Mets still playing for Hail Mary with trade deadline looming
The number of scouts at Citi Field has been steadily building during this homestand and was up to 11 on Tuesday night for the kind of game that profession loves at this time of year — two likely sellers in one place.
The underachieving/disappointing White Sox and Mets have told suitors of their intentions, though the Mets might just do groundwork until closer to the Aug. 1, 6 p.m. deadline.
They are leaving room for a Hail Mary chance to work back toward contention.
Perhaps they delay a decision to, say, July 29 on which way to proceed — buy, sell, both or neither; plus just how far to go with a sale if that is the direction.
The Mets helped the long-shot, Why-Can’t-This-Be-1973-Again Movement by defeating the White Sox 11-10.
This being 2023, though, even the win came with home angst and boos, notably directed at recent “we are still trying” acquisition Trevor Gott, who did as much as possible to make as much of a seven-run lead in the seventh inning vanish.
Francisco Alvarez, who — if nothing else — is providing a cornerstone for 2024 and thereafter regardless of the Mets’ deadline direction, clobbered a pair of two-run homers.
He has 19 homers plus a fan club among Mets’ veteran pitchers for the seriousness with which he takes his defensive work.
Mr. Met has a better chance to be traded in the next two weeks.
Francisco Alvarez celebrates his home run on Tuesday night against the White Sox. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
It remains possible, even if they do not make major inroads toward a wild-card spot in the next 10 days, that the Mets just hold onto everybody.
And hope there is a late “Ya Gotta Believe” surge.
Or, at the least, honor selling a lot of tickets for August/September and unless they can greatly impact their near future with trades, then why bother?
I do sense there is an overheated market.
There are plenty of contenders.
No organization has come close to spending what the Mets have on payroll this year.
But many pushed to team-record levels.
There is widespread emphasis on 2023.
And a motivated seller might find the return prices elevated.
The great intrigue for the Mets will be whether Steve Cohen is willing to eat substantial salary on Max Scherzer and/or Justin Verlander to return worthy prospects — of course, either or both would have to waive no-trade clauses as well.
But even if it is only the walk-year players who have been rare 2023 success stories — Tommy Pham, Brooks Raley and David Robertson — the Mets may do well enough to make it worthwhile to trade them.
They could, even in that scenario, try to re-sign Robertson again in the offseason to see if in 2024 he could actually team with Edwin Diaz.
I wonder what pairing Pham and Robertson in one deal might net.
Brooks Railey could be someone the Mets look to move at the trade deadline. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
The Yankees (if they are actually contenders) could use both.
So could the Rangers.
So could the Phillies.
So could others with playoff dreams.
At this point, it is hard to just see Pham as in a good period.
All season he has played hard, had good at-bats, hit the ball with authority consistently, handled outfield defense and run the bases well.
So many of the scouts in attendance Tuesday came notably for White Sox starter Lucas Giolito, the most enticing of Chicago’s several walk-year players likely to be moved in the next two weeks.
David Roberston and Francisco Alvarez celebrate the team’s win on Tuesday. AP
But Pham was part of an assault that made it a bad night for Giolito and the White Sox’s sales pitch.
The veteran righty allowed eight runs in 3 ²/₃ innings via six hits (including three homers) and five walks.
Pham doubled home the first run in the first on an 0-2 pitch.
To set up Giolito’s knockout in the fourth, Pham singled and stole his 11th base in 12 tries.
He walked in each of his last two plate appearances, including one in which he worked a nine-pitch tussle after falling behind 0-2.
He is hitting .277 with an .841 OPS.
Raley, Adam Ottavino and Robertson — all potential trade pieces — limited Chicago to one run in 2 ²/₃ innings.
Tommy Pham could be one of the players on the Mets’ traded. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Raley helped clean up Gott’s mess in particular so the Mets could avoid blowing a seven-run lead and losing for the first time since Aug. 26, 2008, when they built a 7-0 advantage in Philadelphia with Pedro Martinez on the mound only to lose 8-7 in 13 innings.
The Mets blew a division lead to Philadelphia for the second straight season that year.
They are not in position for that kind of collapse.
What they are probably best positioned to do is try to make the future better by deepening their farm system — especially the pitching.
The number of scouting eyeballs on them in anticipation of just that is growing.
The scout attendance should be pretty abundant for Verlander on Wednesday.
Mets manager Buck Showalter could see some players traded as the deadline approaches. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
The Mets have not surrendered on a Hail Mary.
But these scouts are not here to see if the Mets have a miracle in them.
They are here to see if there are pieces that can help actual contenders.
Source: New York Post
