Steven Matz

Mets, Brewers Moving Closer To Carlos Gomez Trade

By Jeff Todd | July 29, 2015 at 10:54am CDT

7:54pm: The Mets and Brewers are now moving closer to an agreement, Martino reports (Twitter link).

7:47pm: Yahoo’s Jeff Passan reports (via Twitter) that if a trade is agreed upon, Juan Lagares is expected to be sent to the Brewers in the swap. Lagares’ name has been “prominent” in talks between the two sides, Passan adds.

7:20pm: ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick tweets that the Brewers have been asking the Mets for one of the team’s “top four” starters (referring to Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom and Steven Matz). He adds that it might be tough to finalize the deal without Milwaukee dropping its asking price.

Rosenthal tweets that one scenario which has been discussed would send Wheeler and Flores to Milwaukee.

6:52pm: The Mets are “pushing hard” for Gomez, tweets Yahoo’s Tim Brown.

6:43pm: Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that the Mets and Brewers have talked recently and not about Gerardo Parra (All Twitter links). The Mets do like Gomez, he says, but an insider tells him there’s nothing at the finish line yet. Sherman wonders if the Mets value the remaining one and a half years on Gomez’s deal to part with Zack Wheeler, whom Milwaukee likes quite a bit. Sherman also notes that the Brewers like Wilmer Flores, though he wouldn’t be the main piece in any deal.

Rosenthal tweets that the Mets are “working hard” to add a bat, but he was told earlier that the price to acquire him is steep.

6:36pm: The Mets and Brewers have indeed had recent talks regarding Gomez, according to FOX’s Ken Rosenthal and Jon Morosi (Twitter link), but no deal appears close at this time. The Mets are still looking at other hitters as well, per the FOX Sports duo.

6:31pm: The Mets have asked the Brewers about Carlos Gomez in recent talks with Milwaukee, reports Mike Puma of the New York Post (via Twitter). “The Mets want him,” says Puma.

6:10pm: The Mets are “very close to pulling off a big trade,” Marc Carig of Newsday reports on Twitter. There is momentum towards a deal for a “big bat,” Andy Martino of the New York Daily News tweets. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com first connected New York to the chase for a “big bat” earlier today. Adam Rubin of ESPN.com tweeted that the team was working on a fan-pleasing trade.

It seems as if a significant acquisition could be in the works, though it’s entirely unclear who that might be. As we covered in an earlier post, New York has shown interest in the past in Justin Upton of the Padres and Jay Bruce of the Reds, both of whom would certainly qualify as sluggers, though Rubin tweets that Cincinnati seems to be focused on moving pitching. The team is specifically said not to be pursuing the new-to-the-market Yoenis Cespedes, and prior reports indicated the same with regard to Carlos Gonzalez.

NL East Notes: Alvarez, Cishek, Haren, Mets, Venable, Nats

By Steve Adams | July 23, 2015 at 11:16pm CDT

Marlins right-hander Henderson Alvarez experienced a setback in his rehab from right shoulder inflammation, and his season is now in jeopardy, writes Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. Manager Dan Jennings told Spencer and others prior to Thursday’s contest: “He had a recurrence of the shoulder. We’re trying to determine if it’s going to be best for a non-surgical, or surgical procedure regarding the shoulder.” Alvarez’s injury troubles in 2015 have contributed to the team’s disappointing season. If he’s to undergo surgery and miss the remainder of the season, Alvarez will have made just four starts in 2015, with the end result being an ERA over 6.00.

Here’s the latest from the NL East…

The Dodgers, Cardinals, Twins and Blue Jays are still in the mix for former Marlins closer Steve Cishek, reports MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro. Cishek’s been throwing well since returning from a brief stint at Triple-A, allowing just one earned run with an 11-to-4 K/BB ratio in 11 2/3 innings. Frisaro also adds the Orioles to the list of teams with interest in right-hander Dan Haren, adding to recent reports that have linked the Blue Jays and Dodgers to Haren.
Mets general manager Sandy Alderson made a pair of definitive statements to reporters today, writes MLB.com’s Joe Trezza. First and foremost, Alderson said that none of the four young arms in his rotation — Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard or Steven Matz — is available in trades. Alderson also insisted that ownership has provided him with the resources to take on a major contract, though he added that the media and fans alike would both take that news with a heavy grain of salt: “Now, none of you will believe me, OK? So I’m not sure why you asked the question and insisted on the answer.”
The Mets have interest in Padres outfielder Will Venable, per Jon Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link), who echoes previous reports that Gerardo Parra is under Mets consideration as well. According to Morosi, the Cubs are intrigued by both Parra and Venable as well, however, so the Mets have some competition in regards to those two trade targets.
Morosi’s colleague, Ken Rosenthal, tweets that the Mets don’t feel they need to acquire a third baseman while David Wright is on the shelf, because the team is better defensively with Daniel Murphy at third base while Wright is out. Adding an outfielder — preferably one controllable beyond 2015 — is the Mets’ priority.
Speaking about the trade deadline in an appearance on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (Twitter links), Nationals GM Mike Rizzo said, “There’s no trade I could make that could be as the guys we’re getting back [from the DL]. We will certainly be looking, but I don’t know how active we’ll be.”

Steven Matz Dealing With Lat Injury

By charliewilmoth | July 9, 2015 at 6:51pm CDT

7:25pm: The Mets have announced that Matz has a partial tear of his lat muscle on his left side. He will be shut down for three weeks, then be reexamined. Marc Carig of Newsday has tweeted the text of the Mets’ announcement.

7:08pm: Matz’ injury is “not serious,” a source tells ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin (on Twitter). It does appear, however, that the Mets will skip Matz’s next turn in the rotation.

6:51pm: Mets starting pitcher Steven Matz has a lat injury and will miss several weeks or more, Andy Martino of New York Daily News tweets. The Mets were using a six-man rotation, an arrangement with which ace Matt Harvey had already expressed displeasure, so they will presumably just go back to five.

Matz entered the season as a highly regarded pitching prospect and only enhanced that status with 90 1/3 dominant innings for Triple-A Las Vegas — he posted a 2.19 ERA, 9.4 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in a notoriously difficult environment for pitchers. He made his big-league debut June 28 and allowed two runs in 7 2/3 while firing mid-90s fastballs and going 3-for-3 at the plate in a Mets win. He then pitched six shutout innings and struck out eight last Sunday.

Had Matz remained healthy, he might have met resistance at some point, and the Mets clearly have the depth to withstand a pitching injury. Losing a promising rookie for a significant period of time is, however, a blow to the Mets, who remain in the hunt for both the NL East and the Wild Card.

New York Notes: Matz, Mets, Yankees, Eovaldi

By Mark Polishuk | June 28, 2015 at 10:06pm CDT

Steven Matz could hardly have dreamed of a better Major League debut. The Mets rookie southpaw not only delivered on the mound — 7 2/3 IP, two earned runs on five hits and three walks, six strikeouts — but he also helped his own cause at the plate by going 3-for-3 with four RBIs in the Mets’ 7-2 win over the Reds. Matz is believed to be the first pitcher in baseball history (or at least as far back as 1914) to record four RBIs in his first game. Perhaps we should’ve seen it coming, as Matz had a .304 average (7-for-23) at the Triple-A level this season. Here’s some more from the Big Apple…

Matz represents the last of the Mets’ vaunted pitching prospects to hit the majors, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News notes, joining Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler, Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard as what the Mets hopes will be their rotation of the future. While it will still be a while before these five are all healthy and productive at the same time, Martino observes that the Mets’ plan to rebuild around young arms will now have to start showing results at the big league level.
Six rival scouts tell Joel Sherman of the New York Post that the Yankees have made strides in their minor league development, with one scout saying “Their system is a lot better. Dramatically better. They have come a long way in the last year.” The scouts chime in on seven notable prospects, ranging from well-known names like Luis Severino and Aaron Judge to somewhat lesser-known talents like Double-A outfielder Jake Cave.
Nathan Eovaldi has had somewhat of an up-and-down start to his Yankees career, though he has a high-profile supporter in Nolan Ryan. “I thought he pitched a really good game he probably has one of the better arms in baseball,’’ Ryan told George A. King III of the New York Post after Eovaldi’s start on Friday against Ryan’s Astros. “He knows how to pitch. The Yankees made themselves a good deal.’’ Eovaldi and Garrett Jones went to the Bronx from Miami in exchange for Martin Prado and David Phelps in a trade last December. Eovaldi has a 4.81 ERA over 82 1/3 innings this season, though an inflated .354 BABIP may explain why his ERA indicators (3.78 FIP, 3.84 xFIP, 4.00 SIERA) are more favorable.

Cafardo On Buchholz, Samardzija, Cueto, Hamels

By Zachary Links | June 28, 2015 at 11:30am CDT

In today’s column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe pit Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts against Tigers shorstop Jose Iglesias. Of course, Boston once had both, but Iglesias was shipped out in 2013 in a three-team deal that brought Jake Peavy to Fenway. Bogaerts offers more potential as a hitter, but Iglesias clearly has the superior glove. That difference in the field never made Bogaerts doubt himself, however.

“No, that’s just a guy who’s really gifted beyond anyone else,” Bogaerts said. “I just paid attention to trying to get better. I never compared myself to him because you can’t compare anyone to him. He’s a great defensive player and flashy.”

Mets To Promote Steven Matz

By Steve Adams | June 25, 2015 at 4:54pm CDT

The Mets will promote top prospect Steven Matz, who will be utilized as part of a six-man rotation, Adam Rubin of ESPN.com reports on Twitter. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links) first reported that the move was likely in the works.

The 24-year-old Matz entered the season ranked 33rd on the Top 100 lists of Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus. He placed 65th on Fangraphs’ Top 200 and 66th on MLB.com’s Top 100.

Thus far in 2015, he has worked to a stellar 2.19 ERA with 94 strikeouts against 31 walks in 90 1/3 innings. Those numbers are all the more impressive when considering that Matz’s home park in Las Vegas is among the most hitter-friendly environments in all of minor league baseball.

Matz is said to throw 91 to 95 mph with his fastball and feature a sometimes-plus changeup and an above-average curveball. He’s the latest to emerge from an exceptionally talented crop of young Mets pitchers. The organization undoubtedly hopes that Matz will team with Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Zack Wheeler and Noah Syndergaard to form an excellent rotation for the next few years.

Rumors of a Matz promotion began circulating earlier this month, with most indicators signaling that he’d be with the club by July. The team recently whittled its rotation from six members to five by designating Dillon Gee for assignment and eventually outrighting him to Las Vegas. For now, at least, it appears that Matz will work alongside Harvey, deGrom, Syndergaard, Jon Niese, and Bartolo Colon to form a six-man unit.

The preliminary reports led to some confusion, as Rubin tweeted that the Mets were being so tight-lipped that a trade seemed possible. The New York Post’s Joel Sherman, though, tweeted that no trade was brewing. And Mike Puma of the New York Post added ton Twitter that he was told the Mets have “absolutely nothing going on in trade talks at the moment.” Indeed, that seems to be the case.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NL East Notes: Bethancourt, Lavarnway, Wright, Mets, Brown

By Steve Adams | June 15, 2015 at 12:59pm CDT

Earlier this morning, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reported that the Braves would option struggling catcher Christian Bethancourt to Triple-A Gwinnett (Twitter link). While the corresponding move was not reported at the time, Atlanta has since announced that it will select the contract of Ryan Lavarnway to take Bethancourt’s place. Bethancourt, 23, has batted just .208/.231/.297 in 2014 plate appearances this season. While his elite arm behind the plate would be enough to outweigh a reasonable amount of offensive struggles, that batting line translates to the seventh-worst wRC+ in all of baseball among players with 100 PAs. Via David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, president of baseball ops John Hart likened the Bethancourt demotion to the 2014 demotions of Kolten Wong and Mike Moustakas. Each, like Bethancourt, was a former Top 100 prospect that had struggled in the Majors but has taken a step toward stardom since returning to the bigs. The Braves will hope that’s the outcome for Bethancourt, but in the meantime, they’ll hand his role to Lavarnway. The 27-year-old Lavarnway is a former Top 100 prospect himself, but he’s never replicated the promise he showed in a 2013 cup of coffee when he batted .299/.329/.429 in 84 PAs with Boston.

Here’s more from the NL East…

Via the Record’s Matt Ehalt, Mets GM Sandy Alderson said today that a realistic target date for David Wright’s return will be the All-Star break (Twitter link). The Mets captain has missed all but eight games this season, most of which has been due to a recent diagnosis of spinal stenosis. New York has been said to be looking to acquire a versatile bat that can play third base in the short-term and then move elsewhere once Wright is again healthy.
The Mets recently discussed a scenario in which Noah Syndergaard would switch to a relief role in an effort to aid what has been a fragile bullpen, report Mike Puma and Zach Braziller of the New York Post. In that scenario, Steven Matz would have been recalled to take Syndergaard’s spot in the rotation. However, the team has decided against that decision and will remain committed to using Syndergaard as a starter. The story does seem to lend further credence to recent reports that the Mets are itching to get Matz to the Majors. They’ve reportedly discussed Jon Niese and Dillon Gee with other teams, though neither has generated much interest.
While many Phillies fans have given up hope on Domonic Brown, David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News feels the organization is doing the right thing by giving him a perhaps final shot at proving he’s been anything more than he has shown to this point. Brown, 27, has scarcely hit in the Majors, save for a blistering two-month stretch in 2013, but he still has more growth potential than alternative Phillies options such as Jeff Francoeur and Ben Revere. Brown explained to Murphy his offensive struggles in the minors this season — specifically feeling a lack of strength in his legs early on after returning from an Achilles injury. Brown’s production improved as the strength returned, and he’ll now get some opportunities to force his way into the lineup with regularity, manager Ryne Sandberg implied. Still, Brown is out of options after this season, so Murphy rightly points out that this could effectively be Brown’s last legitimate chance in Philadelphia.

Latest On Steven Matz, Mets’ Rotation

By Steve Adams | June 9, 2015 at 7:43pm CDT

Dillon Gee and Jon Niese have long seen their names floated in trade rumors, but that trend could increase in the weeks to come, as ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin hears from a team source that the Mets may promote left-hander Steven Matz before month’s end. (Over the weekend, Mike Puma of the New York Post wrote that Matz could be up prior to the All-Star break, adding that GM Sandy Alderson said the lefty had little else to prove to the team in the minors.) Trade efforts surrounding Gee and Niese have taken a back seat to the draft at the moment, Rubin writes, but talks will again pick up once the draft is complete.

The Mets would like to add a bat to help the big league roster in any trade, writes Rubin, but they’d prefer to add someone versatile as opposed to a strict third baseman, because the team still believes that David Wright will return this season. The team is, however, interested in someone who can play third in addition to several other positions. Rubin notes that a versatile piece such as Ben Zobrist or Martin Prado would be ideal, though it’d almost certainly take more than Niese or Gee to acquire either of those pieces.

The team could improve its chances of landing an MLB-ready bat by packaging Niese or Gee with a younger piece with some additional team control. Yesterday, Puma reported that Rafael Montero could be considered a trade chip when he’s healthy, but the team has no intention of trading catcher Kevin Plawecki, even once Travis d’Arnaud is activated from the disabled list. A healthy Montero would appeal to a number of clubs, though as Puma noted, his injury troubles have lowered his trade value.

Neither Gee nor Niese would completely turn the tide for a struggling rotation, but either could provide some stability toward the back end of a currently top-heavy group of starters. Gee, who is earning $5.3MM this season, can be controlled through 2016 via arbitration. In 674 career innings, Gee has a 3.94 ERA with 6.5 K/9, 2.9 BB/9 and a 46.2 percent ground-ball rate.

Niese is more expensive but also has a better track record. The 28-year-old lefty is earning $7MM this season and is guaranteed $9MM in 2016, and his deal contains 2017 and 2018 club options valued at $10MM and $10.5MM, respectively. Each option has a $500K buyout. Niese has battled shoulder problems in his career, but he has a 3.90 ERA in 954 2/3 big league innings. Niese has averaged 7.2 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 with a 49.4 percent ground-ball rate in his career, and he’s outperformed his ERA in the eyes of metrics such as FIP and xFIP.

East Notes: Mets, Masterson, Red Sox

By Zachary Links | June 7, 2015 at 3:36pm CDT

Historically, the Yankees have failed to draft well, but they’re hoping things will be different this year now that they have their highest pick (No. 16) since 1993, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. Since 2009, MVPs Clayton Kershaw, Mike Trout, Andrew McCutchen, Buster Posey, Ryan Braun, Justin Verlander, Joey Votto, Josh Hamilton, and Joe Mauer were all drafted before it was the Yankees’ turn to pick. Meanwhile, Kershaw, Corey Kluber, Max Scherzer, R.A. Dickey, David Price, Justin Verlander, Roy Halladay, Tim Lincecum, and Zack Greinke are the drafted players to have won the Cy Young in the last six years and of that group, all were taken before the Yankees’ top pick except for Kluber, who was a fourth-round pick in 2007. Here’s more out of the AL and NL East..

The consensus among Mets officials is that pitcher Steven Matz will be on the big league roster at some point before the All-Star break, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post. GM Sandy Alderson conceded that it’s “very possible” Matz already would be in a Mets uniform if it weren’t for a logjam in the rotation and he admitted that there’s “probably not” anything the Mets still have to see from him in the minors. Meanwhile, the Mets continue to dangle Jon Niese and Dillon Gee, but interest has been limited, according to an club source.
Justin Masterson will make a third rehab start in the minors on Wednesday which will allow him to work his way back from shoulder tendinitis. The start for Triple-A Pawtucket will also buy the Red Sox time to make a decision on his future, as Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal writes. By rule, Boston can keep him on his rehab assignment for 30 days, which would lapse on June 29th. Masterson was signed to a one-year, $9.5MM deal in December to be a starter, but he might only have a relief role waiting for him on the other side of his rehab.
Scouts have been eyeing Red Sox left-hander Tommy Layne, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes. “With lefty relievers, get them while they’re effective. It can be fleeting. Look at [Craig] Breslow. He was a huge part of that 2013 bullpen and now he’s a mopup guy. Layne really comes right at you and battles you,” an AL scout told Cafardo. If Boston doesn’t start winning soon, Cafardo writes that the left-hander will be a sought-after commodity.

Heyman’s Latest: Astros/Hamels, Reds, Matz, Zobrist, Ackley, Soriano

By Steve Adams | June 5, 2015 at 12:40pm CDT

In this week’s edition of his Inside Baseball column, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports begins by examining the possibility of the Astros making a run at the Phillies’ Cole Hamels. Houston is seeking a top-of-the-rotation starter, and Hamels is on their radar, Heyman hears, even though he’s something of a long shot. The Astros are seeking a No. 1 or No. 2 starter, one person told Heyman, though Houston GM Jeff Luhnow indicated they’d be interested in any arm that could start Games 1-3 of a playoff series. The Phillies are said to be intrigued by outfield prospects Preston Tucker and Brett Phillips, among others, Heyman notes. Houston won’t part with top prospect Carlos Correa or impressive rookie right-hander Lance McCullers Jr., and they’d prefer to keep righty Vincent Velasquez as well. Heyman adds that it’s uncertain whether or not Hamels would approve a trade to Houston, with one source indicating that they didn’t find the scenario likely. If Hamels were to approve the trade, he’d likely ask that his 2019 option be exercised, and the Phillies would almost certainly have to pay down some of the $24MM he is owed annually, per Heyman.

Some more highlights…

The Reds are currently reluctant to sell any pieces according to rivals who have reached out to the team. That may simply be due to the fact that the team is set to host the All-Star game this year and doesn’t want to begin a potential fire sale before that game. However, other execs have indicated to Heyman that owner Bob Castellini prefers to see how his big-money investments in Joey Votto and others will play out rather than commencing a rebuilding effort.
Both Dillon Gee and Jon Niese remain widely available, as the Mets would prefer to add promising lefty Steven Matz to their six-man rotation. One scout that spoke to Heyman said Matz is better than any pitcher in the rotation aside from Matt Harvey, which is high praise, particularly considering Jacob deGrom’s brilliant start to the season and the flashes of brilliance displayed by Noah Syndergaard.
The Yankees are interested in the Athletics’ Ben Zobrist as an option at second base and also still like Dustin Ackley despite his struggles with the Mariners. New York has been surprised by Jose Pirela’s troubles to this point, and they still have questions about Rob Refsnyder’s glove at second base. Heyman adds that the Yankees don’t expect to be big players on Cole Hamels this winter, and they were worried about Mark Teixeira enough this offseason that they checked in on Ryan Howard, though clearly those concerns have dissipated in light of Teixeira’s excellent resurgence.
The Cardinals, Blue Jays and Cubs are the three teams that Heyman mentions as most realistic options for right-hander Rafael Soriano. He calls the Cards “a surprise entry” into the Soriano mix, adding that the Jays have not given up the idea of signing him but will need to see what his price tag is now that he’s switched representatives.
The Mariners will probably see a need to add a veteran catcher after trading Welington Castillo to the D-Backs in order to land Mark Trumbo. Heyman spoke to someone close to the Mariners who described the team as “desperate” to add offense prior to the Trumbo deal, as they’ve received struggles from many of their outfielders and, surprisingly, Robinson Cano.
Red Sox higher-ups have an immense amount of respect for manager John Farrell, so while votes of confidence from ownership and executives often mean little, Heyman feels that Boston’s recent vote of confidence in Farrell has more weight behind it. However, Boston won’t be swayed by the fact that Farrell’s contract runs through 2017 if they do decide a change is needed down the line.
Both Dodgers right-hander Jose De Leon and Yankees shortstop Jorge Mateo have hired Scott Boras to represent them. The pair of prospects is well-regarded within each organization.

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