🎧 Bring on the Braves
Morning dose: Friday, May 10
☀️ Good Morning:
After back to back off-days, the Amazins finally return to action (and Queens) with a three-game set against the hated Braves. We’ll let our new podcast episode do some of the talking this morning, but there are also a few items to note, as well as a series preview.
In the meantime, it’s been a pleasure filling in for JB this week — hopefully he’ll have some good Vegas stories for us (if he remembers them) when he returns next week.
☕️ Grab your coffee for your morning dose of Mets Fix!
🎧 Mets Fix Podcast
In our new episode, Blake and Peter use the Mets’ mini-break to take stock of the season so far. After an offseason spent lowering expectations, what does the Mets .500 record really mean? Could they be both mediocre and a legit playoff contender at the same time?
Make sure you’re subscribed to the Mets Fix Podcast on your favorite platform (Apple, Spotify, SoundCloud).
🎓 DEPT. OF FORMER METS:
The Amazins may have sat out the last two days, but several alumni still managed to make news:
Kingston’s own Zack Short is now on his third team this season, and it’s… The Braves. The Red Sox traded the infielder to Atlanta in exchange for cash considerations after Boston designated him earlier this week.
In a related move, Mets Fix favorite Luis Guillorme has left the Braves. The Angels acquired the infielder from Atlanta in exchange for cash or a player to be named later.
Speaking of 2023 Mets, Max Scherzer has been shut down from throwing due to issues with his thumb and forearm. He has pitched in 8 games for Texas since the trade last year.
📝 ROSTER MOVES:
As expected, the Mets activated the newly reacquired fresh arm of Yohan Ramírez to give them length in the pen for the Atlanta series.
To make room for Ramirez, Cole Sulser, who threw on Tuesday, was optioned to AAA-Syracuse.
🗓️ UP NEXT: The Braves come to town off a much-needed 2-game series sweep over the Red Sox. Atlanta had dropped 6 of 8 before that, falling into second place behind the surging Phillies.
Still, they arrive with a strong 22-12 record, five games ahead of the Mets.
With slow starts from Ronald Acuna Jr., Matt Olson, Austin Riley, and Ozzie Albies, the team’s undisputed offensive leader has been Marcel Ozuna (.315, 12 HR, 38 RBI).
Despite struggles from their stars, the Braves lead the National League with a .300 team batting average with runners in scoring position.
Pitching-wise, they’re without the injured Spencer Strider, and have relied most on a rejuvenated Chris Sale (5-1, 2.95) and Reynaldo Lopez (2-1, 1.53).
New York will send Jose Quintana (1–3, 5.20) to the hill tonight against right-hander Charlie Morton (2–0, 3.50).
Saturday will feature the eagerly awaited Citi Field debut of Christian Scott (0-0, 1.35) against lefty Max Fried (2-1, 4.23).
And Luis Severino (2-2, 2.93) will start the potential rubber game on Sunday against Bryce Elder (1-1, 5.28).
KNOW YOUR OPPONENT: Ozuna's incredible run continues with 2 more homers for MLB lead, by Mark Bowman, MLB.com.
◾️ Yankee slugger Aaron Judge launched a 473-foot solo homer on Thursday against Ryan Pressly of the Astros. It was his 9th long ball of the season.
◾️ Remember that fluky no-hitter from 30-year old Astros journeyman Ronel Blanco? Well, he allowed just two runs in a win over the Yankees last night and now has a 2.23 ERA and 1.02 WHIP across seven starts.
◾️ According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Oakland is fielding calls about Mason Miller, their 25-year-old dominant closer with a microscopic 1.10 ERA, 0.67 WHIP and 33/4 K/BB ratio across 16 1/3 innings. He says they are looking for “a ton in return.”
🔗 Mets 6-man rotation: A closer look at their plans, by Tim Healey, Newsday: “As the Mets mull moving to a six-man rotation, potentially as soon as next week, they have in their clubhouse one of the most important ingredients for that arrangement: buy-in from the impacted starting pitchers. The young, the old and the injury-prone — all of whom stand to benefit from such a setup — are down for what amounts to an additional day of rest between most starts.”
🔗 Catcher’s interference calls are skyrocketing in MLB. It’s putting players at risk, by Katie Woo, The Athletic ($): “Weeks before Opening Day this season, Major League Baseball sent a memo to all 30 clubs highlighting a rise in catcher’s interference. The instances of catchers being struck by the bats of opposing hitters were rising rapidly… What was causing the dramatic uptick? Catchers kept moving closer to the plate. In the era of pitch framing, teams deduced that the closer a catcher is to receiving a pitch, the better chance he has to “steal” a strike.”
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Great job this week, Blake!
Another chance for the Mets to demystify the Braves. Let’s Go Mets!
Good job on the podcast. I respect what you do, the calm tone, the conversation and the length. But I find them very hard to listen to, personally, which is more about me that you.
Curiously, while I find that I'm often in agreement with the written version of Peter here, I couldn't agree with you, Peter, on any of the three players discussed today. The idea that Bader is "doing well" and should be pissed off about playing time. You guys quote the BA and ignore every other offensive measure. Are you sincerely arguing that he should be playing more? Yes, a .280 BA but little else in 100 ABs. He's being used correctly, perhaps too much. His SLG is .340, OPS is .654. Not good. Taylor in 73 ABs has twice the the HR, RBI, XBH, SLG at .425 and OPS at .737. He's also a good glove. Stewart in only 65 ABs has 4 HR, 16 RBI (Bader is 1 & 7). But you come out in support of Bader playing more? The whiner is not doing well and probably needs slightly less playing time. What he's doing is fairly consistent with who he's been historically. The only strange thing is he got $10 million.
I personally think it's obvious that the Mets would have been insane to extend Pete over the winter, since it would have essentially caved to his wildly unrealistic demands (based on Boras comments). When we look at terrible contracts in the recent past -- say, um, McCann (4 years!) and Narvaez -- the question that comes up for me is always: Who did they think they were bidding against? Let's allow Pete to go to market. As you said, yes, it only takes one crazy team to outbid us. But you seem to be arguing for the Mets to be that crazy team. I want to keep Pete. I do, and agree with you there. But length of contract is hugely important and worth fighting for. It's not just a business decision, it's also a baseball decision, and the two are intertwined.
The one business issue that does merit discussion, I think, is the fact that tickets sales are waaaaay down. Season tickets down 30%, I've heard. The place is empty. I gather that Cohen was willing to absorb this hit, for now. A terrible season in 23 and a quiet winter and lowered expectations will do that. But I don't think they can repeat that. Somehow they need to thread the needle, make the right baseball decision on Pete while still recognizing his value as a "star." Overpay on AAV and stand strong on length.
Lastly, you can defend McNeil until you are blue in the face. He just wants to golf. It will be a good day when the Mets have the assets where they can move on from Jeff. As for now, they don't. The game has changed and speed matters and teams can only get that from 5 positions. Jeff has become a weird "neither/nor" hybrid who lacks pop & speed. His swing is a mess. He offers positional flexibility and that's useful in a utility player. At the same time, there are no options right now so he has time to change my mind. He came into camp with an "overuse" golf injury and I'm just not impressed with any of it.
BTW, the Braves punted on Guillorme and signed Zach Short. That's TWO major league teams who have decided that Short is better, more useful, than Guillorme. Of course, when Guillorme went from the Braves to the Angels, I'm sure he thought: "Now this is more like it!"
He's in the right place.
But he should keep his passport updated.
Can they trade one of these "depth" pitchers? A gamble, for sure.