Ah! Relief!

Happy Thursday! Yesterday was an interesting day in Metland to say the least. On the field, awfulness. Off the field, wonderfulness. We cover both of course in this here The Mets Newsletter. Get a paid subscription to get it every single day. 

The Mets got swept by the Padres in San Diego, losing 5-0, but they got two elite relief pitchers via trade. 

The less said about the actual game played the better. The Mets had a grand total of three hits: Mark Vientos and Ronny Mauricio hit singles, and Brandon Nimmo hit a garbage time double in the ninth. Yu Darvish usually does well against the Mets, but this time was supposed to be different - the man had an over eight ERA this season going into yesterday. Instead he tossed seven shutout innings. He hadn’t thrown seven or more innings in a game since May 19, 2024. Apparently he lowered his arm angle - he pulled a Sean Manaea on us, basically. Bully for him.

Clay Holmes didn’t get out of the fourth inning. He got two outs to start the bottom of the second, but then Martin Mandonado singled. Holmes hit Fernando Tatis Jr. with a pitch, then walked Luis Arraez to load the bases. The red hot Manny Machado smacked a two RBI single to open up the scoring. Again in the third, Holmes got the first two outs with no problem. But then Francisco Lindor made a throwing error on a Jose Iglesias grounder. Gavin Sheets followed with a two-run homer. Oops. 4-0 Padres. The bottom of the fourth started off with the same script. Holmes got the first two outs, then allowed a single to Xander Bogaerts and plunked Jake Cronenworth. This time around, Carlos Mendoza had enough of this rerun and brought in Reed Garrett. Garrett, Ryne Stanek, and Brooks Raley combined for three and a third hitless innings of relief that would go for naught. Rico Garcia gave up an earned run in the bottom of the eighth, the first run he has given up as a Metropolitan. All in all, it was a really good day for the Mets bullpen in more ways than one. 

Just an awful game. The Mets finish their west coast road trip going 3-3. If you told me before the trip that the Mets would go .500, I’d probably take it. But not this way. 

 ***

Francisco Alvarez got hit in the side of his helmet off a foul ball. He had to leave the game but he passed concussion protocol and said he feels “good”. 

Juan Soto’s bruised left foot was feeling better but he was not in the starting lineup yesterday, nor was he available to pinch hit. Carlos Mendoza though said he’s “pretty confident” Soto will be ready to go tomorrow night. 

Clay Holmes said he wasn’t approached by the team to possibly move to the bullpen. He was asked this before David Stearns traded for his second elite relief pitcher acquisition of the day.

The Mets acquired workhorse sidearmer righty reliever Tyler Rogers from the Giants as well as Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley from the Cardinals. Both are rentals - they will both be free agents after the season. 

To nab Rogers, the Mets parted with Jose Buttó and prospects Blade Tidwell and Drew Gilbert. At first this seemed like a lot for two to three months of a reliever, but the reality eventually set in: Buttó has struggled, especially after he came off the IL from his mysterious illness. Blade Tidwell flashed signs that he can be a really good pitcher one day, but that’s definitely no guarantee, and if the center fielder Gilbert was highly regarded by the Mets front office he would have replaced Tyrone Taylor as the every day center fielder quite a while ago. For what it’s worth, the prospect knowers on social media like the trade for the Mets. Besides, as Lance Brozdowski pointed out, the Mets now have their big beautiful pitching lab, and are a “top 2-3” pitching development organization - they can just make more Blade Tidwells and Jose Buttós. 

Rogers takes the ball a lot. Since 2020, he has led major league baseball in innings pitched by a reliever. He’s already made 53 appearances this year, and it doesn’t seem to have fatigued him - he has a 1.80 ERA. 

I bet Tyler Rogers and Tylor Megill have a lot to talk about - their first names are almost the same and they both have major league baseball pitcher brothers named Trevor. 

To get Helsley, the Mets sent minor league shortstop Jesus Baez and minor league pitchers Nate Dohm and Frank Elissalt to the Cardinals. Baez was the top prospect in the deal - he was ranked eighth in MLB Pipeline’s top 30 Met prospect list. Dohm was 14th. Elissalt didn’t make the top 30. 

In other words, we are right to trust David Stearns.

The Phillies are 5 for 42 lifetime against Helsley. That’s interesting.

You know what else is interesting? Helsley is a Cherokee tribal citizen and has been vocal in the past about his criticisms of Atlanta’s racist Tomahawk Chop. 

Also interesting, admittedly: the Phillies got Twins closer Jhoan Duran. He’s really good, and under team control through 2027. But Philadelphia parted with their 4th and 6th ranked prospects. 

The Triple-A Syracuse Mets (53-51) handled the Buffalo Bisons (Blue Jays affiliate) by a score of 8-3. The likely untouchable Nolan McLean threw six innings of two run ball, allowing three hits, walking three and striking out six. Omar De Los Santos went 3 for 4 with a home run, a run scored, and two RBI. Gilberto Celestino and Pablo Reyes also got a base hit thrice.

The Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies (65-31) defeated the Harrisburg Senators (Nationals) 7-1. Carson Benge hit his fourth home run in three games, going 3 for 5 with two runs scored and two RBI. Jonah Tong had control issues. He only allowed one hit in three innings of work, and didn’t allow an earned run, and struck out eight, but he walked five too.

The High-A Brooklyn Cyclones (59-39) fell to the Jersey Shore BlueClaws (Phillies) 5-3. AJ Ewing swiped his 42nd stolen base of the season. Raimon Gomez got the loss. He permitted four earned runs in just two thirds of an inning. The most notable thing to happen in the game was when Jesus Baez had to vacate second base and leave the field in the first inning because he had just been traded.

The Low-A St. Lucie Mets (56-40) blew out the Jupiter Hammerheads (Marlins) 11-3. Third baseman Trey Snyder went 3 for 3 with two runs scored, two RBI, and two walks. Daviel Hurtado started. He tossed four innings of one run ball, permitting three hits, walking one, and punching out four. 

10 years ago today, the Mets acquired Yoenis Cespedes in a trade. That night, Wilmer Flores hit one of the most dramatic walk-off home runs you will ever see.

The Mets have the day off, in the sense that they don’t have a scheduled game. But they will be looking to add a bat or two before 6pm eastern tonight, when trades are no longer permitted for the remainder of the season.