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Mets 3, Angels 2-Baby Mets to the rescue in Mets win over the Angels

MLB: Los Angeles Angels at New York Mets

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Francisco Alvarez’s power returned in a big way in the team’s win over the Angels.

The Mets defeated the Angels by a score of 3-2 to win their third straight and to take the series over Anaheim. This game was a tale of Angels and Demons with the bottom of the lineup succeeding and the top of the lineup failing in crucial situations.

With Francisco Alvarez’s return to the lineup in the series opener, the Baby Mets were reunited and it was the Baby Mets who got the job done. With the team down 2-0 entering the bottom of the fifth, Brett Baty doubled with two out. Alvarez showed off his power in the minors when he got sent down, and in his first game back he just missed a home run, but settled for a double when it was misplayed by Chris Taylor. This time he did not miss when he blasted a game-tying home run.

Ronny Mauricio followed with a single and stolen base to get into scoring position for Brandon Nimmo. Nimmo drove him in with a single to give the Mets a 3-2 lead.

Frankie Montas got the start and was solid on the mound. He gave up a home run to Jorge Soler in the second and got into some trouble in the fifth that brought home another run. Both times the inning could have been bigger but he was able to limit the damage. With runners on second and third with one out and a run already in, he struck out Mike Trout in the fifth. Then with the bases loaded he induced a fly ball from Jo Adell to end the threat. He finished his night pitching 5.2 innings, allowing just two runs on eight hits, while striking out six. He wasn’t overly dominant but he kept his team in it which allowed them to eventually take the lead. He was also helped out by Juan Soto who threw out a runner at the plate in the first inning.

The Baby Mets had to be the heroes since the top of the lineup continues to struggle. Francisco Lindor is now 0-for-his-last-30 and Lindor, Soto, and Alonso combined to go 0-for-9. After the Angels made two defensive miscues in the seventh, Nimmo, Lindor, and Alonso all struck out to leave the runners stranded.

With a skinny lead to protect, and with a few arms unavailable, Carlos Mendoza had to piece together a bullpen. Rico Garcia and Reed Garrett each struck out two in their appearances and set it up for Ryne Stanek in the ninth. Stanek put two runners on and with two outs up walked Mike Trout to the plate to add to the drama. Stanek got him to pop up weakly to Pete Alonso to nail down the save.

It certainly was not the easiest win, but with their stars struggling, others stepped up to deliver the victory over the Angels.

SB Nation GameThreads​


Amazin’ Avenue
Halos Heaven

Box scores​


MLB.com
ESPN

Win Probability Added​

Fangraphs.com

What’s WPA?

Big Mets winner: Francisco Alvarez +24.5% WPA
Big Mets loser: Pete Alonso -17.6% WPA
Mets pitchers: +42.4% WPA
Mets hitters: +7.6% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Francisco Alvarez home run in fifth
Teh sux0rest play: Nolan Schanuel RBI double in fifth
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Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/7...-angels-alvarez-montas-trout-new-york-anaheim
 
Mets to activate Jose Butto, option Justin Garza

MLB: Chicago Cubs at New York Mets

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The bullpen arm returns from a stint on the IL after recovering from an undisclosed illness.

The Mets continue their slew of roster moves, activating reliever Jose Butto from the 15-day IL. To make room, they option fellow reliever Justin Garza back to Triple-A Syracuse.

On July 4th, Butto was placed on the injured list due to an undisclosed illness, becoming the 13th Mets pitcher to be placed on the IL. Before his illness, he posted strong numbers for the Mets, owning a 2.47 ERA and 39 strikeouts over 43 innings of work. Going further back, over the past two years, Butto’s been a steady contributor, pitching to a 2.52 ERA in 117.2 total innings.

Garza, 31, returns to Syracuse after being traded to the Mets from the Giants for cash this June. The righty is one of many arms the Mets have cycled through their bullpen, tossing just 6.2 innings for the team with a 5.40 ERA.

The Mets hope this move will fortify a bullpen that has pitched the second-most innings in all of the majors over the past month.
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Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/7...-move-activate-jose-butto-option-justin-garza
 
Mets Daily Prospect Report, 7/24/25: In Play, Run(s)

MLB: New York Mets-Workouts

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Catch up on all the Mets prospects in yesterday’s minor league action!

Triple-A: Syracuse Mets (31-44/17-6)​


SYRACUSE 8, OMAHA 4 (BOX)

Syracuse had a strong offensive performance, putting together 16 hits on the day. They ran out to a 6-0 lead after the first two innings, with Jared Young collecting four RBI over those two innings. Young also homered on the day, capping off his huge day.

Syracuse was leading 7-1 in the sixth before the Storm Chasers got to Austin Warren a bit, but the game was out of reach by then.

Double-A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (45-22*/15-8)​


BINGHAMTON 7, READING 0 (BOX)

Ryan Clifford opened the scoring with a solo home run in the fourth, and the offense was rolling from there. They scored six runs over the final four innings, with Clifford going 3-4 with two home runs.

Binghamton threw a bullpen game and it was largely successful, as the combination of Luis Moreno, Joshua Cornielly, TJ Shook, and Brian Metoyer threw a five hit shutout.

High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones (46-20*/12-14)​


GREENSBORO 3, BROOKLYN 1 (BOX)

A.J. Ewing got Brooklyn out to a 1-0 lead, cashing in Eli Serrano with an RBI double. Those two hits were half of the Cyclones total on the day, as the offense really sputtered from there.

The pitching was solid. but it needed to be perfect on the day.

Single-A: St. Lucie Mets (34-31*/16-9)​


ST. LUCIE 14, DAYTONA 1 (BOX)

Well, where do you start with this one?

St. Lucie played, basically, a perfect game. They surrendered one hit, an RBI double in the first. That 1-0 score held until the third, and then it was wheels up from there for the Mets. They had 18 hits, scored 14 runs, and saw the entire lineup get at least one base hit — with six of them getting two or more hits. Six players notched an RBI as well.

Everyone performed in this one, as one would imagine in a 14-1 win.

They also managed to do this without a home run, which is a funny little quirk.

Rookie: FCL Mets (24-28)​


FCL METS 11, FCL MARLINS 6 / 6 (BOX)

STAR OF THE NIGHT​


Ryan Clifford, Drew Gilbert

GOAT OF THE NIGHT​


Boston Baro
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Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/7/24/24473674/mets-daily-prospect-report-everyone-scored-alot
 
Diamondbacks scouting Mets’ prospects for possible Eugenio Suárez trade

St. Louis Cardinals v Arizona Diamondbacks

Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images

There’s no guarantee that Arizona will trade Suárez or that the Mets will acquire a position player.

The Diamondbacks have been scouting the Mets’ prospects in Double-A Binghamton to prepare for any potential trade of Eugenio Suárez, according to SNY’s Andy Martino. That report notes that Arizona is also scouting the Yankees’ system for the same reason.

Suárez has been one of the best power hitters in the game this season, as he ranks fourth in the league with 36 home runs and has a .252/.325/.593 line with a 149 wRC+ in 416 plate appearances. He’s set to hit free agency following this season and would presumably been seen primarily as a rental by any team that might trade for him.

That wRC+ would tie Suárez with Juan Soto and Pete Alonso atop the list of Mets hitters with at least 30 plate appearances this year. And the Mets’ trio of third basemen—or at least players who regularly play third base—all sit in the 80-to-104 range in wRC+ this season. For what it’s worth, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns has downplayed the need for the team to upgrade at the position.
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Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/7...base-baty-mauricio-vientos-prospects-new-york
 
A look at the Mets’ right-handed starting pitching options at the trade deadline

MLB: San Diego Padres at Miami Marlins

Sandy Alcantara | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Mets have reportedly already checked in on a couple of these pitchers.

While the Mets’ stated focus before the trade deadline is improving their bullpen, as demonstrated by their deal to acquire Gregory Soto yesterday, it’s hard to separate the Mets’ bullpen woes from their workload. Since June 25, the Mets have gotten the fewest innings from their starting pitchers (100.1 IP, an average of 4.35 per game) of any team in baseball. Though their rotation is finally healthy, the Mets are also facing a Clay Holmes conundrum, as the reliever-turned-starter has currently tallied 113.2 innings on the season—well beyond his previous career-high of 70.0.

While the odds that general manager David Stearns splurges for a starter are low, especially with prospects Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong waiting in the wings, the Mets have nonetheless checked in on Padres right-hander Dylan Cease and Sandy Alcantara. So if Stearns is looking to add a right-hander outside the organization at the deadline, who might be a fit?

The aforementioned Dylan Cease is one of the highest-profile names on the trading block, and he should command one of the highest prices. Since his debut in 2019, Cease has been one of the most consistent starters in baseball, ranking first in strikeouts (1,160) and seventh in innings pitched (961.0). A Cy Young runner-up with the White Sox in 2022, the 29-year-old currently holds a 4.59 ERA with 144 strikeouts and 42 walks in his contract year with the Padres. While San Diego is unlikely to part with Cease as they progress on a path toward October baseball this season, the organization is still listening to offers.

The most fascinating potential trade target might be within the Mets’ own division, as the Marlins appear poised to deal former Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara. Since returning from Tommy John surgery, which had kept him out through the entire 2024 season, Alcantara has an egregious 6.66 ERA. He’s signed through 2026 with a team option for 2027, which could make him an attractive, high-reward reclamation project for Jeremy Hefner and the Mets’ staff. Alcantara still averages 97.5 mph on his four-seam fastball, and he ranks 15th among qualified right-handers with 2.1 inches of arm-side break on his sinker.

Another trade candidate with multiple years left on his contract is the Pirates’ Mitch Keller, who is signed to stay in Pittsburgh through 2028. At 29 years old, Keller is having his best season yet, posting a 3.53 ERA with 125.0 IP (the fourth-most in the National League). Durability is one of Keller’s greatest strengths; since the start of 2023, he has thrown the fifth-most innings of any pitcher in MLB behind Logan Webb, Zack Wheeler, José Berríos, and Framber Valdez. For the rebuilding Pirates to part with Keller, it would likely take a steeper package of prospects.

There are a plethora of cheaper rental options on non-contending teams who should also be available. The stagnating Arizona Diamondbacks, for example, have a pair of contract-year pitchers to shop in Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly. Since a pair of top-five Cy Young finishes in 2022 and 2023, Gallen’s stock has plummeted; the 29-year-old currently has a 5.58 ERA, and his peripherals—including a 7th-percentile barrel rate—don’t look particularly encouraging, either.

Kelly has enjoyed more success this season, posting a 3.32 ERA (which would be a 2.74 ERA excluding one disastrous afternoon in the Bronx) over 122.0 IP. According to Buster Olney of ESPN, the Diamondbacks aren’t yet committed to “go all-in on selling” at the deadline. But given the trade of Josh Naylor, it seems a strong possibility that Gallen and Kelly are on the move as the Diamondbacks fall farther out of contention.

The Orioles, meanwhile, have a trio of contract-year pitchers in Zach Eflin, Charlie Morton, and Tomoyuki Sugano. While the veterans Eflin and Morton have struggled to the tune of a respective 5.78 and 5.48 ERA, both could provide affordable and dependable depth. Sugano, a 35-year-old rookie from Japan who won the Eiji Sawamura award (given to the best pitcher in the NPB each season) in 2017 and 2018, has slowed since a successful start to his MLB career. Sugano held a 3.04 ERA with a 3.64 K/BB ratio through June 3, but has recorded a 7.88 ERA and 1.53 K/BB ratio in seven starts since then.

The Rockies will be looking to get whatever they can for 30-year-old Germán Márquez, who has put up a 5.67 ERA in his contract year. And the Rays have a contract-year starter in 29-year-old Zack Littell, whose 3.58 ERA since the start of 2024 ranks 17th among qualified starters. Though the Rays are just 1.5 games behind the Red Sox for the third A.L. Wild Card spot, the organization notoriously prizes long-term value and efficiency above all else—a mindset which may very well prompt them to deal Littell.

Finally, if Stearns seriously wanted to swing a deal for a right-handed starter, two of his best options might be former Mets. Since departing in free agency following the 2022 season, Seth Lugo has been every bit the starting pitcher he thought he could be, posting the 14th-most innings (466.0) and ninth-best ERA (3.17) among qualified pitchers in baseball. Lugo is in the second year of a three-year, $45M deal with the Royals, but is expected to exercise an opt-out after this season given his performance has well exceeded his payment. With the Royals teetering on the brink of contention, currently 4.5 games out of a playoff spot, Lugo has suddenly become a leading rental option.

Across Lugo’s division, Adrian Houser has had a remarkable resurgence after his abysmal 2024 campaign. In 10 starts, Houser holds a 1.89 ERA while completing six innings eight times; for comparison’s sake, since Houser’s season debut on May 20, David Peterson is the only Mets starter to have completed six innings more than three times. The White Sox are currently languishing in last place in the A.L. Central, not to mention having the worst record in the entire A.L., so getting value for Houser before his one-year contract expires is a must in the coming days for the Sox. Stearns watched Houser pitch for years in Milwaukee, and believed in Houser’s potential enough to acquire him via trade last offseason. Who’s to say Stearns wouldn’t bet on Houser again?
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Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/7...ndy-alcantara-seth-lugo-adrian-houser-stearns
 
Evaluating the market for left-handed starters

MLB: Arizona Diamondbacks at Pittsburgh Pirates

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Starters are on the Mets’ radar, but the market offers few inspiring choices for southpaws.

With the trade deadline nearing, the Mets have made it clear their priority is the bullpen—not the rotation. While they continue to look to strengthen their left-handed relief corps, adding a left-handed starter seems unlikely given the limited quality options available on the market. President of Baseball Operations David Stearns summed up the team’s position perfectly: “Acquiring starting pitching at this time of year is pretty difficult... If those [ceiling-raising] guys are available, we’ll be involved.”

On paper, the rotation looks stable with lefty Sean Manaea, David Peterson, Kodai Senga, Clay Holmes, and Frankie Montas; however, workload is becoming a concern. Since June 26, Mets starters have thrown just 100.1 innings—the fewest in baseball—averaging only 4.35 innings per start. Holmes, in particular, is a key figure, having matched a season-high of 104 pitches in his recent start against the Giants. He is now sitting at 113.2 innings—well beyond his previous season high. Managing his workload would be difficult as the Mets push for the playoffs.

Still, given Stearns’ remarks, a trade for a left-handed starter seems unlikely, as most available candidates are innings eaters rather than impact pitchers. Taking a look at pitchers on expiring contracts with non-contending teams, Andrew Heaney (4.79 ERA, 5.18 FIP) has struggled this year with Pittsburgh and lacks consistency. Tyler Anderson of the Angels carries a 4.41 ERA and 5.11 FIP and has looked more like a back-end option than the All-Star he once was. Both are pending free agents and offer little to move the needle for a team like the Mets.

Oakland offers a few alternatives, but the upside is limited there as well. Jeffrey Springs, who was excellent in 2022 with a 2.46 ERA over 135 innings, has seen his stuff diminish—his velocity is down 2.5 mph, and he’s pitched to a 4.13 ERA this season. His teammate, JP Sears has proven durable, making 32 starts each of the last two years, but his ceiling remains low, with a 4.98 ERA and nearly identical FIP. While these arms might help cover innings, they don’t do much to raise the rotation’s overall level.

One possible exception is Orioles lefty Trevor Rogers, a former All-Star now posting a 1.49 ERA over 48.1 innings. However, some of his underlying numbers—particularly a bottom-of-the-league hard-hit rate—suggest some regression is due. Further, with team control through the end of 2026, it’s possible the Orioles would be unwilling to trade him. Finally, Patrick Corbin, now on the Rangers, represents another veteran arm, posting a respectable 3.78 ERA and 4.03 FIP over 104.2 innings with decent peripherals, though his track record leaves plenty of hesitation.

In the end, it’s hard to see the Mets making a move for a left-handed starter—there simply aren’t many “ceiling-raising” options available. More broadly, rotation help of any kind doesn’t seem like a priority, with the front office signaling a disciplined approach despite the mounting innings load. That said, if a right-hander who genuinely raises the ceiling becomes available, the Mets could still be tempted to act.
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Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/7...-handed-starters-andrew-heaney-tyler-anderson
 
Mets 5, Giants 3: The Mets break out the brooms in San Francisco

New York Mets v San Francisco Giants

Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

Ronny Maurcio’s big day at the plate helps sweep away the Giants.

The Mets finished off a sweep of the Giants 5-3 behind a big day by Ronny Mauricio. Mauricio went 4-for4 with two RBIs, but his big blow in the seventh into McCovey Cove tied the game at three apiece. Juan Soto followed with a solo shot of his own two batters later for the go-ahead run.

The Mets did manage to take an early 1-0 lead but after Matt Chapman’s first home run of the day tied it up, Mauricio got the lead right back when he doubled in Francisco Alvarez who led off the inning with a double. The two Baby Mets at the bottom of the lineup picked up most of the slack from the top of the lineup who continued to struggle. Alvarez and Mauricio went a combined 6-for-8 with three runs scored and two RBIs. On the flip side Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso went 0-for-10 with one RBI and four strikeouts.

The team combined went 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position and it seemed not capitalizing on their chances would come back to haunt them when Matt Chapman hit his second home run of the day to give the Giants the lead. Mauricio’s game-tying home run changed all that and gave his team the chance they needed to seize the victory.

They did manage to tack on an insurance run in the ninth led again by Mauricio. He led off the inning with a double and came home with the team’s fifth run when Brandon Nimmo doubled behind him.

That allowed some breathing room for Edwin Díaz who somehow nailed down the save. He loaded the bases with one out but got back-to-back strikeouts of Willy Adames and Matt Chapman to finish off the win.

All the arms that entered behind Kodai Senga were phenomenal. José Buttó, Gregory Soto, Reed Garrett, Brooks Raley, and Díaz did not give up any runs and they allowed just two hits between them. For Soto it was his debut in a Mets uniform and he pitched a clean inning with one strikeout for his new team.

As for Senga he was mostly ok on the mound. He did a good job limiting the damage despite alot of traffic on the basepaths. Unfortunately, Matt Chapman took him deep twice which accounted for all of the San Francisco runs. By the time his night was over he pitched five innings, allowed three runs, walked five, and struck out three. His ERA rose 2.00 for the season.

The Baby Mets stepped up when the team needed them and it will be interesting to see what the team does with their young players as the trade deadline approaches. Mauricio certainly made a statement and handed the Mets a needed win with the Phillies losing earlier in the day. The team is a game and a half up in the standings as they head to San Diego to take on the Padres.

SB Nation GameThreads​


Amazin’ Avenue
McCovey Chronicles

Box scores​


MLB.com
ESPN

Win Probability Added​

Fangraphs.com

What’s WPA?

Big Mets winner: Ronny Mauricio +44.0% WPA
Big Mets loser: Kodai Senga -19.5% WPA
Mets pitchers: +17.6% WPA
Mets hitters: 32.4% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Juan Soto home run in seventh
Teh sux0rest play: Matt Chapman home run in fifth
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Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/7...rancisco-sweep-mauricio-senga-giants-mlb-soto
 
Trade target profile: Merrill Kelly

MLB: Arizona Diamondbacks at Pittsburgh Pirates

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The 36-year-old has quietly been one of baseball’s most reliable arms over the past four seasons.

With the trade deadline less than three days away, it’s time to take a deeper dive into individual players the Mets have been linked to. After reports that the Mets checked in on right-handed starters Dylan Cease and Sandy Alcantara, Buster Olney said during last night’s ESPN broadcast that the team is looking to add a top-of-the-rotation starter such as Joe Ryan or the topic of today’s profile: Merrill Kelly.

At 36 years old, Kelly currently holds a 3.22 ERA over 128.2 IP with the Diamondbacks this season. Excluding one disastrous, torpedo-bat-traumatizing outing against the Yankees in early April, that mark would be down to 2.66. Kelly isn’t a flashy pitcher, with an 8.5 K/9 rate. Instead, his strength lies in his cutter and changeup combo, pitches which average over 3.0 inches of vertical break and have yielded .133 and .178 batting averages this season, respectively. Kelly isn’t a household name, having no All-Star appearances or awards (or even a lone Cy Young vote) on his major league resume. But Kelly has quietly been one of the game’s most reliable starters for years, tossing 580.1 IP with a 3.40 ERA over the past four seasons. Only six pitchers in that span have thrown as many innings with a better ERA: Zack Wheeler, Framber Valdez, Corbin Burnes, Logan Webb, Luis Castillo, and Logan Gilbert.

Kelly’s consistency and ability to rack up innings make him an attractive fit for a Mets team which has been in dire need of length from their starting pitching. Since June 13, the Mets have gotten just 167.0 innings from their starters, which ranks second-fewest in MLB behind the Dodgers. During that span, the Mets have gotten just five starts of at least 6.0 innings, and all of them have come from David Peterson. Sean Manaea should join Peterson on that list as he builds back up following his return from injury, but the Mets will nonetheless be managing the workload of Clay Holmes, who pushes his career-high in innings pitched with every outing.

Kelly, meanwhile, has thrown at least 6.0 innings in seven of his past ten starts. Since the start of May, he’s tallied 96.0 innings, trailing only Tarik Skubal, Robbie Ray, and Garrett Crochet. In addition to getting a top-of-the-rotation arm, adding Kelly would allow the Mets the flexibility to move Holmes back to the bullpen, or potentially switch to a six-man rotation and push their existing starters deeper into games with increased rest. Unlike other rotation trade targets such as Alcantara and Mitch Keller, Kelly would be a cheaper rental option given his contract expires at the end of the season.

The Diamondbacks traded first baseman Josh Naylor on Thursday, seemingly signaling their status as sellers at this year’s deadline. A report from Olney the following day said the Diamondbacks aren’t committed to “go all-in on selling,” but if they did, Kelly would certainly be their most valuable trade candidate behind third baseman Eugenio Suarez. Arizona has slowly slipped out of playoff contention, now sitting 6.0 games out of a Wild Card spot after going 1-5 (and mustering just eight runs) in their past six games.

If Kelly does get moved before the deadline hits at 6 PM on July 31, then he has already made his last start with the Diamondbacks. The Mets have just one series left to assess their options, playing the first of a three-game set against San Diego on Monday at 9:40 PM.
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Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/7...zona-diamondbacks-dylan-cease-sandy-alcantara
 
Mets finalizing trade for Ryan Helsley

Atlanta Braves v St. Louis Cardinals

Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

The Mets are being aggressive in terms of bullpen upgrades.

The Mets are finalizing a trade with the Cardinals for Ryan Helsley, another right-handed relief pitcher, according to Jeff Passan. And according to Jon Heyman, the Mets are sending infielder Jesus Baez and right-handed pitcher Nate Dohm and Frank Elissalt to the Cardinals in return.

Having spent his entire professional career with the Cardinals organization, Helsley has a 3.00 ERA with a 3.51 FIP this year. Since the beginning of the 2022 season, he’s been even better, as he has a 2.03 ERA and a 2.55 FIP over that span. If there’s a slight flaw in his game this year compared to his past three seasons, it’s that he’s given up one home run per nine innings, a rather significant uptick from his outstanding home runs rates, particularly in 2023 and 2024.

David Stearns and the Mets’ front office also completed a trade with the Giants for Tyler Rogers during their loss this afternoon in San Diego. Like Rogers, Helsley is a rental, as he’s set to hit free agency at the end of this season.
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Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/7/30/24477875/mets-trade-ryan-helsley-new-york-cardinals
 
Mets Morning News for July 31, 2025

MLB: New York Mets at San Francisco Giants

Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images

Your Thursday morning dose of New York Mets and MLB news, notes, and links.

Meet the Mets​


There are more exciting things to talk about, but we are contractually obligated to inform you that the Mets lost to the Padres yesterday 5-0 to complete a three-game sweep in San Diego. Clay Holmes had another poor start, giving up 4 runs in 3.2 innings, but it hardly mattered much since the bats only managed three measly hits against Yu Darvish and company. The Mets will now enjoy a day off before beginning a three-game series against the Giants at Citi Field.

Choose your recap: Amazin’ Avenue, NY Post, Newsday, Daily News, North Jersey,

Now, the stuff you actually want to read about! The Mets made two major bullpen acquisitions ahead of today’s trade deadline, as they first acquired Tyler Rogers from the Giants and then picked up Ryan Helsley from the Cardinals a few hours later.

The back of the Mets’ bullpen is now looking pretty dominant following the trades and some are dubbing it a “super bullpen.”

Anthony DiComo of MLB.com delved deeper into the Mets’ thinking behind the Rogers trade and why they were willing to part with the players they did. Will Sammon and Tim Britton of The Athletic also wrote about the Mets’ approach to the market and why they targeted rental relievers rather than alternatives routes, like getting a starter or relievers with more team control like at last year’s deadline.

José Buttó was one of the players traded away by the Mets yesterday, and he was shown receiving and reacting to the news during the news.

Juan Soto was out of yesterday’s lineup after fouling a ball off his foot the night before, but the Mets expect him back on the field shortly—likely tomorrow.

Okay, one more detail about yesterday’s crappy game: Francisco Alvarez left midway through after taking a foul ball to the head, but he passed concussion protocol.

The Mets have been and will continue to be buyers, as they pursue a bat before tonight’s deadline, but there’s also a good chance they trade away Paul Blackburn.

Around the National League East​


The Phillies had the chance to go into first place in the National League East with a win yesterday, but instead they surrendered a seven-run inning to the White Sox in the seventh inning and ultimately fell 9-3 to drop two of three to Chicago.

Philadelphia pulled off an even bigger bullpen acquisition than the Mets yesterday, acquiring Jhoan Durán from the Twins in exchange for catching prospect Eduardo Tait and pitcher Mick Abel—two of the Phillies’ top 6 prospects.

Much like the Mets, the Phillies are now done adding to their bullpen, but continue to seek an outfield bat before tonight’s deadline.

The Braves went nine innings without scoring a run, kept the Royals off the board during that same time, went to extra innings and didn’t score in the tenth, and then immediately surrendered a walk-off hit in the bottom of the inning to lose to Kansas City 1-0.

The Braves were active on the trade market yesterday, acquiring RHP Tyler Kinley from the Rockies in exchange for Austin Smith. Atlanta also sent old friend Rafael Montero to the Tigers for minor league infielder Jim Jarvis.

But perhaps the bigger news coming out of Atlanta is that Ronald Acuña Jr. has landed back on the injured list—this time with a Grade 1 calf strain.

Jose Altuve racked up four hits in the Astros’ 9-1 rout of the Nationals.

The Nationals partnered with the Angels for a trade, sending relievers Andrew Chafin and Luis García to Anaheim for 1B Sam Brown and LHP Jake Eder.

The Nationals also traded Mike Soroka to the Cubs in exchange for OF Christian Franklin and SS Ronny Cruz.

The Marlins shut out the Cardinals 2-0, as Cal Quantrill delivered five scoreless innings for Miami, earning the win.

Around Major League Baseball​


Shohei Ohtani was forced to leave his start yesterday after just six pitches due to cramps, though he did stay in the game as a hitter.

Allowing a salary cap would be an insult to Curt Flood’s legacy, writes Ian O’Connor of The Athletic.

“I have a lot of questions for him,” Max Scherzer said to The Athletic regarding Rob Manfred in the aftermath of reporting revealing a tense exchange between Manfred and Bryce Harper when the commissioner visited the Phillies. “I look forward to him coming here. I haven’t seen him.”

A check-swing challenge system is currently being tested in the minor leagues. Ben Dickson of Newsday spoke to players in the Mets system about how it is working and whether they could see it being implemented in the big leagues.

There have been 29 deals so far as we wake up on trade deadline day. Let’s try to run down the highlights.

The Mets weren’t the only New York team active on the trade market yesterday. The Yankees acquired OF Austin Slater from the White Sox for pitching prospect Gage Ziehl.

The White Sox are also likely to trade Adrian Houser before tonight’s deadline. Thus, he was scratched from his scheduled start yesterday.

On the same day his twin brother was traded, Taylor Rogers went to Pittsburgh along with SS prospect Sammy Stafura in a deal that sent third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes to the Reds. Rogers is expected to potentially be used as a piece in another deal and be flipped elsewhere.

The Pirates also traded LHP Caleb Ferguson to the Mariners for pitching prospect Jeter Martinez.

The Reds acquired righty Zack Littell from the Rays in a three-team trade that also involves the Dodgers. Righty Brian Van Belle is headed from Cincinnati to Tampa Bay. The Reds are reportedly sending pitching prospect Adam Serwinowski to the Dodgers, who’ll trade catcher Hunter Feduccia to Tampa Bay. Reliever Paul Gervase and minor league catcher Ben Rortvedt are going from the Rays to the Dodgers.

The Houston Astros acquired Ramón Urías from the Orioles for minor league pitcher Twine Palmer in order to make up for the loss of Isaac Paredes to injury.

The Orioles also dealt reliever Andrew Kittredge to the Cubs for a return that has not yet been reported.

The Astros have been making a big push to try to get Dylan Cease from the Padres, but have not yet made headway on that. In the meantime, they are also engaged with the Marlins on a potential deal for Sandy Alcantara.

The Red Sox acquired Steven Matz from the Cardinals in a deal that sent 1B Blaze Jordan to St. Louis.

Eugenio Suárez is back with the Mariners. The Diamondbacks received three prospects in return from Seattle: 1B Tyler Locklear, RHP Hunter Cranton, and RHP Juan Burgos.

The Phillies and Mets will certainly have competition in the market for a bat. The Padres are in pursuit of Jarren Duran and Steven Kwan and are still hot after A’s closer Mason Miller as well.

Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports that the Guardians are trying to move both Kwan and starter Shane Bieber ahead of tonight’s deadline.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue​


We continued to consider potential trade targets, as Alexander Choi looked at Sandy Alcántara and Linus Lawrence examined both Joe Ryan and Steven Kwan.

This Date in Mets History​


Wilmer Flores had his famous extra-inning walk-off homer against the Nationals on this date in 2015.
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Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/7...helsley-butto-soto-alvarez-mlb-trade-deadline
 
The Mets are done making trades

Cincinnati Reds v New York Mets

Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images

The Cedric Mullins deal was the Mets’ final trade before the deadline.

The Mets’ trade for Cedric Mullins earlier today was their last before the deadline, according to Mike Puma, leaving the team without an exclamation point at the end of a week that saw them make four trades.

Here’s what the Mets did before the deadline:


So the Mets have significantly upgraded their bullpen, and they’ve brought in a center fielder who’s been a much better hitter than Tyrone Taylor this year, even if he’s still been roughly league average with the bat. It’s worth noting that the team could—and probably should—start calling up some of its best prospects from the upper minors for additional help the rest of the way. But here’s how the Mets’ roster looks at the moment on Roster Resource, with the caveat that fourteen position players are listed. One of Brett Baty or Luisangel Acuña seems most likely to be optioned to Syracuse in the short term to clear a spot.

Lineup

  1. Brandon Nimmo - LF
  2. Francisco Lindor - SS
  3. Juan Soto - RF
  4. Pete Alonso - 1B
  5. Jeff McNeil - 2B
  6. Mark Vientos - DH
  7. Cedric Mullins - CF
  8. Francisco Alvarez - C
  9. Ronny Mauricio - 3B

Bench

  • Luis Torrens
  • Brett Baty
  • Luisangel Acuña
  • Starling Marte
  • Tyrone Taylor

Rotation

  • Sean Manaea
  • Clay Holmes
  • David Peterson
  • Kodai Senga
  • Frankie Montas

Bullpen

  • Edwin Díaz
  • Ryan Helsley
  • Tyler Rogers
  • Ryne Stanek
  • Brooks Raley
  • Reed Garrett
  • Gregory Soto
  • Rico Garcia
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/7...deadline-mullins-rogers-helsley-soto-new-york
 
Mets Morning News for August 1, 2025

Baltimore Orioles v New York Mets

Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Your Friday morning dose of Mets and Major League Baseball news, notes, and links.

Meet the Mets​


Like most teams in baseball, the Mets had the day off yesterday, but David Stearns made one final trade before the deadline, getting center fielder Cedric Mullins from the Orioles.

Stearns gave a press conference once the deadline had passed.

Laura Albanese wrote a recap of all the Mets’ trade activity.

So did Anthony DiComo.

One of the many things that Stearns said is that the Mets aren’t currently contemplating moving Clay Holmes to the bullpen. Holmes had a 4.91 ERA and averaged 4.88 innings pitched per start in his six starts in the month of July.

The Mets haven’t quite ruled Jose Siri out for the season yet.

Jose Buttó, who was traded to the Giants as part of the package that brought Tyler Rogers to the Mets, thanked the organization and its fans.

Will Sammon called the Mets’ moves “an A deadline.”

The Mets optioned Chris Devenski to Syracuse and moved Jesse Winker to the 60-day IL in their first set of what will be a bunch of roster moves to clear space for their newly-acquired players.

IMPORTANT SITE UPDATE: With a fresh new look coming here at Amazin’ Avenue and all over SB Nation next week, you’ll need to make sure that you have a current email address associated with your account to continue logging in to it come Tuesday morning.

Around the National League East​


The Phillies added former Met Harrison Bader in a trade with the Twins.

Following a pair of trades on Wednesday, the Nationals sent Kyle Finnegan to the Tigers for a pair of prospects and fan favorite Alex Call to the Dodgers.

The Marlins held on to Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera, but they dealt Jesús Sánchez to the Astros.

The Braves had a quiet deadline and beat the Reds by a 12-11 score.

Around Major League Baseball​


The Padres had the most all-in trade deadline in baseball, as they added Ryan O’Hearn and Ramon Laureano in a deal with the Orioles, Mason Miller and J.P. Sears in a huge trade with the A’s, Nestor Cortes in a trade with the Brewers, and tacked on catcher Freddy Fermin in a deal with the Royals and Will Wagner—son of former Met Billy Wagner—in a deal with the Blue Jays. And despite rumors that San Diego was looking to shop Dylan Cease and Robert Suarez, the team held on to both of those players.

The Blue Jays were one of many teams to cash in on the Twins’ fire sale, as they got Louis Varland and Ty France.

Speaking of that fire sale, the Twins also traded Carlos Correa to the Astros, Brock Stewart to the Dodgers, Harrison Bader to the Phillies, Willi Castro to the Cubs, Danny Coulombe to the Rangers, and Griffin Jax to the Rays.

Back to the Blue Jays: They got Shane Bieber in a trade with the Guardians.

The Rays also traded for former Met Adrian Houser in a deal with the White Sox.

Merrill Kelly was traded to the Rangers by the Diamondbacks.

The Brewers got Shelby Miller and Jordan Montgomery in a trade with the Diamondbacks.

The Royals got Mike Yastrzemski in a trade with the Giants.

The Tigers got Charlie Morton in a trade with the Orioles, Codi Heuer from the Rangers, and former Met Paul Sewald in a trade with the Guardians.

The Yankees got Camilo Doval in a trade with the Giants and José Caballero in a trade with the Rays, both shortly before the deadline. And they also picked up David Bednar in a deal with the Pirates and minor league outfielder Wilberson De Peña in a deal with the Angels.

Pittsburgh dealt Caleb Ferguson to the Mariners and Bailey Falter to the Royals.

The Cubs traded for Taylor Rogers, the twin brother of Mets addition Tyler Rogers who had already been traded from the Giants to the Reds back in January and from the Reds to the Pirates earlier this week.

The Red Sox got Dustin May in a trade with the Dodgers.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue​


With so many Mets minor league players having been dealt, Thomas Henderson wrote all about the players traded away in the Ryan Helsley deal and the ones that went to San Francisco in the Tyler Rogers deal.

Linus Lawrence wrote our primer on Rogers, while Alexander Choi wrote up Gregory Soto, and Grace Carbone introduced us to Helsley.

This Date in Mets History​


The 1973 Mets took a big doubleheader from the Pirates on this date.
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Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/8/1/24478827/mets-news-trades-mullins-helsley-rogers-soto-new-york
 
Open Thread: Mets vs. Giants, 8/1/25

New York Mets v San Diego Padres

Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images

The Mets open a series with the Giants at Citi Field with their new look roster, which includes a player who was sitting in the opposite bullpen just one week ago.

Mets lineup​

  1. Brandon Nimmo - LF
  2. Francisco Lindor - SS
  3. Juan Soto - RF
  4. Pete Alonso - 1B
  5. Starling Marte - DH
  6. Mark Vientos - 3B
  7. Jeff McNeil - 2B
  8. Luis Torrens - C
  9. Tyrone Taylor - CF

David Peterson - LHP

Giants lineup​

  1. Heliot Ramos - LF
  2. Rafael Devers - 1B
  3. Willy Adames - SS
  4. Matt Chapman - 3B
  5. Wilmer Flores - DH
  6. Casey Schmitt - 2B
  7. Jung Hoo Lee - CF
  8. Luis Matos - RF
  9. Patrick Bailey - C

Robbie Ray - LHP

Broadcast info​


First pitch: 7:10pm ET
TV: SNY
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App 92.3 HD2
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/8...s-broadcast-info-open-thread-mlb-peterson-ray
 
Grading the Mets’ trade for Gregory Soto

New York Mets v. Baltimore Orioles

Photo by Alyssa Howell/MLB Photos via Getty Images

The Mets brought in a volatile lefty reliever to kick off their trade season.

The Mets kicked off their trade season roughly a week before the deadline, acquiring lefty Gregory Soto from the Orioles. Right hand pitchers Wellington Aracena and Cameron Foster went back to Baltimore in the deal.

Lefty relief help was a clear need at the deadline. A.J. Minter, signed to fill this role in the offseason, is done for the year. Ditto Danny Young, who flashed very promising stuff but struggled with control before eventually going under the knife for Tommy John surgery. Brooks Raley has been quite good since returning, but is coming back from his own TJ adding additional uncertainty. Any internal option beyond those guys is some combination of hurt or bad.

Soto can be a frustrating watch given his propensity for walking batters, and he’s had an ERA in the mid-4s over the last two seasons with the Phillies and Orioles. At the same time, he’s consistently posted high-quality stuff metrics (60+ Stuff score from PitchingBot; 110+ Stuff score from Stuff+; 70th percentile or better pitch quality from Rob Orr), struck out at least 25% of batters, and generally had better xERA and FIP figures than his actual ERA. And he’s managed to keep his ERA below 4 this season to boot.

That’s the classic profile of a volatile reliever, one who might blow up here or there but is also capable of ripping off 30 innings of 1.50 ERA ball down the stretch into the playoffs. A good team like the Mets can likely increase the likelihood of the latter while simultaneously hedging the downside risk with a deep enough bullpen around him (more on that in subsequent articles). It’s a great patch to a weak part of the roster.

Now, for the cost. Cameron Foster is a fungible relief prospect, a 26-year-old who seems to have taken a step forward at Double-A this season. There might be something here, and maybe he’s a useful up-and-down relief arm, but the Mets are clearly good enough at producing this caliber of player that they don’t need to sweat this too much.

Wellington Aracena, a 20-year-old RHP, is by far the more popular name here. He’s posted a 2.38 ERA over 64.1 Single-A innings (17 G / 8 GS) w/ an 11.75 K/9 on the back of a fastball that can hit triple digits this season. Those are good numbers for sure, and plenty of fans are regarding him as the next big breakout pitcher in the Mets’ system. In reality, he’s likely closer to Foster than to someone like Jonah Tong.

Aracena’s four-seam fastball shape is poor (13.6” vert, 4” horizontal), relying on raw velocity to overwhelm Single-A hitters. He doesn’t hold the velocity well either. The Mets have tinkered here a bit, but the reality is that this is a sort-of hard throwing relief arm with a limited track record of strike throwing and breakers that are fine but not standout. You know what the upside for that sort of player typically is? Gregory Soto.

A level-headed assessment of this trade has the Mets giving up two pitching prospects - both likely relievers - of the quality that can readily be replaced through the team’s robust pitching development processes. Neither would have ranked anywhere near the Mets top-10 prospects; Aracena has a plausible argument for the top-15, but more realistically sits closer to 20. Paying that price for a potential late inning weapon is an easy move for a team nearly guaranteed to make the playoffs and looking to make a deep run. This trade receives an A-.
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Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/8/2/24479226/mets-trade-analysis-grade-soto-foster-aracena-bullpen
 
Mets 12, Giants 6: Dominant performances from offense, bullpen lead Mets to victory

MLB: San Francisco Giants at New York Mets

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Mets overcame a rough start from Kodai Senga to snap their four-game losing streak.

Given the moves made at the deadline, the Mets had two hopes for how they would achieve success in the 2025 playoff push. First, the new-look bullpen would be strong enough to overcome any starting pitching struggles the team might endure. And second, the offense would rebound from its recent struggles enough to ensure the pitching doesn’t need to be perfect. Both of those hopes were on display in today’s game against the Giants, as the Mets had an offensive outburst the likes of which they hadn’t had in some time and the bullpen helped them overcome a rough starting pitching performance. The end result was an 12-6 win that put the Amazins back in first place in the National League East.

The Mets quickly jumped on the board against Giants starter Kai-Wei Teng after Kodai Senga tossed a scoreless first. Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Lindor got on-base with a hit-by-pitch and walk, respectively, and following a Juan Soto strikeout, Pete Alonso hit a massive smash to left-center field for his 250th home run of his career (just two behind Darryl Strawberry for the all-time Mets lead), making it 3-0 Amazins.

Senga, unfortunately, would prove to be unable to hold onto the lead. In the top of the second, he quickly loaded the bases (on a double, hit-by-pitch, and walk) with nobody out. He managed to limit the damage for the moment by inducing a double play grounder off the bat of Grant McCray, surrendering one run on the play but wading off further disaster. He got out of that inning with just the one run, but he’d surrender the rest of the lead in the following frame, as he issued a two-out walk to Matt Chapman and then surrendered a two-run homer to Dominic Smith (just one day after the former Met had himself another back-breaking hit off his old team).

The game was thus tied, but it would only remain that way for one more inning. Jung-Hoo Lee greeted Senga in the top of the fourth by slapping a double to left, and two batters later McCray lined a hard shot off the right field ball. It was hit hard enough that Soto was able to fire it into second to limit it to just a single, but Lee (despite initially holding at second to tag) was able to score to give the Giants their first lead of the game.

That lead, too, did not last for long. Teng had managed to keep the Mets bats quiet since their three-run first, but new Met Cedric Mullins led off the bottom of the fourth with a single. He showed off a bit of his speed by stealing second after a Francisco Alvarez flyout to center, and Brett Baty walked to put runners on second and first with one out. Teng’s outing was done at that point, with Bob Melvin bringing in lefty Matt Gage from the bullpen. Nimmo greeted him by singling a ball just past the reach of second baseman Casey Schmitt, scoring Mullins to tie the game. Lindor then came up with runners on first and third, and he surprised the Giants by pushing a bunt towards the first base side. Smith came in to scoop up the ball and, despite having a play at home plate, turned to try to throw the ball to second. However, no one was covering there—just as nobody was covering first base. Thus, all runners reached safely, and the Mets had themselves the lead once again at 5-4.

Juan Soto grounded into a sharp double play to end the inning and prevent the Amazins from tacking on, and given the slim lead and Senga’s struggles (five hits, three walks, and four runs in four innings of work), Carlos Mendoza elected to go to his bullpen early. Reed Garrett was the first man on in the top of the fifth, and he recorded an easy 1-2-3 inning. He came back on for one out after the Mets went down quietly in the bottom of the frame, and then Mendoza turned to Gregory Soto with a couple of lefties due up. He surrendered a hit to one of them (a single to Lee), but recorded the next two outs to get out of the sixth. And in the bottom of the inning, the Mets added to their lead against new pitcher Spencer Bivens. With one out, Alvarez singled and Baty walked to put runners on second and first, and Nimmo followed with a single to left field to score a run to make it 6-4. Lindor saw that and decided he wanted an RBI single of his own, hitting a ground ball just past the reach of Schmitt at second (the second time we’ve written that in this recap, observant readers will note), and Baty scored from second to make it a three-run lead.

Tyler Rogers made his Mets debut in the top of the seventh, giving up a leadoff single but nothing else. And the bats fully broke the game open in the bottom of the frame. New pitcher Tristan Beck loaded the bases by walking Ronny Mauricio, hitting Mullins with a pitch, and surrendering a hard two-out single to Baty. Nimmo then recorded his third RBI single of the game, lining a ball to left to score Mauricio from third. With the bases still loaded, Lindor then smashed in the right field gap to score two more runs. And to add to Beck’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, while facing Soto he threw a wild pitch which scored Nimmo from third to give the Mets a commanding 11-4 lead.

While Ryan Helsley was initially warming up for the eighth, in light of the four-run seventh Mendoza elected to instead go with Brooks Raley, who tossed a scoreless frame to continue the bullpen’s strong afternoon. The Mets added one more run just for good measure in the bottom of the inning—Alonso led off with an opposite-field double and advanced to third when the throw to second went past the infield, and he then scored on a groundout to second by Jeff McNeil. Rico Garcia then came on to close things out in the ninth, and he suffered the first blemish that the bullpen experienced in the game game. McCray tripled to right to leadoff the inning, and after the Mets induced two foul pop-ups to bring the Giants down to their final out, Willy Adames hit a two-run homer to make it 12-6. But that would prove to be all, as Garcia struck out the final batter looking to end the game and snap the team’s four-game losing streak.

The Mets will hope that the performance of the offense and bullpen in today’s game are a sign of things to come. They will go for the series victory against San Francisco tomorrow with Frankie Montas facing off againt Carson Whisenhunt.

SB Nation GameThreads​


Amazin’ Avenue
McCovey Chronicles

Box scores​


MLB.com
ESPN

Win Probability Added​

FanGraphs

What’s WPA?

Big Mets winner: Brandon Nimmo, +32.4% WPA
Big Mets loser: Kodai Senga, -24.9% WPA
Mets pitchers: -5.9% WPA
Mets hitters: +55.9% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Pete Alonso three-run homer in the first, +22.3% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Dominic Smith two-run homer in the third, -21.2% WPA
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/8...n-mets-giants-san-francisco-new-york-baseball
 
Open thread: Mets vs Giants, 8/3/25

MLB: Atlanta Braves at New York Mets

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Mets look to take the series with Frankie Montas on the mound.

Mets lineup​

  1. Brandon Nimmo - LF
  2. Francisco Lindor - SS
  3. Juan Soto - RF
  4. Pete Alonso - 1B
  5. Starling Marte - DH
  6. Jeff McNeil - 2B
  7. Mark Vientos - 3B
  8. Cedric Mullins - CF
  9. Francisco Alvarez - C

Frankie Montas - RHP

Giants lineup​

  1. Heliot Ramos - LF
  2. Rafael Devers - DH
  3. Willy Adames - SS
  4. Matt Chapman - 3B
  5. Dominic Smith - 1B
  6. Casey Schmitt - 2B
  7. Jung Hoo Lee - CF
  8. Andrew Knizner - C
  9. Grant McCray - RF

Kai-Wei Teng - RHP

Broadcast Info​


First pitch: 1:40 PM EDT
TV: SNY, MLBN (out-of-market only)
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App 92.3 HD2
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/8...-broadcast-info-montas-new-york-san-francisco
 
Giants 12, Mets 4: Montas and the Mets struggle in series finale against Giants

MLB: San Francisco Giants at New York Mets

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Frankie Montas struggled mightily as the Mets drop the series to San Francisco.

Frankie Montas continued his recent struggles on the mound in the Mets 12-4 loss to the Giants. The Mets actually scored in the first inning but then Montas fell apart in the third and fourth innings to put the game out of reach.

Francisco Lindor hit his 21st home run of the year in the first inning to give the team an early 1-0 lead. However his error in the third on a stolen base opened the floodgates. Jung Hoo Lee took third on the error and scored the tying run on a single by Patrick Bailey. Then after a strikeout and walk, Rafael Devers blasted a three-run home run to give the Giants a 4-1 lead.

The next inning did not get much better for Montas. The Giants started a hit parade to score three runs. Four hits and some shaky defense turned this game into a blowout. Montas has not looked great ever since he came back from injury and his final line in this game was 4.0 IP, 7 H, 7 ER, 2 BB, 3 K. His season ERA now sits at 6.68.

Austin Warren entered after Montas and was fantastic in saving the bullpen. He didn’t allow any runs in four innings and struck out five. Positives were hard to come by in this game but Warren was definitely one of them.

Ryne Stanek pitched the ninth and was awful. He gave up five runs in two-thirds of an inning. He was so bad that catcher Luis Torrens had to come in to finish off the inning which he did without giving up any hits or runs.

As for the offense there was no way they were ever going to come back from any of the deficits. Francisco Alvarez did have a nice day and drove in Jeff McNeil in the fifth with a double and then drove in another two runs in the ninth but that was pretty much it. They threatened in the eighth but with two on against old friend Joey Lucchesi Pete Alonso went up there flailing away and struck out on a ball in the dirt to end the inning.

This team’s issues before the deadline are now this team’s issues after the deadline. The the starting pitching is suspect and the offense is dead in the water with no help coming. This series is especially concerning since the Giants sold at the deadline and they dropped two out of three to them and the team’s schedule only gets more difficult from here. If they want to make the playoffs they need to figure it out and fast.

SB Nation GameThreads​


Amazin’ Avenue
McCovey Chronicles

Box scores​


MLB.com
ESPN

Win Probability Added​

Fangraphs.com

What’s WPA?

Big Mets winner: None
Big Mets loser: Frankie Montas -43.5% WPA
Mets pitchers: -41.6% WPA
Mets hitters: -8.4% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Francisco RBI single in ninth
Teh sux0rest play: Rafael Devers home run in third
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/8...ainst-giants-lindor-san-francisco-warrenn-mlb
 
Player Meter: Pitchers, July 28-August 3

MLB: New York Mets at San Diego Padres

David Frerker-Imagn Images

A quick review of how the Mets’ pitchers fared over the past week.

This meter is decidedly a mixed bag. On one hand, look at all the poop emojis. Not good. On the other hand, half of the players who earned poop emojis aren’t on the roster anymore and the new pitchers who replaced them—mostly trade acquisitions—have been great so far. The Mets’ bullpen had its shaky moments this week, but it has been revamped into a unit one can feel pretty confident about. However, the performances from the starting rotation this week leave a lot to be desired.



We’ll start with the worst performance of all, which was was Frankie Montas’ disastrous outing yesterday. He got shellacked. There’s really nothing else to say about it and we don’t need to speak of it again. However, what we should speak of (and probably won’t get recognized enough due to the lopsided result) is Austin Warren’s heroic work in relief. He soaked up four scoreless innings of work in relief of Montas yesterday, giving up just two hits and striking out five while walking one. His reward for his efforts is being sent back down to Triple-A for a fresh arm, unfortunately. Montas also pitched Monday’s game and was pretty good...until he wasn’t. He cruised through the first four innings with relative ease and then things snowballed on him extremely quickly in the fifth. Before you could blink, the Padres had scored five runs in the inning and taken the lead. Part of that was the fault of Huascar Brazobán, who in addition to pitching poorly in relief of Montas and failing to put the fire out, made an extremely costly defensive blunder by failing to cover first base on what ended up being scored an infield hit. Brazobán completely lost control of both the strike zone and the inning at large after that and then later was sent down to Triple-A. Brazobán is being stretched out down there to become a multi-inning guy, which is the niche the Mets still need filled with a more consistent presence.

The horrors did not end with Montas yesterday. Oh, no. Ryne Stanek had a nightmarish outing as well, earning him a poop emoji for this week as well. With Warren completely exhausted, Stanek was tasked with pitching the final inning of a lopsided game and could not even finish the inning. All told, he was charged with five runs in 2⁄3 of an inning, requiring position player Luis Torrens to record the final out of the inning. Stanek did make three other appearances this week, but they were not enough to save him from the poop emoji. He appeared in Monday’s game and helped keep things close with a scoreless seventh. Though the Mets were completely shut down in the series finale in San Diego, Stanek was part of a strong collective effort on the part of the bullpen in that game, contributing a scoreless sixth. Finally, Stanek also pitched in Friday’s game and gave up an insurance run to the Giants in the form of a pair of doubles by Jung Hoo Lee and Patrick Bailey in what was a shaky outing. That run ended up proving crucial in what turned out to be a close game.

David Peterson started Friday’s game and delivered yet another quality start, yielding just two runs over six innings of work. The Giants scored two runs off Peterson in the first inning and he settled down after that, giving up just four hits in total. He struck out four batters and walked two in the outing. He exited the game in line to take a loss, but the Mets rallied late to tie the game, only to fall in extras.

It was Edwin Díaz who ended up taking the loss on Friday for allowing the ghost runner to score on a Dominic Smith RBI single. That was Díaz’s only appearance this week. Ryan Helsley made his Mets debut in a tie game in the ninth preceding Díaz and sent the game to extras with a scoreless inning. Helsley gave up two hits in the inning, but recorded all three outs in the frame via the strikeout, showing Mets fans his impressive velocity and movement on his pitches.

Rico Garcia helped set up the Mets’ comeback on Friday with a scoreless eighth inning. He worked around a hit, striking out one batter. The Mets would go on to tie the game in the bottom of the inning. Garcia also contributed a Herculean effort to Monday’s game, settling things down after Brazobán’s meltdown with two scoreless innings complete with four strikeouts. The only blemish on Garcia’s week—and really his Mets tenure as a whole—came on Saturday when he gave up two runs in the ninth, but given that the Mets were up big, they were really a meaningless two runs. Still, the major leagues are unforgiving and Garcia was nonetheless designated for assignment following Saturday’s outing.

Gregory Soto took the loss on Monday, as the Padres beat the Mets in the ninth in walk-off fashion. The decisive run was unearned, but it was unearned because of Soto’s own throwing error. Soto turned his week around in his other outing on Saturday. He came into the game in the sixth inning with one out and allowed a single, but then bounced back to strike out the next two batters. This was a key performance since the game was still close at the time and it earned Soto his 20th hold of the season.

Luckily the Mets had their hitting shoes on for a change on Saturday because Kodai Senga was not sharp and had one of his worst outings of the season. All told, he was charged with four runs on five hits in five innings of work. He struck out four batters and walked three in the outing and was inconsistent with his command. But he avoided taking the loss because his teammates were able to bail him out.

And part of the credit for that goes to the bullpen, who locked things down after Senga’s early exit. Reed Garrett ended up earning the win for 1 1⁄3 hitless innings of work, complete with a strikeout. After Soto finished the sixth inning for Garrett, Tyler Rogers made his Mets debut in the seventh against his former team and worked around a hit to pitch a scoreless inning. Garrett was probably the standout performer in the bullpen this week, putting up a clean sheet across his two appearances and not giving up a single hit. Garrett also pitched in Wednesday’s loss, contributing 1 1⁄3 scoreless innings in that contest as well. He struck out two batters and walked one in that outing.

Garrett came into Wednesday’s game in the fourth inning because Clay Holmes could not make it out of the inning. Holmes gave up four runs in 3 2⁄3 innings, but only two of those four runs were earned. In the third inning with two outs, Francisco Lindor made a throwing error which allowed Jose Iglesias to reach base safely and then Gavin Sheets followed with a two-run homer. Still, Holmes wasn’t particularly good in the outing and departed the game after just 79 pitches. It didn’t end up mattering much because the Mets were completely shut down by Yu Darvish, but Holmes and Montas’ performances in particular do not exactly inspire confidence in the rotation for the stretch run.

Brooks Raley appeared in both Wednesday’s and Saturday’s games and pitched a scoreless inning in each of them, working around a walk each time. Raley has been fantastic since his return from Tommy John surgery and has yet to give up an earned run in 5 1⁄3 innings of work. Now with Soto in the fold, the Mets have another reliable left-handed arm to complement Raley as they try to manage his workload in his return.

José Buttó’s final outing as a Met was unfortunately a disaster. After giving up the go-ahead run in the sixth on Tuesday, Buttó came back out for a second inning of work and that’s when things really went south. He gave up two straight singles to lead off the seventh, struck out the next batter, but then gave up a two-run double that was a back-breaker for the Mets, turning a close game into a game rapidly falling out of reach. He recorded the second out and then walked a batter. That ended his appearance after 1 2⁄3 innings of work and he made way for Chris Devenski, who gave up a two-run homer to Manny Machado to blow the doors off the game. Buttó was charged with five runs in total and Devenski with one and the Padres cruised on to a 7-1 victory. Buttó was included in the trade to the Giants for Tyler Rogers and Devenski was optioned back to Triple-A Syracuse.

It’s a shame the bullpen let the game get away because Sean Manaea pitched a really good game on Tuesday. He gave up just one run on three hits in five innings of work, striking out four batters and walking none. Manaea left the game after 86 pitches as he is still being built back up. Manaea should eventually be going deeper into games, but the rest of the rotation (outside of Peterson) failing to do so has been a consistent problem that has put strain on the bullpen.
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Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/8...-peterson-garrett-warren-raley-rogers-helsley
 
Open thread: Mets vs. Guardians, 8/4/25

New York Mets v San Francisco Giants

Photo by Andy Kuno/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images

Sean Manaea gets the start as the Mets look to put a series loss to the Giants behind them.

Mets lineup​

  1. Brandon Nimmo - LF
  2. Francisco Lindor - SS
  3. Juan Soto - RF
  4. Pete Alonso - DH
  5. Jeff McNeil - 2B
  6. Mark Vientos - 1B
  7. Cedric Mullins - CF
  8. Ronny Mauricio - 3B
  9. Francisco Alvarez - C

SP: Sean Manaea (LHP)

Guardians lineup​

  1. Steven Kwan - LF
  2. Angel Martinez - CF
  3. Jose Ramirez - 3B
  4. David Fry - DH
  5. Carlos Santana - 1B
  6. Gabriel Arias - SS
  7. Nolan Jones - RF
  8. Brayan Rocchio - 2B
  9. Austin Hedges - C

SP: Slade Cecconi (RHP)

Broadcast info​


First pitch: 7:10 PM EDT
TV: SNY
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App 92.3 HD2


NOTE: This gamethread is running earlier than usual, and it’s the final post on Amazin’ Avenue before the new version of the site launches tomorrow morning. You will be able to use the comment section in this thread normally, but our recap of this game, our Tuesday morning prospect report, and Mets Morning News will all publish after the new version of the site goes live tomorrow.
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Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/8/4/24480634/mets-guardians-lineups-probable-pitchers-new-york
 
Mets Player Performance Meter: Position players, July 28-August 3

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This week, the inconsistent Mets offense reverted back to its rather annoying habit of not hitting—and especially not hitting with runners in scoring position. The exception was Saturday’s victory, in which the bats broke out for double digit runs. Saturday was also the only game the Mets won this week. Monday’s game certainly can’t be laid at the feet of the offense, but they combined for one run the rest of the Padres series. The Mets did add a bat at the trading deadline in Cedric Mullins, who is unquestionably an upgrade over Tyrone Taylor offensively, but he has yet to make a major impact thus far.

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It’s hard to have a good offensive week when Juan Soto puts up a poop emoji. But the reality is that Soto is slumping right now and this week it got even worse. He hit just .158 with a putrid 4 wRC+. He collected three hits this week—all singles. One of those singles was a key RBI hit in the eighth inning of Friday’s game that was part of a rally that tied the game and sent the game to extras. The Mets ultimately lost though and Soto failed to come through with the tying and winning runs on base in the tenth. Soto also grounded into a double play this week—something he continues to do at an alarming rate. However, he did steal two bases, which is one thing he has consistently done well all year and continues to do even when slumping. Soto missed some time this week due to a contusion he suffered when he fouled a ball off his own foot in Tuesday’s game. But luckily no significant damage was done and he returned to the lineup quickly.

Brett Baty joins Soto in the poop emoji club with a 16 wRC+ in 16 plate appearances this week. It seems that pretty much all of the young Mets show flashes, but then go right back to slumping again and that is the case with Baty this week, who has fallen off a cliff after a positive second half until this point. Baty had just one hit this week, but he did walk three times and score four runs.

Cedric Mullins is the new name on this week’s meter. The Mets acquired him from the Orioles for three relief prospects at the deadline and he will likely get the bulk of the playing time at center field moving forward, which will significantly cut into Tyrone Taylor’s playing time. Mullins logged just one hit in his first ten plate appearances as a Met, but he has already shown his impact on the base paths, stealing a base and scoring three runs. Taylor could have justifiably gotten yet another poop emoji this week, as he went hitless this week, including grounding into a double play. But due to the presence of Mullins, Taylor had only seven plate appearances this week. Similarly, Starling Marte went hitless this week, but it was in only nine plate appearances. Marte did drive in one run via a sac fly in Tuesday’s game, which did tie the game at the time, but the Mets’ bullpen imploded in the seventh and that led to a lopsided loss.

Perhaps one of the only small silver linings this week is that Francisco Lindor has broken out of his slump, posting a 148 wRC+ in 27 plate appearances this week, making him one of the few hitters to receive positive marks this week. Lindor had a big day on Saturday, like many of the bats did, going 3-for-4 with four RBIs. His five RBIs in total for the week lead the team, as do his seven hits.

Mark Vientos also amassed seven hits this week to tie Lindor for the team lead. Vientos put up a team-leading 168 wRC+ in 19 plate appearances this week. Vientos’ big game came on Monday when his grand slam in the fifth snapped a 1-1 tie and gave the Mets a four-run lead. Unfortunately the Mets went on to lose the game in extras, but it was a huge moment of catharsis for the struggling Vientos.

Ronny Mauricio had a big moment in Monday’s game too in an otherwise mediocre week for him with the bat. Mauricio’s clutch home run off Robert Suarez in the ninth tied the game and sent it to extras. But overall, it was one of just two hits for Mauricio in 18 plate appearances this week. He also walked twice—good for a 53 wRC+.

With the exception of Soto, the Mets’ big boppers feasted on Saturday. We already mentioned Lindor’s big day. Pete Alonso got things started for the Mets with a three-run homer—the 250th of his career, bringing him just two long balls shy of Darryl Strawberry’s record. Alonso’s week overall offensively was only so-so—a 93 wRC+ in 25 plate appearances. But he does match Lindor for the team lead in RBIs with five. That’s because despite having just three hits all week, two of those hits were home runs. Alonso has also contributed a lot in the field lately with his defense.

Brandon Nimmo also went 3-for-4 on Saturday with three RBIs and two runs scored. Alongside Lindor, Nimmo was a key part of the Mets’ rallies in the fourth and sixth innings that helped bail out Kodai Senga. Overall, Nimmo posted an 87 wRC+ in 27 plate appearances for the week, scoring four runs.

Jeff McNeil had a similarly okay week with a 94 wRC+ in 24 plate appearances. He amassed five hits—four singles and a double. McNeil scored three runs and drove in a run this week. Notably, he also led the team in walks with four. The increase in walk rate has been a consistent trend for McNeil this season. Overall, he holds a 12.1% walk rate this season, which is by far the highest mark of his career—about double the rate he’s put up in past seasons. And he has done this while maintaining a career-low strikeout rate as well.

Francisco Alvarez rounds out the trio of green arrows this week with a 139 wRC+ in 14 plate appearances. He racked up three hits—two singles and a double—and three walks this week. He scored a run and drove in two. Luis Torrens logged two hits—both singles—in nine plate appearances this week. He also walked once.
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Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/8...uly-28-august-3-lindor-vientos-alvarez-alonso
 
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