I wouldn’t have guessed two months ago the Mets would be in a position to buy and not sell at the trade deadline, or that they stood any chance of reeling in the Braves in the standings, or any of that and here we are. It’s important not to forget this Mets team has also demonstrated it is capable of awful of stretches of baseball so I’m keeping my expectations in check. Next goal: 10 games over .500.
The first new arrival is shaggy reliever Ryne Stanek of Seattle, acquired for a minor-league outfielder, Rhylan Thomas. Stanek (yes he’s named after Ryne Sandberg) looks like a hunting-and-fishing type who should get along well with Jake Deikman. It’s easy to find highlights of him fist-pumping out there, and could be an exciting reliever, which is always fun to have, and necessary with Dedneil Nunez joining Reed Garrett and Sean Reid-Foley on the injured list.
Stanek has worn 45, 55 and 35 in his career. I saw a mockup of him in 65 with the Mets. That’s available, but so is 55, 85, 95 and 35, now that Adrian Houser has been kicked off the 40. That move came as Kodai Senga returned, however briefly collapsing in a heap near the mound like he was Ike Davis or something.
You wonder if that means a trade for a starting pitching might also be in the offing before Tuesday at 6.
One more note from the Twitter, where I don’t hang out very much anymore, but to be young again!
@Springer66 #46. I think this is the second time in Franchise history 2 Young’s on active roster. 2014 Cris & Eric Young. #LGM pic.twitter.com/Y84D0hA8jn
— Dave’s Mets Dugout (@DavesMetsDugout) July 23, 2024
I found it a little presumptuous at first for Phil Maton to walk in, take 88 off the back of coach Mike Sarbaugh, then go out there and be the first guy ever to wear 88 in a game in Mets history. Then I found out Maton has a demonstrated fondness for 88 since having it issued to him as a Padre, and that he was friendly with Sarbaugh from their time together in the Indians’ organization. Sarbaugh by the way is now suited up in 86.
Who knows with the bullpen but I’m glad we’re making some choices beyond the Tyler Jay, Ty Adcock, Danny Young and Matt Festa rotation. Also, great to see Jose Butto doing his thing only now in relief. He’s got some bulldog in him. The other guy to look out for (perhaps) is Shintaro Fujinami, who struck a buncha guys out wearing 19 in Spring Training. He might come back with Kodai Senga, who knows.
On the mound there’s Ty Adcock, who was given No. 52. Tyler Jay (74) is back and we were unfortunate enough to make acquaintances with Matt Festa, who stunk it up wearing No. 73 tonight. Gone are Edwin Diaz, popped for a stupid sticky-stuff violation that is hurting the entire team. Sean-Reid Foley has been out since June 22 with shoulder trouble, and Drew Smith out since June 24 with elbow issues.
I wanted a long time for Smith to be the closer I thought he could be, and reward for the trade of one of my favorite all-time Mets, Lucas Duda. He was all over the places though. He wore 62 then 40 then 33 (he’s pretty much still a 62 to me). He had long hair for awhile, remember that? For a time it was easy to confuse him in print for Dominic Smith. If boxscores still existed, it’d be DrSmith and DmSmith.
Now he’s gone, and so is Tomas Nido, a forgotten man in the catcher scrum until resurfacing briefly this year. Here’s a fun piece of trivia you might have forgotten in the seven years that Nido’s been a Met: He started off his career wearing No. 77, in September of 2017.
There’s a lot to talk about since my last update including the City Connect unis (should have used more 7-train purple, don’t like the hats but better than I feared they’d be) the “new” black look (terrible), the new guys (the miraculous Luis Torrens and the dazzling Jose Iglesias), and the old guys (Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden, rocketed to eternity). Then there’s the whole month-of-May thing where it’s plausible the Mets might not have won any games and it seemed at times our rookie manager, whom I liked in April, was getting in over his head.
Take Jerry Grote. He’s a Met Hall of Famer who passed away in April, and the the Mets haven’t done a thing to remember him, beyond (I assume) a pregame scoreboard video. Yet there’s a patch for Grote’s longtime teammate and fellow Mets Hall of Famer Bud Harrelson there.
Back to Iglesias for a moment: I was surprised he didn’t come north with the team in March and it was obvious a versatile infielder who could actually play the infield belonged on the team. Now he’s getting starts ahead of Jeff McNeil who looks like he’s getting the Daniel Vogelbach Treatment. I was also mildly surprised to see them cut ties with Omar Narvaez, despite his performance, being a David Stearns Milwaukee stock.
Promising pitching prospect Christian Scott is arriving even sooner than I would have guessed and without an obvious need for a starter (unless they cut bait on Adrian Houser or something). Clubhouse video from Florida, where Scott will start tomorrow, shows he will wear No. 45, which belonged last to Sam Coonrod (it belonged to Cole Sulser in Spring Training, only to see him turn up in 54 for his ineffective appearances).
I’m glad they are giving Scott a pitcher number to begin his career and so won’t have him looking like a clown as they’ve forced Jose Butto into with that unseemly No. 70. Butto should go to the clubhouse and demand No. 21 while its still available. He’s a good enough pitcher to pull that off.
Yesterday we saw Danny Young become the all-time Mets leader in wins by a guy wearing No. 81. If you remembered that Johneshwy Fargas was the first to wear 81, you win a prize of some kind.
I forgot how tiresome it is to be cycling in 3 new guys every week onto the roster, only to see them disappear in a few days. This is life on the butt-end of the Mets bullpen, especially in this era of 5-inning starts.
Pitching tonight is Julio Teheran, who will be wearing No. 49. Also in the bullpen for the first time, “Cowboy” Cole Sulser, who was recalled when Yohan Ramirez was DFAed. Sulser has been issued No. 54.
There’s rain in the forecast on Thursday and high winds expected on Friday, so if you’re crazy enough to consider Citi Field in March, please dress accordingly. (Oh, I see Thursday has been called already).
So there it is. Carlos Mendoza today said he’d give up the No. 28 that reminded him of fleeting moments of youthful glory as a ballplayer so that JD Martinez will feel comfortable in his new home. Mendoza is switching to 64, which I fear is a little too undignified for a big-league manager. It also means third-base coach Mike Sarbaugh will need to find another number. 50 is theoretically available as its Phil Bickford whose been designated for assignment by the Mets to make room for Martinez on the 40.
It’s not even go time but Carlos Mendoza is faced with a tough managerial decision. Does he give up No. 28 to newly arriving DH JD Martinez?