June 15, 1969: Donn Clendenon from the Montreal Expos

For a time, this was the final date to deal. At the time in 1969, the Mets trailed the Chicago Cubs by eight games in the NL East and the offense averaged a meager 3.8 runs.

More importantly, he reinforced the Mets’ lineup against left-handed pitching, deepened a relatively thin bench, was defensively solid at first base, and added experience to a team that had never faced the pressures of a pennant race.

New York steamrolled to the division title and then conquered the National League pennant. Then came the World Series—when he batted .357 and went deep in Games 2, 4 and 5 to garner Most Valuable Player award honors. While the five players traded for him proved to be of small consequence, Clendenon enjoyed a better season in 1970: slugging .515, charting an OPS of .863 and driving in 97 runs.

June 15, 1983: Keith Hernandez from the St. Louis Cardinals

Six years after the team’s darkest day (sending Tom Seaver to the Reds) came one of its best—and the greatest trade in Mets history.

In Cashen’s efforts to restore respectability, he had cultivated promising prospects that had reached—or were approaching—big-league status. But no amount of veteran leadership would come from the farm system. Cashen pulled a coup that put the Mets rebuild on the accelerator by getting Keith Hernandez.

The first baseman and St. Louis manager Whitey Herzog were at odds. It made the former MVP and multiple Gold Glove-winning first baseman expendable. All the Mets had to give up was a declining relief pitcher, Neil Allen, and another arm, Rick Ownbey, who would make seven more big-league starts and win once.

Hernandez’s leadership changed the attitude of the Mets. The team improved in each of his first three full seasons, culminating of course with the championship in 1986—a significant reason why his number is in the Citi Field rafters.

August 28, 1984: Ray Knight from the Houston Astros

We’re getting a little creative, but for good reason. Beyond the trade deadline were opportunities to swap players via waivers. So in late August, as the Mets remained in sight of the Chicago Cubs for the NL East, they picked up a veteran third baseman. Ray Knight had been in the postseason with the Reds. He’d been an All-Star as a Red and Astro.

In addition to Hernandez and eventually Gary Carter, he brought much-needed experience to a relatively young (and emerging) team. He also provided a good helping of toughness—especially in 1986.

And when it counted, Knight was there in the big moments. In Game 6 of the ’86 NLCS, he delivered a key 16th-inning RBI single in Houston as New York eventually took the pennant. Against Boston in the World Series, he batted .391—including a two-out single in the all-important 10th inning of Game 6 that led to him scoring the winning run and the homer that broke a 3-3 tie in the seventh inning of Game 7 to help him win MVP.

July 23, 1999: Darryl Hamilton from the Colorado Rockies

His effect may not resonate like Clendenon, Hernandez or Knight. But the late outfielder played a role in consecutive postseason trips.

Acquired for outfielder Brian McRae and two minor league pitchers, Darryl Hamilton slashed .339/.410/.488 over the final two-plus months of the ’99 regular season as the Mets reached the playoffs for the first time in 11 years. And in those playoffs, Hamilton was solid there too with a batting average and on-base percentage at .353.

He spent much of the 2000 regular season injured, but for his 120 plate appearances which spanned 43 games, Hamilton went .276/.358/.362. He had just two hits that October, but one of them was crucial. It was in the top of the 10th in Game 2 of the NLDS at San Francisco. With two outs and the bases empty, Hamilton hustled out a double and then came around to score a tie-breaking run on Jay Payton’s single. That was the difference in a 5-4 victory.

July 31, 2015: Yoenis Céspedes from the Detroit Tigers

The pitching staff was maturing on the fly, keeping the Mets above .500 and within arm’s reach of the NL East-leading Washington Nationals despite an offense short on power and shorter on depth. Remember John Mayberry Jr. and Eric Campbell?! That was what the Mets were trotting out in a starting lineup in late July.

Two days earlier, management infamously failed to acquire Carlos Gómez from Milwaukee. Jay Bruce became the focus next, but a path to that deal became impassable (for a year, at least). The target then became Yoenis Céspedes—18 home runs, 61 RBIs and a .293 average with Detroit.

At somewhere way too close to the 4:00 p.m. cutoff, Alderson shipped off two prospects for an instant offensive upgrade while avoiding a village full of unhappy fans on Mets Twitter. But no fan could have anticipated the ripple effect his addition would have. The leader of a three-month thrill ride to the NL pennant, Céspedes turned the lineup from powerless to powerhouse. Fifty-seven games, 17 home runs, and 44 RBIs later, the Mets were postseason-bound and eventually en route to the World Series.

The post The Five Greatest Mets Deadline Deals appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The free agency saga of Shohei Ohtani took many turns on Friday. It was first reported Friday morning by Jon Morosi of the New York Post that Ohtani’s free agency decision was “imminent.” J.P. Hoornstra of Dodgers Nation then reported that Ohtani made his decision and was signing with the Blue Jays. Morosi then claimed that Ohtani was en route to Toronto which prompted the entire baseball world to think that Ohtani was going to be a Blue Jay. However, these reports were debunked by several reporters, including Bob Nightengale and Jon Heyman, who claimed that Ohtani was not going to Toronto, but was rather home in southern California. He may or may not wind up a Blue Jay, but the reports by Hoornstra and Morosi appeared to be a bit premature. For MMO’s live reporting of this series of events, click here.

Morosi later apologized to the baseball community for reporting false information.

Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

Latest Mets News

On Friday, the Mets announced that they signed outfielder Taylor Kohlwey to a minor league deal. The 28-year-old Kohlwey was a career minor leaguer before making his major league debut this past season with the Padres, though he only saw 13 at-bats. He is a career .296/.387/.444 hitter at the Triple-A level.

MMO’s own Mike Mayer reported on a few coaching changes in the Mets’ minor league system. According to Mayer, A.J. Sager will be the pitching coach for Triple-A Syracuse. Sager spent last season as the pitching coach for Double-A Binghamton, and will be replacing Kyle Driscoll who has accepted a job as pitching coordinator in the Diamondbacks organization. Mayer also reported that Gilbert Gomez, a former Mets prospect, will manage High-A Brooklyn this year. He most recently served as the manager for Low-A St. Lucie.

Latest MLB News

The Cardinals announced that they traded outfielder Tyler O’Neill to the Red Sox in exchange for pitchers Nick Robertson and Victor Santos. Jon Heyman of the New York Post was the first to report O’Neill being sent to Boston. O’Neill had a huge year in 2021 when he recorded a .912 OPS, but has struggled the past two seasons. He replaces Alex Verdugo in the Boston outfield and will hope a change of scenery can allow him to return to his 2021 form.

Jon Heyman also reported that the Giants signed Yoshi Tsutsugo, who spent part of the 2023 season in their minor league system.

Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that the Braves acquired infielder David Fletcher and catcher Max Stassi from the Angels in exchange for infielder Evan White and pitcher Tyler Thomas.

The Tigers signed catcher Anthony Bemboom to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. Bemboom spent 2023 in the Orioles’ system and received 11 at-bats at the big league level.

Latest on MMO

Brian Wright makes the case for Bobby Abreu to make the Hall of Fame. Abreu was a longtime Phillie but ended his playing career with the Mets.

The latest preview in MMO’s Mets Madness series features the 2016 Mets matched up against the 1988 Mets.

On This Date in Mets History

2000: Mike Hampton signed an eight-year, $121 million deal with the Colorado Rockies, just two months after helping the Mets reach the World Series. It was the largest contract in major league history at the time.

Birthdays: Geoff Hartlieb (30), Adam Wilk (36), Buddy Baumann (36), Fred Lewis (43), Jeff Duncan (45), Tony Tarasco (53), Mike Fyhrie (54), Juan Samuel (63), Bruce Boisclair (71), Doc Medich (75), Jerry Cram (76), Del Unser (79)

The post Morning Briefing: Ohtani Saga Takes Wild Turns Before Coming to Standstill appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Following a busy Friday that saw the non-tender deadline come and go, the Mets’ 40-man roster currently sits at just 28 players. Before the deadline struck, the Mets announced that they non-tendered pitchers Sam Coonrod, Trevor Gott, and Jeff Brigham, as well as infielder Luis Guillorme and designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach. In addition to these moves, the Mets signed DJ Stewart to a one-year deal to avoid arbitration. He will make $1.38 million in 2024.

With 12 roster spots to fill before the season begins, David Stearns is primed to have a busy offseason where he will be tasked with implementing his vision and building a team that will be competitive in 2024.

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Latest Mets News

Eric Chavez, who spent the 2023 season as the Mets’ bench coach, is returning to the role of hitting coach for the 2024 season. Jeremey Barnes, succeeded Chavez as the Mets’ hitting coach in 2023, is also returning to the staff as a co-hitting coach.

Latest MLB News

Buster Olney of ESPN reported that Yoshinobu Yamamoto will be posted for MLB teams on Monday, November 20. He will then have a 45-day window to sign with any MLB team.

There were several players non-tendered on Friday across the league, but most notable was Brandon Woodruff who is expected to miss the 2024 season. Dakota Hudson, Jacob Stallings, Albert Abreu, and Nick Senzel were among some of the other notable names non-tendered.

The Arizona Diamondbacks unveiled new uniforms on Friday, with the most notable change being the color teal becoming a permanent part of their new look.

The Guardians traded pitcher Cal Quantrill to the Rockies in exchange for catcher prospect Kody Huff.

The Braves traded pitcher Nick Anderson to the Royals for cash considerations. The two teams also completed a separate trade, in which pitcher Kyle Wright was sent to Kansas City in exchange for former first round pick Jackson Kowar. Wright is set to miss the 2024 season after undergoing shoulder surgery.

The Yankees traded outfielder Jake Bauers to the Brewers in exchange for minor leaguers Jace Avina and Brian Sánchez.

The Rays traded pitcher Calvin Faucher and utility player Vidal Bruján in exchange for Erick Lara, Andrew Lindsey, and a player to be named later or cash considerations.

The Guardians and Padres swapped relievers, with Cleveland sending San Diego Enyel De Los Santos in exchange for Scott Barlow.

The Red Sox traded infielder Luis Urías to the Mariners in exchange for Isaiah Campbell.

Corbin Burnes joined Foul Territory to talk about why shortening the pitch clock may be a mistake and lead to more injuries. This comes days after MLB’s competition committee proposed to shorten the pitch clock from 20 seconds to 18 seconds when runners are on base.

The Atlanta Braves’ High-A affiliate, formerly known as the Rome Braves, rebranded their team name and image into the Rome Emperors.

Latest on MMO

Michael Mayer analyzes the current betting odds to land Shohei Ohtani this free agency, with the Dodgers and Cubs sitting atop the list.

On the latest MMO Weekly, Michael Mayer and Sal Manzo discuss Carlos Mendoza‘s introductory press conference, among other topics.

On This Date in Mets History

1985: A 21-year-old Dwight Gooden unanimously won the Cy Young Award in just his second big league season. Doc secured a Pitching Triple Crown by leading the majors that year in wins (24), ERA (1.53), and strikeouts (268).

Birthdays: Matt Wise (48), Allen Watson (53), Gary Sheffield (55), Steve Henderson (71), Jay Hook (87)

The post Morning Briefing: Mets’ 40-Man Roster At 28 After Non-Tender Deadline appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

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Mike Puma of the New York Post first reported the signing of Kodai Senga raised questions about what the New York Mets future plans were with Carlos Carrasco. Subsequently, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported the Mets are indeed “listening to trade offers on Carlos Carrasco.”

The reasons for the Mets at least entertaining the thought of trading Carrasco should be obvious. First and foremost, no one is untouchable if the right deal is presented. Mostly, while Steve Cohen is making a mockery of the Cohen Tax, you do wonder if at some point the Mets need to shed some payroll to make some other moves to address other concerns about the team.

As noted by Sherman, the Mets payroll is projected to be in the neighborhood of $345 million, and that number will reach beyond $420 million when the luxury (Cohen) tax is added. At this point, even with all of the spending, Mets fans are acutely aware the team still needs to add to the bullpen while seeking to add at least a compliment to Daniel Vogelbach at the DH spot, another outfielder, and generally more power bats to this lineup.

As we have been saying for two years now, even Cohen has his limits. Presumably, we are getting around those limits with the team still having a number of areas to address.

While the fan clamoring has been around James McCann, another large contract, the Mets are rumored to be open to moving, it would seem Carrasco would be the easier contract to move. That is in terms of the player production, the interest in the market for the player, and the Mets depth at the position.

In terms of the starting pitching, if the Mets were to move Carrasco, they have Joey Lucchesi, Tylor Megill, and David Peterson ready to start the season in the Opening Day rotation. All three do have minor league options remaining allowing the Mets to manufacture pitching depth like they did last season.

However, there does come a question as to whether that is the best way to use the Mets resources. Last season, Carrasco had a 97 ERA+, 3.53 FIP, and averaged roughly five innings per start. Per Baseball Savant, he was hit very hard all season even with his having excellent spin on all of his pitches. For Mets fans, we saw that in action with Carrasco having a number of brilliant outings mixed in with some clunkers.

Carrasco is holding down a spot with could go to three younger starters. On that front, keep in mind with Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, and Jose Quintana, this is an older rotation with at least some durability issues.

Peterson has his issues with control, but he does have a great slider and good swing-and-miss metrics. Megill has a very good fastball, was nicknamed Cylor, and was part of the first combined no-hitter in Mets history. Lucchesi was a pleasant surprise for the Mets in 2021 with his churve, though he is still making is way back as a full-time starter post-Tommy John surgery.

Notably, all three are younger with more upside. As we saw with Lucchesi in 2021, they could all benefit from working with Jeremy Hefner, and at least in theory, one if not all could outperform Carrasco next season. That doesn’t make Carrasco expendable, but it at least permits the Mets to see if they can move Carrasco for other needs or even just to free up payroll to make other moves.

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Updated Post 4/2/22, 5:54 PM EST

The deal has “hit a snag,” Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported, and others such as Joel Sherman of the New York Post and Andy Martino of SNY confirmed. Sherman added that the Mets had discussed whether to take on about $24 million of Hosmer’s salary and ultimately decided against it.

Updated Post 4/2/22, 1:37 PM EST

Andy Martino of SNY added that the Mets would flip Hosmer after acquiring him, possibly to the Cubs. The trade still isn’t done, but it continues to be a “serious possibility.”

Updated Post 4/2/22, 10:34 AM EST

Joel Sherman reports Padres reliever Emilio Pagan has also been discussed in the scope of a trade. Sherman also says the Padres would eat around $30 million of Hosmer’s remaining $59 million in a deal. There is still no deal reportedly being agreed to.

Original Post 4/2/22, 2:49 AM EST

The Mets and Padres have discussed a trade that would involve Dominic Smith, Eric Hosmer and Chris Paddack, an article by Dennis Len, Ken Rosenthal and others from The Athletic reported late Friday night.

The teams have talked about a variety of trade options, the article explained. One was that the Mets would send Smith to the Padres for Hosmer and Paddack. The Padres have been looking to trade Hosmer for more than a year, and that want likely only increased after the team posted an underwhelming 79-83 record last year. He still has four years and $59 million left on his contract.

The article adds that the Mets have been in discussions with multiple teams, and that in recent weeks, the Padres have become a potential match. With Jacob deGrom now set to miss at least the first month of the season, the Mets may be even more inclined to acquire another starting pitcher.

Mets fans may remember Paddack from the competitive fire he showed when Pete Alonso won National League Rookie of the Month in April 2019. Alonso said in response, “If he was mad about that, there’s five other months.” Alonso, of course, went on to win Rookie of the Year.

Paddack finished that year with a strong 3.33 ERA in 26 games, but he hasn’t been the same since. He put up a 4.73 ERA in 12 games in 2020, then a 5.07 ERA over 23 games in the Padres’ mediocre 2021 campaign. He’s still 26 years and has a career K/9 above nine with a BB/9 below two.

Hosmer, meanwhile, is a tough sell considering he’s a 32-year-old first baseman who posted a fWAR of 0.0 last year. He’s been mostly a league-average hitter for most of his career. One strength is his durability, but it’s hard to see where he would even fit into the Mets’ lineup, considering they already have Alonso at first base and Robinson Cano at DH. Hosmer would effectively replace Smith, but Hosmer doesn’t have the ability to play left field that Smith has.

Paddack makes more sense for the Mets than Hosmer, and there’s obviously no guarantee that this is exactly how an eventual trade would look. It will be interesting to see if any of this comes to fruition.

The post Mets-Padres Trade Will Not Happen appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Photo by Kristin Basnett

It’s offseason time and the hot stove is heating up. The Mets have been connected to a trade for Starling Marte, and Brodie Van Wagenen has said he’s looking to improve the team through every avenue. That means the Mets are likely to look at trades to try and improve this team. With that in mind, there are a few prospects that the Mets should not deal under any circumstance this winter.

1. LHP, David Peterson

David Peterson is a nice prospect, but not one who usually ends up on these kinds of lists. However desperate times call for desperate measures. The Mets have little to no starting pitching depth at all right now. With that in mind, David Peterson is the Mets’ pitching prospect closest to the major leagues. He is almost certainly going to make his debut at some point in 2020.

He should ideally fit in as a back of the rotation starter for the Mets. Again this isn’t usually the type of prospect who is untouchable, but he has to be for the Mets. they need to protect their only near major league ready pitching prospect. The only way that the Mets should consider trading Peterson is if they’re getting a major league starter with at least four years of control back in the deal. Otherwise, it’s a waste of an asset that should help the team long term.

Photo by Ed Delany, MMO

2. SS, Ronny Mauricio

This one is pretty self-explanatory. Mauricio is the Mets’ top prospect and a top 100 prospect in baseball. He has the potential to be one of the elite prospects in baseball, and a star at the MLB level. That should be enough for the Mets to turn away any requests for Mauricio.

If it’s not then, they need to remember that by the time Mauricio is likely to be major league ready, Amed Rosario will likely be headed to free agency. That should create an opening in the lineup for Mauricio, and a smooth transition at SS without having to overpay at the position.

There are certain trades where Mauricio could be moved, but they involve all-star level players who are under contract for multiple years. The kind of moves that don’t get made very often. If they aren’t getting that return in a deal headlined by Mauricio they’re selling low and wasting their most valuable trade piece.

Photo by Allen Greene Photography

3. 3B, Brett Baty

The Mets just drafted Brett Baty in 2019. He showed up to the minors ready to hit. He absolutely crushed the ball during the short season and made his way to Brooklyn. While his numbers dipped while playing for the Cyclones he did still hit for some outrageous power.

Baty like Jarred Kelenic before him looks to have a bright future ahead of him. Baty has the hit tool and power to be one of the elite hitters in all of baseball if he hits his ceiling. His defense is an issue, but he’s working hard on it and should be playable at 3B for the foreseeable future.

Baty shouldn’t be traded in any package this offseason. Doing so would be selling as low as possible on one of their top prospects. Baty hasn’t established his real value yet, so trading him in any scenario should be a no-go.

4. RHP, Matt Allan

Matt Allan is another prospect who was drafted just this past year. He was one of the elite pitching prospects in his class and fell due to his high contract demands. The Mets stole him in the third round and the baseball world knows it. He showed off his electric stuff and was brilliant in his few short outings during the short season. He even managed to pitch for the Cyclones during the playoffs.

Like Baty, Allan hasn’t yet set his true value due to his lack of game experience in the minor leagues. Trading him now would be selling before Allan showed off his front of the rotation stuff, which should make him a more valuable prospect.

Allan should not be made available in any deal. The Mets would be wise to let Allan build up his value showing off his stuff versus the lower minors and then deciding what to do.

Ideally, they would hold on to potentially one of the elite pitching prospects in baseball, but even if they didn’t at that point Allan’s value would be through the roof making him a much better trade chip. Whatever the Mets decide to do with him Allan should under no circumstances be traded this winter.

Francisco Alvarez/Photo by Allen Greene Photography

5. C, Francisco Alvarez

Alvarez was the best hitter in the Mets farms system in 2019. He made his stateside debut this year and demolished his competition. He slashed an insane .312/.407/.510 at just 17 years old. He did so while showing at least average defensive work behind the plate, which was getting better as the year went on.

Elite catching prospects are the hardest thing to cultivate in all of baseball. There are very few elite catchers in baseball today. Some would argue that JT Realmuto and Yasmani Grandal are the only ones in the whole league. So, when you get you’re hands on a prospect like Alvarez you hold on for dear life.

There is no scenario where the Mets should trade Alvarez. Not because he hasn’t established value, but because he’s simply too valuable. There is nothing more valuable in today’s baseball than an elite catcher. If Alvarez has a chance to be that you can’t let him go under any circumstance. That is unless you’re getting an MVP level talent with multiple years of control.

Those who were left out

There are two names that are missing here that will drive some fans crazy Mark Vientos and Andres Gimenez. Neither of them are untouchable for a few reasons.

Gimenez just isn’t as good as the hype has made him out to be. He is a slap hitting glove-first SS, and that’s a fine player. He profiles to be similar to a player like Jose Iglesias, and that’s a good player, but not an untouchable one. That’s especially true when he’s blocked at the major league level by Amed Rosario and Robinson Cano.

There’s nowhere for Gimenez to play and his value currently exceeds his talent considering he’s a top-100 prospect. That’s exactly the kind of player you trade to get maximum value out of.

Mark Vientos is a powerful hitter, but that’s all there is to really like about him. He’s not valuable on the base baths, nor with his defense, and his hit tool is bad. He strikes out a ton and doesn’t walk often. He’ll likely end up having to move to first base in the future due to his poor defense and large size.

His power is his one saving grace and it’s a plus tool, but it’s not good enough to make up for everything else. If the Mets have the chance to get a good MLB player having Vientos headline the deal has to be considered.

This isn’t to say that these two have to be traded or don’t have a future on this team. They aren’t pieces the Mets need to or should hug. If the right deal comes along Vientos and Gimenez make a lot of sense to deal this winter, while the above players don’t.

The post Who are Mets’ Untouchable Prospects? appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Good morning Mets fans! Today the Mets are hosting their annual blood drive from 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. in the Foxwoods Club at Citi Field. Donors will receive a voucher for two tickets to a 2019 Mets home game.

Latest Mets News

Jon Heyman of FanCred sports reports that the Mets made a final offer to catcher Yasmani Grandal, but it fell short of $60 million. The Mets moved on from Grandal and signed Wilson Ramos to a guaranteed two-year, $19 million pact.

Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic tweets that the Mets gave the Baltimore Orioles permission to interview Gary DiSarcina for their vacant bench coach position. DiSarcina served as the Mets bench coach in 2018, and he is moving to third base coach next season.

Christopher Soto notes that Rymer Liriano and Arismendy Alcantara, two players who signed minor league contracts with the Mets, are on the playoff roster for the Tigres del Licey of the Dominican Winter League.

JJ Cooper of Baseball America writes the J.D. Davis trade to the Mets is an example of the Astros turning late-round draft picks into tradeable talent. The Astros selected Davis in the third round of the 2014 draft and traded him to the Mets for Luis Santana, Ross Adolph, and Scott Manea.

Jeff Davis posted the betting lines on win totals for each MLB team. Caesars Palace posted the win total for the Mets at 83.5.

Latest MLB News

Robert Murray of The Athletic reports the Milwaukee Brewers have reached a deal with free agent relief pitcher Jake Petricka. Petricka, a right-handed reliever, racked up a 4.53 ERA over 45.2 innings with Toronto in 2018.

Ryan Thibodaux graphed the voting totals for Hall of Fame candidates Edgar Martinez, Mike Mussina, Curt Schilling, and Larry Walker through the first 160 available ballots. Martinez and Mussina are currently above the 75 percent election threshold.

The Los Angeles Dodgers added Jaime Schultz from the Tampa Bay Rays for bullpen depth. Pitching prospect Caleb Sampen is going to the Rays in the deal.

The Albuquerque Isotopes, the Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, have retained Glenallen Hill for his fifth season as manager.

Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports that the Arizona Diamondbacks have hired Jonny Gomes as outfield/baserunning coordinator. Gomes, who last appeared in Major League Baseball with the Kansas City Royals in 2015, posted a career .242/.333/.436 slash line over 13 seasons.

James Fegan of the Athletic writes that the White Sox additions of Yonder Alonso and Jon Jay could be sound baseball decisions, but they are more likely to be statements on the pursuit of superstar free agent Manny Machado.

Latest NL East News

Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports that the Phillies are among teams monitoring the market for third baseman Mike Moustakas as a backup plan should they not sign Manny Machado.

Craig Mish of Sirius XM provides an update on the J.T. Realmuto sweepstakes, noting that the Braves and Marlins have continued discussions about the catcher.

Latest on MMO

Mickey Jannis pens part one of his baseball story. The knuckleballer spent most of the 2018 season with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies.

Mike Silva posts the latest “Talkin’ Mets” podcast. Silva and Michael Mayer unpack the Mets busy weekend of trades.

Jack Hendon gives his report card for Michael Conforto’s 2018 season. Hendon writes that Conforto earned a B-plus for his recovery from shoulder surgery and late-season surge.

Brian Devine writes that Amed Rosario is poised for a breakout 2019 season. Rosario posted a .256/.295/.381 slash line in 2018, but he showed flashes of brilliance throughout the campaign.

This Day in Mets History

Birthdays: Phil Mankowski is 66, Ralph Terry is 83.

2005: The New York Mets sign Carlos Beltran to a seven-year, $119 million contract, making him the tenth $100 million player in major league history.

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Reliving baseball trades can either be a fun trip down memory lane, or it can leave fans regretting the decisions their teams’ front offices made.

Author Shawn Krest wanted to identify some of baseball’s very best and worst trades in his new book, Baseball Meat Market: The Stories Behind the Best and Worst Trades in History. Krest included detailed reports on the behind-th-scenes work that takes place to foster these deals, which most fans never hear about.

He brings readers into the front office, so to speak, reporting on how certain deals came to fruition and why the deals got done or, in some cases, fell through.

Krest highlights all the moving parts that go into constructing a deal and how we as fans and media alike often overlook the human element that takes place when players are traded away. Krest also included the traded players’ WAR before and after the deals, trying to draw conclusions and analyze which deals worked out best, or if a team gave up far too much.

I had the privilege of speaking with Krest, and discussed some of the chapters in his book, including ones on Mike Piazza, Bartolo Colon and Alex Rodriguez.

MMO: What gave you the idea to write this book about the various trades in baseball history, and assessing the value for the clubs involved?

Shawn: When I was growing up in the eighties and early nineties, my family subscribed to Baseball Digest. It seemed like every season or so there would be an article about the ten biggest mismatches in trade history and things like that. It was always kind of the same ten trades. Once I started doing baseball writing for a living, I wanted to revisit that and say, now it’s a generation later, and I feel like fans are a little more sophisticated about understanding some of the reasons behind the trade.

They understand the idea about being a seller, and sometimes you’re going to get rid of good players to rebuild. I wanted to revisit it based on that, based on the fact that the fans are a little more sophisticated now and understand more of that. To really get into what goes on. How do you become a player to be named later? What’s that like to be that guy for the rest of the season? Things like that. Some of the stories that don’t get told a lot of times as you’re looking at the headline of a trade.

MMO: You write in the book about the stories that go on behind-the-scenes, and the nuances the average fan might not be aware of. Was that a big motive for you to share with the fans?

Shawn: Yeah, exactly. I lived for a long time in Rochester, N.Y., and I lived in Durham, N.C., so I’ve been around a lot of minor league baseball, and that’s where it really gets personal.

Around trade deadline, you can really see these are the guys that are going to get thrown in [to deals]. They aren’t going to get mentioned on SportsCenter, but are going to have to pack up, and they’re going to leave behind wives or try to deal with the leases and things like that.

I feel like just from that, you get a more personal feeling about the trade. I think that’s what spurred me on to want to look at that side of it and see how it affects these guys. They’re not just pieces of meat; they’re human beings, and it’s a pretty traumatic experience for some of them.

MMO: How long did the whole process of writing the book take?

Shawn: It took me about a season. A season to research, travel around and talk to people. And then the writing took a couple of months after that. I was writing as I went along as much as I could. It was probably about two months of just sitting down and thinking, This is going to be my life for the foreseeable future, to get it all written.

MMO: A trade Mets fan will never forget is the one that sent Mike Piazza to New York from the Florida Marlins in 1998. That trade came together in a week after Piazza arrived in Florida. Can you talk a bit about the original trade that sent Piazza from the Dodgers to the Marlins, and how it became contentious with demands and such?

Shawn: I led off with that one because I feel like it’s a good example of kind of the struggle I had. I knew what I wanted to do with the book, but once you get into picking the trades, it’s a bit of a struggle. If you’re a fan of one team, if you’re a Mets fan, it’s real easy to pick out which are the good trades and which are the bad trades. Getting Tom Seaver was a good trade [winter of 1982], but getting rid of Nolan Ryan was probably not.

When you’re looking at a baseball perspective, it’s kind of tough to do that. In the Nolan Ryan trade, the Angels will say that’s one of the best trades they ever made. So what should that count as? I think what I did was put myself in a position of commissioner of baseball, really, and talk about the best interests of baseball. Is this a trade that helped make the game better?

I think the Piazza trade is a great one to start with just because, regardless of who got what, at the end of that whole experience, I don’t think anybody is going to say that what went on was really good for the game. It wasn’t necessarily a team getting ripped off or anything like that; it’s just the reasons for the trade and what went on kind of left everybody with a bad taste in their mouth, even the Mets, who ended up getting a future Hall of Famer in the deal. I felt like that was a good one to start the book with.

MMO: The Dodgers offered Piazza a sizable contract, but Piazza wanted to be the highest-paid player in the game. Was it all about just having the veneer of being the highest-paid player for Mike?

Shawn: I think so. These are competitive guys, and all along they wanted to be the best. I feel like he was thinking this is how you measure at this level: who’s the best. And so I deserve this; this should be me—not really thinking about how that’s going to appear to average fans.

Looking back on it, over time, it’s easy to understand that sentiment. It’s just hard to justify that in a sound bite when you’re talking to a TV reporter, which is what happened to him in Los Angeles. The fans turned on him almost instantaneously once his [Piazza] comments came out.

I think it was a way for him to keep score more so than the money, and it just didn’t end well for him really [in L.A.].

MMO: Another player with Met ties is Bartolo Colon, who you dedicate a chapter to. Obviously, Montreal sent a haul in retrospect for Colon in 2002 [Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee, Lee Stevens, and Brandon Phillips], but can you talk about the job Omar Minaya did with the trade? Especially with such a strict and limited budget considering MLB took control of the Expos.

Shawn: He [Minaya] was in an almost impossible situation there. They knew the team wasn’t going to be there long-term, and everybody in the organization knew that he was kind of a lame duck. Everybody in baseball knew that he was a lame duck, which also makes it tough when you’re negotiating when you’re trying to get one of these deals because they know you’re not going to be around for long.

He was in the position of, kind of like Major League, in the movie scenario, where the best thing we can do is if we can get it together and have a magical team and win this, maybe we can save baseball here.

That’s why he was willing to sacrifice so much in order to bring that in. He wanted to make that statement that we’re still here, we’re still competing for this, and we’re not going to be here in the future, so mortgaging the future doesn’t really have a definition for us or for our fans at this point, so it’s worth giving this a try.

MMO: One potential trade you talk about in a later chapter that never materialized was sending Miguel Cabrera from Florida to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Matt Kemp, Andy LaRoche, and then-prospect Clayton Kershaw. Why would the Marlins have turned that down?

Shawn: [Laughs.] That’s a good question! That’s one of the interesting things that I came across is, not just the trades that were made, but a lot of times, a trade is evaluated based on what you could’ve gotten. Kind of the opportunity cost for it.

That’s an example where they were offered a king’s ransom for it, and it was just a question, of which prospects do we want? Which contracts do we want to take on? I think Kemp’s contract was a concern for them at the time. And for whatever reason, they just didn’t value Kershaw’s play highly as it turned out to be.

MMO: Was there one particular rumored trade that took you by surprise when you were doing your research?

Shawn: That one [Kershaw] was surprising, and the chapter on David Wells, where he was traded, was one I wasn’t even sure was going to make the cut for the book until I found out about the Yankees’ last-minute offer. They decided that it was too expensive and they weren’t going to be able to bring him in. At the last minute, George Steinbrenner called up and offered Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera.

And inexplicably, the Tigers didn’t take them up on that and ended up dealing him to the Reds. Eventually, he did make his way to the Bronx.

MMO: Another big chapter in your book was on the Alex Rodriguez non-trade to the Boston Red Sox, and then the deal that sent him from the Texas Rangers to the New York Yankees. Brian Cashman and then-GM John Hart seemed to have worked this out under the radar. Can you talk a bit about this trade and how it came about?

Shawn: Yeah, and a lot of times, when you have a fantasy team, you don’t really think about these guys as people. A lot of times, these trades are spurred on by personalities. Either a guy doesn’t get along with his teammates, and in baseball, you’re there every day. If there’s conflict like that, little things are going to get very big by the end of the season. But a lot of times it’s just one-on-one conversations, personal interactions and things like that.

That was an example of that.

One reason that trade took place is that Cashman and A-Rod happened to be seated together at the Writers’ Dinner in the off-season. They were there all night at the head table talking, and eventually the idea of coming and playing third base, because they had just lost Aaron Boone to that basketball injury, came up.

If the seating chart had been different that night, who knows what the American League East or the American League West would look like for the next few years.

MMO: The Yankees gave a list of five prospects for the Rangers to pick from, along with shipping Alfonso Soriano to the Rangers. They picked 19-year-old shortstop Joaquin Arias, but there was a prospect on that list who became a seven-time All-Star and five-time Silver Slugger winner. Can you talk about why the Rangers chose Arias over Robinson Cano?

Shawn: I think a lot of times it’s just more major league ready, we’re going to be able to use him sooner and things like that. Where if he’s a year ahead in the system, or he’s just that much closer, especially a big trade like that where you’re trading away such a big name, you want to be able to show benefits earlier, even if the benefits would’ve been much greater had you taken the other guy.

I thought a lot of the attitude towards prospects that executives have is very different from the way that it was in my mind and the way I think a lot of fans think about it. They don’t worry so much about what this guy’s going to do when we trade him away.

I asked some of the general managers that you drafted this guy, scouted him, have a relationship with him; now when you trade him away, do you start rooting against him? And they said no, we don’t do that at all. It’s kind of like if a friend of yours has a birthday, and you just buy a couple of lottery tickets to put in his card. It doesn’t really matter to you personally whether those tickets pay off or not; it’s just the idea that you’re giving them a chance.

That’s how they look at throwing prospects into a deal. We’re giving you this chance, and that chance has this much value in the trade. But it doesn’t make me a better or worse general manager if you happen to get a winning lottery ticket.

MMO: That’s really interesting about the view on prospects. I know you wrote in great detail about the prospects that were dealt in the Mark Teixeira trade with the Atlanta Braves in ’07. It must be tough for scouts and executives to see these guys dealt after devoting so much time to scouting and development.

Shawn: Yes, both for the executive and obviously for the player. A lot of times, if the player even knew he was included on that list, even if the other team didn’t take him, that would be upsetting to them. I talked to some farm directors, and they said that the first time you’re traded, it’s like your first love; you never forget it. They start sometimes in high school talking to these guys, and that kid is thinking, I’m going to go and be drafted by them. I’ll sign with them, I’ll make the big leagues with them, I’ll wear their cap in Cooperstown, and now suddenly that’s over. They’re traded away whether it’s in the minors or whether it’s at the major league level. You never forget it, and it’s just such a traumatic experience for them, like I said earlier. Just the idea that it’s not going to happen with this team anymore, that’s over.

MMO: I was wondering your thoughts on a trade that wasn’t included in your book, the Mets and Blue Jays deal that saw R.A. Dickey, Josh Thole, and Mike Nickeas shipped off to Toronto with Travis d’Arnaud, Noah Syndergaard, John Buck, and Wuilmer Becerra coming back to New York. Was that a trade that you potentially thought of including in the book?

Shawn: That was a trade that I thought about a great deal including in the book. I think, at that point, it has as much to do with the stories behind it as everything else. There’s only so much room and, okay, is this story different enough from the others that we can include it?

I definitely looked into that trade, and that’s a good example of what Tom Grieve said – and I use that quote in my introduction – that a good trade in a general manager’s mind is you shake hands with the other guy, and you’re happy with what you got back that day. Then you bump into him five years later, and you can still shake hands, and you’re happy with what you got.

There are just different time frames of what you’re looking for. In that case, the Blue Jays wanted something right away and needed a Cy Young-quality pitcher to add to their rotation because they thought they could make some noise in the American League East. On the other hand, the Mets were looking to add prospects, and so I think they’re very, very happy with what they got. The Blue Jays were very happy, at least for a while, with what they got.

I think that’s a good example of a trade that, again, looking at the best interest of a baseball perspective, that’s a good trade because both teams got exactly what they were looking for.

MMO: Thanks so much for your time today, Shawn. Best of luck with the book.

Shawn: Thanks a lot, Mathew. Take care.

The post MMO Exclusive Interview: Author Shawn Krest appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

When the New York Mets entered the offseason after a disappointing Wild Card Game loss to the San Francisco Giants, fans and media alike pondered what type of moves and money the Mets’ front office would make and spend this winter. After all, the team has held a stigma of being “cheap” over the last several years, even though the claim is just not true. The Mets have seen some steady and significant payroll increases over the last three seasons since coming out of their rebuild.

While the Mets have spent the a few seasons ridding themselves of onerous contracts held over from the previous regime and develop talent from within, they started to form a chemistry and cohesion, resulting in back-to-back postseason trips in 2015-16, only the second time that’s occurred in franchise history (1999-00). With the team relying on an inexpensive group of young, top of the rotation starters, that gives them some wiggle room when it comes to doling out contracts in other areas of specific need.

And so far, GM Sandy Alderson and the front office have responded. Fans and beat reporters thought there was a chance that Neil Walker wouldn’t be tendered a qualifying offer, as the price tag of $17.2 million along with Walker’s season-ending back surgery gave some pause as to whether allocating that type of money would make the most financial sense. However, the Mets made the QO to Walker, who accepted minutes before the 5 PM deadline on November 14.

As fans remember, Walker had a career year of sorts in 2016, matching a career high in home runs (23), setting a career high in SLG (.476), OPS (.823), BB% (9.2), and fWAR (3.7). The switch-hitting second baseman also set a career high in his splits against left-handed pitchers in 2016, slashing .330/.391/.610 in 100 at-bats against southpaws, compared to his career line of .269/.327/.373.

The Mets were also unlikely to tender a contract to backup catcher Rene Rivera, according to multiple media reports. The thought process was the $2.2 million price tag Rivera was projected to earn was too pricey for a backup catcher, as the team still has underachieving Kevin Plawecki to back up Travis d’Arnaud at the league minimum.

However, the team came to a one-year $1.75 million deal with Rivera on Friday, keeping Noah Syndergaard‘s personal catcher in the fold for 2017. It appears the front office realized the impact he had on Syndergaard and controlling the running game, as he threw out 30% of would be base stealers last season.

Also keeping a veteran backstop on a team with youthful catchers is a smart choice, as Rivera can act as a second coach to Glenn Sherlock, who was hired as the new third base coach and catching instructor in November. That too, was a shrewd move, as the front office realized that former third base coach Tim Teufel made some questionable decisions with runners on the base paths, while also operating last season without a full time catching instructor on the roster. The hope is Sherlock can work with d’Arnaud and Plawecki, and get them back on track after rocky 2016 seasons for both catchers.

And of course, there’s the matter of Yoenis Cespedes. As soon as Cespedes inked his three-year, $75 million deal last winter with the opt-out after the first season, fans wondered what it would take to retain La Potencia, and if he would just sell himself to the highest bidder on the open market this offseason.

Varying reports about Cespedes’ intentions were spread across the internet: would the Nationals be interested again as they were last season? Could the Dodgers join the fray and add him to an already expensive roster? Would the crosstown rival Yankees swoop in, after shedding payroll with their trades of Carlos Beltran, Andrew Miller, Aroldis Chapman, Ivan Nova, and Brian McCann?

Our editor in chief Joe D. offered his take throughout the month of November, calmly reminding fans that Cespedes’ first choice was always in Queens and that something was brewing between both sides. Sure enough, the Mets announced on Wednesday that they had come to an agreement with the 31-year-old Cuban slugger, agreeing to a four-year, $110 million deal with a full no-trade clause, making him the highest paid outfielder in the game.

The front office and ownership should be applauded for their hard work and dedication moving forward. They too realize the window for winning is now, with all their young arms controlled for the next few years before they have some serious decisions to make on extensions. Retaining the players that made them successful the past two seasons illustrates the level of seriousness they’re taking into each year, and not just standing pat and waiting for the scrapheap free agents to sift through in January and February.

A big part of ownership’s willingness to go out and spend money is the increased gate attendance the team has seen over the past three seasons. In 2014, the Mets totaled 2,148,808, good for 21st in baseball. The following season the Mets were sitting at 12th in attendance, with 2,569,753 fans going through the turnstiles. And in 2016, the Mets made it into the top 10, the first time since 2009, as they were 9th with 2,789,602 in attendance. Alderson did say at a season ticket holder’s event back in 2014 that ownership will spend more money if they’re supported at the gates by fans. So far it seems as if Alderson and ownership have kept their word.

Of course, there is more work to be done, as the team is in need of adding a left-handed reliever and a late inning arm to pair with Addison Reed, as it appears Jeurys Familia might face a suspension for his domestic violence arrest in October. The Mets also need to decide on moving one (or both) of Curtis Granderson and Jay Bruce, depending on who fetches them the greatest return. If the Mets continue working dutifully as they have when it comes to their own free agents, I have faith that Alderson and Co. have a game plan for who they will target at this week’s Winter Meetings in Maryland. Stay tuned…

The post Mets Front Office and Ownership Deserve Some Praise appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Jon Heyman recently reported that a rival executive thinks the Mets might consider trading Jay Bruce once they pick up his 13 million dollar contract option after the season. This news really isn’t all that shocking. Mets fans have been speculating for months that this might be a possibility depending on the outcome of the Yoenis Cespedes contract situation.

I want to make one thing clear though. A trade of Bruce for a pitcher or position player that improves the major league roster is completely acceptable. A trade of Bruce for a prospect that improves the overall depth in our farm system is also acceptable provided that the Mets make corresponding moves to enhance the quality of the major league roster in significant ways. But the Mets cannot trade Bruce if they are purely being motivated by financial reasons and plan to just hand the job to Michael Conforto.

I refuse to accept the narrative that many fans are citing which is “the Mets can use the Jay Bruce money to pay for Yoenis Cespedes“. The focus of the offseason should be on improving the overall roster relative to last season in an effort to win a championship. I realize every team has payroll limits, but I don’t want those limits to be the running theme that dominates the Mets offseason headlines. And so far, it has already been headline news in the form of the Cespedes opt-out discussion and the Neil Walker qualifying offer debate.

The NLCS matchup should be an eye opener for the Mets. The Cubs and Dodgers have incredibly talented farm systems and had arguably the deepest preseason major league rosters. But it’s no coincidence that they were the highest spending teams in the NL at the end of the season.

The Cubs “won” the 2015/16 offseason when they signed Ben Zobrist, Jason Heyward, and John Lackey and now they have a great chance to win the World Series. When the Cubs retained Dexter Fowler their organization didn’t worry about finding enough playing time for Kyle Schwarber, Dexter Fowler, Jason Heyward, and Jorge Soler. And the Mets shouldn’t worry either if they wind up retaining Bruce and Conforto.

The Dodgers brought in a plethora of starting pitchers Scott Kazmir (3 years $48 million), Kenta Maeda (8 years $25 million), Brett Anderson (accepted $15.8 million qualifying offer) before the season started to replace Zack Greinke, and they certainly made use of their starting pitching depth over the course of the year. They re-signed second basemen Howie Kendrick and Chase Utley and turned the former into a utility player. Despite having the most regular season injuries in recorded baseball history, the Dodgers were able to survive, win the NL West, and make a deep playoff run because of their unrivaled depth.

Spending big money on payroll doesn’t always equate to success in baseball. But in 2016, the NL teams that flexed their financial muscle in the offseason and assembled deep rosters made it to the NLCS. That can’t be ignored.

Please don’t read this post and confuse me for a member of the Jay Bruce fan club. I don’t think Bruce has to be on the 2017 team for the Mets to have success. And I certainly don’t want the Mets to spend money for the sake of spending money or to “make a splash”. But the days of the Mets making a purely financially motivated roster decision should be over.

They appeared to be over last offseason when the Mets raised payroll and retained Cespedes. But the Mets must continue on that track if they want to win it all. Otherwise they will be at a real disadvantage when trying to overtake the Dodgers and Cubs going forward. Because those teams certainly aren’t going to stop spending like big market clubs any time soon.

The post Trade Bruce For The Right Reasons appeared first on Metsmerized Online.