From The Desk…

Good morning.   

     1.    There has been some chatter that the Mets may be considering trading pitcher Noah Syndergaard to the Milwaukee Brewers for a pot of prospects. I’m not sure if there is a good deal to be made here. The Brewers’ pipeline is a little thin, led by an AA second baseman (Keston Hiura ) that hits less than Jeff McNeil has hit last year and is hitting this year in AAA. The Mets should do no deal unless it includes 22/yrs. old RHP Freddy Peralta. The other pitching prospects are all producing 4+ ERA’s this year. Peralta is 6-1, 2.75, with a 12.81-SO9 (59-IP, 84-K), at the AAA level… in the friggin PCL no less!

     2.    Michael Baron - @michaelgbaron  -  Wheeler has a 3.18 ERA in his last 9 starts. Matz has a 2.92 ERA in his last 11 starts. DeGrom is just on another planet. If they could just get Syndergaard out there consistently again, that would be a lot of what they envisioned years ago, performing. It’s the blueprint.  -  I totally agree with Mike on Wheeler. This guy has come way back and is now putting up some quality innings. Ya know, he’s only 28 years old and has two more full seasons left before he hits free agency. There is no reason to consider trading him until around the 2020 all-star break. You need five starts. Wheeler should be one of them.

      3.    Michael Baron - @michaelgbaron - The #Mets bullpen now (through Tuesday) has a 4.90 ERA for the year, which is the fourth-worst mark in #MLB. Last night, they suffered their 22nd loss in relief, the worst mark in MLB. The bullpen has also allowed 50 home runs, which is tied with the #Angels for the most in MLB. – this is an amazing group of negative stats from a team that seem to only trade for relievers last season. I have no quick fix here, At this point, I would only keep Seth Lugo and Drew Smith for my 2019 pen. I would give Tim Peterson and Robert Gsellman another long look in April, and probably add Paul Sewald and Tyler Bashlor to that list if no outstanding names were added to this team via a trade. Past that, I’d take a long look at Ian Krol, who has had a lot of success this year in the PCL (25-outings, 1-0, 2.64). Additionally, Nabil Crismatt could be converted as a starter and Ryder Ryan, Matt Blackham, and Dave Roseboom could step up from Binghamton.

      4.    Statler - @statler13 - Imagine this scenario… Everyone underestimates the Mets, they rip off 10-12 wins before the ASG, climb back to .500, they balk at all offers for JdG, Thor & Wheels, turnaround and trade for Machado, Cespedes and Thor come back, they sneak into the division race… there’s always still one out there wishing on a rainbow. I love your optimism Statler. I really do.

     5.    I’m sure you all remember the hundreds of times I have said over the years that all the Mets needs is a quality rotation that would give up three or less runs in seven innings per outing. I wasn’t asking for a sub-1.00/ERA here. Just quality starts so a decent pen could take over for the last two innings each game. Well, the current rotation is just about there this year and would be even better if Thor was back pitching. Still, what are the stats? Well, through this past Tuesday, the Mets were 13-23 (.361) in games where the Mets starters have had a ‘quality start’. This is the worst record since the 1916 A’s posted a 30-56 record for quality starts. Show this to anyone that asks you how bad the Mets bullpen this year.

    6.    Let’s talk about 22-year old ‘blue’ prospect second basemen that got busted for meth usage earlier this year. Walter Rasquin was cruising at Columbia this season hitting .298 over 47 at-bats, when he was suspended on May 4^th for 50 games for testing positive for methamphetamine. The suspension has been completed and he was quietly added to the Kingsport roster in, what I guess to be, a rehab session. Well, there is nothing quiet about what he is doing there. In three games, he is hitting .818 (9-11, 2.211-OPS). Where does he go from here? Well, there really is no one in his way to prevent him from returning to Columbia as a starter again. Regardless of what he did, he is a bat prospect.

     7.    JoJo Gentry - @JGentry44News - Competing in his third season with the @EvilleOtters, 24/yr. old RHSP Luc Rennie has signed with the New York Mets Organization.  Former Orioles draft pick had a 2.31 ERA in 10 starts with the Evansville Otters of the Frontier League this season. He is being assigned to Columbia.