Cowtipper

The top three have all been very lamentable this season.

Let's focus on one at a time. Here's #1— I ran the poem and hints through ChatGPT and had it rewrite the hints into an intelligible summary of them: "I pitched for the Mets in 2011 and was nicknamed "Grande Rojo." My career began with the Braves in 2005 and concluded with the Royals in 2018. For the Mets, I recorded an 0-2 record with a 10.80 ERA over five games. I finished my major league career with a 17-27 record and a 4.55 ERA in 447 games. After my stint with the Mets, I played in Japan before returning to the US, where I achieved a 3.31 ERA in 161 games between the Padres, Twins, and Brewers from 2014 to 2016. My first name is shared with a short-lived Mets pitcher from the late '80s/early '90s who had a 2.30 ERA. My surname is shared with a former Mets starting third baseman who had brothers named Clete and Cloyd. I was traded by the Braves to the Cardinals for Brian Barton on April 20, 2009, and wore number 23 with the Mets. My name fits the pattern: B _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ B _ _ _ _ _ B _ _ _ _ Bl _ _ _ _ Bo _ _ _ Bla _ _ _ Bo _ _ _ Bla _ _ _ Boy _ _." Who am I? (I have to give the AI credit, it actually guessed the relatively unknown pitcher correctly).

The word to describe the Mets today will be "lamentable." I repeat, "lamentable.'

I don't give a lot of points to SPs because I'm not going to give a guy who pitches just 5 innings lot of points.

I don't mind the WBC. It helps spread the wonderful game of baseball all over the world. We see teams that aren't baseball powerhouses in it ... last time, the Czech Republic was represented.

Has the potential to be a decent short timer a la Justin Hampson.

Reed Garrett. SRF. DJ Stewart. They said they were building for 2025 last year, as I recall, so might as well strengthen it even more. I think I'll buy the Mets next and make myself the GM. Garrett especially, though. He's not as good as he's been and he's coming down to earth. But he's fun to watch. His WHIP is an astonishingly human 1.192, and that will catch up to his ERA eventually. This is how bad Garrett's gotten. He was on pace to win 30 games this season and now he's on pace to win only 16.

Garrett was bound to come down to earth eventually. If the Mets are tanking in June and he still has an ERA below 3, the Mets should trade him while he has value.

Mets are now on pace to go 71-91.

SRF has the 2nd-best ERA+ on the Mets at 256.

Raley's getting TJ surgery for those interested.

Fool me once... And twice...

This entire team is flailing.

Alonso is hitting .221 with a .316 OBP since the beginning of 2023.

Same dud result. Pete Alonso is overrated and should be traded. Also the ripping off of his teammates shirts all the time a couple years ago was weird.

Alonso is gonna K.

But everyone is looking at this one right now.

Well, something to look at as another game slips away. Injury updates for those interested: Kyle Crick "Triple-A Syracuse placed Crick (calf) on its 60-day injured list [recently]. Crick was scheduled to attend big-league camp as a non-roster invitee, but he didn't make any Grapefruit League appearances after suffering a calf strain prior to the start of spring training. His placement on the 60-day IL suggests that the Mets aren't counting on Crick contributing for the Triple-A club until late May or early June." Jacob Reimer "Reimer is on the 60-day injured list with High-A Brooklyn due to a pulled hamstring, Sam Dykstra of MLB.com reports. Reimer logged high on-base percentages as a 19-year-old at Single-A and High-A last season, but he only hit seven home runs with three steals in 100 games. He is expected back in early June, per Dykstra." Calvin Ziegler "Ziegler is set to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in the near future, Michael Mayer of MetsmerizedOnline.com reports. High-A Brooklyn placed him on its full-season injured list Wednesday. Ziegler has had terrible luck on the injury front the since the Mets selected him in the second round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft. He's flashed plenty of promise when on the mound, including this season, when he had a 13:2 K:BB over six hitless innings with Brooklyn. However, the 21-year-old is now looking at a second straight lost season after elbow and quadricep injuries limited him to just one start in 2023." Jett Williams Williams (wrist) received a cortisone injection last week, and he won't begin swinging a bat again until it's fully taken effect, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports. The 20-year-old prospect was shut down April 21 due to right wrist soreness and hasn't played since. Williams was struggling in his first look at Double-A pitching, slashing .179/.360/.308, but a wrist issue could help explain the poor performance. Per Mets senior vice president of player development Andy Green, the team is hoping Williams will be back in the lineup for Double-A Binghamton by the end of the month. Drew Gilbert "Gilbert remains without a clear timeline for his return from a hamstring strain, but the Mets are hoping he'll be back in the lineup for Triple-A Syracuse by late May or early June, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports. Senior vice president of player development Andy Green indicated Monday that Gilbert was still strengthening his hamstring, and a return date could come into focus once he begins a running progression. The 23-year-old outfielder hit .240 (6-for-25) through seven games with a home run and a 2:10 BB:K before suffering the injury." Rotowire/ESPN

Whatever. Mets suck.

What a quality McKnock!

I bet the final score will be 3-2.

Frayed Knot wrote: Starter out. Enter Sandlin (but there's probably not a good entrance song by that name) Mr. Sandman?

Wow, they are no longer looking somnolent.

Hey, at least McNeil did something.

Vientos really is impressing so far. Well done.