The Mack Report - Josh Walker, Matt Rudick, Selling?, Buck, Eduardo Escobar

Josh Walker, Matt Rudick, Selling?, Buck, Eduardo Escobar

 

Rob Piersall - https://www.si.com/mlb/mets/news/josh-walker-an-arm-to-watch-in-new-york-mets-bullpen -

 Climbing through the ranks since being drafted, Josh Walker flashed a 0.68 ERA with Triple-A Syracuse to kick this season off which earned him a spot on the 40-man roster and ultimately a promotion.

 New York can use all the pitching help they can get, and if they’ve found a diamond in the rough with Walker, it would be a much-welcomed addition.

 Mack - Walker did not pitch well on Tuesday, but I still think he’s a keeper in the pen for the remainder of this season.

 

Anthony DiComo - This 5-foot-6 prospect is slugging his way up the Mets' ranks - 

Double-A Binghamton’s leadoff hitter stands 5-foot-6, is a former 13th-round Draft pick and does not rank among MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 Mets prospects. But as Mets farm director Kevin Howard put it recently, “Slowly, he’s opening everybody’s eyes as one of the better outfield prospects in our organization.” 

Over his first 50 games, Matt Rudick has batted .304/.447/.526 with nine home runs, 11 doubles, 11 stolen bases and 43 runs scored -- the latter figure one of the highest totals in all of Double-A. He has walked nine more times than he has struck out. 

Rudick’s hot April quickly turned into an even hotter May, and with two homers over his last four games, he’s already doing more of the same in June. 

Mack - Rudick reminds me of an unheralded minor league bat that flourished as he moved up each level. Jeff McNeil.

 

Tim Britton - How seriously should the Mets think about selling at the trade deadline?- 

The interesting trade deadline decisions involve teams with larger buy-or-sell stakes — like the 2021 Cubs or 2017 Royals, who each had championship-winning cores on the brink of free agency. The Mets are not built like that, and sacrificing their lower-but-not-zero playoff odds this season for an intriguing prospect or two doesn’t come close to worth it. 

The more compelling long-term argument may be between buying and standing pat; are these Mets good enough to merit the sacrifice of some valuable prospects? But things would have to get significantly worse to put selling seriously on the table. 

Mack - You know what I think about this season. Sell, even if you have to eat salary.

 

Matt Muscico - Buck Showalter ‘proud’ of Mets for getting humiliated in Atlanta - 

Buck Showalter talks about keeping the right mindset after a sweep by the Braves: 

"I'm proud of them. I look at it as positives other than we just couldn't get outs. Used every arrow we had" 

Mack - This quote was from SNY which is owned by the Wilpons. 

Like most Mets articles from SNY, this is written out of context. 

What was Buck suppose to say? My bats were great but my pitchers suck? 

 

Anthony Franco - Upcoming Club Option Decisions: NL East -

Eduardo Escobar: $9M team option ($500K buyout) 

Escobar was another two-year signee just prior to the lockout. He was coming off a 28-homer showing in 2021 and has some defensive flexibility. Escobar has hit at a roughly league-average level as a Met, showing his typical blend of above-average power with low walk totals. That includes a .244/.289/.433 showing over 98 plate appearances this year. 

Brett Baty has taken over the primary third base job, pushing Escobar into a depth role off the bench. He’s a solid utility option and by all accounts a beloved clubhouse presence but the net $8.5M call is likely pricey for a player in that kind of role. 

Mack - I not only would not punch the option button, but I would sell this guy at the trade deadline.