Cowtipper

Francisco Alvarez: Alvarez (hand) was removed from Sunday's contest against the Mariners in the eighth inning, Andrew Tredinnick of The Bergen Record reports. Alvarez jammed his right hand into second base on a headfirst slide in the bottom of the seventh inning, which ultimately required him to leave the game in the following frame. The catcher finished his day 3-for-4 from the plate with two doubles, an RBI and two runs scored. More information on his status will likely be provided in the near future. Injury Hand. Day-to-day. Carson Benge: Benge was placed on the 7-day injured list at Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday with an undisclosed injury. Benge had played only four games with Syracuse upon his promotion from Double-A Binghamton before going down with the injury. It's not clear what exactly he's dealing with or how long he'll be out, but the injury doesn't help Benge's already-long odds of making his major-league debut in 2025. The 22-year-old has slashed .306/.413/.504 with 12 homers and 20 steals across three minor-league levels this season. Injury Undisclosed. Est. Return 8/23/2025. Gilberto Celestino: Injury undisclosed. Est. Return 8/20/2025. Jose Marte: Injury Shoulder. Est. Return 8/21/2025. Tylor Megill: Megill (elbow) struck out nine batters over 3.1 scoreless innings for Double-A Binghamton on Sunday. He allowed just one hit without walking a batter. The right-hander was simply too much for Eastern League hitters, firing 39 of 55 pitches for strikes in his second rehab appearance. Megill hasn't pitched for the Mets since June 14 due to an elbow sprain, so he'll need at least one more start in the minors before potentially being an option for the big-league rotation, and it wouldn't be a surprise if he gets two more while the team takes a look at top prospect Nolan McLean. Over five innings for Binghamton on his rehab stint, Megill hasn't given up a run with a 13:1 K:BB. Injury Elbow. Est. Return 8/27/2025. Christian Scott: Scott threw a bullpen session last week and is "doing well" in his recovery from right elbow surgery, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports. It was Scott's first bullpen session since he underwent a hybrid Tommy John and internal brace procedure on his pitching elbow last September. He's not expected to pitch this season and remains on the 60-day injured list. Injury Elbow. Est. Return 2/1/2026. Austin Warren: Syracuse Mets activated RHP Austin Warren from the 7-day injured list.

Who was Bill Hepler? William Lewis “Bill” Hepler was an American left-handed pitcher who played professionally from 1965 to 1970, including one Major League season with the New York Mets in 1966. Born in Covington, Virginia, Hepler began his career with the Washington Senators after an outstanding amateur record. Drafted by the Mets in the 1965 Rule 5 draft, he appeared in 37 MLB games, finishing with a 3–3 record and a 3.52 ERA. Hepler spent most of his career in the minor leagues, achieving notable success with teams like the Geneva Senators, Williamsport Mets, Durham Bulls, and Memphis Blues. Highlights included leading his league in strikeouts, pitching multiple complete games, and helping Durham capture the 1967 Carolina League championship. Persistent arm injuries eventually curtailed his career, and he retired after a brief stint with the Kansas City Royals organization in 1970. Hepler passed away on August 12, 2025, at the age of 79, remembered as a talented pitcher whose potential was curtailed by injury but who left a mark in both the major and minor leagues. Other notable deaths: Jorge Luis Valdes died. https://en.cibercuba.com/noticias/2025-01-30-u1-e43231-s27066-nid296395-asi-fue-ultimo-adios-jorge-luis-valdes-leyenda Who was Jorge Luis Valdes? Jorge Luis “Tati” Valdés Berriel was a legendary left-handed pitcher in Cuban baseball, widely regarded as the best southpaw in the history of the Cuban National Series. Born in Jovellanos, Matanzas, Cuba, he rose to prominence in the 1980s and 1990s, setting the all-time Cuban win record with 234 victories and winning 26 consecutive games in major international competitions. Valdés excelled both domestically and internationally, leading Cuban leagues in wins, ERA, complete games, and innings pitched multiple times. He achieved notable feats such as pitching the first no-hitter in Pan American Games history, contributing to Cuba’s gold medal at the 1992 Olympics, and performing consistently in the Central American and Caribbean Games, Baseball World Cup, Intercontinental Cup, and Pan American Games. After retiring from Cuban baseball, Valdés pitched and coached in Brazil, helping develop their national program. His records and achievements left a lasting mark on Cuban baseball history until his death on January 28, 2025, at the age of 63. Yoshio Yoshida died. https://news.yahoo.co.jp/pickup/6528135 Who was Yoshio Yoshida? Yoshio Yoshida was a legendary shortstop and manager in Japanese professional baseball, spending his entire playing career with the Osaka/Hanshin Tigers from 1953 to 1969. Born in Kyoto, Japan, he stood out for his defensive prowess and consistent hitting, earning the NPB Best Nine Award nine times—still a record for shortstops. He compiled a career batting average of .267 with 1,864 hits, 66 home runs, and 350 steals over 17 seasons. After retiring as a player, Yoshida managed the Tigers in multiple stints, most notably leading them to their first and only Japan Series title in 1985, earning the Matsutaro Shoriki Award. He also spent six years in France managing the national team, earning the nickname “Monsieur Yoshida” for his contributions to European baseball. His number 23 was retired by the Tigers, and he was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992. Yoshida passed away on February 3, 2025, in Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan, at the age of 91, leaving a lasting legacy as one of NPB’s greatest shortstops and a transformative manager.

Anthony Kay, who played for the Mets in 2023, is with the Yokohama Bay Stars, is 6-6 with a 2.00 ERA in 117 IP over 18 games. Franklyn Kilome, who played for the Mets in 2020, is supposedly with the Centauros de La Guaira in the Venezuelan Major League, though his stats are not readily available. He signed with the Conspiradores de Querétaro in Mexico prior to the 2025 season, but was released before it began.

Impossible, I'm always right. I'm infallible and without flaw. I'm 70% infallible and 40% without flaw. I never make a mistake.

September 3, 2025. Wait did I miss it?

More like Bleakbum, because every time this bum pitched was bleak. Another failed David Stearns transaction. We shipped off high-quality former third round pick Kade Morris for this guy! Blackburn --> failure Montas --> failure Poche --> failure Pop --> failure Urena --> failure Carrillo --> failure Zuber --> failure Helsley --> failure Lovelady --> failure Garza --> failure Stanek --> failure David Stearns --> failure

Unfortunately, the Mets have released Keiver Garcia, whom I had pinned all our hopes on.

Mendoza's not the one making all the stupid roster moves. Stearns has got to go. He seems to think this is fantasy baseball; it's not.

69, lol

The real beauty of starting with a short-stint guy is that it’s not about gimmicks, it’s about reshaping the flow of the game from the first pitch. You’re taking control of matchups immediately, forcing the opposing manager into decisions before he’s even settled into his seat. The traditional starter role is already eroding thanks to strict pitch counts, third-time-through-the-order concerns, and a general fear of letting pitchers work deep, so this simply formalizes a trend that’s already happening. By planning your bulk pitcher for the third inning, you’re handing him a cleaner slate, fewer mismatches, and often the advantage of beginning against the bottom of the order. The opener can also bait the opponent into stacking for one hand, only to be flipped in the early innings with the opposite hand — it’s small, but it matters. From there, the bulk guy’s win probability jumps, because he’s more likely to leave with a lead, and less likely to be around when a blown save ruins his line. And yes, while wins aren’t the analytical darling they once were, they still matter for certain contracts, certain agents, and a lot of fan perception. If your opener melts down, you have the flexibility to just turn it into a bullpen game, using fringe arms to eat innings and preserving your main starter for tomorrow. Critics call it “unwieldy,” but every bullpen plan is unwieldy — this one just shifts where the uncertainty lives. The Rays already showed it works in short bursts; the real challenge is not bailing on it after the first ugly series. In fact, part of the resistance is just cultural — managers tend to fear deviating from the script unless someone else proves it successful first. Baseball has always been about adaptation, and the death of the complete game makes new adaptations inevitable. In this system, your “starter” still throws the same innings, but with fresher leverage and better matchups. The opener isn’t meant to be a stat-chaser’s tool, but if the side effect is a few more 20+ win seasons, so be it. In truth, the model shifts the focus from labels to results — a starter is just a guy who throws the most innings that day. And when the real starter gets used this way, you also control fatigue better across the season. If anything, this is less radical than it sounds; it’s just sequencing the same resources differently. The traditionalists may scoff, but then again, they once scoffed at five-man rotations, pitch framing, and defensive shifts. And somewhere in the middle of all this, someone’s going to make it work and look like a genius.

Pete Alonso is a certified Mets legend.

I hope they win.

^^ now I don't know what to believe anymore. And the other $17 million is a player option for Montas. I can't imagine he won't take it. $17 million to be an awful player is a pretty good deal.

I know, he was moved to the bullpen, but I still hope it's Dom Hamel. He got *this* close before and I want to see him actually play a big league game.

28-year-old Hunter Parsons, in the Mets system since 2019, has been released.

I hope it's Dom Hamel.

$17 million well spent.

Magic number is down to 51. Offense is hitting an anemic .239 with a .318 OBP. They have to go 27-17 now to be a 90-win team. That's better than .600 ball. How the mighty have fallen. Their current W% is .534.

Jose Iglesias, who played for the Mets in 2024, is hitting .233/.305/.272 with no homers, 25 RBI and 4 steals in 85 games for the Padres. Travis Jankowski, who played for the Mets in 2022 and 2025, hit .214 in 14 at-bats for the White Sox and .258 in 31 ABs for the Rays before joining the Mets briefly in 2025. He was originally signed by the Cubs to start the year, but was let go in March. At Triple-A, he hit .231 in 65 at-bats between three systems (including the Mets). He's currently a free agent. Tyler Jay, who played for the Mets in 2024, is 2-1 with a 3.33 ERA in 28 relief appearances for the Brewers Triple-A team in Nashville. Ariel Jurado, who pitched for the Mets in 2020, is 10-8 with a 2.64 ERA in 22 starts for the Samsung Lions in Korea.

For another team, optimally.

Mauricio, Baty, Vientos and Alvarez should all be put in a package deal during the offseason. Clean the slate. Restart with Williams, Clifford, Gilbert et al.

Verlander's the last to win 25 I think. Was gonna say Gooden, but he had 24, so probably Seaver. Without checking I'm pretty sure I'm right. EDIT: I cheated, Verlander had 24. Probably gotta go way back to Bob Welch maybe?

:-)

Every once in a while a guy gets lucky and gets surprisingly close to 25 victories despite all the modern limitations in the game today. Spencer Strider won 20 games a few years ago, despite pitching just 186 innings.

Sam Haggerty, who played for the Mets in 2019, is hitting .263/.335/.385 with 2 homers, 13 RBI and 11 steals in 60 games for the Rangers. He hit .313/.383/.398 with 1 homers, 12 RBI and 7 steals in 22 games for their Triple-A club in Round Rock. Billy Hamilton, who played for the Mets in 2020, is hitting .243/.383/.270 with 7 steals in 10 games for the Charros de Jalisco in Mexico. Donnie Hart, who played for the Mets in 2019, is 0-0 with a 4.70 ERA in 12 relief appearances (7 2/3 IP) for the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos in Mexico. Geoff Hartlieb, who played for the Mets in 2021, has a 21.60 ERA in 4 relief appearances split between the Yankees and Tigers. At Triple-A, he had a 4-2 record and a 3.29 ERA in 28 games, striking out 46 in 41 innings. Grant Hartwig, who played for the Mets in 2023 and 2024, began 2025 in the Mets system, but was released in June. He signed with the Hanshin Tigers in Japan, posting a 0.00 ERA in 1 relief appearance for their minor league club and a 0.00 ERA in 3 appearances for the big club. Adeiny Hechavarria, who played for the Mets in 2019, is supposedly with the Olmecas de Tabasco but hasn't played for them this year. Guillermo Heredia, who played for the Mets in 2020, is hitting .314/.380/.445 with 7 home runs and 29 RBI in 62 games for SSG Landers in Korea. Rich Hill, who played for the Mets in 2021, went 0-2 with a 5.00 ERA in 2 starts at age 45 for the Royals. He was 4-4 with a 5.22 ERA in 11 starts in their minor league system. He has since been released. Colin Holderman, who played for the Mets in 2022, is 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in 14 relief appearances for the Pirates. He is 1-2 with a 6.46 ERA in 16 games in their minor league system. Adrian Houser, who played for the Mets in 2024, is 6-4 with a 2.84 ERA in 13 starts between the Rays (his current team) and White Sox. He was 2-2 with a 5.03 ERA in 9 games (8 starts) for the Triple-A Round Rock Express, having started 2025 in the Rangers system. Chin-lung Hu, who played for the Mets in 2011, is still going at 41. He is hitting .308/.373/.418 with no home runs and 17 RBI in 40 games for the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions in Korea. Joe Hudson, who played for the Mets in 2024, is hitting .114/.215/.257 with 3 home runs and 10 RBI in 21 games for Triple-A Sugar Land in the Astros system. He's currently on the 7-day IL.