Tagged: Sports
Mets acquire Jay Bruce
According to multiple reports the New York Mets have acquired outfielder Jay Bruce from the Cincinnati Reds for second baseman Dilson Herrera and left-handed pitcher Max Wotell.
While the fit may seem odd considering the Mets are crowded at the outfield corners, the Mets need as much offense as they can get right now. Bruce provides the Mets a solid power threat in their lineup and also provides Yoenis Cespedes with protection, something he hasn’t had all season. We have seen the kind of player Cespedes can be when he has protection behind him, and I look at this deal as a great pickup for the Mets as they didn’t give up too much to get him. Speaking of protection again, the trade also provides the Mets protection if Yoenis Cespedes needs to spend time on the disabled list with his quad injury that hasn’t improved, or if he decides to walk in the offseason. The Mets will hold a $13 million option on Bruce for next season.
The Mets are clearly gunning for the postseason with this trade as they sit 2.5 games back of the Wild Card and 6.5 games behind the Nationals in the NL East. The Mets have the pitching to make a run at either postseason spot, but it was just a matter of them finding some offense to help them get there which was the problem last year entering the deadline. The 29-year old Bruce is having one of the best seasons of his career as he is hitting .265 with 25 home runs and an NL leading 80 RBI’s in 97 games played this season. Bruce also hits with men on base, something the Mets can’t do, as he is hitting .360 with runners in scoring position with 8 home runs and 52 RBI’s. He provides the Mets with that big power threat they have missed since Lucas Duda has been on the shelf.
Terry Collins will most likely play Michael Conforto and Curtis Granderson in center field for the rest of the season, while having both Bruce and Cespedes taking over the corners. The Mets can afford to sacrifice defense for offense in this scenario as they clearly have been historically bad with the bats this season.
The Mets were able to keep both Amed Rosario and Conforto, who were two players that many teams are high on and have certainly asked for. It was certainly hard to swallow that the Mets traded Dilson Herrera as he was considered the second baseman of the future and slated to start for the Mets as early as next season. The other piece in the deal, Max Wotell is ranked as the Mets 16th prospect by MLB.com. The 19-year old lefty was pitching for the Rookie League Kingsport Mets, and was the Mets third round pick in the 2015 MLB Draft.
The Mets also tried working out a deal for Jay Bruce last season in exchange for Zack Wheeler, but the Reds eventually wanted more and the Mets wound up with Cespedes. Interesting what a difference a year makes.
Zack Wheeler to face live batters today.
The day is finally here Mets fans! We have been patiently waiting for Zack Wheeler to face live hitters since June, and I’m sure Wheeler has been just as antsy to begin facing hitters as well. Today marks the first time Wheeler will face live hitting since undergoing Tommy John surgery back in March of last year.
Hopefully Wheeler can begin a rehab assignment within the next week, and if he does that would place him back in the Mets rotation at the beginning of September. You would expect the Mets to give Wheeler the full 30 days to get back into form and he could provide a boost to the Mets rotation down the stretch. Barring a trade, Logan Verrett will continue to occupy the fifth spot in the Mets rotation until Wheeler is ready.
(*UPDATE: 11:34 am): Wheeler threw a successful session as he reported no problems and seemed to be hitting 90-93 mph according to the New York Post’s Joel Sherman. He will probably throw again sometime this week and then be sent on a rehab assignment barring any sort of setback.
(*UPDATE: 6:19 pm): Wheeler will begin his rehab assignment this Saturday.
Things to know: Yankees vs. Mets
The Mets and Yankees kick off their four-game series tonight, and I have provided a preview of the upcoming series below. Continue reading
Mets Weekend Recap
Not much went right for the Mets this weekend on the field against the Colorado Rockies, but they did bounce back in a big way on Sunday. Continue reading
Lucroy trade rumors buzzing.
MLB Insider Ken Rosenthal reported earlier today that the Mets offered the Brewers a package of three players which, includes Travis d’Arnaud and perhaps Brandon Nimmo or a player of his caliber for catcher Jonathan Lucroy.
Right now there is no word if the Brewers have any interest in the Mets offer or if the two clubs are continuing to negotiate a deal. However in another interesting development Jonathan Lucroy is not in the Brewers starting lineup tonight against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
It could be a possible sign that Lucroy is close to being on the move, and the Mets have been one of the most aggressive team’s pursuing Lucroy. The All-Star catcher isn’t injured and he had a day-off two day’s ago which makes this all the more interesting. Stay tuned.
Juan Lagares to DL. Brandon Nimmo recalled.
The Mets have promoted outfielder Brandon Nimmo from Triple-A Las Vegas to replace the injured Juan Lagares on the active roster who was placed on the DL prior to tonight’s game.
Lagares has been playing with a partially torn left thumb he suffered on June 4th in Miami on a diving catch, and the injury has been affecting his play. The 27-year old outfielder has hit just .185 since the All Star Break. Lagares has already been placed on the disabled list once for this same injury and he came back on July 2nd to try and play through it instead of opting for surgery. Lagares has opted to undergo surgery and will be sidelined for six weeks. It’s too early to tell at this point but we may have seen the last of Lagares for the remainder of the season.
Nimmo was demoted for outfielder Michael Conforto back on July 18th, but finds himself back up with the ballclub a week and a half later. The 23-year old outfielder had hit .235 in 51 at-bats with the Mets during his first short stint, but he had continued hitting down in Las Vegas. Over his last four games he was hitting .467, with a home run and three RBI’s. Nimmo also had been playing center field regularly since his demotion. Both Nimmo and Conforto are both expected to get time in center field, as manager Terry Collins has expressed a desire to keep Yoenis Cespedes in left field.
Lineups: Rockies vs. Mets 7:10 pm et.
Colorado Rockies (50-52):
1. Charlie Blackmon (L) CF
2. DJ LeMahieu (R) 2B
3. Nolan Arenado (R) 3B
4. Carlos Gonzalez (L) RF
5. Trevor Story (R) SS
6. Ryan Raburn (R) LF
7. Mark Reynolds (R) 1B
8. Nick Hundley (R) C
9. Tyler Chatwood (R) P
SP: Tyler Chatwood RHP (9-6, 3.65 ERA)
New York Mets (53-48):
1. Curtis Granderson (L) RF
2. Travis d’Arnaud (R) C
3. Yoenis Cespedes (R) LF
4. James Loney (L) 1B
5. Neil Walker (S) 2B
6. Wilmer Flores (R) 3B
7. Asdrubal Cabrera (S) SS
8. Michael Conforto (L) CF
9. Steven Matz (R) P
SP: Steven Matz LHP (8-6, 3.36 ERA)
Tonight’s game can be seen on SNY.
Mets Trade Deadline Rumblings:
- MLB Insider Ken Rosenthal has reported that the Brewers asked teams interested in Jonathan Lucroy on Thursday “to make offers that met minimum standard.” Rosenthal reported that the Mets were one of the teams to have made an offer for the All-Star catcher. The Mets previously offered Travis d’Arnaud for Lucroy straight up but were rejected. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Mets put an offer together that includes both d’Arnaud and a top prospect such as shortstop Gavin Cecchini who is having a great year at Triple-A Las Vegas. Stay tuned because it seems Lucroy is more likely than not to be dealt before the deadline.
- SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo has reported that the Mets have been in discussion with the Pirates about a reunion with pitcher Jon Niese. Cotillo did mention however that the Mets aren’t being too aggressive on the starting pitcher market. While I’m sure the Mets could get Niese off the Pirates hands for a low price, I’m not sure I would go that route. Niese is having arguably his worst season as a starter as he has been shifted to the Pirates bullpen, and he seemed to throw the Mets organization under the bus after he was traded to Pittsburgh in the offseason. I believe the Mets are just doing due diligence, and I don’t expect the Mets to go in that direction with Logan Verrett pitching well as of late.
- ESPN Buster Olney is reporting that the Mets are showing interest in acquiring Reds outfielder Jay Bruce. Olney cites that the Mets are looking for offense on the trade market, and Bruce would also provide the Mets insurance in case Yoenis Cespedes walks after this season. The Mets originally made an offer for Jay Bruce last year leading up to the Trade Deadline and offered pitcher Zack Wheeler. Olney cited that the Reds wanted more from the Mets on the morning of the deadline, not just Wheeler. I’m not exactly sure what the Reds are asking for considering Bruce is having a MUCH better season than he did last season, and I’m sure they are selling high. At this point however I don’t see where Bruce would fit as the Mets have a crowded outfield as it is in both corner outfield positions, but it’s clear they are looking for an impact bat. The Mets have now been connected to two big offensive players and it’s clear that Sandy Alderson is showing frustration with the Mets offense this season.
Final Recap: Rockies 2 – Mets 1
The Colorado Rockies (50-52) defeated the New York Mets (53-48) this afternoon by the final score of 2-1. For a full boxscore recap follow the link below…
Game Notes:
- Jeurys Familia blew his second save in a row and picked up his second loss in a row by allowing two runs in the 9th inning.
- Jacob deGrom was brilliant on the mound today going 7 shutout innings and allowing only 5 hits, with 1 walk, and 5 strikeouts.
- Rene Rivera was 3-4 with 2 doubles, and one was an RBI double.
- Neil Walker was 3-4 with a double.
- James Loney was 1-4 with a run scored. He also committed a costly error in the top of the 9th to allow a run to score.
Back-to-back heartbreaking losses for the Mets in less than 24 hours. The Mets took a 1-0 lead into the ninth inning, but Jeurys Familia was unable to close the door as he allowed two runs, before being lifted for Hansel Robles with the bases loaded and one out. Originally Manager Terry Collins said Familia would be unavailable today after pitching two days in a row, but Familia must have changed his mind because he let Familia pitch this afternoon. While the result isn’t all on Familia, as a misjudged ball by Rene Rivera that appeared to be going foul but ultimately stayed fair, and a fielding error by James Loney helped the Rockies put two runs on the board.
You have to think Familia will be given a day or two off to help clear his head and get out of this funk. He also has thrown 69 pitches over his last three appearances since late Tuesday night, so there has to be some sort of fatigue setting in, which is another perfect opportunity to give him a few days off. Familia was on a historic run, and while he has come back down to Earth the last couple of days, the Mets are going to need him to be at his absolute best down the stretch if they want any shot of the postseason.
It’s getting redundant with the Mets offense day in and day out. The Mets had multiple opportunities to add to their lead this afternoon and they simply failed to do so. The Mets were 1-9 with runners in scoring position, and blew a no-out bases loaded opportunity in the bottom of the seventh. It’s becoming increasingly frustrating to watch, as the Mets have no problems putting men on base, but are historically becoming one of the worst teams ever when it comes to driving in runners on base. The Mets are hitting a paltry .206 with runners in scoring position this season.
Right now I’m not sure how their offensive woes can be fixed as it is a plague throughout the Mets lineup. The Mets certainly have the offensive talent to be a league average offense, if not better. But for whatever reason this season the offense just hasn’t shown up. The Mets postseason chances look slim when you watch the offense consistently underperform, but I’m trying to keep holding out hope that they will figure it out sooner rather than later.
The Mets who were 7-0 against the Rockies last season, are now 0-4 against them so far this season. Ouch.
- The Mets and Rockies will do battle tomorrow night in the second game of their series with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 pm et. You can catch tomorrow night’s game on SNY.
- Steven Matz (8-6, 3.36 ERA) will toe the rubber against Rockies right-hander Tyler Chatwood (9-6, 3.65 ERA)
Lineups & Game Notes: Rockies vs. Mets 1:10 pm et.
Colorado Rockies (49-52):
1. Charlie Blackmon (L) CF
2. DJ LeMahieu (R) 2B
3. Nolan Arenado (R) 3B
4. Carlos Gonzalez (L) RF
5. Trevor Story (R) SS
6. David Dahl (L) LF
7. Daniel Descalso (L) 1B
8. Tony Wolters (L) C
9. Tyler Anderson (L) P
SP: Tyler Anderson LHP (3-3, 3.56 ERA)
New York Mets (53-47):
1. Juan Lagares (R) CF
2. Curtis Granderson (L) RF
3. Wilmer Flores (R) 3B
4. Neil Walker (S) 2B
5. Asdrubal Cabrera (S) SS
6. James Loney (L) 1B
7. Rene Rivera (R) C
8. Alejandro De Aza (L) LF
9. Jacob deGrom (L) P
SP: Jacob deGrom RHP (6-5, 2.73 ERA)
Today’s game can be seen on SNY and MLB Network.
Game Notes:
ROCKIES-METS NOTES: The Mets are 61-30 vs. Colorado at home…The .670 winning percentage is the best vs. any team (min. 15 games) in team history…The Mets have won 10 straight games vs. the Rockies at Citi Field dating to August 6, 2013…The 10- game home winning streak is tied for the sixth-longest in franchise history vs. one club.
DAY BASEBALL: New York is 19-12 in day games (11-5 at home)…The Mets have a .613 winning percentage in day games which ranks fourth in the majors…The Mets lead the majors with a 2.74 team ERA during the day.
deGROM IN deDAY: Jacob deGrom is 15-3 with a 1.63 ERA (32 earned runs/176.2 innings) in 27 career daytime starts…That is the best daytime ERA among qualified major league pitchers over the last three years.
HOT AS JULY: Wilmer Flores is hitting .333 (18-54) with two doubles, seven homers and 13 RBI this month…Flores’ seven home runs in July is tied for the fourth-most in the majors…Flores is hitting .333 (20- 60) with six homers vs. lefthanders this season.
LOOKING TO HOLD A RECORD: Addison Reed has tossed 14.2 scoreless innings while allowing only four hits and striking out 22 since June 25… He is second in the majors with 24 holds…Aaron Heilman holds the single-season franchise record with 26 holds in 2006… Reed has the fifth-lowest ERA among NL relievers (1.88)…Min. 40 innings.
STREAK ENDS: Jeruys Familia saved 52 consecutive games from August 1, 2015-July 26, 2016, the third-longest streak in major league history…He suffered a blown save last night vs. St. Louis…Familia ranks sixth on the club’s all-time save list with 85 saves…Tug McGraw is fifth on the list with 86.
DEGROM VS. ROCKIES: In three career starts vs. the Rockies, deGrom is 2-0 with a 1.27 ERA…In his one start this season against Colorado (at Coors Field), deGrom pitched 6.1 innings and allowed three runs on four hits in a no-decision while striking out three and walking three.
METS VS. ANDERSON: The Mets have never faced Tyler Anderson and no current player on the roster has an official at-bat against the left-hander.
Above The Mendoza 