The variety of scouts at Citi Field has been steadily constructing during this homestand and was as much as 11 on Tuesday night for the type of game that career loves right now of 12 months — two likely sellers in a single place.
The underachieving/disappointing White Sox and Mets have told suitors of their intentions, though the Mets might just do groundwork until closer to the Aug. 1, 6 p.m. deadline.
They’re leaving room for a Hail Mary likelihood to work back toward contention.
Perhaps they delay a call to, say, July 29 on which method to proceed — buy, sell, each or neither; plus just how far to go along with a sale if that’s the direction.
The Mets helped the long-shot, Why-Can’t-This-Be-1973-Again Movement by defeating the White Sox 11-10.
This being 2023, though, even the win got here with home angst and boos, notably directed at recent “we’re still trying” acquisition Trevor Gott, who did as much as possible to make as much of a seven-run lead within the seventh inning vanish.
Francisco Alvarez, who — if nothing else — is providing a cornerstone for 2024 and thereafter whatever the Mets’ deadline direction, clobbered a pair of two-run homers.
He has 19 homers plus a fan club amongst Mets’ veteran pitchers for the seriousness with which he takes his defensive work.
Mr. Met has a greater likelihood to be traded in the subsequent two weeks.
It stays possible, even in the event that they don’t make major inroads toward a wild-card spot in the subsequent 10 days, that the Mets just hold onto everybody.
And hope there’s a late “Ya Gotta Consider” surge.
Or, at least, honor selling quite a lot of tickets for August/September and unless they’ll greatly impact their near future with trades, then why trouble?
I do sense there’s an overheated market.
There are many contenders.
No organization has come near spending what the Mets have on payroll this 12 months.
But many pushed to team-record levels.
There may be widespread emphasis on 2023.
And a motivated seller might find the return prices elevated.
The nice intrigue for the Mets might be whether Steve Cohen is willing to eat substantial salary on Max Scherzer and/or Justin Verlander to return worthy prospects — after all, either or each would need to waive no-trade clauses as well.
But even when it is simply the walk-year players who’ve been rare 2023 success stories — Tommy Pham, Brooks Raley and David Robertson — the Mets may do well enough to make it worthwhile to trade them.
They may, even in that scenario, attempt to re-sign Robertson again within the offseason to see if in 2024 he could actually team with Edwin Diaz.
I’m wondering what pairing Pham and Robertson in a single deal might net.
The Yankees (in the event that they are literally contenders) could use each.
So could the Rangers.
So could the Phillies.
So could others with playoff dreams.
At this point, it is difficult to only see Pham as in a very good period.
All season he has played hard, had good at-bats, hit the ball with authority consistently, handled outfield defense and run the bases well.
So most of the scouts in attendance Tuesday got here notably for White Sox starter Lucas Giolito, probably the most enticing of Chicago’s several walk-year players more likely to be moved in the subsequent two weeks.
But Pham was a part of an assault that made it a nasty night for Giolito and the White Sox’s sales pitch.
The veteran righty allowed eight runs in 3 ²/₃ innings via six hits (including three homers) and five walks.
Pham doubled home the primary run in the primary on an 0-2 pitch.
To establish Giolito’s knockout within the fourth, Pham singled and stole his eleventh base in 12 tries.
He walked in each of his last two plate appearances, including one wherein he worked a nine-pitch tussle after falling behind 0-2.
He’s hitting .277 with an .841 OPS.
Raley, Adam Ottavino and Robertson — all potential trade pieces — limited Chicago to 1 run in 2 ²/₃ innings.
Raley helped clean up Gott’s mess specifically so the Mets could avoid blowing a seven-run lead and losing for the primary time since Aug. 26, 2008, after they built a 7-0 advantage in Philadelphia with Pedro Martinez on the mound only to lose 8-7 in 13 innings.
The Mets blew a division result in Philadelphia for the second straight season that 12 months.
They will not be in position for that type of collapse.
What they’re probably best positioned to do is attempt to make the long run higher by deepening their farm system — especially the pitching.
The variety of scouting eyeballs on them in anticipation of just that’s growing.
The scout attendance ought to be pretty abundant for Verlander on Wednesday.
The Mets haven’t surrendered on a Hail Mary.
But these scouts will not be here to see if the Mets have a miracle in them.
They’re here to see if there are pieces that might help actual contenders.
