Cowtipper

Juan Soto - Aims to play again in 2026. Soto (calf) did wind sprints on the field prior to Friday's game, and the superstar outfielder intends to play again this season, Bill Ladson of MLB.com reports. Soto still doesn't have a clear timeline for his return from the IL, but his ability to run Friday is an encouraging sign. The biggest hurdle for a quick return to the lineup might come from the fact that the Mets are well out of the playoff picture, giving them no incentive to rush Soto back into action. He last played July 24, and over 84 games this season he's produced a .283/.408/.539 slash line with 21 homers and seven steals, and that .408 OBP would lead the National League if Soto had enough plate appearances to qualify. Injury: Calf. Est. Return 9/1/2026. Mark Vientos - Begins baseball activities. Mets interim manager Andy Green said Friday that Vientos (hand) has begun baseball activities, Laura Albanese of Newsday reports. Vientos is finally ready to ease back into workouts after missing more than a month of action with a fractured right hand. There's no timetable yet for the infielder's return, and he is likely to require a rehab assignment before being reinstated to the active roster. Injury: Hand. Est. Return 9/4/2026.

Johneshwy Fargas - 31-year-old former Mets outfielder (2021) is hitting .266/.322/.388 with 6 home runs, 37 home runs and 28 steals in 81 games for the Charros de Jalisco in Mexico. Matt Festa - 33-year-old former Mets pitcher (2024) is 2-3 with a 4.03 ERA in 53 relief appearances for the Guardians. In 51 1/3 innings, he has 54 strikeouts. Chris Flexen - 32-year-old former Mets pitcher (2017-2019) was 0-2 with a 5.40 ERA in 2 starts for the Doosan Bears in Korea before being released in June. Wilmer Flores - 35-year-old former Mets infielder (2013-2018) is hitting .298/.372/.485 with 11 home runs and 37 RBI in 76 games for the Toros de Tijuana in Mexico. Wilmer Font - 36-year-old former Mets pitcher (2019) is 8-4 with a 4.91 ERA in 19 starts for the Saraperos de Saltillo in Mexico. In 88 innings, he has 103 strikeouts.

Well, here are the remaining answers: Alaska - David Williams Germany - Tobi Stoner Montana - Rob johnson Netherlands Antilles - Ralph Milliard Nevada - Chasen Bradford, Jake Hager, Chasen Shreve Nicaragua - Erasmo Ramirez Panama - Manny Acosta, Jonathan Arauz, Juan Berenguer, Bruce Chen, Ariel Jurado, Ruben Tejada South Dakota - John Strohmayer, Bob Rauch, Tom Hausman U.S. Virgin Islands - Akeel Morris Utah - Brandon Lyon West Virginia - Jon Adkins, Kane Davis

Well that little surge the Mets were having seems to have been quieted.

I think the Mets should call next year a rebuilding year. Mets fans have gotten too okay with the Mets being just good enough. Just good enough to make the playoffs, just good enough to appear competent. How about we strive to be great again? So instead of the usual half measures that get us to just good enough ("well, technically we're a playoff team") how about we let next year slide so 2028 can be a truly great year worth watching?

Reliever Matt Barnes has retired.

Ditch Myers and you have a pretty solid bullpen right there. Since 2027 is likely to be a rebuilding year, they should really use whatever open spots they have left to try prospects in the system instead of signing new guys. However, it might also be worth checking in on Rico Garcia. The Mets seem to have unlocked something in him last year and he's still going pretty strong this year with the Orioles.

In a very quiet transaction, the Mets have signed reliever Chris Devenski to a minor league deal. He was one of the pitchers who was on the Queens-Syracuse shuttle last year, and he did particularly well, posting a 2.16 ERA in 13 relief appearances. He was signed away by the Pirates for 2026, but spent much of the year hurt; in just 3 games with the Pirates, he had a 7.71 ERA -- though in the minors, his mark was 1.08 in 12 games. We might see him in the majors fairly quickly, as his Triple-A mark was 1.00 in 6 games. Welcome back, Chris!

Tim Anderson has retired.

More expanded hints: Original #1: A slick-fielding infielder from Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles, this player was the second major leaguer from the island and later represented the Netherlands in both the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics. He appeared in just 10 games for the Mets in 1998 after previously winning a World Series with the Marlins. Expanded: Born in Curaçao, this infielder moved to the Netherlands as a child and eventually reached the major leagues with the Florida Marlins in 1996. He later spent a brief stint with the New York Mets and was part of the Marlins team that won the World Series. He also represented the Netherlands at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, earning tournament honors for his defense at second base. After retiring as a player, he became a coach in the Netherlands, including serving as a head coach in the Hoofdklasse. He originally signed with the Florida Marlins as an amateur free agent in July 1992. In February 1998, he was traded to the New York Mets alongside Al Leiter in the blockbuster deal that sent A.J. Burnett and Jesús Sánchez to Florida. Exactly one year later, the Mets traded him to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for pitcher Mark Corey. Original #2: Drafted in the 35th round, this Nevada-born right-handed reliever spent six seasons working his way through the Mets' farm system before making his major league debut in 2017 by striking out two batters in a scoreless inning. He went 2–0 with a 3.74 ERA in 28 appearances for the Mets before being claimed off waivers by the Mariners, where he finished his big league career undefeated with a 7–0 record. Expanded: This Las Vegas native was drafted by the New York Mets in the 35th round of the 2011 MLB Draft and eventually reached the majors in 2017. He spent three seasons in the majors with the Mets and Seattle Mariners, going 7–0 overall and posting a 3.89 ERA in 87 appearances. After his playing career ended with the High Point Rockers in 2022, he later pursued a career in law enforcement in Nevada. This right-handed pitcher was drafted by the New York Mets in the 35th round of the 2011 amateur draft. After beginning his career in the Mets organization, he was selected off waivers by the Seattle Mariners in 2018 and later signed with both Seattle and the Atlanta Braves as a free agent. His similarity scores most closely compare him to pitchers such as Casey Fien, Barry Manuel, and Andrew Wantz. Original #3: A former first-round draft pick who waited a decade to reach the majors, this Nevada-born infielder made his big league debut with the Mets in 2021 against the team that originally drafted him. He collected just one hit in five games for New York before later appearing with the Diamondbacks, and eventually returned to the Mets organization as a Double-A coach. Expanded: A Nevada high school star, he was named the state’s Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year after hitting .547 with 11 home runs as a senior. A first-round pick of the Tampa Bay Rays in 2011, he spent a decade in the minors before making his MLB debut with the New York Mets in 2021. He appeared in just five games for the Mets before moving through the Brewers, Mariners, and Diamondbacks organizations, eventually finishing his MLB career with Arizona in 2022. After retiring as a player in 2024, he began a coaching career with the Mets organization in 2026. This infielder was selected 32nd overall in the first round of the 2011 amateur draft by the Tampa Bay Rays. Over the next decade, he bounced between several organizations, including the Brewers, Mets, Mariners, and Diamondbacks, with three different teams claiming him off waivers during the 2021 season. After a final stint with the Chicago Cubs system in 2024, he voluntarily retired from professional baseball. Original #4: This Nevada-born left-handed reliever spent parts of nine seasons in the majors with eight different teams, but some of his best work came in the Bronx before later returning to New York in Queens. Across two stints with the Mets, he appeared in 44 games, including a reliable 2020 season in which he posted a 3.96 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 25 innings. Expanded: Born in Las Vegas, this left-handed reliever began his professional career after being selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 11th round of the 2010 MLB draft. He was later involved in several notable roster moves, including a 2015 trade to the Yankees and a 2018 deadline deal to the Cardinals that sent Luke Voit to New York. Throughout his career, he has been the definition of a journeyman, signing with numerous clubs and enjoying multiple stints with both the Mets and the Yankees. This left-handed reliever was originally drafted by the Braves in the 11th round of the 2010 MLB Draft before later joining the Yankees and Cardinals in a notable 2018 trade. He became a true journeyman later in his career, pitching for numerous organizations including the Mets, Pirates, Tigers, Reds, Rangers, Rockies, and Braves. His career path was marked by frequent free-agent signings and releases, with his final stint coming back in Atlanta in 2025. Original #5: This hard-throwing Panamanian right-hander earned the nicknames "Señor Smoke" and "El Gasolino" for his blazing fastball, eventually winning two World Series with different franchises. He debuted with the Mets in 1978 but struggled with control during his three seasons in New York before blossoming into an effective reliever elsewhere, highlighted by a standout 1987 championship season with the Twins. Expanded: This Panamanian right-handed pitcher spent 15 seasons in the major leagues, debuting with the New York Mets in 1978 and playing for seven teams. Known for his intimidating appearance and mid-90s fastball, he earned nicknames including “Pancho Villa,” “Señor Smoke,” and “El Gasolino.” He won World Series rings with the 1984 Detroit Tigers and 1987 Minnesota Twins, enjoying his greatest success as a key member of the latter team’s bullpen. During the 1987 postseason, he even appeared in a memorable music video called “The Berenguer Boogie.” This well-traveled right-handed pitcher began his professional career with the Mets in the mid-1970s and eventually appeared for seven different MLB organizations. He earned NL Player of the Week honors in 1986 and had his best statistical season as a reliever in 1991, when he ranked among the NL leaders in saves, WPA, and RE24. His career included stops with teams such as the Royals, Tigers, Giants, Twins, and Braves, with his final MLB appearance coming in 1992.

I do think Soto is a big me-first ego. The Soto shuffle is one of the hokiest things I think I've seen. Yan's jumping is childlike and fun, the shuffle is just stupid. And I actually tend to agree with Johnny Lunchbucket. But it's not just Soto, though he's the biggest culprit. Mets technically still have a 0.1% chance of making the playoffs, per Baseball Reference.

This is tough, because who in the world thinks in terms of WPA? I'll say Robin Ventura's grand slam is up there. Oh wait, that didn't count as a home run. How about Benny Agbayani's home run in the 2000 NLDS.

Not much has changed with Vientos. He's swinging now but I think the ETA is mostly the same.

Cole Fowler, released earlier this year, signed with the independent Washington Wild Things. Trey Rutledge, released earlier this year, signed with the independent Hagerstown Boxcars.

Should the Mets tender them contracts? Should they cut ties and move on? What sort of role could they play? A lesser factor is Justin Hagenman, who I don't see playing this year, either. I'd say keep them as insurance. Next year is probably lost, too, so having them around wouldn't hurt too much.

Expanding another hint: Original hint: This Montana-born former big league catcher spent time with the Mariners, Padres, Mets, and Cardinals, but is perhaps best remembered for an unusual twist to his career: he pitched scoreless relief appearances as a position player for both the Mets and Cardinals. During his 2012 stint with New York, he hit .250 in limited action behind the plate while also becoming the first Mets position player since Todd Zeile to take the mound in a game. More: This Anaconda, Montana-born catcher spent parts of four seasons with the Mariners before brief stops with the Padres and Mets. In 2012 he became the first position player in nearly a decade to pitch for the Mets, retiring the side in order during a blowout. He later made another mound appearance with the Cardinals and even attempted a full conversion to pitching before an arm injury ended his career. Known for handling pitching staffs well, he finished with a career batting average of exactly .200. This catcher led the American League in passed balls in 2010, while also ranking fourth in caught-stealing percentage that season. He was originally drafted by the Florida Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies before signing with the Seattle Mariners after being selected in the fourth round in 2004. He later spent time with the San Diego Padres, New York Mets, and St. Louis Cardinals during a career that included several free-agent moves.

Ryan Clifford: Shelved at Triple-A. Triple-A Syracuse placed Clifford on the 7-day injured list Tuesday due to an unspecified injury. Clifford, a 23-year-old first-base prospect, had been slashing .185/.277/.365 with 16 home runs and eight stolen bases over 406 plate appearances at Syracuse this season. Injury: Undisclosed. Est. Return 8/13/2026. Justin Hagenman: Injury: Ribs. Est. Return 8/19/2026. Cionel Perez: Injury Forearm. Est. Return 9/1/2026. Juan Soto: Injury: Calf. Est. Return 9/1/2026. Austin Warren: Injury Forearm. Est. Return 8/11/2026. Devin Williams: Lands on IL with shoulder strain. The Mets placed Williams on the 15-day injured list Monday due to a right shoulder strain. Williams missed time recently with what was described as right arm fatigue, and now he's shelved with a strained shoulder. The Mets are optimistic that Williams will be in line for a relatively brief absence, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. The only player on the Mets' active roster other than Williams to record a save this season is Daniel Duarte, who picked up his second career save last week when Williams was unavailable. Duarte could be the next man up to close for the Mets, but Kodai Senga is also a candidate. Injury: Shoulder. Est. Return 8/25/2026. Binghamton Rumble Ponies transferred OF Eli Serrano III from the 7-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. St. Lucie Mets transferred RHP Cam Tilly from the 7-day injured list to the 60-day injured list.

Despite the season's woes, the Mets still have eight guys with double-digit home runs -- though just one with more than 15.

Just following the standard set by the thread's progenitor. Unless I am mistaken players being signed away has historically been noted in this thread. This thread has historically captured the wide array of Meta transactions, not just those involving the 40-man roster.

Don't know if it was ever mentioned in this thread, but Tommy Pham signed a minor league deal with the Phillies in late June. Robinson Martinez, released by the Mets in April, signed a deal with the Acereros de Monclova in the Mexican League on July 3.

The "new people" we got are just writers trying to get views for their writing, not really "community members."

Jose Ramirez, Xander Bogaerts, Trea Turner, Corey Seager, Christian Yelich are more.

How long is a while? It's been stagnant since we've moved over here. I didn't want there to be an onslaught of 1,000 new faces in a month, but a few new people here would've been nice so it's not the same 8 people talking at each other each day.

The goal was to bring new people on, too. That hasn't happened.

For a mascot. Something that's not even real.