Here are a few items to track in the baseball world on Thursday:
1. Mets drop eighth straight, head to Chicago
The Mets were in a tight one on Wednesday night against the Dodgers until Dalton Rushing blasted a grand slam in the eighth inning to put the game away. The small silver lining for New York fans is that the Rushing homer meant the game was no longer a save situation, so the Mets avoided being on the other end of Edwin Diaz and his trumpet entrance. The Mets have been held to two runs or fewer in seven of eight games during this losing streak. Their next chance to get into the win column will come on Friday against the Cubs. New York will have to survive one more road series without Juan Soto before his potential return next week.
2. Pitcher-only Ohtani
Shohei Ohtani led the charge in the sweep of the Mets, tossing six innings of one-run ball with 10 strikeouts. He was not in the hitting lineup, though. The two-way superstar pitched but didn’t hit for the first time since 2021. Rushing’s grand slam actually came as the DH in Ohtani’s stead. Manager Dave Roberts said the decision was made after Ohtani was hit by a David Peterson sinker on Monday night. “This one game, it just makes the most sense to give us the best chance to manage the shoulder and back,” Roberts told reporters, including Katie Woo of The Athletic. Ohtani’s next chance to get back in the hitting lineup as a pitcher is slated for Wednesday against the Giants.
3. Fermin leaves after a foul tip to the mask
Padres catcher Freddy Fermin was removed in the third inning of Wednesday’s game against the Mariners after being struck by a foul ball. Manager Craig Stammen told reporters, including AJ Cassavell of MLB.com, that Fermin does not have a concussion following an initial round of testing but will be reevaluated today. Luis Campusano replaced Fermin and is the only other catcher on the 40-man roster. Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune noted that Triple-A catcher Rodolfo Duran was removed from last night’s game in the ninth inning after Fermin’s injury. He’d seem to be a logical replacement if Fermin is forced to the IL.
The Mets being as bad at Baseball as they are is probably making Phillies fans feel better about themselves.
Doubt it since they are 3-7 in their last ten. They suck just as much.
Mets have been worse, but Phillies fans need something to help them cope with their aging and now overly expensive core.
So this is the Padres Freddy Fermin? So I guess that should be manager Craig Stammen, yeah?
What did it say before they changed it.?
OK, he fixed it, no worries! (I’m pretty sure it lacked a team, and it said manager Craig Counsell at first.)
We need some excitement on this team, how about firing Mendoza and hiring Wally Backman or Carlos Beltran, than bring up Clifford to play 1b, Ewing in LF, Scott or Tong moving Peterson to the BP.
No to Backman but bring on Beltran. And bring on Scott and Ewing for sure. Tong and Clifford are not ready, imo.
You really want excitement, how about Dykstra? 😀
Darryl Strawberry would bring “excitement”
Mendoza has to go; let’s get a manager next time with experience and not another Yankees bat boy like Rojas
As the Mets are tanking, Soto has a 164 OPS+, while making $51M Lux Tax Salary. Its seems like alloting so much salary to a single offensive-minded player, doesnt make them any better. A ‘generational talent’ that cant make his team, hmmm.
Remove Soto’s salary and the Mets would still rank 2nd or 3rd in MLB payroll. Not defending what they’re paying him, but he’s not the excuse.
You have overlooked the great signing of Bo Bichette @ $42M.
Rather have Bo over paid or Tucker overpaid?
Serious question…… think Bo since its cheaper n shorter term, but I think Tucker will end up w better numbers
Bo was three years with opt-outs and Tucker four with no opt out, right? I don’t know…generally I liked Bichette but he seems to have lost some of his pop over the past few years, which is perplexing given he should be at his statistical peak.
Tucker has opt outs after 27 and 28
Tucker has opt outs after years 2 and 3.
“You have overlooked the great signing of Bo Bichette @ $42M”
Was the article about Bichette or Sosa?
You’re making my point for me. I dont care if its Sosa, Bichette, Schwarber, Devers, Alonso, etc.. Even when they’re playing well, the team doesnt benefit as much as it costs at other positions.
Sosa is paid more than 1/5th of the entire Mets payroll. When you have 25 other players to pay, and several you’ll bring up or acquire, thats just poor financing.
You missed the sarcasm. I started making that point well before last season, when the Mets rolled out with Kodai Senga as their “ace”
It’s baseball. No one player can elevate a team singlehandedly.
RS
“A ‘generational talent’ that cant make his team”
No single player can “make his team”. See, for example, Trout, Mike.
Soto is playing as expected. He’s not the problem. It’s also only a few games.
FanGraphs still gives the Mets a 57% chance to make the playoffs.
“No single player can “make his team””
Youre changing my words, and putting them in quotes on top of it. Its the portion of salary going to a single player with limitations that creates the situation. When two players represent 38% of a teams payroll, it means there are cut backs in other areas. — No where in there is anything about a ‘single player making a team’. In fact, its the exact opposite ‘look how good Sosa is hittingh, and he still cant save the team’.
RS
“Youre changing my words, and putting them in quotes on top of it
…
No where in there is anything about a ‘single player making a team’.
”
It’s literally what you wrote
“A ‘generational talent’ that cant make his team, hmmm.”
“When two players represent 38% of a teams payroll, it means there are cut backs in other areas”
What do you mean “cut backs in other areas”?
“Make his team” . . . ‘better’.
I left a word off the end of my sentence. Obviously, youre a gotcha type of guy. — So dumb. Try reading the entire context of what people are saying, instead of searching for incomplete sentences, for your ‘Gotcha Moment’.
==-
Cutbacks . . . in Starting Pitching.
Ill keep this short, so my words wont get manipulated:
2026 Batting $125M
2026 Starting Pitching: $44M
Which gets worse over time:
2028 Batting $170M
2028 Starting Pitching $15M
spotrac.com/mlb/new-york-mets/position
===
$51M for one player until 2039 is too much for any player, even if he is a “generational talent”. Ohtani is a better hitter and he also pitches and he still didnt get that much money.
Its always the ones closest to a situation are the ones that dont see the obvious.
RS
“I left a word off the end of my sentence. Obviously, youre a gotcha type of guy. ”
I couldn’t read your mind, no.
But, ok. Why do you think that Soto, who has a 159 wRC+ and 0.3 fWAR (and a 5.2 WAR/600 pace) isn’t making his team better?
“Which gets worse over time:
2028 Batting $170M
2028 Starting Pitching $15M”
I don’t understand the point you are making. Maybe use more words.
Do you think the Mets will only have Senga in their starting rotation in 2028? You don’t think they might sign players in free agency? Or make trades?
2026 Payroll $226.4M
2028 Payroll $201.6M
And what about young pitchers like Nolan McLean?
“$51M for one player until 2039 is too much for any player, even if he is a “generational talent””
Let me use the exact same reasoning that you used to support your argument to refute it.
No it’s not.
The test on that theory will be when the Dodgers actually have to start paying Ohtani’s deferred salary from (what will undoubtedly be) a salary cap imposed by the other owners. The billion dollar question is, are there enough owners that desire a salary cap?
“I couldnt read your mind”
The sentence was incomplete. So rather than ask, you added your own ending.
“Make the team . . .”
Better? Instead, based on the rest of that comment, you assumed World Champions or Division or whatever.
===
“Do you think the Mets will only have Senga in their starting rotation in 2028?”
Peralta’s gone, Peterson is gone, Holmes is gone, Manaea is gone. McLean, Senga and maybe Tonga/Sproat in 2028, are the only guarantees. A playoff challenger needs, at least, 8 SPs to compete. That means a of money or draft capital has to be spent, at a time when money will most likely be thin.
There’s a lot of rules coming in the next CBA that will hurt the big spenders. Its inevitable for the health of the sport.
A Storm Is Coming, and the Mets are going full sails to sea. But, theyre not alone, the Phillies are leading the way.
PP
“The test on that theory will be when the Dodgers actually have to start paying Ohtani’s deferred salary”
They are required to start paying it next year.
But they are probably already paying it
Ohtani’s salary counts $46 million against the cap because they pay Ohtani $2 million every year and, per the rules, have to put $44 million every year into an account to accrue interest to make the $68 million interest payments starting in 2034
RS
““I couldnt read your mind”
The sentence was incomplete. So rather than ask, you added your own ending.
“Make the team . . .”
Better?”
Let me ask again:
“Why do you think that Soto, who has a 159 wRC+ and 0.3 fWAR (and a 5.2 WAR/600 pace) isn’t making his team better?”
They will almost certainly add to the pitching staff.
They spent money on one the best players in baseball and one of the surest bets to produce for the foreseeable future.
PoinonedPens:
Not sure what you mean about Ohtani. The deferred money is pro-rated over the length of the contract (10 years). They’ve already been paying $46M since 2024 and will be done paying the entire thing in 2033. Soto’s is $61M until 2039.
spotrac.com/mlb/player/_/id/24661/shohei-ohtani
spotrac.com/mlb/player/_/id/25959/juan-soto
===
“Is there enough owners that desire a salary cap?”
Absolutely. Barring a handful of teams, which team wouldnt want to lower/keep same their payroll, while increasing their chances of being competitive?
Also, the writing is already on the wall as far as stricter rules coming. Look at all the young players being extended. Teams are doing this so that they have some young talent, and their contracts will be grandfathered in. Teams with payrolls over $300M know they are going to have to cut payroll costs.
JU:
Soto’s hitting stat line DOES make the team better. Its everything else that doesnt. He doesnt run well, he doesnt field well, and he’s not a team leader in the clubhouse. Add to that, the obscene $61M a year, which costs talent elsewhere on the roster.
My point, is simple: You cant fault his bat, but they still failed to make the playoffs last year, and off to a bad start this year. I know its everyone else’s fault.
===
“They will almost certainly add to the pitching staff”
You dont know that. CBA may restrict them and money may be needed to be spent on positional players and in the bullpen. Also, the pitching staff will need a good amount of help in a couple of years, unless you assume McLean, Senga, Tonga and Sproat all reach their maximum potential and can all stay healthy.
RS
“Soto’s hitting stat line DOES make the team better. Its everything else that doesnt. He doesnt run well, he doesnt field well,”
Let me ask for a third time
“Why do you think that Soto, who has a 159 wRC+ and 0.3 fWAR (and a 5.2 WAR/600 pace) isn’t making his team better?”
In case you need a reminder, WAR mesures running and fielding.
“and he’s not a team leader in the clubhouse”
1) I don’t think you know that. Feel free to provide evidence to support your claim
2) Who cares?
“Add to that, the obscene $61M a year, which costs talent elsewhere on the roster.”
1) Why is it “obscene”?
2) Yes. Spending in one area takes away (in most, but not all) cases from others. But concentrating performance in fewer roster spots also has benefits. Imagine a team that had a 1 WAR player in every roster spot. They would be capped at 26 total WAR. But if they had a 5 WAR player at one spot that would allow them to get more than 26 WAR out of 26 roster spots.
“You cant fault his bat, but they still failed to make the playoffs last year, and off to a bad start this year. I know its everyone else’s fault.”
If you think it was Soto’s “fault”, make your case.
The Mets had the largest (negative) difference between actual wins and baseruns wins in MLB last year. Which suggests it was mostly sequencing that was to blame. Instead of walking and then hitting a home run, they hit a home run and then walked, for example. Those kinds of things tend to be flukey and do not carry over year to year.
all the mets fans (and non mets fans) who thought stearns knew what he was doing. all the fans who were fine with devin (the disaster) williams signing. polanco, semien, even bichette has been garbage so far. but you guys are all baseball experts. mets made great offseason moves. this is gonna work out !!
shoulda fired stearns + mendoza last yr to really clean house… 8 L in a row lol… what a laughingstock circus freak show embarrassment
I wonder if there’s 140+ games left in the season…. Hmmmmm idk though
Of course Lindor isn’t going to end the season with 1 RBI, but man, 1 RBI in 19 games is a scary number for one of the pivotal hitters on the team.
The Yankees traded Nestor Cortes and Caleb Durbin for one year of Devin Williams. Nobody won that trade.
The Yankees won because it was only one year. Durbin was never going to sniff Yankees Stadium because Cashman loves big musclebound HR hitters, not scrappy little linedrive guys that make contact and walk.
Anyone w a brain knew Semien was washed n a big mistake
Nimmo must have really pissed some people off in the Bronx cuz w his bat, he could help carry this team until Soto returns. Grab a real 2b via trade like Marte( not likely) but Lowe was attainable easily. Fumbled the bag on Edwin too
Swap those 2 bats w or w out Edwin n this teams floor n ceiling is much higher IMO
Even being 2-6 on this run would be it much more easier to stomach.
Long way to go
I was at that game last night. It was fun as a Dodgers fan to see them dump the Mets so decisively, naturally — but at the same time I feel certain this Mets team will get a lot better. Soto will be back, Lindor will start to hit, and that Nolan McLean is going to continue to be one scary dude.
All of that won’t add up to anything as long as that clown Mendoza is running the show and Stearns is making the trades; this coming from a long time Mets fan!
“Semien was washed n a big mistake” Amen Brother
I’m not trying to endorse or condemn any move made by management. My only point is this Mets team as it stands is a lot more talented than what we are seeing from them right now.
Is this a Carlos Mendoza burner account? 😉
It’s almost like playing half the team out of position seems like a bad idea.
fred
It’s almost like any team can lose a lot over 19 games.
The Dodgers, for example, went 6 and 13 (worse than the Mets) between July 4th and July 28th.
They still managed to put together a reasonably successful season.
The Brewers, who had the best record in baseball last year, had an 8 and 11 stretch between April 19 and May 7.
Yeah, but that goes both ways. The Braves got off to an awful start last year and didn’t recover. 2023 Padres hit a rough patch early in the year and couldn’t get out of it. Etc.
fred
It doesn’t really go both ways, because that’s just a weird way to look at it.
All teams go through winning and losing streaks during the year.
Ultimately, you or I don’t know what will happen, but this is a disappointing start to the season for a team that also collapsed after mid June last year. I will not put it past the Mets to do the same again this year. That’s all I’m trying to say.
It is a loooooooong season guys. Long. Don’t stress until at least August.
I picked the Mets to win the NL East. The Braves looking like the team to beat early.
If the Mets can stay healthy, they are going to win some games.
Braves pitching has been good but Sale is likely to be on the IR for a month or two. Lopez is pitching good but his shoulder likely is better off in the bullpen as is Holmes elbow.
It will be interesting to see how it plays out.
Marlins are already salivating over the return on Sandy Alcantara.
I didn’t renew an MLBTV subscription because the Mutts folded like a fitted sheet in my late mother’s hands last season, then subtracted Diaz, McNeil, Nimmo and Alonso. The 2024 team had great chemistry, which Stearns and company took for granted and had no interest (apparently) in continuing. Soto is a great player, but his effect on team chemistry was a net negative. What I’m reading here and on X about Lindor’s leftism and Nimmo and McNeil’s support of Trump, plus Cohen/Stearns accommodating Lindor’s views puts a bad taste in my mouth. So I’m a Tigers fan now. And watching the Mutts crash and burn gives me a woody.
I wouldn’t believe anything I read on X or any other social media as actually. They exist to stir up sh…tuff.
Besides, if a team makes personnel changes based on anyone’s politics, they deserve what they get.
Loosing streaks are natural to any team and it’s only mid-April. Most front offices hold evaluation until the first 1/3rd of the season (2 months). That said, there’s some bad vibes from this Mets team
1. Is this the start of the major decline of Lindor? We know he always starts slow offensively, but he doesn’t seemed to be in the game. Too many defensive laps and base running mistakes.
2. Will Baty or Vientos ever take the next step of being solid MLB players? I’m just not seeing it.
3. It’s a bit disconcerting to see Soto go on the IL this early in the season.
4. The back of the bullpen, which was suspect even before the season started, so far is a disaster.
5. Though McLean is the real deal, he has yet to go a full season. Will he be as dominate towards the end of the season, after the dog days of summer and travel.
All teams have holes and concerns. But the Mets are expected to make the playoffs and go deep into the playoffs. This team fell short of the playoffs last year, which caused the GM to do a partial reset of the players and a near complete reset of the coaching staff. So far in the young season, the results aren’t there and this team isn’t passing the eye test. Games in April count as much as games in September
I guess letting Lindor decide who would be traded based on his political leanings wasn’t a good idea after all.
Didn’t see that one coming at all
😂😂😂
Trade Rushing they said. He is too good to be a backup, they said. They could trade him for some really good prospects, they said.
Keep Rushing and all his talent on the Dodgers I said. Find at bats for him where you can while learning from one of the best group of current ballplayers how to be consistently great, I said.
I see some nice they can make in the future to accommodate both Smith and Rushing. Why trade him “because he’s so good”?
It was a strange narrative in spring training regarding him.
I picked the Reds to win the World Series this year. Their bullpen is stacked, rotation is looking good too.
Greene
Lodolo
Abbott
Burns
Singer
Lowder
Williamson
Solid group, Sal Stewart, EDLC, Eugenio, Steer, they have some power hitters. If McClain catches fire like he did this spring and Friedl gets on track, two great table setters at the top. Marte and Bleday on the farm and Hector Rodriguez looks like a legitimate player. Edwin Arroyo ready for a look. 50-1 odds on the Reds and they could have the deepest team in the league.