Before the Mets began their approach to Tuesday’s trade deadline by dealing closer David Robertson to the Marlins, Brandon Nimmo — while not discounting the notion the team should be sellers — was willing to build a case this week for the team buying, or at the very least retaining assets.
Much of the predicament that triggered a sell-off was created by the team’s 7-19 record in June. The Mets have shown improvement since with a 12-8 July that has prevented this season from spiraling totally out of control.
Even so, the Mets are six games below .500 following Thursday’s 2-1 victory over the Nationals.
Nimmo checked his phone while speaking to Post Sports+ before the Subway Series finale on Wednesday and noted the Mets were seven games removed from the National League’s third wild-card spot. That’s where they remain on Friday morning.
“I think ultimately the decision-making on [the trade deadline] process is looking at the other teams, seeing how they’re trending, seeing how we’re trending,” Nimmo said.
The outfielder’s list of positives for the Mets included Justin Verlander’s marked improvement over the last six weeks after beginning the season with an injury.
Verlander has looked more like the ace the Mets thought they were receiving, and he’s received strong support in the rotation from Kodai Senga and Jose Quintana.
Pete Alonso’s two-homer game against the Yankees on Tuesday also caught Nimmo’s attention. Alonso had slumped for the last month after returning from an IL stint caused by a hit by pitch on his left wrist.
“I think you could see Pete’s injury to his hand was definitely taking a toll, and just speaking from experience from my hand injuries, it was at least a month before it felt better,” Nimmo said. “So you’re kind of getting into that month range now, and you see him have the kind of game he had [Tuesday] and start to see him trending in the direction that would be more the Pete we know.
“If you can get those guys doing their thing then we really can make a case for it, but a lot of it’s unknown and a lot of it’s having to be made in what seems like this short time period where it’s sort of teetering on the edge one way or the other.
“You just get on one of those hot streaks and it can happen. But you could also say, ‘Well, you’ve been waiting for that.’ I get it from all standpoints. But I have been around long enough to see some crazy things happen in baseball.”
Nimmo watched as the Braves added Raisel Iglesias at last year’s trade deadline and became a better team for the remainder of the season. But the club actually had started surging in early June for the Braves, putting them on a path to catch the Mets and win the NL East.
Now, Robertson’s departure almost certainly signals the Mets have abandoned any hope of a turnaround this season, as an already thin bullpen is further diluted.
Robertson (2.05 ERA, 14 saves) might have been their most valuable trade chip, but Tommy Pham and Mark Canha are obvious candidates to be traded as well.
“Ultimately, it will come down to whether Steve [Cohen] feels like he’s seen enough to go ahead and [become buyers] or even to just let things ride out and not necessarily be sellers in terms of dismantling the team,” Nimmo had said prior to the Robertson move. “There is definitely a case made for that. You can make a case for any direction.”
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Shallow pitching pool in Syracuse
We recently noted Tylor Megill’s struggles at Triple-A Syracuse following his demotion from the Mets’ rotation last month. But Megill isn’t the only pitcher with major league experience at Syracuse who has scuffled.
Exhibit B is Jose Butto, who has pitched to a 6.62 ERA in 15 starts for Syracuse. In his most recent outing, the right-hander lasted only 2 ⅔ innings and allowed eight earned runs on eight hits and four walks against Lehigh Valley.
The Mets’ rotation depth at this point essentially consists of David Peterson, who has provided quality innings from the bullpen after three respectable starts before the All-Star break.
The point might be near in which Peterson needs a return to Syracuse to stretch out in case the Mets need a starting pitcher.
Road warriors
The Mets’ visit to Boston last weekend offered a reminder how dedicated the fan base is to road-tripping when the opportunity is there.
Blue and orange was prevalent in downtown Boston throughout various restaurants and shops.
We met one group from northern New Jersey that hit heavy traffic on Friday, turning the drive into a seven-hour voyage. The friends settled into their seats just as Daniel Vogelbach homered in the fourth inning. Minutes later, it started raining (a downpour) and the game was suspended. Here’s hoping the group got back to Fenway Park for the resumed game on Saturday.
Next weekend the Mets will play three games in Baltimore, where their fans undoubtedly will again arrive in full force.
Almost doesn’t count
Nimmo can still smile about his near-brush with getting dealt at the trade deadline.
It happened during his rookie 2016 season when the Mets were prepared to send him to the Reds as part of a deal for Jay Bruce.
The trade got reconfigured after the Reds had concerns about the physical status of a minor leaguer the Mets were including in the deal. The Mets instead traded Dilson Herrera and Max Wotell for Bruce.
“I was traded on national television — and it didn’t go through,” Nimmo said. “I’ve been there, done that, and been on all sides of it.”
After receiving an eight-year contract worth $162 million last offseason that contains a no-trade clause, Nimmo no longer has to worry about getting blindsided.
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