Morning Report – July 31st – Zack Wheeler, Bartolo Colon, After Dark Chat, Wild Card

Yes, SP Zack Wheeler has improved this season and, yes, he is implanting himself into the SP2 slot; however, he continues to have difficulty going past the first five innings, not because of the runs he gives up but due to the number of pitches he throws. I’m written this a number of times.

Going into yesterday’s day game, Wheeler put up these kind of numbers in his last five starts: 6-30: 6.1-IP, 113-pitches… 7-6: 6.2-IP, 111-pitches… 7-11: 6.2-IP, 114-pitches… 7-20: 6.0-IP, 106-pitches… 7-25: 6.2-IP, 108-pitches.

Is there good news here? Sure, he only gave up five earned runs over the 32 innings pitched, but he has to find a way to ‘get things done earlier’.

Well, yesterday he threw 98 pitches in the first six innings, once again giving up only one run. Improved pitch control through six, but the Mets left him in once again for the 7^th inning and he gave up a Jimmy Rollins home run.

So, let me ask you…  in a ‘non-playoff’ season, what’s more important here… taking him out and getting the win, or letting him work his way out of this and try to get through the 8^th (especially since you let him hit in the last inning)?

The Mets decoded to take him out.

Mail Box –

            Michael Brandt –

                        Hey Mack, do we say goodbye to Bart today?

                                    Mack – Hey Michael.

No, I think he's a goner, but probably in the off-season.

I read something that Sandy Alderson said about him the other day to a gaggle and it made a lot of sense. This is just not the time that Colon stands out as being something special, but take this same guy and move the talks to the off season when bunches of agents are trying to sell all the GM’s their high priced $40, $50, and $60mil packaged starters.

Then, standing over in the corner is ‘little Bart’ who led the Mets in wins, gave up something like three walks, and has a one year contract for a measly $11mil.

This is every General Manager’s dream… a quality starter on a one year deal. They will be all over Sandy for this one… not now when only half the team want to deal off selective pieces… no, at the end of the year when you can pick and choose from their entire roster.

This is how you get that SS of LFer you want.

Michael Scannell –

I'm looking at major moves as offseason activity, nothing for right now.  It seems the Mets and the Cards are the two teams that match up with the Rox for a deal. Let's kill two birds with one stone.  The Cards are contending this year and the Mets are not.  They need help at 2B and could use a veteran pitcher.  Send them Colon and Murphy for whatever young talent we can preferably players the Rox would want.  This way we grab the tradable young talent we need AND eliminate our only competition for Tulo.

Mack – Well, whatever you are going to do, it better be today.

I think the better the Mets play through this list 25 game period, the more Sandy and Company will hold their ground regarding their young pitching.

Michael, this team should do nothing in 2014 to jepordize 2015. And, we’ve run out of time to put together a 3-way.

What I worry about now is how Murphy is starting to really stink up the middle infield. No teams wants a SS or 2Bman that can’t field.

After Dark Chat –

Comment From Steve - Do you think the Mets should trade from their pitching depth, and for who?

Paul Swydan: Yes. Trading pitching depth for hitters is always the right play. Not all those guys are going to pop, and even if they do, the Mets won’t have places for them.

Comment From Steve - Do you like the prognosis for the Mets future considering their enviable pitching depth?

Paul Swydan: No, not really. They don’t have enough good hitters, and haven’t shown the willingness and/or aptitude to make the correct moves in free agency that they need to make up for their talent gap. 

Wild Card –

            The Mets win another series. They are now 15-8 in the last 23 games… 105 win pace.

            The Mets were swept by the Braves on June 30 – July 2.  Since then, they have gone 5-1-1 in series.

(look… you can be as critical as you want about this team, the manager’s decisions, and who plays shortstop, but they’ve done just about everything they could in the past 23 games to get back into this thing… give them the credit due…)

The Reds have just been dismal, going 2-10 in the last 12 games. They are now tied with Miami with 54 loses, just two away from the Mets.

This was  big day for the Mets efforts. There are nine teams currently with better win-loss records that are either competing for a divisional title of a wild car slot. ALL SIX TEAMS currently ranked as wild cards lost last night.

Let's look at the Mets growth in another way... there have been 17 loses in the past four days by those nine teams I mentioned above.. The Mets have lost once once over the same fur days.

As of right now, the Mets are 7.5 out of the division lead and 6 out of a wild card slot.

Love it,

 Minor Moves –

St. Lucie SP Michael Fulmer has not allowed a run at home in his last 19 innings…