Mets Game 92: Loss to Phillies

Posted on July 16, 2011 by Joe Janish

Phillies 7 Mets 2

Back to the Flushing .500. Continue reading →

Posted in Mets 2011 Games | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Blog Roundup: Back to Baseball Edition

Posted on July 15, 2011 by Paul Festa

The All-Star Break is over, K-Rod is a Brewer, and the Mets get back to work tonight against the Phillies.  The next two weeks will be crucial for the Mets as they decide whether to buy, sell, or stand pat before the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline.

Now let’s take a spin around the blogosphere:

  • ESPN’s Adam Rubin reports that K-Rod’s 10-team no trade list was never filed to the Mets’ front office. 
  • Midwestropolitan took a well-earned day off on Thursday – just like the Mets.
  • Patrick Flood has doubts about Bobby Parnell’s ability to close.  Remember Bobby, coffee is for closers only!
  • Amazin’ Avenue celebrates the one-year anniversary of the “Blame Beltran” movement.
  • Metsmerized tries to temper some bad news about Ike Davis with good news about this weekend’s pitching matchups.
  • Faith and Fear in Flushing remembers a classic Subway Series game from 1999.
  • Real Dirty Mets urges Mets fans not to become Phillies fans this weekend. 
  • MLB Trade Rumors has updates on the trade market in the NL East, including Carlos Beltran news.
  • Mets360 gets extra points for comparing the Mets’ second half to a line from the most underrated Billy Joel song of all time.

And for all the latest Mets news,  “stay tuned” to Mets Today.

Posted in Around the Blogs | Comments Off on Blog Roundup: Back to Baseball Edition

PTBNLs from the Brewers

Posted on July 15, 2011 by Dan Capwell

NOTE: This is a post by new MetsToday contributor Dan Capwell. Please direct your comments to him. -Joe

The last time the Mets traded an overpriced closer to a contending team for 2 PTBNL, they ended up getting Chris Carter and Eddie Lora from Boston for Billy Wagner. That deal failed on several levels, which is another blog post in itself. Suffice to say however that the K-Rod to Milwaukee deal stirred those memories and evoked thoughts of “here we go again” among many of the Met faithful.

Then Sandy Alderson ended an interview the WFAN’s Joe and Evan with a cryptic comment that one of the two PTBNLs had already been successful at the major league level but was currently back in Milwaukee’s farm system. So, who might this player be? Well, a quick glance at the roster of the Nashville Sounds (The Brewer’s AAA team) provides several names that might fit the description: Continue reading →

Posted in Opinion and Analysis | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Why Carlos Beltran Will Get Traded

Posted on July 15, 2011 by Joe Janish

MetsToday commenter “hart” had this to say in regard to the Carlos Beltran situation:

Surprised how many people seem to be buying into the possibility that Alderson might keep Beltran for a playoff push, whereas it seems pretty clear to me that it’s pure posturing on his part. Ideally, he’ll play several suitors off against each other and enhance what we get in return. I hope it gets done soon, rather than risk some sort of setback.

I have to agree. Sandy Alderson Continue reading →

Posted in Opinion and Analysis | Tagged | 18 Comments

Parnell Endorsed By K-Rod As Mets Next Closer

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Jessica Estremera

This season Francisco Rodriguez has served as a bullpen mentor for Bobby Parnell, even endorsing the hard-throwing righty just last week.

Rodriguez said this about Parnell’s closing abilities:

He can do it and he knows it. I love that kid. I talk to him a lot and I love him. He’s a guy who comes here everyday trying to improve himself to get better and better. He definitely has the tools.

Parnell was crowned the 8th-inning man for the Mets in spring training but had a 6.14 ERA in April when he was placed on the disabled list with circulatory issues in his right hand. Since returning to the Mets on June 2nd, he regularly hit 100 mph  on radar guns, has only 3 earned runs in 17 1/3 innings with a 1.56 ERA.

GM Sandy Alderson told reporters on Wednesday that there are strong candidates in the existing bullpen who can take on the closer role.

Izzy has been in that role before, and pitched effectively in that role and effectively for us, this year. And the way Bobby Parnell has thrown the last three weeks or so has been impressive and also was a factor.

Alderson went on to say that those decisions will be best left up for Terry Collins and pitching coach Dan Warthen to address.

Posted in Latest Mets News | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Where To Shop Carlos Beltran

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Joe Janish

Sandy Alderson stated very clearly that the trade of K-Rod did not signal any kind of “fire sale” and certainly had no impact on Carlos Beltran‘s situation.

Direct from Sandy:

As I’ve said on occasion, I’d like to see Carlos with us as we continue this run. At some point, the interest already expressed by those clubs will be reaffirmed, and we will have some conversations. I do want to make it clear the Rodriguez trade should not signal anything to anyone about Beltran.

OK, Sandy, we believe you (wink wink). So we’ll just pretend for a few minutes that Beltran is actually on the block, and examine possible landing spots for the switch-hitting slugger — just for fun! Continue reading →

Posted in Opinion and Analysis | Tagged | 11 Comments

K-Rod May Not Close for Brewers

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Joe Janish

Though we really shouldn’t care about K-Rod now that he’s left the Mets, it’s interesting — to me, anyway — that he is going to a below-the-radar team that already has a closer, but a “no-name” one at that.

I imagined that K-Rod would wind up with someone like the Yankees — who have Mariano Rivera — or the Red Sox (Jon Papelbon), and he’d have no choice but to be happy in a setup role. On a big-market team with a well-known closer, K-Rod wouldn’t really have the option of demanding to close.

But now that he’s a Brewer, K-Rod and his new agent Scott Boras may do just that.

My ESPN SweetSpot colleague Jack Moore of Disciples of Uecker had this immediate reaction to the trade: Continue reading →

Posted in Opinion and Analysis | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Blog Roundup: K-Rod Edition

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Paul Festa

The first domino has fallen, as the Mets traded Francisco Rodriguez and cash to the Milwaukee Brewers for 2 players-to-be-named-later.  Most importantly, as part of the deal, the Brewers now assume K-Rod’s $17.5MM vesting option for next year.

As a result, the Mets blogosphere is abuzz with reaction:

  • The Daily Stache thinks this is great news for Mets fans, no matter who the two players to be named later turn out to be.
  • Faith and Fear in Flushing would like to thank Frankie for the memories – if they could think of any.
  • Amazin’ Avenue explains what exactly a player-to-be-named-later is.  Who are these people walking around without names, anyway?
  • Midwestropolitan points out that this trade is not a white flag.
  • TedQuarters thinks Terry Collins usage of K-Rod essentially put the Mets in a bases-loaded situation in the ninth of a tight game.  How appropos.
  • Metstradamus looks into the future to give us a glimpse of K-Rod in a Brewers uniform, and even sneaks in a Laverne and Shirley reference.

And stay up-to-date on this story and all other Mets news here on Mets Today.

Posted in Around the Blogs | 2 Comments