Some Quick Thoughts on the Baez Trade

Ken Rosenthal is reporting on Twitter that the New York Mets have made a deal with the Chicago Cubs for SS Javier Báez and RH starter Trevor Williams. We're still waiting to hear about who the Mets are giving up. Also on Twitter, Bob Nightengale is reporting that the Mets are sending the Cubs our #5 ranked prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong. Crow-Armstrong made a big impression in camp this year but injured his shoulder only 6 games into the season with Low-A St. Lucie. The injury required shoulder surgery and put the 19-year-old out for the season.

The Conforto Conundrum

The New York Mets have been showing signs recently that they were bouncing back from their early-season offensive struggles. Unfortunately, those travails returned with a vengeance yesterday. The Mets managed to scratch out only one single, solitary run against the Atlanta Braves over 14 innings of their doubleheader. As disappointing as that was, it's also rather miraculous that they were able to cash in that lone run for a split of the doubleheader. But that's the kind of season it's been for the Mets as they have battled continuous adversity to hang onto their tenuous lead in the NL East.

Another Hill to Climb

The New York Mets finally added a desperately needed credible starting pitcher to the mix, picking up veteran Rich Hill in a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays. Understandably, this isn't the type of transaction that's going to electrify the fan base. Still, it was a solid deal for a decent veteran starter that didn't tap into the Mets' limited pool of top-tier prospect talent. As we discussed Wednesday, the Mets lack a deep pool of prospects who would be attractive to potential trade partners.

Some More Trade Deadline Thoughts

The MLB trade deadline is another day closer, and speculation continues as to how the New York Mets might approach it. Of course, there never is any shortage of unnamed sources to be quoted and fuel speculation on what a team's deadline strategy might be, as was the case Monday with rumors the Mets are looking to make a "big splash" in new owner Steve Cohen's inaugural season writing the checks.

Making a "Splash" in a Year of Uncertainty

At least according to one scribe's unnamed "industry source," the New York Mets will be "looking to make a 'big splash' at the deadline. Author Pat Ragazzo cites a single unnamed source here, so take it with a grain of salt. Frankly, at this point, I am not 100% clear in my own mind what the most logical course would be for the Mets.

Oblique House

Last night's New York Mets game against the Pirates was so boring that I fell asleep on it, literally. In fairness, that was partly due to the medications I'm taking since my operations. But I've seen a version of that game so many times this season that even the little kerfuffle between Marcus Stroman and the immortal John Nogowski didn't provide much of a stimulant. And worry about a potential Francisco Lindor injury didn't do the trick, either. Right after it happened, it was so obviously the type of oblique injury that will cause Lindor to miss a good-sized chunk of time that dwelling on how it might eventually play out seemed rather pointless.

Balancing the Future vs. Now

Tim Britton in The Athletic has a thoughtful piece up on some possible ways the New York Mets might approach the trade deadline at the end of this month. Of course, the Cubs' Kris Bryant is right up at the top. The trade rumors that persisted throughout the winter will only continue to build over the next two weeks. The Cubs are definitely sellers now, and Bryant is a free agent after the season. Jed Hoyer would be stupid not to try to obtain value for Bryant.

Pete Alonso Has Fun Playing Baseball

The All-Star Game and all of the related festivities have come to an end. I didn't watch a second of it live, but I did find the Home Run Derby on YouTube and scanned some of Pete Alonso's highlights the next day. It wasn't that I was psyched to see him win the thing. I believe the Home Run Derby is fairly boring to watch on tv, even if one of "your guys" manages to come out on top. Most of the majesty of watching the best-hit balls sail far out of the park is lost with the way television has to cover it. The only way to really experience that is to attend in person.

The Comeback Trail

I've had a lot of free time to think these past few weeks. While the New York Mets have been on their team journey, I've been on one of my own. On Thursday, June 24, I spent quite a few hours in an operating room at UCONN Medical Center in Farmington, CT. I had two fairly major surgeries performed on me: one on my lower back and one on my neck. It was almost 12 hours from the time I closed my eyes under the anesthesia until the time I reopened them again back in my hospital room.

Boats Against the Current

Someone had better
start bailing

I'm heading into the hospital for surgery tomorrow, so you probably won't be hearing from me for a few days. But, I won't be going silent by myself. The New York Mets bats have preceded me into quietude. It seems only fair. In 4 of their last 8 games, I have driven in exactly as many runs as the Mets hitters being paid to perform that important task. What's even more irksome about the Mets' four shutout losses is that merely scoring 11 well-timed runs combined in those games could have secured four victories for the club. It's one thing to come up against a great pitcher and lose a tough one here and there. It's quite another to see your club slumber through one winnable game after another.