John From Albany: 10 Years Ago - Cuddyer Leads Mets Over Red Sox, 8/30/2015

Michael Cuddyer, 2015 Topps Baseball Card

2015, the last year the Mets made the World Series.  This daily post will detail the game by game journey to the Fall Classic.  Click here for More Mets History and Calendar Classics.

Year: 2015; Game #130; Sunday;  Aug 30, NYM 5  Vs. BOS; 4; boxscore;   WP: Clippard; LP: Ross;  Save: Familia; Time: 02:56; DAY; Attendance: 38,938; Record: 72-58; Standings: 1; Games up/behind: up 5.5; W; 

Juan Lagares CF: 0 for 5; 2 Ks; Curtis Granderson RF: 1 for 4; 3 Ks; David Wright 3B: 1 for 3; 1 walk; Daniel Murphy 1B-2B: 1 for 4; SB; 2 runs; Michael Cuddyer LF-1B: 3 for 3; 2 runs; 1 RBI; 1 walk; Juan Uribe 2B: 2 for 4; 2B; 1 run; 2 RBIs; Yoenis Céspedes LF: 0 for 0; Rubén Tejada SS: 0 for 4; Anthony Recker C: 1 for 4; 1 RBI; 1 K; Noah Syndergaard P: 1 for 2; SH; 1 RBI; 1 K; Michael Conforto PH: 1 for 1; Noah Syndergaard: 6.2 innings; 4 runs; 4 ERs; 6 hits; 1 HR; 1 walk; 3 Ks; Hansel Robles, BS (3): 0 inning; no runs; 1 hit; Tyler Clippard, W (3-3): 1.1 innings; no runs; 1 K; Jeurys Familia, S (35): 1 inning; no runs; 2 hits; 2 Ks; 

ESPN.com: Cuddyer, Mets avert 3-game sweep at home, beat Red Sox 5-4. "Cuddyer hit a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning and the NL East leaders stopped their five-game home skid, averting a sweep by beating the Boston Red Sox 5-4 Sunday."  

NY Post: Mets lean on geezers to steal one from Red Sox. "Boston evened the game, 4-4, in the seventh when Mookie Betts, against Hansel Robles, dumped an RBI triple to left in front of Cuddyer who got a late break...Murphy hit into a fielder’s choice force for the second out of the seventh. Boston then replaced lefty Robbie Ross Jr. (0-2) with Heath Hembree to face the righty-swinging Cuddyer... Murphy watched the warm-ups — then stole second on the first pitch. The Red Sox didn’t even cover second....Cuddyer smashed a single to left to drive in Murphy with the eventual game-winner and complete his three-hit, one-walk, two-run day..."

Mets stay 5 and a half games ahead of the Washington Nationals who beat the Marlins 7-4. 

NL East Standings 8/30/2015

Tm	W	L	W-L%	GB	RS	RA	pythW-L%
NYM	72	58	.554	--	530	477	.548
WSN	66	63	.512	5.5	550	517	.528
ATL	54	76	.415	18.0	475	611	.387
MIA	52	79	.397	20.5	481	548	.441
PHI	52	79	.397	20.5	501	663	.375

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 8/30/2015.

John From Albany: 10 Years Ago - Mets Bats and Bartlo Beat Phils, 8/26/2015

NY Daily News Back Page, 8/27/2015

2015, the last year the Mets made the World Series.  This daily post will detail the game by game journey to the Fall Classic.  Click here for More Mets History and Calendar Classics. 

Year: 2015; Game #126; Wednesday;  Aug 26, NYM 9 @ PHI; 4; boxscore;   WP: Colon; LP: Eickhoff;  Save: Clippard; Time: 03:16; NIGHT; Attendance: 22,184; Record: 70-56; Standings: 1; Games up/behind: up 6.5; W; 

Curtis Granderson RF: 1 for 5; 2B; 2 runs; 1 K; Yoenis Céspedes CF-LF: 2 for 5; 3B; 2 runs; 1 RBI; 1 K; Daniel Murphy 2B: 1 for 4; SF; 1 run; 2 RBIs; Michael Cuddyer 1B: 3 for 5; HR,2B; 2 runs; 3 RBIs; 1 K; Wilmer Flores SS: 2 for 5; Michael Conforto LF: 2 for 4; 2B; 1 run; 1 RBI; Tyler Clippard P: 0 for 1; Juan Uribe 3B: 1 for 2; 1 RBI; 2 walks; Anthony Recker C: 0 for 4; GDP; 2 Ks; Bartolo Colón P: 0 for 3; 1 K; Juan Lagares CF: 0 for 1; 1 run; Bartolo Colón, W (11-11): 7 innings; no runs; 5 hits; 2 walks; 8 Ks; Eric O'Flaherty: 0.2 inning; 3 runs; 3 ERs; 2 hits; 1 walk; Carlos Torres: 0 inning; 1 run; 1 hit; Tyler Clippard, S (19): 1.1 innings; no runs; 1 hit; 2 Ks; 

NY Post: Bartolo Colon dominates as Mets pound pitiful Phillies again. "Colon (11-11) threw seven shutout innings, as he allowed five hits and walked two. It was a much-needed strong start for the Mets, who endured short outings from Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard the previous two nights...Michael Cuddyer gave the Mets a cushion with a monstrous two-run homer in the eighth that reached the second deck in left field. In the ninth, the Mets received additional insurance runs on Curtis Granderson’s RBI double, Yoenis Cespedes’ ensuing triple and a Daniel Murphy sacrifice fly."

ESPN.com: "[The Phillies] rallied against the bullpen in the eighth. Andres Blanco had an RBI groundout against Eric O'Flaherty and Cameron Rupp hit a two-run double off Carlos Torres. Pinch-hitter Jeff Francoeur had an RBI single off Tyler Clippard, but the righty struck out Darnell Sweeney to leave two runners on. Clippard got the final four outs for his 19th save and second with the Mets."

Nationals lose 6-5 to the Padres to drop 6 and a half back of the 1st place Mets.

NL East Division Table

Tm	W	L	W-L%	GB	RS	RA	pythW-L%
NYM	70	56	.556	--	511	459	.549
WSN	63	62	.504	6.5	531	506	.522
ATL	54	73	.425	16.5	464	573	.405
MIA	51	76	.402	19.5	471	531	.445
PHI	50	77	.394	20.5	481	641	.372

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 8/25/2025.

John From Albany: 10 Years Ago - Thor throws the Hammer at Snakes, 7/10/2015

NY Post Back Page, 7/11/2025

2015, the last year the Mets made the World Series.  This daily post will detail the game by game journey to the Fall Classic.  Click here for More Mets History and Calendar Classics.

Year: 2015; Game #87; Friday;  Jul 10, NYM 4  Vs. ARI; 2; boxscore;   WP: Syndergaard; LP: Anderson;  Save: Familia; Time: 03:02; NIGHT; Attendance: 28,243; Record: 45-42; Standings: 2; Games up/behind: 2; W;

Curtis Granderson RF: 0 for 3; 1 walk; 1 K; Rubén Tejada SS: 1 for 4; 1 run; 1 K; Daniel Murphy 3B: 1 for 4; Wilmer Flores 2B: 2 for 3; 1 run; 1 walk; Lucas Duda 1B: 1 for 4; HR,GDP; 1 run; 3 RBIs; 2 Ks; Michael Cuddyer LF: 2 for 4; HR; 1 run; 1 RBI; 1 K; Kevin Plawecki C: 0 for 3; 1 walk; Noah Syndergaard P: 1 for 3; 2 Ks; Kirk Nieuwenhuis PH-LF: 0 for 0; 1 walk; Juan Lagares CF: 2 for 4; SB; Noah Syndergaard, W (4-4): 8 innings; 1 run; 1 ER; 4 hits; 2 walks; 13 Ks; Jeurys Familia, S (25): 1 inning; 1 run; 1 ER; 2 hits; 1 K; 

Mets score 4 in the 1st as Lucas Duda, 3-run homer, and Michael Cuddyer, solo homer, go back-to-back.  Thor Ks 13  as the Mets cruise to a win.   

YouTube: Syndergaard's gem lifts Mets past D-backs.

Mets gain a game on the Nationals who fall to Baltimore 3-2.

NL East Standings 7/10/15

Tm	W	L	W-L%	GB	RS	RA	pythW-L%
WSN	46	39	.541	--	362	330	.542
NYM	45	42	.517	2.0	301	307	.491
ATL	42	45	.483	5.0	342	371	.463
MIA	36	51	.414	11.0	308	350	.442
PHI	29	60	.326	19.0	301	456	.319

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 7/10/2015.

The Morning Report 12.14.2015 | Injuries and Fatigue Force Cuddyer to Retire, Mets Could be Back in on Cespedes, Cardinals Nab Bowman via Rule 5 Draft

Maria Guardado | NJ Advance Media- Citing injury toll and the desire to spend more time with his family, Mets outfielder Michael Cuddyer unexpectedly announced his retirement on Saturday.  Cuddyer's decision was made all the more shocking because he was midway through the two-year, $21 million deal he signed. "I think it shows you the type of family-man that he is," David Wright said. "...he could have easily just come to spring training, said he was hurt, and then milked all year on the DL and got paid. For for him to leave that much money on the table andtell the Mets [early] so they can come up and formulate a Plan B and use that money elsewhere, I think that speaks volumes for him as a teammate, as a person, as a father [and] as a husband."

(Chris Soto: Michael Cuddyer was certainly not the most successful signing the team has made over the past few seasons. However despite his poor performance, he never stopped playing the game hard, he never stopped contributing to the clubhouse, and he always put 100% effort into the team even when he was hurting and probably had only 50% to give. Giving the Mets $12.5M extra to spend this off-season may go down as the single biggest contribution that comes from him and it could potentially be a big deal depending on who they go out and spend that money on. Farewell Michael! May you find good health and relaxation in your life after baseball.)

John Harper | NY Daily News- The higher-than-ever cost of pitching this winter should motivate the Mets to go the extra mile while they’re getting such a bargain on their own young pitchers, extend themselves to win championships while they can afford such excellence. At the very least, with more money to spend now, the Mets should at least make an effort to sign Cespedes. At age 30 he has spectacular athleticism that isn’t going to disappear over night, so offer him a five-year deal for $110 million, and if someone wants to give him six or seven years, then the Mets would be justified in letting him go.


(Chris Soto: Now that Heyward is off the market, the next best OF'ers are Cespedes and Justin Upton. Since Upton does not have the athleticism to play CF, this leaves Cespedes as the guy the Mets SHOULD be targeting to improve their OF. Surprisingly enough, Cespedes' market has been extremely quiet even after the Heyward signing and it is looking more likely that Yo is going to sneak into January unsigned. January is usually the month where agents start getting a little nervous and start adjusting their asking prices down. On top of time, and additional factor working against Yo is the fact that Upton is still unsigned and is younger than him making him the most likely target for a number of other teams in the market for an OF. The situation is lining itself quite nicely for a potential reunion between the Mets and Yo.)



Danny Abriano | Rising Apple- The Mets lost Triple-A Las Vegas RHP Matthew Bowman in the Major League portion of the Rule 5 Draft on Thursday. Bowman, 24, was selected by the Cardinals. Bowman had a 5.53 ERA and 1.67 WHIP in 140 innings this past season for Las Vegas. [However], In 2014, Bowman had a 3.22 ERA and 1.31 WHIP while striking out 124 batters in 134.1 innings split between Double-A Binghamton and Las Vegas. After Bowman was selected, assistant GM John Ricco said he had been left off the 40-man roster due to the down year he had in 2015.

(Chris Soto: The Mets minor league depth took another hit on Thursday with Bowman's selection. Compared to most writers, I was a bit higher on him in terms of prospect ranking. I saw a lot of similarities between Bowman and deGrom at the AA stage of their careers. Both guys were converted SS's who were bigger athleticism plays on the mound then they were "premium stuff" guys. Bowman struggled mightily with his release point though last season and it resulted in a major drop in his K and a jump in his BB rate, both quite a ways from his career norms. It seems like the Cardinals feel that it is more of a result of the tough pitching environment than it is a lack of talent....and I agree with them. I feel that the Mets could end up regretting not holding onto Bowman.)



HOT STOVE REPORT (courtesy of mlbtraderumor.com)

• According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, the Mets were in discussions with LHRP Jerry Blevins during the Winter Meetings about a potential return to New York. 
• The trade between the Phillies and Astros for RHRP Ken Giles was finally announced by both teams but with an adjustment in the deal. Astros OF prospect Derek Fisher is no longer part of the deal. Instead RHSP prospect, and former #1 pick, Mark Appel has taken his place.

(Chris Soto: That's an interesting adjustment in the Giles deal. Appel has struggled mightily since becoming a professional athlete and a number of scouts have actually soured on him. His ceiling has been downgraded from a sure fire staff ace to a potential #3/#4 over the past 2 years as he has struggled with injuries and inconsistent mechanics. I'm not sure if the Phillies are going to be able to revive his career, but if they do, it will be quite the steal away trade.)

The Morning Report 10.14.2015 | Game 4: Matz Ok...But OK Not Enough vs Kershaw, Bartolo Colon Solid in the Pen, Mets Lucky to Have deGrom up Next.

Mark Bowman | Mets.com-  Steven Matz will forever remember the thrill he experienced on Tuesday night when he took the mound at Citi Field for his beloved Mets in Game 4 of the National League Division Series. Unfortunately, it will take some time for him to forget how the Dodgers soured the experience with a sudden and decisive third-inning flurry. "He pitched very good," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "The one pitch I know he wants back is the pitch to Kershaw." "A couple mistakes cost me," Matz said. "When you face a guy like Kershaw, you want to put up zeros and I wasn't able to do that today. I'm going to build off the positive here today."

Zach Braziller | New York Post- Who says you can’t teach an old pitcher new tricks? Bartolo Colon entered this season with eight relief appearances in 18 big-league seasons, and the 42-year-old right-hander quickly has become the Mets’ most reliable reliever not named Jeurys Familia this postseason. “Anytime you mention Bartolo Colon’s name, it’s the same,” Mets manager Terry Collins said. “He pounds the strike zone, keeps the ball down for the most part, fields his position — all the things you want done.” Colon needed just 26 pitches to navigate two innings, striking out two and allowing one hit.

Jason Keidel | CBS New York- If you didn’t know before, now you know. Kershaw is the best pitcher on the planet. It’s not a debate, discussion, or dialogue. But there’s a wide, silver lining that the Mets can ride into the NLCS. They know they can beat the Dodgers, and beat them in Los Angeles. And they have the pitcher who already beat them at Los Angeles. For all the hype and hyperbole, all the flaming adjectives and social media branding and anointing of the Kershaw/Greinke duet, the Mets got some arms of their own. And if this series has done anything other than double as a stage for their two pitching savants, it has also cast a blinding light on an ace up the Mets’ sleeve......Jacob deGrom.

(Chris Soto: Darn....I want to say that the Mets had a chance....but Clayton Kershaw was on point last night. He left Matz with little margin for error and, sure enough, it only took 1 string of base hits to win this game for the Dodgers. The Mets certainly had their chances though, especially in the 8th inning, but closer Kenley Jansen was able to bear down and hold the lead.

     That said, I honestly have only 1 pain point to bring up.....how bad does Michael Cuddyer look? My goodness....with a runner on base he showed no patience, swinging at every pitch, and on an 0-2 count he got the weakest hanging curveball Kershaw threw all Night! Right in the middle of the plate and he took a pretty feable swing at it.

     Good thing the right handed Grienke is on the mound tomorrow night, cause Cuddyer looks pretty bad right now. I would much rather have Conforto in LF against both lefties and righties at this point. )

The Morning Report 10.8.2015 | Mets SPs Just As Good as Dodgers SPs, Cuddyer Providing More than Just Production, Sandy Admits Whiffing on Turner, Clippard Leading the Bullpen

Peter Botte | NY Daily News- Dodgers manager Don Mattingly heaped praise on Mets young guns, “Those guys are really good. We’ve been looking at them for the last couple of days and even before that. These are some power arms with secondary pitches. They aren’t just guys going up there and chucking the fastball. Everybody in the league now throws 96-97-98. We see it all the time. So that’s not what makes them different. It’s the secondary stuff that makes them really good. They’ve got great arms and they’re in a good position, not only now but for the future, with those type of arms."

(Chris Soto: Yes....the Mets have themselves a very tall task of trying to get past Clayton Kershaw and Zack Grienke. However, lets not forget that the Mets have their own ridiculously good arms that the Dodgers will have to contend with. In addition, the Dodgers offense has not been very good during the 2nd half of the season. The Dodgers have been below the NL average in both batting average and OPS Post All-star break and they were in the bottom 3rd offensively during the month of September.)

Mike Vaccaro | New York Post- Today seems as good a time as any to report that Michael Cuddyer is still as upbeat a presence around the Mets. Which is to say: He’s just as happy as a platoon player as he was as a regular. “I’m not naïve,” Cuddyer says. “I have eyes. I saw what was going on here. I know people roll their eyes when they hear this sometimes, but winning is more important than money. And when I saw where this team was headed, seeing what was in the forecast, it reminded me of where we were in 2001 with Minnesota: a team building, not quite there yet, that was ready to move. Turns out I wasn’t far off.”

(Chris Soto: Fans sometimes focus to hard on stat lines in relation to player's salaries. Production is not the only thing that makes a ballplayer good, especially one that is deep in a career as Cuddyer is. The Mets didn't bring the 36 yr old in to be a centerpiece of an offensive machine. Cuddyer brings veteran leadership, a solid relationship with David Wright that enhances his leadership skills, and the effort and passion that comes with playing the game right. Ever watch him in a game? He runs out EVERY groundball....that kind of 100% effort rubs off on younger players, which is something the Mets have a lot of.)

Joe D. | New York Mets Report-  Essentially, the Mets front office decided to release Turner because he was due a raise in arbitration that would have paid him $750k. Monday, Mets GM Sandy Alderson spoke about that decision, “He was always sort of a marginal 40-man roster guy. We gave him more of an opportunity than he had elsewhere, and he did a nice job for us. But you’d have to say we missed on him.” Since leaving the Mets Turner has emerged as one of the Dodgers’ top hitters slashing at .314/.384/.492 with 47 doubles, 23 home runs to go with a 145 OPS+ and 8.4 fWAR over 675 at-bats. With runners in scoring position this season, Turner is batting .322/.404/.556.

(Chris Soto: Ya know...sometimes you win, sometimes you get burned....and Sandy is aware that he missed the boat on Justin Turner. However, in fairness, who would have expected this kind of production out of him? Before 2014, Turner had never posted an OPS above .711 despite getting some pretty ample playing time. Then again, ample and consistent are two different things. Consistent playing time can make a huge difference in a player's production and when the Dodgers finally gave Turner that opportunity, he paid them back 10-fold. Congrats to him.)

Andrew Harts | Just Mets- The acquisition of Tyler Clippard has arguably been as critical of an acquisition for the Mets as Cespedes was. Clippard has stepped up as the veteran in the pen to help aid and educate the younger and less experienced relievers in the bullpen, serving as a leader and a guide to help those less experienced than him. “A lot of the younger guys have looked to me for advice as far as what to expect in the postseason,” he explained. “To be over here in this dugout and do what we’ve done this year, I never would’ve predicted it or guessed it. But that’s the beauty of baseball, and I’m really happy to have the Mets uniform on at this point.”

(Chris Soto: The Clippard acquisition has been a god send for this team with the injuries to Blevins, the prolonged recovery of Parnell, and the Mejia suspension. There was so much inexperience in the Mets bullpen that I'm not sure I would have trusted taking a SP out until the 9th inning. The addition of him, and Addison Reed as well, has given the club a reliable trio that, while still not the best, can at least be depended on most nights to get the job done. )

The Morning Report 7.23.2015 | Terry Takes the Blame, Conforto Being Thrown to the Wolves, Can He Perform?, Mets Farm System Ranked #4

John Delcos | NY Mets Report- It was a nice gesture on the part of manager Terry Collins to accept blame for the Mets’ 4-3 loss at Washington. But, to what degree was Collins at fault? “That’s all on me. It’s not on Bobby. He’s been throwing the ball great,” Collins told reporters. “I could have let Jeurys get looser. I could have delayed the game a little bit and let him get loose.” The need to stall came about because Collins, pitching coach Dan Warthen and bullpen coach Ricky Bones – pick any of the three – didn’t get Familia up until after den Dekker reached base. Familia has to know he needs to start loosening up after the first runner got on base. It’s simple bullpen management. It has to be automatic, which makes stalling a moot issue. Stalling is playing around; what the Mets needed was a concrete strategy, which they didn’t have.

(Chris Soto: Let's get this out of the way first. Yesterday's loss was BRUTAL as it was not only demoralizing, but it also accounted for a 2 game swing in NL East standing position. Instead of being 1 game back heading back to NYC, the team is now 3 games back and face Kershaw and Grienke over the next 2 days. Terry Collins rightfully wears the blame for this one. Yes, Parnell has been throwing well as of late but with as much as Collins has used Familia in 4 and 5 out situation saves, I don't know how you DON'T have Familia warming up at the beginning of the inning. These were 3 of the biggest games you've had so far this season and NOW is the time you decide to be conservative with your top weapons? That's Insane....) 

Bob Klapisch | Newsday- Clearly, the Mets are in a run-scoring crisis. It’s a certainty Michael Cuddyer will be placed on the disabled list as early as today. Michael Conforto, the franchise’s best hitting prospect, will be summoned from Class AA. It’s the logical move and it’ll placate the ticket buyers who are teetering toward open rebellion. But the timing of Conforto’s promotion speaks to upper management’s clumsiness and lack of vision. Conforto is being sent to war against Kershaw? Against Greinke? In his major league debut? Collins can’t possibly sacrifice a rookie like that. No kid, regardless of his genetic blessings, is ready for such a buzz saw. The smarter move would’ve been to put Cuddyer on the DL on Monday and let Conforto debut against the Nationals’ Joe Ross, himself a rookie, and Jordan

(Chris Soto: Wow...I did not think about this at all. When you look at the timing of Conforto's currently unreported promotion, this is a suicide job by them. Sandy Alderson is quickly losing the support of the "sensible" fan base due to his lack of inactivity amidst the team's overall poor play. With such a dominate pitching staff, there is clearly a window of opportunity for the Mets to break through and become successful. Even a league average offense, could result in almost 7 additional wins than what the Mets have gotten so far this season.) 

Jeff Sullivan | FanGrapsh- The question has to do with his readiness. Few people doubt that Conforto could be good, soon. More people doubt that Conforto could be good, tomorrow. He’s a college pick, a polished bat, but still, he’s not even at 50 games of experience above single-A. The Mets weren’t planning to move Conforto so fast. It’d be a rush job, compelled by the context of the standings. But that doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing. It’s worth wondering, then: what could the Mets expect of Conforto? I was looking at 180 debuts. These were made mostly by bat-first prospects. Those who batted at least 100 times averaged a 93 wRC+. Of the players, 37% posted a wRC+ of at least 100. Narrowing down further, 20% posted a wRC+ of at least 120. The tendency has been for the players to struggle.

(Chris Soto: You know I love my FanGraphs articles. Here's the thing with Conforto, no one is asking him to come up here and smash .350 AVG with 10 HR in his 1st week on the job. All he needs to do is be better than Cuddyer has been so far this season. Cuddyer's current line is a .250 AVG with a .683 OPS on a 23.2% K rate. That's actually a production line that I can see Conforto matching right now with some upside to push that OPS over .710 due to his ability to take walks. As for his defense, Conforto has made some good strides and I would actually dare to say that he could be an average to above average defender in LF.)

Keith Law | ESPN(Insider Post)- The Mets still have a system loaded with high-probability big leaguers, including a couple of potential stars in Conforto, Smith and shortstop Amed Rosario. The re-emergence of Gavin Cecchini as a legitimate offensive prospect gives the Mets some options for their infield going forward, especially important when the team is owned by a Scrooge. Casey Meisner, one of my two sleeper prospects for this system coming into the year, had a breakout first half for St. Lucie, and Michael Fulmer has been healthy and effective in Double-A after missing the first two weeks of the season. There's a ton of pitching in here, most of it potentially useful in trades because of the depth of the Mets' rotation, but they also have some bats coming -- five guys I'd tab as regulars or better -- to help that very sad major league offense as soon as next year.

(Chris Soto: We have been so spoiled by constantly hearing the names of Syndergaard, Wheeler, Matz, Conforto, Harvey, and deGrom that all their promotions gives you a sense that well....now the minor league system is dry. That's not the case though and the club still has a LARGE number of potential MLB contributors sprinkled throughout the system. Pretty much the only this Sandy has done really well as the General Manager is create a deep farm system that has balance from top to bottom and can supply the MLB team with 1 or 2 new MLB caliber players every single season.)

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.)

The Morning Report 7.1.2015 | Cuddyer Injured, Mejia Dominant During Rehab Assignment, Don't Sell Low on Niese

Joe D | Metsmerized Online- Michael Cuddyer exited Tuesday’s game against the Cubs in the seventh inning with a sore left knee, the team reported. He was replaced in left field by fourth outfielder Darrell Ceciliani and was 0-for-2 before departing. “It had progressively gotten tighter to the point where I had to say something,” Cuddyer said. He will undergo an MRI on Wednesday after which the Mets will decide if he needs to go on the DL. “I’m definitely concerned, but honestly, I don’t jump to conclusions until after we see that MRI,” Cuddyer said. “Then we’ll deal with whatever it is.”

(Chris Soto: This is not good...as if the Mets weren't already hamstrung offensively, potentially losing Cuddyer knocks another middle of the order bat out of the line-up. If Cuddyer's MRI comes back and shows something significant, it may be the last push Sandy needs to go out and force an overpay trade. There has been a lot of grumblings about the Mets making a run for Athletics OF Josh Reddick who is having a career season thanks to a vastly improved K rate and a new "all fields" approach.) 


Mike Puma | New York Post- Jenrry Mejia is throwing heat, but hasn’t completed his time for the crime. The Mets reliever has impressed team brass with his raw stuff in the minors and appears ready to rejoin the major league club, according to manager Terry Collins, but his 80-game PED suspension isn’t scheduled to end until Tuesday.“He’s ready to go, ready to pitch here and he’s going to go out a couple of more times and then he’s going to come back,” Collins said before the Mets lost 1-0 to the Cubs at Citi Field. Collins said Mejia’s fastball has been in the 94-96 mph range, and his breaking ball has progressed. The plan calls for Mejia to assume a setup role, with Jeurys Familia remaining the closer.

(Chris Soto: Say what you want about Mejia and the PEDs, but he is going to be a sight for sore eyes when it comes to the 8th inning. Based on his performances so far, Mejia should be a massive boost in production over what the club has been getting from the mixture of the Torres brothers. If the Mets ever learn how to get to the 8th inning with a lead, at least fans can now feel comfortable handing it over to Mejia as the bridge to Familia.)


David Lennon | Newsday- Jon Niese, for as well as he's pitched lately, isn't Steven Matz. Nor is he Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard or Jacob deGrom. And therein lies the problem. Anyone who talks to the Mets these days first asks about the Big Four and that's a non-starter in trade conversations. The young guns have been untouchable for a while now. The Mets probably need to stay in a six-man rotation until the end of July to bank some innings for a few of their starters. Eventually, trading Niese -- if he continues to pitch well -- could return a helpful bat if he's packaged with another piece.

(Chris Soto: Not in a rush....nor should he be....Sandy should not trade Niese, just to dump the salary or open a rotation spot. He has some real value to interested teams looking for a consistent mid rotation arm. Sure he's not the sexiest pitcher out there, but over his past 6 years he's been unbelievably consistent. Below are his xFIPs during his six year career with the club. xFIP takes into account a pitcher's performance minus defensive values added/shortcomings AND takes into account a normalize HR rate which has bit Niese in the butt this season.

2010: 3.80
2011: 3.28
2012: 3.64
2013: 3.84
2014: 3.63
2015: 3.85 

I'm not sure how much more consistent you can get than that. He's averaged a value in the +2.0 WAR area every season as well. Based on this information as well as his age and contract situation, I'm going put together a post to evaluate each team's pitching situation and lay down some reasonable trades in my opinion.)

The Morning Report 5.28.2015 | No Place Like Home for Cuddyer, Vic Black Ready for Action, Minor League Promotions, 2015-2016 IFA Signings

David Wright Injury Tracker | Diagnosed with Spinal Stenosis. In California to see specialist. 

Mike Puma | New York Post- Michael Cuddyer is a giant homebody. The Mets outfielder continued his recent surge with a home run Wednesday in a 7-0 victory over the Phillies, raising his average to .381 over his last 12 games at Citi Field. “I like hitting at home, no matter where home is,” Cuddyer said. “You’re used to the background, you’re used to the surroundings, the confines, you’re used to everything. The more you play somewhere, the better off you are and if you look at my track record I have always hit better at home — no matter what my home was.” Overall, Cuddyer is hitting .322 with three homers and 15 RBIs at Citi Field this season. On the road, he is hitting .195 with two homers and seven RBIs.

(Chris Soto: When the Mets initially signed Cuddyer, the biggest concern was how his Coors induced home/away splits would translate moving to Citi Field. Oddly enough, that split has actually widened by coming to New York as shown by his road stats above. That said, he needs to start picking it up as those road stats aren't going to be acceptable going forward. While he does have an unfavorable BABIP of .240 on the road, it's not horribly bad. His 27.5% K rate on the road IS a bigger concern and is putting a ton of pressure on his average.)


David Hong | Metsmerized Online- Mets reliever Vic Black, who has been trying to come back from shoulder and neck issues, passed a significant hurdle last night. The right-hander has now pitched in back to back scoreless relief appearances with Double-A Binghamton and according to Mets pitching coach Dan Warthen, Black is now ready to come off the DL. “I think I’m ready,” Black told Lynn Worthy of the Press and Sun Bulletin. “I believe I am. It’s up to them. That’s just how this whole process goes.“I can get outs right now. I don’t care where you put me, I can get outs. I think that’s the biggest key outside of the back-to-back.”

(Chris Soto: Black will likely be activated in time for the Marlins series starting tomorrow with LHRP Jack Leathersich likely to be the guy who gets demoted for him. While it may not seem like much, having Black back in the fold is a big boost to the bullpen. While they won't immediately used him in high leverage spots, once he gets eased back in, he can provide better quality in the 8th inning than Carlos Torres. This has a trickle down effect...Black over C. Torres improves the 8th, C. Torres over A. Torres improves the 7th, which in turn reduces A. Torres' usage since Goeddel/Robles are pitching better than him anyway.)


Chris McShane | Amazin Avenue- The Mets have promoted right-handed pitching prospect Robert Gsellman from High-A St. Lucie to Double-A Binghamton and sent fellow right-handed pitching prospect John Gant down from Binghamton to St. Lucie. Gsellman is as solid a mid-tier pitching prospect as you're going to find. The 21-year-old prep product has filled out his sturdy, 6'4", 200 lbs frame nicely, adding a few ticks to a fastball that still works in the low-90s but now reaches 94 MPH without maxing out. His advanced command of that pitch, along with a surprisingly polished change-up allowed him to breeze through his first taste of full-season baseball.

(Chris Soto: Promotions have begun in Mets prospect land. Expect to see a number of player movements up and down at each level of the organization as clubs around the MLB begin prepping their short season minor league teams to start play over the next 3 weeks. With Kyle Johnson now manning CF for the 51's, they are short a corner OF so look for Jayce Boyd to be promoted soon with Conforto moving to Binghamton to join Nimmo and Cecchini.)


2015-2016 International Free Agent Signing Period (MLBPipeline.com)

• One important date that is sneaking up on us is June 1st. This is the official date that clubs may no longer sign international free agents against their '14-'15 budgets, After a 30 day rest period, clubs can begin signing this year's crop of 16 yr old talent from other countries. In the Mets case, generally they sign 1 high impact youngster and spread out the rest of the funds so lesser known "wild cards." However this year, it looks like they are having a bit of a strategy change. The Mets are rumored to have $1.0M+ agreements already in place for both the #12 and #14 overall international free agents. With a '15-'16 budget of only $2,531,300, the club may have blown through their entire allowance on just these two guys. So who are they?

• #12 SS Andres Gimenez- Scouts love what they see in Gimenez, who is 5-foot-11 and nearly 160 pounds. They also love that he makes the game look easy because of his natural abilities. He's smooth. Overall, Gimenez is lean, athletic and full of energy. The middle infielder has also shown the type of speed that could land him at the top of the order one day. He has a good hitting approach and is considered a line-drive hitter. He has some power and has displayed the ability to hit the ball into the gaps on a consistent basis. On defense, Gimenez profiles as an everyday shortstop if he continues to develop as expected. He has smooth defensive actions and an arm strong enough to keep him at the position.

• #14 SS Gregory Guerrero- The nephew of former Major League star Vladimir Guerrero and the cousin of fellow top prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Gregory Guerrero has a famous last name, but he's also making a name for himself. Known for his strong arm and quick feet, Guerrero has opened eyes with his easy actions on defense. He's a fluid defender and has a knack for making plays look easy. His tools and athletic ability will likely keep him at the position as he grows into his body and develops as a player. On offense, the teen is not as strong as his cousin Vlad Jr., but Gregory has shown some raw power and the ability to hit home runs. He's a decent runner and has been working on stealing bases.