Following a 3-0 start on the West Coast road trip, the Mets were brought back to reality by the Padres after being swept. Not a whole lot went right. There was a pretty significant injury scare, too.

All in all, this team still has plenty of concerns to iron out. And the offense remains the biggest concern as we prepare to enter August and the dog days of summer.

To that end, let’s proceed with another edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

(Note – This will be a trade-free zone. We’ll have a Trade Deadline focused 3 Up, 3 Down for you on Friday).

Mark Vientos (27) hits a grand slam at Petco Park.
Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

3 UP

THANK THE BASEBALL GODS

Anyone with even the slightest connection to the Mets was left praying to the Baseball Gods on Tuesday. Juan Soto left the game in the fourth inning after taking a hard foul ball off his left foot. You couldn’t blame the collective Mets universe for automatically assuming the worst. Thankfully, initial X-rays came back negative. Soto wasn’t in the lineup on Wednesday, but felt better, which is a good sign. Therefore, there is a strong chance that Soto could be good to go on Friday. All in all, the Mets had one hell of a lucky break.

IGNORE THE NOISE

Talk about a weird week for Mark Vientos. Already enduring a tough season, the slugger saw his name come up in trade rumors earlier this week. While we can’t know for sure if Vientos will still be a Met by the close of play on Thursday, the player himself certainly didn’t let the noise impact his game. Vientos continued his recent resurgence in style by hitting a grand slam in the series opener in San Diego. He then followed that up with a multi-hit night on Tuesday, before extending his hit streak to nine games in the finale on Wednesday. This hasn’t been an easy year for Vientos, and this week presented yet more challenges. However, he took it all in stride and showed signs that he’s ready to contribute at a high clip the rest of the way.

TRENDING UPWARDS

If the Mets are going to be successful this year, they will need their current group of starters to really step up and deliver. Therefore, Sean Manaea‘s latest outing on Tuesday would have offered plenty of encouragement. The lefty allowed just one run on three hits while striking out four in five innings of work. He has yet to allow more than one earned run in a game since coming off the IL. More importantly, Manaea reached a season-high 86 pitches and is clearly starting to settle into a groove. And the quicker he can ramp up fully and be the big-inning arm this team needs, the better.

Jul 30, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Clay Holmes (35) throws a pitch during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images

3 DOWN

TRENDING DOWNWARDS

July has not been kind to Clay Holmes. The starter has struggled this month, and it appears he is running out of gas, having already set a career-high in innings pitched in a single season. Holmes’ downwards trajectory continued on Wednesday as he allowed four runs – two earned – on eight hits and two walks in just 3 2/3 innings. Consequently, the righty is now pitching to a 4.90 ERA in the month of July – he hasn’t completed six innings in any of those outings. At some point soon, the Mets may need to make a decision on Holmes’ status as a starter for the rest of this season.

SINKING OFFENSE

Okay, now is the time to start really worrying about this offense. The lineup has been maddeningly inconsistent all year, and it has also struggled against good pitching. That isn’t a good sign for October. Well, against good pitching in San Diego, the offense simply didn’t show outside of the six runs scored in the series opener. In the final two games of the series, this lineup scored just one run. They were shut out on Wednesday after managing just three hits with no walks and nine strikeouts. Furthermore, the team went a combined 0-for-8 with RISP in those two games, leaving a total of 11 runners stranded on base. With Juan Soto out of the lineup in the finale, the lineup had nothing. Meanwhile, Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso have struggled. And, on Wednesday, Alonso, Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, and Mark Vientos went a combined 2-for-15. The stars need to be better. The top of the lineup needs to be consistent. And this lineup, as currently constituted, just needs to be better. Period.

MELTING DOWN

The Trade Deadline has arrived at the perfect time for the Mets. The bullpen has been running out of gas for a while now, and that was on full display against the Padres. Huascar Brazobán made a mental mistake to allow a run in the fifth inning of Monday’s game. Gregory Soto also had a lapse, which cost a run and the game. Then, on Tuesday, Chris Devenski and the now-departed José Buttó combined to allow six runs to undo all of the good work by the offense. The reinforcements brought in by the front office on Wednesday could not have come at a better time.

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Swept Aside By Padres appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The beginning of the game was defined by the starters’ elevated pitch counts and the lack of production with runners on base. Both Frankie Montas and Dylan Cease threw a ton of pitches and created traffic on the basepaths, but they were both able to limit the opposition to just one run each through the first four innings. In that span, both pitchers left five runners stranded.

A pivotal moment in the game occurred at the top of the third inning, when the home plate umpire made two questionable strike calls on Juan Soto, who struck out looking. Soto was incensed, and to save him from being ejected, Carlos Mendoza sacrificed himself and got himself booted from the game. It was Mendoza’s third ejection of the season, and it caused him to miss the rest of what turned into a crazy game.

Just an inning later, Mark Vientos nearly had a two-run, go-ahead home run to give the Mets the lead. He sent a pitch by Cease deep to right field, over the wall, but Fernando Tatis Jr. made a brilliant leaping grab over the wall to bring it back and rob Vientos. The play kept the game tied at one, and Cease was able to get out of the inning without allowing the Mets to score.

In his next at-bat the following inning, with two outs and the bases loaded, Vientos lifted another Cease pitch to the same area of the ballpark. This time, it went way over Tatis’ head and gave Vientos that elusive home run he nearly had the previous inning, his first long ball in two months. This one was grand, turning a 1-1 tie into a 5-1 lead.

Vintage Vientos.
pic.twitter.com/sPPCt4fsmh

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) July 29, 2025

That statement slam didn’t last long, as Montas and Huascar Brazobán melted down in the bottom of the inning. The two combined to surrender five runs, including a two-run shot off the bat of Luis Arráez and a would-be, inning-ending ground ball out that Brazobán was too slow covering first to get. A massive shot of momentum for the Mets quickly turned in favor of the Padres, who now held a 6-5 lead.

After Brazobán was finally able to get out of the fifth inning, the game became much milder with neither team scoring until yet another crazy inning in the ninth. Adrián Morejón, Jeremiah Estrada and Jason Adam combined for three hitless innings, bridging the way to closer Robert Suarez. Suarez, who had only allowed one home run all season before Monday’s game, left a fastball middle-away for Ronny Mauricio, who crushed it over the wall in right-center field. Mauricio’s second home run in as many games tied the game and sent it to the bottom of the ninth.

The bottom of the inning began as a disaster, with a single and a Gregory Soto throwing error on a sacrifice bunt, putting the winning run on second with no outs. Soto quickly recorded two outs on a fielder’s choice and a strikeout, but with one out to go and in a two-strike count, Elias Díaz lined a base hit into left field to secure a Padres walk-off win.

The Mets’ loss ends their win streak at seven games and keeps them 1.5 games ahead of the Phillies in the National League East.

Player of the Game

Mark Vientos’ grand slam was massive in the moment, considering how it affected the game, but also considering the trade chatter surrounding Vientos recently. He’s had a really rough season, but he’s swung the bat well lately and was rewarded (almost twice) for it tonight.

On Deck

The Mets continue their series with the Padres Tuesday night with first pitch scheduled for 9:40 p.m. ET. Sean Manaea (1-1, 2.19 ERA) will take the mound for New York while San Diego’s starter is to be determined. The game will air on SNY and MLB Network.

The post Mets Win Streak Ends in Wild Loss to Padres appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Dedniel Núñez was activated prior to Friday’s game, marking the end of a lengthy stay on the injured list. Núñez was one of the Mets’ best relievers prior to getting hurt, owning a 2.43 ERA and a .930 WHIP in 24 games. He hadn’t pitched since July 23 and is set to retake his place as a crucial member of the Mets bullpen.

In a corresponding move, the Mets sent trade deadline acquisition Huascar Brazobán to Triple-A Syracuse. Brazobán has a 6.30 ERA in nine appearances with the Mets since being traded.

Dedniel Núñez, Photo by Roberto Carlo

Wild Card Update

• San Diego Padres (73-57) 7-0 New York Mets (67-62)
• Atlanta Braves (69-59) 3-2 Washington Nationals (58-71)
• Arizona Diamondbacks (73-56) 12-2 Boston Red Sox (67-60)

In terms of the Wild Card race, it was worst case scenario for the Mets, who were shut out by the Padres 7-0 on Friday. San Diego, Atlanta, and Arizona all won, making progress in the Wild Card race while the Mets suffered a shutout loss. The Mets are now 2.5 games behind the Braves for the final Wild Card spot, while the Diamondbacks and Padres are 3.5 games and 3.0 games over the Braves respectively.

Latest Mets News

The Mets continue the four-game set with the Padres on Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 8:40 p.m. ET. David Peterson (7-1, 3.00) and Michael King (11-6, 3.18 ERA) will take the mound in a battle of a couple of pitchers having really nice seasons.

During Friday’s loss, Paul Blackburn suffered a hand contusion and was removed from the game in the third inning. He will undergo more tests to determine the severity on Saturday.

Prior to last Tuesday’s game between the Mets and Orioles, The Athletic’s Will Sammon reports that a Mets staffer approached Corbin Burnes to tell him the Mets have been using Burnes’ mental process as a guideline for the most recent draft class.

Burnes also mentioned that he holds no grudges against Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns, from back when the two couldn’t agree on arbitration numbers. Burnes will be a free agent at the end of this season.

Latest MLB News

In terms of what Burnes is looking for as a free agent, the ace said he wants to win: “I am going to have to do a lot of research this offseason of farm systems, young guys coming up, groups of core guys that are on a team. Where does it look like teams are going to be competitive? Where are teams just looking to spend some money to make the fan base happy? Whatever it might be.”

According to Grant Paulsen of MLB Network Radio, the Nationals are calling up top prospect Dylan Crews to make his MLB debut on Monday. Crews has just a .799 OPS across Double-A and Triple-A this year, but he was ranked as the third-best prospect in baseball in MLB Pipeline’s midseason update. The 22-year-old will join fellow rookie James Wood in a revamped Nationals outfield.

Per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News, former Met Max Scherzer was scratched from a planned rehab start for Double-A Frisco on Friday. Scherzer has missed most of the year due to injury, his latest ailment being right shoulder fatigue. He is 2-4 with a 3.89 ERA in just eight starts this year.

Speaking of former Mets pitchers on the Rangers, Jacob deGrom made his first rehab start on Thursday night for Double-A Frisco. He pitched two innings, allowing an earned run and striking out three.

Catcher Danny Jansen will catch for Boston in the continuation of a suspended game from earlier this year between the Red Sox and Blue Jays. That will make Jansen the first player in MLB history to technically appear in one game for both teams, as he was actually at the plate for the Blue Jays when the game was suspended.

New Mariners manager Dan Wilson announced that Hall of Famer Edgar Martínez will serve as Seattle’s hitting coach for the remainder of the season.

Red Sox minor leaguer Anthony Felix received a 56-game suspension after testing positive for Stanozolol, a performance-enhancing drug. The 20-year-old had a 3.55 ERA in the Dominican Summer League.

Latest on MMO

In the latest Mets Minors Recap, Michael Mayer discusses another poor outing for Blade Tidwell in Syracuse.

Michael Famulari breaks down the three-RBI game from Mark Vientos in Thursday’s victory.

Jack Markowski looks at the state of the Mets bullpen with Dedniel Núñez reactivated from the injured list.

On This Date in Mets History

Birthdays: Jamie Callahan (30), Bartolomé Fortunato (50), Butch Benton (67)

The post Morning Briefing: Dedniel Núñez Activated From IL appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Position: RP
Age: 29 (4/7/1994)

2023 Traditional Stats: 61 G, 56 1/3 IP, 2-3, 1.28 ERA, 33 SV, 1.101 WHIP, 85 SO, 30 BB
2023 Advanced Stats: 321 ERA+, 36.8 SO%, 13.0 BB%, 2.36 xERA, 2.69 FIP, 3.52 xFIP, 1.7 fWAR, 2.4 bWAR

Rundown

Outside of an inexplicably tumultuous 2022 season, Josh Hader has been one of the most dominant relievers in baseball since he made his debut in 2017. That remained the case in 2023, his first full season as a San Diego Padre. Despite the team as a whole being a major disappointment, Hader was a rare bright spot as he returned to being one of the game’s elite closers.

In 56 1/3 innings pitched, Hader allowed just eight runs all season, which was good for a 1.28 ERA. He also struck out 36.8% of all batters faced, a low mark for him in relation to the rest of his career, and saved 33 games as opposed to just five blown saves. This made him an easy choice to represent the National League in the All-Star game, the fifth All-Star nod of his seven-year career.

The highlight of Hader’s 2023 season was a stretch of 26 games from the beginning of June to the end of August in which he didn’t allow a single earned run. Across the 23 1/3 innings that he pitched in that stretch, Hader struck out 41 batters while allowing just 30 baserunners and holding opposing batters to a ridiculous .456 OPS.

Hader was nearly as impressive over the course of the entire season, allowing a .508 OPS against and recording just two full calendar months with an ERA above 2.00. He had four months with a batting average against under .160 and three months with a slugging percentage against under .160, keeping batters from recording base hits and especially extra-base hits, exactly the type of shutdown stuff you want from your closer.

In addition to the surface-level statistics, Hader’s dominance flashed in the advanced metrics as well. He finished the 2023 season in the 99th percentile or better in xERA, xBA, and SO%. He also posted elite chase rate (92nd percentile), whiff rate (91st percentile), barrel percentage (92nd percentile), and hard hit percentage (97th percentile) numbers.

Those elite numbers are consistent with where Hader has stood his entire career, outside of an abysmal 2022 season split between the Brewers and Padres in which he posted a 5.22 ERA. From 2017 to 2021, the first five years of his career, Hader recorded a 2.26 ERA over 282 1/3 innings pitched and a remarkable 15.1 strikeouts per nine innings. Even during his 2022 season, Hader still struck out 14.6 per nine innings. He can be wild at times, but even at his worst, he still has some of the filthiest swing-and-miss stuff in the game.

Contract

Spotrac.com projects Hader to command a contract in the range of five-years, $87.75 million, which is approximately $17.5 million per year. Regarding average annual salary, that would slot him below only Edwin Díaz ($20.4 million per year) and Liam Hendriks ($18 million per year) for relief pitchers. Hader is only one year older than Díaz was when he signed his mega contract, and it’s not far-fetched to believe that he could threaten Díaz to become the highest-paid relief pitcher in baseball.

Recommendation

With that being said, the Mets shouldn’t go after Josh Hader. While money isn’t a problem for Steve Cohen and new president of baseball operations David Stearns is familiar with Hader from their time in Milwaukee, it just isn’t the best allocation of money to have two relievers making nearly, or more than $100 million. That doesn’t even consider the fact that Hader has resisted pitching in non-save situations and for more than an inning at a time in the past.

Another roadblock in a potential Hader signing is that he is eligible to receive a qualifying offer from the Padres. If he received the qualifying offer and the Mets were to sign him, the Mets would be forfeiting a draft pick, which would go against the way Steve Cohen and David Stearns are trying to build the Mets. Ultimately, the Mets should look elsewhere to bolster their bullpen this offseason.

The post MMO Free Agent Profile: Josh Hader, LHP appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Mets defeated the Padres 7-5 in ten innings on Friday night for the team’s sixth consecutive win, the longest winning streak of the season. Justin Verlander notched a quality start despite a shaky beginning to the game, while Francisco Álvarez recorded his first career four-hit game as he remains hot at the plate. The win puts the Mets at 42-46, just four games under .500 with the All-Star break imminent.

Latest MLB News

Will Sammon and Eno Sarris of The Athletic wrote about why hitters are hitting sliders better than ever in the pitch tracking era.

The Yankees activated their star free agent signing from this past offseason, Carlos Rodón, from the injured list. Rodón made his Yankee debut on Friday night and gave up two earned runs in 5 1/3 innings pitched.

The Yankees also placed Jake Bauers on the injured list, recalling Franchy Cordero to take his place on the roster.

The Tigers designated infielder Jonathan Schoop for assignment. In 55 games this year, he had been struggling immensely with a .550 OPS.

The Athletics placed MLB stolen base leader Esteury Ruiz on the 10-day injured list with a shoulder injury.

Due to injuries, Adolis García and Austin Hays were announced as starting outfielders in the American League for the All-Star Game.

Other additions to the All-Star Game are reliever Carlos Estévez, who takes the place of Emmanuel Clase, and Geraldo Perdomo, who takes the place of Dansby Swanson.

The Marlins optioned 20-year-old rookie pitcher Eury Pérez to the minor leagues. Despite his dazzling numbers in the majors, his being sent down is in order to limit his workload for a potential call-up later in the season.

The Phillies are shutting down their no. 1 prospect, Andrew Painter, after tests on his elbow yielded concern.

Isaiah Campbell of the Mariners became the first Portugese-born player in AL/NL history last night as he pitched in relief and struck out a batter for Seattle.

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Latest on MMO

In the latest Mets Minors Recap, Matt Mancuso highlighted how Blade Tidwell continues to impress.

Michael Famulari wrote about Carlos Carrasco‘s new slider grip and the success he is seeing because of it.

Christian De Block recapped Francisco Lindor‘s historic performance on Thursday night.

Rivka Boord wrote about Joey Cora‘s advice to Francisco Álvarez following his game-tying home run in Arizona on Wednesday night.

On This Date in Mets History

2014: The Mets recorded the 4,000th win in team history with an 8-3 victory over the Braves.

Birthdays: Ken Sanders (82), Gary Kroll (82)

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Extend Winning Streak to Season-High Six Games appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Neither Justin Verlander nor Yu Darvish were at their best as both struggled with command against a particularly tight strike zone and both gave up runs early. Both bullpens thrived following their departures, paving the way for extra innings in a 3-3 game. It was then that the Mets offense broke out, scoring four runs in the 10th inning to secure their sixth straight win.

It was the Mets who scored first on a weakly-hit but perfectly-placed Daniel Vogelbach infield single in the first inning. The Padres immediately responded, though, as Manny Machado hit an RBI double and later scored on a Luis Guillorme fielding error to give the Padres the lead in the bottom of the inning.

Verlander continued to find himself in trouble, even after surrendering the early lead. He gave up a Trent Grisham RBI double in the second inning to make it a 3-1 game before loading the bases in the third. With one out and Gary Sánchez at the plate, Verlander was able to get him to ground into a double play to avoid a disaster inning.

That double play seemed to reverse his fortunes as he allowed just one baserunner over the next three innings on his way to a quality start, a result that seemed impossible after how he started the game. Through six innings, Verlander allowed just two earned runs on 98 pitches and slightly lowered his season ERA from 3.66 to 3.60.

Darvish, who is usually dominant against the Mets, was unable to hold the 3-1 lead given to him by his offense. Francisco Lindor continued his recent hot stretch by hitting an opposite field homer that just sailed over the left field wall in the third inning and Vogelbach drove in his second run of the night with an RBI single in the fifth to tie the game.

A Ha-Seong Kim double with one out in the seventh appeared to give the Padres a late scoring threat to break the tie, but Tommy Pham played the ball hit by Kim conservatively in left field, prompting Kim to decide to stretch a triple before Pham uncorked a laser to throw him out. Kim’s curious decision to go for three bases wound up costing the Padres as Juan Soto doubled in the next at-bat which would have surely scored Kim, but instead Brooks Raley and Adam Ottavino were able to combine for a scoreless inning.

The game headed to extra innings tied as the Mets failed to score with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth, but they made up for it and more as Jeff McNeil ambushed Tom Cosgrove by doubling down the right field line on the first pitch of the 10th inning to put the Mets ahead. Francisco Álvarez subsequently drove in McNeil before Lindor drove in two, his second and third RBIs of the night, to crack the game wide open and make it 7-3.

A two-run home run by Machado with one out in the bottom of the inning made it a two-run game, but David Robertson fought off the last two batters of the inning to give the Mets a hard-fought and well-deserved win.

Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Player of the Game

Álvarez continues to swing a scorching bat, as he went 4-for-5 against San Diego pitchers in this game. Although he didn’t hit any homers like he often does, Álvarez recorded the first four-hit game of his career and drove in the Mets’ second run of the 10th inning to provide some massive insurance en route to the team’s sixth win in a row.

On Deck

The series with the Padres will continue on Saturday night with a 10:10 p.m. ET first pitch. The pitching matchup will see David Peterson (2-6, 6.61 ERA) face off against Blake Snell (5-7, 3.03 ERA), both of whom are pitching some of their best baseball of the season. The game will be broadcast on SNY.

The post Four-Run 10th Leads Mets to Sixth Straight Win, 7-5 Over Padres appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Bartolo Colón.

No matter how many baseball games you watch, each holds the chance of witnessing something you’ve never seen before.

A player’s first career homer. A pitcher hitting a homer. Both are rare — the latter now extremely rare. Countless pitchers have a home run on their résumé. But there’s one that stands alone.

Bartolo Colón was a terrible hitting pitcher even by hitting pitcher standards. Looking at his career numbers is like staring at the sun. In 299 career at-bats, he struck out 166 times. His slash line was .084/.092/.107. Simply put, he was not going to luck his way into any infield singles.

Statistics, though, don’t convey the ineptitude by which Colón had performed in the batter’s box. He gradually improved over time —making contact, hitting singles, and even hitting doubles. But nobody — literally nobody — expected what took place against James Shields.

Colón came to the plate in the second inning after Kevin Plawecki delivered a two-out double. The right-handed batter, who hadn’t recorded a hit yet on the season, took a swing at Shields’ 1-1 pitch. Contact was made. The ball had lift. It carried to left field. And what seemed like lighting striking in San Diego, the ball landed over the left-field wall.

The reaction — from the Mets’ dugout, from The 7 Line congregation in right field, from Gary Cohen and Ron Darling on television, from Howie Rose on radio — was joy mixed with utter disbelief. Shields, on the other hand, may never live it down.

Colón carried his bat up the first base line as he watched the ball fly, then proceeded on his maiden home run trot. Whether it was accidental or not, Colón took a — shall we say — a leisurely stroll around the basepaths (clocked in at 30.6 seconds).

Nobody would give him the, “act like you’ve been there before,” criticism. That gave his teammates enough time to vacate the premises. When Colón crossed the plate, the only ones left there to greet him were Plawecki, on-deck hitter Curtis Granderson, No. 2 hitter David Wright, and manager Terry Collins on the edge of the dugout.

Once the “silent treatment” was done, players joyously celebrated around their lovable pitcher.

“I don’t even know how to explain it,” said Colón who began his career 19 years prior to the homer. “Once I hit it, I knew it was gone.” Spoken like a true power hitter.

Oh, and he was 17 days shy of his 43rd birthday, which made him the oldest major leaguer to hit the first home run of his career.

The Mets went on to win, 6-3. Colón pitched into the seventh inning and earned the victory, the 221st of his career and the third of 15 that year — his last as a New York Met. In his three seasons with New York, Colón was a reliable part of the rotation. He never pitched fewer than 191 2/3 innings. Additionally, he was a respected veteran among teammates and a beloved figure among fans.

But, May 7, 2016 became the defining moment of his Mets’ career. With the advent of the universal designated hitter, it’s likely we’ll never see anything like it again.

The post OTD 2016: Bartolo Colón’s Improbable Home Run appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Jurickson Profar

Position: OF

Bats/Throws: S/R

Age: 29 (2/20/1993)

2022 Traditional Stats: 152 G, 658 PA, .243/.331/.391/.723, 15 HR, 36 2B, 58 RBI, 140 H

2022 Advanced Stats: 111 OPS+, 110 wRC+, 3.1 bWAR, 2.5 fWAR, 11.1 BB%, 15.7 K%, .272 BABIP, .315 xwOBA, 2 DRS, -5 OAA

Rundown

Jurickson Profar had arguably the best season of his career in 2022. In his third season in San Diego, he was able to provide a spark as the leadoff hitter and everyday left fielder for the Padres. With his help, San Diego was able to make the postseason an advance all the way to the NLCS last season. 

Despite making his major league debut at 19 years old with the Rangers in 2012, Profar didn’t play his first full season until 2018 at age 25. This was partly due to a shoulder injury that sidelined him for the entirety of the 2014 and 2015 seasons, as well as him simply being unable to maintain a starting role when healthy.

Profar seemed to come into his own from 2018-2020, as he finally received regular playing time. After playing 146 games with the Rangers  in 2018, Profar was dealt to the Oakland A’s where he played in 2019 before being traded again to the Padres where he played the past three seasons. From the three-year stretch between 2018-20, (including the shortened 2020 season) Profar tallied 47 home runs and 169 RBIs with a .757 OPS and a 102 OPS+. While these numbers don’t exactly stand out, Profar proved that he could be a serviceable bat when healthy.

Profar took a step back and struggled in 2021, hitting just .227 with four home runs. However, he had a huge bounce back season in 2022, posting the best OPS+ of his career over a full season. He also improved defensively from the year before, showing more comfort staying in left field than moving around in a utility role. Profar went from a  negative-4 DRS in 2021 to plus-2 DRS 2022 and negative-7 OAA to negative-5 OAA.

Profar’s advanced metrics from the 2022 season show that despite having good strikeout and walk percentages, his whiff rate and chase rate were well above league average. Additionally, Profar was well below league average in average exit velocity, hard-hit percentage, and barrel percentage. He had one of his best seasons to date, but these metrics suggest that there are areas in which Profar needs to improve.

Contract

Spotrac.com estimates Profar to receive a contract of six-years, $89.4 million, which would be just under $15 million per year. Entering his age-30 season and not exactly a premier player, it’s hard to imagine Profar receiving this type of deal. Willson Contreras and Andrew Benintendi received similar deals and both players were unanimously regarded as being in a class above Profar this free agent cycle.

Players more on the level of Profar such as Cody Bellinger, Mitch Haniger, Michael Conforto, and A.J. Pollock all signed shorter-term deals this offseason, and it would make sense if Profar received a deal like that. One-to-three years at $10-15 million per year seems reasonable.

Recommendation

The Mets’ everyday outfield seems to be set with Mark Canha, Brandon Nimmo, and Starling Marte. At best, Profar would be a platoon option with Canha, and, at worst, would simply be a fourth outfielder. He doesn’t provide a ton of power, which is perhaps the Mets most pressing need, but he would be a bat that could be relied upon in a limited role.

If Profar is going to receive contract offers from teams similar to his Spotrac.com projection, the Mets should sit this one out. However, if he can be had for a more reasonable price, it would be worth the Mets’ time to at least look into how signing Profar could benefit the team.

The post MMO Free Agent Profile: Jurickson Profar, OF appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Good morning Mets fans!

On Friday, The Texas Rangers announced they have hired Bruce Bochy to a three-year contract to be the team’s manager. Bochy previously managed the San Diego Padres and the San Francisco Giants, winning three World Series championships with the latter.

Additionally, The Toronto Blue Jays announced they have agreed to terms on a three-year contract with interim manager John Schneider to become the team’s full time manager. The contract also includes a team option for the 2026 season.

Friday night, the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the San Diego Padres 4-2 in NLCS Game 3, taking a 2-1 series lead. Kyle Schwarber, Jean Segura, and Alec Bohm provided the offense while Seranthony Dominguez recorded the save to give Philadelphia the series advantage.

Bruce Bochy has been hired as manager of the Texas Rangers, agreeing to a three-year contract covering the 2023-25 seasons. pic.twitter.com/trH7Di13SB

— Texas Rangers PR (@TXRangersPR) October 21, 2022

Now onto the morning briefing!

Latest Mets News

The Mets sent a tweet on Friday encouraging fans to vote for Pete Alonso for the National League Hank Aaron Award. To cast your vote, you can click here.

Latest MLB News

Ken Rosenthal reports the Kansas City Royals interviewed Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro for the team’s open managerial position this past week. Quatraro is also a candidate for the open managerial position for the Miami Marlins.

Jon Morosi reports that Cardinals bench coach Skip Schumaker has interviewed for the Miami Marlins manager position and is considered one of the top candidates for the job. Schumaker, a former player, spent 11 years playing in the MLB before transitioning to coaching.

Zach Meisel of The Athletic confirmed Terry Francona will return as the Cleveland Guardians manager in 2023.

FOX Sports announced it will air the entirety of the 2023 World Baseball Classic across the FOX Sports family of networks.

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Bryan Cameron lists the top five moments of the Mets 2022 season.

Jack Markowski ranks the top 10 free agents this offseason.

Rich Sparago argues why Keith Hernandez deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.

On This Date in Mets History

1986: Lenny Dykstra hit a home run for the second straight game as the Mets defeated the Red Sox 6-2 in Game 4 of the World Series. Gary Carter launched a three-run shot of his own and Ron Darling pitched seven shutout innings as the Mets evened the series 2-2.

2000: The Mets fell to the Yankees 6-5 in Game 2 of the World Series, as a five-run rally in the ninth inning wasn’t enough to take down their crosstown rivals. In the first inning, Roger Clemens infamously threw part of Mike Piazza‘s bat back at him after a pitch inside jammed Piazza’s bat and sent the barrel flying toward the mound. Clemens would go on to pitch eight shutout innings before the Mets nearly erased a six-run deficit in the ninth.

Birthdays: Carlos Torres (40), Robinson Canó (40), Darren O’Day (40)

The post Morning Briefing: Rangers Hire Bruce Bochy As Manager appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Oct 14, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins celebrates after hitting a three-run home run against the Atlanta Braves during the 3rd inning in game three of the NLDS for the 2022 MLB Playoffs at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

Three Division Series games took place on Friday, with the underdog coming away victorious in all three. It started with the Cleveland Guardians defeating the New York Yankees. With the game headed to extra innings, Jameson Taillon came on for a rare relief appearance and surrendered two runs in the top of the 10th without recording an out. Emmanuel Clase earned the save for Cleveland, recording the final seven outs of the game as Cleveland evened the series 1-1.

In the next game, the Philadelphia Phillies’ offense exploded at the expense of Spencer Strider and the Atlanta Braves, winning 9-1. Rhys Hoskins provided the big blow with a three-run homer in the third inning. With the victory, the Phillies took a 2-1 series lead.

The night game saw the San Diego Padres come out on top over the Los Angeles Dodgers, 2-1. Jake Cronenworth and Trent Grisham drove in the only two runs the Padres needed, as they now lead the series 2-1.

Now onto the morning briefing!

Latest Mets News

During a press conference Friday morning, general manager Billy Eppler reflected on the sudden end to the Mets season, the team’s trade deadline, and the team’s relationship with Jacob deGrom.

"We did build the team to be able to pitch in the postseason…ultimately we fell short at the very end"

Billy Eppler reflects on the Mets' season: pic.twitter.com/WN5m321jfP

— SNY (@SNYtv) October 14, 2022

Latest MLB News

The St. Louis Cardinals announced Friday that Hall of Famer and Cy Young award winner Bruce Sutter passed away late Thursday night due to cancer at the age of 69. Sutter won the Cy Young Award in 1979 as a member of the Chicago Cubs, and he is one of just a handful of relievers to ever win the award. He was also a member of the 1982 St. Louis Cardinals World Series championship team. At the time of his retirement, he sat at an even 300 saves for his career.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports the qualifying offer this offseason will be $19.65 million.

Ken Rosenthal reports that Bruce Bochy met with Rangers GM Chris Young about the team’s open managerial position. Bochy last managed with the San Francisco Giants in 2019.

The Baltimore Orioles have claimed Jake Cave off of waivers from the Minnesota Twins. In a corresponding move, the team designated former Mets pitcher Jake Reed for assignment.

Today marks Opening Day in the Dominican Winter League, with streaming available via MLB.TV.

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Chris Bello grades Taijuan Walker‘s season with the Mets.

Jack Markowski argues that the Mets need to invest in power hitters this offseason.

Michael Mayer describes the highlights of Billy Eppler’s press conference on Friday.

On This Date in Mets History

1969: The Mets defeated the Orioles in Game 4 of the World Series, 2-1. Tom Seaver led the way with a 10 inning complete game, surrendering just one run, and bringing the Mets one win closer to their first World Series title.

1986: The Mets defeated the Astros in Game 6 of the NLCS, 7-6, as they won the National League Pennant for the first time in 13 years. The game lasted 16 innings, the most ever for a postseason game at that time, and ended with Jesse Orosco pitching the final three innings and earning the victory.

Birthdays: Lou Klimchock (83)

The post Morning Briefing: Upsets Looming in Postseason appeared first on Metsmerized Online.