Happy Labor Day, Mets fans! ☀️
What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾️
The Mets came from behind to beat the Giants 4-2 at Citi Field on Sunday (box)
INF Brett Baty contributed a pinch hit, opposite field solo home run to get the Mets on the board to start the eighth inning, and 3B Bo Bichette hit a go-ahead, three-run home run in the eighth inning after AJ Ewing singled and the Giants opted to walk Juan Soto
RHP Christian Scott started for the Mets and gave them 4.2 solid innings with seven strikeouts, no walks, and two earned runs on his ledger
The Mets bullpen was spotless once again as Nate Lavender, Tobias Myers, Jonathan Pintaro and Kodai Senga combined to allow one hit over 4.1 IP
Roster Moves 📰
Recalled RHP Tobias Myers from Triple-A Syracuse
Optioned LHP Jefry Yan to Triple-A Syracuse
Play of the Game ⭐️
Bo knows clutch!
His three-run home run in the eighth inning completed the comeback for the Mets on Sunday.
The Just Mets Podcast 🎙️
In the latest edition of the Just Mets Podcast, Rich is joined by MLB Network’s Jon Morosi to discuss how the club is going to fix this two-year long mess David Stearns has created for the major league club.
SUBSCRIBE: YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Down on the Farm 🌾
OF D’Andre Smith (Triple-A): 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI
RHP Gary Gill Hill (no. 17 prospect, Triple-A): 5 IP, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
INF Jefferson Rojas (No. 1 prospect, Double-A): 4-for-5, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R
OF Aidan Smith (no. 16 prospect, High-A): 3-for-5, 2 RBI, R
INF Dylan Carey (Low-A): 1-for-4, HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB
BOX SCORES
Single-A SLU | High-A BRK | Double-A BNG | Triple-A SYR
Today’s Game 🗓
Match-up: Mets (65-78) vs. Marlins (72-72)
Where: loanDepot Park - Miami, FL
Starters: RHP Jonah Tong (1-1, 3.60 ERA) vs. RHP Eury Pérez (7-10, 3.72 ERA)
When: 1:10 PM EDT
Where to Watch: SNY
Thoughts on both the encouraging and concerning signs from the second half ✍️
The Mets really put together an excellent win on Sunday, and something we seem to have rarely seen from this club over the last couple of years in that they came from behind in their last at-bat and won a game.
Generally speaking, it’s hard not to see some encouraging signs from the Mets in the second half of this season, and Sunday’s win - and really this series win - encapsulated much of that encouragement. I am not going to pretend there aren’t major problems for this front office to solve over the next five months before Spring Training begins, assuming a lockout doesn’t interfere with all of that.
But, the Mets are 25-21 since the All-Star Game, despite trading away so many pieces and dealing with absences and underperformances from so many key players. That’s good and better than I expected them to be, but obviously nowhere close to what they needed to do to give themselves a prayer at a playoff drive.
Despite Zac Thornton’s clunker on Saturday, most of the primary pieces for a contending rotation appear to be in place between him, Nolan McLean, and Christian Scott. They still need top-of-the-rotation help, and I am going to talk about Tarik Skubal being that answer until he signs with someone else over the winter. But, I can’t help but dream about those three behind Skubal for the long term, assuming they can all stay healthy at the same time.
I am rooting for Jonah Tong to be a part of their solution as well, and his test for 2027 begins this afternoon in Miami against a Marlin team which has faded, but is still contending for a Wild Card spot this season. So, it will be a good test for him to pitch in a meaningful game today and then again on Sunday at Yankee Stadium, assuming they don’t give anyone else any extra rest this week. He has been lights out at Triple-A over the last month in a year which has been inconsistent at best for him down there, but he earned this start and I am looking forward to seeing how he fares over the next three weeks here.
Then of course there’s the bullpen, where the Mets have found something in Nate Lavender and Daniel Duarte specifically, with Jonathan Pintaro and Dedniel Núñez also factoring themselves in for 2027 as well. I am not sure what to make of Kodai Senga yet, and I am not sure I will be able to see how he fits even if he records every single save chance the rest of the way.
Perhaps it’s three full years of injury and underperformance hindering my ability to trust he can put together a large sample size of success in a short-relief role - I don’t know.
One thing I do know is Senga is enjoying success as a two-pitch pitcher in this role, and while I don’t truly believe he is viable for a full season as a closer, he has certainly resurrected his major league career in a very short span of time, thanks to his success as this team’s closer, albeit in a very, very low leverage environment right now.
No matter what, even if Devin Williams is healthy and Senga is on this team next season, I believe the Mets should absolutely try and find a closer and bump them back into setup roles. That isn’t meant to diminish what Senga or anyone else in their bullpen has done by any means - they just need to be able to better close the gap between their starters and the ninth inning, and they need a rock-solid closer in order to do that.
Then of course there are the rookie outfielders in Carson Benge and AJ Ewing, both of which are in the top 10 in the National League in fWAR among rookies. They’ve had their ups and downs, and Ewing specifically has been mired in a prolonged slump in the second half (he has woken up over the last couple of days), but they’re both solid defensively and offer as much optimism for this team as anyone on the active roster right now.
The biggest problems - right now anyway - they have in front of them are what’s behind their pitchers, and what’s in front of them. And some of those problems might not be going away this winter.
First and foremost, while I love what Jared Young has done for the Mets this year, they need an actual first baseman. I am not going to get into the Pete Alonso thing for the thousandth time - we all know he has played every day and is having a typical Pete Alonso season in Baltimore. Yep, it was a mistake to let him go, and the whole thing has blown up in their face. The only remedy to this problem is finding a true first baseman, period. End of story. Even though there are no obvious solutions for this, it’s one of their easiest problems to solve since it’s just a matter of finding a trade.
They can also simply non-tender Mark Vientos and/or Brett Baty if they choose which, considering both are entering their arbitration years, might be a wise thing to do.
But, how do the Mets mitigate a fading Marcus Semien? They have him locked in for two more years, have been a net negative on both sides of the ball this year, and will be 36 on Opening Day next year.
There’s also the newfound questions surrounding Francisco Lindor and his defense specifically, the unmentionable Jorge Polanco and the one year that’s left on his contract, and whether or not the Mets can get Francisco Álvarez on a positive trajectory with his development.
Where can they install a true power component to help protect Soto and lengthen this lineup, especially in the middle? If they’re not ready to commit to AJ Ewing full-time, which doesn’t appear to be the case right now, they could try and find a power-hitting center fielder in a trade. And of course, that power component could come from first base if they find an answer there, but given how stuck they are with some of these players on the roster, there really isn’t an easy answer here. At least, not today.
The funny thing about Álvarez is, despite his perplexing slump over the last month or so, he is still putting up above-league-average offense at his position. But he’s hit just 37 home runs over his last three seasons, and he gets into these kinds of non-competitive ruts once per year, which, when combined with his often unplayable defense, makes it hard for them to consider giving him meaningful at-bats when the time comes again for this team. Yes, he’s still young, but so are Baty and Vientos, and we are still waiting for them to figure it out at this level too.
If I were to guess, the Mets aren’t going to do anything for at least a year behind the plate, meaning Álvarez is going to get every chance to be the everyday catcher again in 2027. It’s perhaps the hardest problem to solve on the external markets, even in good free-agent classes, and the Mets have to fill so many other holes on this roster, making this one almost microscopic in comparison to those.
Then of course there’s Bo Bichette.
All signs would suggest he isn’t going to opt out. He has been great since mid-May, but he was so bad for the first two months of the season that he has been league average overall. Yes, he has a chance to finish with above-league-average marks with a strong final three weeks of the season, but he isn’t making just above-league-average money right now, so it’s hard for me to see him be able to match the coin he would be giving up if he decided to become a free agent again.
The one thing he would have working in his favor is he would be among the best free agents available. And he has demonstrated versatility with this successful move to third base while also filling in at shortstop over the course of the year. But can he get the long-term deal he is looking for after such a bipolar year? That’s a really tough call.
If he stays, I would have zero concerns for him going into his second year in New York. If he goes, that’s two holes they have to fill on the infield, and that doesn’t include the issue with Semien.
We are going to have plenty of time to analyze and speculate on all of this in the coming months this fall. One thing is for sure - David Stearns has his work cut out for him if he is going to right all of the wrongs from the last two years.
Around the League 🚩
The Braves rallied for four runs in the eighth and ninth innings to steal a game from the Phillies with a 5-4 win
The Padres hit three straight home runs to start their game against Gerrit Cole as they beat the Yankees 4-3
Pete Crow-Armstrong padded his MVP case with his 40th home run, but the Marlins trounced the Cubs 10-3
Elly De La Cruz hit two home runs in the Reds 12-8 win over the Brewers
I think you're spot on Michael. Regarding Alonso, I think that the Mets were very fair with their offer 2 years ago. Losing Pete this year, and with the injuries to both Lindor and Soto exposed the lack of power especially considering the lack of production from Semien and Polanco. Between those 2, the Mets are on the hook for $43 million for next season and $23 the following season for Semien. Perhaps a pay down or even an outright cut.
Jefferson Rojas has to play somewhere next year - At least they should move him to Syracuse for the rest of the season. He's clearly the guy for 2B, and 3B if Bichette opts out. I'm guessing that he'll be a 20hr, 70 rbi, .275 type guys in the majors.
They have to see what they have in both Morabito (as a 4th OF) and if Billy Amick can play at the Major League level.
Regarding the relievers, Nate Lavender is a find, but remember he's always had this level of talent but had been injured the past 2-3 years. Nunez, Duarte and Pintaro all show signs of value as does Tobias Myers (he was the guy that was originally traded by the Rays to Cleveland for Junior Caminero, when he as 18, in a 1 for 1 deal). Senga also should stay around.
I do think that they'll likely have to find space for a combination of Jefferson Rojas, Emilien Pitre and Mitch Voit (who reeks of potential stardom).
Now, let's go and get Skubal.
I disagree with you on a couple of points. First, I do think Bo Bichette is going to opt out. In his statement, he indicated he'd be willing to take less money to sign a long term deal. Reading between the lines, that screams to me he wants out of NY in the worst way. He's just not happy here. Even after yesterday's heroics, he didn't seem particularly excited. Even with 2 years and $84M left on his 3-year deal, he'd rather take less to play elsewhere.
That leads me to point number two, Brett Baty. He'll be back, if for no other reason than insurance against the uncertainty around Bichette. Baty's main issue has always been consistency. It was no coincidence that the best stretch in his career came when he was the everyday third baseman in the second half of last season. Add in his versatility in the field and that he's a left handed batter bodes well for him returning to Flushing.
Point number three, Marcus Semien. Yesterday's game was a microcosm of his season; late on his swings and two steps slow in the field. I commented on one of the Facebook Fan pages that it was the kind of day that might make him rethink if he wants to return next season. Of course, with 2 years/$52M left on his contract, most think it's a no-brainer that he'll be back. But, most professional athletes, especially those who were among the best in the game for a period of time, are very prideful and protective of their legacies. It's hard for them to accept they can no longer compete at that level. That's where Semien is at now. Oh, sure, he can come back and be a platoon or a bench player and collect his salary, but will he be able to accept that? I'm not so sure. After a game like yesterday, he may just wake up and say "I'm done".
Point four: The first base situation. Unless they sign Sato from Japan, I really don't see anyone on the free agent market that would be a significant improvement over a platoon of Jared Young and either Mark Vientos or even Billy Amick. Vientos is 50/50 to return. His biggest problem is his complete lack of humility. He really believes he's a lot better than he is, which makes him uncoachable. From everything I've read about Amick, he sounds like he's where Pete Alonso was at that point in his career; a three true outcome hitter with poor defense. And despite his production this season and probably next, it's way too early to say not bringing Alonso back was a mistake. I think by year 3 of the contract, Alonso will begin to decline and Stearns will be vindicated.
Fifth point, Tarik Skubal. I don't see it happening. It's just not how Stearns operates. I think a reunion with Clay Holmes is more likely, depending on his ask. Remember, he'll be going into his age 34 season.
Final point is one you didn't mention. Who will be the Mets Manager in 2027? Who will be on the Coaching Staff? I'm all in on Alex Cora. Beltran, who has never managed at any level, can be his Bench Coach and learn how it's done.
Thoughts?