Mets boast 'desirable' pieces as deadline looms
With Juan Soto returning to the All-Star Game, the Mets roll into July with several options as the trade deadline looms, where the organization aims to retool without entering a full rebuild.
Video Transcript
We talked about the Braves, five All-Stars going to Philly in a week or so.
Mets are sending one.
And Juan Soto, in what's been a down year for the organization, has really had a fantastic run considering the lack of support around him, Todd.
Even more remarkable.
it is remarkable.
It's, you know, it's an amazing thing to watch this guy hit on a ev- an everyday basis because it doesn't really matter what's going on around him, doesn't really matter if there's somebody hitting behind him to protect him.
It doesn't matter the situation of the game.
He gets in the box, he has his routine, and he hits.
It's like w- and no matter what he does, he hits.
He's one of the best pure hitters I've ever seen.
And the control of the strike zone is something that a lot of people talk about.
But watching on a daily basis, it's just something special to watch, 'cause he never gets out of his, like, comfort zone.
And look, he's a 964 OPS right now, second in all of baseball, leads the National League, and he's a des- deserving All-Star on a team that's really not been supporting him.
What do you think of when you watch Juan Soto hit?
Professional hitter, to be honest with you.
I look at his stats.
I mean, he, he love hitting in Atlanta.
He's got like 15 home runs at Truist Park, so he love, he love hit here.
I admire him from distant.
You know, I respect him.
That's the way baseball player you go about it.
you know, he just a deserving All-Star.
Top star for the, for the Mets.
you know, it's one of those things we talked earlier.
you know, when, when you make mistake, you know, the other team don't give you a chance to, to give you a breather.
They just punish you.
So I think that's what Mets have been going through the, you know, from the beginning of the season.
17 games out at the start of play today.
With the trade deadline coming right after the All-Star break, the baseball calendar is relentless that way.
We do know this, Juan Soto is not a guy that's being rumored on the block.
However, the way the Mets behave, Todd, at the trade deadline remains a little bit of a mystery.
They certainly have some desirable commodities on the roster.
They do.
And look, if you hear David Stearns talk about it, maybe Juan Soto might be the only guy that he won't say is in conversations.
Everybody else he'll listen to.
And this time of the year, you've gotta listen.
The way this team has performed, the roster construction's been, something that has been talked about for quite a while now.
And so they're gonna be listening.
There's guys like Freddy Peralta, like Luke Weaver, that certainly are gonna have a market out there.
It's just a matter of whether or not they think it's worthwhile to make those trades now and try to find a way to rebuild the bullpen.
Because one thing I can tell you about the New York Mets and ownership with Steve and Alex Cohen and David Stearns, they're not going through a rebuilding process.
This is something that they want to try to turn around in a, in a short amount of time.
And sometimes building those pieces from outside can be a real challenge.
Curious, Anthony Rizzo's perspective on this.
Ashley, we're gonna throw it down to you.
Riz was a guy that was traded at the deadline a few years ago.
Might feel like yesterday to him.
for more on the Mets and what they might do deadline time, let's go back to Ashley and Anthony.
Thanks, Matt.
I'm curious as well, Anthony.
I mean, just to kind of expand on what they're saying, big picture for the Mets.
Obviously, it's been a tough year.
Then they get a new manager.
We're a week away from the All-Star.
Take me through, like, what the mentality of the guys is right now as they're kinda trying to wrap their mind around what the season's been so far, and maybe just get into that break.
Yeah.
I think they're all disappointed on the inside, right?
They all had higher expectations coming in, especially on paper.
This was a team built for October, and it has not gone their way thus far.
So right now, you're a week away from the All-Star break.
You can see that four-day break in the horizon, which is a huge reset mentally and physically for a lot of guys.
And then the cr- trade deadline.
there's already talks.
Are we gonna sell?
What are we gonna do?
So you get to the All-Star break, you reset, and then you're right back in the fire wondering where you're gonna be, if you're gonna get traded.
If you're one of those guys on a w- a short-term deal, you know your name's gonna be thrown around, so.
But they're all professionals.
E- every year we have the trade deadline.
Yeah.
Every single year names are floated out there.
So as a professional, you know you just gotta focus on today.
Were you looking at the n- news, the, you know, Twitter, whatever it be, social media outlets, when the trade deadline came around?
Were you one of those type of players, you just let it ride and see what happens?
I think as you are a young player, you, you feed into it more, and then as you get older, you understand that it's just a rumor till it happens.
Some crazy things are floated out there, especially on X and Instagram and whatever it is.
So you just gotta stay locked in on the game.
But we are human beings.
We do, see what's going on on the outside, so you just gotta control what you can control.
But when your name is getting, floated out there, or you're hearing you're gonna bring someone in, you're, you get excited as a player, or you can get nervous as a player as well.
And before we talk a little bit more just about the rain delay overall, I wanna ask about Andy Green just 'cause you have a relationship with him as well.
But just kind of the position that he's in, obviously a little bit of a tough one, but how he kinda maybe approaches at least getting to All-Star break and then going from there.
Yeah.
For him, he knows some of the younger guys being the farm director, so getting to see them come up- Mm-hmm the outfielders, and blossom and get their chance in the big leagues is awesome.
But he's in a tough situation.
The guys love Mendy here.
everyone in that clubhouse love Mendy, so it's not like that was really the problem.
It's just th- Steve Cohen, they thought, and David Stearns thought they needed a change.
And Andy's gonna come in trying to get to know the guys, try to get to build relationship, relationships with them, and see where they're at by, the All-Star break, see where they're at by the trade deadline, and then get this team ready for either a run or see what they have for next year
