Mets To Select Pablo Reyes
The Mets are poised to select the contract of infielder Pablo Reyes when rosters expand tomorrow, per a report from Joel Sherman of the New York Post. A corresponding active roster move won’t be needed due to roster expansion, and the Mets’ 40-man roster already has a spot open to accommodate Reyes after the club designated outfielder Ben Gamel for assignment earlier this month.
Reyes, who will celebrate his 31st birthday on Thursday, began the season as a member of the Red Sox but was designated for assignment and outrighted to the minors after he cleared waivers. Once Reyes had been removed from the 40-man roster, the Mets worked out a deal with Boston to acquire the versatile infielder in a cash deal back in May. Since then, Reyes has been playing for the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse with fairly strong results. In 57 games with Syracuse, Reyes has slashed .285/.364/.470 while splitting time between second and third base as well as shortstop.
Impressive as that slash line is, it can hardly be expected that he’ll post anything close to that down the stretch for New York. After all, Reyes has participated in parts of six MLB seasons and sports a career slash line of just .248/.309/.349 in 572 trips to the plate. His best stretch of his career came with the Red Sox last year, when he posted a roughly league average .287/.339/.377 slash line in 185 trips to the plate as a part time player. With that being said, if Reyes can post a slash line around that level while playing strong defense all around the infield, he’ll be a useful addition to a Mets infield mix that currently has only a slumping Jose Iglesias to back up the club’s primary infield of Mark Vientos, Jeff McNeil, and Francisco Lindor.
Reyes won’t be the only player joining the Mets in the aftermath of tomorrow’s roster expansion, as manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters (including those at SNY) that left-hander Alex Young will be recalled tomorrow to act as the club’s extra pitcher. Young, 31 next week, was claimed off waivers from the Giants back in July and has looked extremely good in nine innings of work at the major league level between the Reds and Mets this year. In that limited sample size, the lefty has a 1.00 ERA with a 21.6% strikeout rate.
While that’s certainly not enough of a sample size to project much off of, it’s worth noting that the lefty also has a strong 2.81 ERA in 31 appearances at the Triple-A level this year and pitched to a 3.36 ERA in 88 appearances in the majors between 2022 and ’23. At the very least, Young figures to offer the Mets another intriguing left-handed option down the stretch in a bullpen that currently only features Danny Young in terms of southpaws.
Vinny Nittoli Opts Out Of Mets Deal
Right-hander Vinny Nittoli opted out of his minor league deal with the Mets and is once again a free agent, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. He’ll head back to the open market and continue his 2024 tour of the league.
The Mets were the fourth organization to sign Nittoli this season alone. He began the year in the A’s system after signing a minor league contract over the winter. After being selected to Oakland’s big league roster and later designated for assignment, Nittoli elected free agency and has since signed a minor league deal with the Orioles, a big league deal with the Cubs and a minors pact with the Mets. The Cubs cut ties with Nittoli before he got into a game with them, but he did also pitch for the Orioles in addition to some work with the A’s.
In 12 innings this year, Nittoli carries a 1.50 ERA, 17.4% strikeout rate and 4.3% walk rate. He’s only pitched a total of 18 2/3 major league innings overall, during which time he’s logged a 2.41 ERA. Nittoli’s primary pitch this season has been a cutter that’s sat in the 89-90 mph range, and he’s paired that with a slider and occasional curveball. He’s been sharp in Triple-A as well, pitching 30 innings of 3.60 ERA ball between the A’s, O’s and Mets. During that Triple-A run, Nittoli has fanned a hefty 33.9% of his opponents against a 9.4% walk rate.
Nittoli can now look to latch on with another club, and if he’s with a new organization on or before Aug. 31, he’d be a postseason-eligible depth piece. He might not get an immediate look in the big leagues, although with rosters set to expand from 26 to 28 players on Sept. 1, it’d be easier for a new club to give him a look at the MLB level.
Brett Baty To Miss Roughly 4-6 Weeks Due To Finger Fracture
The Mets announced that infield prospect Brett Baty suffered a fracture in his left index finger last Thursday, while playing for Triple-A Syracuse. Baty was hit by a pitch during a check swing, and the team estimated a recovery timeline of 4-6 weeks. This means that Baty’s 2024 season could well be over, barring some quicker-than-expected healing or a return at the very end of September.
The injury adds to what has been an overall disappointing season for the third baseman, as Baty hit only .229/.306/.327 over 171 plate appearances in the major leagues. This brings Baty’s career totals to 15 home runs and a .215/.282/.325 slash line in 602 PA and 169 games — about the equivalent of one full season since he made his MLB debut in 2022. It isn’t a huge sample size, and the 24-year-old Baty would hardly be the first star prospect to have some initial struggles before going on to have a successful big league career.
However, more has been expected from the former 12th overall pick, and Baty’s place as the Mets’ third baseman of the future has now seemingly been filled by Mark Vientos, who has hit tremendously well in his first extended taste of MLB playing time. Pete Alonso‘s possible departure in free agency this winter could conceivably leave first base open so Vientos and Baty could both be part of the 2025 lineup, yet while Vientos seems to be cementing his spot in New York’s future plans, the jury is still out on Baty. He drew plenty of attention prior to the trade deadline, but there isn’t yet any indication that the Mets are open to moving on from Baty.
While Baty didn’t have much left to prove against minor league pitching, his .262/.358/.528 slash line over 254 Triple-A plate appearances indicated that he was in a groove at the plate, and could’ve potentially carried this good form into a September call-up with the Mets. It would’ve been interesting to see how Baty’s development would’ve been weighed against the Mets’ efforts to land a wild card spot, yet it now may be a moot point given the finger injury.
Mets Place Paul Blackburn On 15-Day Injured List
The Mets announced that right-hander Paul Blackburn has been placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to August 24) due to a right hand bruise. Righty Huascar Brazoban was called up from Triple-A to take Blackburn’s spot on the active roster.
Acquired in a deadline trade from the Athletics, Blackburn has an inconsistent 5.18 ERA over five starts with New York, as he has mixed three quality outings amidst a pair of rough performances. His former Oakland team tagged him with six earned runs over four innings on August 13, and Blackburn was charged with five ER over 2 1/3 innings against the Padres on Friday. The tough night was made worse when Blackburn was hit in the hand by a David Peralta line drive, which forced him out of the game.
On the plus side, a CT scan revealed only a bruise, and Blackburn was initially hopeful he could avoid the injured list altogether. However, a throwing session today resulted in “a lot of stiffness and soreness,” as Blackburn told Newsday’s Tim Healey and other reporters. The decision was then made to put Blackburn on the IL to give him time to fully recover, and the right-hander feels he can return after just the minimum 15 days.
The Mets have an off-day tomorrow but then play nine games in as many days before their next break on September 5. At least one start will need to covered to account for Blackburn’s turn in the rotation, and Tylor Megill is probably the most logical candidate to be summoned from Triple-A for a spot outing or two. The Monday off-day gives the Mets some time to plan how they’ll approach Blackburn’s absence, and perhaps see if any further discomfort or swelling provides any change to his timeline.
Mets Release Eddie Rosario
The Mets have released outfielder Eddie Rosario, The Athletic’s Will Sammon reports (via X). Rosario signed a minor league deal just 10 days ago, but he’ll now leave the organization after seven games with Triple-A Syracuse.
Rosario didn’t have much success in his brief time in Syracuse, as he posted just a .444 OPS with eight strikeouts over 30 plate appearances. It continues what has been an altogether rough 2024 season for the former NLCS MVP, as Rosario has hit .175/.215/.316 over 319 combined PA at the big league level with the Nationals and Braves.
Washington signed Rosario to a minor league deal last winter, and the Nationals are still on the hook for most of the remainder of Rosario’s $2MM salary. (The Braves only covered the prorated portion of the Major League minimum salary for Rosario’s 24 games on their roster.) Signing Rosario to a minors deal was therefore a no-risk move for the Mets as a way to seeing if a change of scenery could spark the veteran, but New York will now also move on from Rosario’s services.
While his results this season don’t exactly inspire confidence, it is worth remembering that Rosario was still a league-average hitter in the majors just last season, when he hit .255/.305/.450 with 21 home runs over 516 with Atlanta. It speaks to the overall hot-and-cold nature of Rosario’s big league career that he has an exact 100 OPS+ over his 10 MLB seasons, plus a 97 wRC+ that checks in slightly below the average mark.
This track record means that it wouldn’t be surprising to see another club take a flier on Rosario for a minor league deal. Signing with a new team prior to September 1 would make Rosario eligible for postseason play, as his past success in the playoffs makes this detail noteworthy even if Rosario hasn’t looked worthy of a 26-man roster spot, let alone a spot on a postseason roster. Given his struggles, Rosario might just be looking to catch on with any team (contender or non-contender) that can offer him a path back to the majors, and a chance to salvage something from a rough season.
MLBTR Podcast: Who Could Get Waived, Potential Rule Changes, Austin Riley, And Hector Neris
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- Could the Rangers put a bunch of players on waivers? (1:25)
- MLB is considering rules to keep starting pitchers in games longer (10:30)
- The Braves lose Austin Riley to the injured list (24:05)
- The Cubs release Héctor Neris (29:50)
Plus, we answer your questions, including…
- Will any players be placed on waivers before September 1 who could help? (35:15)
- How much longer do the Tigers stick with Javier Báez and what holes will they be looking to fill in the offseason? (41:00)
- If Pete Alonso walks in free agency, what will the Mets do at first base next year? (49:40)
Check out our past episodes!
- The White Sox Fire Their Manager, Víctor Robles Extended, And The Marlins’ Front Office – listen here
- Fallout From The Trade Deadline And Mike Trout Injured Again – listen here
- Trade Deadline Recap – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Astros Claim Ben Gamel
The Astros have claimed outfielder Ben Gamel off waivers from the Mets, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic on X. Gamel had recently been designated for assignment by the Mets. To open a 40-man roster spot for Gamel, the Astros have recalled right-hander J.P. France and placed him on the major league 60-day injured list. They will need to open an active roster spot for Gamel once he reports to the team.
Gamel, 32, signed a minor league deal with the Mets in the offseason. He had a strong run for Triple-A Syracuse, getting into 45 games and slashing .314/.423/.538 for a wRC+ of 150. At least some of that production was related to a .400 batting average on balls in play that he wasn’t going to maintain, but he did hit seven home runs and was drawing walks at a strong clip of 16.3%.
The Mets called him up near the end of June with fellow outfielder Starling Marte going on the injured list. Gamel didn’t get much playing time but carried himself well whenever the Mets put him in there. In almost two months on the roster, he got into just 18 games and received just 30 plate appearances. But he walked in seven of those, a huge 23.3% rate, and slashed .217/.400/.261 for a wRC+ of 110. When Marte returned from the IL on the weekend, Gamel was nudged off the roster and onto the waiver wire.
Gamel now has nine major league seasons on his track record, a lengthy run of serviceable major league performance. Since his 2016 debut, he has played for the Yankees, Mariners, Brewers, Guardians, Pirates, Padres and now the Mets. In 703 big league games, he has a line of .252/.333/.382 and a 96 wRC+ while playing all three outfield positions and a bit of first base.
The Houston lineup has taken a few hits in the recent weeks and months. Kyle Tucker hasn’t played since the first week of June due to a shin contusion. Alex Bregman hasn’t played in almost a week due to an elbow injury. José Abreu was released earlier this year after a dismal performance. They also traded away some depth in the Yusei Kikuchi trade by sending Joey Loperfido and Will Wagner to the Blue Jays.
That has led to playing time going to guys with fairly uninspiring results. Jake Meyers has strong defensive grades in center but is hitting .228/.293/.387 for a wRC+ of 93. Mauricio Dubón has been bouncing around the diamond but is slashing .252/.284/.362 for a wRC+ of 82. Jon Singleton has taken over Abreu’s job at first base and has been passable but his .234/.316/.362 line leads to a subpar 96 wRC+. In the group of Trey Cabbage, Chas McCormick, Zach Dezenzo, Aledmys Díaz and Pedro León, no one has a wRC+ higher than 65. León was recently optioned and Díaz released. Shay Whitcomb has done well covering third for Bregman but in a small sample of just three games.
Dubón and McCormick have been getting regular playing time in the corners lately but Gamel could perhaps factor in there, as well as in the first base mix with Singleton and Dezenzo. Both Cabbage and Dezenzo have options and were just recalled in the past week, so perhaps one of those two will be optioned whenever Gamel can link up with the club.
As for France, he underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in June, so it’s unsurprising to see him now landing on the 60-day IL. He had been optioned at the end of April and was on the minor league IL. By getting recalled now, he’ll get major league service time and pay for the remainder of the season. He had already crossed the one-year service mark earlier in the season, but will add a few weeks to his tally here at the end of 2024.
NL Injury Notes: Kim, Marte, Nimmo
In what might be remembered as a pivotal day in the National League postseason race, all three wild-card teams and the top club below the playoff line lost a key member of their lineup to injury. We’ve already covered Austin Riley‘s hand/wrist injury earlier tonight on MLBTR, but let’s look at some other concerning injuries for the Padres, Diamondbacks, and Mets…
- Ha-Seong Kim will undergo an MRI after suffering what the Padres described as a jammed shoulder in today’s game. Kim hurt himself on a dive back to first base on a pickoff attempt in the third inning, and immediately left the game in obvious discomfort. Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that Kim was briefly wearing a sling, but didn’t have the sling on when speaking with the media post-game. “It doesn’t feel too good at the moment…But I’m just trying to stay optimistic and try to come back as soon as possible,” Kim said via his interpreter. Taking over as the Padres’ full-time shortstop this season, Kim has delivered strong defense and roughly league-average (102 wRC+) offense, hitting .233/.330/.370 over 470 plate appearances with 11 homers and 22 stolen bases in 27 attempts. As Sanders notes, former shortstop Xander Bogaerts, utilityman Tyler Wade, or possibly Jake Cronenworth could be candidates to take over at shortstop if Kim is facing a trip to the injured list. In the more long-term view, Kim is also slated to hit free agency this winter.
- Ketel Marte has been battling a sore ankle for over a week, and had to leave today’s game after aggravating the injury during a pinch-hit appearance in the ninth inning. The Diamondbacks sat Marte for three games earlier this week and he wasn’t in today’s starting lineup in order to further help keep him fresh, but Marte hurt himself on a check swing during the second pitch of his at-bat off the bench. Manager Torey Lovullo told MLB.com’s Brian Murphy and other media after the game that Marte “just needs a little bit of rest” and that “I think we’re in a good spot” with the injury, though the skipper isn’t sure when Marte will be back in the lineup. An NL MVP candidate this season, Marte has been the driver of Arizona’s offense with 30 homers and a .298/.370/.560 slash line over an even 500 PA. Losing him for any amount of time isn’t ideal in a tight playoff race, but since the D’Backs have off-days upcoming on August 22 and 26, a 10-day IL stint now would allow for Marte to heal up while minimizing the amount of games he’d actually miss.
- After making a diving catch and landing on his right shoulder in the seventh inning of today’s 3-2 Mets loss to the Marlins, Brandon Nimmo felt soreness in the shoulder during his at-bat in the bottom half of the frame, as he told the New York Post’s Mike Puma and other reporters. Nimmo was replaced in left field for the eighth inning, and he’ll undergo an MRI tomorrow to determine the extent of his injury. The outfielder missed time due to a right shoulder sprain right at the end of the 2023 season and was known for being plagued by injuries earlier in his career, but Nimmo has been quite durable over the last three years, playing in 419 of a possible 448 games since Opening Day 2022. Despite some very streaky production at the plate this season, Nimmo still has a 119 wRC+ from a .229/.343/.414 slash line, 11 stolen bases, and 18 homers, including a long ball in today’s game before his injury. With Starling Marte just back from the IL today, New York’s outfield was seemingly back at full strength, but now Jesse Winker, Tyrone Taylor, and Jeff McNeil could all be cycled into left field if Nimmo has to visit the injured list himself.
Mets Activate Starling Marte, Designate Ben Gamel For Assignment
The Mets have activated veteran outfielder Starling Marte from the 10-day injured list, according to a team announcement. To make room for Marte on the active roster, the club has designated outfielder Ben Gamel for assignment. The club’s 40-man roster now stands at 39.
Marte, 35, is a two-time All-Star and veteran of 13 MLB seasons who first joined the Mets back in 2022. The outfielder’s time in New York got off to a strong start in his first season with the club when he slashed an excellent .292/.347/.468 (134 wRC+) in 505 trips to the plate. That earned him his second career All-Star appearance and even some down-ballot MVP votes, but the good times did not continue until his sophomore season with the Mets as he was plagued by injury woes and struggled to perform even in the 86 games where he was healthy enough to take the field with a lackluster 76 wRC+ thanks in large part to career-worst power numbers.
It was hard to know what to expect from Marte entering the 2024 season after battling groin, migraine, and neck issues the previous year. In terms of results on the field, Marte’s performance has been a clear success as he’s slashed a solid .278/.328/.416 (113 wRC+) while chipping in 12 stolen bases in 66 games. The downside, of course, is that Marte has been limited to just 66 games due to a bone bruise in his knee that sidelined him for nearly two months. Now that he’s once again active, Marte figures to work into a crowded outfield mix that currently features Brandon Nimmo and Jesse Winker in the outfield corners with Harrison Bader in center while Jeff McNeil also vies for occasional starts.
It’s not yet clear just how frequently Marte will start going forward given the strong performances of Bader and Winker this year, although it’s worth noting that Winker has slumped somewhat in 14 games since being dealt to New York by the Nationals. It’s possible that the Mets will use Marte as their usual starter in right field while allowing Winker to mix in to keep the oft-injured veteran fresh, perhaps also kicking Nimmo to center on occasion to get Winker into the lineup more often. At the very least, Marte appears to be a strong bet to make regular starts against lefty pitchers given the fact that Winker and Bader both sport lackluster numbers against southpaws.
Exiting the roster to make room for Marte is Gamel, a 32-year-old outfielder who has now played in parts of nine big league seasons. Initially a tenth-round pick by the Yankees back in 2010, Gamel made his big league debut with the club in 2016 but lasted just six games before being dealt to Seattle. He posted a roughly league average .264/.334/.392 slash line in four seasons as a regular with the Mariners and Brewers from 2017 to 2020 and has subsequently offered similarly average production at the plate while bouncing between Cleveland, Pittsburgh, San Diego, and Queens.
He’s stepped up to the plate just 30 times with the Mets at the big league level this year, posting a .217/.400/.261 in that minimal playing time but paired it with an excellent .314/.423/.539 line at the Triple-A level. With the trade deadline in the rear view mirror, Gamel figures to be placed on waivers in the coming days, where any team will have the opportunity to claim the outfielder and bring him into the fold. If he clears waivers, he’ll have the opportunity to elect free agency and return to the open market in search of an opportunity elsewhere, though it’s also possible he could remain with the Mets as non-roster depth.
Mets Sign Eddie Rosario To Minor League Deal
The Mets signed outfielder Eddie Rosario to a minor league contract, the team’s Triple-A club with Syracuse announced this evening. Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated first reported the agreement on Tuesday (X link). The veteran outfielder elected free agency after being designated for assignment by the Braves over the weekend.
Rosario is now on his third NL East club of the season. He began the year on a minor league deal with the Nationals. Rosario broke camp with Washington, securing a $2MM base salary in the process, and went on to play 67 games. He hit just .183/.226/.329, sandwiching a solid performance in May with almost no production in April or June. The Nats cut Rosario loose when they promoted top prospect James Wood at the start of July.
Atlanta then circled back to their old left fielder. The Braves inked Rosario to a minor league pact and almost immediately called him up. It never seemed likely that Atlanta would get the kind of hot streak that helped propel them to a World Series title three years ago. They were presumably hoping for something close to last year’s league average .255/.305/.450 showing. Rosario’s return to Truist Park did not reinvigorate his bat. He hit .154/.181/.282 through 84 trips to the plate before being released.
This has been a career-worst showing for the 10-year MLB veteran. Rosario carries a .175/.215/.316 slash in 319 plate appearances between the two teams. No hitter with 300+ PAs has a lower on-base mark. Only Mitch Garver (.167) has a lower average, while Rosario is seventh from the bottom in slugging. That makes it difficult for a team to continue affording him big league opportunities, but there’s no downside for New York in taking a minor league flier. Rosario has been a very streaky hitter throughout his career, so the Mets can give him some time with Syracuse to see if he can find his form.
Regardless of whether he makes it to the big leagues in Queens, Rosario will be a free agent next offseason. It’s a depth pickup for the stretch run for a team that is just a game out of the playoff race. The Mets have Brandon Nimmo, Harrison Bader and Jesse Winker as their primary outfield. J.D. Martinez is locked in at designated hitter, while Tyrone Taylor is working as the fourth outfielder. Lefty-hitting Ben Gamel is on the roster as a fifth outfielder/bench bat, while DJ Stewart is on optional assignment to Syracuse. Barring injury, Rosario would presumably need to outplay both Gamel and Stewart to get an opportunity at Citi Field.
Rosario would be eligible for postseason play with New York. A player can participate in the playoffs so long as they’re in that organization by September 1. It is not necessary for the Mets to call Rosario up before that date to get him on the postseason roster; the league routinely allows teams to call players up as injury substitutes if they were playing on a non-roster contract by the start of September. Rosario would really need to catch fire to make that a consideration even if the Mets snag a Wild Card spot.