Good morning Mets fans! The New York Mets (44-62) dropped the opening contest of their four-game series with the Atlanta Braves (58-47) last night by a score of 4-2. Jason Vargas (2-7, 8.23 ERA) failed to go more than five innings for his 11th start in a row and gave up all four of the Braves’ runs. A perfect four innings from the bullpen couldn’t help lift the Mets past the Braves due to Vargas’ shaky outing and a quiet day from the offense.

Latest Mets News

Jacob deGrom (5-6, 1.82 ERA) will face off against Anibal Sanchez (5-3, 3.00 ERA) tonight as he looks to get his sixth win and thus bring his pitching record back to an even .500 for the season. The game will begin at 7:10 p.m. EDT and can be viewed on SNY and heard on 710 WOR.

Todd Frazier came off the disabled list yesterday and went 0-for-4 in his first game back.

Bobby Wahl, whom the Mets acquired in the Jeurys Familia trade was called up yesterday and retired his two batters faced in his Mets debut.

Phillip Evans was placed on the disabled list and Jacob Rhame was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas to make room for Frazier and Wahl.

Keith Law of ESPN spoke about the Mets’ farm system on Wednesday and talked about how it’s improving in comparison to last season. He added,  “I know #lolmets is a thing because of the ownership situation but the outlook from their farm system is not bleak.”

Steven Matz‘s MRI results showed no structural damage according to Jon Heyman of Fredcred Sports. However, assistant general manager John Ricco announced on Thursday that the 27-year-old has a mild flexor-pronator strain in his left pitching arm and is likely to miss at least one start.

Ricco discussed David Wright who has been working out, but has no timetable in place to play minor league rehab games. He also mentioned that Peter Alonso will likely spend the rest of the season in Triple-A.

Latest MLB News

Dalton Pompey was suspended without pay after having a heated exchanged with Triple-A Buffalo manager Bobby Meacham per Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.

The Texas Rangers signed Chris Tillman to a minor league deal according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports.

Rick Ankiel is “toying with” the idea of pitching again after five years since playing in a MLB game and 14 years since pitching in a MLB game according to Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports.

MLB announced its postseason schedule per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. The National League Wild Card game will be on Tuesday, Oct. 2 and the American League Wild Card game will be on Wednesday, Oct. 3. The World Series will begin on Tuesday, Oct. 23 and Game 7 will be played on Wednesday, Oct. 31 if necessary.

Latest NL East News

Greg Joyce of the New York Post mentioned that while Brandon Kintzler was traded, the anonymous source who leaked that the Nationals’ clubhouse “was a mess” is presumably still with the team since Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports helped clear Kintzler’s name.

The Philadelphia Phillies were able to maintain their first-place lead in the National League East thanks to a walk-off home run by Maikel Franco last night.

Latest on MMO/MMN

Michael Mayer looked at the Mets’ poor defense and how it doomed them yet again during Wednesday’s matinee against the Nationals.

John Sheridan continued his “3 Up, 3 Down” series following the Nationals’ two-game sweep over the Mets.

Dilip Sridhar analyzed the Mets’ midseason top prospects from No. 30 to No. 21 according to Mets Minors.

This Day in Mets History

Birthdays: Kevin Elster turns 54 and Mackey Sasser turns 56.

1962: Frank Thomas tied a National League record by hitting his sixth home run in three consecutive games. He would go on to add another homer in the following day’s contest.

The post Morning Briefing: DeGrom Looks For His Sixth Win appeared first on Metsmerized.

Good Morning, Mets fans! Tonight the New York Mets will take on the St. Louis Cardinals at 7:10 on SNY. Jacob deGrom will take the ball for New York and will be opposed by Mike Leake.

Last night, the Mets lost 5-0. Poor defense plagued the Mets as it usually has this season. The stat line would not be kind to Rafael Montero but his infield defense cost him big time. He has pitched much better since returning to the big leagues. As for the defense, maybe they could use a really good defensive shortstop who also could be a really good hitter.

Latest Mets News:

Shoes started to drop in the trade market. J.D. Martinez went to Arizona for three prospects. The return was underwhelming given the caliber of hitter that he is. The Mets could see that as a template for dealing Jay Bruce but they could also eat more money to get a better return, something the Tigers did not do.

Last night, the Yankees traded Tyler Clippard and a group of prospects headlined by Blake Rutherford for David Robertson, Todd Frazier, and Tommy Kahnle. The Yankees were linked to Lucas Duda and Addison Reed earlier in the day but they are likely out of the Reed market. They could still look to Duda as they need to upgrade 1B.

Speaking of that, Rob Bradford of WEEI reported the Red Sox like Addison Reed but “everyone is asking about Reed.” Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post  reported that the Mets are asking for a ton. Would not expect a Reed trade soon unless some team makes a great offer soon.

Ken Rosenthal reported early this morning that the Mets would be willing to eat money to secure better returns. This includes paying the tab on Asdrubal Cabrera‘s 2 million dollar buyout.

 Latest NL East News

Mark Zuckerman of MASN wrote about the still injured Jayson Werth.

Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution focuses on former Met, Akeel Morris.

Joe Frisaro of MLB.com writes about the deadline.

Matt Gelb of Philly.com talks about Cesar Hernandez

Latest on MMO

Chris Gaine looks at the future for T.J. Rivera.

David Cassilo talks about how the Mets can handle the post-trade deadline roster.

This Day in Mets History

1976: While diving for a fly ball, Dave Kingman tears a ligament in his left thumb. He was on pace to break Hack Wilson‘s N.L record

Birthdays: Rick Ankiel turns 38, Preston Wilson turns 44, David Segui turns 51, Mark Cameron turns 54, Gordie Richardson turns 79.

The post Morning Briefing: Trade Winds Are Blowing appeared first on Metsmerized.

Gifted with a golden left arm that could blow hitters away with his mid-90s fastball or his wicked curveball, Ankiel was primed to be the next great starting pitcher for years to come.

Selected in the second round of the 1997 MLB Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals, Ankiel had only one thought: to be the very best in the game.

Ankiel burst onto the scene and shot through the Cardinals’ minor league system, posting a 2.63 ERA with 12.4 strikeouts-per-nine in his rookie season in ’98, followed by an even better ’99 season with a 2.35 ERA and 12.7 strikeouts-per-nine.

He would make his major league debut on August 23 of that year, tossing five innings and allowing three runs on five hits with six strikeouts against the Montreal Expos.

Ankiel began the 2000 season with the big club and finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting behind Atlanta Braves shortstop Rafael Furcal. The lefty went 11-7 with a 3.50 ERA in 175 innings, and led all rookie pitchers in innings pitched and strikeouts, and tied for first in fWAR.

It was a terrific start to a promising career that had the baseball world excited to see what this 21-year-old kid could do next.

Fast forward to Game 1 of the NLDS against Ankiel’s favorite childhood team, the Atlanta Braves. Manager Tony La Russa tasked Ankiel with the assignment, and one Ankiel felt ready for. In fact, Ankiel’s last five starts of the ’00 season were fantastic: a 3-0 record with a 1.65 ERA over 32.2 innings with 40 strikeouts.

What happened next was unexplainable to Ankiel.

In the third inning of Game 1, Ankiel tossed five wild pitches to the Braves, losing the ability to throw strikes and perplexed as to why this was suddenly happening to him. Ankiel was sure this was just a simple mechanical issue that could be corrected. However, he appeared in two more games during the NLCS against the New York Mets and unleashed another four wild pitches.

That brought his postseason wild pitch total to nine.

Ankiel details this and so much more in his new memoir, The Phenomenon: Pressure, the Yips, and the Pitch that Changed My Life. 

The book is a raw, emotional, and personal glimpse at the life and career of a top prospect and his rapid descent. Ankiel’s life was a true roller coaster, filled with many highs and lows and with several twists and turns along the way. How he dealt with each obstacle and battled back to the majors as an outfielder is an inspiring story of hope and perseverance.

I had the privilege of speaking with Ankiel about his book, and touched on topics ranging from Game 1 of the NLDS, the yips and how he came back as an outfielder in 2007.

MMO: What made you write the book now?

Rick: When I went through all the throwing issues, I couldn’t really find much literature on it. On top of that, nobody really wanted to talk about it. Being that I made it to the other side of it, and had a second career on top of that, I didn’t have a problem talking about it.

I realized that, not just in baseball, but professionally, people are going through things like this, and if my voice could inspire other people, then it would be completely worth it.

I remember reading Lance Armstrong’s book about his battle with cancer when I was going through the throwing issues, and it inspired me. I felt like, if I could reach one person like that book reached me, then it would all be worth it. Certainly, to this point, all the feedback has been great and I’m glad I did it.

MMO: Was it therapeutic in a way to write the book and get your story onto paper?

Rick: Yes, very! The thing about it was, really talking about it and all the interviews were a lot more therapeutic than just writing the book. Writing the book, I guess there was some therapeutic stuff that I got from it, but not nearly as much as talking about it.

MMO: Who were some of your favorite players growing up?

Rick: I was a big fan of everybody who got there young. When I was young, and I’m talking eight to fifteen, was when I started to think, Hey, man, I’d love to be a big-league ballplayer.

I’m looking at other guys getting there that are young, and you talk about Griffey Jr., A-Rod or Andruw Jones.

I was a huge Braves fan so, of course, all those guys. But a lot of guys who got there young. I’m looking at these guys like I want to be that guy.

MMO: When you were going through the Cardinals system as a pitching prospect, and hearing your name listed as the top prospect in baseball, did any of that get to you and perhaps make it tougher on you from the start?

Rick: No, because that’s the guy that I wanted to be. I’m young, and I want to be the best. My goal was to be one of the best players that ever played the game. What all those accolades did was just reinforce what I was trying to do in my goal. It really just gave me the motivation to keep working as hard as I was and work harder.

MMO: When did you first become aware of the yips?

Rick: You know, I’d seen other guys go through it. I remember seeing [Chuck] Knoblauch go through it, and I just remembered thinking, God, what’s wrong with you? Just throw the ball, how hard can it be? Little did I know that, obviously, I was going to experience it, and how hard it actually is.

MMO: Can you talk to me a bit about Game 1 of the NLDS in 2000? You were doing fine through the first two innings, and then the third inning happened with the five wild pitches. Was anything off to you in the earlier innings or pre-game, or was it just the third where it went downhill?

Rick: No, just the third inning. I just remember thinking, What the hell is going on? I was so young, I had no idea. I remember even saying to the media that this was a mechanical issue and it will never happen again.

Then I threw a bullpen in between that game and playing the Mets, and I was lights out. Pinpoint control. I felt like, You know what? Whatever it was, it’s gone. I’ll be fine.

Obviously, coming out with the Mets, the same thing happened again. That’s when I realized something’s wrong here.

MMO: From reading the book, it seemed after the playoffs you needed to reteach yourself to pitch. It must’ve been extremely difficult to have to remind yourself that you knew how to pitch, especially considering you dominated every level of competition you had previously played at.

Rick: The thing about it was before that happened, you could’ve said try to throw it sidearm and I’d throw it. I could’ve done anything I wanted and threw the ball exactly where I wanted to. Then once that happened, all the keys that had always got me back on track, whether it be lead with my hip or lead with my elbow, whatever it is, every pitcher has them and every hitter has them, [were not working].

Everything that had always worked to get me back on track was not working; I mean, not even coming close to working. I guess that’s the craziest part about it. It’s like, all of a sudden you know exactly who you are and what you want to do, and how you’re doing it, to still knowing what you want to do, but now nothing is working.

For whatever reason, your brain and your body will just not allow you to do it.

You’re exactly right. As much as relearning how to throw was now all of a sudden you’re dealing with all this negativity and anxiety. Now you’re having to reteach your brain how to think, how to coach yourself out there in those moments, and how to deal with the anxiety while you’re trying to compete.

It’s really just an overhaul of everything. It makes it really hard, that’s for sure.

MMO: Two guys you speak highly of in your book were teammates Darryl Kile and Jim Edmonds. Can you talk a little about what they both meant for you and your development?

Rick: Darryl just took me under his wing. I was a kid from a small town in Florida, and just green as the day is long. And not only was he teaching me about pitching, but about life and how to be a professional, and how to represent the Cardinals and the team that you’re playing for. I mean, he was a guy that I would go to about everything.

We went to dinner almost every night. We’d talk about pitching, and we’d talk about life. We’d talk about anything. He really was a brother figure, that mentor figure that meant so much. I can’t thank him enough and obviously, it’s just sad that he passed and what happened there.

Now you move to Jimmy. It’s funny; when you’re around somebody who’s really good as Jimmy was, and even without talking to Jimmy, when you watched him play, every day you learn. Then when I did switch over to hitting, being able to pick his brain about, why did you play that guy here? Why did you move there in that count? What was your thought process and what are you trying to do there? That’s what he was for me as an outfielder.

I’m just thankful that I got a chance and that he was there, and I got a chance to pick his brain. He was one of the best, and I always felt like he was a little bit before his time.

Now you see all these shifts in the data and everything that comes with it. There were scouting reports back then, but not nearly like we have now. He was already ahead of the game of why to move here and what to do in this count and why to do that. I’ve got to give him a lot of credit in helping me understand that side of the game.

MMO: Harvey Dorfman was another key mentor in your life, and you speak highly of him in your book. What did he mean for you and your career?

Rick: Harvey really became the father figure in my life. Not only did he help me with the mental side of the game, and everything that I mentioned before, but also dealing with the anxiety, how to compete, how to coach yourself and talk yourself in the moments of pressure. Our relationship blossomed into him being a positive male role model in my life.

It’s not that I want to compare one person against the other, but Harvey was the most influential all my life. Teaching me from on the field to off the field to everything that comes with it about being a young man and really functioning in society and being the person that I am today.

MMO: Your agent, Scott Boras, was the one who proposed that you convert from a pitcher to position player. Do you know how long that was in the works for? And what was your reaction to that news?

Rick: I didn’t actually know that they had planned this before I did it until I started to write the book. Then that came to light. At the time, they didn’t let me know that. I know that Scott was talking to Walt Jocketty and the Cardinals. I think their thing was he has to stop pitching on his own. And if that does happen, or when and if that does happen, we would let him try to come back as an outfielder.

I didn’t know any of that, so I actually don’t know what the time frame was or how long Scott had talked to them about it. Thankfully, they were on board, and I’ll always be thankful for the opportunity that they gave.

Back then, organizations really didn’t give people those chances, and if I was with a different organization, there’s no telling that I got the chance to make it back as an outfielder.

MMO: After working in the outfield in the minors for several seasons, you made your debut in right field on August 9, 2007, at home against the San Diego Padres. You collected your first hit as an outfielder in the 7th inning; a 3-run home run to right. Talk to me about that moment, and what you were feeling rounding the bases.

Rick: Just amazing! The day really started when I got to the clubhouse, and I had to fly from Tacoma into Memphis, and then drive from Memphis to St. Louis. When I got there, everybody was already there.

I missed BP, and when I walked into the clubhouse, just the high fives and the hugs from all the guys and the welcome backs. It was amazing. And in some ways, that moment would’ve been worth it in itself.

Then we fast forward into the game, and into the seventh inning. I remember I’m facing Doug Brocail, I’m in a 2-1 count and he throws me a curveball or slider and I get barrel on it. I know it’s not an upper-deck shot, but I know this definitely has a chance. I’m looking at the ball, looking at the right fielder trying to judge if it’s going to be a home run or not or where it’s going to hit.

All of a sudden, when I realize that it was going to be a home run, I just had these flood of emotions come over me that’s hard to even explain. I felt like my whole body went numb; it was almost as if I were rounding the bases on a magic carpet, just floating around there.

I get to the dugout and all my teammates are going crazy. Then you get that curtain call, and the fans are going crazy. The energy that I felt is just indescribable, and one of those magical moments that I’ll never forget.

MMO: Who was the toughest pitcher you faced?

Rick: Oh man, you know, there are a  bunch. Somebody you probably wouldn’t know. I remember being in the N.L. Central we faced Milwaukee a lot, and there was this left hander by the name of Brian Shouse. I don’t think he even broke 80!

He threw sidearm, and it wasn’t just me, every left-handed hitter we had, I don’t think we ever got one out of the infield the entire ’08 season. I tried everything you could think of: open stance, closed stance, different bat, lighter bat, heavier bat.

I never got one out of the infield!

MMO: You spent a brief time with the New York Mets in 2013. What were your thoughts on New York and your time spent there?

Rick: I liked New York. Obviously, I grew up in Fort Pierce, and Port St. Lucie right there where the Mets spring training is. In a lot of ways, I was really familiar with the uniform and the organization.

I wish we would have been a winning team, and we weren’t that year. There were a lot of veterans on the team, and I just came from Houston, where they were so young. I don’t think that team understood how to be a big-league team yet. I felt like when I got there (N.Y.), it was a veteran team; we went out to dinner, we were on the same level, and I enjoyed it.

I feel like, as a player, you always want to play in New York at least once, and I’m glad I got to experience it. The biggest thing for me was the food, man. I loved the food in New York. I love the energy and I love the food; it’s amazing.

MMO: You spent a season as a life coach for the Washington Nationals after your playing career. What does someone in that role do? Is it talking with younger prospects and players and helping them through various situations?

Rick: Yeah, that’s exactly what it was. I’ll share my experiences on and off the field. You look at my career and say I have a lot to offer experience-wise. Whether that be personal stuff with the family or stuff I went through on the field. Trying to channel my inner Harvey Dorfman and the things he taught me, and just give back to those kids in that role, the advice role, the mentor role.

I enjoyed it, I liked being around them. It was fun, and it was one of those things that I’m glad I did it.

MMO: In the book, you discuss sitting down with former right-hander Steve Blass, who also went through the yips after having several successful seasons in the majors prior. What was that conversation like for you, and did it aid in helping you try to understand it more?

Rick: Yeah, it did. It was one of those conversations that are therapeutic. The same thing with everything that’s come from the book. I’m just sitting down talking about the things that we both experienced, and what it did to both of us. How much it consumed us.

The thing is, you go through something like that, and it’s not like you can just leave it at the field. You go home and I could be driving in my car and see a kid playing catch and think, Man, I wish I could do that again. It looks like it’s so easy for them.

All of a sudden, I’m flipping the channel on TV and see someone else throw, and now I’m trying their mechanics. We just talked about those things and he did the same thing and it was therapeutic. It was interesting, and I think the biggest thing that I even mention in the book is that we both knew what we went through, and how hard it is and one of those things that are just tough to deal with.

MMO: Is there a moment or two from your career that stands out for you, or that you’re most proud of?

Rick: Both times I made it to the big leagues. Obviously, the first time, just because it’s a dream you always wanted. The second time because you talk about redemption and all the hard work and everything I’d been through to that moment.

A lot of the throws that I made, the home run I hit in the playoffs when I was with the Braves [Game 2 of the 2010 NLDS vs. the Giants]. The interesting thing about that is, when I was in the pitching thing and went through the yips, it was against them, and that was my childhood team! I mean, I grew up watching the Braves, and then my next time back in the playoffs just playing for the Braves, and I hit an extra-inning walk-off home run.

And for Bobby Cox, who was one of my childhood heroes, and just one of those moments that’s hard to describe. It happens against them, and all of a sudden I’m playing for them, then I hit a home run. I think that home run was the pinnacle of my career when it comes to home runs.

MMO: At what point in your career did you come to peace with your pitching career and the yips?

Rick: Somewhere in that position playing career. I think, too, what happened is the fact that I made it back in ’04 [as a pitcher]. I pitched respectively and successfully at the end of that year, and I would say sometime then that I just came to peace with it. Like, you know what? I made it back, I don’t have any more to prove with this. I was able to move on and switch to a position. So I would say once all that happened.

MMO: Thank you very much for your time today, Mr. Ankiel. Your book was really a tremendous read. Congratulations on all the success it’s garnered.

Rick: Thanks, man. I appreciate it.

You can follow Rick Ankiel on Twitter @TheeRickAnkiel

The post MMO Exclusive: Former Mets Outfielder Rick Ankiel: The Phenom appeared first on Metsmerized.

For most of the first third of 2013, he writes, the corner outfielders in New York were Lucas Duda in left and Marlon Byrd in right, flanking a rotating combination of Rick Ankiel, Collin Cowgill, Jordany Valdespin and Kirk Nieuwenhuis in center field. That’s pretty brutal.

While Byrd was somewhat above average, he adds, Duda is so bad that he’s  accumulated a shocking minus-42 defensive runs saved (DRS) in parts of four seasons for the Mets. He was eventually replaced by Eric Young, but even he was only slightly better, with minus-7 DRS for the season.

Petriello says that things turned around when Juan Lagares took over the bulk of time in center and proved to be one of the best defensive center fielders in the game.

Well deserved praise for Lagares and the Mets by ESPN. With Lagares in center flanked by Granderson and Young in the corners, Mets pitchers should reap the benefits of one of the best defensive outfields in baseball.

After what we’ve seen over the last 4-5 years, it will be a pleasure not to hold our breaths everytime a batter sends one sailing over the infield. I’m looking forward to seeing all three of them patrolling the same outfield when spring training games begin in about five weeks.

The post Mets Had One Of The Best Under The Radar Offseasons appeared first on Metsmerized.

Nick asks…

Is Juan Lagares an everyday player? He seems more like a Endy Chavez defensive substitute type to me, but I keep hearing that he has a hold on the everyday center field job. Do you think his bat will develop or will we see the same offensive production we saw last season? Any idea what kind of numbers we should look forward to?

Teddy replies…

I don’t think Lagares is a defensive substitute at all. First of all, his defense is similar to Chavez, but I like to compare his defense to our young version of Carlos Beltran. He just doesn’t give much away except the impossible, and he glides to the ball. It’s like an art to me, just watching his routes.

His bat will play, it takes some rookies some time to adjust to the Majors. His bat is actually better than people think. In the upper minors, Juan Lagares hit for a .330 average in 739 at-bats. If believed this average is skewed by Vegas’s hitting grounds, don’t be deterred, only 78 at bats were at Vegas.

However, during those accumulated stats, Lagares only walked 48 times while striking out 136 times, but he did hit nine homers and 43 doubles during that span.

Jon Heyman reported that the Mets are very comfortable moving forward with Lagares as their everyday center fielder.

Additionally, when Bobby Ojeda was asked in an interview which player he expected to have a breakthrough season in 2014, he responded:

“Juan Lagares. I think you’ll see much more power out of his at bats. I think that’s something this ballclub needs on a consistent basis.”

Lagares could hit virtually .280 (his discipline would suggest he wouldn’t be able to sustain a higher average) with some home run power and a ton of doubles. He has yet to tap into his speed which is also a plus tool for him. Either way, that is an above-average outfielder, especially with his plus fielding saving the day in center.

I’ll take that any day, wouldn’t you?

The post Ojeda Tabs Lagares As His Breakthrough Player for 2014 appeared first on Metsmerized.

The Mets were horrible this season, so you don’t need anything but common sense to see that unless things improve significantly, they will be horrible next season as well. But does the Mets’ Front Office have the common sense or wherewithal to stand and deliver? If they do, I would like to see it.

Year after year I have watched this team put up with increasingly unbearable won-loss records while misleading their fans through the media to create an artificial sense of hope, asking us to ignore the crippling nature of their financial problems, and expecting improved results from a “plan” that I don’t believe exists. This was apparent yesterday, when news broke that the Mets plan on giving Terry Collins a contract extension despite the fact that the team’s record has gotten worse during each year of his tenure. It was apparent Friday, when news broke that the Mets do not plan to sign any free agents who would cost them a draft pick— even if their draft pick is protected. It has been apparent since 2009, when the Mets began a string of five straight seasons with fewer than 80 wins— a streak that will carry into and ever-more-possibly through 2014.

There is a reason why a team that won without spending money got a best-selling book and a movie starring Brad Pitt made about them: because it was such a rare occurrence. There is a reason why nobody bats an eye when the Yankees win one of their 27 championships, but everybody goes nuts when the Marlins make big offseason splashes and then finish last: because the teams that spend usually win. Big payrolls do not guarantee wins. Small payrolls do not guarantee losses. But I’d much rather take my chances with Prince Fielder than Brandon Nimmo, and if the Wilpons don’t figure out that most of the other passionate fans who have begun to stay away from Citi Field feel the same way, their revenue will continue to shrink.

In short, the Mets need a change. Bringing in guys like Collin Cowgill and then talking about their “advanced stats” does not constitute change. When you are losing, the only thing that constitutes “change” is winning. To win, you need a good rotation, reliable relievers, tight defense, a lights-out closer, and a mix of consistent contact hitters and dangerous power hitters. You also need health and depth.

If the Mets plan on 2014 being “the year”, they need to make major moves. The team needs to be open to overpay for certain players if that’s what it takes. They also need to be willing to be flexible enough to do what it takes to land star hitters on the trade market. Good players will not fall into their lap. The Mets have to go and get them, or else they can watch the team continue to lose games, attendance and relevancy year after year.

David Wright will be on the team next year. So will Matt Harvey, although he might not throw a pitch all season. Bobby Bonilla will also be on the payroll, and Terry Collins will again be in the dugout, for better or worse. Everybody else is a candidate to be traded or heading to free agency, so take a good long look at everyone you see on the field Sunday, because, if the front office is finally being sincere when they talk about “change”, it might be— it better be— the last time you ever see players like Omar Quintanilla in a Mets uniform.

But I won’t throw out my Mike Baxter jersey just yet, because the team has yet to give me a reason to believe more players like Baxter won’t be in the starting lineup next April.

Hopefully, underperforming players who don’t belong will be shown the door, and players who do (such as Murphy, Wheeler, d’Arnaud, Niese, and a few others) will be retained. But Alderson & Co. should consider nearly anybody as trade bait if a team with a star caliber performer comes calling. If the Mets want to let Robinson Cano steal $300 million from another team, that’s fine, but they had better invest in several mid-tier free agents to make up for it. We need to have power in the lineup, we need to have guys ready to step in when injuries occur, and we need to have enough depth. The market isn’t ideal, but the answers are there if the Mets are willing to look for them.

The Mets’ season ends today. I have enjoyed writing game recaps for you guys since I joined MMO during the second half, and I look forward to writing articles during the offseason. No matter how frustrating this team can be, I will never desert the Mets and I appreciate all of you who feel the same way. Hopefully we will be seeing more guys like Carlos Gonzalez and fewer guys like Rick Ankiel wearing the Orange & Blue soon. Very soon. But for the meantime, at least we don’t have to worry about bandwagoners.

Let’s Go Mets!

The post No End In Sight, Even As 2013 Comes To A Close appeared first on Metsmerized.

You know, that speedy center fielder that used to run funny and played for the Yankees during their 1977 and 1978 championship years?

I guess you probably know him better by his baseball name, Mickey…

Last week, I had an interesting debate with the executive producer of SNY, when I asked him why two of his blogs posted that Daniel Huchingson was suspended for 50 games.

“It’s his given name.”

I thought that was funny being everyone else in the universe including himself and his mom refer to him as Chase Huchingson.

“Wouldn’t it be better to use his baseball name rather than his given name,” I asked?

“It doesn’t matter”, he retorted.

“By the way, what did you think of Richard’s press conference this afternoon?”

“Who’s Richard?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I was using his given name. I’m talking about Sandy.”

Ain’t I a stinker?

Getting back to Mickey Rivers, I loved this quote he once said about playing center field.

“The first thing you do when you get out to center field is put up your finger and check the wind chill factor.”

I wonder if Juan Lagares does that?

FUTURE 20+ HOMER GUY?

Last week, I was happy to see the response Bobby Ojeda gave to the following question…

Which Met player do you expect to improve their game the most in 2014?

Ojeda responded:

“Juan Lagares. I think you’ll see much more power out of his at bats. I think that’s something this ballclub needs on a consistent basis.”

How many of you were a bit perturbed when Lagares was shifted over to right field to accommodate Matt den Dekker in center field this past weekend?

I know I was…  So what does this amazing talent do?

Not much, all he did was fire a perfect relay throw to Daniel Murphy to tag out Bryce Harper at third. The kid’s got a rocket launcher for an arm…

YOU’RE OUT, PUNK….

Lagares now leads the National League with 12 outfield assists and is second in the majors, despite playing about 40 less games than everyone else in the top ten. His dozen assists also tied the franchise rookie record set by Tsuyoshi Shinjo in 2001. But enough about his Gold Glove defense, I want to talk about Lagares’ bat and that comment by Ojeda.

Going into yesterday’s embarrassing loss to the Braves, Lagares had hit in three straight games and in six of his last seven dating back to August 25. Over those seven games, he was batting .370 (10-27) with four runs scored, two doubles and two RBI.

When I saw him penciled into the number five spot in the lineup yesterday, I was kind of excited. Of course that spot is usually reserved for one of your team’s top sluggers and here was Lagares getting a chance to do some damage and drive in some runs. He went 2-for-3 with a walk, a run scored and  He’s now batting .364 over his last ten games and even drew four walks to shut-up the folks on twitter who even now still  complain about his lack of walks and aggressiveness. There’s just no pleasing some Met fans…

In 45 games since the All Star break, the 24-year old whiz-kid is batting .301 with a .448 slugging and .799 OPS. Among his 49 hits he has stroked nine doubles, three triples and three home runs while driving in 17 and scoring 19 runs. He has transformed himself at the plate and drives the ball with authority.

I love watching him come to the plate with two outs. He has this thing about never wanting to make the last out and in 99 at-bats he’s slashing at a .303/.361/.465 clip and an .816 OPS. We could use a few more players with this mindset…

We hear the term 5-tool player thrown around all the time, but for the most part those players never deliver on that promise. In Juan Lagares we have someone who is exhibiting all the hallmarks of those five tools scouts look for and the best part is that he plays for the Mets. He’s all ours and is having one of the best rookie seasons in the game.

Currently, only Carlos Gomez and Andrew McCutchen have a higher WAR than the 3.6 Lagares has among centerfielders. And among rookies that ranks third as well behind Yasiel Puig  and Nolan Arenado. I would argue that if Terry Collins had used his noodle and didn’t waste so many at-bats on Rick Ankiel, Collin Cowgill and Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Lagares could have a WAR that would be close to or even surpass 5.0. Wow… That is David Wright terrain…

So what’s my point about all of this?

Just wanted to say that I am really excited about a lot of things for the Mets in 2014, and I can’t wait to see what Juan Lagares does for an encore next season.

Now I’m not saying we’re gonna go out and win a Wild Card next season, that has more to do with what Richard, I mean Sandy, does this offseason. But if he really wants to field a contender – a real contender – he has plenty of money to do it and plenty of trade chips to swap along with a core of great young pitching and hitting to build around. Now it’s time to fill in the gaps…

This offseason is all on him and it’s time for Sandy to finally put up or shut up…

The post Another Juan Of Those Posts About Lagares appeared first on Metsmerized.

With the New York Mets (41-50) about to embark on the second half of the the 2013 season, I hit up two dozen of our MMO writers for their overall grades by position for our Mid-Season Report Cards.

For added measure we also included Terry Collins, Sandy Alderson and Mr. Met who was the only one to score an A+. 🙂

So without further ado, here’s our 2013 Mid-Season Mets Report Cards.

Terry Collins  C-

TC has been dealt a limited hand but has done a solid enough job overall. His bullpen management remains terrible. His opinion changes rather quickly. Just because you´ve been names a starting player on Monday doesn´t mean you´ll still be one on Saturday. That said, the players seem to enjoy playing for him and usually play hard – even if it´s not always obvious due to their limitations. – Andre

Sandy Alderson  C-

If you accept that 2013 is and was always going to be a transitional / building year, hopefully the final one in terms of financial austerity and waiting out contracts, then Alderson has done a pretty good job overall over the past calendar year. Yes, the team remains a mediocre 75-win caliber team all things considered that´ll probably finish 4th yet again this season. However, if you deduct the Santana & Bay contracts from this year´s payroll, the Mets are 3rd to last in the majors overall with only the Astros & Marlins spending less on their product on the field. So, not contending should not come as a surprise when prospects get moved at a rather slow pace and no money is spent while the group of remaining players lacks high-end talent beyond David Wright, Matt Harvey and to a lesser degree Bobby Parnell. – Andre

If the goal that Sandy himself established in 2010 was to see a renaissance in 2014 that will usher in years and years of sustainable success then you have to give him a near failing grade. Nobody I speak to among scouts, baseball insiders and baseball journalists see 2014 as anything other than what we’ve seen in the last three seasons. Wheeler was never going to be a difference maker, and winning franchises need more than two core players to achieve sustainable success. In three seasons we have more holes than we did in 2010 and no immediate help on the way. He has yet to develop any of his own minor leaguers as the cream of the crop came from trading players that he inherited. Sure it takes time to develop a farm and more than three seasons, but I’m using his timetable not one that I conjured up. The heat is on Sandy. – Joe D.

First Base  D-

The Governor needs to step in and declare first base a disaster area. Ike Davis was once looked upon as a core player and the first baseman of the future. Not anymore. Sadly, there are few in-house options that can give the Mets the 30-homer bat they desperately need from this position. Josh Satin should be getting the majority of playing time, but he doesn’t have that kind of power, but can get on base and drive in runs with his line-drive stroke. – Joe D.

Second Base  B-

Daniel Murphy has improved his defense and while he´s been hot & cold on offense still is at least an average bat offensively at second base. He´s a solid average piece. With Wilmer Flores mashing at AAA, the Mets will face a big question here soon. Keep the solid average piece as he enters his later arbitration years ? Go with the higher upside bat with the defensive question marks? – Andre

The Wilmer Flores situation will come to a head very soon. – Joe D.

Shortstop  C-

Ruben Tejada has been the other big disappointment. He has gradually regressed from his nice 2011 / early 2012 form and was a well below average player over the past calendar year. He´s still young and thus some hope remains. Quintanilla is a limited talent but has made the best out of his opportunity playing steady defense and providing a decent enough bat that this spot isn´t a liability right now. – Andre

Shortstop? What shortstop?

Third Base  A

David Wright has hit at or slightly above his already lofty career norms in spite of no protection around him in the lineup and played Gold Glove caliber defense. It´s time to surround him with better talent. – Andre

The worst part of signing Wright to the ginormous contract, was not going the extra hard and surrounding him with the guns to battle the NL East. So he’ll unfairly get the the blame for results in the standings and this was exactly what I hoped wouldn’t happen – Joe D.

Catcher  C+

Mostly manned by John Buck and Anthony Recker, things looked promising through the first three weeks of the season, but quickly went into a deep decline after that. Mets catchers are now batting .213 with a .277 OBP and 103 strikeouts in 347 at-bats. Very Thole-esque wouldn’t you say? – Joe D.

Left Field  C-

It started out with Lucas Duda and now has Eric Young Jr. and in about two more weeks it will be a combination of the two. What’s a manager to do. The bottom line though is that left field has produced the second highest OPS for the Mets so far at pedestrian .783. Keep on drawing those walks Lucas. Despite missing nearly a month, Duda is still second on the team with 38 walks which accounts for a huge chunk of the OPS. I need to see more of EY until I’m convinced he’s not the player his first 950 MLB plate appearances say he was. – Joe D.

Lucas Duda has proven he is not the long term answer in LF. Certainly not defensively. Possibly not offensively either. Eric Young Jr. has played some here recently and looks like the spark plug the team had been missing. – Andre

Center Field  C-

Cowgill flopped. Valdespin didn´t do much either. Nieuwenhuis has been up & down. Lagares has shown great defense but also some rawness offensively. – Andre

I can’t believe Sandy Alderson has me missing Andres Torres. – Joe D.

Right Field  B+

Marlon Byrd has had quite the unexpected comeback season. He single-handedly made right field a strength for the team so far this season, which of course means it may be time to move him. Right? Isn’t how this works? – Joe D.

Starting Rotation  B+

Matt Harvey has been great. Jeremy Hefner has far exceeded expectations and has done well. Dillon Gee has been up & down – but pretty much as expected overall. Jon Niese is the third biggest disappointment of the year. Though injuries and bad luck & bad weather have played a key role. It´ll be a big key getting him back to 100% going forward. Marcum was rarely healthy and performed between mediocre and terrible. Zack Wheeler remains a work in progress though the upside is huge. Getting him to be more consistent is another key going forward. – Andre

Bullpen  C

Bobby Parnell has emerged as a lights out closer which is very nice. Most other relievers have been unspectacular though better off late. The injury to Jeurys Familia was a big blow structurally as he could have been that 2nd power arm a good team needs in the pen. Josh Edgin has been too inconsistent. – Andre

I knew this group was in trouble again when after three weeks they already shuffled ten different players off or into the pen. Wow… Bullpen Revamp 3.0 was looking like another failure. By the time May ended it was in familiar territory ranking last in the majors in ERA, BAA and WHIP. Collins burned out his two best middle relief arms resulting in Lyon getting cut and Rice going from great to scary. Edgin had a short hiatus in the minors after a demotion, but has looked better. But largely, the bullpen has been a one-man show. – Joe D.

Bench  C+

Considering all the fluctuations in the lineup, the bench pieces have done a solid enough job. Unfortunately, too many bench pieces have been pressed into starting roles they´re probably not suited to fill. Mike Baxter being one example. – Andre

Andre pretty much nailed it. With most of the solid bench options now pressed into starting duty, I’m fearful as to what we’ll get in the second half. – Joe D.

The post MMO Exclusive: 2013 Mets Midseason Report Cards appeared first on Metsmerized.

Terry Collins had some high praise for Eric Young Jr. yesterday, in a conversation with the New York Post.

“The energy level has been raised since we got E.Y. and called up some guys from the minor leagues,” Collins said. “Andres Torres did a nice job last year when he wasn’t hurt, but certainly this year Young has made a big difference in our lineup.”

And even right fielder Marlon Byrd is happy to have Young patrolling the outfield with him and batting at the top of the order. “He’s the prototypical leadoff guy,” Byrd said. “I’m just so glad we have him over here.”

Ever since being acquired for starting pitcher Collin McHugh, Eric Young Jr. has been a spark plug at the top of the Mets lineup. He is hitting for a high average, and he has jolted the top of the Mets lineup with speed. Young’s speed has also made a difference defensively since he is a vast upgrade over the slow-footed Lucas Duda in left field. There is no denying that Young has been terrific so far, but is his performance sustainable?

There are a number of factors that make me skeptical about Young’s hot start. Before being traded to the Mets this year, Young was in the midst of an atrocious season. He was only hitting .240, with 1 HR, 6 RBI, 22 RS, 8 SB’s (4 CS’s) and 11 BB’s for Colorado in 57 games. In fact, he was performing so poorly that Colorado designated him for assignment.

Not only did Young struggle to produce offensively this year with Colorado, he struggled to produce his entire career. In 776 at bats with Colorado, Young has possessed .260/.329/.342 slash line with only 6 home runs and only 40 RBI. His numbers were also aided by an extreme hitter’s park in Coors field. In games played on the road, Young has hit under .230 in his career. It’s also important to note that Young isn’t a prospect that had struggled. He is 28 years old, which is considered the prime of a player’s career.

Young has been exciting to watch so far, but his success has come in a very limited amount of playing time. Just in this season alone, there have been many instances of players who have started their Met’s career s great like Young, but quickly faded away. John Buck, Collin Cowgill and Rick Ankiel also started their Mets career on fire like Young, but now Cowgill and Ankiel are no longer in the organization and Buck is struggling to maintain his average over the Mendoza line. How is Young’s great start any different from theirs?

Young’s 776 at bats with Colorado tell us more about the player he is than 93 at bats with the Mets. I think when all these facts are considered, it is unlikely that Young sustains his success. Even though Young has been a great addition to the team so far, I believe his success will be short lived.

The post Eric Young Is Drawing Rave Reviews As A Met, But Is It Sustainable? appeared first on Metsmerized.

Rick Ankiel has parted way with the New York Mets says Adam Rubin of ESPN New York. The 33-year old elected to become a free agent rather than accept a minor league assignment after being designated for assignment last week.

Ankiel was signed by the Mets exactly one month ago on May 13th after being released by the Houston Astros just four days prior. He batted .182 with 25 strikeouts in just 66 at-bats in his short time in Flushing.

The post Rick Ankiel Elects Free Agency appeared first on Metsmerized.