From The Desk… 7/6

Good morning.   

     1.    One of our top prospects is 1B Peter Alonso. He was promoted recently to Las Vegas, after tearing up the Eastern League (.327, 14-HR). Everyone expected him to go on a rampage once he hit Vegas and started playing on the dark side of the moon. Instead, the bat just dried up. Nerves? Who knows. But a good sigh was his two run home run on Thursday night, his first since June 23^rd.

     2.    Every Mets reporter keeps shoving a mike in front of Wilmer Flores and ask him if he wants to be traded. Wilmer gives the standard ‘I want to stay here’ answer. What did you expect? ‘This place sucks?’ ‘I’m sick and tied of sitting on the bench?” Whether Flores likes it or not, he just doesn’t fit into the future plans. McNeil and Dom are your first base prospects. McNeil and Guillorme line up on second. Rosario T.J., and Gimenez are at short, and Frazier (with Rivera and Guillorme) will man third. I have grown to love the guy like most of you, but he can get us a decent reliever and a future catcher for this team.

Whether you like it or not, the 2019 roster is frozen in contracts. Your outfield alone is unchangeable, what with Cespedes, Bruce, Lagares, Nimmo, and Conforto.

We have four quality starters and the first can come from our stash currently in both Las Vegas and Binghamton.

Expiring contracts can help you here, especially in the pen, but Flores looks like the only controllable player that is currently expendable.

     3.    Daniel Wexler - @WexlerRules - If someone is willing to give something decent for Wilmer you move him. The Mets have RH Alonso + TJ Rivera. Wilmer won't even see many (if any) 1b reps going forward

      4.    Starblazer - @01Starblazer - Then when Aug 1 rolls around and Cabby and Flores are gone, don't waste roster space on Reyes. Call up McNeil and Guillorme. One plays everyday, the other is the infield backup. Guillorme plays solid defense at BOTH 2B/SS. Don't put him @ 3B. That's not his strength.

      5.    Cincinnati Reds - @Reds - The Reds have selected the contract of IF Dilson Herrera from the Triple-A Louisville Bats. Herrera slashed .330/.417/.524 with 12 XBH, 22 RBI and 17 R in 27 games since June 1 at Louisville.

     6.    Michael Baron  ‏- @michaelgbaron - Andres Giminez (World) and Peter Alonso (US) will represent the #Mets in the 2018 All-Star Futures Game.

     7.    Matt Ehalt - @MattEhalt - From today's Record: Mets have spent roughly $225 million on free agents last two years, and it hasn't worked. Most of the deals have backfired, and the analytics folks' weren't keen on some of them.

     8.    Good Fundies Brian - @OmarMinayaFan - Friend of the pod Kevin McGowan, 26, continues to pitch well for the 51s this year. He tossed four scoreless innings last night, lowering his season ERA to 4.20.  Only Drew Gagnon has been better in long stints, with a 4.67 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and more than a strikeout per inning. Frankly, these are outstanding stats on the dark side of the moon we call the Pacific Coast League.  Gagnon is 28 so his future could be limited, but McGowan may get another shot in the Mets pen next season. His first shot last year (8 games, 5.19) didn’t go as advertised.

     9.    Comments from John Ricco on Friday… "Our goal is not to have the best farm system. Our goal is to have the best team."… “Cespedes' heel is the chronic condition, not the hip and quad”… “Cespedes did have a left heel injury last year that at that time he described as something he had dealt with repeatedly in the past. He has apparently been dealing with this since he was a teen”… “moving a Syndergaard or a deGrom doesn't necessarily preclude a short rebuild but it will require high-caliber MLB returns.”… “they're looking at a short rebuild to be competitive by next year.”… “ they're not solely trying to move their expiring assets in an attempt to break out of the status quo for next year. Focus is on athleticism who can produce at the MLB level quickly.”. -  Can you believe this crap? How many more times do I have to tell you that this jerk has pulled the strings since Sandy took that leave absence when he was first diagnosed with cancer. There’s so many ways you can read this but, to me, it seems that, if this guy gets his way, more Mets chips are going to be sold off for established vets that could have previous issues. Unbelievable.

     10. Joel Sherman - @Joelsherman1 - Manfred announces in statement that Jenrry Mejia can begin working out with Mets at minor league facility again after AS break, eligible to join minor league team on rehab assignment in Aug and rejoin big club next year if no further issues. Yes, we own the right of this guy next year. I blocked him from my Facebook feed years ago and I really don’t care how much we need his talent or how many years we have left before he leaves via free agency and signs for some team that plays in a state that has legalized weed (no one has legalized meth yet, right?). Even more strange is he will be able to pitch THIS season for one of our minor league teams. Ha. Send him to Vegas with all the strip bars! Done with this.