The Morning Report 7.7.2015 | Familia Snubbed, Who's The Next Impact Bat, Cuddyer and Duda's Struggles, Gerardo Parra a Trade Target

Adam Rubin | ESPN New York- All-Star manager Bruce Bochy said New York Mets closer Jeurys Familia received strong consideration for a guaranteed spot for the National League squad. Bochy added that it is a sign of respect that he named Familia to the five finalists eligible to be voted in by fans this week. Fans will vote one from Clayton Kershaw, Johnny Cueto, Carlos Martinez, Troy Tulowitzki and Familia into the All-Star Game. "I know all about him," Bochy said about Familia. "He's got great stuff. And, of course, he had a great first half. That's why he's on the fan voting. You're not on that unless you receive a lot of consideration.

(Chris Soto: Man, idk how Bochy could have left Familia off the guaranteed ballot but let Mark Melancon. Yes Melancon has been on a roll, but did Bochy not see how bad he was in April? Melancon almost lost his job due to poor velocity and a 5.23 ERA. You won't see any of that with Familia. Juerys has been solid from Day 1 and his ERA has never been above 1.77 in any month this season. This was an egregious snub.) 


Kevin Kiernan | New York Post- The pitching All-Stars should be plentiful over the next few years for the Mets. But who is going to be the Mets’ next position player All-Star starter? Catcher Travis d’Arnaud, perhaps, if he can stay healthy, could be that position player All-Star. Michael Conforto has a shot. He is 22 and is a hitter, batting .325 at Double-A Binghamton. Scouts love his swing. Brandon Nimmo, 22, is climbing the ladder but still has a long way to go. The Mets are surviving with epic pitching, but this sure would be a lot more fun if the Mets had a few hitting All-Stars, too.

(Chris Soto: A healthy Travis d'Arnaud is probably the 3rd best hitting Catcher in the National League so he is absolutely an impact bat. The problem is the health part as he continues to get nicked up by unlucky type injuries. As for the next homegrown impact bat....it has to be Conforto, the numbers he is putting up are unbelievable and he hasn't the least bit of signs of slowing down after jumping from A+ to AA. In fact you could make a save assumption that Conforto could probably continue crushing in AAA too. As for Nimmo, while his performance in 2015 is certainly good, I'm not sure if he's an "IMPACT bat." I continue to see Nimmo as more of a solid role player. Pretty much the team's next Daniel Murphy. He's someone who's  I think is gonna hit .270 with 15 HR/15 SB and good defense in RF.) 


Marc Carig | Newsday- As the Mets constructed their team during the offseason, they envisioned a lineup based on length from top to bottom, with enough firepower to thrive. Instead, injuries have left gaping holes in the lineup, which has been made even worse by the lack of production from the players who have managed to stay healthy. In particular, the Mets' offensive woes can be traced to Michael Cuddyer and Lucas Duda, who had been expected to anchor the middle of the order. "It's been a grind, there's no secret to that," said Cuddyer. "The results aren't what I expect, what the team expects or what everybody else expects, either. The only thing I can keep doing is working and going out and playing."

(Chris Soto: It's easy to see why Cuddyer and Duda are struggling. Both guys have gotten away from what has always made them good hitters in the first place, Seeking and Attacking their pitch. Instead they are expanding the zone, swinging at pitches that are not even close, and getting themselves into unfavorable counts which leads to neither of them getting the fastballs they want. Perhaps its a state of carrying too big a load with Wright, d'Arnaud, and Murphy all being out at various times in the season. In either case the guys need to back track and start over and get back to being the players they've always been rather then trying to do too much.)

Kevin Alonzo | Bleacher Report- Since June 17, the New York Mets have averaged 1.4 runs in games rookie sensation Steven Matz has not started, underscoring the glaring need for general manager Sandy Alderson to acquire a bat like, say, Gerardo Parra of the Milwaukee Brewers. With the Brewers in last place in the National League Central, there's good chance they look to unload some of their veteran players. The two-time former Gold Glove winner is hitting .308 with a .345 OBP and would provide an immediate improvement over any of New York's outfielders. He's also only 28 years old, and his career numbers indicate that the Mets wouldn't be trading for just one good half of baseball.

(Chris Soto: I too like the idea of acquiring a guy like Gerardo Parra. However, great minds think alike and Parra's recent hot streak has grabbed the attention of GM's all over the league. This means that the Brewers are likely to command a pricey exchange in order to part with the Gold Glover. Parra is likely a rental player only as well since he becomes a free agent at the end of the season. He's very likely to eclipse his current $6.2M price tag if he continues to perform this season. In addition, last time he started full-time...he posted a +6.1 WAR for the Brew Crew. That could command some serious dollars.)