John From Albany: 10 Years Ago - Mets Shutout Padres as Mejia is suspended, 7/28/2015

Jenrry Mejia 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 #100; Tuesday;  Jul 28, NYM 4  Vs. SDP 0; boxscore;  WP: Syndergaard; LP: Shields; Time: 02:20; NIGHT; Attendance: 26,034; Record: 52-48; Standings: 2; Games up/behind: 1; W;  

Curtis Granderson RF: 2 for 4; HR; 1 run; 2 RBIs; Rubén Tejada SS: 1 for 4; 2B,GDP; Daniel Murphy 2B: 1 for 4; 1 run; Lucas Duda 1B: 1 for 4; HR; 1 run; 2 RBIs; 1 K; Juan Uribe 3B: 1 for 3; Michael Conforto LF: 0 for 3; 1 K; Kirk Nieuwenhuis CF-LF: 0 for 3; GDP; Kevin Plawecki C: 1 for 3; 1 K; Noah Syndergaard P: 0 for 2; 1 K; Juan Lagares PH-CF: 1 for 1; 2B; 1 run; Noah Syndergaard, W (5-5): 8 innings; no runs; 3 hits; 9 Ks; Tyler Clippard: 1 inning; no runs; 1 hit; 

Thor and new Met Tyler Clippard (Mets debut) shut out the Padres as Lucas Duda and Curtis Granderson each hit 2-run homers.

NY Post: Syndergaard not perfect, but masterful as Mets blank Padres. "Syndergaard went about the business of aiming for perfection as he mowed down 18 straight Padres before yielding a leadoff hit in the seventh. Syndergaard may have failed in his quest to join Johan Santana as the only Mets to pitch no-hitters but he settled for eight masterful, three-hit, shutout innings in a 4-0 victory over the Padres at Citi Field on Tuesday."

NY Post: Mets’ Jenrry Mejia banned 162 games after 2nd failed PED test. "The righty reliever likely has pitched his last game in a Mets uniform after testing positive for banned performance-enhancing drugs for the second time this season. The latest penalty, levied Tuesday by Major League Baseball, carries a 162-game suspension and puts Mejia on the brink of lifetime banishment from the sport." [Jenrry will never pitch in the Major Leagues again.]

Nationals fall to the Marlins as the Mets pull to just a game of 1st place.

NL East Standings 7/28/2015

Tm	W	L	W-L%	GB	RS	RA	pythW-L%
WSN	52	46	.531	--	411	384	.531
NYM	52	48	.520	1.0	353	355	.497
ATL	46	54	.460	7.0	373	422	.444
MIA	42	58	.420	11.0	362	387	.469
PHI	38	63	.376	15.5	359	497	.355

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 7/28/2015.

The Morning Report 12.21.2015 | Clippard and Mets Not Seeing Eye to Eye, Syndergaard wants Cespedes Back but other Teams Interested.

Michael Baron | Just Mets- It seemed so far fetched 2-3 months ago the Mets would be interested in retaining Tyler Clippard after acquiring him for pitching prospect Casey Meisner last summer. But indeed, the Mets have expressed interest in bringing Clippard back to fill their need on the right side of the bullpen in 2016. Teams are clearly recognizing the importance of having stability behind their closers in the bullpen, and are clearly willing to pay a premium to acquire those services. So unsurprisingly, Clippard is looking for a multi-year deal himself. Still, the Mets remain reluctant to offer a reliever – including Clippard – more than a one-year contract, Heyman says.

(Chris Soto: I do not blame them for being hesistant. Clippard has been one of the most used RP's in baseball during his career. Over the past 6 seasons, he has topped 70 IP every single year, and all those innings finally caught up to him this past season. His velocity dipped in September/October, his arm slot dropped, and his only plus pitch, the change-up, flattened out and started getting smoked at the end of the season. The team should be rightfully concerned about committed payroll to a guy who may be losing it.)

Randy Miller | NJ Advance Media- It's almost Christmas and Yoenis Cespedes still is on the hunt for a mega contract. The longer this goes on, maybe the right-handed-hitting slugger circles back to the Mets and re-signs with them for something both sides can live with. Noah Syndergaard, one of the Mets aces, wants Cespedes back next season. "Of course we're hoping. We all saw the tear he went on from July through the end of the season. We'd love to have that bat back in the lineup, so as long as he's out there, we're hoping for that."

(Chris Soto: My comments are more about Syndergaard then they are Cespedes here. I think we are beginning to see Thor take of more of a "face of the franchise" than Matt Harvey ever could. He is personable and friendly, but, he is a fiery competitor who wants to dominate you at the same time. More importantly, he wants what's best for the team AND he genuinely desires to be a Met for his entire career. He's also kind of snarky and fun with the media which is shown in a very simple tweet he sent out last week.

My bad https://t.co/S52IDAcKxV

— Noah Syndergaard (@Noahsyndergaard) December 17, 2015

I truly believe that in the near future it will be Syndergaard who assumes David Wright's throne as the team leader for the next 10+ years and we are going to love every minute of it.)



HOT STOVE REPORT (courtesy of mlbtraderumor.com)

• According to Buster Olney, The Orioles have engaged Yoenis Cespedes and other “high-end” free agent outfielders in. The Angels have also been lightly linked to Cespedes, with the Tigers, Royals and Giants also being involved.
• According to Bill Ladson of mlb.com, The Nationals are on the lookout for starting pitching and their hunt has led them to at least consider free agent Wei-Yin Chen. Chen is reportedly seeking a 5 yr deal worth $100M.

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 9.14.2015 | Niese Better but Not Good Enough Still, Front End of Bullpen Ready for Playoffs, Harvey No Longer a "Luxury"

Mike Puma | New York Post- Jon Niese kept the Mets in Sunday’s game even without the benefit of defensive support.“It was a big step forward, Niese said. “With everything that happened today it was a crazy game, but with a great outcome.” “I thought he pitched better than the results were today,” manager Terry Collins said. “He certainly had much better command and made pitches when he had to, and hopefully that is what you’re going to see from him the rest of the way.”

(Chris Soto: Ehh....it wasn't THAT good of a performance for Niese yesterday. In 6 IP, he still gave up 3 ER on 8 hits with only 3 K's. That's not exactly a dominating performance, nor is it one that will earn his playoff rotation spot back from the recently dominant Bartolo Colon. The Mets would be wise to start using Niese out of the bullpen on his "side session" days just so that he is ready to contribute from there if he is needed in the playoffs.)

James Newman | Mets 360- With lineups and starting rotations requiring so much focus and consideration throughout the offseason and during the season, the bullpen is a part of baseball that can be easily overlooked; yet it can make or break you when it comes to the playoffs. If you do not think bullpens are important, look at what happened this past week when the Mets played the Washington Nationals. The formula of Erik Goeddel, Addison Reed, Tyler Clippard and Jeurys Familia is going to become a regularity in the postseason, as Goeddel has shown he can pitch in the big leagues, while the remaining three are extremely productive veterans.

(Chris Soto: The story of the bullpen continues to be the same over the past 2 weeks. Outside of Clippard's stinker this weekend, these 4 guys have been extremely solid at the front end of the bullpen. Unfortunately, everyone else compiling the back end of the bullpen hasn't been so good and that's ok. When it comes to the playoffs, rest is no longer going to be a concern; Getting work in for everyone is not going to be a concern either. Terry Collins is going let his SP throw deep into games and then ride his best 4 arms the rest of the way; As it should be.)

Rob Taub | Huffington Post- How many people have a 26-year-old doctor? Lawyer? Accountant? Real estate broker? Not many of us, as most folks in their mid-twenties are just beginning their careers. Matt Harvey is no different. Harvey has a professional career and adult life ahead of him, yet because he's a baseball player, he faces far more scrutiny than most other twenty-somethings. This doesn't make him smarter or more insightful than his peers, yet the rush to judge him has been harsh and merciless. I like the Mets. I like Matt Harvey. I want to see the Mets win -- not just now, but for many years to come. They need a healthy Harvey for that to happen. Keep track of those innings. Take care of the elbow.

(Chris Soto: Ok....these are my final words on the Matt Harvey situation. First off, I don't think anyone is mad at him for expressing concern for his long term health. Why should we? It's a very legitimate concern. However, the process of how he handle it; trying to strong arm the Mets into shutting him down and having his agent argue with the club about the issue publicly, was an idiotic way of handling it. Plus when you add that into the numerous "excuses" he's given after every poor start, it's starting to wear thin on the fans. We are getting tired of hearing about Matt Harvey! As good as he is...guess what? Your not a luxury anymore, your a commodity. Syndergaard is also good, Matz is also good, deGrom is actually better!, and Wheeler has started throwing again. Face it Matt....your not the center of attention anymore....nor should you try to be.)

The Morning Report 7.29.2015 | Mejia Busted Again, Wright Almost Ready for Rehab Games, Clippard Motivated to Beat Nationals, Mets Still Targeting Parra or Gomez

Kevin Draper | Deadspin- Mets closer Jenrry Mejia was suspended 80 games for testing positive for stanozolol in April. While he didn’t appeal his suspension, Mejia professed his innocence. His suspension was completed in early July, and Mejia has since given up zero runs in 7 1/3 innings. But his successful return proved to be short-lived, as Mejia was suspended 162 games today for a second positive test, this time for stanozolol AND boldenone. And what did Mejia have to say in his defense this time? [Nothing] 

(Chris Soto: Nah Nah Na Na...Hey Hey Hey....Goodbyyeee. This is a disgrace to the Mets organization. Not only for testing positive again, but for thinking that it was still ok to take the banned substance so shortly after completing a previous suspension. What was he thinking? With Mejia eligible for arbitration this off-season, he is now a sure fire candidate to be non tendered and released to become a free agent. Add $2.6M to this off-season's available budget and $865k for the rest of this season.)


Mack Burke | NY Daily News- Even though Sandy Alderson has become active in improving the Mets for a playoff push, the biggest reinforcement could be a few weeks away. David Wright returned to regular baseball activity Tuesday at Citi Field, taking ground balls on a field for the first time and hitting in the cage. He had spent the last couple of weeks of his physical therapy and rehab in Los Angeles from a back problem participating in light baseball activity. Wright said that despite the fact that the activities don’t seem heavy or taxing, he’s letting loose and being as intense as he possibly can during his workouts. He plans to do more drills on Wednesday.

(Chris Soto: Early indications are that David Wright could be playing in Port St. Lucie minor league games by this time next week. If that truly is the case then one can assume that he would need 2-3 weeks to get back into shape and should be available to play for the MLB club in late August for roughly the last 30 games of the season. In the meantime, Juan Uribe seems to be doing just fine as Wright's official fill-in. In his first 3 games with the club, Uribe is 3 for 7 so far with only 1 K. ) 

Mike Puma | New York Post- Tyler Clippard didn’t have to wait long for his Mets debut. A day after he was acquired from the Athletics for minor league pitcher Casey Meisner, the veteran righty was summoned to protect a four-run lead Tuesday.“I was anxious to get out there and put that first one under my belt,” Clippard said. “I am really excited to be back in the NL East. National League baseball is my kind of baseball for sure and the Mets are right in the mix and it’s going to be a lot of fun chasing down my old teammates in Washington. Everybody was talking before the season that rotation was one of the best in the game. From what I’ve seen this year, this rotation here in New York compares if not better than what they’ve got over there."

(Chris Soto: Nice. I like the fire included in Clippard's comments. That's actually quite the added bonus that Clippard brings to the Mets. He has a score to settle with his former team as the Nationals traded him away after the 2013 season because rising bullpen star Drew Storen "was younger and more affordable." Clippard should provide some superb late inning relief coverage as the Mets look to start making progress on the Nationals. Last night's victory and the Nats loss now only separate the two teams by 1 game making this weekend's series against each other the most important one this season.)

Michael Baron | Just Mets- With the Mets having secured Juan Uribe, Kelly Johnson and Tyler Clippard ahead of the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, the Mets are continuing their search for an outfielder to add to their equation. People in the Mets organization have liked Brewers OF Gerardo Parra for a number of seasons [and] with his pending free agency, the Brewers have made him available.  [However], the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Haudricourt tweeted earlier on Monday that they could be looking to make a big move to acquire Gomez.

(Chris Soto: Carlos Gomez makes a ton of sense for the Mets. He is owed only $2.7M for the rest of 2015 and is under contract through the 2016 season for a VERY reasonable $9M. Acquiring someone like Gomez will allow the club to let Lagares have Tommy John Surgery and patiently allow him to recover so that he is 100% for the 2017 season. In the meantime, the Mets would have one of the top hitting CF's in their line-up which would make them legitimate contenders for playoff runs in both seasons. )

The Morning Report 7.28.2015 | MORE TRADES!

Evaluating The Trade: Troy Tulowitzki | Chris Soto

• Let's just get right to it shall we? At 12:14AM EST this morning, the Colorado Rockies traded SS Troy Tulowitzki and RP LaTroy Hawkins to Toronto for SP Jeff Hoffman, CL Roberto Osuna, SS Jose Reyes, and SP Jesus Tinoco. This deal was straight up with no money exchanging hands. So of course people are going to ask, "What is the equivalent trade for the Mets?" Well....there is none.....at least not a complete one. I'll do my best to re-create it though

• SP Jeff Hoffman- The Blue Jays top right handed pitching prospect is a potential ace with 2 plus pitches in his upper 90's fastball and his power curveball. His 3rd pitch is a an above average change-up that keeps lefty hitters off balanced.
• Mets Equivalent- Noah Syndergaard

• RP Miguel Castro- Despite only being 20 years old, he displaced Brett Cecil from the closer's role early in the season but giving it up himself to another 20 yr old flame thrower in Osuna. With his mid 90's fastball and a devastating change-up, Castro could develop into one of the better closers for the next 2 decades. 
• Mets Equivalent- Akeel Morris

• SS Jose Reyes- The Rockies do not feel that prospect Trevor Story is ready for the MLB so essentially Jose Reyes is a SS replacement for Tulo. On top of bringing 30 SB wheels, Reyes still has some solid pop in his bat and could be a legitimate threat to hit 15 HRs out of Coors Field. Getting away from the punishing turf field should also work wonders for his legs.  
• Mets Equivalent- .....ummm....I got nothing....Wilmer Flores?? just for the replacement part

• SP Jesus Tinoco- A 2011 Venezuelan bonus baby, the 6' 4" 20 yr old has a ton of projectability. He already has a plus sinker that generates a ton of ground ball outs as well as swings and misses. He still needs to work on improving the breaking stuff and his change-up but if both of those pitches come around, the Rockies could have a potential #3/#4 guy here
• Mets Equivalent- Casey Meisner

• As you can see, the Blue Jays paid a HEAVY price to grab Tulo. A potential top starter, a potential top closer, a significant wild card piece, AND an MLB starting caliber player.

Evaluating The Trade: Tyler Clippard | Chris Soto

• Now that the Tulo evaluation is out of the way....lets turn our attention to the Mets trade yesterday. Sandy Alderson agreed to send SP prospect Casey Meisner to Oakland in exchange for CL Tyler Clippard + cash. The deal utilizes the Mets current SP depth in the lower minors to not only bolster the MLB bullpen, but also provides Terry Collins with a solid weapon against left handed hitters.
• SP Casey Meisner- Meisner is a very RAW prospect who could has some significant upside. When he was drafted out of high school his FB only clocked in at 86-88 mph, but he has since improved it to 92-94mph. He combines this with an ok curveball that flashes promise of being a plus pitch and a change-up that still needs some work but could potentially be an MLB average pitch. Meisner is the definition of the long term project as he still needs significant time to develop his "stuff." If he does improve he could have a solid ceiling as an 200+ inning #3 starter in the big leagues
• RP Tyler Clippard- The former Nationals set-up man, is a battle hardened veteran with 2 years of high leverage bullpen experience in the playoffs. During his 8 seasons with the Nationals and A's, Clippard has a career 2.69 ERA supported by a 10.2 K/9 rate. His superb change-up makes him particularly dangerous against left handed hitters. In his career, lefties are only hitting .183 AVG with a miniscule .571 OPS. 
• Clippard should immediately step into his familiar role as a set-up man in the NL East and knows the Nationals extremely well. He is going to a ridiculously strong weapon for the Mets who suddenly have 4 closer quality arms in the bullpen.