Trade thoughts on Manaea, Alvarez, Robert and the bullpen
Plus, the Mets split their doubleheader with the Braves to come away with a series win
What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾️
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)
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