John From Albany: 10 Years Ago - Wilmer Hero Again - Mets win 7th straight, 8/8/2015

 

NY Post Back Page - 8/8/2015

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 #109; Friday;  Aug 7, NYM 4 @ TBR; 3; boxscore;   WP: Clippard; LP: Boxberger;  Save: Familia; Time: 03:00; NIGHT; Attendance: 23,145; Record: 59-50; Standings: 1; Games up/behind: up 2.5; W;  

Curtis Granderson RF: 0 for 5; 2 Ks; Daniel Murphy DH: 2 for 4; HR; 1 run; 1 RBI; Yoenis Céspedes CF-LF: 0 for 4; 2 Ks; Lucas Duda 1B: 0 for 4; 1 run; 1 K; Juan Uribe 3B: 1 for 4; HR; 1 run; 1 RBI; Michael Conforto LF: 1 for 4; 2B; 1 run; 1 RBI; 1 K; Juan Lagares CF: 0 for 0; Travis d'Arnaud C: 1 for 3; 1 walk; 1 K; Kelly Johnson 2B: 1 for 4; 1 K; Wilmer Flores SS: 2 for 4; 1 RBI; Jacob deGrom: 6.1 innings; 2 runs; 2 ERs; 6 hits; 2 HRs; 7 Ks; Eric O'Flaherty: 0.1 inning; no runs; Bobby Parnell: 0.1 inning; no runs; 1 walk; Tyler Clippard, W (2-3): 1 inning; 1 run; 1 ER; 1 hit; 1 HR; 1 K; Jeurys Familia, S (30): 1 inning; no runs; 1 hit; 1 K;  

ESPN.com: Mets rally late for 7th straight victory, 4-3 overRays. “Michael Conforto hit a tying double and Wilmer Flores had a go-ahead single in the ninth inning as New York rallied past the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 Friday night for its seventh consecutive victory…Juan Uribe and Daniel Murphy homered for the Mets, who improved to 4-0 on a six-game road trip and moved 2 1/2 games ahead of second-place Washington.”

Nationals fell 5-4 to the Rockies as the Mets go up 2.5 games in 1st.

NL East Standings 8/7/2015

Tm	W	L	W-L%	GB	RS	RA	pythW-L%
NYM	59	50	.541	--	402	386	.519
WSN	56	52	.519	2.5	449	425	.525
ATL	50	60	.455	9.5	413	484	.428
MIA	43	67	.391	16.5	394	450	.439
PHI	43	67	.391	16.5	409	536	.379

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 8/7/2015.

John From Albany: 10 Years Ago - Wilmer Walks It Off, 7/31/2015

 

Wilmer Flores, 2019 Topps Heritage 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 #103; Friday;  Jul 31, NYM 2  Vs. WSN; 1; 12 innings; boxscore; WP: Torres;  LP: Vazquez; Time: 03:59; NIGHT; Attendance: 36,164; Record: 53-50; Standings: 2; Games up/behind: 2; W-wo;  

Curtis Granderson RF: 1 for 5; CS; 3 Ks; Rubén Tejada SS: 2 for 5; 1 K; Daniel Murphy 1B-3B: 1 for 5; 2B; 1 K; Juan Uribe 3B: 0 for 2; 1 run; 2 walks; 1 K; Lucas Duda PH: 0 for 1; Travis d'Arnaud C: 0 for 4; 1 walk; 2 Ks; Wilmer Flores 2B: 2 for 5; HR; 1 run; 2 RBIs; 1 K; Juan Lagares CF: 0 for 3; 1 walk; Eric Campbell LF: 0 for 4; 2 Ks; Matt Harvey P: 0 for 3; 2 Ks; Kelly Johnson 1B: 0 for 1; Matt Harvey: 7.2 innings; 1 run; 1 ER; 5 hits; 9 Ks; Tyler Clippard: 0.2 inning; no runs; 2 walks; 1 K; Jeurys Familia: 1.2 innings; no runs; 1 K; Hansel Robles: 1 inning; no runs; 2 Ks; Carlos Torres, W (4-4): 1 inning; no runs; 3 Ks; 

NY Post: Unbelievable! Flores dries tears for walk-off HR in thriller. “Flores cleared the left-field fence on Felipe Rivero’s third pitch of the 12th inning, allowing the Mets to celebrate a 2-1 victory over the Nationals at Citi Field, culminating a day in which the club acquired slugger Yoenis Cespedes from the Tigers.” 

ESPN.com: Two nights after thinking he was traded, Wilmer Flores puts Mets by Nats. “Just a few minutes before the 4 p.m. trade deadline, the Mets gave their meager offense a major boost by obtaining slugger Yoenis Cespedes from Detroit for two minor league pitchers…Hours later, Flores drove in both Mets runs and made a spectacular defensive play at second base to back Matt Harvey…’I'm sitting here looking at some guys who are outstanding writers. Outstanding. You couldn't write that. You guys couldn't come up with that. And you're good. That's unbelievable,’ Mets Manager Terry Collins said.”

You can watch the game in it's entirety on YouTube by clicking here.

Highlights - 

The win pulls the Mets within 2 games of the 1st place Nationals.

NL East Standings 7/31/2015

Tm	W	L	W-L%	GB	RS	RA	pythW-L%
WSN	54	47	.535	--	420	388	.536
NYM	53	50	.515	2.0	365	371	.493
ATL	46	57	.447	9.0	377	437	.433
MIA	42	61	.408	13.0	367	403	.457
PHI	40	64	.385	15.5	374	509	.363

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 7/31/2015.

John From Albany: 10 Years Ago - Mets Lose, Despite 3 Duda Homers - Wilmer Cries, 7/29/2015

 

Wilmer Flores, 2015 Topps Heritage 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 #101; Wednesday;  Jul 29, NYM 3  Vs. SDP; 7; boxscore;   WP: Ross;  LP: Colon;  Save:   Time: 03:12; NIGHT; Attendance: 24,804; Record: 52-49; Standings: 2; Games up/behind: 2; L;  

Curtis Granderson RF: 0 for 2; CS; 2 walks; Daniel Murphy 3B: 0 for 4; 1 K; Kelly Johnson 2B: 0 for 3; 1 walk; 2 Ks; Lucas Duda 1B: 3 for 3; 3·HR; 3 runs; 3 RBIs; 1 walk; Michael Conforto LF: 0 for 4; 3 Ks; Kirk Nieuwenhuis CF: 0 for 3; HBP; 1 K; Wilmer Flores SS: 1 for 3; 1 K; Rubén Tejada PH: 0 for 1; GDP; Anthony Recker C: 0 for 3; 2 Ks; Alex Torres P: 0 for 1; Juan Lagares PH: 0 for 1; 1 K; Eric Campbell PH-3B: 1 for 1; Bartolo Colón, L (9-10): 2.1 innings; 6 runs; 6 ERs; 10 hits; 2 HRs; 1 K; Alex Torres: 2.2 innings; no runs; 3 walks; 2 Ks; Bobby Parnell: 1 inning; 1 run; 1 ER; 2 hits; Sean Gilmartin: 2 innings; no runs; 2 hits; 5 Ks; Hansel Robles: 1 inning; no runs; 1 hit; 3 Ks 

Baseball Reference:Another trade almost gets consumed, as the Mets are on the verge of trading IF Wilmer Flores and P Zack Wheeler to Milwaukee for OF Carlos Gomez. The rumor of the deal sweeps through the stands at Citi Field, and Flores breaks into tears on the field as he does not want to leave a team that has grown into a contender. The trade falls through, however, and the Mets lose, 7 - 3, to San Diego in spite of three homers by Lucas Duda. 

NY Post: Duda belts 3 HRs but Colon clubbed as Mets fall to Padres. "Duda on Wednesday enjoyed what would be a good month for some as he continued his recent home-run barrage with three solo shots — giving him six homers in four games...Colon, who has a 6.16 ERA in his last seven starts, gave up two runs in each of the first three innings."

7/29/2015 Wilmer Flores gets emotional on the field and in the dugout after reports of a trade circulate around the ballpark. After the game, Sandy Alderson announces that there is no deal and Flores will stay in Queens. pic.twitter.com/nQWoYn4Ook

— This Day in Mets History (@NYMhistory) July 29, 2022

7/29/2015 Lucas Duda hits three homers against the Padres, becoming the eleventh Met to accomplish the feat. pic.twitter.com/Vb2mKa7YRS

— This Day in Mets History (@NYMhistory) July 29, 2024

Nationals beat the Marlins 7-2 to move back to 2 games ahead of the Mets.

NL East Standings 7/29/2015

Tm	W	L	W-L%	GB	RS	RA	pythW-L%
WSN	53	46	.535	--	418	386	.536
NYM	52	49	.515	2.0	356	362	.492
ATL	46	55	.455	8.0	373	424	.442
MIA	42	59	.416	12.0	364	394	.464
PHI	38	64	.373	16.5	361	505	.351

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 7/29/2015.

The Morning Report 12.16.2015 | Terry Wants One More Big Bat for His 2016 Line-up, Flores is the New Super Utility-Man, Montero to Start in Dominican Winter League.

Matt Ehalt | NJ Advance Media- When the Mets acquired Neil Walker from the Pirates last week, they found their replacement for free agent Daniel Murphy, who batted third for them throughout the playoffs. They have yet to find a replacement for cleanup hitter Yoenis Cespedes, though, and manager Terry Collins would welcome another bat to strengthen a lineup that lacks a right-handed slugger. “It’d be nice,” Collins said. “As we all know, you’d like to have as many great bats as you can possibly get. The front office executives are certainly searching for a couple more pieces.”

(Chris Soto: Terry speak generally mirrors what the front office is thinking so for him to publicly come out and say that he specifically wants a right-handed OF with a power bat is a pretty good indication of where the team's focus is right now. The only guy who fits that profile exactly is Yeonis Cespedes, unless you think Alex Gordon is capable of playing CF.)

Adam Rubin | ESPN New York- Barring an outfield acquisition also capable of playing first base, Wilmer Flores will be the primary backup to Lucas Duda at that position in 2016 for the New York Mets, manager Terry Collins said Tuesday."We've certainly got to go into spring training and give Wilmer a chance to play around the infield a little bit more -- to put him at some different positions to where we can give guys days off," Collins said. "We're certainly aware that we've got to keep an eye on David and his workload. We've got to make sure Duda is rested up. There's got to be some spots where you're going to need a bat. 


(Chris Soto: As we expected, with the Asdrubal Cabrera and Neil Walker signings, Flores now finds himself in the heavily used utility role that Terry Collins loves so much. Against lefties, you could see Flores spotting Walker at 2B or Duda at 1B both of which have lower splits when facing their fellow handed counterparts. In addition, you'll likely see Flores start for Wright at least twice a week in an effort to not overtax the Captain's back.)



Michael Mayer | Metsmerized Online- According to multiple sources I talked to on Tuesday, RHP Rafael Montero will make his Dominican Winter League debut on Thursday pitching for the Leones del Escogido in the Parallel League. The Parallel League is like the minor league feeder system for the younger players to get some experience. If all goes well Montero could pitch on Monday in the last game of the season or in the playoffs. He will be on a short pitch count and could be limited to only relief appearances. He hasn’t pitched since throwing in the Mets Instructional League this fall, he struck out all four batters he faced in one outing.

(Chris Soto: Michael does some great work over at MMO and is far more plugged into the Caribbean Leagues then I am. Mr. Mayer is usually the first to know about news coming out of there and also follows guys in the much more distant Colombian League and in these smaller "minor" leagues. In regards to Montero, this is a very important start for him as the Mets front office is probably going to use this game as a barometer to figure out what kind of health shape Montero is in. His performance will probably dictate what the Mets next steps are in the Free Agent market for SP's.)



HOT STOVE REPORT (courtesy of mlbtraderumor.com)

• The Mets lost another minor league player to free agency when SS Wilfredo Tovar signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins.
• The Washington Nationals are discussing a trade with the Cincinnati Reds that would send Gold Glove 2B Brandon Phillips to D.C. This comes on the heels of current 2B Danny Espinosa asking the team to give him a shot at playing SS in 2016 which would allow the club to keep prospect Trea Turner in AAA for additional seasoning.

The Morning Report 12.9.2015 | Zobrist Shuns Mets for Cubs, Daniel Murphy Market Set, Flores Breaks Ankle in Venezuela, Braves Trade Shelby Miller

Jay Jaffe | Sports Illustrated- The Cubs enlivened a slow day at the Winter Meetings with a pair of moves that reconfigured their middle infield, added depth to their pitching staff and reunited manager Joe Maddon with perhaps his best player in Tampa Bay. First, they landed switch-hitting free agent Ben Zobrist via a four-year, $56 million deal, then they traded former All-Star shortstop Starlin Castro to the Yankees for swingman Adam Warren and utilityman Brendan Ryan.

(Chris Soto: Gotta tip your cap to the Cubs...despite not making the best offer, they made a better pitch to Zobrist and had his former coach Jon Maddon on the staff to entice him even more. Zobrist certainly has better numbers than Castro, but he is 10 yrs older than him. In addition, the return they received for Castro was not pretty bad considering he is cost controlled high end hitting SS.)



Maria Guardado | NJ Advance Media-  Now that Ben Zobrist has signed with the Chicago Cubs, the Mets must search for a Plan B. With a hole still left to fill at second base, the Mets will circle back to free agent Daniel Murphy, who turned down the club's one-year, $14 million qualifying offer last month. Like Zobrist, Murphy is a versatile player who can play first, second and third base. Having drafted and developed him, the Mets also know exactly what kind of player they'd be getting. However, Murphy is a below-average defensive second baseman and he is also prone to blunders on the base paths.

(Chris Soto: Zobrist's deal with the Cubs sets a benchmark for Murphy. If Zobrist is worth $14M per season than Murphy is likely to sign a deal for possibly the same amount of years at a $12M per season rate. This is a figure that I personally would be very comfortable giving Murphy to be my everyday 2B as well as my "Oh Shit" plan for 3B in case David Wright gets hurt again. One thing a lot of folks are overlooking is that Murphy worked heavily with Kevin Long this season to make a tweak to his swing in an effort to develop more power. As a result, Murphy posted the best "power" season of his career posting an ISO rate 33 points above his career average.)



Associated Press | Yahoo Sports-   Mets infielder Wilmer Flores broke his left ankle last month when he was hit by a pitch playing winter ball in Venezuela. Mets assistant general manager John Ricco said Tuesday at the winter meetings that Flores does not need surgery and is expected to be ready for spring training. Flores was injured in his season debut with the Bravos de Margarita in his home country. He took several days off then returned to the lineup for three games before being shut down for the winter. The Mets originally thought the injury a bruise but learned Tuesday it was a nondisplaced fracture.

(Chris Soto: Here is the danger with letting guys play in oversea Winter Leagues. The medical technology available to them is no where near what the Mets have sitting in Citi Field alone. Flores figured it was just a bruise and tried to gut it out. He even performed well in his 3 games back, but something still didn't feel right so he returned back to the States where an X-Ray was done and the fracture was found. It's certainly not too bad of an injury since it's non-displaced. It basically amounts to just a crack. He'll be fine in about 4-6 weeks.)



HOT STOVE REPORT (courtesy of mlbtraderumor.com)

• The Braves fire sale continues. They traded RHSP Shelby Miller and minor league LHRP Gabe Speier to the Arizona Diamondbacks for 2015's 1st round pick and team #1 prospect SS Darby Swanson, #3 prospect RHSP Aaron Blair, and MLB OF Ender Inciarte. 
• The LA Dodgers seem to be the most aggressive team trying to convince the Miami Marlins to trade RHSP Jose Fernandez. The club is now trying to involve a 3rd party to try and get the necessary second high level prospect they need to acquire Fernandez without having to give up SS Corey Seager.
• The Mets have received offers for LHSP Jon Niese. According to Mike Puma, the club feels comfortable enough with Rafael Montero's health progress to use him in the #5 SP role in the event Niese is traded until Zack Wheeler is ready to return.

(Chris Soto: Boy....the Braves got a MASSIVE haul for Miller. There was no way I could have expected he would fetch that kind of price considering his advanced metrics, mainly FIP, were not in agreement with his solidly low 3.02 ERA from 2015. The Miller deal should be a good barometer for what the Mets could get should they decide to trade a healthy Zack Wheeler.)

12.3.2015 Winter League Results | Flores Fills Up the Stat Sheet in Venezuela, Lagares' Elbow Looks Just Fine, Black Back on the Mound

Arizona Fall League

Completed. Final Game was November 19th

Mexican Pacific League

- Venados de Mazatlan 2 - 9 Charros de Jalisco
- Caneros de los Mochis 2 - 3 Naranjeros de Hermosillo
- Yaquis de Obregon 13 - 3 Tomateros de Culiacan
- Aguilas de Mexicali 3 - 2 Mayos de Navojoa

• C Xorge Carrillo: 0 for 3, 2 BB, K

  

Venezuela Professional Baseball League

- Leones del Caracas 0 - 5 Caribes de Anzoategui
- Bravos de Margarita 11 - 7 Navegantes del Magallanes

• 3B Wilmer Flores: 2 for 4, 3 R, 2 2B, RBI(2), BB, K

Dominican Baseball League

- Aguilas Cibaenas 4 - 11 Gigantes del Cibao

• CF Juan Lagares: 0 for 2, BB, 2 OF assists (Runners Thrown out at Home and 2nd)
• RHP Victor Black: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 K

- Toros del Este 3 - 4 Estrellas de Oriente

• LHP Dario Alvarez: 0.0 IP(2 Batters Faced), 1 H, 1 BB

Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League

- No Games Scheduled

12.2.2015 Winter League Results | Flores Goes Yard in DoubleHeader, Jeremy Hefner Looking Healthy in DR, Rough Days for Monell and Berrios in Marathon Game

Arizona Fall League

Completed. Final Game was November 19th

Mexican Pacific League

- Venados de Mazatlan 0 - 4 Charros de Jalisco
- Caneros de los Mochis 0 - 1 Naranjeros de Hermosillo
- Yaquis de Obregon 5 - 9 Tomateros de Culiacan
- Aguilas de Mexicali 4 - 6 Mayos de Navojoa

• C Xorge Carrillo: 0 for 3,  K

  

Venezuela Professional Baseball League

- Leones del Caracas 1 - 7 Caribes de Anzoategui
- Tiburones de La Guaira 1 - 5 Cardenales de Lara

• DH Jairo Perez: 0 for 3, BB, K

- Bravos de Margarita 2 - 6 Navegantes del Magallanes

• 2B Wilmer Flores: 1 for 3, R, HR(1), RBI(1), K

- Bravos de Margarita 3 - 4 Navegantes del Magallanes

• 2B Wilmer Flores: 0 for 2, BB

Dominican Baseball League

- Estrellas de Oriente 4 - 6 Aguilas Cibaenas
- Tigres del Licey 5 - 4 Toros del Este

• CF Juan Lagares: 0 for 3, BB, K

- Gigantes del Cibao 1 - 2 Leones del Escogido

• RHP Jeremy Hefner: 4.0 IP, 4 H

Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League

- Gigantes de Carolina 1 - 2 Indios de Mayaguez

• 2B T.J. Rivera: 0 for 2, BB

- Criollos de Caguas 4 - 3 Cangrejeros de Santurce (17 Innings)

• C Johnny Monell: 0 for 5, BB, 2 K
• LF Arnaldo Berrios: 1 for 6, 2 R, BB, 3 K
• RHP Jon Velasquez: 1.0 IP, 1 BB

The Morning Report 10.12.2015 | Utley Suspended for Slide; Enters John Rocker Territory, Maintaining Composure, Flores is Next Man Up

Seth Berkman | New York Times- On Sunday night, Torre said he was suspending Utley, 36, for Games 3 and 4 of the Mets-Dodgers series, stating that Utley was guilty of an illegal slide into Tejada that warranted discipline. “While I sincerely believe that Mr. Utley had no intention of injuring Ruben Tejada and was attempting to help his club in a critical situation, I believe his slide was in violation of Official Baseball Rule 5.09, which is designed to protect fielders from precisely this type of rolling block that occurs away from the base,” Torre said.

(Chris Soto: Good....he 100% deserves to be suspended...but you know what? I'm glad he's appealing the decision. I want LA manager Don Mattingly put Chase Utley in tonight's starting line-up. Justice will be served tonight, not in the form of a beanball, but in the form of Flushing's Dark Knight Matt Harvey zipping 9 8mph fastballs by him as goes 0 for 4 with a Golden Sombrero. You messed with the wrong team Mr. Utley! You best believe that these flamethrowers are not going to let you come within 90 feet of 1st base again this series.)

Ken Davidoff | New York Post- He spent the prime of his career being disliked but respected in New York. If not for Chase Utley’s Phillies, Citi Field might have a different vibe to it, for the suffering wouldn’t have been as severe. And now, just as the Mets prepared to launch a new era of good feelings, their old rival has assumed a far greater place on the enemy scale. Yes, Utley, suddenly finds himself as the most hated man in New York. 

(Chris Soto: Everyone has already talked about "SlideGate" so I'm not going to do that here. We all saw it, we know the result, and the MLB office has stated that it was in fact illegal. This is the kind of situation that can INSPIRE a team, give it's players that extra boost they need to go above and beyong what they are capable of. This Mets team is going to come out tonight motivated to hit, motivated to field every ball, and Harvey is going to be extra motivated to strike out the world. Mr. Utley, Thank You...... because of your "illegal slide", you may have woken up the beast sleeping within this Mets team.)

John Delcos | New York Mets Report- There are many, myself included, who believe Terry Collins should be NL manager of the year for all his team had to overcome this summer. However, for as good a job as Collins did, his most important work will come now as he attempts to temper his team’s raw emotions in the wake of Chase Utley’s hard take-out slide that broke Ruben Tejada’s right leg. “Yeah, they’re angry,’’ Collins said. “You lose in a playoff series to that serious of an injury, yeah, they’re not very happy about it. We received a bad break, but the best way to respond is to win.’’

(Chris Soto: Mr. Delcos makes a very legitimate point. As motivated as the Mets are going to be as I stated above....it needs to be a controlled motivation, one that can be channeled through the players bats, not their mouths. This is the biggest stage of the year, so everything is going to be under a microscope. Collins needs to make sure that his team is aware of this and maintains their style of play.)

Ken Davidoff | New York Post- He just overcame both back spasms and a case of strep throat that caused him to lose 10 pounds, and now he reassumes the Mets’ starting shortstop job thanks to a teammate’s traumatic injury. In the life of Wilmer Flores? Sounds like just another week at the ballpark. “I’ve been ready since we started the postseason,” Flores said, “So I don’t need to change anything.”

(Chris Soto: It has certainly been a wild ride for Mr. Flores. That said, this isn't just some random replacement for Tejada, Flores is entering a situation that can be extremely favorable for him. The next 2 SPs for the Dodgers are LH Brett Anderson followed by LH Alex Wood. Against LHP, Flores is hitting a monstrous .310 AVG with a .955 OPS. Add that to the fact that in 6 games against the Dodgers already this season....he's batting .524 AVG with a 1.143 OPS. We could be adding another wonderful chapter in the book of Flores over the next few days.)

The Morning Report 7.30.2015 | What the Heck Happened Last Night? Review, Analysis, and Fall-Out. Mack's Mets Injury Report

Also at Mack's Mets:

Carlos Gomez Trade | Christopher Soto - Let's slowly recap what the heck happened last night.

• Review
• Yesterday before the start of the game, the Mets and the Brewers agreed on a deal that would send CF Carlos Gomez to NY in exchange for SP Zack Wheeler and IF Wilmer Flores. The deal was agreed upon pending physicals and the Brewers even informed Carlos Gomez that as soon as the team's flight landed in Milwaukee, he would be connecting to NY. During the game, Team Doctors on the Mets staff became alarmed about a potentially significant hip issue that was on Carlos Gomez's medical report. The medical team reported back to Sandy Alderson who then proceeded to pull the offer from the table.

• Analysis: 
• For the Mets, when healthy, Carlos Gomez is one of, if not, the top offensive/defensive combination CF in baseball. Over the past 3 seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers, he has average a .276 AVG, .815 OPS with 22 HR and 37 SB per season. This kind of production combined with his defense would be worth +5.5 Wins Above Replacement per season. Carlos Gomez is also signed for 2016 as well.

• For the Brewers, Zack Wheeler is a tremendously high upside arm that is recovering from surgeries to repair his UCL tear and a flexor tendon tear. Currently he is not expected to return to the mound until late June of 2016. Of the Mets big pitching prospects, Wheeler turned out to be the most inefficient one of the bunch as he regularly had trouble getting out of the 5th inning before throwing 100 pitches. It is reasonable to believe that Wheeler will not return to 100% form until 2017 which gives the Brewers 3 years of control. If Wheeler returns to his usual self he returns an average of +2.5 WAR per season. Wilmer Flores would serve as the Brewers new 3B where his defensive abilities would play up . So far this season Flores has been worth +1.1 WAR and could reasonably finish at +2.0 WAR. He would come with the same amount of control as Wheeler.

• In total the Mets would received a forecasted +7.0 future WAR of value from Gomez while the Brewers would receive +15.5 WAR from the combination of Wheeler and Flores. On paper the Brewers would win the deal, however, the Mets would receive the bulk of their value up front while the Brewers would be waiting till 2017 really start receiving the benefit. You could conceivably argue that if Gomez were extended through the 2019 season (when Wheeler and Flores become free agent) the WAR value would be around +19.0 for Gomez thus making the Mets the winners of the deal. In the grand scheme of things......this would have been a very fair trade for both sides.

• Fall-Out
• 1st.... The bridge is burned with the Milwaukee Brewers. That means no Gomez and no Gerardo Parra either.

• 2nd....This sets the markets for OFs with an additional year of control. Looks for the Mets to revisit Jay Bruce and Josh Reddick.

• 3rd.....With news that it was Gomez's medicals that didn't check out....not Wheeler....other teams could now be interested in Wheeler as a trade piece. Perhaps the Rockies would be interested in Wheeler plus prospects in an exchange for Charlie Blackmon.

Mack's Mets Injury Report- 

• It is with great regret and disappointment that I would like to officially announce that Mack's Mets will be placing me on the 15 Day DL. After multiple medical reviews, it has been determined that I have sustained a Rotator Cuff Tear as well as a Labrum Tear in my right shoulder. I will be going under the knife on August 5th to get the tears repaired and will be unable to maintain the website for the next 3-4 weeks as I will be immobilized. Mack Ade will be returning starting August 3rd to provide coverage while I am away.

The Morning Report 6.29.2015 | Matz's Superb Debut, Granderson on Fire, Flores Value Plummeting, Cubs Interested in Niese

Zach Braziller | New York Post- They stood in the bowels of Citi Field, about 15 members of Steven Matz’ immediate family and his closest friends, all of them beaming, grinning broadly and looking spent at the same time. “I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome, really,” said Lori Matz, Steven’s mother. “He’s just so deserving." “It’s unreal,” said Matz’s brother Jon, a 27-year-old graphic designer. “It’s something you only imagine what it’s like. It’s kind of surreal.” Steven’s grandfather, Burt, became a social-media sensation with his reactions to every big hit.“He was incredulous, ‘I can’t believe it,’ ” Lori said. “I heard my dad is trending. It’s very interesting. He’s a great Steve fan, he’s a great Mets fan.”

(Chris Soto: Matz was unbelievable last night. Not many people, let alone MLB players, see a 96 mph fastball coming from the left side. Then you pair that with a curveball that appears to have tilt and break equivalent to Clayton Kershaw's nasty breaker and you have yourself a future star in the making. From the personal family standpoint, you have to give a hat tip to the rest of the Mets players in that clubhouse. For all the guys to come together and give Matz most of the team's free tickets for him to use for his friends and family was truly a great team moment. Those seats that Momma, Pops, and Grandpa Matz were sitting in?....of course...David Wright's suite seats. Truly a great moment for the Mets organization.) 
  
Barry Holmes | Rant Sports- Curtis Granderson has always been a topic of discussion, and has had immense pressure to preform since coming over from the New York Yankees in 2014. This is mostly due to the huge four-year, $60 million dollar contract that he signed. Some may say that he hasn’t performed consistently enough to deserve that amount of money. In the month of June, Granderson is hitting for an average of .281 with 6 HRs and 8 RBIs. In the last seven days, he has hit for an average of .429 with 4 HRs and 4 RBIs while also drawing five walks. Stats don’t lie, and the stats are showing that Granderson is swinging the hottest bat for the New York Mets as of right now.

(Chris Soto: And yet...the only thing people are talking about is the fly ball he missed in RF. Take him out of the lead-off spot! Trade him for peanuts to get rid of the money! Really? The Grandy Man is hitting .259 with a .357 OBP and is on pace for 25 HRs this season. He already has been worth +2.2 WAR so another win added and he meets the supposed"financial" value of his contract. The Mets certainly have offensive problems that need to be address, and Granderson is not a perfect player, but he is the least of the team's worries even before this little hot streak.)


Sean Coffey | NY Daily News- It's not longer just talk. After 76 games, the Mets have moved Wilmer Flores to second base. He started at second Sunday for the first time since the final game of the 2014 season. “I wanted to get him out there for a game,” Terry Collins said after the Mets’ 7-2 victory. The News reported last week that the Mets were considering moving Flores to second base as a better defensive and offensive alignment for when Daniel Murphy returns, in part because third baseman David Wright is nowhere near returning. Murphy will play third when he returns from the DL and until Wright returns.

(Chris Soto: From a non problem to a potentially big problem. While Flores moving over from SS to 2B certainly improves the overall team defense, from a personnel standpoint, it severely reduces Flores value in regards to the rest of the MLB. The average SS has been producing a measly .669 OPS, a stat that Flores has been on par with even during his struggles. However the average 2B, has an OPS that 20 points higher at .689. Flores need to work even harder now to start producing or else he's going to end up be an even bigger detriment to the team than he was before, at which point maybe Matt Reynolds starts knocking on his door.)


Connor O'Brien | Metsmerized Online- The Chicago Cubs are [reportedly] somewhat interested in Jon Niese as a potential trade target. However, the Cubs will likely have their sights set a little higher. Niese, 28, has a 4.12 ERA in 83 innings this season. Over eight seasons with the Mets, he owns a 3.89 ERA as well as walk and strikeout rates of 2.7 and 7.1. The big issue is Niese’s contract. He is making $9 million next season and has a $500,000 buyout or a $10 million option for the season after that. If the Mets want to use Niese in any deal for an upgrade at shortstop Niese would only be part of a package. The Mets would have to add more to a deal.

(Chris Soto: The Mets and Cubs have been linked together for a potential trade for months now as the two teams just match up way to well. That said the interest in Niese is a bit surprising. I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that he has found some consistency this month with a 3.46 ERA in his 4 starts and an 7.3 K/9 rate. There has been quite a bit of chatter for a rumored Javier Baez for Niese swap but Baez has been sidelined with an injury since June 7th. In addition, while Baez has rare power from a middle infielder, his K rate is always through the roof. He is also a terrible defender at SS and mostly plays 3B now. The club would be better served to maybe package Niese together with a high upside prospect arm like Fulmer, Meisner, or Gsellman to make a run at Addison Russell.)

The Morning Report 6.22.2015 | Collins Pleading for Help, Flores Offense Not Covering Defense, Gee Placed on Outright Waivers, Wheeler on the Mend.

Michael Baron | Just Mets-  The sad truth for the New York Mets is there are no more players to call upon at Triple-A to even attempt to provide the Mets with any kind of boost. And Collins knows it. “We’ve had everybody from Triple-A here,” Collins explained. “One guy hitting .500, he’s here. Another guy hitting .375, he’s here. Another guy hitting .350, he’s here. I don’t know what you want me to tell you. We’ve done everything we can. We’ve brought all those guys up that are swinging the bats good. This is not the Pacific Coast League. You can make all the changes you want. When they come up here, they’ve got to get the job done.”

(Chris Soto: You almost have to start feeling bad for Terry Collins here. He is flat out pleading Sandy Alderson for help and yet nothing is happening yet. That's not to say that it's Alderson's fault either...currently it is still too early for trade markets to develop. In addition, the pieces that Alderson wants to trade, no one is biting on, whether he likes it or not, and much to potential fan disapproval, Sandy's going to have to trade one of his big arms in order to gain any sort of substantial bat that can help push the Mets towards the playoffs.)


Larry Smith | Mets 360- The dividing line between the Flores factions is the question of whether his bat is potent enough to make up for a questionable (to be kind) glove. Let’s generalize then and say that offensively Wilmer Flores is in the top third of shortstops offensively. More specifically we could say he is the bottom of the top third even though that’s splitting hairs. If he’s not the worst defensive shortstop in the game today I can’t see how he can not be in the bottom three. The 10th best offense (remember that in OPS he was 9th and weighted OPS 11th) and 28th best defense makes for the 19th best overall shortstop in the game. That is bad but not disgraceful.

(Chris Soto: Here we go again with Wilmer Flores...remember a few weeks ago when he had a week long struggle defensively and wasn't hitting at the same time? Well he's in another mini slump hitting .227 over the past 2 weeks with only 1 HR and because of it, he's not covering his defensive shortcomings which have flared up again. Hopefully he responds the same way he did last time, by utilizing a day off + and team off day to clear his head then come back and just starting raking for the next 2 weeks to bring those stats back up. For what it's worth, he is in the middle of a 21 game error-less streak, although errors committed don't take into account ALL misplays.) 


Mike Vorkunov | NJ Advance Media- The Mets have put Dillon Gee on waivers after being unable to trade the starter away. The Mets designated Gee for assignment Monday, giving them a seven day window to trade him before having to choose the next step. Sunday, the report says, Gee was outrighted. If he clears waivers, Gee will go to Triple-A.

(Chris Soto: Well...we've been saying this all along, you can't trade a guy that there is NO market for. This could go two ways now, with Gee on outright waivers, a rival club could place a free claim on him and add him to their roster while picking up the remaining ~$2.9M left on his contract. If Gee clears waivers then the next step here is a decision from Gee himself. He could accept the assignment and go to AAA, or, he can refuse the assignment and forfeit his remaining salary in hopes on signing on elsewhere as a SP.)


David Hong | MetsMerized Online- Right-hander Zack Wheeler stopped by and visited with his teammates in Atlanta on Friday as they  began a weekend series with the Braves. Wheeler, who is in the recovery phase of his return from Tommy John surgery, told reporters he expects to start throwing a baseball next month. For now he’s been doing a lot of running and conditioning exercises while he rehabs at the team’s complex in Port St. Lucie. “I’ve been basically just doing upper-body and lower-body lifts. That’s really about it. Just running, lifting. Same thing every day, so it’s starting to get kind of old. Hopefully, when I pick up a ball, it’ll start moving a little bit faster and change some things up every once in a while.” 

(Chris Soto: It's good to see Wheeler on the mend, that said, as we know all too well, Tommy John recovery is a LONG tedious process. Wheeler will likely not be ready to throw in a MLB game until June of 2016 but when you look around the league at other receipients of the operation, you don't feel good about it. Jarrod Parker, AJ Griffin, Kris Medlen, and Brandon Beachy are all guys still on the mend from last year and are not making good progress. Hopefully the Mets found a magical rehab program with Harvey that can help Wheeler come back 100%.)