John From Albany: 10 Years Ago - Back-to-Back-to-Back Homers Power Mets into 1st Place Tie, 8/2/2015

Curtis Granderson, 2015 Topps Stadium 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 #105; Sunday;  Aug 2, NYM 5  Vs. WSN; 2; boxscore;   WP: Syndergaard; LP: Zimmermann;  Save: Clippard; Time: 02:42; NIGHT; Attendance: 35,374; Record: 55-50; Standings: 1; Games up/behind: Tied; W;  

Curtis Granderson RF: 1 for 4; HR; 1 run; 2 RBIs; 2 Ks; Daniel Murphy 2B: 2 for 4; HR; 1 run; 1 RBI; 1 K; Yoenis Céspedes CF-LF: 1 for 4; 1 run; Lucas Duda 1B: 2 for 4; HR; 1 run; 2 RBIs; 1 K; Juan Uribe 3B: 0 for 4; 2 Ks; Kelly Johnson LF: 0 for 3; 1 K; Wilmer Flores PH: 1 for 1; 2B; Kevin Plawecki C: 1 for 2; 1 run; 2 walks; Noah Syndergaard P: 0 for 2; SH; 2 Ks; Juan Lagares CF: 0 for 0; Rubén Tejada SS: 0 for 3; Noah Syndergaard, W (6-5): 8 innings; 2 runs; 2 ERs; 7 hits; 2 HRs; 9 Ks; Tyler Clippard, S (18): 1 inning; no runs; 1 hit; 

NY Post: Mets dump Nats for monumental sweep, move into1st-place tie. “Amid pennant-race energy and enthusiasm that flowed from every nook and cranny of the ballpark, Curtis Granderson, Murphy and the hottest home run hitter on the planet, or at least in Queens, Duda, all homered five pitches apart in a five-run Mets third inning. When that carnage was done, the Mets gathered behind rookie Noah Syndergaard for a 5-2 nationally televised victory, the series sweep of the Nationals Sunday and a virtual share of first place in the NL East.”  

ESPN.com: “Noah Syndergaard (W,6-5) struck out nine over eight innings, and New York pulled within percentage points of the first-place Nationals in the NL East. Boosted by a trio of lively crowds, the Mets completed their first three-game sweep of Washington since May 2009 and boldly pronounced themselves legitimate contenders.”

NL East Standings 8/2/2015

Tm	W	L	W-L%	GB	RS	RA	pythW-L%
NYM	55	50	.524	--	373	375	.498
WSN	54	49	.524	--	424	396	.531
ATL	47	58	.448	8.0	385	451	.428
MIA	43	62	.410	12.0	375	410	.459
PHI	41	65	.387	14.5	388	517	.372

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 8/2/2015.

John From Albany: 10 Years Ago - Duda Does It as Cespedes Debuts, 8/1/2015

Lucas Duda, 2015 Topps Stadium 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 #104; Saturday;  Aug 1, NYM 3  Vs. WSN 2; boxscore;  WP: Robles; LP: Thornton;  Save: Familia; Time: 02:49; NIGHT; Attendance: 42,996; Record: 54-50; Standings: 2; Games up/behind: 1; W;

Curtis Granderson CF-RF: 1 for 4; 2B; 1 run; 1 K; Daniel Murphy 3B-2B: 0 for 4; 1 K; Yoenis Céspedes LF: 0 for 3; IW; 1 walk; 1 K; Lucas Duda 1B: 3 for 3; 2·HR,2B; 2 runs; 3 RBIs; 1 walk; Wilmer Flores 2B-SS: 0 for 4; 1 K; Kelly Johnson RF: 2 for 4; 2B; Travis d'Arnaud C: 0 for 3; 1 K; Jacob deGrom P: 0 for 1; SH; 1 K; Juan Uribe PH-3B: 0 for 0; IW; 1 walk; Rubén Tejada SS: 0 for 3; 1 K; Juan Lagares CF: 0 for 0; Jacob deGrom: 6 innings; 2 runs; 2 ERs; 6 hits; 1 walk; 7 Ks; Bobby Parnell: 1 inning; no runs; 1 hit; Hansel Robles, W (3-2): 1 inning; no runs; 2 Ks; Jeurys Familia, S (28): 1 inning; no runs; 1 K;  

NY Post: Lucas Duda’s heroics help Mets close gap onNationals. “Duda homered twice then hit a booming RBI double that scored the winning run in the bottom of the eighth as the Mets beat the Nationals for the second straight night, 3-2, to pull within one game of the NL East leaders heading into Sunday night’s series finale. And with the arrival of Cespedes, coupled with additions of Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson, Duda believes the Mets are ready to make a run at a division crown.”  

ESPN.com: “When the Washington Nationals took the bat out of Yoenis Cespedes' hands in the eighth inning, Lucas Duda let the rest of the National League know how tough it's going to be now to get through the middle of the new Mets' lineup. Duda hit a tiebreaking double after Cespedes was walked intentionally, leading New York to a come-from-behind, 3-2 victory over the Nationals on Saturday night in front of the second largest crowd ever for a Mets game at Citi Field.”

With the win, the Mets pull within a game of the 1st Place Nats.

NL East Standings 8/1/2015

Tm	W	L	W-L%	GB	RS	RA	pythW-L%
WSN	54	48	.529	--	422	391	.535
NYM	54	50	.519	1.0	368	373	.494
ATL	46	58	.442	9.0	379	449	.423
MIA	42	62	.404	13.0	370	408	.455
PHI	41	64	.390	14.5	386	511	.374

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 8/1/2015.

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.

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

NY Post Back Page, 7/11/2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

NL East Standings 7/10/15

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

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

The Morning Report 1.26.2015 | Piazza's #31 to be Retired, Cespedes Projections for 2016, Mets Avoid Arbitration with Mejia and Duda

Associated Press | Sports Illustrated- Mike Piazza's No. 31 will be retired by the New York Mets this summer. The Mets said Monday the number will be retired July 30 before a game against Colorado, part of the weekend celebrating the catcher, who will be inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame on July 24. Piazza's joins Tom Seaver (No. 41) as the only Mets' players whose numbers are retired. New York also retired the numbers of two managers, Casey Stengel (37) and Gil Hodges (14) and No. 42 is retired throughout the majors to honor Jackie Robinson.

(Chris Soto: It's about darn time...to be fair though....the Mets played this perfectly. Everyone knew that it was only a matter of time until Piazza made it into the Hall of Fame. So waiting till it was official to retire his number makes reasonable sense. The club has not been circulating his number either since he left.)


Mets Daddy | Metsmerized Online- It’s incredible to think that Yoenis Cespedes is back with the Mets. Everyone associated with the team should be thrilled and proud for how it all came together. Cespedes’ presence in the Mets lineup obviously makes them a significantly better team than the alternative Alejandro De Aza and Juan Lagares center field platoon. The question is, how much better? I took a look at three of the more popular projection systems and they all seem to think he’ll hit a little worse than his career averages in 2016:

Steamer: .266/.312/.463 with 26 homers and 72 RBI
ZiPS: .270/.312/.498 with 30 homers and 98 RBI


(Chris Soto: To get the full picture of how much more value Cespedes is going to bring to this Mets offense, one has to also bring in Juan Lagares' projections;

Steamer: .257/.297/.366 with 5 homers and 29 RBI
ZiPS: .261/.297/.369 with 6 homers and 49 RBI

We're talking almost almost 150 basis points of offensive improvement between the ZiPs projections between both players. That a MASSIVE boost to the line-up.)

HOT STOVE REPORT (courtesy of mlbtraderumor.com)

• The Mets avoided arbitration hearings with 1B Lucas Duda and RHP Jenrry Mejia by agreeing to 1 yr contracts with both players. Duda will make $6.725M this season which is 75k below the projection MLBTR had for him. Meanwhile, Jenrry Mejia agrees to take a pay cut down to $2.47M for 2016. This amount is 130k below what MLBTR had him pegged for. The only players left to sign via arbitration are CL Juerys Familia and 2B Neil Walker.
• The Mets are interested in RHRP Tommy Hunter. In 2015, Hunter was decent with the Baltimore Orioles but fell apart down the stretch when he was traded to the Chicago Cubs as he became a big victim of the long ball. He did post a strong 3.3 K to BB ratio that could provide decent value as a low to medium leverage guy.
• The Minnesota Twins are interested in recently DFA'd Carlos Torres. If the club decides to use a waiver claim on him, they would assume the full value of $1.05M contract that the Mets are on the hook for. They could also wait for the Mets to release him and then sign him via Free Agency which would leave the Mets on the hook for $175,000.

The Morning Report 9.1.2015 | Conforto Continues to Shine, Duda Not Ready for Activation, Addison Reed Ready to Secure the 7th, Nationals in Free-Fall

Anthony McCarron | NY Daily News- Michael Conforto had an eventful night in the Mets' 3-1 victory over Philadelphia Monday, from homering to open the scoring to more of his trademark patient at-bats to a play that served as reminder that the technology age is changing the game. He finished the night 2-for-2 with a walk and is now batting .293 with a .928 OPS and has reached base in 13 consecutive games. "We continue to very quietly talk about what a good player this guy has a chance to become," Mets' manager Terry Collins said after the game. "He's an outstanding hitter. He's got a great swing."

(Chris Soto: After seeing Conforto in Binghamton a few I had no doubts that he could hit around .250ish with some pop immediately, however, I could have never imagined him just fitting right in and crushing the way he has so far. A .293 AVG?? I thought that was his peak! A .928 OPS, Nope....never would've pegged him for that either. How about the good defense he has displayed? Hah...we were all told he was a below average defender and yet he's posted a +3 DRS so far which across a full season equals a +20.3 defensive UZR. A mark only the most elite of OF'ers even sniff.)

Mike Puma | New York Post- The Mets’ first-base shuffle might continue longer than the club originally anticipated. Lucas Duda’s stiff lower back hasn’t progressed as quickly as the Mets would have hoped, leaving it unclear if he will be in position to return from the disabled list Sunday when he is eligible. “We don’t have any day in mind, be he hasn’t hit — he is still tracking [pitches],” manager Terry Collins said. “I don’t know how close he is. I know he gets his therapy inside and goes out and he’s doing what he should be doing. He’s played catch, so that was a good sign. He played catch [Monday] and tracked another 250 balls off the machines so he is doing stuff, he just hasn’t swung the bat.”

(Chris Soto: This is one of the view pieces of bad news the Mets have been dealing with during the 2nd half of the season. Yea....the team is doing well right now. However, if the club is going to continue to succeed and push into the playoffs, they are going to NEED Lucas Duda's power in the middle of this line-up. Having Duda hitting behind a guy like Cespedes or Wright will make pitcher's think twice about working around them as they certainly don't want men on base with Duda's 30 HR power behind them.)

Anthony DiComo | Mets.com-  Addison Reed stepped into a Mets uniform for the first time on Monday. Bobby Parnell should return from the disabled list on Tuesday. With those two, and with Jeurys Familia and Tyler Clippard in tow, the Mets will spend September with four relievers boasting significant closing experience. If the bullpen was a significant concern for the Mets during the second half of August, manager Terry Collins is convinced it no longer is. "They're very good, all of them," Collins said. "When Bobby's healthy, he's dynamic. So it's going to make a big difference for us as we move into September, and we've got a lot of options and a lot of mixing and matching we can do with some quality relievers."

(Chris Soto: I'm not sure if I would go as far as saying it's no longer a concern....but Addison Reed certainly makes me feel a little better about the 7th inning. Reed struggled mightily in the month of June and ended up losing his closer's job to Brad Ziegler, but it wasn't that long again when he was considered one of the top young emerging closers in baseball. The stuff is certainly still there, in fact it seems almost seems normal since throughout his entire career he has always struggled in June. Hopefully the Mets have found lightning in a bottle here.)

David Schoenfield | ESPN Sweetspot- There's a time to recognize that baseball is a long, six-month grind and as a manager you have to be aware not to burn out your bullpen. Then there's a time to play with a little more urgency. That time is now for the Washington Nationals. When Ryan Zimmerman hit a three-run home run off St. Louis Cardinals reliever Kevin Siegrist in the top of the seventh to give the Nationals a 5-3 lead, the Mets had already won to momentarily increase their lead. This is the kind of game the Nationals had to win, just to keep pace. Piscotty singled. Peralta singled. Score tied. Both batters had two strikes on them but Janssen couldn't put them away. Williams watched his bullpen implode because he didn't want his eighth-inning guy to get four outs. It's bad baseball. It's bad managing. And yes, it was bad relief pitching. 

(Chris Soto: Boy are the Nationals in trouble! The magic number continues to dwindle, the bullpen is fading, the dream rotation isn't getting it done, and the media continues to turn on them. Bryce Harper isn't worried though... Well, he certainly should be! The Nats are now 6.5 Games Behind the Mets and with the Cubs and Pirates running away with the wild cards spots, they need to wake up and start playing better or else they'll be left out of the playoffs completely.)

The Morning Report 7.7.2015 | Familia Snubbed, Who's The Next Impact Bat, Cuddyer and Duda's Struggles, Gerardo Parra a Trade Target

Adam Rubin | ESPN New York- All-Star manager Bruce Bochy said New York Mets closer Jeurys Familia received strong consideration for a guaranteed spot for the National League squad. Bochy added that it is a sign of respect that he named Familia to the five finalists eligible to be voted in by fans this week. Fans will vote one from Clayton Kershaw, Johnny Cueto, Carlos Martinez, Troy Tulowitzki and Familia into the All-Star Game. "I know all about him," Bochy said about Familia. "He's got great stuff. And, of course, he had a great first half. That's why he's on the fan voting. You're not on that unless you receive a lot of consideration.

(Chris Soto: Man, idk how Bochy could have left Familia off the guaranteed ballot but let Mark Melancon. Yes Melancon has been on a roll, but did Bochy not see how bad he was in April? Melancon almost lost his job due to poor velocity and a 5.23 ERA. You won't see any of that with Familia. Juerys has been solid from Day 1 and his ERA has never been above 1.77 in any month this season. This was an egregious snub.) 


Kevin Kiernan | New York Post- The pitching All-Stars should be plentiful over the next few years for the Mets. But who is going to be the Mets’ next position player All-Star starter? Catcher Travis d’Arnaud, perhaps, if he can stay healthy, could be that position player All-Star. Michael Conforto has a shot. He is 22 and is a hitter, batting .325 at Double-A Binghamton. Scouts love his swing. Brandon Nimmo, 22, is climbing the ladder but still has a long way to go. The Mets are surviving with epic pitching, but this sure would be a lot more fun if the Mets had a few hitting All-Stars, too.

(Chris Soto: A healthy Travis d'Arnaud is probably the 3rd best hitting Catcher in the National League so he is absolutely an impact bat. The problem is the health part as he continues to get nicked up by unlucky type injuries. As for the next homegrown impact bat....it has to be Conforto, the numbers he is putting up are unbelievable and he hasn't the least bit of signs of slowing down after jumping from A+ to AA. In fact you could make a save assumption that Conforto could probably continue crushing in AAA too. As for Nimmo, while his performance in 2015 is certainly good, I'm not sure if he's an "IMPACT bat." I continue to see Nimmo as more of a solid role player. Pretty much the team's next Daniel Murphy. He's someone who's  I think is gonna hit .270 with 15 HR/15 SB and good defense in RF.) 


Marc Carig | Newsday- As the Mets constructed their team during the offseason, they envisioned a lineup based on length from top to bottom, with enough firepower to thrive. Instead, injuries have left gaping holes in the lineup, which has been made even worse by the lack of production from the players who have managed to stay healthy. In particular, the Mets' offensive woes can be traced to Michael Cuddyer and Lucas Duda, who had been expected to anchor the middle of the order. "It's been a grind, there's no secret to that," said Cuddyer. "The results aren't what I expect, what the team expects or what everybody else expects, either. The only thing I can keep doing is working and going out and playing."

(Chris Soto: It's easy to see why Cuddyer and Duda are struggling. Both guys have gotten away from what has always made them good hitters in the first place, Seeking and Attacking their pitch. Instead they are expanding the zone, swinging at pitches that are not even close, and getting themselves into unfavorable counts which leads to neither of them getting the fastballs they want. Perhaps its a state of carrying too big a load with Wright, d'Arnaud, and Murphy all being out at various times in the season. In either case the guys need to back track and start over and get back to being the players they've always been rather then trying to do too much.)

Kevin Alonzo | Bleacher Report- Since June 17, the New York Mets have averaged 1.4 runs in games rookie sensation Steven Matz has not started, underscoring the glaring need for general manager Sandy Alderson to acquire a bat like, say, Gerardo Parra of the Milwaukee Brewers. With the Brewers in last place in the National League Central, there's good chance they look to unload some of their veteran players. The two-time former Gold Glove winner is hitting .308 with a .345 OBP and would provide an immediate improvement over any of New York's outfielders. He's also only 28 years old, and his career numbers indicate that the Mets wouldn't be trading for just one good half of baseball.

(Chris Soto: I too like the idea of acquiring a guy like Gerardo Parra. However, great minds think alike and Parra's recent hot streak has grabbed the attention of GM's all over the league. This means that the Brewers are likely to command a pricey exchange in order to part with the Gold Glover. Parra is likely a rental player only as well since he becomes a free agent at the end of the season. He's very likely to eclipse his current $6.2M price tag if he continues to perform this season. In addition, last time he started full-time...he posted a +6.1 WAR for the Brew Crew. That could command some serious dollars.)

The Morning Report 7.2.2015 | 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.)