MACK - MY Wednesday Observations - Morning Thoughts: 2026 Rotation - Jonah Conradt, Help For Edwin, Bryan Reynolds, Chris Paddack, Ramón Urías, Chris Martin

 

Morning Thoughts 

What if...?

What if Brett Baty and Francisco Alvarez turn out to be real?

What if the Mets didn't have to worry about a starting catcher or third baseman for at least the next five seasons?

We could stop worrying if Kevin Parada will ever amount to anything and Chris Suero could be developed as a full-time left fielder or first baseman.

Finding a full time second baseman gets a lot easier. Acuna, Mauricio, and McNeil.can split time Jett Williams arrives.

And David Steans could concentrate his time on strengthening both the pen and outfield.

Oh yeah... things would get so much better in Flushing.

It’s good-tough to try and figure out the Mets future rotation next season. So much talent.

First of all, there is an entire rotation coming back… Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, David Peterson, Clay Holmes, and Frankie Montas. It’s sad that Senga has turned out to be so fragile. If he stayed healthy all season, we would be talking Cy Young right now.

But he’s still the ace, right? Well, in my book, I have a wild card for Ace of 2026… Peterson… but that’s a future post.

Candidates for next up are Christian Scott (around June) and three soon to be graduating starters named Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat, and Blade Tidwell. Did you notice I didn’t say Jonah Tong? No room Tom… no room.

Right now, I would say that the Mets will make room to add McLean to the opening day rotation and stash Sproat and Tidwell, along with Dom Hamel

For this reason alone, Tong will pitch AAA-Syracuse on opening day 2026. His 2026 Mets hopes lie on the number of starters go on the IL. His Syracuse rotation will probably include Jack Wenninger, Jonathan Santucci, R.J. Gordon, and (possible) Zack Thornton.

Scott probably won’t be ready until June which lowers the candidates to seven.

A lot of talent here and the perfect time to give some relief to the pen by going to a 6-man rotation.

My vote is Montas to the pen.

Your 2026 opening day rotation???

Pitch Profiler                     @pitchprofiler

Rico Garcia is back where he belongs!

 

The pitching factory of Hefner & Stearns is still alive and well!

 

New York Mets                                 @Mets

We have made the following roster moves.

Mets sign UDFA relief pitcher Jonah Conradt

Conradt is a promising right-handed pitcher born on November 2, 2004, in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Physical Profile and Background

Height/Weight: Listed at 6'3", 183 lbs (as of recent reports), with earlier profiles noting him at 6'1" to 6'2" and 155–170 lbs, indicating physical development

Bats/Throws: Right/Right.

Hometown: Greenville, Wisconsin.

High School: Attended P27 Academy in Lexington, South Carolina, after playing at Hortonville High School in Wisconsin.

College: McLennan Community College (Waco, Texas), where he played in 2024.

Personal: Son of Shanna and Graham Conradt, with one brother, Sawyer. He’s a sports management major.

Pitching Profile

Positional Profile:    Right-handed pitcher (RHP) with a lean, athletic frame and wiry strength, noted for projectable "long, lanky levers."

Delivery:                      Smooth, easy-effort tall-and-fall delivery with level shoulders and a square landing. His arm action is long, loose, and very quick from a high 3/4 slot, generating carry through the strike zone.

Pitch Arsenal:

Fastball: Tops out at 90 mph, typically sitting 88–89 mph with high spin rates (average 2246 rpm, peaking at 2339 rpm). Shows arm-side run and is thrown for strikes.

Curveball: 74–77 mph with an 11/5 shape, sharp "hammer" action, and plus spin rates (2538–2591 rpm). Thrown at near-fastball arm speed.

Slider: 76–78 mph, shorter break, similar to the curveball, with potential as a fourth pitch (2535–2595 rpm).

Changeup: 77–79 mph with late arm-side run, thrown at fastball arm speed with good control (1976–2010 rpm).

Performance Notes:               Known for a quick arm and athletic delivery, Conradt has shown strikeout ability (e.g., 8 Ks in 4.2 innings at a 15U tournament, 6 Ks in 3 innings at another event). However, control has been a work in progress, with 6 walks in 4.2 innings noted in one outing.

Career Highlights

High School/Amateur:           Emerged as a high-end prospect in Wisconsin’s 2023 class, gaining attention at Prep Baseball Report’s 15U tournament and other showcases. Played for Hortonville and later P27 Academy.

College:       At McLennan Community College, he recorded a 4-1 record with a 1.00 ERA under coach Corey Warner.

Summer League: Pitched for the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks in the New England Collegiate Baseball League in 2024.

MLB Draft League: In 2025, with the SC Spikes, he pitched 2.1 innings across 3 games, posting a 0.00 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, .250 BAA, and 2 strikeouts.

Scouting and Prospect Notes              Described as a “quick-armed prospect to know” with a projectable frame, Conradt has been highlighted for his athleticism and high spin rates, particularly on his fastball and curveball.

Ranked as a top prospect in Wisconsin’s 2023 class and noted as a “high-end sophomore prospect” with potential to develop further.

His performance at events like the Prep Baseball Report and Perfect Game showcases has drawn attention for his strikeout ability and pitch variety, though refining control will be key for his professional progression.

X handle is @ConradtJonah

Who can get the ball to Edwin Díaz?

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6493419/2025/07/16/mets-second-half-trade-deadline/

As 2024 proved, no part of a team evolves more over a season than the bullpen. The Mets began last season with Adam Ottavino and Brooks Raley as the primary set-up men for Díaz. Raley went under the knife by May; Ottavino was with the club all season but was left off the postseason roster for multiple rounds. By the NLCS, Ryne Stanek — acquired in July, nearly released in August, not trusted until October — was pretty much the only other arm Mendoza relied on in the later innings to get the ball to Díaz.

This season, the Mets have once again lost their set-up lefty for the year in A.J. Minter and seen Stanek slide down the hierarchy. Reed Garrett and Huascar Brazobán have been Mendoza’s go-to set-up men, even as both went through some serious struggles in the second half of June. Brazobán is on pace to throw 79 innings — both a career high and the most by a Mets reliever since 2019 (Seth Lugo).

Raley should return this month, giving the Mets their best chance to replace Minter internally. But New York has lost Minter, Danny Young, Dedniel Núñez and perhaps Max Kranick for the season. It should be looking to add an arm or two to the pen by July 31.

Top 40 players on market as July 31 approaches

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5591079/2025/07/09/mlb-trade-deadline-big-board-players-postseason-2/

#32                 Bryan Reynolds

Age                30

Position       OF

B/T                 S/R

Fits                 CLE, KC, SD

Deal likelihood

Value:           Switch-hitter with long contract

Analysis:      Reynolds is three years into the largest contract in team history, so any acquiring team would have to be cool with the $76 million he’s owed over the five seasons after this one. That’s not necessarily a bad rate for a switch-hitter who was 20 percent better than the league average with 25 homers per year from 2022 through 2024. This year has been worse, largely because of a hideous 2-for-45 stretch in early May. Since then, his OPS is over .800.

Owed in 2025            $3.8 million

Controlled through 2031

 

#33                 Chris Paddack

Age                29

Position       SP

B/T                 R/R

Fits                 ATL, HOU, STL

Deal likelihood

Value:           Oft-injured veteran starter

Analysis:      An impending free agent two seasons removed from his second Tommy John surgery, Paddack shows flashes of front-line upside but hasn’t posted an ERA better than league average or surpassed 110 innings since 2019. He’s not part of the Twins’ future plans and can fill out the back of a contender’s rotation.

 

Owed in 2025             $2.4 million

Controlled through 2025

 

#34                 Ramón Urías

Age                31

Position       3B

B/T                 R/R

Fits                 NYM, SF, SEA

Deal likelihood

Value:           Complementary infield piece

Analysis:      Urías is one of the success stories from Baltimore’s rebuild, a waiver-wire pickup who played his way into an everyday role while contention was far from the club’s mind. He’s been a solid if unspectacular infielder since 2021, consistently producing about 10 percent better than league average at the plate and earning one Gold Glove at third. His defensive versatility makes him an intriguing fit for teams with uncertain infield situations.

Owed in 2025             $1.0 million

Controlled through 2026

 

#35                 Chris Martin

Age                39

Position       RP

B/T                 R/R

Fits                 ARI, BOS, LAD

Deal likelihood

Value:           Strike-throwing setup man

Analysis:      Martin is 39, but the long-underrated setup man has shown no signs of slowing down. His ability to relentlessly pound the zone without giving up hard contact is rare, and he’d be an ideal plug-and-play rental for almost any contender’s bullpen.

Owed in 2025             $1.7 million

Controlled through 2025