Tuesday, October 27

Welcome back to the Mets Beat newsletter! Anthony DiComo has covered the Mets for MLB.com since 2007, including the past 17 seasons full-time on the beat. 

CLEVELAND -- For weeks leading up to Monday’s Trade Deadline, interim manager Andy Green spoke about the silver lining of an otherwise difficult stretch of the season. Particularly in the bullpen, where the Mets expected to -- and ultimately did -- trade up to four pitchers, opportunities would emerge for younger players to write their own stories. 

The first of those became reality Tuesday night at Progressive Field, where Nate Lavender froze former No. 1 overall pick Travis Bazzana with a 92.7 mph fastball near the outside corner to strand two inherited runners in the 7th inning. Lavender is a longtime Mets prospect who came close to the Majors in 2023, ultimately didn't make it, underwent both a Tommy John surgery and a bone spur operation the following year, briefly moved to the Rays in the Rule 5 Draft, then grinded in the Mets' system for another year and a half before finally making his Major League debut. 

“The dugout was as alive for that punchout as it’s been in some time,” Green said. “I hope that’s a catalyst for us and brings some energy for us here.” 

That, for the Mets, set a standard for the final two months of this season. Green noted that every Mets player has something or other to prove in August and September, from veterans like Francisco Lindor, Bo Bichette and even Juan Soto, to those still trying to establish themselves in the Majors. 

Nowhere is that more apparent than in the bullpen. With Luke Weaver, Brooks Raley, Huascar Brazobán and A.J. Minter transferred to playoff races across the country, the bullpen has suddenly become a petri dish for players like Lavender, who hope to improve their standing over the next eight weeks. And for players like ... 

Jefry Yan 

The first thing to know regarding Yan is that his story is about much more than just his strikeout celebrations, which he debuted Wednesday night in a 6-5, extra-inning win over the Guardians. Yes, the celebrations are wild. Yes, at some point, they may irk some opponents (or at least some opposing fans, like the ones in Cleveland who booed Yan as he left the mound). 

But the celebrations are also an expression of joy. Yan has plenty of that, considering the 12-year road he took to reach this point. 

Yan has real talent, including a fastball that hit 101 mph in his debut. To stick here, he must prove he can throw strikes. He’s clearly less established than another member of this new-look bullpen …

Dedniel Núñez 

Remember Núñez? At his peak in 2024, the right-hander became a trusted member of the Mets’ bullpen with a 1.88 ERA over a 21-appearance stretch from May through August. That’s when forearm and elbow trouble began dogging Núñez, who underwent Tommy John surgery last July. 

Now, Núñez is healthy again, which he proved with his usual mix of upper-90s fastballs and hellish sliders on Wednesday. (Both of the runs Núñez allowed were unearned). He’ll be arbitration-eligible for the first time after this season, meaning his salary is about to rise. Which means he’s going to have to prove himself if he wants to be part of this bullpen in 2027. That puts him in an entirely different camp than … 

Kodai Senga 

… who doesn’t actually want to be part of this bullpen. Asked about his role switch earlier this week, Senga said he made sure to inform Mets officials that he signed with the Mets as a starter and still wants to start games for them. But Senga also acknowledged he has little leverage at the moment, given his 9.66 ERA as a starting pitcher this season. 

For now, Senga will work in leverage situations out of the bullpen, as he did Tuesday in recording the final three outs of a 6-2 win over the Guardians. The Mets want to see how Senga’s velocity plays up in shorter spurts, as well as how he fares while focusing more fully on his two best pitches, his fastball and forkball. It’s not an ideal situation for Senga, who probably won’t get another chance as a starter if he struggles as a reliever. But if he performs well in leverage spots, Senga may just convince the Mets to use him that way in the final year of his contract in 2027. 

“There’s a long list of pitchers who started for a long time, then went to the 'pen and eventually dominated,” Green said. “We believe he has the kind of stuff to do that.” 

Who holds the Mets’ record for outfield assists as a rookie?

A) Carl Everett

B) Cleon Jones

C) Juan Lagares

D) Alex Ochoa

• President of baseball operations David Stearns was uber-busy in the hours leading up to the Trade Deadline. By the end of it, the Mets had made a total of eight trades, moving seven players off their Major League roster. Here’s a rundown of everything they did on Deadline Day itself, as well as more details on the blockbuster that sent Clay Holmes and Tyrone Taylor to the North Side of Chicago, and last weekend’s trade of Freddy Peralta to Tampa Bay. (Peralta, for what it’s worth, coughed up seven runs in his Rays debut.)

• Great story here from Pittsburgh beat writer Aiden Stepansky, who just so happened to be working on a Sammy Stafura profile when the Pirates traded Stafura, their 10th-ranked prospect, to the Mets for Luke Weaver. Aiden digs in on Stafura’s Mets fandom growing up in the Hudson Valley. (His favorite players as a kid: David Wright, José Reyes and Rubén Tejada.)

• Does Jorge Polanco have anything left in the tank? He finally snapped an 0-for-26 skid with a homer on Wednesday. The Mets have to hope it’s a sign of better things to come.

Answer: C) Lagares

Lagares racked up 15 outfield assists as a rookie in 2013, which is three more than anyone else in team history. For comparison, current rookie Carson Benge leads all Mets outfielders with five assists. 

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