Getting swept in K.C. feels like rock bottom for the Mets

The Mets pull another no-show, and can we end the Carlos Carrasco experience?

Justin Mears

Aug 04, 2023

What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾️

The Mets pulled another no-show in Kansas City and were swept by the Royals in the finale of their series (Box)
Francisco Lindor’s two out 9th inning home run snapped a 17 inning scoreless draught for the Mets
Carlos Carrasco started and struggled again—allowing six runs and six innings and elevating his season ERA to an awful 6.60
Pete Alonso had two of New York’s five hits in the game
Josh Walker entered in the 8th—and threw a pitch this time—but was ultimately tagged for three runs (two earned) while getting only one out
Utilityman Danny Mendick entered the game to pitch with the Mets trailing 9-0

News and Notes 🎵

Adam Ottavino wants to remain in New York, and intends to trigger his player option for next season (MLB.com)
The Mets did shop Pete Alonso ahead of the August 1 trade deadline, but their price was extremely high and no other team was able to meet it (New York Post)

Injury Updates 🏥

Brandon Nimmo (mild quad strain) missed a third straight game but is close to returning
Starling Marte (migraines) is set to be activated from the injured list sometime this weekend against the Orioles

Today’s Game 🗓

Match-up: Mets (50-58) at Orioles (67-42)

Starting pitchers: LHP David Peterson (3-7, 5.92 ERA) vs. RHP Dean Kremer (10-4, 4.66 ERA)

Where: Oriole Park at Camden Yards – Baltimore, MD

When: 7:05 PM EDT

Where to Watch: SNY

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I hate to pick on Carlos Carrasco….but he needs to go✍️

For starters, Mets veteran starter Carlos Carrasco is without question a great guy and a great teammate. Throughout his 14-year career in the Major Leagues he’s overcome unbelievable adversity. He missed all of the 2012 season with Tommy John surgery. And most notably was diagnosed with leukemia in 2019 and after missing an extended amount of time returned to pitch to a 2.91 ERA in 12 starts in 2020.

Carrasco came to Queens in the same trade that netted the Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor, and the team was thrilled to add him to the backend of their rotation. While his inaugural season in New York did not go well, he mostly bounced back a season ago to work to a 3.97 ERA in 29 starts as the team’s 5th starter.

Carrasco’s 2022 season was uneven in a lot of ways, but he also did provide the Mets with a stable rotation presence and helped bring consistency to a veteran pitching staff that was by and large a strength for the Amazins.

Following the year it was obvious the Mets could upgrade his rotation spot, but at the same time, with Jacob deGrom, Chris Bassitt, and Taijuan Walker all free-agents, picking up the option on Carrasco’s contract and securing his services for 2024 made sense. With too much uncertainty surrounding the pitching staff, bringing back a veteran with a track record of success was not a bad idea, especially at his $14 million price tag in a market full of high-priced starting pitching.

But like a lot of things with the Mets over the course of the season, the situation has changed.

After making the difficult—but correct—decision to punt the rest of 2023 and plan for 2024 and beyond, the Mets traded away Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, leaving the starting rotation in ruins.

But I think it’s safe to say that we’ve reached the end of the line with another member of the opening day starting five.

Since day one this season Carrasco has been unable to find his groove. Thursday afternoon in Kansas City was his 16th start of the season and very few of them have gone remotely well.

Carrasco has earned only three victories. He’s gone six innings in an outing only four times and has served up an eye opening 15 home runs in only 76.1 frames. The 6.60 ERA he’s sporting is his worst mark in over a decade. And at 36-years-old, on an expiring contract, and pitching for a team that’s no longer even pretending to compete down the stretch, it’s hard for me to justify Carrasco making any more starts for this team.

The Mets understandably do not have very many upper-level high quality pitching to step in and fill the void releasing him would create, but at a certain point, it doesn’t even matter anymore. Giving righties Tylor Megill or Jose Butto opportunities makes a whole lot more sense at this stage in the game than running out a struggling veteran at the end of his career who appears to be all but done.

This season has been an unbelievable disappointment, but I do applaud the Mets decision to pivot to something different when the situation warranted it. But if we’re going to redirect the mission statement for the rest of this season, let’s take it all the way.

I for one would love to see what a younger pitcher could do, because unfortunately, with Carrasco, I’ve seen more than enough.

Around the League 🚩

Max Scherzer allowed three first inning runs in his first start with the Rangers but nothing else over the following five and earned the win in Texas 5-3 with over the White Sox
J.T. Realmuto homered against his former team to help the Phillies earn a 4-2 win in Miami
Orioles first baseman Ryan Mountcastle collected four hits and drove in a run in the O’s 6-1 win over Toronto
The Giants had only two hits but one of them was a LaMonte Wade Jr. solo homer and it was enough to sneak past Arizona 1-0