any player to debut since the Statcast Era began.

Per Anthony DiComo, Grant Hartwig is up from Triple-A Syracuse. To make room on the roster, Denyi Reyes was optioned.

The Mets have claimed right-handed pitcher Peyton Battenfield off waivers. The 26-year-old starter had a 5.27 ERA in the majors this year. He has been optioned to Triple-A Syracuse.

Three Things To Watch For

1. The Mets collected hits last night. The Mets only scored two runs, but they did have nine hits on the night, which is a good sign for a team that has been struggling of late. Mauricio was the only player who collected two hits and he was joined by seven other players who collected one hit. Can the Mets string hits together tonight to score more runs?
2. Vientos playing time. With all of the baby Mets up right now there’s going to be a squeeze on playing time for someone. For the Mets’ future development, it makes the most sense to have Vientos as a DH and sit Vogelbach. Vogelbach, however, is one of the hottest hitters on the team right now, emphasized by his go-ahead RBI last night. Baty, Vientos, and Vogelbach will probably enter an interesting timeshare of third base and DH duties. We’ll see how this continues throughout the weekend.
3. The bullpen is well-rested! The Mets really needed to use their bullpen on Wednesday, with Jeff Brigham, Sean Reid-Foley, and Adam Ottavino each throwing over 25 pitches. The only pitchers not used on Wednesday were Phil Bickford and Drew Smith, who both had solid outings for the Mets last night. Reid-Foley has yet to allow a run this season and came out unscathed on Wednesday after walking three batters.

Let’s go Mets!

The post MMO Game Chat: Mariners vs Mets, 7:10 PM appeared first on Metsmerized.

The Mets’ 2023 season may be all but a lost cause, with the trade deadline in the rearview mirror, but they’ve now won four in a row after their 13-2 whomping of the Cardinals on Saturday. Their hot ways have brought them within six games of a Wild Card spot.

They’ll look to stay hot and complete a four-game sweep of St. Louis Sunday at 2:15 p.m. ET.

Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Latest Mets News 

The Florida Complex League Mets announced on Saturday that with their rain-shortened win, they clinched the No. 1 seed and home field advantage through the FCL playoffs. They will host a one-game semifinal on Thursday. With a win they would reach the league finals for the first time since 2005.

Latest MLB News

Per Robert Murray of FanSided, according to sources close to the team, the Cincinnati Reds are expected to call up their top prospect, Noelvi Marte, who was acquired by the Reds last season. He is the No. 24 prospect in baseball and was traded to the Reds in the trade for Luis Castillo.

The Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday reinstated shortstop Bo Bichette from the 10-day injured list and designated infielder Paul DeJong for assignment.

FOX Sports: MLB announced that Julio Rodriguez of the Seattle Mariners set a major league record with 17 hits in four games. He is just the second player in MLB history to have four consecutive games with four hits or more.

Latest on MMO

Sean Kenny recaps the Mets’ minor league affiliate games from Friday, August 18 that included home runs by Stanley Consuegra and Drew Gilbert.

On Ron Darling’s 63rd birthday, Matthew Brownstein recalls the interview he did with Darling in 2019.

Alison Waxman discusses the Mets who are fighting for roster spots on the 2024 roster.

Mathias Altman-Kurosaki recaps Joey Lucchesi’s strong return to the majors on Friday against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Alexis Farinacci recaps the Mets’ 13-2 offensive explosion win over the Cardinals on Saturday, August 19.

On This Date in Mets History

1985: Dwight Gooden struck out 16 San Francisco Giants players making him the first National League pitcher to strike out at least 200 batters in his first two seasons. He reached exactly 200 strikeouts in 1986.

1989: Howard Johnson hit his 30^th home run of the season. He also coupled that with 32 stolen bases on the season, making him a 30/30 man for the second time in his career.

Birthdays: Lance Broadway (40), Cory Sullivan (44), Cliff Cook (87)

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Riding Four-Game Winning Streak appeared first on Metsmerized.

Rookie: FCL Marlins (10-7) 5 , FCL Mets (9-7) 3 BOX SCORE

• DH Willy Fanas, 2-for-4, 2 RBI (12) .218/.695
• SS Diego Mosquera, 1-for-4, R, .317/.736
• 3B Jesus Baez, 1-for-2, 2 R, .209/.647

Top prospects Diego Mosquera and Jesus Baez led the way for the complex squad as the first five hitters in the lineup all tallied singles on the day, but it wasn’t enough as the Mets fell to the Marlins. The Mets went without an extra base hit and despite manufacturing three runs, the lack of power hurt them in the end as they left 16 men on base in the contest.

• RHP Wilson Esterlin (2.45 ERA) 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
• RHP Cristofer Gomez (2.25 ERA) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Wilson Esterlin had a fantastic start for the FCL pitching staff as he struck out eight Marlins in just four innings to bring his season total to 19 in 14 1/3 innings. Last season in the DSL he had a K/9 north of 11, so this was encouraging to see his strikeout totals carry over stateside. Unfortunately, the pitching staff couldn’t hold onto the lead that the offense provided and two ninth inning runs from Juan Arnaud decided the contest.

Willy Fañas, Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

DSL Royals Gold (9-8) 2, DSL Mets Orange (6-11) 1 BOX SCORE

• 3B Luis Castillo 2-for-3, .222/.578
• RHP Edgar Moreta (1.86 ERA) 3.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K

Both DSL teams fell on Tuesday afternoon with team Orange losing a tight pitchers duel to the Royals. Edgar Moreta continued his strong start to the season, giving up two runs but showing strong peripherals: no home runs allowed and 5 strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings. LHP Osiris Calvo had a strong outing in relief by putting up 2 1/3 scoreless innings without any walks and four strikeouts. The two arms combined for just six innings as the Mets were losing on the road. The hitting performance was not as easy to celebrate as the Mets scattered five singles for their offensive production.

DSL Guardians (8-9) 11, DSL Mets Blue (7-9) 4 BOX SCORE

• RF Jostyn Almonte 1-for-4, R, 3 RBI (7), .349/.937
• RHP Wellington Aracena (2.08) 4 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K

Another case of plenty of hits but not enough power, the Blue team had eight singles on the day and no extra base hits and rallied for three in the eighth inning, but too little too late. The pitching had four pitchers get into the contest and each coughed up runs, giving the offense a hard time catching up.

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This offseason, we’re looking at the Mets’ history with free agency. Leading off the list of forgettable signings were Roger Cedeño, Jeurys Familia, and James McCann. Next is a second baseman who starred for another NL East club, came to New York in a trade, but regressed once he was re-signed.

Luis Castillo‘s career as a Met is defined by a single play. Misplay would be more accurate. If you’re reading this, you probably know it.

Unlike how some feel about Carlos Beltrán, it really did epitomize his time in New York. The three-time All-Star and two-time stolen base champ in Florida used a two-month stint to get a big contract which quickly had its drawbacks.

The Mets became pretty familiar with what Castillo could add to a team. Paired with Juan Pierre, he was a key contributor at the top of a Florida Marlins lineup that captured the World Series title in 2003. Castillo’s primary asset was his speed. He stole 50 bases in 1999, 62 the next year, and 48 more in 2002.

Castillo also played elite defense. In that championship year of ’03, Castillo won the first of three straight Gold Glove awards at second base. From 2000 through 2005, he compiled a 19.9 bWAR.

Castillo was picked up by the Minnesota Twins in 2006, and while he batted better than .300 for more than a year, he wasn’t the same stolen base threat he was in Florida. His on-base percentage also took a slight decline. Nevertheless, the Mets went after him at the trade deadline in 2007.

On July 30, Castillo came to Queens in exchange for two minor leaguers. After the deal, he reached base safely in 40 of his final 46 games, scoring 34 runs and batting .296. That off-season, the Mets decided to turn the two-month rental into a long-term commitment. At age 32, the Mets rewarded Castillo with a four-year $24 million contract.

The rest of Castillo’s time with the Mets was plagued by injuries, underwhelming play, and dissatisfaction from fans and himself. Two of his most redeeming qualities soon dissipated — he would no longer be a stolen base threat and he was no longer a Gold Glove-caliber fielder.

Castillo’s physical health, which started to worsen in 2008, was arguably the biggest reason. Castillo couldn’t stay on the field both because he was hurt and he couldn’t hit when he was presumably healthy. His splits nosedived to .245/.355/.305 over 87 games and stole 17 bases.

The Mets failed to make the postseason for the second straight year in 2008 and fans began to sour on certain players, with Castillo being one of the main targets. It only got worse in 2009 — June 12 specifically. It’s the date everyone remembers, and Castillo would certainly like to forget. His drop on a fly ball that turned a Mets victory into a Yankees walk-off created one of the worst regular seasons losses in team history and was a focal point in a disastrous year all around.

As far as the fans were concerned, Castillo couldn’t live it down. Not even a .302 batting average with a .387 on-base percentage and 77 runs scored over 142 games in spite of more injuries would do it.

If Castillo didn’t feel the hex after that nightmarish occasion, he certainly did on August 4. That was the day the Citi Field dugout steps had it out for him. After an at-bat in which he was retired, Castillo fell coming back to the bench and sprained his ankle. It was another clear sign that wearing a Mets uniform was like walking under a ladder for the former All-Star.

Despite his above-average offensive season in 2009, all Castillo got for his troubles was boos during introductions on Opening Day 2010. Issues with both feet caused him to miss significant time in what became a dreadful year — one in which his OPS+ fell to 68 and he stole only eight bases. That summer, Castillo questioned why he was sitting on the bench despite his numbers.

“I can’t be here anymore,” he said, with another year on his contract. “I know I’m not going to be here next year.”

He was right. In Spring Training 2011, the Mets released him and took responsibility for the balance of the $6 million left on the deal. Luis Castillo was an example of wrong place at the wrong time — both for himself and for the team.

The post Mets Worst Free-Agent Signing No. 7: Luis Castillo appeared first on Metsmerized.