• The Mets opened up a four-game series with a 4-2 win over the Marlins (box)

• RHP Nolan McLean got the start and was solid again on the mound. He pitched 6.1 innings and gave up two earned runs while striking out six

• RHP Brooks Raley got the win as trade rumors swirl. His final line was 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, and 1 K

• CF Luis Robert got the big hit to put the Mets ahead late. He went 1-for-4 with 2 RBIs

• 3B Bo Bichette went 2-for-4 with a run scored

• RHP Christian Scott visited the Hospital for Special Surgery’s children’s pavilion to meet with young patients and their families (MLB.com)

• The Mets traded A.J. Minter to the Twins for INF Billy Amick and son of former Met Benny Agbayani, Bruin Agbayani

Rumor Mill 💨

• RHP Freddy Peralta is still expected to start against the Marlins despite being the subject of trade rumors (MLB.com)

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Play of the Game ✨

Luis Robert Jr’s go-ahead two-run single in the eighth inning on Thursday night was the difference in the ballgame for the Mets. The Mets never looked back as they won for the fourth time in five games.

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Down on the Farm 🌾

• DH Mike Tauchman (Triple-A): 3-for-3, R

• C Daiverson Gutierrez (No. 22 prospect, High-A): 2-for-4, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI

• SS Elian Peña (No. 3 prospect, Single-A): 2-for-4, R, 2B, RBI, K

BOX SCORES

Single-A SLU | High-A BRK | Double-A BNG | Triple-A SYR

Today’s Game 🗓

Match-up: Mets (47-63) vs. Marlins (55-55)

Where: Citi Field - Flushing, NY

Where to Watch: WPIX

Starters: RHP Freddy Peralta (5-9, 4.99 ERA) vs. RHP Janson Junk (4-6, 4.89 ERA)

When: 7:10 PM EDT

A.J. Minter dealt to the Twins for two prospects ✍️

by Michael Baron

The Mets’ summer selloff began after Thursday’s game against the Marlins when the Mets dealt LHP AJ Minter to the Twins in exchange for infield prospects Billy Amick and Bruin Agbayani, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.

The Mets signed Minter before the 2025 season to a one-year contract with a player option for the 2026 season, which he opted into last November after missing most of his first season with the Mets due to a torn lat muscle he sustained in April that year. He returned to the Mets in late May of this season and has been excellent over 23 appearances with the club to the tune of a 2.35 ERA over 23 innings. His 2.35 ERA is the 20th best among all left-handed relievers with at least 20 innings pitched since his return.

Agbayani was the Twins’ 29th ranked prospect in a system that is regarded as among the best in the sport in 2026. He is the son of former Met Benny Agbayani and was selected by Minnesota in the sixth round of the 2025 first-year player draft a year ago. He sustained a shoulder injury earlier this year which has limited him to only 10 games this season, but was hitting .266/.412/.341 before he got hurt.

Amick is a corner infielder who was the Twins’ second-round selection in the 2024 first-year player draft. He is hitting .217/.338/.482 with 23 home runs and 72 RBI in 86 games with Double-A Wichita in 2026.

Overall, the Mets did quite well in their return for Minter, who is set to become a free agent at the end of the season.

The Mets were and continue to be unlikely to net a top 100 prospect for any of their pending free agent relievers. But for the Mets to be able to get two ranked system prospects at least demonstrates that not only can they do, they have the ability to re-inventory the top of their system, but can get some more high-ceiling prospects in the process this summer. Those are two things which are necessary ahead of what will unquestionably be a winter in which they’ll need to once again trade from their system to fix the major league roster.

That bodes well for their inevitable trades of relievers Brooks Raley, Huascar Brazobán, and perhaps Luke Weaver, the latter of whom has the most trade value and, in light of this deal for Minter, could yield the Mets at least one top 15 prospect considering both his performance and future value to a new club with the one extra year of control.

History shows that trade deadline expectations should be tempered ✍️

by Linda Surovich

Word came down just after midnight Thursday that the Mets traded RHP A.J. Minter to the Twins for minor leaguers INF Billy Amick and INF Bruin Agbayani.

This is just the start of what is expected to be a busy trade deadline for the organization. According to Jeff Passan of ESPN and many others over the last month or so, SS Francisco Lindor will NOT be one of the ones on the move, which was always just a ridiculous rumor, but the Mets still have plenty of other pieces to move before the deadline. Brooks Raley, Huascar Brazobán, Luke Weaver, Freddy Peralta, Clay Holmes, Tyrone Taylor, and Luis Robert Jr. are all candidates to join Minter as the pieces moved during the Great 2027 Sell-off.

In a dismal season, trying to find wins is a frustrating endeavor, and while seeing the return in trades is all the hope that is left for the 2026 season, the fanbase should probably temper their expectations a bit. First, it was 2017:

In 2023, their haul consisted of Drew Gilbert, Ryan Clifford, Luisangel Acuña Jr., Marco Vargas, Ronald Hernández, Jeremy Rodríguez, Justin Jarvis, Coleman Crow, Landon Marceaux, and Jeremiah Jackson.

The 2023 deadline is similar to this year’s group, where they have starting pitching to trade, relievers, and a few position players. That year, it was Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, David Robertson, Tommy Pham, Mark Canha, Eduardo Escobar, and Dominic Leone on the move. The jury is still out on Clifford, but the rest just haven’t panned out.

With all of the graduations to the major league team this season, the minors have taken a bit of a hit in terms of prospects. So, reloading isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially ahead of the winter when they’ll unquestionably be heavily relying on a high-demand trade market. Those two previous deadlines were also obviously under different GMs, so it isn’t fair to David Stearns to make one-for-one comparisons. Steve Cohen also paid $60 million to upgrade their Player Development Complex in Port St. Lucie, and they are investing more in analytics, so perhaps this new regime gets better at developing prospects than in years past, which might be a contributing factor as to why a large chunk of those prospects never panned out.

Still, if the Mets intend to compete in 2027, which MLB.com reports that they do, then the bulk of that work will need to be done this coming winter, and stockpiling quantity in the farm system now for anyone of value on the major league roster can only help in that endeavor. That isn’t to say whichever prospects they get now couldn’t help the team down the line, but it isn’t likely anyone who comes back in a trade over the next three days will serve as a miracle cure for the 2027 season.

Right now, all we know is that the clock is ticking towards the deadline, and once it’s over, there is a very good chance this team will look radically different than how they started the season. That probably isn’t a bad thing at this point - it’s hard for this team to be significantly worse than they are now, but there’s a good chance they could be a lot more interesting, even if they aren’t contending. It will be interesting to see how they backfill these vacancies on the roster which are coming with the prospects they call up, how they are deployed, and how they develop over the season’s final two months at the big league level.

Hopefully, this team will learn from its mistakes, and we won’t get a repeat in 2027, and instead, they will be buyers at the deadline instead of sellers.

Around the League 🚩

• The Orioles traded for C Jake Rogers from the Tigers (ESPN)

• Twins 1B Kody Clemens hit a walk-off grand slam with two outs and on an 0-2 count with the team down 3 runs (MLB.com)

• More details emerged from Giants OF Harrison Bader’s scooter crash with a fire truck that put him out for the season (The Athletic)

• Yankees 2B Jazz Chisholm Jr. exited the game early with a hamstring cramp in their loss against the White Sox (The Athletic)

• Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani was out of the lineup as a precaution with a sore knee (ESPN)

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Game 1

• The Mets beat the Braves 3-2 in the first game of the doubleheader at Citi Field on Wednesday afternoon (box)

• LHP Sean Manaea faced plenty of traffic but gutted it out to allow just two earned runs on five hits with two walks and four strikeouts over six very solid innings

• RHP Huascar Brazobán, RHP Luke Weaver, and RHP Devin Williams combined for three scoreless innings of relief out of the bullpen, allowing just two hits with two strikeouts

• C Francisco Álvarez got the scoring started in the fifth inning with an RBI double, before CF A.J. Ewing added to the lead with a sac fly. Ewing reached base three times, stole two bases, and scored a run

• The hero, however, proved to be RF Carson Benge who smoked a double into right field in the bottom of the seventh to score the winning run

Game 2

• The Mets couldn’t complete the series sweep in the nightcap portion of the doubleheader, losing 1-0 to Atlanta (box)

• RHP Christian Scott tossed a gem on the mound, completing six full innings for the first time this season while allowing just one earned run on five hits with one walk and seven strikeouts

• LHP A.J. Minter, LHP Cionel Pérez, and RHP Daniel Duarte combined to throw three scoreless innings in relief

• The offense couldn’t get anything going in the second game, recording just two hits while striking out a total of 12 times

• The Mets are now 6-6 since the All-Star break and are 46-63 on the year, 17.5 games back of the first-place Braves

Roster Moves 📰

• RHP Jonathan Pintaro appointed the 27th player for Wednesday’s doubleheader

Injury Updates 🏥

• RHP Clay Holmes (fractured right fibula) will throw a bullpen session on Thursday, but his next start, which is lined up to be Sunday, is currently in limbo due to the Trade Deadline

Rumor Mill 💨

• The Yankees, Phillies, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, White Sox, Rays, and Rangers all had scouts in attendance for Clay Holmes’ rehab outing on Tuesday (The Athletic)

• There isn’t a lot of traction in talks over Freddy Peralta going back to the Brewers, while some teams believe the righty’s struggles are down to the Mets and bad defense (NY Post)

• Meanwhile, executives still see Peralta’s upside and believe he would start a playoff game for teams (The Athletic)

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Plays of the Games ✨

Where would the Mets be without the kids?

It probably isn’t even worth thinking about.

In the first game of the doubleheader, things were tied up in the bottom of the seventh, setting the stage for Carson Benge.

Benge came to the plate with runners on the corners and two outs, proceeding to absolutely lace a double into right field to score A.J. Ewing and give the Mets the lead.

It proved to be the winning run with Benge showing his ability to be able to come through in the clutch once again.

The second play of the game also belongs to Benge.

The rookie made an absolutely terrific, superhero-like diving catch to record the first out of the eighth inning in a one-run ball game. It kept the dangerous Ronald Acuña Jr. off the bases and ensured the game stayed close.

Yes, it mattered little in the end with the Mets going on to lose the game, but it was yet another reminder of Benge’s elite skillset in the field.

The Just Mets Podcast 🎙️

ICYMI: On the latest edition of the Just Mets Podcast, Andrew was joined by Alex Cintron to discuss Carlos Beltran’s induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

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Down on the Farm 🌾

• SS Mitch Voit (No. 5 prospect, Double-A): 3-for-5, 2 R, 1 BB, 2 2B, 1 3B

• 1B Corey Collins (Double-A): 2-for-4, 1 R, 2 RBIs, 1 BB, 1 HR

• LF Randy Guzman (No. 21 prospect, High-A): 3-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 2B

• 3B Colin Houck (High-A): 4-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 SB

• SS Elian Peña (No. 3 prospect, Single-A): 2-for-4, 2 RBIs

• C Yovanny Rodriguez (No. 17 prospect, Single-A): 1-for-4, 1 R, 3 RBIs, 1 BB, 1 HR

• CF Bohan Adderley (Single-A): 2-for-4, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 HR, 1 SB

BOX SCORES

Single-A SLU | High-A BRK | Double-A BNG | Triple-A SYR (PPD)

Today’s Game 🗓

Match-up: Mets (46-63) vs. Marlins (55-54)

Where: Citi Field - Flushing, NY

Starters: RHP Nolan McLean (7-7, 3.32 ERA) vs. RHP Eury Pérez (5-8, 3.56 ERA)

When: 7:10 PM EDT

Where to Watch: SNY

Putting some meat on the bone as we edge closer to the Trade Deadline ✍️

Wednesday’s doubleheader proved to be a mixed bag.

There was lots of great pitching, including six stellar innings from Christian Scott in the nightcap. Carson Benge was the hero offensively in the first game, while showing off his elite defensive skills in the second. On the flip side, the offense was a literal no-show in the evening, costing the Mets the chance to secure a rare series sweep.

However, there was also plenty of food for thought when it comes to players who might be moved at the Trade Deadline.

Let’s start with Sean Manaea.

The lefty has somewhat redeemed himself as of late, doing a solid job back in the rotation. He carried a shutout into the sixth inning of the first game of the doubleheader yesterday, before giving up a double and a home run. Still, it was another encouraging start from the veteran, and one that came at just the perfect time. When you chuck in his recent start against the Dodgers, things certainly seem to be trending in the right direction.

So, will Manaea’s last couple of starts persuade more teams to take a flyer by trading for him at the deadline?

Potentially. There is some value there, even taking into consideration the fact that Manaea entered yesterday with a 4.54 FIP as a starter, not to mention that he is still owed around $33 million through next season, but with $7.75 million deferred. Still, starters are always in high demand this time of year and with his velocity back up, maybe some contenders see potential in Manaea to be a horse at the backend of the rotation and a wildcard option come the postseason.

Admittedly, the Mets likely won’t get a whole lot back for Manaea, but there is a bigger picture to consider.

By trading the veteran, not only would the Mets clear the way for another pitching prospect to come up and have the chance to impress for the rest of this season, but they could also clear money in order to be able to go out and find an upgrade on Manaea in the offseason. There is probably an option out there for a fifth starter who would cost 20-30% less than Manaea, and who would probably be more consistent and predictable too.

The same applies to Luis Robert Jr. too.

As I’ve mentioned before, I think the outfielder has to go if there’s an offer over the next few days. He’s not going to bring a ton back in return, but his departure would give the team some salary relief, while also ensuring that A.J. Ewing could play center every day, where he is exponentially more valuable.

Francisco Álvarez is another interesting case. I have come around to the idea of wanting to keep him, and I do believe he has way more value to the Mets right now. For instance, I can’t see a team like the Yankees, who need to upgrade at catcher, giving up a lot for a player who isn’t great defensively and is streaky offensively. And, unless the Mets are going to get blown out of the water, there is no sense in dealing Alvarez. He’s still young, he still has upside, and there is no reason why the Mets can’t try to fix some of his defensive flaws in the offseason. Unless a desperate team offers something stupid, Alvarez should be considered a big part of this team’s future.

Of course, the Mets do need to get some substantial pieces back in order to salvage something from this car crash of a season. That’s why the likes of Luke Weaver, Huascar Brazobán, A.J. Minter, and Brooks Raley are now so essential to move. Weaver is probably this team’s only real hope of getting a legitimate Top 100 prospect back in return, which is crucial considering that Freddy Peralta is going to get dealt for pennies on the dollar and will bring back nothing close to what the Mets gave up for him last offseason.

If the Mets can get a Top 100 prospect, plus some kind of other half-decent inventory for the farm system, then that gives them more pieces to play with next offseason when it comes to improving this team. With the free agency pool shallow to say the least (outside of Tarik Skubal, obviously), the Mets are going to have to rely on the trade market to fix all that is broken with this team.

We also haven’t even taken into account the chaos that could be caused thanks to the potential threat of a looming lockout. Will that diminish the value of a player under control like Weaver has because of the possibility that we don’t have a season next year? Or would it actually increase the value of players who are more than strictly a rental?

It is hard to gauge that right now, but the point stands that the Mets need to get back as much as possible, while also creating enough flexibility to ensure they are in position to correct their flaws and get back to contention in 2027 if there is indeed a season.

And if parting with some of the team’s best relievers is the only way to get some real prospect capital back in return, then so be it. At the end of the day, relievers are volatile, even the good ones, and they are a lot easier to find than other positions.

Around the League 🚩

• The Rangers acquired C Logan O’Hoppe and RHP Chase Silseth from the Angels for Minor League INF Angel Arredondo (MLB.com)

• The Yankees are just one of several teams to have checked in on Orioles C Adley Rutschman as they look to upgrade at that position at the deadline (NY Post)

• LHP Tarik Skubal, in potentially his last game for Detroit, notched his 1,000th career strikeout and tossed 6 2/3 quality innings, but the Tigers blew a 7-1 lead to lose 10-9 to the Orioles in a wild one

• Dodgers RHP Shohei Ohtani hasn’t been ruled out from pitching in the postseason, but he’s unlikely to return to the mound as he deals with a series of persistent injuries - his status could lead the Dodgers towards acquiring a front line starter ahead of the trade deadline

• DH Iván Herrera hit a walk-off two-run double to lift the Cardinals to a 3-2 win over the Cubs

• The White Sox rallied to wipe out a 4-0 deficit and come from behind to beat the Yankees 6-5 in extras

• RHP Mason Miller, a man in-demand, secured his 28th save of the season to help the Padres beat the Rockies 3-1 for a fifth straight win, while moving closer towards becoming a buyer in the process

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• The Mets and Braves were rained out on Tuesday and will play two games today, starting at 1:10 pm EST

• Sean Manaea and Christian Scott will start Games 1 and 2, respectively

• The Braves’ AJ Smith-Shawver will be making his first start since tearing his UCL last May

Rumor Mill 💨

• The Mets have reportedly talked to the Brewers about a Freddy Peralta trade (ESPN); the Rays have also expressed interest in Peralta (FanSided)

• The Mets reportedly have had scouts looking at the Cubs’ Double-A talent (Athlon Sports)

• Though the Mets are expected to be sellers, it’s not anticipated that they’re going to enter a full rebuild (MLB.com)

• The Mets don’t want to trade Luis Torrens (NY Post)

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The Just Mets Podcast 🎙️

ICYMI: On the latest edition of the Just Mets Podcast, Andrew was joined by Alex Cintron to discuss Carlos Beltran’s induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

SUBSCRIBE: YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Down on the Farm 🌾

• RF/CF Nick Morabito (No. 11 prospect, Triple-A): 2-for-4, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, BB, SB

• 2B Ronny Mauricio (Triple-A): 2-for-3, HR, R, 3 RBI

• LHRP Nate Lavender (Triple-A): 2.0 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K

• RHP Clay Holmes (Single-A, rehab): 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K

• C Ryan Tayman (Single-A): 4-for-5, HR, 2B, 3 R, 2 RBI

• RF John Smith III (Single-A): 2-for-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, K

• SS Elian Peña (No. 3 prospect, Single-A): 1-for-5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB

• CF Aiden Robbins (Single-A): 2-for-6, 2B, 2 RBI, K

BOX SCORES

Single-A SLU | High-A BRK | Double-A BNG (PPD) | Triple-A SYR

Today’s Games 🗓

Match-up: Mets (45-62) vs. Braves (62-44)

Where: Citi Field - Flushing, NY

Where to Watch: SNY

Game 1

Starters: LHP Sean Manaea (2-5, 4.52 ERA) vs. RHP AJ Smith-Shawver (0-0, -.-- ERA)

When: 1:10 PM EDT

Game 2

Starters: RHP Christian Scott (3-2, 3.13 ERA) vs. LHP Chris Sale (11-6, 2.19 ERA)

When: 7:10 PM EDT

The buzz on Freddy Peralta, interest in Luis Torrens ✍️

With Monday’s trade deadline creeping ever closer, the whirlwind of rumors has kicked up considerably.

Let’s semi-quickly react to some recent headlines:

The Brewers and Rays are interested in Freddy Peralta…

As has been long rumored and is now confirmed by ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Brewers are in on their former ace; but they have a rival suitor.

Per FanSided’s Robert Murray, the ever-scary Rays have made their interest in Peralta known as well. From the Mets’ perspective, this is as close to best-case scenario as could exist given the way Peralta’s season has unfolded thus far.

These two teams are perfect foils for one another, in a sense: while the Brewers are ripe in position-player prospect talent, they don’t have close to what the Rays do in arm depth, at least not based on performances across their Top 30 pitching talent. However, while the Mets do need to rebuild their pitching depth, this may not be the deal they replenish arms with, as both Milwaukee and Tampa can plug some immediate infield gaps for this system.

With all due respect to Mitch Voit, the Mets need another Jett Williams type at the top of the system that’s reasonably close to big league playing time…just maybe not Williams himself.

The Mets front office also has to keep in mind a couple of potential issues in front of them as they begin to plan for 2027:

1. The forthcoming free agent class this winter, especially for position players, is not good. Therefore, its imperative they accumulate as many prospects as they can now, even if they’re mid-tier, so they have attractive prospect capital to fill their needs both around the diamond and in their rotation

2. With so much economic uncertainty ahead, their avenue to improve primarily maybe through the trade markets anyway, further prioritizing the need to increase their quality prospect capital. All of the big market teams - including the Yankees and Dodgers - could be in this boat. Of course, it all depends on how the next collective bargaining agreement plays out

Though these may be a stretch for Peralta this season, here’s a Top 30 prospect from each proposed partner that would be a good fit for the Mets’ farm:

Brewers: No. 18 Luke Adams (1B/3B)

• Luke Adams is a righty corner infielder who’s hitting .265 with a .952 OPS at Triple-A in 2026. Based on the numbers, Adams looks like a prime Mark Vientos replacement candidate: a 50-grade hit tool, 50-grade power tool, a recent full-time shift over to first base…color me interested. He’s not a perfect hitting prospect (there are some plate discipline and swing decision kinks to be ironed out), but he’s an on-base machine who can slug and hit for average — and other than Jared Young, the Mets don’t have a ton to work with in this particular positional department, unless Ryan Clifford can finally put it together.

Rays: No. 17 Brayden Taylor (3B/2B)

• If Adams is a potential Vientos swap, here’s a Baty sub: Brayden Taylor is a power-first lefty corner infielder with a solid glove and strong arm (both 55-grade) that would slot very nicely into the Mets’ organization. With Jacob Reimer struggling this season, Bo Bichette only under contract at most until 2028, and no other prominent hot corner option in development, a third baseman with the ability to slide around the middle infield sounds like the ideal target for this team. Taylor’s having a terrific season, hitting .281 with a .900 OPS, 17 homers and 17 steals — it’s only fair he be able to take those talents elsewhere with Junior Caminero firmly established in Tampa.

The Mets have scouts watching the Cubs’ farm system…

Pat Ragazzo of Athlon Sports reported that Mets scouts have had their eyes on the Cubs' Double-A club. Mets’d Up podcast host (and friend of the Just Mets pod) James Schiano followed that report with the suggestion that the only Cub currently at Double-A who tracks for this sort of trade is infielder Jefferson Rojas. For the talent level, James is probably right. Though it’s unlikely either Bichette or Francisco Lindor will get moved, the Mets also don’t have a ton of talent in the pipeline getting ready to replace those two in the not-too-distant future. Rojas is slashing .272/.338/.467 with 15 homers, 15 steals, a .354 wOBA, and a 116 wRC+ in 85 games this season — should he get dealt, it’s unlikely he’ll linger in any other team’s system all that long.

The biggest potential hurdle, though, could be Rojas’ prospect status: he’s Chicago’s second-overall prospect, and they don’t exactly have a wealth of infield talent that’s all that close to MLB-ready in their pipeline either. However, that lack of depth may not be all that big a con: shortstop Dansby Swanson is under contract until 2030, third baseman Alex Bregman is signed through 2032, and rookie infielder James Triantos is in the big leagues now, so a path to playing time isn’t really looming. The Mets couldn’t necessarily offer immediate playing time, but they could likely guarantee sooner reps at the big-league level than the Cubs can.

There’s also an argument to be made for the Mets to target righties Brooks Caple and/or Luis Martinez-Gomez. Caple ranks as the Cubs’ eighth-overall prospect, and their third-highest ranked arm. For a team that needs starting pitching help both now and in the immediate future, it’s difficult to see them dealing from the top of that particular talent list.

Martinez-Gomez, meanwhile, sits a bit further down the Top 30, but has had just as excellent a season as Caple. Taking a page out of A.J. Ewing’s book, Martinez-Gomez has flown through three levels of the Cubs’ system this season: in 39.2 innings, he’s worked to a 3.63 ERA with a 1.03 WHIP and a ~3:1 K/BB ratio. Last week, he tossed 12 strikeouts over six innings. Martinez-Gomez comes with a 50-grade fastball and a 55-grade splitter that can be serious strikeout weapons when located correctly. His numbers this season suggest he’s learning how to rein in his arsenal relatively quickly — he could be worth a look and a move.

The Mets don’t want to trade Luis Torrens…

Good. They shouldn’t.

There’s really no need to overthink this one — this is a classic case of ‘Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.’

While flipping a premier defensive catcher would likely yield a considerable return, Torrens isn’t just a standard second-string backstop. As usual, Torrens presently ranks among the league’s best run-stoppers, tied for fourth in MLB in caught steals above average and third in framing runs; he also sits among the top 20 in blocks above average. For a team that has trouble scoring runs, limiting opponent RISP opportunities and stealing strikes feels crucial whenever possible, no matter how valuable potential trade return might be.

Could having the best backup catcher in the league be considered a luxury when you’re in last place? Perhaps — but Torrens got a two-year extension for a reason, and provided we have a season in 2027, this team really isn’t too many pieces away from assembling a contender (curse my ceaseless faith). Why muddy up one of your most stable positions in a period where the potential for replacement via trade or free agency is woefully weak?

Lest ye need a reminder. And 2028 doesn’t look much better.

Sure, they could probably deal Álvy for some pieces, sign one of the guys above to a one- or two-year deal to work alongside Torrens while they build up catchers already in the system…but what’s the point? Why trade for or sign one .750 OPS catcher for another .750 OPS catcher, especially when one of those catchers is already under arb control through 2029 and can mash?

Leave the catcher tandem alone. ‘If it ain’t broke,’ etc., and this feels like one of the least-broken things on this team.

Just because you can doesn’t mean you should…frankly, that’s good advice for this deadline in general. The Mets have plenty of pieces to sell — but they should only sell them if the price is right. Otherwise, just let expiring contracts expire, see where the CBA chips fall, and get to work in the winter.

Around the League 🚩

• The Dodgers, Brewers, and Rays are expected to be the biggest players in the Tarik Skubal sweepstakes (MLB.com)

• With the recently acquired Curtis Mead bound for the IL, the Red Sox are looking to upgrade their infield; Boston has reportedly expressed interest in Zach Neto, C.J. Abrams, and Jeremy Peña (MLB.com)

• Twins GM Jeremy Zoll said that they will be buyers at the deadline; a 3-2 win over the Royals put Minnesota back at .500 and squarely in the postseason hunt (MLB.com)

• After Reds skipper Terry Francona successfully challenged an errant HBP call, Kyle Manzardo hit a first-inning grand slam off Chase Burns to set the stage for a 6-5 Cleveland win

• The Nationals drew six walks in the first inning against Shane Bieber (including three with the bases loaded), the most in a single frame in franchise history; they walked eight times and homered twice in an 8-6 win over the Blue Jays

• Sandy Alcántara spun seven scoreless innings to help the Marlins hold off the Phillies 1-0; it was his 111th quality start, a franchise record

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• The Mets won the opener of their series with the Braves, pummeling Atlanta 14-3 on Monday at Citi Field (box)

• Francisco Lindor enjoyed a monster night at the plate, crushing a pair of home runs, a triple, and driving in six runs

• A.J. Ewing had three hits and scored two runs out of the leadoff spot

• Tyrone Taylor and Marcus Semien each had three hits including a homer

• LHP Zac Thornton started for the Mets and was excellent again, going 6.1 IP and allowing three runs on six hits and a walk

• Every Met in the line-up had at least one hit

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Play of the Game ✨

Tyrone Taylor did it yet again!

After supplying the heroics on Sunday, Taylor connected on a three run blast in the seventh inning to essentially put this one out of reach for the Mets, and the rout was on.

The Just Mets Podcast 🎙️

On the latest edition of the Just Mets Podcast, Andrew was joined by Alex Cintron to discuss Carlos Beltran’s induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

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Down on the Farm 🌾

All Mets minor league affiliates were off on Monday

Today’s Game 🗓

Match-up: Mets (45-62) vs. Braves (62-44)

Where: Citi Field - Flushing, NY

Starters: RHP Christian Scott (3-2, 3.13 ERA) vs. LHP Chris Sale (11-6, 2.19 ERA)

When: 7:10 PM EDT

Where to Watch: SNY

Maybe the Mets should keep Luis Robert Jr. for 2027? ✍️

Like so many evaluators and scouts before them, the Mets front office fell in love with the offensive potential and upside of the uber-talented Luis Robert Jr. this winter.

The soon-to-be 29-year-old is a physical specimen who can do pretty much everything on a baseball field. He has plus speed, he’s a dynamic defender at a premium position in center field, and his power is simply intoxicating.

From the moment he stepped on the field for batting practice in Port St. Lucie in February, it was overwhelmingly clear that the ball just came off of his bat differently than other hitters.

The rub, however, is that in seven Major League seasons, he’s only been able to play in more than 110 games once. Robert is consistently hampered by injuries. This season he went down in April and missed nearly three months with a herniated disc in his back.

Since returning, a week ago, Robert has looked rusty at the plate, aside from a pair of absolute tape-measure home run blasts.

So therein lies the dilemma. Robert clearly has immense offensive potential that scouts still believe can be fully tapped into. His contract holds a $20 million option for 2027, which would be a bargain if he could just stay on the field and be productive.

But this has gotten complicated. The emergence of Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing, along with the presence of a guy named Juan Soto, sure makes it feel like the Mets outfield is set moving forward.

Robert’s return two weeks prior to the trade deadline does not feel like an accident. The Mets were obviously anxious to get him back and showcase him for potential suitors. And they would be stupid not to listen to offers. And while I would be more than willing to move Robert if an overwhelming return was offered, what can they really expect for a guy who has missed the majority of the season and is only hitting .210?

I may be in the minority on this, but I am in the camp of potentially hanging on to Robert if a suitable trade package is not offered, and the reason is a potential defensive alignment that has not been discussed much to date.

Yes, Ewing has been phenomenal as a rookie in center field. And yes, he certainly looks like he could be the long-term answer for the Mets both there and in the leadoff spot in their lineup.

But you know what? He was also drafted as a second baseman. And played more than 50 minor league games there. The Mets have used him on the dirt once as part of an in-game defensive realignment.

Despite homering in back-to-back games, it’s abundantly clear Marcus Semien’s days as a productive regular are over. And the Mets don’t have another real internal option to take over position number four for the future.

So would it really be that far-fetched to at least consider getting Ewing reps at second base to see if he could do it at this level? And if he can, would hanging on to Robert suddenly look more feasible? That’s a difficult proposition too considering the Mets have Semien’s contract on the books for two more years after 2026, but they simply have to find ways to improve the team, even if it means eating some crow on people like Semien.

This conversation is going to come to a head one way or the other in the next week. But I’m serious that if I were involved with the Mets front office, I’m not just going to give Robert away for crumbs. If no suitable offer is made from a rival club, I would hold him and start using Ewing at second base regularly. The rest of 2026 is turning into a tryout camp; we might as well turn over every rock to see what might work.

Around the League 🚩

• The Marlins scored three 9th inning runs capped by a Griffin Conine walk-off single to stun Jhoan Duran and the Phillies 8-7

• Coby Mayo homered and drove in three in the Orioles 8-5 win in Detroit

• Joc Pederson homered twice to propel Texas to a 7-3 home win over the Mariners

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• The Mets salvaged the final game of their three-game series with the Dodgers with an 8-3 win at Citi Field (box)

• The Mets scored seven unanswered runs on the Dodgers thanks in part to a three-run home run from Tyrone Taylor in the sixth inning and a three-run home run from Marcus Semien in the seventh inning

• Freddy Peralta made what could’ve been his final start for the Mets on Sunday, and he struggled once again, allowing three runs (two earned) over 4 IP - his ERA for the season is 4.99

• The Mets bullpen was stellar again, holding LA to just three hits over five innings

• The Mets went 1-5 against the Dodgers this season

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Play of the Game ✨

Tyrone Taylor did it again!

His three-run home run off of Evan Phillips in the sixth inning gave the Mets the lead on Sunday, a lead they would not relinquish for the rest of the afternoon. It was a rare good day for the Mets offense, highlighted by Taylor’s clutch home run.

Carlos Beltrán & Jeff Kent - Hall of Famers 🏆

Former Mets Carlos Beltrán and Jeff Kent were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, on Sunday afternoon.

Beltrán became the third Met to don a Mets cap on his Hall of Fame plaque, joining Tom Seaver and Mike Piazza.

The Mets signed Beltrán as a free agent before the 2005 season and went on to become the greatest center fielder in Mets history. He posted 31.1 bWAR over 6 1/2 years with the Mets while hitting .280/.369/.500 with 208 doubles, 149 home runs, and 559 RBI in 839 games for the Mets. He would end up being traded to the Giants in the summer of 2011 for Zack Wheeler. He now serves as a special assistant to David Stearns in the Mets front office.

The Mets acquired Kent along with Ryan Thompson in August 1992 from the Blue Jays in exchange for David Cone. Kent spent five years with the Mets before they traded him to Cleveland along with José Vizcaino to Cleveland for Carlos Baerga and Álvaro Espinosa. In between, Kent began to blossom into what would ultimately become a Hall of Fame career, hitting .279/.437/.553 with 98 doubles, 67 home runs, 267 RBI, and 244 runs scored over 498 games. Overall, Kent hit 377 home runs during his 17-year career and became among the best second basemen of all time.

The Just Mets Podcast 🎙️

On the latest edition of the Just Mets Podcast, Andrew was joined by Alex Cintron to discuss Carlos Beltran’s induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

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Down on the Farm 🌾

• 1B Christopher Morel (AAA): 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI

• OF José Ramos (AA): 4-for-5, HR, 3 RBI, 3 R

• INF Mitch Voit (no. 5 prospect, High-A): 2-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI, R

• INF Jeremy Rodriguez (Low-A): 4-for-4, 2B, RBI, 2 R

BOX SCORES

Single-A SLU | High-A BRK | Double-A BNG | Triple-A SYR

Today’s Game 🗓

Match-up: Mets (44-62) vs. Braves (62-43)

Where: Citi Field - Flushing, NY

Starters: LHP Zac Thornton (1-1, 1.93 ERA) vs. LHP Martin Pérez (6-6, 3.38 ERA)

When: 7:10 PM EDT

Where to Watch: SNY

The human element, and risk being part of the game ✍️

One more week to go with this Mets team, as currently constructed.

It’s also possible that we’ve seen the last of Freddy Peralta as well.

It’s hard to believe that this acquisition could go so badly for the Mets. It was just ten months ago Peralta finished in the top five in the National League Cy Young Award balloting, and now he’s literally been a negative value player for the Mets. I don’t want to get into the metrics and why he has been so poor for this club statistically at this point. Again, he might’ve made his last start for the Mets, and all they can do is hope they can try and find something for him and sell him as a change-of-scenery arm for a contender. He’s only owed around $3 million the rest of the way so that in and of itself is attractive. But, the Mets gave up a lot to get him - two top-100 prospects in Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams - so they can forget about recouping that kind of value. But, if they can get a top 5-10 prospect back from someone’s organization, that would have to be viewed as a win at this point for a guy who rarely pitches beyond 4-5 innings with a 4.99 ERA on top of that.

The thing is, Peralta is a super guy and seems like a real positive for the clubhouse. He may not be that bulldog leader, but he certainly doesn’t appear like he’s subtracting from the room. It was just a total misread by Stearns and the front office on the personality fit for the team and the city on a roster that was already poorly constructed before they procured him. The Mets probably failed Peralta more than they failed him in the end, which can probably be said about numerous veterans and young players at this point for that matter.

Don’t get me wrong - I am not excusing his poor performance. I am just saying, not only was this probably never a fit to begin with, but also the Mets clearly did nothing to help him successfully make the adjustment to playing here.

And I think Peralta’s situation is emblematic of what could be the biggest mistake the Mets front office has made with this team and organization for that matter.

With their elimination of so many scouts, per Jon Heyman of the Post, and a heavy reliance on analytics to drive roster building and general decision-making, the absence of the human element is as evident as ever with this franchise. That’s not to say they shouldn’t rely on analytics at all or they’re even doing it too much. Rather, they lack an overall balance between the numbers and the actual eye and character/personality tests to make sound judgments, which has clearly impacted their ability to make quality decisions about the major league roster, and their player development for that matter considering how much they’re struggling, again, to develop quality players.

The team Steve Cohen has said he wants to emulate, the Dodgers, absolutely rely on analytics. But, they also have a strong balance with their scouting department to create a balance between the numbers and the people themselves, which helps them to build the culture they’re seeking as well.

Look - any team can just sign and trade for players to buy wins. They can think all they want that just because the player performed in the past elsewhere, those numbers will translate to the same success on their team. They can think it’s all fine and dandy to move career middle infielders to first base, and career middle infielders to the outfield. But, if they’re only taking into account the player’s performance and overall athleticism and not considering their actual ability to handle those transitions and even stay healthy based on those track records, it will just lead to failure.

And, the Mets are clearly prime examples of that this season.

For instance, was there anyone who really thought they’d be able to keep Luis Robert Jr. on the field? How about Jorge Polanco? When the Mets were interested in Robert at last year’s trade deadline, that was the first thing I thought of, which is why I didn’t want them to even consider him. Yet, here he is.

Certainly, the injuries to Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto were unforeseen, but now the Mets have to be cognizant of that in future years as well, and not simply forget that happened like they did with Robert and Polanco.

They need to make sure, as they build their next starting rotation and bullpen, that they’re not only procuring personality fits for their organization, but that they’re molding the players who will fill those roles internally into people who can deal with the trials of playing here as well. That, to me, has been a big part of their failure to develop quality position players over the years.

And then there’s the ugly ducking strategy that simply must change with this front office, which is something Heyman also discussed this week and I’ve said repeatedly over the last couple of years.

Since Stearns arrived, there’s one player they’ve signed for longer than three years, and that is Juan Soto, and it’s safe to say the owner had a direct involvement in those proceedings before he was signed. The Mets are simply going to have to assume more risk in free agency, especially with a new collective bargaining agreement coming and the economics of the game changing in short order. There’s a reason why the Polancos and Sean Manaeas of the world can be had for three years or less, and those reasons weren’t good before, and we are seeing why here.

I am not saying the Mets need to lock in a bunch of 30+ veterans to seven-year deals. Not at all. But they need to balance their short-term risks with their long-term risks, and it’s as simple as that. They’re showing in real time that there can be very, very bad two- and three-year deals. Yes, Clay Holmes is one of the good short-term deals, and the reward was unquestionably worth the risk. But, aside from Soto, Holmes, and Luke Weaver, and I’ll give you Brooks Raley, which other short-term deal since November 2024 has worked out for this team?

The true irony of it all is this: the best contracts the Mets have signed in the last six years are for Lindor and Soto, and those are all mega, decade-plus-long deals. Yes, they were both in their mid-20s when those deals were signed, and that’s all fair. But, was dealing with potentially 1-2 diminishing years of Pete Alonso at the end of a five-year deal really that terrible when they look at the alternatives they chose to go with then, what they clearly won’t be going forward, and the complete uncertainty they’ve created at the position over the same five-year period Alonso will be in Baltimore?

Remember - they’re still paying more than $20 million for their first basemen in 2026, and will probably be doing the same in 2027, since that’s what they signed Polanco to be. And I am not saying the Mets should’ve retained Alonso, but they should’ve replaced him with an actual first baseman and assumed some more risk in the process.

Of course, opting to go with Polanco, Brett Baty, and Mark Vientos at the beginning of all of this not only demonstrates what they thought of Alonso, but pretty much every other available first baseman via free agency or trade as well.

I might have gone off on a tangent there, but of all of the missteps that have been made by Stearns and this front office, the dumpster fire at first base is probably their biggest indictment but is still on my point of being so risk-averse to the point they thought their way into an abyss. And that’s just at one position.

At the very least, we know change is coming. We know that change is coming very soon. In a week or so, the Mets are going to look a lot different, again. But, that can only be a good thing for this franchise even with the uncertainty around the economics of the game coming for 2027, or whenever it is they play baseball again after October.

Around the League 🚩

• Alec Bohm drove in four runs as part of the Phillies 11-4 rout of the Yankees

• The Marlins allowed four runs in the eighth inning and fell 5-3 to the Padres for their 12th loss in a row

• The Rays increased their lead in the AL East to three games over the Yankees with a 1-0 win over the Guardians

• The Royals scored two runs in the eighth inning in a 5-4 win over the Tigers - Detroit is now 50-56 on the year with a week to go before the trade deadline

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• The Mets lost to Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the Dodgers 4-3; they have now lost five of their last seven games and sit 19 games under .500 (box)

• RHP Nolan McLean wasn’t his sharpest, striking out seven while allowing four runs (two earned) over six innings on seven hits (including a homer to Kyle Tucker) and two walks

• The third inning got ugly quickly, as the Tucker homer was quickly followed by a Brett Baty throwing error, a messed up PFP play from McLean, and a passed ball by Francisco Álvarez that led to two additional runs crossing the plate

• The Met offense scattered a handful of hits and worked several walks off Yamamoto, but ultimately failed to score more than one run over his six innings

• Tyrone Taylor brought the game within a run thanks to a late two-run pinch-hit double to score Carson Benge and Luis Robert Jr., but it wasn’t enough to prevent another Mets loss

• Daniel Duarte and Huascar Brazobán provided scoreless outings in relief, as this bullpen is wont to do

• Carlos Beltrán and Jeff Kent will be inducted into the Hall of Fame today; the ceremony starts at 1:30 pm ET and will be streamed on MLB Network

Injury Updates 🏥

• LF Juan Soto (left calf strain) was placed on the 10-day IL and is expected to miss at least 4-6 weeks

Roster Moves 📰

• 1B Eric Wagaman recalled from Triple-A Syracuse

• OF Juan Soto placed on the 10-day IL

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Play of the Game 🤷‍♂️

Tyrone Taylor has been excellent lately.

In his last 15 games, Taylor is slashing .345/.424/.697 with four homers, seven runs scored, six RBI, and four walks to six K’s. He continued his stretch of productivity on Saturday by smoking this two-out, two-run double down the left field line.

His hit was really the only good thing to happen for the Mets on Saturday.

The Just Mets Podcast 🎙️

Andrew took the helm of the latest midweek Just Mets pod to recap the Brewers series, take a look ahead at the Dodgers series, and generally assess the current state of affairs just days out from the trade deadline.

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Down on the Farm 🌾

• 3B Ronny Mauricio (Triple-A): 2-for-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 K

• 1B Ryan Clifford (No. 7 prospect, Triple-A): 3-for-5, 2 2B, 2 R, RBI, K, SB

• LHP Jonathan Santucci (No. 2 prospect, Double-A): 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 6 K

• DH Randy Guzman (Single-A): 3-for-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 6 RBI, K

• 3B Antonio Jimenez (Single-A): 2-for-3, 3 R, RBI, 2 BB, SB

BOX SCORES

Single-A SLU | High-A BRK | Double-A BNG | Triple-A SYR

Today’s Game 🗓

Match-up: Mets (43-62) vs. Dodgers (67-38)

Where: Citi Field - Flushing, NY

Starters: RHP Freddy Peralta (5-9, 5.01 ERA) vs. RHP Emmett Sheehan (4-7, 5.13 ERA)

When: 1:40 PM EDT

Where to Watch: SNY

Is it almost Tyrone Taylor’s time to shine? ✍️

With Juan Soto destined for an IL stint that’s going to stretch well beyond the trade deadline and Luis Robert Jr. all but certainly bound for a new team, there’s one player who’s been quietly putting together quite the competitive backup resume this season.

His name is Tyrone Anthony Taylor.

Though not famous for his offensive prowess, Taylor’s bat has been relentless since he returned from injury a little over a month ago. He hit .345 over 15 games in July, producing more than half his season’s total homer output. What he’s been doing recently isn’t entirely sustainable, but the Mets will have a space in the lineup to benefit from whatever persists of this present version of Taylor until Soto can return.

His baseline numbers look largely the same as they always have, but Taylor’s seen some improvements in the deeper parts of his data from 2025 to 2026 that are eye-catching. He’s cut his strikeout rate despite swinging the bat the fastest he ever has, and he’s barreling the ball up the most he ever has; unsurprisingly, extra-base output is following. His .232 BABIP is by far the lowest of his career, and his medium-contact rate (55%) is a bit too high for comfort given his low line-drive rate and high ground ball/fly ball rates — and yet, he’s posting his best power metrics in several seasons.

These changes have also led to a specific cost, one common for people trying to give their slug a lift: Taylor is swinging a lot more frequently. This could also be the result of the new hitting department and what’s seemed to be a swing-heavy teamwide mentality. Regardless of the root cause of the swing elevation, though it may be leading to desired results fairly often (especially recently), it hasn’t been a perfect formula. Taylor is swinging out of the zone more than he typically does, and making less contact overall, both in and out of the zone. Again, some of that is to be expected if you’re in pursuit of additional power, but it’s a bit strange to see such a commitment to attacking chase-zone stuff when it appears to be directly impacting his ability to hit middle-middle stuff. More sustained playing time should allow some more of the potentially bad habits to take firmer shape so they can be identified and addressed, but doing so also opens up more avenues for the holes in his game to be exploited.

It’s also certainly of note that Taylor, historically a glove-first player, is posting the worst defensive numbers of his career. This season, Taylor’s outfield efforts have resulted in a +1 DRS, -2 OAA, and -2 FRV, far below his preestablished standard. However, that should probably only be so much cause for concern. Injury, age, and a smaller sample size are likely all playing significant factors in statistical decline, and while that’s not ideal with increased playing time on the horizon…it’s also a finite window of playing time, as Taylor will be a free agent upon this season’s conclusion, so he could very well be a goner in a week anyway if the Mets decide to trade him.

It will be interesting, of course, to see if that actually happens with Soto on the shelf. It seemed like a sure bet before yesterday, but in the end, even with the Mets as sellers before the trade deadline, they need bodies to play positions the rest of the way. With the return on Taylor not expected to be really significant anyway, and an increasing possibility the Mets might deal Luis Robert Jr., maybe they’ll choose to hold onto Taylor down the stretch?

We shall see.

And still, even though he’s seen some down performance overall, his best results in 2026 have come in left field, very recently vacated thanks to a certain superstar’s calf. For his career, Taylor grades out equally in both corners; he’s provided roughly identical defensive value in left field as Carson Benge this season. If Taylor can maintain even 70% of his current offensive value over the next month-plus, the Mets’ outfield could potentially navigate Soto’s time on the injured list without missing too many beats.

It should go without saying that Soto is an irreplaceable presence, especially in this Mets lineup; his absence will undoubtedly be felt. But Taylor doesn’t need to be Soto; he just needs to be a not-too-squeaky wheel that helps this broken-down jalopy of a team inch closer to the end of September.

Around the League 🚩

• The Red Sox traded lefty Connelly Early to the Nationals for INF Curtis Mead (MLB.com)

• The Athletics signed Dallas Keuchel to a minor league deal (MLB.com)

• RHP Dylan Cease threw a one-hit, 12-strikeout complete-game shutout, silencing a scorching-hot Boston squad

• Shota Imanaga delivered six scoreless innings backed by a four-hit Pete Crow-Armstrong performance as the Cubs blanked the Pirates, 11-0

• Salvador Perez became the Royals’ all-time home run leader with a 400-foot blast off Tigers reliever Kyle Finnegan

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• The Mets dropped the opening game of their series against the Dodgers with a 4-2 loss at Citi Field on Friday night (box)

• LHP Sean Manaea enjoyed a strong outing on the mound, allowing just one earned run on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts over six innings

• It was the bullpen that let the Mets down with LHP Brooks Raley giving up the insurance run, before LHP A.J. Minter allowed a two-run home run to OF Kyle Tucker to seal the loss

• CF Luis Robert Jr. homered in the bottom of the second inning to open the scoring, and C Francisco Alvarez hit a solo blast in the eighth to represent the only two runs scored by the Mets

• 1B Jared Young was the only Met to record more than one hit, with the offense striking out a total of 11 times and going 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position

Injury Updates 🏥

• OF Juan Soto left Friday’s game in the sixth inning with continued left calf soreness and will undergo an MRI on Saturday

Rumor Mill 💨

• The Mets have reportedly been involved in trade discussions regarding C Francisco Alvarez and are open to moving him if the right deal comes together (NY Post - link unavailable)

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Play of the Game 🙃

Sean Manaea held up his end of the bargain by largely shutting down the vaunted Dodgers lineup. In what was a close game, it was up to the bullpen to keep it that way and give the offense every chance to break out in the late innings.

However, it didn’t exactly pan out that way.

After Brooks Raley allowed the go-ahead run to score, it was up to A.J. Minter to prevent any further damage from happening. Instead, with one runner on and two outs in the eighth, he proceeded to give up a two-run bomb to Kyle Tucker that effectively secured the win for the Dodgers.

The Just Mets Podcast 🎙️

ICYMI: Trade season is upon us, and in the latest Patreon episode, Rich and Michael took on the hottest takes the Just Mets faithful had to offer. Enjoy a preview above, and subscribe to our Patreon to hear the full conversation!

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David Stearns Speaks 🗣️

Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns spoke to the media prior to Friday’s game in his regular homestand availability. Here are the highlights from what he had to say…

• The biggest nugget to emerge was when Stearns was asked about ruling out Francisco Lindor being dealt at the Trade Deadline. Stearns responded by refusing to “rule out or in any specific player on anything.” He did add that the team has a group of young players and potential future Hall of Famers that the front office views as the franchise’s core.

• Clay Holmes spoke to the media on Friday and admitted that there hasn’t been a “ton there” in terms of progress on contract talks. When asked about those comments, Stearns declined to answer.

• Stearns spoke about the franchise’s desire to compete in 2027, explaining that the Mets have to keep that in mind when making deals, while also making moves that are “right for the organization.”

• He is “extremely disappointed” about how this season has gone, he is the one responsible for doing what is best for the team right now.

• Catching is in high demand with both of the Mets’ catchers coming up in trade talks, and while Stearns refused to get into specifics, he did note that the team is “very fortunate” to have two really good catchers.

• With Carlos Beltran set to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame this weekend, Stearns praised the job Beltran has done as special assistant, while revealing his excitement for Carlos and his family ahead of what will be a special weekend for the former Met.

• Interim manager Andy Green to return to the front office after the season, while noting that the looming lockout hasn’t had any impact on trade discussions.

Down on the Farm 🌾

• RHP Jonah Tong (No. 1 prospect, Triple-A): 4.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 9 K

• SS Ronny Mauricio (Triple-A): 2-for-5, 1 R, 4 RBIs, 1 HR

• RHP Noah Hall (High-A): 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 K

• SS Mitch Voit (No. 5 prospect, High-A): 3-for-4, 1 RBI

BOX SCORES

Single-A SLU | High-A BRK (GM 1 | GM 2) | Double-A BNG | Triple-A SYR

Today’s Game 🗓

Match-up: Mets (43-61) vs. Dodgers (66-38)

Where: Citi Field - Flushing, NY

Starters: RHP Nolan McLean (7-6, 3.34 ERA) vs. RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (10-6, 2.78 ERA)

When: 7:15 PM EDT

Where to Watch: FOX

What now for Robert Jr., Holmes, and Álvarez? ✍️

Well, Friday night was yet another lesson in sheer ineptitude by the Mets.

The offense did nothing outside of two home runs, the bullpen gave the game away, and, oh, Juan Soto was forced to leave because of that troublesome left calf. It might be best at this point to consider shutting Soto down for the rest of the year in order to fully heal the ailed area.

It’s not like there is anything left to play for at this point.

There was one positive with Carson Benge showing his elite defensive chops with two outfield assists, becoming the first Mets rookie since Juan Lagares with two assists in the same game. Plus, per Sarah Langs of MLB.com, Benge reached 100.0 mph on his second assist, which is the Mets’ fastest recorded outfield assist in the Statcast era.

At least we have the rookies to keep us entertained the rest of the way.

However, what I want to talk about today is the compelling decisions the Mets will need to make on three particular players in the run-up to the Trade Deadline.

The first of those players, Luis Robert Jr., should actually be a slam dunk easy decision. If the Mets get an offer, then they must absolutely trade the outfielder. If he keeps on hitting home runs like he did last night, then that should only drive up the price with teams already reportedly interested in the center fielder.

Look, I was a fan of the Mets trading for the former White Sox slugger because I liked his upside and thought it was a relatively small risk well worth taking. I also still believe that Robert Jr. could be a very good player for some team at some point. Of course, I had no idea Carson Benge was going to be this good. I had less of a clue that A.J. Ewing was going to make such a huge impact when called up. And I certainly didn’t envision the Mets sucking this badly.

Things change, and Robert Jr. just doesn’t fit here anymore. He absolutely can’t take away any amount of playing time from either of the two rookies, but I worry if he keeps hitting, then there will be a temptation to keep playing him. That can’t happen.

The rest of this year should be all about the future, and with the outfield now set for the foreseeable future with Ewing, Benge, and Juan Soto, there is simply no room for Robert Jr. on this roster. The Mets should take whatever they can get for him, move on, and focus on developing their outfield of the future.

Now, the conversation gets trickier when it comes to the other two players I want to talk about.

It sure seems like Francisco Alvarez is being discussed in trade talks, and the catcher’s future is certainly dividing the fanbase. In a piece I did a week ago today, I made the case for the Mets trading the former top prospect. Well, I’m going to contradict myself today. The more I think about it, the less convinced I am that dealing away Alvarez is actually a good idea. There is power there, there is talent there, and at 24, there is still time to put it all together. I do believe that if Alvarez can put together a couple of consecutive healthy seasons, then we could see the catcher make another leap.

So I take back what I previously said about trading Alvarez. Keeping him is probably the best course of action, especially given that the Mets aren’t executing a full-on teardown here. There is no doubt that Alvarez can contribute to this team winning in the future.

With all of that said, the only way I’d consider trading Alvarez is if the offer is just too good to refuse, and that could happen. It feels like a number of teams are looking to upgrade at catcher, and Alvarez would obviously tick a lot of different boxes for a lot of teams. Say if the Yankees or the Rays offer the Mets a package featuring players or prospects that could help the team compete in 2027, say a first baseman for instance, then it may be hard turning that down. Otherwise, I would make it a priority to keep hold of Alvarez and focus on honing his offensive prowess further.

Finally, there is the Clay Holmes dilemma. Reading between the lines of what was said by Holmes on Friday, and what wasn’t said by Stearns, it sure feels more and more likely that Holmes will get dealt.

I think that would be a grave mistake.

Listen, unless the team is pulling the trigger on a full rebuild, which it isn’t, then there will need to be enough talent on the roster next year in order for the Mets to morph back into contention mode. I know some took issue with what I said last week about trading Luke Weaver because that flies in the face of the Mets trying to be a better team next year, but I stand by that. Based on everything we know, Weaver is likely to get the most back in return. While I personally wouldn’t trade Weaver, we know the front office is now in sell mode so if you can get back a lot in return, then do it.

Back to Holmes. I wouldn’t trade him because attaining good starting pitching is considerably harder than building a solid bullpen. So, if you already have a reliable starter in house, which the Mets have in Holmes, why get rid of him? Losing Weaver would be tough, but I think the Mets could rebound from that. Giving up somebody in Holmes who has proven himself as a dependable arm who delivers every start would be a lot harder to come back from in my opinion.

Let’s see how it all shakes out over the coming weeks.

Around the League 🚩

• Tigers LHP Tarik Skubal struck out a season-high 12 batters over 7.1 innings of one run ball in a 2-1 win over the Royals

• RHP Cam Schlittler struck out 12 over 7 1/3 scoreless innings as the Yankees shutout the Phillies 1-0

• 1B Rafael Devers delivered a walk-off single to propel the Giants to a 7-6 win over the Angels

• Five pitchers combined for a two-hit shutout as the A’s beat the Twins 2-0

• 2B Anthony Seigler had four hits to help the Red Sox beat the Blue Jays 6-4, while Toronto 3B Kazuma Okamoto broke Shohei Ohtani’s rookie record for most home runs by a Japanese-born pitcher after blasting his 23rd long ball

• 1B Jake Burger hit a home run and finished with three RBIs to help lift the Rangers to a big 5-4 win over Seattle

• 1B Matt Olson delivered a clutch three-run blast in the 10th inning to propel the Braves to a 7-6 win over the Orioles

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• The Mets were off on Thursday - they open a three-game series with the Dodgers on Friday night at Citi Field

• José Iglesias is heading to Broadway to star in Buena Vista Social Club (The Athletic)

• Rookie lefty Zac Thornton seems to be a part of the future of the rotation after barely pitching in high school (MLB.com)

• A variety of baseball minds came together to try and solve the Mets problems (Newsday)

• Both Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing have been striking out alot lately which could stem from the long grind of a major league season (NY Post)

Injury Updates 🏥

• RHP Clay Holmes (fractured right fibula) completed his first rehab start with Syracuse. He gave up two runs and struck out two. His final line was 2.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, and 2 K

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The Just Mets Podcast 🎙️

ICYMI: Trade season is upon us, and in the latest Patreon episode, Rich and Michael took on the hottest takes the Just Mets faithful had to offer. Enjoy a preview above, and subscribe to our Patreon to hear the full conversation!

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Down on the Farm 🌾

• RHP Tobias Myers (Triple-A) 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K

• 1B JT Schwartz (Double-A): 3-for-4, R, K

• 1B Trace Willhoite (Single-A): 3-for-4, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2B, HR, BB, K

BOX SCORES

Single-A SLU | High-A BRK | Double-A BNG | Triple-A SYR

Today’s Game 🗓

Match-up: Mets (43-60) vs Dodgers (65-38)

Where: Citi Field — Flushing, NY

Starters: LHP Sean Manaea (2-5, 4.74 ERA) vs. RHP Roki Sasaki (3-5, 4.98 ERA)

When: 7:10 PM EDT

Where to Watch: WPIX

Just like that, Francisco Lindor is hot again ✍️

It has not been a great season to date for Francisco Lindor. And that’s probably being nice.

First, he missed most of spring training after undergoing surgery for a broken hamate bone. Then, after struggling at least defensively over the first few weeks of the season—which can only be attributed to a lack of preparedness due to missing most of camp—he suffered a left calf strain at the end of April, and he didn’t return until the end of June.

Between that lack of spring training, a whole new infield around him with players at new positions, and the missed time due to the calf strain, Lindor’s defense has unquestionably suffered.

With his defense suffering, so too was his offense. After he came back in June, he hit just .150/.190/.400 with a .590 OPS. He had just one home run and three RBIs in 20 at-bats in June.

But as the calendar flipped to July, Lindor started to look more like the Lindor fans are accustomed to.

Lindor is hitting .270/.352/.460 with a .812 OPS in 63 at-bats so far this month. He also has three home runs and eight RBIs. Most of that damage, however, has come over his last seven games during which he has hit .370/.433/.704 with two home runs and six RBIs. But honestly, that’s totally fine as long as it’s the beginning of his season’s upswing, and that the nightmare of the first part of his season is behind him.

As we saw in years past, how Lindor goes, the Mets go. In 2025, he hit .333/.402/.598 with a .999 OPS in wins compared with him hitting .196/.285/.325 with a .610 OPS in losses. In 2024, it was more of the same. In wins, he hit .336/.409/.675/1.084 and in losses .196/.260/.283/.543. For most of this season, the Mets have been missing their engine that makes the offense go. With him on the IL and underperforming for a little bit, it has been hard for this team to get out of its own way.

The problem is, the public has severely scrutinized Lindor’s injury-riddled season to the point that a lot of people want him traded before the August 3rd trade deadline. Part of that might have something to do with the fact that he wasn’t reportedly included in the list of players the Mets aren’t at all interested in moving this summer, which includes Juan Soto, Christian Scott, Nolan McLean, Carson Benge, and AJ Ewing.

But that never meant the Mets were going to move or would be even able to move Lindor. He has 10-5 rights, he is owed $160 million over the next five years, and he’s had a rough year between the injuries and underperformance.

At the same time, perhaps that level of criticism was unfair. Sure, nobody is crying over a player who makes $34 million a year and has struggled. The defensive miscues have been inexcusable - he has been critical of himself for those. But the offensive struggles are unquestionably tied to the hamate surgery, the lack of spring training, the calf injury, and his first 160 or so plate appearances of the 2026 season being spread over three months. Time will tell, of course, but perhaps it was a little premature by the public to write Lindor off, label him as diminishing, and ask the Mets to run him out of town, from the media to the fans.

Besides, who would they replace Lindor with? People never really seem to talk about that part.

This is a lost season for the club and should be treated as such, but it would be a mistake to trade away a key piece of their offense. The team has the foundation for a good team with Soto, Scott, McLean, Ewing, Benge, and Zac Thornton. Lindor should also factor into that foundation, given that this is an abnormal season for him. Given a full spring training next season, he might not struggle so mightily out of the gate and help the 2027 Mets start off on the right foot. Are his best days behind him? Perhaps, but we are still talking about one of the elite talents of his generation, perhaps the best shortstop of his generation, and a player on a Hall of Fame trajectory.

He deserves the benefit of the doubt to say the least, and certainly more than being run out of town after 160 injury-plagued plate appearances in one season, a year removed from a second straight finish in the top 10 of the National League MVP balloting.

Of course, David Stearns has a lot of work to do to build around that core, but the talent is definitely there at its base. They may not be as far away as we might’ve thought a month or so ago.

There just needs to be baseball in 2027 so we can see how it all plays out.

Around the League 🚩

• The Pirates acquired RHP Ron Marinaccio from the Padres in exchange for signing bonus pool considerations (ESPN)

• Former Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is part of an investment group that bought a minority stake in the Athletics (ESPN)

• Braves OF Ronald Acuña Jr. is expected to be activated off the IL ahead of their weekend series against the Orioles (ESPN)

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• The Mets dropped their series in Milwaukee after losing 4-3 to the Brewers in the series finale on Wednesday (box)

• RHP Christian Scott didn’t have his best outing and faced a lot of traffic, although his outfield defense didn’t help. He left after just 3.2 innings having allowed three earned runs on four hits with three walks and six strikeouts

• Four relievers combined to allow just one earned run the rest of the way, with both LHP A.J. Minter and RHP Daniel Duarte tossing scoreless outings to end the game

• 2B Marcus Semien got the Mets on the board with a solo home run in the second inning, and RF Brett Baty made it a one-run game with a solo blast of his own in the top of the fifth

• However, the offense struggled again and, after C Francisco Alvarez hit an RBI single in the ninth to cut the lead to just one-run, the rally ended there with CF A.J. Ewing making the last out with the tying run on base

• In all, the lineup recorded just eight hits, struck out 15 times and went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position, leaving seven runners stranded on base

Injury Updates 🏥

• OF Juan Soto (left calf soreness) was given Wednesday off in order to fully recover with a scheduled off day on Thursday. He is expected to be back in the lineup for Friday’s series opener against the Dodgers

• RHP Clay Holmes (fractured right fibula) will make a rehab start for Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday and is expected to pitch roughly three innings. It is expected that he will need one more rehab start after Thursday before being activated

• RHP Dedniel Núñez (Recovery from Tommy John surgery) allowed one earned run on one hit and one walk with two strikeouts over 1.1 innings in his latest rehab outing for Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday

Rumor Mill 💨

• CF Luis Robert Jr. is drawing “preliminary interest from multiple teams with the Trade Deadline fast approaching (The Athletic)

• There is a “significantly greater likelihood” of RHP Clay Holmes being dealt than signing an extension with the Mets (The Athletic)

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Play of the Game 🙃

Christian Scott was charged with three earned runs on Wednesday, but that doesn’t really tell the whole story about his eventual downfall in the series finale.

With the Mets protecting a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second, Scott was looking to get out of a jam with runners on the corners but two outs.

Arguably, he should have.

And he no doubt would have were it not for Brett Baty misplaying a routine fly ball that allowed two runs to score on an RBI triple.

The play wasn’t ruled an error, but Baty’s mistake proved costly in what was a close game.

So much for run prevention, hey?

The Just Mets Podcast 🎙️

ICYMI: Trade season is upon us, and in the latest Patreon episode, Rich and Michael took on the hottest takes the Just Mets faithful had to offer. Enjoy a preview above, and subscribe to our Patreon to hear the full conversation!

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Down on the Farm 🌾

• SS Ronny Mauricio (Triple-A): 2-for-4, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 2B, 1 HR

• 1B Eric Wagaman (Triple-A): 1-for-4, 3 RBIs

• DH Corey Collins (Double-A): 2-for-3, 2 RBIs

• SS Elian Peña (No. 6 prospect, Single-A): 2-for-5, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 2B, 1 3B

• CF Trey Snyder (Single-A): 3-for-4, 1 R, 3 RBIs, 1 2B, 1 SB

BOX SCORES

Single-A SLU | High-A BRK | Double-A BNG | Triple-A SYR

Today’s Game 🗓

The Mets are off on Thursday and will be back in action on Friday when they open up a three-game series against the Dodgers at Citi Field

Good old run prevention comes back to bite the Mets again! ✍️

I officially never want to hear the words “run prevention” ever again.

My goodness, what a mess.

All we heard all offseason was how the main priority of the front office was to improve the team defensively. Instead, thanks to asking players to constantly play out of position, the Mets have been an absolute disaster class in the field for much of this season, as was the case again on Wednesday, which is what doomed the Mets on Wednesday.

While Christian Scott wasn’t exactly great on the mound, his cause wasn’t helped by Brett Baty, who botched a routine fly ball in right field that led to two runs being scored and the entire tenor of the game changing.

Players being used out of position leading to the most basic of mistakes in the field - where have we heard that one before?

Now, I understand that there was a need to rest Juan Soto so he could get a full two days off to heal his calf. And I also understand the need to be careful with Luis Robert Jr.’s workload. But Tyrone Taylor was available and he would have been the better option to start out in right over someone who is a third baseman by trade in Baty.

Of course, Baty did go on to hit a home run in the game, but there are no excuses for messing up what should have been an easy third out, except for the fact that he isn’t a right fielder and the Mets have stretched him way too thin at too many positions. And, while this season is all but done and wins will matter very little, that shouldn’t be an excuse for the Mets not to go out with the mentality of trying to win every single game.

Playing Baty out of position when there are better options available certainly doesn’t help, and that’s on the dugout staff specifically, although it was this front office’s idea to move Baty and several others out of position in an effort to make them more versatile (and to really accommodate Bo Bichette, who is also playing out of position at third base, albeit reasonably well).

Plus, to compound matters, Luis Torrens was used at first base later in the game (!!!). Again, the Mets’ stated intentions and their actual actions haven’t aligned all season when it comes to run prevention, and comically bad defense is a huge part of why they are in this mess.

Heading into Wednesday, the Mets ranked 24th in the Majors with minus-11 Fielding Run Value, according to Statcast, while being tied for the second-most errors in baseball with 69. A lot of those struggles are thanks to pieces being rammed into holes that don’t just fit. Versatility is one thing, but what the Mets have done all year has bordered on the absurd.

Furthermore, I won’t be convinced otherwise that being constantly yanked around and being asked to play alien positions hasn’t contributed to Baty’s overall struggles this season.

Looking ahead to the offseason, if the Mets are going to emphasize run prevention, they need to actually focus on building a defense that works with pieces that actually fit. I’d rather not see A.J. Ewing have to play second base again, because that takes him away from where he’s most effective and most valuable.

The margin for error in Major League Baseball is intricately small, and all it takes to blow a game is one defensive miscue, as was the case yesterday.

I’m sick and tired of seeing sloppy play after sloppy play sink this team, and we can only hope that the front office learns from its mistakes this past offseason and shifts its focus to putting the right players in the right position. If they can stop talking about run prevention and actually put more energy into fixing the defense, then that would be nice too.

Around the League 🚩

• Royals star SS Bobby Witt Jr. was placed on the IL for the first time in his career with lower-back tightness (MLB.com)

• The Astros traded RHP Nate Pearson to the Royals for Class A RHP Max Martin (The Athletic)

• The Red Sox tied a franchise record by winning a 15th straight game after beating the Orioles 6-3, although they fell short of setting a new franchise record thanks to a 5-1 loss in the second game of the doubleheader

• LF Yordan Alvarez hit his 34th home run of the year to lift Houston to a 5-2 win over the Marlins

• LHP Max Fried struck out seven over five innings of scoreless ball in his return, helping the Yankees to beat the Pirates 2-0 and split the doubleheader

• C Dalton Rushing had a home run and three RBIs as the Dodgers beat the Phillies, 9-5

• The D-backs erupted for 15 runs in a 15-3 rout of the A’s, led by five home runs

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• The Mets shut out old friend Brandon Sproat and the Brewers to even up their series in Milwaukee, 4-0 (box)

• Rookie lefty Zac* Thornton finally secured his elusive first MLB win with another scoreless outing, allowing just three hits over six innings with a walk and two strikeouts

• CF Luis Robert Jr. and 1B Jared Young both hit solo homers, including a 451 ft. monster from Robert that’s tied for the longest homer hit by a Met this season

• SS Francisco Lindor continued his recent eruption with another multi-hit day, going 3-for-4 with a double, a walk, and a run scored

• The Mets tallied 13 hits in the win, with everyone reaching base at least once; Juan Soto was the only Met to not record a hit on the day

• The bullpen was excellent as well, as Luke Weaver, Brooks Raley and Devin Williams combined for three nearly perfect innings to close things out

Roster Moves 📰

• RHP Daniel Duarte recalled from Triple-A Syracuse

• RHP Xzavion Curry optioned to Triple-A Syracuse

Rumor Mill 💨

• The Mets have signaled to contending teams they are not willing to eat money on players they’d deal (NY Post)

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Who’s Hot? 🥵

• Zac Thornton has now thrown 18 straight scoreless innings over his last three outings

• Francisco Lindor is hitting .346/.433/.692 with nine hits, two homers, six RBI, four walks and five strikeouts in his last seven games

• Luis Torrens is hitting .304/.385/.391 with seven hits, three RBI, three BB, and three strikeouts in his last seven games

Play of the Game 🤷‍♂️

A.J. Ewing’s speed tool played just as big a role in getting him to the big leagues as his elite bat-to-ball skills did, and that quickness manifests both on the basepaths and in the field.

Ewing put his wheels on full display in the bottom of the third when he snared this fast-falling liner from Joey Ortiz, potentially helping the Mets avoid yet another Little League homer. It was the first of a few big plays he made there yesterday — which just so happened to be his first big league appearance in left field.

The Just Mets Podcast 🎙️

ICYMI: Trade season is upon us, and in the latest Patreon episode, Rich and Michael took on the hottest takes the Just Mets faithful had to offer. Enjoy a preview above, and subscribe to our Patreon to hear the full conversation!

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Down on the Farm 🌾

• CF Nick Morabito (No. 10 prospect, Triple-A): 2-for-4, R, RBI

• RF Jose Ramos (Double-A): 2-for-4, 2 2B, R, RBI, 2 K

• DH Julio Zayas (Single-A): 3-for-4, 2 HR, 3 R, 2 RBI

• 1B Randy Guzman (No. 24 prospect, Single-A): 1-for-2, 2 R, RBI, BB, SB

BOX SCORES

Single-A SLU | High-A BRK (PPD) | Double-A BNG | Triple-A SYR

Today’s Game 🗓

Match-up: Mets (43-59) at Brewers (63-38)

Where: American Family Field — Milwaukee, WI

Starters: RHP Christian Scott (3-1, 2.87 ERA) vs. RHP Logan Henderson (3-1, 2.97 ERA)

When: 2:10 PM EDT

Where to Watch: SNY

The rotation core of the future might already be here ✍️

Zac Thornton is a stud. At least in the small sample he has offered the Mets over the last month or so.

Despite a rocky debut, Thornton (who recently dropped the ‘H’ from the end of his name) has a 1.93 ERA with a 0.86 WHIP over his first 23+ MLB innings. He’s gone at least six innings in each of his last three starts, and he’s walked just six of the 87 batters he’s faced to date.

Though he’s still learning how to tunnel and sequence all his pitches properly, Thornton already has an advanced feel for his stuff. He may not be a K machine, and he doesn’t generate a ton of whiffs (16% yesterday, 22.8% career), yet he’s known for his ability to throw strikes consistently, as evidenced by his 65% strike rate and 16 called strikes against the Brewers yesterday. As undeniably valuable as velocity is, the ability to locate really is more than half the battle.

And Thornton’s usually a very good locator:

As important as throwing pitches for strikes is, so is knowing how to use chase and waste pitches to get easier strikes down the middle. In his post-game comments, Thornton mentioned going out of the zone when he needed to, and this demonstrates precisely that. By using all of his pitch types to spread the zone almost equally in just about every direction, Thornton was able to effectively use his more extreme shapes to create a wider lane for his more controlled stuff to filter through.

It worked like a charm: those 16 called strikes accounted for nearly 20% of his pitch total, a lethal ratio.

With an arm this polished and dialed in at just 24 years old, Thornton’s ceiling is extremely high — and he’s just the beginning of what this team has to offer right now.

The Mets currently have three young starters in their rotation that they could (somewhat) comfortably build around next season: Thornton, Christian Scott, and Nolan McLean. With these three arms, the Mets have a core of starters equipped with diverse, well-rounded repertoires that can attack hitters with a wide velo range from multiple arm slots and sides of the rubber.

Here’s how they stack up so far this year:

• Nolan McLean: 113.1 IP, 3.34 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, .202 AVG/.272 BABIP/.619 OPS, 4 HR, 135 K-41 BB (28.8 K%-8.7 BB%), 48.0 GB%, 69.9 LOB%

• Christian Scott: 59.2 IP, 2.87 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, .212 AVG/.280 BABIP/.664 OPS, 7 HR, 72 K-26 BB (28.5 K%-10.3 BB%), 31.5 GB%, 85.0 LOB%

• Zach Thornton: 23.1 IP, 1.93 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, .175 AVG/.210 BABIP/.496 OPS, 1 HR, 17 K-6 BB (19.5 K%-6.9 BB%), 39.1 GB%, 75.3 LOB%

Clearly there’s work to be done and plenty left to be seen, but provided their trends hold (and, for Scott and Thornton, that they prove capable of handling a full-time MLB workload over the final months), there’s a decent chance the Mets won’t end up making as much noise in the starting pitching market as has been forecasted before the 2027 season kicks off.

For the most part, fans know what they’re getting with McLean by now. There have been some shaky starts here and there, but there really isn’t much more mystery to uncover in McLean’s game, at least not yet. He’s just got really dominant stuff, and when he’s got the right feel for it, there’s almost nothing anyone can do to hit it.

And where McLean offers the crazy shapes while Thornton offers a more controlled, location-forward approach, Scott’s there to burn you up with fastballs before he sets you down with sweepers, a true power-pitcher archetype if there ever was one.

Scott’s fastball-slider combo is a devastating pitch package when all cylinders are firing. They’ve worked particularly well together recently, with a combined 38% whiff rate and 14 called strikes against the Phillies on those two pitches alone. Scott’s heater is definitely his bread and butter, but his slider’s sweeping motion is less reliant on vertical action and more on horizontal cut than the typical sweeper, so it’s become an increasingly dangerous tunneling tool. Scott gets about seven feet of extension (89th percentile), which almost certainly helps his already hot four-seamer play up in the zone that much more. A precisely elevated fastball can open up several angles of attack for his sweeper and other pitch types in the zone below.

Granted, Scott, like McLean and Thornton, isn’t perfect. He’s struggled at various points this season — and in his career — with command and giving up free bases, hence his elevated WHIP. And given his short but serious injury history at a young age, some lingering long-term health concerns may remain about Scott, but from what he’s shown since his return to action, it doesn’t look like he’s suffering from any significant loss of pure stuff.

With McLean, Scott, and Thornton healthy, the Mets’ rotation can be anchored by two near-90th percentile strikeout throwers who operate in totally different ways, balanced by a finesse lefty who eats innings with a minimal pitch count while keeping runners off the bases. There’s no doubt the Mets still need to add some bona fide big-league starting help to the rotation; if they come to terms on an extension with Clay Holmes, that issue suddenly looks a bit smaller with proven, sustained success under several young starters’ belts.

For a team that almost instantly suffered the consequences of forcing too much change, it doesn’t seem like it would behoove the franchise to continue shaking things up. Building around the young core is good for team chemistry and player confidence,

And while it’s tertiary in importance, retaining a solid core is a pro-fan move that this franchise would benefit from making right now. Countless Mets faithful opined that the avalanche of player departures and staff shakeups this offseason have made it difficult to root for and empathize with the newest Mets amid this season’s struggles — and while you can’t keep players strictly for the sake of fans’ feelings, you probably also shouldn’t jettison a well-established foundation of core characters in a matter of weeks, assemble a squad of aging/oft-injured mercenaries, and hope for the best. Giving the fanbase a new group of young, talented arms not really seen since the Harvey/deGrom/Wheeler/Syndergaard/Matz days would go a long way in helping management rebuild some potentially lost faith and interest.

Both on the field and off, investing early in this next era of Mets starting pitchers seems like a no-brainer.

Around the League 🚩

• Max Muncy’s go-ahead two-run homer against the Phillies was his 228th homer as a Dodger, tied for the fifth-most in franchise history; he later started a rundown in the bottom of the ninth inning that started a game-ending double play as the LA held on to win 2-1

• Fernando Tatis, Jr. has officially awoken from his prolonged home run slumber, smashing a 474-foot bomb for his eighth homer of the year and third in his last four games; the Padres beat the Braves 8-3

• Michael Conforto hit his MLB-leading fourth pinch-hit homer of the season in an 11-2 Cubs win over the Tigers; Conforto is hitting .333 with a 1.268 OPS in 29 plate appearances as a pinch-hitter

• The Rays racked up 21 hits in a 12-2 thrashing of the Blue Jays

• Reds phenom Chase Burns delivered five scoreless innings with three hits, two walks, and six strikeouts, leading the way to a 4-2 win over Seattle in his first outing since signing his extension

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• The Mets were routed by the Brewers in the opener of their three game series in Milwaukee by the score of 8-3 (box)

• RHP Freddy Peralta made the start for the Mets back in Milwaukee against his former team and struggled mightily, allowing seven earned runs in 5.1 innings

• 3B Bo Bichette was the only Met to have a productive night at the plate, reaching base three times with a single, double, and walk, and scoring a run

• SS Francisco Lindor and DH Jorge Polanco each drove in a run in a mini Mets rally in the 8th inning

• RHP Xzavion Curry saved the rest of the Mets bullpen in this one, going the final 2.2 innings and allowing just one run

• Luis Robert, A.J. Ewing, and Brett Baty all struck out three times in the loss

Roster Moves 📰

• OF Luis Robert activated from 60-day injured list

• INF Eric Wagaman optioned to Triple-A Syracuse

• INF Zack Short outrighted to Triple-A Syracuse

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Play of the Game 🤷‍♂️

RHP Freddy Peralta’s nightmarish season in Queens hit a new low on Monday night, as starting against his old team in a ballpark he’s very comfortable pitching in, he got himself absolutely shelled. The Brewers pounded Peralta for seven runs on eight hits, but the biggest low came in the third inning.

After falling behind 3-0 early, the Mets had scratched out an unearned run in the third inning to try to steal some momentum. Peralta went out in the bottom of the frame and got the first two hitters out before allowing a Garrett Mitchell double. That set the stage for right-handed slugger Andrew Vaughn to bring the hammer down, with a long two-run homer that broke the game open.

The Just Mets Podcast 🎙️

ICYMI: Trade season is upon us, and in the latest Patreon episode, Rich and Michael took on the hottest takes the Just Mets faithful had to offer. Enjoy a preview above, and subscribe to our Patreon to hear the full conversation!

SUBSCRIBE: YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Down on the Farm 🌾

All Mets minor league affiliates were off on Monday

Today’s Game 🗓

Match-up: Mets (42-59) at Brewers (63-37)

Where: American Family Field — Milwaukee, WI

Starters: LHP Zac Thornton (0-1, 2.60 ERA) vs. RHP Brandon Sproat (3-4, 5.16 ERA)

When: 7:40 PM EDT

Where to Watch: SNY

Freddy Peralta’s disastrous Queens tenure keeps getting worse ✍️

In late January when the Mets acquired veteran right-hander Freddy Peralta from the Milwaukee Brewers, he was heralded as the club’s missing piece.

Done in by a noncompetitive pitching staff down the stretch in 2025, the Mets were desperate for a frontline ace-level starting pitcher, and when they swung the deal to bring Peralta to Queens, they thought they’d found just that.

With the Brewers a season ago, he’d just won 17 games with a 2.70 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP. Opponents hit just .193 against him, he struck out more than 200 hitters for the third straight season, and the 176.2 innings he threw represented a new career high. Peralta seemingly checked every box. But there’s one issue this current Mets front office doesn’t seem to respect quite enough.

Not every player is cut out to play in the media gauntlet that is baseball in the Northeast—particularly New York City. And that is perhaps David Stearns’ biggest whiff when it comes to roster building here, not just with Peralta, but generally speaking. The human element has clearly been discarded with Peralta and arguably others, not at least not taken into account with respect to one’s ability to deal with New York.

Going from being the best pitcher on a good team in a small Midwest market, to being counted on to be the savior of a Mets’ staff that desperately needed a jolt has proven to be too tall of an order.

Peralta’s season has been a struggle seemingly from the jump. His walk and home run rates are both way up. He’s consistently had a devil of a time keeping his pitch count down and has gone seven innings only once.

Metrically, everything about his game is worse year over year, and by a lot. His change-up has been generally non-competitive this season, although everything else in his arsenal has dramatically diminished as well. Interestingly enough, his pitch usage is nearly identical from last year, but the effectiveness of everything but his sweeper has killed his season. There’s unquestionably an element of bad luck built into Peralta’s pitch equation, as the expected batting averages on everything but his slider and sweeper are much, much lower than the actual averages. But, as we know, the actual results ultimately matter over the expected results, and there’s only so much weight that can be put on expected results when things aren’t changing for Peralta.

So, the question is, why? What happened to this guy? Yeah, it could be the New York wow factor, but we are talking about a perennial Cy Young Award candidate turning into someone who is arguably un-pitchable in a matter of 10 months.

There’s been a minimal velocity dip in his fastball from last year. He was closer to 95 mph on average in 2025, whereas he’s been mostly 94-ish on that pitch this season. He’s actually throwing his sweeper 1.4 mph harder on average, but his vertical movement has diminished on that pitch, which has limited its effectiveness. As I said before, his change-up has been his least effective pitch, although he’s getting more horizontal and vertical movement on that than he did a year ago. He’s also getting less movement on his curveball.

Last night had to be an emotional start for Peralta, returning to his old stomping grounds at American Family Field, but instead of a triumphant homecoming, he endured another emotional blow.

To his credit, he persevered after a brutal beginning to get through 5.1 innings, but it was still the fourth time in his last eight starts where he allowed five or more earned runs, and his season ERA has ballooned to an ugly 5.01.

Peralta looks frustrated, lost, and uncomfortable, which is understandable on so many different levels. He’s in a new environment in which he’s failed to live up to expectations, his team is one of the sport’s biggest disappointments here in 2026, and he’s on an expiring contract.

With just two weeks to go until the trade deadline, he’s almost certainly entering his final fortnight in Queens, which is likely for the best for both parties.

Peralta needs to go somewhere where he can reset, take a breath, and perhaps get a shot of adrenaline from being back in a race.

From the Mets’ perspective, there were countless discussions from the moment Peralta was acquired about extending him to secure his services for years to come. It’s become clear not pulling the trigger on that long-term deal was a blessing in disguise.

He’s a good pitcher who I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if he ascends back to being a great pitcher in a new situation. And a wonderful and colorful personality. But he’s not going to be an ace in New York, and the Mets need to reassess their processes this winter and find a new ace that has the moxie to make it in our market.

Around the League 🚩

• Junior Caminero contributed three hits and drove in a pair of runs in the Rays’ 7-1 win north of the border in Toronto

• Caleb Durbin’s 8th inning home run broke a 5-5 tie and led the Red Sox to a one run win over the Orioles at Fenway

• Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II both homered in the Braves 3-1 victory pver the Padres

• Petey Halpin crushed the first home run of his Major League career in Cleveland’s 13-4 win over the Twins

• Jazz Chisholm Jr. connected on a pair of homers and drove in five runs in the Yankees 8-5 home win against the Pirates

• Trea Turner finished a triple short of the cycle and drove in five runs in the Phillies 10-7 home win over the Dodgers
  

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• The Mets beat the Phillies by a score of 6-1 at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday afternoon (box)

• Francisco Lindor reached base five times - he homered, doubled, singled and walked twice, easily putting up his best game of the year

• Nolan McLean dazzled on the mound, spinning a two hitter with ten strikeouts over six innings

• The Mets 1-5 in the order went a combined 10-for-22 with three runs scored and five RBI on the day

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Play of the Game ✨

Francisco Lindor’s two-run home run in the first inning on Sunday set the tone for the Mets and was easily the play of the game. He would reach base four more times on the afternoon with a double, single, and two walks.

The Just Mets Podcast 🎙️

In the latest edition of the Just Mets Podcast, Rich MacLeod recaps a successful weekend for the Mets in Philadelphia, and discusses the trade discourse surrounding Francisco Lindor.

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Down on the Farm 🌾

• INF Christian Arroyo (AAA): 1-for-4, HR, RBI

• INF Nick Lorusso (AA): 2-for-4, R

• OF Trey Snyder (Low-A): 4-for-5, HR, 5 RBI, 2 R

BOX SCORES

Single-A SLU | High-A BRK G1 G2 | Double-A BNG | Triple-A SYR

Today’s Game 🗓

Match-up: Mets (42-58) at Brewers (62-37)

Where: American Family Field - Milwaukee, WI

Starters: RHP Freddy Peralta (5-8, 4.66 ERA) vs. RHP Jacob Misiorowski (10-4, 1.62 ERA)

When: 7:40 PM EDT

Where to Watch: SNY

The Nolan McLean experience, and Francisco Lindor’s best day of 2026 ✍️

For a day anyway, or arguably a weekend, things went generally well for the Mets.

It wasn’t perfect by any means. Saturday was a mess for the Mets on the mound, as has been the case for most of the season, but I’d venture to say Sunday’s game in particular might’ve been among the best days of the year for the club.

To be fair, Sunday’s game was a total punt by the Phillies as they prep for the Dodgers this week, but wins are wins, and for the Mets, they’re so precious that it doesn’t really matter what the Phillies were doing.

The Mets got a splendid effort on the mound from Nolan McLean, who appears to have righted his ship after a bumpy start to the year. I, for one, was willing to be very patient with McLean out of the gate. I had a feeling it wasn’t going to be easy for him, or as easy as it seemed to be for him in the eight starts he made for the Mets at the end of the 2025 season. This league has proven time and time again that it doesn’t matter how talented a player is - everyone’s weaknesses will be exposed and exploited. It was up to McLean to figure out how to adjust back, get creative, and find more ways to get hitters out.

Needless to say, he’s done that.

He has leaned less on his sweeper than he did at the end of last season. He struggled to control that pitch and get the opposition to offer at it at times. It has so much movement, but if he was even one inch off on the pitch, it goes from being one of the most dominant pitches in the league to something that wasn’t really competitive for him. Instead, he is using his curveball and sinker a lot more, and while he has about as much deceptive movement on those pitches as he does with his sweeper, he just seems to be able to command the corners more with those pitches than he can the sweeper at the moment, and it’s an effective and dynamic combination for him at this stage of his season.

It will be interesting to see how he stacks up against the Dodgers next weekend at Citi Field. It’s a good test for him, a good test for the Dodgers, and a good overall measurement of where he stands. Statistically speaking, McLean has been one of the best pitchers in the National League over the last five weeks or so, to the tune of a 2.11 ERA over his last eight starts, and that’s with an ineffective outing against the Cubs in June.

If he continues on this roll, McLean will most definitely re-enter the conversation for the National League Rookie of the Year Award. He still might have an uphill battle to win against the likes of JJ Wetherholt, but he’s got the best fWAR among National League rookie pitchers and has the second-best fWAR among all National League rookies behind Wetherholt. But, there’s still 2 1/2 months left in the race, and all signs are pointing up for McLean at the moment, which is fun to see in the midst of a terrible season for the team.

Then there’s Francisco Lindor.

A lot has been made of his lost season, whether or not he is a diminished player, and whether or not the Mets should trade him this summer. I should remind everyone who reads this newsletter that this guy suffered a break to his hamate bone in February, required surgery, basically skipped Spring Training, then missed two months with a calf injury.

He hasn’t really had any normalcy to this season. He has spent the bulk of it rehabbing from injuries, trying to be in game shape, and doing it in a rushed manner that is unconventional for any player in the league.

I am not saying anyone should give him a break. He makes $34 million a year. But, maybe consider cutting him some amount of slack.

He had his best game of the year on Sunday, and looked like Francisco Lindor for the first time all season. I am not saying one day is any indication that he’s going to look like the player of old, but it’s certainly an indication that he probably isn’t a diminished player. And, if you’re one who relies on the metrics, those say he isn’t diminished, either.

Look - I am not saying Lindor’s best days are in front of him. They probably aren’t. We all knew when he signed this contract five years ago that the front five might look a lot better than the back five. He is inevitably going to regress and decline, he is inevitably going to become more injury-prone, and if anything, this season is a signal of the latter.

But, I think we need to see more of the healthy version of Lindor on the other side of age-32 before we draw any conclusions about whether or not he is fading. 166 fragmented at-bats that have been scattered over three months is an unfair sample size to draw a conclusion on. Sure, he hasn’t played well at shortstop either, but let’s be a little more patient before we send the guy packing.

Besides, who is going to replace Lindor if they trade him? Most people forget to consider the alternative, which is non-existent. They have nothing behind him in the minors - they traded Jett Williams and Luisangel Acuña, and neither were going to replace Lindor’s talent, anyway. There’s nobody to sign in free agency - most teams lock their young, quality shortstops up and protect them from walking in their prime years. And there’s no realistic trade option for them either.

Also - Lindor has 10-5 rights (ten years in the league, five years with the same team), meaning he has full no-trade protection. He can stay in New York if he wants to, regardless of whether or not they find a taker and actual value in a trade scenario, that which they would undoubtedly be getting pennies on the dollar for in a deal.

Lastly, a friendly reminder that Lindor has the sixth-highest fWAR in the game since 2021. Among qualified shortstops, he has the second-highest.

So, again, before you run this guy out of town, keep in mind all of the particulars and the alternatives, and lack thereof.

Around the League 🚩

• The Red Sox extended their winning streak to 13 games with a 6-1 win over the Rays, their first such streak since 1948

• The Padres put up 11 runs combined in the eighth and ninth innings as they smoked the Royals 19-2

• Paul Skenes allowed a run over seven innings in the Pirates 7-1 win over the Guardians

• Down 7-0, the Diamondbacks rallied past the Cardinals for an 8-7 win in the 10th inning

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• The Mets delivered a characteristically middling performance against a rival on Saturday, scoring one run on three hits in a 6-1 loss (box)

• Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga both struggled on the mound: Manaea gave up four runs on two homers in 4.2 innings, while Senga allowed another pair to cross the plate in just over an inning of work

• LF Tyrone Taylor provided most of the Mets’ offense with a two-hit day, including solo homer in the top of the second inning, his seventh of the season and fourth since returning from the IL

• CF A.J. Ewing stole his 10th base of the season; he and Benge lead the team with 26 between them, more than the rest of the roster combined (23)

• Mets hitters struck out 11 times yesterday, working just two walks

• They weren’t much better in the field, adding another three errors to their already-egregious season tally (69, second-worst in MLB)

• The Mets pushed back on Adam Ottavino’s recent claims that they were the “main culprit” behind MLB’s recent AI crackdown (The Guardian)

Roster Moves 📰

• RHP Rafi Vazquez acquired from Atlantic League’s Southern Maryland Blue Crabs

Injury Updates 🏥

• RHP Clay Holmes (fractured right fibula) had his rehab start postponed due to weather, but threw a 45-pitch live BP session instead; he’ll make a rehab start in five days, setting him up for potential activation by the end of July (MLB.com)

• CF Luis Robert Jr. (Lumbar spine inflammation) went 2-for-5 with a homer, two two runs scored, two RBI and two strikeouts in his latest rehab outing for Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday

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Play of the Game 🤷‍♂️

The tone was set early, in very predictable fashion.

After allowing a lead-off single to Trea Turner, Sean Manaea served Kyle Schwarber a middle-middle 85 mph meatball of a cutter. Schwarber promptly hammered it 400 feet down the right field line into the upper deck.

It was Schwarber’s sixth homer against the Mets this season.

The Just Mets Podcast 🎙️

ICYMI: Trade season is upon us, and in the latest Patreon episode, Rich and Michael took on the hottest takes the Just Mets faithful had to offer. Enjoy a preview above, and subscribe to our Patreon to hear the full conversation!

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Down on the Farm 🌾

• DH MJ Melendez (Triple-A): 3-for-5, 2 HR, 3 R, 4 RBI, BB

• CF Luis Robert Jr. (Triple-A, rehab): 2-for-5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 K

• 1B Christopher Morel (Triple-A): 2-for-4, HR, 2B, 3 R, 2 RBI, BB, K

• 1B Nick Lorusso (Double-A): 2-for-5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 K

• DH Trey Snyder (Single-A): 2-for-3, 2 2B, BB, K

BOX SCORES

Single-A SLU | High-A BRK (PPD) | Double-A BNG | Triple-A SYR

Today’s Game 🗓

Match-up: Mets (41-58) at Phillies (55-44)

Where: Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA

Starters: RHP Nolan McLean (6-6, 3.52 ERA) vs. RHP Alan Rangel (0-2, 4.19 ERA)

When: 1:35 PM EDT

Where to Watch: SNY

What value do either Sean Manaea or Kodai Senga have left? ✍️

Trade season is in full swing, and following a particularly lackluster piggyback performance, it’s fair for fans to loudly speculate whether Sean Manaea or Kodai Senga can provide any substantive value at the trade deadline.

To say both pitchers have underperformed this season would be more of an outright lie than it would be an understatement, but they don’t belong in the same tier of underperformance. If anything, an argument can be made that these two pitchers currently exist on opposite ends of the value spectrum.

I’m going to try to make that argument right now:

Sean Manaea

Manaea’s 4.74 ERA over 79.2 innings this season isn’t anything to write home about; nor is his 1.34 WHIP. He isn’t walking many hitters (7.3%, 60th percentile), but he isn’t striking many out either (22.5%, 50th percentile). And there’s really only so much happening under the hood that can be cherry-picked in pursuit of a good spin: it’s certainly noteworthy that his fastball is yielding a +6 run value while averaging just over 90 mph — good location wins! — and it’s exciting that he’s generating his highest chase rate since his rookie season.

However, he’s also allowing the most out-of-zone contact he ever has, alongside the second-highest general contact rate of his career, while stranding just 66% of baserunners and keeping less than 40% of batted balls on the ground. That’s a non-negligible number of red flags without wading all that deep into the weeds.

And yet, Manaea may still be pitching himself into a tradeable position, if for no other reason than teams valuing veteran lefties with playoff experience.

Take a look at the chart above: Manaea’s fastball is working in two different spots, in two different ways. The fact that he’s getting so many called strikes in that specific part of the zone, while getting his swings so far upstairs, suggests that he’s both locating and sequencing it particularly well this year. The numbers support that theory: his heater currently has a 104 Location+ score. Given the concerns around that pitch at the outset of the season, it’s funny to see it become arguably his most effective offering this year. A fastball that can be deployed throughout the zone with desired results is a weapon any pitching coach will jump on if given the opportunity, especially if there’s any extant need for innings.

And even though Manaea’s outing yesterday was far from his best effort, his season resume isn’t too far off from his pre-established baselines; by all accounts, he’s having a pretty Sean Manaea™ year. In fact, Manaea’s stat line over his entire Mets tenure is nearly 1:1 with his career per-162 averages. He’s shown some undeniable signs of decline (be it due to age, change in role, whatever the case may be), but that sort of stability can go a long way for a staff, both on and off the field — especially in the postseason. (Mets fans know that all too well.)

Could the recently revived Red Sox, who just parted ways with lefty Danny Coulombe, be a potential partner? The Twins and Mariners could make interesting partners as well, given how tight the AL Wild Card race has become. With Manaea’s increased innings workload, experience in relief, and unique arm angle from the left side, he offers enough ingredients for a pitching department to try and pull together something palatable.

The Mets would undoubtedly have to pay down a significant portion of what’s owed to Manaea if they could move him, especially to a mid to small market team, but his value to a contender probably isn’t good no matter what.

Verdict: Minimal trade Value

Kodai Senga

While Manaea has at least offered occasional silver linings to latch onto, Senga has demonstrated time and again that he is no longer a Major League-caliber pitcher. Not as a starter, and not as a reliever.

Senga lasted only an inning and a third on Saturday, needing 45 pitches to get through his brief but costly outing. Though Manaea had already done most of the day’s damage, Senga still allowed two runs on three hits and three walks. He now owns a 0-7 record with an 8.85 ERA, a 14% walk rate, roughly one homer per appearance, a 6.89 FIP, and a 1.84 WHIP on the season.

The walks are biting Senga in several areas, as he’s averaging nearly 20 pitches per inning on a sub-60% strike rate. Combined with his elevated homer rate, teams must by now be operating with the knowledge that they’re highly likely to get multiple runs on the board when he steps onto the mound. Though he didn’t get bitten by the longball last night, Senga’s been all but guaranteed to give up a homer when he’s taken the hill this season. His dozen homers allowed in as many appearances are already tied with his 2025 total…in about 70 fewer innings. His season high is 17, which he allowed over 166 rookie innings.

This is a really concerning trend, because it affirms the story his pitch charts have been telling for a while now: he is extremely hittable in the zone, and that’s why he avoids it so much.

But despite living on the outer extremes of the zone to avoid getting feasted on over the plate, Senga still gets hit around an unsustainable amount on the corners. Hitters managing a .339 wOBA in a zone that sees 22% of your pitch count is bad enough; when a hefty chunk of that pitch distribution lies in chase/waste territory, that implies literally anything you throw is swing-worthy.

In short, Senga offers:

• A plus-grade fastball that’s sometimes on and only occasionally well-located

• A devastating breaking pitch that’s really his only consistent out pitch

• Average-to-below average shapes and stuff on the rest of his arsenal

• A near-9.00 ERA, near-2.00 WHIP, and near-7.00 FIP

All told, it’s hard to see Senga fielding all that much trade interest, if any. Even a team who’s truly desperate for pitching help would likely be better off dipping into their own farm reserves than they would be risking any additional disruption for a pitcher who’s proven themselves so easily rattled. There’s always the possibility a team bets on his potential, but there’s likely more to be fixed here than a simple change of scenery and situation can remedy. Maybe Senga would accept another demotion, but it’s similarly hard to see the good in further mechanical tinkering against lower-level talent when it hasn’t offered much help to this point.

Verdict: Cut ties at all costs

The 2026 trade deadline is Monday, August 3rd at 6:00 pm. Mark your calendars.

Around the League 🚩

• The Reds signed RHP Chase Burns to a 7-year, $105 million extension

• The Orioles signed RHP Kyle Bradish to a 5-year, $90 million extension (MLB.com)

• The Cubs acquired veteran righty Aaron Civale from the A’s in exchange for minor league pitcher Aiden Moffett (MLB.com)

• The Red Sox cut struggling lefty reliever Danny Coulombe, who posted a 4.50 ERA with a 6.34 SIERA over 22 innings; the southpaw has struck out just 10.4% of batters faced this season

• Red Sox RF Wilyer Abreu had his second-straight two-homer game, becoming the first player with consecutive multi-homer games since Mookie Betts in 2016. They have won 12 games in a row and are firmly in the playoff picture

• LHP Tarik Skubal issued a vintage performance, striking out nine over seven scoreless innings in a 7-0 Tigers win

• The Nationals and Athletics are in the midst of a wild series, with the A’s taking yesterday’s game 15-1 after losing 23-4 the day prior

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Happy Saturday, Mets fans – the latest Patreon exclusive episode of The Just Mets Podcast has dropped!

This week, Rich MacLeod is joined by Michael Baron to preview the trade deadline, discuss why fans are trying to trade Francisco Lindor, and react to Mets trade proposals submitted by you!

Enjoy a free preview of this week’s episode on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

For access to full bonus episodes, become a paid subscriber here on Substack or over on Patreon.

If you’re already a paid subscriber to Just Mets, here’s how you can watch/listen to this week’s exclusive full episode below…

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• The Mets were off on Friday but will resume their series with the Phillies this afternoon

• The Mets appear to be open for business as the Trade Deadline approaches but, unlike in 2023, the team reportedly “have no desire to pay down contracts” (SNY)

• According to reports, the Mets were among the teams found to be exploiting a loophole regarding the use of AI with dugout iPads before an MLB crackdown (NY Post)

• Ron Hunt, the first Met to start in an All-Star Game and who once held the MLB record for hit-by-pitches, sadly passed away at the age of 85 (MLB.com)

Injury Updates 🏥

• RHP Clay Holmes (fractured fibula) will begin a rehab assignment with High-A Brooklyn on Saturday as he continues to progress towards making a return

• CF Luis Robert Jr. (Lumbar spine inflammation) went 1-for-3 with a double, two walks and a run scored in his latest rehab outing for Triple-A Syracuse on Friday

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Rumor Mill 💨

• SS Francisco Lindor isn’t a fit for the Yankees and isn’t a priority. However, other players like C Luis Torrens, RHP Clay Holmes, and RHP Luke Weaver could be if the two teams are willing to deal (NY Post)

• Multiple executives around baseball have deemed the chances of the Mets dealing Lindor at the deadline as “unlikely” (The Athletic)

• Multiple teams are expected to scout RHP Clay Holmes’ rehab outing later today (The Athletic)

• The Phillies are expected to make bolstering the bullpen a real priority ahead of the deadline (MLB.com)

The Just Mets Podcast 🎙️

In a new special edition of the Just Mets Podcast, Rich is joined by Mets prospect guru Ernest Dove of the Dove Report to discuss the current state of the Mets and what the farm system’s updated roadmap looks like.

SUBSCRIBE: YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Down on the Farm 🌾

• SS Ronny Mauricio (Triple-A): 2-for-5, 1 R, 2 RBIs, 1 HR

• RF MJ Melendez (Triple-A): 3-for-4, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 HR

• 3B Christopher Morel (Triple-A): 2-for-4, 1 R, 2 RBIs, 1 HR

• RHP Noah Hall (High-A): 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K

• SS Mitch Voit (No. 5 prospect, High-A): 3-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 3 SB

• OF John Bay (High-A): 3-for-5, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 3B

• SS Elian Peña (No. 6 prospect, Single-A): 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 HR

• OF Randy Guzman (No. 24 prospect, Single-A): 2-for-3, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 HR

BOX SCORES

Single-A SLU | High-A BRK | Double-A BNG | Triple-A SYR

Today’s Game 🗓

Match-up: Mets (41-57) at Phillies (54-44)

Where: Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA

Starters: LHP Sean Manaea (2-4, 4.56 ERA) vs. LHP Jesús Luzardo (8-4, 3.51 ERA)

When: 4:05 PM EDT

Where to Watch: SNY

Let’s play a game of Trade or Don’t Trade! ✍️

With the Mets enjoying an off day on Friday, I thought today would be the perfect opportunity to both hone in on the Trade Deadline and have a little fun at the same time.

I’m going to play a little game I like to call “Trade or Don’t Trade!” The premise is simple: I’ll go through a list of Mets players that could be dealt over the coming weeks, and assess whether the team should trade them or keep hold of them. It really is that easy.

Now, according to reports, only Juan Soto, A.J. Ewing, Carson Benge, Christian Scott, and Nolan McLean are safe, so I won’t include those players, nor will I cover every single other player on the roster; otherwise, we’d be here all weekend. Instead, I’ll pick out the most notable names and go from there.

Okay, now the rules are explained, let’s start playing Trade or Don’t Trade!

Francisco Lindor

Notably, Francisco Lindor’s name was not on the untouchables list, yet all reports suggest that it is highly unlikely the shortstop will get dealt at the Trade Deadline. I’m starting to get the feeling that the relationship between the player and the team may not be all that great right now, and maybe by getting it out in the public domain that Lindor is available is the front office’s way of trying to convince the player to give away some of his significant leverage and make a potential trade easier. That’s only my hunch, but I think it is a situation worth keeping an eye on.

In any case, I don’t think Lindor should be traded at the deadline or during the offseason. I still think that he should be regarded as an incredibly important player for this franchise. Yes, this year has been a car crash for Lindor, who has struggled both offensively and defensively. However, I think you have to take into account the fact that he missed a lot of time, plus maybe all the noise surrounding his relationship with Juan Soto, coupled with the team’s struggles, has had an impact mentally. If the Mets can get Lindor right the rest of the way in 2026, then I’m confident he’ll be a big-time contributor in 2027. Plus, he’s exactly the type of leader you want when building a team around a core of young players.

Trade or Don’t Trade: DON’T TRADE

Freddy Peralta

It will be fascinating to see the kind of return the Mets get for Freddy Peralta. His time in Queens has been an absolute bust, and he’s only gotten worse as the months have ticked by. He’s currently pitching to an ugly 4.66 ERA and has allowed 18 earned runs over his last five starts.

With that being said, the demand for starting pitching will be high and there will be several teams who will believe that they can get the train back on the tracks with Peralta. Therefore, if the Mets can get a decent package in return, then it makes sense to trade the righty because he’s clearly not been comfortable pitching in New York.

Trade or Don’t Trade: TRADE

Luke Weaver

According to Chelsea Janes of SNY, the Mets aren’t just looking for prospect capital at the Trade Deadline. They also want pieces back that can help them compete in 2027. Therefore, they are going to have to walk a delicate tightrope of retaining some talent while also acquiring more to help fix a flawed roster.

Arguably the most tricky area to manage is the bullpen. The Mets have plenty of relievers that will generate a ton of interest, but they will also need to keep some pieces to build around for next year. With that in mind, Luke Weaver is a really compelling case study. He’s been far and away the team’s best and most reliable relief pitcher in 2026, and, under control for next season too, he will be one of the best relievers available.

Part of me is compelled to say that the Mets should keep hold of Weaver and build the entire 2027 bullpen around him. However, if I’m thinking with just my head, the return for the righty could be substantial and could help to address several areas of weakness on the roster. It would probably be wise for the front office to drive up the price on Weaver as high as they possibly can in order to get a great return.

Trade or Don’t Trade: TRADE

Clay Holmes

I’m going to make this incredibly easy - the Mets absolutely shouldn’t look to deal Clay Holmes. As mentioned already, the Mets are dancing the delicate dance of trying to reload while also needing to be in a position to compete in 2027. As a result, you can’t get rid of every single talented player on the roster.

Holmes has been David Stearns’ biggest success story so far, and he was without a doubt the team’s most reliable arm this year before going down hurt. He’s developed into a really nice dependable starter for the Mets, and I think that has a lot of value on its own. Personally, I think the front office should be making signing Holmes to an extension an absolute priority and ensuring he’s a cornerstone of the starting rotation going forward.

Trade or Don’t Trade: DON’T TRADE

A.J. Minter / Brooks Raley

I’m going to combine A.J. Minter and Brooks Raley here because they are both lefty relievers with a lot of trade value. Contending teams always need high-end lefty arms, and the Mets could get some nice pieces back if they trade both Minter and Raley.

Trade or Don’t Trade: TRADE

C Francisco Alvarez

This is a really interesting one. I think there is a tendency to keep getting lost in Francisco Alvarez’s potential, especially because he was once a top prospect. However, the catcher has been around long enough now where I think we know who he is as a player, and I’m not convinced that his ceiling will get much higher. With that said, maybe there’s a team out there convinced that they can unlock Alvarez’s full power and potential and be willing to offer a considerable package in return. If that’s the case, I think the Mets need to move on.

Trade or Don’t Trade: TRADE

C Luis Torrens

If I were running the Mets - be thankful for small mercies that I’m not - I would trade Alvarez and keep Luis Torrens. Torrens is a better defensive catcher by a comfortable stretch, and he can contribute offensively. Okay, so he’s not got as much power and as much offensive upside as Alvarez does, but I think he’s the all-round safer bet as a catcher. Plus, I’d use some of the prospect capital the Mets accrue at the deadline to go and find a young catcher to pair with Torrens and run with that duo behind the plate for the foreseeable future. I also like Torrens’ leadership and his ability to come through with the odd clutch hit.

Trade or Don’t Trade: DON’T TRADE

INF Mark Vientos / INF Brett Baty / INF Ronny Mauricio

I’m putting these three players together in the same group because I think they are all in similar situations. Firstly, it might be hard to move Mark Vientos at the moment owing to the fact that he’s injured, but if there is a team willing to trade for Vientos now, then the Mets must absolutely pull the trigger. I just don’t think there’s any future for Vientos in Queens, and I’m sure both parties would benefit from a fresh start.

It is a little more tricky when it comes to Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio, but ultimately, unless the Mets can move certain veterans and commit to regular roles for both Baty and Mauricio, then it is probably best to look at moving the pair. Both players have talent, both players have potential, but both players currently don’t have a path to regular playing time with the Mets, and it could be a case of trying to sell high now, especially as it pertains to Baty. I’d like to see both players stay, but it might make more sense to try and trade them.

Trade or Don’t Trade: TRADE

3B Bo Bichette

Again, unless the Mets are secretly committing to a full-blown rebuild or teardown, they will need to retain a decent chunk of talent. That’s why I think Bo Bichette should be considered part of the future. Not to mention the fact that it would be hard to move his contract at this point, while he also has opt-outs built into his deal.

It has hardly been a stellar first year in Queens for Bichette, who is currently hitting .253/.297/.372/.670 with 10 homers and 51 RBIs. However, we have seen glimpses of just how productive Bichette can be at the plate, and maybe he can get hot down the stretch and prove that he’s worth keeping hold of over the long term. If not, the situation can always be revisited in the offseason.

Trade or Don’t Trade: DON’T TRADE

2B Marcus Semien / OF Luis Robert Jr.

I’ll preface this by clearly stating that I think it is highly unlikely either Marcus Semien or Luis Robert Jr. gets moved at the deadline, especially Semien. However, I include both players because I think it would be in the best interests of the Mets to try and jettison both players, even if the returns are minimal.

With Jorge Polanco set to mainly play DH, I hate the idea of Robert Jr. taking any amount of playing time away from A.J. Ewing or Carson Benge. I don’t think the Mets should mess with the outfield at this point. As for Semien, he’s probably worth keeping around because of his defense, even though that has regressed this year, but trading Semien would also likely open up a bigger role for one of Baty or Mauricio, and that would be the better long-term option for the Mets. At this point, I don’t think this team can afford to have these kinds of veteran players blocking the way for a younger player that could have lots more to offer. Again, I can’t see a world in which the Mets find a willing trade partner for Semien or Robert Jr., but stranger things have happened, I guess.

Trade or Don’t Trade: TRADE

Honorable Mentions

The Mets need to keep some semblance of a bullpen together, so I think Devin Williams and Huascar Brazobán - although if the Mets get a big offer for the latter, that would probably be hard to turn down - should be considered safe. On the flip side, if there are any takers for the likes of Kodai Senga or Sean Manaea, I’d take the deal and run faster than Usain Bolt.

Who would you keep and move in your own game of Trade or Don’t Trade?

Around the League 🚩

• Yankees OF Aaron Judge’s right rib has shown signs of healing, but he’s not ready to be cleared for baseball activities (MLB.com)

• Dodgers RHP Shohei Ohtani is expected to pitch on Wednesday after having an injection in his knee, although his workload will be managed (MLB.com)

• In a rematch of the 2024 World Series in the Bronx, the Dodgers beat the Yankees 2-1 thanks to RHP Roki Sasaki’s 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts

• The Red Sox are now back to .500 after sweeping Friday’s doubleheader with the Rays for Boston’s first 11-game winning streak since 2016

• Braves RHP Víctor Mederos hit a two-run single as a pinch-hitter in Atlanta’s 15-1 win over the Rangers

• C Ryan Jeffers boosted his Trade Deadline stock by hitting a three-run homer in Minnesota’s 5-2 win over the Cubs

• Nationals 1B Andrés Chaparro finished with two homers and eight RBIs to help his team to a monster 23-4 romp over the A’s

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• The Mets took the series opener against the Phillies with a 4-1 win in Philadelphia (box)

• RHP Christian Scott was excellent yet again on the mound. He pitched 5.2 scoreless innings, struck out 7, and did not walk anyone

• C Francisco Álvarez brought the power coming out of the All-Star break. He went 2-for-3 with 2 HR, 2 RBI, and a walk

• 2B Brett Baty also left the yard. Overall he went 2-for-4 with a HR, R, and RBI

• RHP Luke Weaver’s scorless inning streak came to an end after 28.1 innings. He gave up one run on one hit in his inning of work

• RHP Devin Williams easily picked up the save in the ninth. He struck out one and didn’t walk anyone

• Assuming it starts on time, the Mets will open the 2027 regular season against the Marlins on March 25 in Miami. They will open the home portion of the schedule on April 2 against the Giants (MLB.com)

Injury Updates 🏥

• LF Juan Soto exited Thursday’s game early with left calf soreness but the team is confident he won’t miss any time

Roster Moves 📰

• 2B Marcus Semien reinstated from the 10-day injured list

• INF Zack Short designated for assignment

Rumor Mill 💨

• The Mets front office has informed the rest of the team they are “open for business,” with all but AJ Ewing, Juan Soto, Nolan McLean, Carson Benge, and Christian Scott being made available ahead of the trade deadline (SNY)

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Play of the Game ⭐️

The Mets were clinging to a 1-0 lead thanks to Francisco Álvarez’s home run in the third inning. The team’s pitching did a good job making it hold up, but insurance runs are always welcome, especially late in the game.

First, it was Brett Baty who led off the seventh with a solo home run, and then Álvarez followed with his second of the game off Aaron Nola.

The next inning, Luke Weaver gave up a home run to Trea Turner, so those home runs came in the nick of time so the team didn’t lose the lead. A.J. Ewing’s RBI double in the ninth got the run back, but it was the back-to-back home runs that sealed the team’s victory to open the second half against their rivals.

Who’s Hot? 🥵

• Over his last 15 games, 2B Brett Baty is hitting .283/.333/.472 with two home runs, five walks, 10 runs scored, 6 RBIs, and two stolen bases

• Over his last seven games, C Francisco Alvarez is hitting .333/.429/.583/ with two home runs, three walks, two runs scored, and five RBIs

Who’s Cold? 🥶

• Over his last seven games, SS Francisco Lindor is hitting just .174/.240/.348 with one home run, two runs, two RBIs, two walks, and two strikeouts

Down on the Farm 🌾

All minor league teams were off due to the All-Star Break. Play will resume on July 17

Today’s Game 🗓

The Mets and Phillies will enjoy an off day and will resume their three-game series on July 18.

Don’t tune out on the Mets! ✍️

The second half of the season has officially started with the Mets’ 4-1 victory over the Phillies. While it started off on a high note, there isn’t much to look forward to in the coming months. According to SNY’s Chelsea Janes, the Mets are open for business with only a few players considered untouchable as the trade deadline approaches, so this team could look radically different in a couple of weeks. Not only that, they also have the second toughest schedule remaining according to Fangraphs. Also according to Fangraphs, they have only a 1.0% chance at making the playoffs.

Given these factors, there aren’t many reasons to tune into games for the rest of the season.

No one can be blamed if they tune out for the rest of the season. This team is going nowhere, and they are frustrating to watch on a nightly basis, but there are several - albeit not many - reasons to watch this club down the stretch of the season!

1. They still have good players! Juan Soto, Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing, and Nolan McLean are reportedly untouchable, so they will most likely still be here after the deadline. Soto is putting together an MVP-caliber season, and Benge, Ewing, and McLean could all be Rookie of the Year candidates. SS Francisco Lindor most likely isn’t going anywhere as well. He and Soto haven’t played much together this season given their injuries, but should Lindor recapture some of his former self, it will be fun to see him and Soto in the lineup at the same time along with the rookies.
   
   For Lindor specifically, there is never any excusing poor play at this level, but we have to keep in mind his season got derailed before Spring Training officially began with the hamate bone surgery, and that along with the calf injury that cost him two months has unquestionably hindered him this season. It was well chronicled in February that the hamate surgery specifically could zap his offense for a while, and it probably has. That plus the calf injury has made the first half one to forget for Lindor. Let’s see if he can rebound over the next 2 1/2 months.

2. More prospects could be coming. Zack Thornton has already gotten a call-up and has been impressive so far. Should the team trade away more pitching, Jonah Tong could return, and perhaps he can figure things out at the major league level. Depending on who they trade, more starting pitching prospects could be given an opportunity as well.

3. Can Kodai Senga be an effective reliever? Manager Andy Green seemed open to the idea of making Senga a one-inning reliever. So far, he has only had one appearance that was only one inning, but it was a good one. Unless they can find a trade partner for a team to take Senga, the righty turning into an effective reliever would help the team learn what they have in him and if they want to move on from him in the offseason.

4. Welcome back, former Mets. September will see both Pete Alonso and Jacob deGrom return to Citi Field. For Alonso, this will be his first time returning to Queens as a visitor. While fans can continue to debate if letting Alonso go was the right move, he should still deserve a nice welcome back for the memories he created in a Met uniform.

5. Bad baseball is better than no baseball. We’ve already gone beyond halfway point of the season, and then before you know it, the season will be over. The Mets as an organization are facing an uncertain future given how things have played out this season, but baseball as a whole also has an uncertain future. This CBA could prove to be contentious between the two sides, which could lead to a lockout. If that happens, there is no telling when baseball will return. So while the Mets probably won’t play better in the second half, this might be the only Mets baseball that gets played for a bit, so take the wins where we can get them.

Around the League 🚩

• The Reds signed RHP Chase Burns to a seven-year extension worth $105 million (ESPN)

• Major League Baseball released its schedule for the 2027 season, assuming there is no lockout, Opening Day will be on March 24 (ESPN)

• Philadelphia reliever Brad Keller was diagnosed with a torn UCL and will miss the rest of the season (ESPN)

• The Pirates acquired OF Robert Hassell III from the Nationals in exchange for cash or a player to be named later (ESPN)

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• The Mets return from action today after the All-Star break and start their second half with a road series against the Phillies

• The Mets officially signed 2026 first-round draft pick Carson Wiggins (MLB.com)

• SS Francisco Lindor (No. 9) and OF Juan Soto (No. 3) were both named in a list ranking the Top 10 athletes in New York sports right now (SNY)

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Rumor Mill 💬

• The Yankees need to upgrade at catcher and are showing serious interest in the Twins’ Ryan Jeffers and Colorado’s Hunter Goodman (MLB.com)

• The Yankees are also eying bullpen help and would “love the idea” of adding Padres closer Mason Miller (NY Post)

• The Cubs, Rays, and Braves are expected to be among the most aggressive suitors if Tigers ace Tarik Skubal becomes available (NY Post)

• The Phillies are tied for the best record since June but are looking to upgrade in a number of areas, including starting pitching, bullpen, and a right-handed bat (MLB.com)

The Just Mets Podcast 🎙️

In a new special edition of the Just Mets Podcast, Rich is joined by Mets prospect guru Ernest Dove of the Dove Report to discuss the current state of the Mets and what the farm system’s updated roadmap looks like.

SUBSCRIBE: YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Down on the Farm 🌾

All Mets minor league affiliates are off and will resume action on Friday night.

Today’s Game 🗓

Match-up: Mets (40-57) at Phillies (54-43)

Where: Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA

Starters: RHP Christian Scott (2-1, 3.17 ERA) vs. RHP Aaron Nola (3-6, 5.75 ERA)

When: 7:10 PM EDT

Where to Watch: ESPN | ESPN App

Laying the groundwork for sustainability ✍️

Well, the stretch run officially begins today.

I don’t like saying second half because mathematically that isn’t correct. In any case, you get the point.

Today is the day when the Mets will start the next phase of what has just been a miserable season, and it is probably only going to get tougher from here on out.

In recent days, we’ve already provided reasons to stay invested for the remainder of this season, while Michael Baron did a deep dive into why the Mets need to get things right at the Trade Deadline.

I don’t want to go over old ground or repeat what has already been said, but I do think it is worth stressing just how important the rest of this summer will be for the entire organization.

Without wanting to sound hyperbolic, I really do think what we see over the next couple of months could set the tone for the next few years for this team. Now is not the time to mail things in and play out the rest of the year nonchalantly.

No, now is the time to be proactive and start laying the groundwork for what needs to be a bounce-back year in 2027, or at least the start of a sustainable turnaround.

In my opinion, it all starts with the core. Someone high up, be it Steve Cohen or David Stearns, needs to get into Juan Soto’s ear and make it clear that not only is he the face of the franchise, but he’s also the leader of the team and he needs to start acting like it. That starts with cleaning up his real lack of hustle and his, at times, troubling body language. Whether he likes it or not, Soto is looked upon as one of the leaders of the entire organization and it is about time he embraces that role and focuses on setting a sterling example day in and day out.

I’m sorry, but it is no longer excusable for Soto to be seen half-assing it out of the box or switch off out in the field, especially with so many younger players looking to him for guidance.

In the same way, ownership and the front office really need to end once-and-for-all any issues there are between Soto and Francisco Lindor and work out a truce. Period. It won’t serve the team in any positive way if rumors of the two faces of the franchise not getting on still persist. Cohen and Stearns need to get both Soto and Lindor in a room, air out any grievances, work out a way to placate both players, and make it clear that they are a leadership tandem and they need to set the tone in the clubhouse and on the field every single day.

I think that’s crucial because I don’t think Lindor is going anywhere, and nor do I think he should, either. Okay, it has been a really rough year for the shortstop and the amount of mental lapses and basic errors we’ve seen from him is really troubling. It is one thing struggling offensively after being out hurt for so long, but it is quite another thing to struggle to handle even the basic fundamentals. I think maybe there could be some natural decline there, but I also think that Lindor still has plenty to offer and I don’t think he’s anywhere close to being a truly diminished player just yet.

In any case, the organization just needs to focus on getting Lindor right, both physically and mentally, the rest of the way so that he is ready to contribute in a big way in 2027. Plus, I think having a guy like Lindor around is absolutely crucial for the young players coming through. Lindor is the type of model professional you want in the clubhouse and on the field when rebuilding a roster.

On a more broader basis, I’m really interested to see how Stearns handles the Trade Deadline. He’s gone from franchise savior to the biggest villain of New York sports overnight, and he can’t afford many more whiffs. However, some executives tend to double and triple down when under pressure, and that would be a disastrous outcome in this particular situation. For instance, as Michael Barron explained on Wednesday, Stearns can’t fall into the trap of holding onto players just because he doesn’t want to admit making a mistake in the first place.

It is crucial that the likes of Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing continue to develop at a high level, and if that means moving on from or reducing the playing time of the likes of Luis Robert Jr., Jorge Polanco, and Marcus Semien, then so be it. The future of this franchise needs to come first now.

In the same way, Stearns needs to come to a final decision on the first iteration of the Baby Mets. I don’t think this team can afford to go into 2027 still wondering just what level of production Mark Vientos, Brett Baty, and Francisco Álvarez are going to provide. At this point, I think we know what all three players are, and what they aren’t. It is clear that Vientos doesn’t have a future here and, while his current injury will probably make it hard to move him at the deadline, a parting of the ways would probably be best for both player and team. Baty’s trade value is probably a little higher now given the heater he was on prior to the All-Star Break, and maybe it would be best to cash in now unless the team is really going to commit to Baty having a regular, concrete role going forward.

As for Álvarez, we probably need to stop being charmed by the potential. I think it is harder to move on from a former top prospect because of the fear that he will put it all together somewhere else. But, again, I think we know the player Álvarez is at this point, and I’m not convinced he’s going to be much more than that. If I were the front office, I would try to get a couple of intriguing arms back for Alvarez, and then try to find a young catcher elsewhere to pair with Luis Torrens.

Finally, it will just be nice to see some evidence that the veterans on this team are able to rebound somewhat and learn from their first half mistakes. It will also be crucial to see continued improvement from the likes of Nolan McLean, Ewing, Benge, and Christian Scott so we at least have some hope to cling to going forward.

It would be nice to at least see a little fight and heart the rest of the way, too.

All in all, while the season is lost, how the rest of this season is handled by ownership, the front office, the coaching staff, and the players will ultimately provide us with some good insight into how good we should feel about 2027 and beyond.

Around the League 🚩

• The Brewers traded for veteran Astros RHP Lance McCullers Jr., with cash and LHP Colton Gordon also part of the deal, while OF Jadyn Fielder went back to Houston in return (MLB.com)

• The A’s are calling up prospect 3B Tommy White for the weekend series against Washington, according to reports (ESPN)

• Former MLB pitcher Jim Abbott received the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at the ESPY Awards on Wednesday night (MLB.com)

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• The American League beat the National League 4-0 in the 2026 MLB All-Star Game, issuing the first Midsummer shutout in 13 years (box)

• Juan Soto started in left field for the NL, going 1-for-2 with a single and a strikeout

• The NL mustered a mere three hits and struck out 15 times against a formidable AL staff; Soto was one of AL starter Dylan Cease’s three first-inning strikeout victims

• The season resumes tomorrow against the Phillies; per Tankathon, the Mets have the hardest remaining schedule in MLB

Roster Moves 📰

• RHP Dan Hammer outrighted to Triple-A Syracuse

Play of the Game ⚾️

Textbook. 👍

After working a quick 2-1 count on AL righty Joe Ryan, Juan Soto smacked a middle-middle fastball right back up the middle in his second and final at-bat of the game.

This wasn’t the most important moment of the evening, but it feels relevant that a Met recorded one of the National League’s three total hits last night.

In a new special edition of the Just Mets Podcast, Rich is joined by Mets prospect guru Ernest Dove of the Dove Report to discuss the current state of the Mets and what the farm system’s updated roadmap looks like.

SUBSCRIBE: YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Down on the Farm 🌾

All Mets minor league affiliates are off and will resume action on Friday night.

Today’s Game 🗓

The Mets are off Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. The season resumes on Thursday, when the Mets take on the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

Thoughts on what the Mets need to get back at the trade deadline, organization and reputation building ✍️

by Michael Baron

Alright. The All-Star Game is over. Juan Soto was probably the highlight for the National League with his single up the middle mid-game as they got blanked by the American League in Philadelphia on Tuesday.

Soto doesn’t have to go far when the Mets resume their season on Thursday. They’ll be playing the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park tomorrow night in an awkward start to the second half. They play Thursday, are off Friday because of the World Cup, and then resume a normal cadence on the schedule starting Saturday.

It’s hard to really see anything to look forward to. The Mets are unfathomably 17 games under .500 and look every bit the part. The only thing we have to watch, in all probability, is who gets shipped out over the next 2-3 weeks. Then of course the Mets will officially shift into 2027 and beyond mode when they call up some of their prospects and fill the rest of their gaps with journeymen from the minor leagues.

The goal with those who stay, such as with Soto, Francisco Lindor, Nolan McLean, AJ Ewing, Carson Benge, Jonah Tong, Jonathan Santucci, Jack Wenninger, and the rest of their top prospects will be to simply keep them healthy, whether they’re here or not, and see if those prospects specifically can emerge as meaningful pieces into next year.

As for the immediate term, as in over the next week or two, the Mets have some interesting decisions to consider.

It is trade season, as most everyone knows at this point. The Mets are going to be sellers; most everyone is going to be on the table, but aside from the entirety of their bullpen and both Clay Holmes and Freddy Peralta, there isn’t a lot of trade value on this Mets roster. They also have two underperforming veterans who are close to returning: Luis Robert Jr. and Marcus Semien. They also have Jorge Polanco back, but he just seems like such a limited player and a square peg in a round hole on this roster.

The problem with those three veterans is they’re owed over $100 million combined and don’t have a lot of on-field value. It’s easier for the Mets to slot Semien back in than any of the rest since the Mets need a competent defensive second baseman, and while Semien is also now showing signs of diminishment at that position, a case can at least be made to plug him back in every day if his hip is good to go.

The rest will be hard to justify playing if the Mets are moving into evaluation mode. There is no reason at all for either Robert or Polanco to be taking away playing time and/or at-bats from any one prospect now, and you know that’s going to happen in some way, shape, or form when they return.

I worry they’re going to try and sell playing Robert over Ewing by saying they’re protecting Ewing from left-handed pitching, for instance. For better or for worse, that should not happen - Ewing needs to get every possible at-bat over the next 2 1/2 months, especially over a fragile, non-productive, and overpaid veteran.

They can always use Robert strictly as a right-handed designated hitter and Polanco as a left-handed designated hitter and see if they can extract some kind of value from them with that permutation. That’s what I want to see, anyway.

In at least one transaction the Mets make this summer, I’d like to see the Mets get a first baseman. I don’t necessarily think they need to get a near-ready product, but they need to start to create options in the pipeline there which are beyond the swing-and-miss Ryan Clifford. One of the biggest problems this organization has had, pretty much since they graduated Pete Alonso to the big leagues in 2019, is they have not successfully cultivated premium position players from their minor leagues. Hopefully, Benge and Ewing are changing that narrative, but even so, they need more than that and to do that more than once every seven years.

Generally speaking, the Mets need to reel in as many infield prospects as they can and just see what they can do with them over the next few years. Holmes and Peralta offer the best chance at such a return, although I don’t expect the Mets to get a 1-5 type for either. But at this point, stocking up on quantity and creating options in the medium and long-term is better than nothing right now.

But then, August will come, and boy will things get stale around here. We as a group have to figure out how to stomach what’s about to unfold over the season’s final two months with a shell of a roster and what could be a bottom-five finish in the game with one of the game’s most expensive teams proving to be one of the greatest busts in the history of sports.

Just when you thought 1992 and 2003 couldn’t get any worse, 2026 proved that it can always be worse. Hell, 2027 can be worse than this too.

Let’s hope that’s not the case.

There’s a lot of work for David Stearns and Steve Cohen to do to undo these past two years, which have been nothing short of terrible. This is a big trade deadline for this front office; they have to get it right, and regardless of who they get back, the practices with this organization, from player acquisition and player development right on up to the culture of the major league team, have to change for the better immediately. Nobody in that room can sit there and say they’ve done one thing well since the end of the 2024 NLCS, regardless of what they say about the progress of the organization. We can probably count on one hand the number of moves Stearns and his front office have gotten right over the last two years, so with that said, they must now get most every move right between now and next February if they are going to right the Mets ship.

All of the money in the world, all of the investments in the world, all of the rhetoric in the world matter not when the team is 17 games under .500 97 games into a season. The record defines their reputation, as does the way they operate internally. They have to fix all of that.

So, change comes starting today. It’s going to take a while, but if they can accept their own faults and mistakes now, better times will come sooner rather than later.

Around the League 🚩

• There are complications that both MLB and the MLBPA need to sort out before there’s an agreement on player participation in the 2028 Olympics (ESPN)

• Shohei Ohtani - who sat out the All-Star Game with knee soreness - is expected to be active against the Yankees this weekend

• The Padres will use the next couple of weeks to determine if they’re buyers or sellers at the trade deadline (SD Union Tribune)

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Happy Tuesday, Mets fans!

For the next Patreon edition of The Just Mets Podcast, Rich MacLeod and Michael Baron will be previewing the MLB trade deadline and reacting to trade ideas submitted by you fans!

Have a weird, interesting, outside-the-box or sneaky good trade you think the team should make at the deadline? Comment with them below for your chance to be featured!

Episode will be available exclusively for paid subscribers on Substack/Patreon later this week…

Leave a comment

• The Mets were off on Monday and will begin the post all-star break portion of their season on Thursday night against the Phillies

• RHP Justin Verlander discussed his brief time in New York (SNY)

In the latest edition of the Just Mets Podcast, Rich recaps the Mets terrible first half and the week that just passed without any sign of a pulse from the club.

SUBSCRIBE: YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Down on the Farm 🌾

All Mets minor league affiliates are off and will resume action on Friday night

Today’s Game 🗓

The Mets are off Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The season resumes on Thursday when the Mets take on the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

Finding reasons to stay interested in the Mets ✍️

There’s no two ways about it. The first half of the 2026 season was an unmitigated disaster for our New York Mets. Virtually none of the front office’s drastic offseason transactions have worked out, injuries to key pieces have limited the team’s ability to score, and even some of the veteran players that are supposed to be sure things have dramatically underachieved.

There really have been next to no positives surrounding the Mets during these first three and a half months, and it’s safe to say fan interest and engagement is at a borderline all-time low.

But that’s not to say there’s nothing to pay attention to as this team plays out the string. Let’s dive into a handful of reasons to stay interested in the 2026 season.

1. The Psychopaths

The biggest positive to come out of these last few months for the Mets has been the emergence of their two young outfielders, Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing. Benge brought camp with the Mets, and after a slow start at the sport’s highest level, he’s really come on over these last several weeks. He finished the first half with a .263/.326/.402 slash line, to go along with 11 home runs, 37 RBI, 12 doubles, and 15 stolen bases.

Ewing came up later, debuting just before Mother’s Day, and he’s arguably been even more impressive. In 57 games, he’s slashed .276/.350/.439, while displaying more power in the Majors than he had in the minor leagues. Lately, the Mets have moved him into the leadoff spot, where he has excelled, and it’s certainly possible that becomes his long-term home.

These two are young, exciting, and energetic, and along with witnessing Juan Soto’s nightly greatness, are the primary reasons to continue watching this team.

2. Young Pitchers

Unlike the young outfielders I just discussed, the pitchers that fall into this category are not all currently in the big leagues.

The Mets pitching staff is unquestionably about to undergo significant changes over the next couple of weeks as the team’s trade deadline sell-off commences. And once some opportunities are opened up, it’s imperative that the Mets give their young arms as many chances as possible to audition for future roles.

2023 5th round pick Zach Thornton has now made three starts for the Major League team, and was never better than the seven scoreless innings he fired against the Red Sox on Sunday. The southpaw should absolutely be taking regular turns in the rotation from here on out.

Then there’s young Jonah Tong, who entered the season as one of the team’s top prospects, but has endured a rough go in Syracuse.

In 15 Triple-A starts spanning 66 innings, Tong has worked to an ugly 6.00 ERA with a 1.52 WHIP. He’s still striking out well over a hitter/inning, but his walks are way up and he’s allowed a staggering 15 home runs. That said, as the summer drags on and the Mets are just playing out the string, there’s no reason not to get him more experience at the big-league level. If he can put together a couple of good outings in a row, I would expect New York to promote him.

A somewhat lesser-known name is righty Jack Wenninger. The 24-year-old has been better than Tong in Syracuse by a wide margin, pitching to a 3.50 ERA across 17 outings. He’s struggled at times with command, and his 44 walks in 79.2 innings are clearly way too many. But the Mets are in a position where they have nothing to really play for, and they have to start learning what their top minor league pitchers can actually do at a higher level.

3. Ryan Clifford

I’ve written about first baseman Ryan Clifford several times over the last couple of months, and we’re bound to discuss him quite a bit more over the next several weeks. Clifford is far from a perfect prospect or a finished product, but he plays a position that has been a disaster in Queens all season, and has a level of upside few in the organization can match. A season ago, he hit 29 home runs and drove in 93 runs in 139 games. This season, he’s clubbed 16 long balls in just over 300 at-bats. He has serious left-handed pop, but he strikes out far too much, and right now is hitting on the interstate. At some point, however, you have to imagine the Mets will want to get a look at him against big league pitching, but it also stands to reason that they’d like for him to get hot first.

4. Juan Soto

He’s just awesome. Every at-bat is must-see TV, as always with Juan Soto. He’s got the fourth best OPS in the game (.967), fifth highest slugging percentage (.562), third highest on-base percentage (.405), and the fourth highest wRC+ (163).

He’s done that all despite having almost no protection around him the entire year. It’s too bad the first two years of his Mets tenure have been such a stinker and a flat-out waste of his talent and production. Hopefully, the tables turn soon for both he and the Mets.

Around the League 🚩

• St. Louis’ Jordan Walker won the home run derby in Philadelphia

• The A’s fired their pitching coach Scott Emerson

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