Trade Deadline Special

And Jacob deGrom returns!

Good Morning,

The Mets have won 7 straight, their longest winning streak of the season, Jacob deGrom will start his first game in nearly 13 months later tonight, and somehow, it all feels secondary to the trade deadline at 6:00 PM EST.

While you might have been sleeping, the Braves were busy making moves, acquiring starter Jake Odorizzi, outfielder Robbie Grossman and infielder Ehire Adrianza. This, to close out a day in which they signed All-Star third baseman Austin Riley to a 10-year, $212 million contract (and DFA’d Robinson Canó).

It was a flurry of deadline deals that put Atlanta in position for their magical World Series run last summer. But that team catapulted a Mets team that was losing deGrom from their rotation and already falling in the standings.

It’s natural for Mets fans to feel anxious this morning. Take a deep breath. Even if the Mets stand pat today (which I highly doubt), they are adding one of the game’s best pitchers to their rotation for the stretch run; they are 65–37. These aren’t your 2021 Mets. We are also still several hours away from the deadline. Let’s see what happens before casting judgement.

Remember, the team who wins the offseason or the trade deadline rarely becomes the eventual champion. If you have followed baseball long enough, you know this. Look at the Yankees: their fans were desperate for a big splash last winter, something to keep up with the headline-grabbing moves made by their cross-borough rivals; the Yanks ultimately executed a trade with the Twins but were relatively quiet. All the Bronx Bombers have done is win 70 of their first 104 games. We will see if their recent upgrades push them over the top, or not.

The Amazins continued their winning streak with a 7–3 win over the Nationals last night, gaining a 1/2 game on the Braves in the process. Juan Soto bid a possible farewell to the DC faithful by hitting a home run off Max Scherzer, but otherwise, it was another successful night for the Metropolitans.

And don’t let the trade deadline distract you from the fact that this man will be back tonight:

With that, let’s jump right into the latest trade news.

◾️ As several names flew off the trade board on Monday, the Mets remained quiet. Targets Trey Mancini and Christian Vázquez both ended up in Houston. The Braves, Yankees and Astros each pulled off blockbuster deals to improve their rosters. The Padres, whom the Mets could see in the playoffs, added All-Star closer Josh Hader.

◾️ As of last night, the Mets were reportedly more optimistic about adding relievers than adding another DH. SNY’s Andy Martino says the Cubs “don’t love” the Mets’ prospects, stalling a potential trade for reliever David Robertson and/or catcher Willson Contreras.

The Mets are interested in Tigers’ left-handed reliever Andrew Chafin, as first reported by Ken Rosenthal. They are also reportedly talking to the Tigers about former Met draft pick Michael Fulmer. Fulmer has a 2.77 ERA in 40 appearances this season, but has performed much better against righties than lefties. Chafin has continued to be a reliable southpaw, pitching to a 2.53 ERA in 37 appearances.

◾️ If the Mets do find a trade partner for another bat, three key targets remain: the aforementioned Contreras, Red Sox slugger J.D. Martinez and Nats’ first baseman Josh Bell. However, Sandy Alderson has made clear in interviews that the Mets are extremely reluctant to trade a top prospect for a rental piece, which might keep all three players listed above away from Queens.

◾️ The Athletic notes that scouts have mentioned Oakland’s Sean Murphy and Detroit’s Eric Haase as potential fits for the Mets behind the plate. It’s unclear if the Mets have real interest in either player.

◾️ The two biggest names on the market — Juan Soto and Shohei Ohtani — have yet to find new homes. It’s hard to believe the Mets would pull a rabbit out of their hat to acquire either player, considering the Nationals aversion to trading Soto within the division, and the reality that Ohtani might not really be available afterall. As of this morning, it appears Soto will end up with the Cardinals, Padres, Dodgers or remain in Washington until the offseason.

◾️ Of possible interest to Mets fans, it is “becoming more likely” that the Angels will trade Noah Syndergaard, according to Jon Morosi. He notes Atlanta’s deal for Jake Odorizzi could impact their interest, but they are one of three teams, along with Toronto and Philadelphia, engaged in trade talks over the past 48 hours.

◾️ As noted earlier, the Braves were one of the busiest teams on the eve of the trade deadline. After locking up Austin Riley long-term, president/GM Alex Anthopoulous pulled the trigger on two trades, bringing Astros’ right-hander Jake Odorizzi to Atlanta in exchange for reliever Will Smith and taking a flyer on Tigers’ outfielder Robbie Grossman for minor league pitcher Kris Anglin.

WHAT THIS MEANS: You could argue the Braves have put pressure on the Mets to keep pace before the deadline clock hits zero. At this point, it’s a coin flip over which team is better, separated by only 3.5 games in the standings through ~100 played. If you give the slight edge to the Mets because of their top-end pitching, especially with deGrom returning, Anthopoulous is trying to close that gap. FanGraphs projected the division rivals to finish only two games apart before the recent moves.

That said, it’s hard to say the Braves got a lot better yesterday. Grossman is hitting .205 with a meager .282 slugging percentage. He has struck out in nearly 1/3 of his plate appearances this season. Sure, Jorge Soler was batting .192 when the Braves traded for him last July, but he had 13 home runs at the time, the power was still there. The same for Eddie Rosario. Can Atlanta catch lightning in a bottle again? They will try after recently losing Adam Duvall to season-ending wrist surgery. Grossman will likely platoon with Rosario in left field.

Odorizzi gives Atlanta rotation depth — he is 4–3 with a 3.75 ERA in 12 starts this season — but comes at the cost of a valuable bullpen arm. Will Smith has struggled this season, particularly of late, but he’s a veteran lefty with playoff experience. He becomes expendable on the final year of a three-year, $40 million contract and with A.J. Minter and Tyler Matzek giving manager Brian Snitker southpaw depth in the bullpen. Still, the Braves are giving up a reliever with playoff pedigree for rotation depth.

▼ LAST NIGHT, IN SHORT: The Mets pounded out 13 more hits, including four from Brandon Nimmo and a clutch, three-run homer by Francisco Lindor, to help Max Scherzer earn his seventh win despite not having his best stuff, as the Mets defeated the Nationals 7–3 on Monday [Box Score].

🍎 TAKE THAT: The key moment of the game came in the sixth inning with the Mets clinging to a 4–3 lead. Francisco Lindor wasn’t sure what to expect in his match-up with reliever Steve Cishek, facing him for the first time since Cishek hit him in the face with a pitch on April 8, and one batter after the right-hander had hit Starling Marte.

“It hasn’t been comfortable since I got hit,” Lindor told reporters about the at-bat. “All I was saying was, like, ‘Please don’t hit me.’ First pitch was inside and made me very, very uncomfortable. I was scared.”

Lindor responded by hitting a three-run home run that sealed the victory for the Mets. Gary Cohen provided the perfect call of the shot, exclaiming, “Take That!” as Lindor rounded the bases.

It was Lindor’s 18th long ball of the season. He is hitting a scorching hot .464/.531/.821 during the Mets’ win streak.

🏋️‍♀️ WORK TO DO: Scherzer wasn’t Scherzer on Monday, and he knows why. The future Hall-of-Famer still gave the Mets a chance to win, holding the Nationals to three runs (two earned) over 6.2 innings, but his fastball command was off, something he plans on working to correct before his next start.

“I didn’t throw good first-pitch strikes and wasn’t able to throw good glove-side fastballs, so I need to go to work again and find a happy medium between the two and really get my hand behind the baseball,” Scherzer told reporters after the game. “I have got some work to do before I face Atlanta.”

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Some more news and notes from yesterday…

🛄 CLAIMED: The Mariners have claimed Travis Jankowski off waivers after he was designated for assignment to make room for Tyler Naquin.

💲NO DEAL: The Mets came to agreement with 19 of their 22 draft picks, most notably failing to sign third-round pick Brandon Sproat before the deadline. The University of Florida right-hander had a slot value of $691,300. By not making Sproat an offer, New York will receive a third round pick as compensation in next year’s draft.

The team apparently doesn’t negotiate with players named Jackson, also failing to sign 15th-round pick Jackson Jaha and 19th-round pick Jackson Lovich.

😳 CLOSE CALL: Tomás Nido thought he had been traded when manager Buck Showalter called him into his office yesterday to tell him he was doing a good job.

🏥 REHAB: We will see if Dom Smith (sprained right ankle) survives the trade deadline, but as of now, he is expected to begin a rehab assignment this week.

🗓 UP NEXT: Normally, this newsletter would have been dedicated to the return of Jacob deGrom, but there’s obviously a lot going on. More than any trade, seeing deGrom back on the mound, healthy, is the best news we can get today.

New York will limit him to six innings or 80 pitches, as they ease him back into the rotation after missing over a year of play. It’s unclear how the Mets will space his starts from here. He has received extra rest between each of his rehab starts and his start tonight, a trend that could continue, at least in the near future.

“I’m not sure yet,” Showalter said when asked about deGrom’s schedule going forward. “I try to keep in mind, it’s been a long time since Jake’s pitched. So we’ll sit down after every outing and see where we are.”

Whether deGrom makes 12 more starts this season, or 11, is less important than seeing him in regular rotation, without any hiccups along the way. For now, we will celebrate his return to action.

“We’re all excited,” Scherzer said of deGrom’s start. “We know how good he is. We want him out there and pitching for us and going out there and seeing what he can do. We’ll all be out there watching and have a big smile on our face, hopefully.”

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🔗 Where the Mets stand heading into trade deadline day, by Tim Britton and Will Sammon, The Athletic ($): “Multiple industry sources said the relief market looks like it does most years, with plenty of inventory but few really trustworthy arms available. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported Monday that the Mets are interested in Tigers left-handed reliever Andrew Chafin. Chafin has made sense for New York since the offseason, before he signed a two-year deal with Detroit that contains an opt-out at season’s end. The Mets’ bullpen could use a lefty and another arm for late in games; Chafin would fit both. (One scout suggested that, even with the impending return of Trevor May, New York’s bullpen is two arms short.)”

🔗 Mets need to be all-in at the trade deadline, by David Lennon, Newsday: “It’s a mistake for the Mets to believe that merely improving on the margins is taking their best swing at a World Series. Sitting on their impactful winter acquisitions can’t be considered all-in behavior.”

🔗 Jacob deGrom being everything Mets hope is worth future contract angst, by Mike Vaccaro, NY Post: “The Mets have 60 games left in their regular season when they report for work at Washington’s Nationals Park on Tuesday night. In a best-case scenario, that means Jacob deGrom, who will take the ball for the Mets in the bottom of the first inning, could have a maximum of 12 starts.”

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