Cowtipper

Mets bullpen ERA in July: 8.88 ERA.

Clay Holmes: Holmes (fibula) will begin a rehab assignment with High-A Brooklyn. Holmes has been ramping his throwing program up and has been cleared to try things out in a game. The veteran hurler posted a 2.39 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 45:18 K:BB through 52.2 innings before going down in mid-May with a fractured right fibula. Holmes is a trade candidate and should be able to return to make at least one start before the Aug. 3 deadline. Injury: Lower Leg. Est. Return 7/28/2026. Luis Robert: Hopeful to return Monday. Robert (back) is expected to return from the injured list ahead of Monday's series opener against the Brewers, Max Goodman of NJ.com reports. Robert has been playing in rehab games at Triple-A Syracuse since late June and has gone 8-for-26 with a homer, two RBI and five runs scored across seven contests. Despite the 28-year-old's strong performance in the minors, the Mets will give him a few more days to rehab before adding him back to the active roster. Robert likely won't step into an everyday role once he's healthy, though interim manager Andy Green said Saturday that Robert, Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing will all receive opportunities to play. Injury: Back. Est. Return 7/20/2026.

Intriguingly, the guy the Mets traded Ron Hunt (and Jim Hickman) away for, Derrell Griffith*, died just a few weeks ago, too. *though the big name in the deal was Tommy Davis

Derrell Griffith died. https://www.facebook.com/100008419926993/posts/rip-to-an-anadarko-legend-️/4140513969572560/ Who was Derrell Griffith? Derrell Griffith was an American outfielder and third baseman who appeared in parts of four Major League seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1963 to 1966. A highly regarded prospect out of Southwestern Oklahoma State University, he impressed in the minor leagues before earning an extended opportunity with the Dodgers in 1964. That season proved to be his best, as he batted .290 with 16 doubles, four home runs, and five three-hit games while splitting time between third base and the outfield. He finished his major league career with a .260 batting average, five home runs, and 33 RBIs in 124 games. Griffith's promising career was derailed by a shoulder injury suffered in 1966, an ailment he kept private for nearly 50 years before revealing it publicly in 2015. After being traded to the New York Mets following the 1966 season, he spent one final year in the minor leagues with the Mets, Houston Astros, and Atlanta Braves organizations before retiring from professional baseball. A native of Anadarko, Oklahoma, Griffith later returned to his hometown, where he owned and operated a liquor store. He died on June 25, 2026, at the age of 82. Who was Ron Hunt? Ron Hunt was a two-time National League All-Star second baseman who played 12 major league seasons from 1963 to 1974 with the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, Montreal Expos, and St. Louis Cardinals. A career .273 hitter, Hunt was the first Mets player to start an All-Star Game, earning the honor in 1964 after batting .303. He later became a standout with the Expos, winning the club's Player of the Year award in 1971 and finishing his career with 39 home runs and 370 RBIs. Hunt is best remembered as one of baseball's greatest hit-by-pitch specialists. He led the National League in hit-by-pitches for seven consecutive seasons (1968-1974), setting a modern-era record by being hit 50 times in 1971—a mark that remains the highest single-season total since 1900. Although later research restored Hughie Jennings' 1896 total of 51 as the all-time record, Hunt's feat remains one of the most extraordinary statistical accomplishments in baseball history relative to his era. After retiring, he operated businesses in Missouri and founded the Ron Hunt Eagles Baseball Association to develop young players. He died on July 15, 2026, at age 85 after battling Parkinson's disease and cancer.

Carson Wiggins has all the makings of the next Nathan Vineyard.

Clay Holmes sent on rehab to Brooklyn. They signed some fella named Rafi Vazquez from Southern Maryland in the Atlantic League. THIS is the kind of guy you take a flyer on: 7-0, 1.01 ERA, 0.757 WHIP. Luis Robert sent on rehab to Syracuse. Mets sign Keegan O'Hearn and Sam Carlisle as an undrafted free agents.

It didn't look like Sproat would be traded. The hype around McLean-Sproat--Tong was growing into almost Big 5 hype. But then he was just ... gone. So no one is safe with Stearns in charge. I could see them trading McLean. And all of them. Acuna was gonna be the future of the Mets, 'til he was traded. Gilbert the same. Etc etc. Anyway, Athletics traded RHP Aaron Civale to Chicago Cubs for RHP Aiden Moffett. Kansas City Royals traded RF Rudy Martin Jr. to Baltimore Orioles for cash.

In his own way, a Mets legend. I can't believe the Mets have been around long enough that they now have guys who are dying in their 80s and 90s. They're an expansion team, they're not supposed to be "old." But they're 64 years old now. The youngest 1962 Met is 88-year-old Craig Anderson. We're losing the living links to those early teams, however it will be many years before we lose ALL of them, as the FANS that saw them play and can still pass on the memories should be around a while. Assume a kid was 6 or 7 in 1962. He's 'only' 70-ish years old right now. But still, even those folks won't be around forever. This still gets me about Hunt. WOW:

I was bamboozled, I didn't know they changed the game time.

Marcus Semien is back! Zack Short DFA'd.

This is the sort of stuff apologists for guys like Stearns say. Not saying the guy who wrote this article is an apologist, but they'll say stuff like, "oh we can't get rid of David Stearns, he got us Juan Soto!" But eventually the scale tips back the other way and singular accomplishments don't mean as much. Brodie Van Wagenen got us Edwin Diaz, but I don't see people clamoring to bring him back. (Though, honestly, I'd rather have an Alderson + Van Wagenen + Eppler front office at this point).

Washington Nationals traded CF Robert Hassell III to Pittsburgh Pirates for cash.

The return for McCullers and Gordon is minor league OF Jadyn Fielder.

#1 draftee Carson Wiggins has been signed. Dedniel Nunez sent on rehab to FCL Mets. Dan Hammer outrighted to Syracuse. Marcus Semien sent on rehab to Binghamton.

Terribly weak showing by the NL. Three hits?!?! Soto got one of them, at least.

It's so obvious I didn't even think of it (I cheated).

I don't know if this thread was meant to be just about the Mets, but here are some trades by other teams that have happened so far: Houston Astros to trade RHP Lance McCullers Jr. and LHP Colton Gordon to Milwaukee Brewers for an as-yet unknown return. Detroit Tigers traded OF Jahmai Jones to Boston Red Sox for Player To Be Named Later. Milwaukee Brewers traded RHP Easton McGee to Kansas City Royals for cash. Houston Astros traded SS Braden Shewmake to Milwaukee Brewers. Chicago White Sox traded LHP Brandon Eisert and 1B Jacob Gonzalez to Pittsburgh Pirates for LHP Jaden Woods and Future Considerations. Toronto Blue Jays traded RHP Tommy Nance to Minnesota Twins for C Ryan Sprock and Future Considerations. Pittsburgh Pirates traded RHP Cam Sanders to Baltimore Orioles for cash. Detroit Tigers traded RHP Woo-Suk Go to Minnesota Twins for cash. Philadelphia Phillies traded RHP Ryan Degges to Cleveland Guardians for cash. Houston Astros traded LHP Tom Cosgrove to Washington Nationals for cash. Baltimore Orioles traded RHP Kyle Nicolas to Washington Nationals for SS Randal Diaz. Athletics traded 3B Brett Harris to Boston Red Sox for RHP Ben Hansen.

We saw Eddie Kunz very quickly after he was drafted (within about a year). The Mets being as desperate as they are this year, if Wiggins does well, I could see him being in the majors maybe this year.

Craig Paquette is correct!

You can add Justin Verlander to the list as a 'Legend Pick,' so selected by MLB. He has now been an All-Star 10 times.

Bert Blyleven

Hector Valle died. https://www.syracuse.com/sports/2026/07/former-los-angeles-dodgers-catcher-dies-at-85.html Who was Hector Valle? Héctor José Valle Vázquez (October 27, 1940 – July 11, 2026) was a Puerto Rican catcher whose major league career consisted of nine games with the 1965 Los Angeles Dodgers, the eventual World Series champions. He batted .308 (4-for-13) with two RBIs while appearing in six games behind the plate, handling all 21 defensive chances without an error. Signed by the Dodgers in 1960, Valle spent much of his career in the minor leagues, highlighted by a .325 season with the 1961 Reno Silver Sox, a club later recognized among Minor League Baseball's top 100 teams. Before turning professional, Valle helped Puerto Rico win the silver medal at the 1959 Pan American Games. He played in the U.S. minor leagues from 1960 to 1971 before continuing his career as both a player and manager in Mexico through 1981. Valle also spent approximately 22 seasons in the Puerto Rican Winter League with clubs including the Mayagüez Indians, Ponce Lions, and Caguas Creoles. Widely recognized as the first Puerto Rican-born catcher to reach the major leagues, he remained an important figure in Puerto Rican baseball long after his brief time in the majors.

I like the guy with the word crotch in his name.

Bo Bichette: Sitting for third straight game. Bichette (leg/ankle) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Red Sox. Just as interim manager Andy Green hinted would be the case, Bichette will hit the bench for the Mets' final game before the All-Star break while he contends with general leg and right ankle soreness. In Bichette's absence, Zack Short will draw a third straight start in the New York infield. Bichette walked in a pinch-hitting appearance during Saturday's 4-0 loss and should be available off the bench again Sunday, setting the stage for his likely to return to the starting nine immediately following the All-Star break. Injury: Leg. Day-to-day. Justin Hagenman: The Mets announced June 1 that Hagenman (rib) has yet to resume a throwing program, MLB.com reports. Six weeks have passed since the Mets have provided an update on Hagenman, so the 29-year-old righty could be stuck in a holding pattern in his recovery from the fractured rib he sustained in a March 5 Grapefruit League game. Once he finally completes a throwing progression, Hagenman will require an extended minor-league rehab assignment and will likely be optioned to Triple-A Syracuse once he's activated from the 60-day injured list. Injury: Ribs. Est. Return 8/7/2026. Luis Robert: Another two-hit game in rehab. Robert (back) went 2-for-6 with two runs and an RBI while playing eight innings in center field in a rehab game with Double-A Binghamton on Sunday. Though he hasn't played on consecutive days since kicking off his rehab assignment June 30, Robert appears to have settled into a nice rhythm at the plate while out on the farm. He's turned in three straight two-hit efforts and is slashing .304/.360/.435 in 25 total plate appearances over six games between Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse. According to MLB.com, Robert is expected to require a day or two of prep coming out of the All-Star break before rejoining the Mets, but he appears likely to be activated from the 60-day injured list at some point during the big club's series with the Phillies next weekend. Robert has played exclusively in center during his rehab assignment, but the Mets could end up deploying him as a designated hitter when he's reinstated to allow superstar Juan Soto and rookies Carson Benge and AJ Ewing to continue playing regularly in the outfield. Injury: Back. Est. Return 7/18/2026. Marcus Semien: Semien (hip) began a rehab assignment with Double-A Binghamton on Sunday, logging five innings at second base while going 2-for-3 with a three-run home run. After landing on the shelf June 25 due to a Grade 3 left hip flexor strain, Semien initially appeared unlikely to make it back from the injured list before the beginning of August, but he's made more rapid progress in his recovery than anticipated. Semien will put his rehab assignment on hold during the All-Star break, but he's expected to report back to Binghamton or Triple-A Syracuse over the weekend to continue stockpiling at-bats in games. If all goes well in his initial rehab games following the break, Semien could get the green light to rejoin the Mets at some point during the final two weeks of July. Injury: Hip. Est. Return 7/20/2026. Syracuse Mets sent RHP Kevin Herget on a rehab assignment to Brooklyn Cyclones. Syracuse Mets sent RF Mike Tauchman on a rehab assignment to St. Lucie Mets.