Why Juan Soto's All-Star snub could be a positive in the second half
Plus, another potential starting rotation upgrade for the Mets. And New York faces a doubleheader today after Wednesday's game was rained out...
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What’s up with the Mets? ☔️
The Mets and Orioles were rained out on Wednesday night - they will play a split doubleheader today at 12:05 PM and 5:05 PM at Camden Yards
LF Brandon Nimmo is set to play in his 1,000th game as a Met today - he will become just the 11th player in franchise history to accomplish that feat
SS Francisco Lindor is still hoping that he’s joined by RF Juan Soto at the All-Star Game in Atlanta (SNY)
LHP Brooks Raley knows the important role he will have to play in the bullpen once he returns from his rehab assignment (NY Post)
Roster Moves 📰
RHP Tyler Zuber claimed off waivers by Miami
Injury Updates 🏥
RHP Kodai Senga (hamstring strain) “should be good to go” to start against the Royals on Friday
LHP Sean Manaea (oblique strain, elbow) is “trending” towards pitching on Sunday in Kansas City
LHP Brooks Raley (recovery from TJ surgery) is expected to join the Mets bullpen after the All-Star Game
Down on the Farm 🌾
RHP Nolan McLean (No. 4 prospect, Triple-A): 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 10 K
OF Carson Benge (No. 3 prospect, Double-A): 2-for-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 2B, 1 HR
1B Chris Suero (No. 20 prospect, High-A): 1-for-3, 3 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 HR
2B A.J. Ewing (No. 26 prospect, High-A): 1-for-3, 3 R, 3 BB, 1 2B, 1 SB
CF Yonatan Henriquez (Single-A): 3-for-4, 1 R, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SB
LF Nick Roselli (Single-A): 4-for-5, 2 R, 1 RBI, 2 2B, 1 SB
CF Kevin Villavicencio (Single-A): 2-for-5, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 SB
BOX SCORES
Single-A STL | High-A BRK | Double-A BNG | Triple-A SYR
Today’s Games 🗓️
Match-up: Mets (53-39) vs. Orioles (40-50)
Where: Oriole Park at Camden Yards - Baltimore, MD
Game 1
Starters: LHP David Peterson (6-4, 3.18 ERA) vs. RHP Charlie Morton (5-7, 5.47 ERA)
When: 12:05 PM EDT
Where to Watch: SNY | MLBN (Out-of-market-only)
Game 2
Starters: TBD vs. RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (6-5, 4.44 ERA)
When: 5:05 PM EDT
Where to Watch: SNY | ESPN
Notes on why Juan Soto’s All-Star snub isn’t such a bad thing, and another potential trade target… ✍️
Well, that was disappointing, wasn’t it?
In the wake of the highs of Tuesday’s thrilling comeback win, we were left with a void to fill on Wednesday after the second game of the series in Baltimore was rained out.
At least we have more baseball to look forward to today.
Anyway…
In the absence of an actual game to talk about, I thought it would be a good idea to dive into a couple of quick, noteworthy topics…
Juan Soto’s All-Star snub could actually be a positive in the long run
There were a slew of notable All-Star snubs after the full rosters were revealed on Sunday.
Arguably the most headline-grabbing was Juan Soto’s omission. Yes, he got off to a slow start. But, firstly, just how bad that slow start was was overblown somewhat. And, secondly, Soto has looked like the superstar hitter he is for a while now, and he leads the National League in offensive WAR (4.1). The four players behind him will all be in Atlanta.
Furthermore, Soto put together an all-time June, hitting .322/.474/.722/.1.196 with 25 runs scored, 11 home runs, 20 RBIs, and 25 walks.
Just by the numbers alone, you can make a strong case that Soto is more deserving of a trip to Atlanta than some of the other outfielders already selected as All-Stars.
Now, of course, there is still a chance that Soto ends up going to the All-Star Game. We are seeing replacements announced every single day, after all, so the door isn’t completely shut on Soto joining Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, and Edwin Díaz in Atlanta.
However, if Soto does end up staying behind, I don’t actually think that’s a terrible thing in the long run for the Mets.
Rather than schlepp off to Atlanta for a few days, Soto can now rest, recover, and reset ahead of the second half of the season. He can completely shut it down and not focus on baseball for a little bit.
And that mental and physical reprieve could prove hugely beneficial in the long run. It is no secret that Soto had to deal with a lot at the start of his time with this team, including a lot of negative noise following that slow start.
Soto can now use the All-Star break to put all of that behind him and instead focus on getting himself ready for a big few months ahead.
After all, if the Mets are going to win the NL East, finish as one of the best teams in the National League, and then go on a deep postseason run, they will need Soto at his generational best.
They will need him to be laser-focused, hungry, and at the very peak of his powers in order to live up to expectations come October.
Therefore, not having to take part in all the All-Star festivities could actually prove to be a blessing in disguise for Soto and the Mets. Sure, the plaudits and the recognition are nice. But I’m sure Soto would much rather take the extra rest in order to be fresh and ready to lead New York to a World Series.
If he does that, he will receive all the recognition and attention he could possibly handle, anyway.
Would this Twins starter make sense for the Mets?
The Mets have a laundry list of needs as we edge closer and closer to the Trade Deadline.
Chief among those needs is another starter. Yes, both Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea are set to return this weekend. But, despite that, the Mets really need an insurance policy in that rotation given all the health problems encountered so far this year, not to mention the fact that Clay Holmes needs to be managed incredibly carefully through the remainder of this year.
Michael Baron has already looked at a couple of names the Mets could be interested in, including Pirates starter Mitch Keller.
Now allow me to throw another potential target into the mix…
Twins starter Joe Ryan.
The right-hander is in the midst of a stellar season for Minnesota, and he was named as an All-Star replacement for the American League on Wednesday. There were more than a few people shocked at the fact that Ryan wasn’t announced as an All-Star in the first place given how good he’s been.
Ryan ranks eighth among qualified AL pitchers in ERA (2.76), is second in WHIP (0.89), 18th in innings pitched (104 1/3) and second in strikeout-to-walk-ratio (5.52). Furthermore, the righty has 116 strikeouts to only 21 walks, while opponents are hitting just .193 against him.
That’s pretty damn good.
Now, at 45-47, the Twins are just three games back of the final Wild Card spot in the American League. It is probably too early to tell if they are going to be sellers at the Trade Deadline. And, even if they did decide to sell, it is unclear if they would want to unload Ryan, who is controllable through 2027 and is earning just $3 million this year.
However, per Jon Morosi of MLB Network, multiple teams - including the Red Sox - are monitoring Ryan’s situation.
And, should Ryan become available, the Mets should absolutely be involved. He’s the kind of frontline starter that would help to solidify the top of the rotation, providing the kind of depth you need in order to be successful in the postseason. He can also eat innings, as evidenced by the fact that he’s pitched past the sixth inning in four of his last five starts. There is also no guarantee that Senga or Manaea will be able to stay healthy the rest of the way, so trading for an elite arm like Ryan would cover the Mets should they encounter more rotation losses the rest of the way in 2025.
Granted, the price for Ryan will probably be high anyway, not to mention the fact that a number of teams will be interested if the Twins do decide to give up their best starter. As a result, that could drive up the price even more and it remains to be seen if the Mets front office would have the appetite for that. With that said, you would also be trading for a frontline starter who will be under contract for next season too, so that has to be considered as well.
All in all, the Mets have a lot to do at the Trade Deadline, and they won’t be able to accomplish everything. In truth, we will probably only see one primary upgrade to this roster. And, if that’s the case, it should be the starting rotation that gets a major addition. You need pitching in order to win, and I don’t think the rotation as currently constituted is good enough to go on a deep postseason run. I just don’t.
This team is in win-now mode and, although he won’t be cheap, Ryan would make perfect sense for the Mets if he becomes available at the Trade Deadline. That’s exactly the kind of move that would help to solidify the pitching, both in 2025 and for next season, too.
Around the League 🚩
MLB announced that the ABS challenge system will take center stage at the 2025 All-Star Game in Atlanta (ESPN)
The Yankees announced that they have designated veteran INF DJ LeMahieu for assignment
OF Jackson Chourio delivered his first career walk-off to help the Brewers beat the Dodgers, 3-2, and secure the sweep
The Phillies moved back into 1st place in the NL East after hammering the Giants, 13-0, with 1B Bryce Harper going 4-for-6 with a home run and three doubles
Braves OF Ronald Acuña Jr. celebrated his return to the lineup in style with a pair of homers in a 9-2 win over the Athletics