John From Albany: 10 Years Ago - Wright Comes Back - Mets hit 8 Homers, 8/24/2015

 

New York Daily News Page Page, 8/25/2015

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 #124; Monday;  Aug 24, NYM 16 @ PHI; 7; boxscore;    WP: Gilmartin; LP: Neris; Time: 03:33; NIGHT; Attendance: 23,744; Record: 68-56; Standings: 1; Games up/behind: up 5.5; W;  

Juan Lagares CF: 2 for 6; HR; 1 run; 2 RBIs; 2 Ks; Daniel Murphy 1B: 3 for 6; HR,2·2B; 3 runs; 2 RBIs; Yoenis Céspedes LF: 2 for 5; HR,HBP; 2 runs; 2 RBIs; 1 K; David Wright 3B: 2 for 5; HR; 3 runs; 1 RBI; 1 walk; 2 Ks; Wilmer Flores 2B: 3 for 6; 2·HR,2B; 3 runs; 5 RBIs; 1 K; Travis d'Arnaud C: 3 for 5; HR,2B; 1 run; 3 RBIs; Michael Cuddyer RF: 3 for 4; HR,2·2B; 1 run; 1 RBI; 1 walk; Rubén Tejada SS: 0 for 5; 1 K; Jacob deGrom P: 0 for 1; Sean Gilmartin P: 1 for 2; 1 run; 1 K; Michael Conforto PH: 1 for 1; 2B; 1 run; Juan Uribe PH: 0 for 1; Jacob deGrom: 2.2 innings; 7 runs; 6 ERs; 8 hits; 3 HRs; 3 walks; 3 Ks; Sean Gilmartin, W (3-1): 3.1 innings; no runs; 3 hits; 4 Ks; Hansel Robles: 1 inning; no runs; 1 K; Eric O'Flaherty: 1 inning; no runs; 1 K; Carlos Torres: 1 inning; no runs; 1 walk; 

National Pastime.com: In a 16-7 victory over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, the Mets set franchise marks with eight home runs and 14 extra-base hits, including David Wright's second-inning blast in his first plate appearance since going on the DL in April due to a bad back. Wilmer Flores (2), Yoenis Cespedes, Juan Lagares, Travis d'Arnaud, Daniel Murphy and Michael Cuddyer also contribute to the team's new round-tripper record. 

NY Post: Mets blast way into record books with head-turning homer barrage. "It figured there needed to be something special — really special — to overshadow both David Wright hitting a home run in his first at-bat since April 14 and the shortest outing of Jacob deGrom’s big-league career. So, are franchise records of eight home runs and 15 extra-base hits special enough?"

NY Post: David Wright crushes upper-deck homer in 1st at-bat since April. "Wright was back for the Mets, playing his first game since April 14. Leading off the second inning, he looked like he never left as he crushed the third pitch he saw, hammering a mammoth homer on his first swing into the second deck in left, sparking the Mets’ eight-homer, 16-7 romp over the Phillies on Monday." 

8/24/2015 The Mets hit a franchise-record eight home runs against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. David Wright, Juan Lagares, Wilmer Flores, Travis d’Arnaud, Michael Cuddyer, Daniel Murphy and Yoenis Céspedes all go deep in the 16-7 victory. pic.twitter.com/QAD3TdrmjP

— This Day in Mets History (@NYMhistory) August 24, 2023

With the Nationals having the day off. the Mets extended their 1st place lead to 5 and a half games.

NL East Standings 8/24/2015

Tm	W	L	W-L%	GB	RS	RA	pythW-L%
NYM	68	56	.548	--	496	450	.544
WSN	62	61	.504	5.5	518	497	.519
ATL	54	71	.432	14.5	460	562	.409
MIA	50	75	.400	18.5	464	522	.446
PHI	50	75	.400	18.5	472	626	.374

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 8/24/2015.

Paul Articulates - One for three

Billy Wagner made the hall of fame this week.  Carlos Beltran did not.  Neither did David Wright.

Three great baseball players, all of whom wore a Mets uniform for at least part of their careers.  The news broke Tuesday, and there were few surprises.  In my opinion, Billy deserved it and should have gotten in last year.  Let’s look at all three players.

Billy Wagner had a remarkable career as a relief pitcher.  He was listed at 5’10” but that may have been in platform shoes.  The small stature was no measure of this man, who was absolutely dominant on the mound.  Well before our current era of max effort, max velocity pitchers, Wagner was a flame thrower.  

He began his career in Houston, where he saved 225 games over nine seasons.  He made the all-star team three times over that span.  Although he has not yet announced which cap he will wear for his HOF bust, I would guess that it would be the Astros cap because that is where his star was born.  

After leaving the Astros, Wagner had impactful seasons for the Phillies and the Mets.  He gained all-star berths once in Philadelphia and twice more in New York. 

 As a Met, he delivered 101 saves in 118 opportunities in the 2006, 2007, and 2008 seasons when the team was very competitive and needed every one of those saves.  For his career, he pitched to a 2.31 ERA with 1196 strikeouts in 903 innings pitched.  His WHIP was 1.00.  Amazing!  

He was proof that you could throw hard without missing the strike zone as he had only 300 walks during that span.   I am sure that many Mets fans will flock to Cooperstown this summer to watch his induction ceremony.

Carlos Beltran was one of the greatest switch hitters of his generation.  He was a multi-tool player that could cover center field better than his peers.  Beltran slammed 435 home runs and finished his career with a .836 OPS over 2,586 games.  His fame spanned 20 years, mostly with Kansas City and the Mets, although he will also be remembered for his incredible playoff performance with the Astros in 2004.  

He also played for the Astros on their 2017 World Series championship team where unfortunately he was part of the cheating scandal that has caused the writers to pause before voting him into the hall of fame.  He still has an opportunity to enter the Hall, and will be on next year’s ballot.  Beltran has 149 homers and five selections to the NL All-Star team with the Mets.  

He was a pivotal player in the Mets’ 2006 season, his finest as a Met.  Despite a heroic season that saw him land fourth in the MVP voting, Carlos is unfairly remembered for being frozen at the plate on an Adam Wainwright 0-2 curveball with the bases loaded in the ninth inning of game 7 of the NLCS.  I believe that the baseball writers will eventually send Carlos Beltran to the HOF.  Just not yet.

David Wright is one of the most revered players in Mets’ history.  His career line of .296/.376/.491 is hall-of-fame worthy, but he is hampered by an injury-shortened career that did not allow him to amass the quantity of hits/runs/HRs that is typical of HOF inductees.  Wright was not only a superb third baseman with a powerful bat.  He was the face of the Mets, who handled the New York media like few others.  

In the face of adversity from either his injuries or tough streaks by the team, he was always very positive and complementary to his teammates and manager.  David was the fourth captain on the Mets (Hernandez, Carter, Franco), serving in that role from 2013-2018.  Wright will have his number retired this summer at a special ceremony at Citi Field on July 19th.    

Wright has remained engaged with the team since he retired from baseball, serving as a spring training instructor and consultant.  Mets fans would certainly all vote for Wright to join the stars in Cooperstown, but it is not a clear path.

Open Thread - Trio of Mets on the HOF ballot

MLB recently announced that three Met favorites will be on the ballot for the Hall of Fame.

David Wright was a seven-time all-star who is among the greatest to play the game in a Mets uniform.  His lifetime slash line was .296/.376/.491.  He holds a lifetime WAR of 49.2 and was a 2 time gold glove and 2 time silver slugger.  He holds Mets records for many categories, including hits, walks, HBP, total bases,  and RBI.

Jose Reyes was a four-time all-star with a NL batting title and was also a sliver slugger award winner.  His lifetime WAR was 37.4.  Among the most exciting Mets players to watch, Reyes holds Mets records for stolen bases, triples, and lead-off home runs.

Bartolo Colon earned most of his significant baseball accomplishments with other teams, but very quickly became a fan favorite with the Mets and recorded one of the all-time great Mets highlights when the comically-light hitting pitcher hit a home run on May 7, 2016 against another pitcher on the ballot, the Padres' James Shields.  "Big Sexy" finished his career with a 247-188 record, a 4.12 ERA, and 2,535 strikeouts.  Colon's 247 wins are the most among Latin American-born pitchers

It is tough to get in to the Hall Of Fame, and the two former Mets will be vying for the writers' votes with other very accomplished players.  Also newly on the ballot are players Adrian Beltré, Joe Mauer, Chase Utley, Matt Holliday, Adrián González, José Bautista, Brandon Phillips, Victor Martinez, and James Shields.

How many ballots do you think it will take to get Wright, Reyes, and Colon in?

FLASH: David Wright Sidelined with Shoulder Soreness

     3B David Wright felt renewed soreness in his throwing shoulder after a few sessions of throwing. Team doctors have initially diagnosed Wright with a shoulder impingement but he is heading back to New York for further tests.

     The team expects Wright to be unable to participate in baseball activities for at least a few weeks and are preparing for Jose Reyes to be the opening day 3B. 

(Well.....that didn't take too long....at this point, it is clear that David is unable to physically play baseball anymore. It is seriously time to start considering a medical retirement.)

The Morning Report 1.13.2015 | Pressure is now on Wright to Perform, Mets Re-Sign Keith Hernandez, Parra Signs with Rockies; Potential Trade Looming?

James Newman | Mets360- Without signing Yoenis Cespedes, the lineup for the Mets will put a lot of confidence in David Wright to make up for the loss of Cespedes. Unfortunately, the captain has been injured over the past couple of years, and has played in over 120 games two times in the past five years. The last time Wright had over a 2.0 WAR was in 2013, when he made the All-Star Game. In 112 games, Wright hit .307, with 18 homers and 58 RBIs. With only Duda, Granderson, and Walker having [potential to] hit more than 20 home runs a season, the Mets may need a little bit more production from Wright if they are going to compete for the division title again.

(Chris Soto: I don't see how you can realistically place any hopes of a good offense on the shoulders of an aging David Wright. His back condition has sapped him of whatever HR power he had left. I believe that the David Wright we saw in the 30 games he played in August/September is going to be the new norm for him.....which is ok. That David Wright still OPS'd .814 which would have been 7th best in the MLB at the 3B position had he played enough games. Wright is no longer a reasonable #3 or a #4 hitter in any line-up.....however.....he can still be a VERY strong #2 hitter behind Curtis Granderson.)



Mike Puma | New York Post- One big free agent is returning to the Mets. Keith Hernandez, whose SNY contract was set to expire, has a new deal that will keep him in the Mets broadcast booth at least through the 2018 season. But an industry source indicated Hernandez’s new contract may extend even longer than the previous three-year deals he had received from the network. The former first baseman has teamed with Ron Darling and Gary Cohen to form one of the game’s most popular and colorful broadcast crews. Hernandez will receive a substantial raise in his new contract, according to a source. SNY wasn’t about to risk losing the popular Hernandez, who has become an iconic presence in the booth.

(Chris Soto: I have the premium SiriusXM and DirectTV packages, in my car and at home, which can get all of the home team broadcasts and let me tell you....I have listened to a wide variety of broadcasters and can realistically say that SNY has built one of, if not the best, away from the field broadcasting experience both on the radio AND on TV in the entire MLB. You just do not get bored listening to these guys. Replacing Keith, while still providing that same level of experience, would have been far too difficult to do so I am very glad they were able to come to a new agreement.)

HOT STOVE REPORT (courtesy of mlbtraderumor.com)

• The San Diego Padres are close to signing one of either SS Ian Desmond or SS Alexei Ramirez.
• The Colorado Rockies signed OF Gerardo Parra to a 3 yr/$27.5M deal ($9.16M per season). The consensus around the MLB is that with the signing, the Rockies could now be more aggressive in their desires to trade one of Corey Dickerson, Charlie Blackmon, or Carlos Gonzalez for some SP.
• The Miami Marlins have signed LHSP Wei-Yin Chen to a 5 yr contract worth $80M. The contract is backloaded and has an opt-out clause after the second year. The value of the first two years is $14M per season with the remaining 3 being worth $17.33M per year.
• The Los Angeles Dodgers continue to dominate the international Free Agent market. This time they have signed 25 yr old Cuban RHP Yasiel Sierra to a 6 yr contract worth $30M. Sierra was not subject to the international bonus rules due to his age so the Dodgers will not have to pay a 100% tax of the contract value to the MLB like they did with youngster Yusniel Diaz.

The Morning Report 9.10.2015 | Cespedes for MVP gaining Traction, David Wright Fired Up, deGrom to be Skipped Too?

David Schoenfield | ESPN Sweet Spot- The MVP award doesn't always go to the best player, even if that should be the case. As we know, the MVP is a labyrinthine combination of statistics, narrative, memorable moments and whether a player's team makes the playoffs. And that's why this Cespedes-for-MVP storyline has some legitimate steam. More than anything, he's building that narrative -- he turned around the Mets' offense! -- and many of the writers who vote for the MVP award absolutely love that kind of stuff. The facts: Through July 31, the Mets had averaged 3.54 runs per game, worst in the majors. Since Cespedes played his first game with the Metropolitans on Aug. 1, they've averaged 6.14 runs per game, most in the majors. You see the argument: He changed the entire dynamic of that lineup.

(Chris Soto: Oh man...what more can be said about this Mets team. Last night was, yet again, another unbelievable comeback win. First Kelly Johnson with the pinch hit HR, and then Yeonis Cespedes absolutely crushes a Drew Storen curveball into the Mets bullpen where all of his teammates are jumping around like madmen at a rock concert. This team has a special magic to it right now. That something extra that hasn't been present in a very long time. Lets see if the club can avoid a let down and take 3 out of 4 from the bottom feeding Braves this weekend.)

John Harper | NY Daily News- David Wright has never been one to show too much emotion on the field, living by the ballplayers’ code that demands an even keel over 162 games. But suddenly he’s letting the fist pumps fly, relishing the joy of big wins here this week in more visible ways than usual. It’s not hard to understand why. “There were times, sitting on the training table in the rehab center, when I’d be thinking to myself, ‘I’m not sure what’s going to happen,'" Wright said. “I was hopeful and optimistic, but some days didn’t feel so good, and those were the days when you’d play out the worst-case scenario in your mind."

(Chris Soto: David Wright looks surprisingly good for someone with spinal stenosis. Since he has been back, Wright is hitting .286 with a .786 OPS and very manageable K and BB rates. In fact they are not that far removed from the pace he was beginning to establish at the beginning of the season. If this is the player David Wright is going to be over the rest of his contract length, Mets fans should be quite happy.)

Mike Puma | New York Post- Jacob deGrom’s workload doesn’t concern the Mets, but team brass is still mulling the possibility of skipping the right-hander in the rotation at some point. “If we could do it I think it would be a preference,” general manager Sandy Alderson said. “Just general, giving him a break, I think it would be a good idea — as it would be for most.” This season, deGrom has pitched 176 innings, putting him on pace to eclipse 200 for the first time in his career.

(Chris Soto: Sweeping the Nationals and opening a 7 game lead on them with only 23 games left to play is a massive advantage. If the Mets can at least take the 1st 2 games from the Braves, it will provide them the luxury of giving not just their SP but a lot of guys on the team some rest. This has been a wild, emotional, ride over the past week or so and the last thing Terry wants is a letdown from mental exhaustion. )

The Morning Report 8.25.2015 | Mets Clobber the Phillies, The Captain Has Returned, Are the Mets Good? Or is the NL East is Terrible?

Dayn Perry | CBS New York- In Philadelphia on Monday night (NYM 16, PHI 7), the Mets hit 6.3 percent of their 2015 home runs to date. Yep, that's eight homers (and 15 extra-base hits in all), and that's a franchise record. We've already explored the significance of David Wright's clout, and that's part of a roundly improved Mets offense. They're healthy, the depth was improved leading up to the deadline, and of course there's Yoenis Cespedes now in the fold. The Mets have fared much better at the plate in August, particularly when it comes to power. No, they're not going to continue slugging .472 the rest of the way, but this does profile as a respectable offensive alignment moving forward.

(Chris Soto: You have to give credit where credit is due. Everyone knew the Mets offense was the biggest weakness of the club in 2015 and we bashed Sandy Alderson all summer long for being too patient and continuing to trot the same pathetic line-up day in and day out. However, the patience paid off... the Tigers grew discouraged about their place in the standings and became willing to sell Cespedes for a "non-essential" pitching piece. There was also Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe...certainly not slam dunks, but strong pieces that provide depth in case the injury bug strikes again.)

Andy Martino | NY Daily News- At the beginning of a historic night for the Mets offense, David Wright announced his relevance to the pennant race with one thundering swing: top of the second inning, boom, second deck in left field. With that, the Mets’ weirdly successful August became even weirder. Wright returns to a Twilight Zone, where everything works out for this team. It’s a reality barely recognizable from what the captain has seen for years. “I hope that everyone here is soaking it in, because it’s a lot of fun to be a part of, and there were a whole lot of down years,” Wright said.

(Chris Soto: The Captain Has Returned! Boy was that a bomb or what? Having David Wright back at even 50% strength is a massive improvement over what the Mets have been trotting out to 3rd base this season. The team ranked 29th out of the 30 teams in production from the position so far this season and Juan Uribe wasn't fairing any better than the likes of Eric Campbell, Daniel Muno, and others. His physical presence in the line-up isn't the only thing either. Just having him out there and back in the line-up is a massive boost mentally for the team. Enough so, that we kind of forgotten that one of the Mets best hitters, Lucas Duda, just went to the DL.)

David Schoenfield | ESPN SweetSpot- We all know the National League East is a bad division this season, but I didn't realize how bad. The 2015 NL East is 155-210 outside the division, a .425 winning percentage. This stuff matters because of the way baseball's honors get distributed. Regardless of the strength or weakness of your schedule or your divisional opponents' schedule, the team that finishes atop its division gets into the playoffs. It's not about absolute quality; it's about relative quality to your group. So when a division is very weak -- as the 2015 NL East unquestionably is -- I think it's fair to ask a question like, "Are the Mets actually any good, or are they just less bad than the field?"

(Chris Soto: Mr. Schoenfield makes a fair point, the NL East certainly has been a dumpster fire this season. You know what though? Who cares? There is at least 1 division like this every single season. The fact of the matter is, no matter what the talent level in within your division or outside of your division....you still need to beat the other guys. So far the Mets succeeded more than they have failed.)

The Morning Report 8.24.2015 | The Face of the Franchise Returns!, K-Rod to the Mets?, Conforto Defying the Odds

Matt Snyder | CBS New York- The Mets beat the Rockies Sunday, 5-1, giving them a three-game sweep and pushing their record to 67-56, matching their season high of 11 games over .500. They hold a five-game lead in the NL East and are about to get the (arguable) face of the franchise back. Seven-time All-Star David Wright will return Monday and he's going to start three games before resting Thursday and re-evaluating where things stand. How will his back react to multiple starts in the majors? How long will his adjustment period be to MLB pitching? He's been quite injury prone these past few years, so what if he overcompensates for his back and injures something else?

(Chris Soto: This is the big story of the day. The return of our +5.0 win per year All-Star third baseman. A healthy Wright is a massive upgrade over the bodies the Mets have been throwing out there on a nightly basis. During his rehab assignment Wright batted .321 with a .424 OBP so it looks like the bat is ready to go. How much is he going to contribute? Only time will tell....but I think you will all be quite surprised.)



Brian Devine | Metsmerized Online- [According to] reports, the Mets aren’t finished looking for relief help. Even with the additions of Tyler Clippard and Eric O’Flaherty, their bullpen has been unreliable and inconsistent during the second half. Mets’ relievers own an ERA just above four since the break, and they have allowed 13 runs in their last 17 innings. The Mets have looked into reuniting with the team’s former closer Francisco Rodriguez, but the fact that he is owed money beyond this year is an issue. K-Rod, who is dominating for the Brewers, is under contract next year for $ 5.5 Million. He has an excellent 2.06 ERA and 0.82 WHIP in 43.2 innings serving as Milwaukee’s closer this season.

(Chris Soto: I would be 100% behind reuniting with Francisco Rodriguez for not only 2015 but 2016 as well. You have to remember that Jhenrry Mejia is likely to be non tender after failing another drug test and it is also very likely that Parnell gets non tendered too after struggling to recover fully from Tommy John. In addition, Clippard, O'Flaherty, and Blevins are all free agents after this season so 2016's bullpen is pretty barren right now.)



Anthony DiComo | Mets.com- The Mets have not been able to shake him...[they] were ready to option Conforto to Triple-A Las Vegas days after his debut, when they traded for Cespedes, but Cuddyer's DL stint bought the rookie a bit more time. A few days later, they actually did option Conforto, but a DL trip for Nieuwenhuis ensured that he would never cash in his plane ticket. This weekend the Mets avoided demoting Conforto when  Duda hit the DL. Then Sunday, because  Verrett saved the Mets' bullpen with eight brilliant innings in a 5-1 win over the Rockies, the Mets decided they no longer needed to carry an extra reliever. So rather than ship Conforto out to clear roster space for Wright, they optioned Alvarez to Vegas. "It's crazy," said Conforto, "The way it's been happening, you don't like to see that, you don't like to see guys going on the DL. But the fact that I'm still here, I'm very excited. It's where I want to be."

(Chris Soto: As expected, Conforto is holding his own. He's not hitting everything....but his .258 batting average and .840 OPS is by far better than anything else the Mets have been putting out in LF during the 2015 season. As indicated by the wide split in his average and OPS, when he is making contact....it's very loud. In fact, of his 16 hits so far, 50% of them are of the extra base or HR variety.)

The Morning Report 8/20/2015 | David Wright Not Expected to be a Regular, Puello Released, Wilpons Refinance Debt to Increase Payroll

AP | CBS New York- Mets third baseman David Wright is expected to be activated from the disabled list next week after missing four months with a back injury. But it might be a while before he gets regular playing time.“I talked to Dave today about some stuff and he is certainly aware, I don’t know how many days a week it will be, but he certainly won’t be that everyday guy until we know his back is 100 percent,” Mets manager Terry Collins said Wednesday. “That may not be until next spring. We’ll have to keep an eye on it.”

(Chris Soto: The Wilpons may not like hearing it but Terry is playing the right cards here in regards to Wright. You can't expect him to be thrown in and expected to play 40 games straight, that's just not going to happen to a guy learning how to live with Spinal Stenosis. Him and Uribe will most likely split playing time 50/50 to start and depending on how Wright performs and how he feels, we may slowly see his share increase in mid September.)



Adam Rubin | ESPN New York- Outfielder Cesar Puello has been released by the New York Mets. Puello, 24, had cleared waivers, was removed from the 40-man roster and assigned to Triple-A Las Vegas on the eve of the regular season. However, he complained of back discomfort and the Mets were forced to rescind the move. Instead, Puello spent the last four-plus months on the disabled list collecting major league pay and service time. He resurfaced in the Gulf Coast League on July 27 for one rehab appearance before complaining of more back discomfort.

(Chris Soto: Thus is the end of one of the most bizarre and confusing stories of 2015. I'm severely dissappointed in what could have been. Puello had a ton of talent and just pissed it all away with his involvement in BioGenesis. To make things worse, when he failed to make the team out of Spring Training, rather than working hard in AAA and trying to earned a spot onto the team in season, he [Based on rumors] created some crap back injury to prevent the club from removing him from the 40 man roster in order to collect MLB paychecks. Goodbye and good riddance.)



Josh Kosman | New York Post- The financial condition of Mets owner Fred Wilpon has taken another Amazin’ turn. Wilpon and co-owner Saul Katz last month quietly refinanced roughly $700 million of debt owed by the team and SportsNet New York, the regional sports network controlled by their Sterling Equities, two sources close to the situation said. Sterling owns 65 percent of SNY and 60 percent of the Mets. The new five-year loans against the separate entities carry lower interest rates and tie the maturity dates together, sources added.

(Chris Soto: Tapping into my finance and accounting knowledge here...this move goes hand in hand with the sudden payroll flexability that Sandy Alderson was given at the trade deadline. I've said this multiple times in the past and will say it again now....The Wilpons have PLENTY of money!! However, what they do not have is a ton of financial LIQUIDITY. Liquidity is a person's ability to turn assets owned into cash for expenses. The Wilpons have a ton of money in real estate which is one of the most unliquid investments a person can make. This refinancing of debt lengthens how long they have to pay off debt thus reducing the monthly cash expense payouts which in turn improves liquidity. This is probably what allowed Sandy to absorb Cespedes, Uribe, Clippard, and Johnson's salaries this season.)

The Morning Report | deGrom's Immense Value, Time to Demote Parnell?, A Strange and Confusing Feeling, Wright Return Scheduled.

Business Insider's Cork Gaines featured The Top 25 players that have the greatest value to their team:

#18 Jacob deGrom - New York Mets - Position: SP
2014-15 WAR: 7.7 Wins
2014-15 WAR Value: $60.3 million
2015 Salary: $0.6 million

One thing to know: deGrom is the most valuable piece in what has become baseball's best rotation thanks to a 2.03 ERA and salary ($557,000) near the league minimum.

(Mack – Forget Yoenes Cespedes or Matt Harvey… deGrom is our most valuable Met, especially this season. It’s funny… his last three outing were not his best. His pitch count was up and he gave up far too many walks (10) than he or his pitching coach are comfortable with. That being said, the three outings produced a 1.67 and 1.86 ERA for the two months.
These are his bad outings. Crazy.)


Everybody seems to be writing Mets relief pitch stories after the Bobby Parnell debacle. One thing’s for sure… Parnell needs to be optioned out so someone can work on him in hopes of returning before the end of the season and being productive.

Everybody also seems to have a suggestion who should replace Parnell on the 25-man roster. Yesterday, I suggested Eric Goeddel, who is currently rehabbing and should be ready no later than next week.

Let me throw another name out there of someone that is already a member of the 40-man squad.

Dario Alvarez had a brief unsuccessful (and premature) cup of coffee last year (4-appearances, 13.50); however, he has rebounded with a banner season this year, first with AA-Binghamton (32-appearance, 3.19) and lately, almost lights out for AAA-Las Vegas (9-appearances, 2-0, 1.13 0.63). 
We all know how tough it is to put up these kind of numbers in Vegas. Oh yeah… one more thing… lefties are hitting .119 against him this season. 


Comment From MSW - Holy crap, it’s August, the Mets are in first place, and for the first time in a long time I have nothing to complain about. I feel strange, confused. What is this?

Jeff Sullivan: Well, there are always the Wilpons. And I mean that. There will probably literally always be the Wilpons. The family is unkillable

Mack – Don’t you find it strange that neither Wilpon has been heard from during this Mets surge? People say they don’t even see them sitting in the owner’s box lately. Is this the plan? Do you keep these guys hidden from the fans during the surge?

Mike Vorkunov | NJ Advance Media- David Wright will continue his rehab stint at St. Lucie Tuesday, accumulating at-bats and playing time as he tries to play his first major league game in more than four months. His return date could be coming up soon. According to reports, the Mets are looking at their series in Philadelphia at the beginning of next week as the time to bring him back. It would mean he had spent roughly two weeks rehabbing before playing again.

(Chris Soto: Boy...getting David Wright back for the final 6 weeks of the season is going to be such a massive boost to this club. Juan Uribe has been doing an excellent job holding down the fort defensively since coming to the Mets, but, outside of a few key hits, Uribe has been struggling at the plate as much as Campbell was. In his 19 games as a Met, Uribe is hitting .169 with K's in 27% of his plate appearances. I doubt anyone is expecting Wright to come back and crush 10 HRs in the month of September....but he can at least provide a .250+ batting average from 3B....Right?) 

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 7.2.2015 | Wright Making Progress, Duda In Massive Slump, Gee Struggling in AAA, 2015-16 IFA Signing Period Begins

Anthony DiComo | Mets.MLB.com- Mets third baseman David Wright, the soul of a team that has lost its way at the plate in consecutive shutout losses, including Wednesday's 2-0 setback in 11 innings, is about to take the first steps toward a return. Manager Terry Collins spoke Tuesday with Wright, [and] according to Collins, Watkins could clear Wright to begin baseball activities on a "limited basis" next week. He is still a ways off from taking batting practice, and, ultimately, from appearing in rehab games, meaning a return is not imminent.

(Chris Soto: This is the best news the Mets have received in weeks. Yes...a return is not imminent, but now it is more realistic to believe that Wright can return which gives us at least some hope. Limited activity probably means things that wouldn't violate the terms of the insurance policy so if he can get through those initial workouts they'll start cranking him up. For now, I'll assume August 1st is his potential return date.) 


Joe D. | Metsmerized Online- Lucas Duda continues to struggle mightily at the plate and last night’s 0-for-5 performance with four strikeouts might have been his worst showing yet. Since June 1, Duda is batting just .177 with one home run and 30 strikeouts and get this… a .264 slugging percentage and OPS+ of 86. He looks lost up there and he has to find a way to work his way out of this if the Mets are to have any chance to make some noise in the second half.

(Chris Soto: Let's just forget about June, ok? Duda has been flat out horrible at the plate and he is one of the primary reasons that the team cannot score runs right now. His horrid June has dropped his average with men in scoring position down to .233. The team can ill afford to have Duda continuing to struggle, and yet, they can't get him a mental break because the bench is already playing short handed due to the 6 man rotation and the Cuddyer non-DL injury.)


Aaron Gleeman | NBC Sports- Dillon Gee pitched himself out of the Mets’ starting rotation and then his $5.3 million contract went unclaimed on waivers after being designated for assignment, so the 29-year-old right-hander stayed in the organization at Triple-A. And now he’s getting knocked around at Triple-A. Gee allowed six runs in his first start for Las Vegas and was even worse Tuesday, failing to make it out of the fifth inning while giving up eight runs on 13 hits. Las Vegas is an extremely hitter-friendly environment in a very hitter-friendly league, but yeesh. Prior to this season Gee had a 3.91 ERA in 640 career innings for the Mets, but between Triple-A and MLB he’s allowed 43 runs in 49 innings this year.

(Chris Soto: When your a guy who can't generate consistent swing and misses, your gonna open yourself up to the BABIP gods and Dillon Gee is finding that out the hard way. He also has the wonderful displeasure of being a flyball pitcher in the Pacific Coast League which is also never a good combination. Gee is certainly not this bad.....but he's honestly not that good either and has no trade value at this point. His new job now is to figure it out and serve as pitching depth in case one of our stud young arms hits their respective innings limits.)

Michael Baron | Just Mets- The 2015 international free agent signing period officially began early this morning, and it looks like the Mets are already busy in that market, as predicted. The Mets have signed SS Gregory Guerrero, his agent Matthew Marotta tweeted early Thursday. According to Kiley McDaniel of FanGraphs, Guerrero was expected to sign for $1.8 million. “Guerrero has some of the same actions and swing mechanics as last year’s top player, Brewers SS Gilbert Lara, and, like Lara, also projects to move to third base eventually, but will play shortstop for the time being,” McDaniel writes.

(Chris Soto: Let the IFA market frenzy begin! This signing leaves the Mets with roughly ~$700,000 left to spend and that money may already be committed to another high profile signing in SS Andres Gimenez. As disappointed as the Mets are that Vlad Guerrero's son decided to play for Toronto, they will be happy to get his nephew Gregory and Gimenez as consolidation prizes.)

The Morning Report 6.24.2015 | Mets Not Executing, Mejia Begins "Rehab" Assignment, Wright Still Not Cleared, Mets Brutal July Schedule

Mike Vorkunov | NJ Advance Media-  Terry Collins sat up in his chair, towards the desk in front of him, and tented his fingers together. The emotion built up in his voice with each passing minute. There was so little that had gone right on this night so each topic only became a source of agitation. The shoddy defense had brought home another run with another miscue. A lineup that continued to whither against whichever pitcher stood on the mound. A bullpen that slipped up once too often. "All I know is we're not executing sh*t," Collins fired, his voice rising.   

(Chris Soto: The team looks so bad right now...no one is hitting and no one is fielding. The guy that was brought in to be the back-up leader for David Wright is not helping, the team's future star catcher is hurt again, the 3B turned 2B turned SS is not hitting or fielding, and the 30 HR power guy at 1B is hitting .190 over the past 30 days. This team needs help so badly right now....)


Mike Puma | New York Post-  Jenrry Mejia is on the clock for a return to the Mets. The suspended reliever began a 16-day rehab stint with the Gulf Coast Mets on Tuesday, and is scheduled — barring rainouts — to rejoin the major league club on July 7. Mejia was suspended 80 games in April after testing positive for steroids and had been working out independently in the Dominican Republic until earlier this month. According to assistant general manager John Ricco, the elbow inflammation that forced Mejia to the disabled list in the days before he was suspended is no longer an issue.

(Chris Soto: Despite his ineligibility for postseason play, a healthy, effective Jhenrry Mejia would be welcome addition to the front end of what has been a leaky bullpen over the past month. A 7th/8th/9th inning combo of Parnell, Mejia, and Familia could be one of the best in baseball if Parnell continues to build up arm strength and add velocity. Despite that, he's still been pitching pretty well.) 


Matt Cerrone | Metsblog- David Wright has not been cleared for baseball activity, Assistant GM John Ricco said on Tuesday. GM Sandy Alderson told reporters that Wright could return by the All-Star break at the Brooklyn VA Hospital last week. Wright remains in Los Angeles receiving treatment on his back for spinal stenosis. In early June, Wright said doctors have told him now is not the time to have surgery on his back, and that his potential return is still on a week-to-week basis. Wright maintained that he expected to return this season.

(Chris Soto: Does anyone really believe that Wright is coming back this season? I sure as heck don't. The club needs to push forward figuring that Wright will not be coming back. That means going out and finding a rental 3B for the rest of 2015. Unfortunately, there's no one to be had right now...I was in the camp that wanted Minnesota's Trevor Plouffe but his availability was based on Miguel Sano's continued mashing of AA pitchers. Instead Sano is in a bit of a funk which leaves no desire to promote him and supplant Plouffe.)


Brad Kallet | CBS New York-  The Mets are remarkably fortunate to be just 1 1/2 games behind the Washington Nationals for first place in the National League East. But that number — 1 1/2 — is just going to get bigger and bigger and bigger until the games are rendered completely meaningless. Outside of the NL East, they’re just 13-20. The Mets can only beat up on Philadelphia and Miami so many times. Oh, and have you happened to glance at the upcoming schedule? It’s daunting, to say the least. Try not to pass out or get too depressed, for it’s awfully ugly: three vs. the Cubs, three at the Dodgers, three at the Giants, three vs. the Diamondbacks, three at the Cardinals, three at the Nationals, four vs. the Dodgers, three vs. the Padres and one vs. the Nationals, taking them into August. Yeah. Drink that in.

(Chris Soto: Brad's right...July is going to be put up or shut time for the Mets as they play 4 teams in contention for a division title, 2 teams competing for a Wild Card spot, and 1 team that's not competing but still has one of the top offenses in baseball. One thing we do have to look forward to as we turn the page to July is the eventual premier of LHSP Steven Matz.)

The Morning Report 6.3.2015 | Wright's Return Still Not Known, Syndergaard Unlucky, Wilmer Flores = Jhonny Peralta, Manfred talks DH in NL

Mike Vorkunov | NJ Advance Media-  David Wright will proceed on a week to week basis as he tries to return to Mets. He offered no timetable but says he will play again this year. Doctors have told Wright it will not only be possible this year "but sooner than later." Wright says doctors told him he is, at 32, too young to have surgery. He will meet with medical staff each week to understand his latest progress.

(Chris Soto: Wright seemed very unsure when he delivered the news to the press yesterday. You just never know with back injuries and in this case, we may have to think about moving on without Wright for the remainder of the season. It is rumored that the front office has already begun legwork on searching for long term 3B replacements so it seems like they also feel the same way. One guy I would personally target is Minnesota Twins 3B Trevor Plouffe who is blocking the way for top prospect, the massive power hitting Miguel Sano. Plouffe, age 28, is an above average defender at 3B with 15-20 HR power and the ability to hit around the .270 range. The cost to acquire him shouldn't be too significant either.)


Anthony DiComo | MLB.com- Never underestimate baseball's ever-present power to produce statistical oddities. Never in modern Major League history had a starting pitcher struck out double-digit batters, allowed double-digit hits and lasted fewer than five innings until Andrew Cashner did it Monday against the Mets. Weird, right? But this is weirder: One night later, during the exact same series in the exact same ballpark, Mets rookie Noah Syndergaard matched Cashner's feat. In a 7-2 loss to the Padres, Syndergaard struck out 10 batters with 10 hits in four innings.
"It's just one of those things," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "It's what makes the game great."

(Chris Soto: Don't be confused...Syndergaard was SUPERB last night as he had everything working. However, the Padres were making contact with pitches at their shoes and off the corners and just poking them into holes and down the lines. It was like Thor had forgotten to pay homage the rest of the baseball gods. Either that or he forgot to give Jobu rum. In either case, just chalk up last night's game as an oddity and move on to today.)


Joel Sherman | New York Post- The Mets passed on Jhonny Peralta following the 2013 season. That offseason was the first time I heard a member of their organization refer to possibly having “Jhonny Peralta Lite” in Wilmer Flores. After all, it was just as easy to find members of the Mets front office who did not believe Flores would ever have the agility and defensive chops to be a major league shortstop. But more and more, Flores is — of all things — Jhonny Peralta Lite. He is hitting homers and evolving into a more reliable shortstop. Peralta has long had the reputation as a shortstop who lacked range, but made all the plays he should, which was more than tolerable because of the power he brought to the position. 

(Chris Soto: Jhonny Peralta is exactly the type of player envisioned when projecting Wilmer Flores many years ago in the minor leagues. A guy who is capable of hitting 20ish HRs while driving in 100 RBIs with questionable, albeit serviceable, defensive abilities. That said, we had no idea that he would stick at SS, I thought for sure that he would remain a 2B or even end up with a different organization as a 3B. But major credit to him for stick through it and holding his own at SS where his bat is SO much more valuable than what other SS in the league generally provide.)


Anthony Castrovince | Mets.com- On the divisive topic that is the designated-hitter rule and whether it ought to be applied to National League teams, there are valid, impassioned arguments made by both those for and against pitchers hitting. But Commissioner Rob Manfred might have come up with a new, timely and largely irrefutable addition to this great debate Tuesday. "Not having National League pitchers hit," Manfred told reporters at Comerica Park, "would deprive us of the entertainment that Bartolo Colon has given us this year. It's been a great source of entertainment for me. I don't know about for the rest of you, but it has been for me."

(Chris Soto: HAHAHA....here's a story to lighten the mood for today. I am quickly becoming quite the fan of the MLB's new commissioner and this explanation puts the icing on the cake. Yes, offense puts fans in the stands, but, at some point Baseball needs to stay true to itself and having pitchers hit for themselves was one of those added elements that brings additional strategic moves into the game. Plus I do enjoy watching Colon hit....and Syndergaard too!)