ADRIAN GONZALEZ SIGNS... WITH THE METS?

I didn't see this one coming, but then again, I'm not sure the Mets did either.

Adrian Gonzalez has left the Dodgers... and signed with Mets!

ESPN writes:

"Adrian Gonzalez has agreed to a deal with the New York Mets pending a physical, according to ESPN and multiple reports... Gonzalez gives the Mets a veteran presence at first base, where Lucas Duda and Dominic Smith mainly played for them last season. Duda was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays during the season, and Smith, 22, struggled offensively, batting just .198."

Hey, good for the Mets, although you gotta wonder what Gonzalez can really offer at this point.  He is definitely ending the end of his career. You gotta wonder what Mets fans this about this.

Good luck on this one.

ARE THE YANKS READY TO CHASE JAY BRUCE?

What's going on with that other New York team? As of the writing of this post at least six Mets have been put on waivers, cleared and are eligible to be traded. Many players clear waivers. Some clear because management considers the player to be less valuable than his contract while others because it is a waste of time or energy. The Mets entered Sunday with a 49-59 record, 15 games behind in the NL East so they are ready to move on.

So as the Mets look ahead, are they ready to move on with some of their big names and heavy hitters? Possibly. Now that Curtis Granderson, Yoenis Cespedes and Jay Bruce could be moved, is it likely that they will be moved or just pull them back off of waivers and keep them? While two of them are of no interest to the Yankees.....one might be.

Credit Kathy Willens/Associated Press         

Jay Bruce could be an interesting pick up. He makes sense for the Yankees in a lot of different ways:

1) adds another lefty

The Yankee lineup leans heavily to the right side. Now that Jacoby Ellsbury is an expensive bench player and Chase Headley is also inconsistent the Yankees have few options. Until Aaron Hicks comes back and assuming Greg Bird does make a return this season the lineup is pretty unbalanced. Adding Bruce gives the lineup more length and certainly the ability to build a more strategic lineup.

2) Bruce could mash in Yankee stadium

Photo: Newsday

Believe it or not, Bruce is among the 2017 Home Run leaders you can see for yourself HERE. Along with his 30 home runs he also has 75 RBI's so he's having a very good season. His pull happy swing would be a big benefit in Yankee stadium. The short porch would see some action and that would be nice to see. He could give a nice little kick to a very lackluster offense we have seen lately.

3) He adds a first base / DH option

Photo: Newsday

Now that Matt Holliday is on the DL (again) the Yankees could add not only another good bat, but they can play him as a DH or let him fill in at first base. He's done it multiple times this season and it gives the Yankees another interesting lineup option. Despite the recent good news about Greg Bird back in his rehab phase and possibly being back by September the Yankees can't count on that now. First base is still a concern and we still need more production from it.

4) He is consistent

He is a power hitter with 20-plus homers in all but one season since 2008, and is on pace to blow past his career high of 34 this season and has averaged 96 RBI's a season. Sign me up.

5) Mets want to free up a spot to their best prospect

Sandy Alderson is rumored to be anxious to get the Mets best prospect Dominic Smith a spot on the roster. Trading Bruce away allows the Mets to get younger and give their first baseman of the future a taste of big league action.

How likely is it that the Yankees could get Bruce if they wanted? Who knows, but it might be a long shot. The Mets weren't ready to trade with the Yankees for Lucas Duda at the deadline so who knows why that would change now. Not only that, it is rumored from Bob Klapisch that Hal Steinbrenner has been firm with Brian Cashman about spending money now that the trade deadline has passed: the payroll is frozen for the remainder of 2017. Read more on that HERE.

Photo: Lexington Herald-Leader

If payroll isn't an issue, Bruce would still have to waive his no trade clause that blocks a move to the Yankees. It's rumored that he would waive it to go to a contending team.....and the Yankees are just that. The AL East is still very winnable and who doesn't like winning?

So could the Yankees land Bruce? Maybe.....who knows. Anything is possible in baseball.



--Jeana Bellezza

BYB Managing Editor 
Follow me on Twitter: @NYPrincessJ

DUDE! DUDA? REALLY?

(June 30, 2017 - Source: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images North America)

Lucas Duda to the New York Yankees.  That's what at least 1 sportswriter thinks should happen.  Me? I'm not so sure.

Kevin Kernan throws out this suggestion about a possible new home for Lucas Duda. It's the Bronx. I'm not kidding.  He writes this in his latest New York Post piece...

Photo: Getty Images

"... a bevy of scouts descended on Citi Field on Monday night to take a closer look at the Mets’ trade chips as they moved that much closer to a fire sale with a terrible 6-3 loss to the Cardinals, who made three outfield errors in the sixth inning, and the Mets still couldn’t get back in this game.

The Yankees were included in the scouting brigade. Teams are kicking tires as they begin their final rounds of research with the trade deadline just around the corner.

The Yankees desperately need a first baseman and the Mets have a red-hot Lucas Duda.

–– ADVERTISEMENT ––

Make that deal, NY, NY."

Photo: Getty Images

Now look, Bleeding Yankee Blue had floated this idea a while back too (Read DON'T LAUGH, BUT THE YANKEES ARE LOOKING AT LUCAS DUDA!), but we're not so sure it's a good thing.  Bottom line, some of us like it, others don't on the BYB staff.

Do we need Lucas Duda? Hey, maybe he can help, but can he pitch? That's seems to be the bigger problem in the Bronx these days, you know what I mean?

We'll have to keep an eye on this for you, but hey, in the end, Kernan makes a lot of sense too. Be sure to check out his piece.

He ends his column with this...

"Duda is hitting the ball too hard for the Yankees not to make a serious bid."

Interesting.

DON'T LAUGH, BUT THE YANKEES ARE LOOKING AT LUCAS DUDA!

This weekend both New York baseball teams were setting up to make big moves and have one thing in common that could set up a rare event. The Yankees and Mets are hardly frequent trade partners but on Saturday a common need quickly turned into a real trade possibility and rumors started flying. The Mets are likely to be sellers, and the Yankees have some serious issues to fix if they want to be contenders this year. The Mets may have what they need so could they really be trade partners?

Last week it sounded like Joe Girardi and Yankee ownership were on different pages. Yankee brass wanted to focus on pitching and Girardi wanted another option for first base and suddenly on Saturday Chris Carter was designated for assignment. Girardi and Yankee fans everywhere rejoiced (sorry Carter) and Tyler Austin was called up to finally get his shot.

Austin's first game up didn't go as we all had planned. His first game got the best of him and now the Yankees may be looking for some more veteran options to help out at first base. With an unproven Austin and Greg Bird still out with an unknown return date the Yankees and Mets may make a good trade match-up....enter Lucas Duda?

Now I have to admit, at first I laughed but HERE is one source talking about it and there are others out there too. I have frequently poked fun at Duda making up my own song to the tune of "Old McDonald" but the more I looked at it the more I understood why it makes sense at least on paper.

Duda may be one of the Mets most desirable pieces and the Yankees could be the best landing spot for him if other big names like Eric Hosmer on the Royals remain in playoff contention. The Yankees have a laundry list of injuries to deal with and it is now even worse now that Aaron Hicks is on the disabled list and Starlin Castro has a strained hamstring. The Yankees insist that Austin is the everyday first baseman now, but he's already had to play the outfield, the Yankees are going to have to take it easy as Jacoby Ellsbury gets back into a routine and let's face it....Greg Bird is still a giant question mark.

Photo: Getty Images

I have never been overwhelmed by Duda and the Yankees still see Bird as the first baseman of the future, but for now he can offer the Yankees something they don't have. He has the experience at first and he has hit five home runs this month and is rebounding after missing time last season  with injuries. He would also give them a legitimate power left hand bat to put between Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez and Matt Holliday. They’re going to need more pop if and when Hicks or Brett Gardner does hit a slump. It just gives the Yankees some more options without creating a roadblock at first base for Bird or Austin and since Duda is a free agent after the season it's an easy short term addition for the Yankees.

Photo: Getty Images

I still have all of my faith in Austin at first base right now. This weekend was just a blip, and Casey was right when he said A CAREER IS NOT DETERMINED BY 1 GAME but the Yankees are in a downward spiral and need some help. First base is a major weakness right now because offensive production at first base has been pathetic. Their .599 OPS from first base ranks 29th overall, and only the Angels (.590) are worse.

The Yankees aren't desperate but if the Mets are selling it can't hurt to look. Duda wouldn't require losing anything important. The Yankees aren't desperate yet, but if they don't do something soon things could get ugly soon.....and not just at first base.

--Jeana Bellezza
BYB Managing Editor
Follow me on Twitter: @NYPrincessJ

HOW IMPORTANT IS TEAM LEADERSHIP?

My brother, a die hard Yankee fan, made a statement last weekend that stuck with me.  He said, "If the Mets lose this series, and I have pledged to root for them despite being a Yankee fan, I will never root for them again, ever."  I sort of laughed, but he's right.  I always root for the team who I feel hasn't had the chance to get to the Series in a number of years.  So, I rooted for the Cubs and then I rooted for the Dodgers and then I rooted for the Mets.  In the American League, I rooted for Houston and then I rooted for the Royals.  But when it came down to the Mets vs. the Royals, I got my New York On and just bit the bullet.  I rooted for the Mets.

I figured it would be a good Series not just because of the hype, the hitting, the Daniel Murphy Show, the pitching, the Noah Syndergaard Show or even the stick-to-it-ness that each team had all post season.  No, not just for all of that, but something more.  It was the team leadership I saw in the eyes and actions of Terry Collins and Ned Yost and how important this is to the rise and fall of teams throughout the baseball long season.

As I watched Game 5, I shook my head in disbelief as I saw what has become common place in classrooms and living rooms across this country.  I saw pouting and lip service from a player to a manager and pitching coach.  I saw Matt Harvey whine to his team leadership when they told him he was done for the evening after throwing over a hundred pitches.  "cameras caught Mets pitching coach Dan Warthen appearing to tell Harvey his night was over.  Harvey's response? "No way." After repeating it again, he headed over to manager Terry Collins and said it again. "No way."

Though Harvey gave up a run before he was pulled by Collins and the Mets had another disastrous late-inning collapse, the moment will sit well with die-hards who questioned the starter and the controversy stirred up by all that talk about his innings limit," reported NJ.com the morning after the Mets' lost the game ending series.  I don't blame Harvey.  He is a certified prima donna.  No, I blame Mets team leadership for not sticking with their gut and their experience in the game.  The pitcher was done; it doesn't matter if he is multi-million dollar Scott Boras pitcher Matt Harvey or if he is a minor league newbie. Done is done. 

I also blame Mets team leadership for leaving in Yoenis Cespedes in after he was injured "Outfielder Yoenis Cespedes fouled a ball off his left knee in the bottom of the sixth inning of Game 5 against Kansas City Royals' starter Edinson Volquez Sunday night, dropping to the ground for over a minute as he shook off the pain.  "Oh mercy" - Harold Reynolds commentates as Yoenis collapses into a heap," reports NJ.com.  He then flied out to the shortstop  with the bases loaded.  Collins, it's the World Series.   Cespedes is hurt and frankly has not provided much to help the team in the Series. Take him out!  Another bad decision, which lead to the Mets' unraveling and loss of the World Series.

On the flip side, you have the gritty management of Ned Yost, who enabled his players to play fearlessly, taking risks around every turn.  That's why Eric Hosmer sprinted for home to tie the game in the ninth inning forcing Lucas Duda to rush and make a bad throw to the plate.  If I were Collins, I would have anticipated this and walked the next batter to set up the double play or as David Wright, I would have just held onto the ball. As a team leader, Wright should have known better. KC history this season and last says he's running.

How important is team leadership to the outcome of a game, a World Series?  It's everything.  From player leadership to dugout leadership to front office leadership, they are all valuable and they are all equally important.  The Mets lost because, frankly, their leadership did not step up when it was needed.  Next season, beside finding some great pitchers, we better be looking for leadership who can carry us through and handle the prima donnas, the press and the day to day drama both on and off the field.

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Senior Staff Writer
BYB Hot Stove Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof





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KERSHAW SNAPS THAT POST SEASON SLUMP

For Clayton Kershaw it was almost deja vu, all over again. The three-time Cy Young award winner and MVP who had lost five straight starts in the postseason made it to the seventh inning up 3-1 in a must-win game to save the Dodgers season. And then Yoenis Cespedes lead off the inning with a single.

Mets fans went crazy. Hearts and stomachs began to seize all over LA. Was this going to happen again? Was Kershaw doomed to implode in the seventh inning in the postseason for all of history?

But Kershaw collected himself. He retired Travis d’Arnaud, Lucas Duda, and Wilmer Flores to get out of the inning. Kershaw had finally ended his postseason curse. The Dodgers held on to win and will now play Game 5 at home with Zach Grienke on the mound against Jacob deGrom on Thursday for the chance to advance to the NLCS against the Cubs.

I’m glad to see Kershaw finally get past his postseason demons. He’s a fierce competitor—and even though he has said he was not dwelling on his last October start where he got shelled by the Cardinals, you know that he is eager to prove to baseball fans that he is not a serial choker in the postseason. I thought he pitched a hell of a Game 1 and was victim of the Dodgers non-existent run support, but hopefully this will end the narrative of Kershaw being a postseason flop.

I truly believe Thursday’s game is a toss up. Greinke has been nearly unhitable this year and most likely we’ll see another great pitching duel with deGrom. I think it will ultimately come down to the bullpen where I believe the Mets have the advantage. 

--Alexis Garcia, BYB's "Eye on MLB" Columnist &
Los Angeles Dodger fan
Twitter:  @heylexyg




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MARIANO HAS LOST WORSE, YET CAME BACK STRONGER

There was a ton of press coverage over that silly Mets walk-off win over Mariano Rivera and the Yankees 2 nights ago.  Why? Is it really that big of a deal? Good for the Mets, they played a clean game and won. Mariano is not a machine. He is human after all.

Now I'll tell you something. Mariano has been down before, but like Sylvester Stallone once said in Rocky Balboa, "It ain't how hard you hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward." Sure, mock me for quoting a movie, but it rings very true. Mariano has moved on from the bad loses and have come back stronger.



We lost to the Red Sox in that unbelievable comeback by the Sox back in 2004.  We lost hard to Luis Gonzalez and the Diamondbacks in 2001, a World Series we probably should have won.

But the bottom line is, those dramatic and hard losses are 10 times harder than a simple walk-off by the Mets.

(In Photo: Lucas Duda)
I was asked about Mo yesterday on Dynasty Sports Empire's Morning show. I love  those guys over there and they do a great job.  They asked me simply about Mo and what to make of the guy at 43.  Here is that exchange:



The full interview is HERE.  Bottom line, Mo's human, but Mo is the greatest closer of all time and he always will be.  There will never be anyone better, greatest, tougher and I truly believe that.  I also believe in failing once in a while.  Failing will only being you back to a stronger point later on.  It allows you to push yourself harder the next time.  That's Mariano... simply the best as he walks through his career being challenged every single day.

The Mets won on a walk-off off Mariano Rivera, the greatest closer ever the other night.  Sure, it's news, but it's not earth shattering... it's baseball.... can we just move on now?

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STOP SELLING IT AS DAVID & GOLIATH!

Last night wasn't Luis Gonzalez verses Mariano Rivera in the World Series.  No... it wasn't David verses Goliath either.  It was the great Mariano Rivera verses Lucas Duda in a regular season game in Flushing.  The Mets came out on top.  Well, good for the Mets. Mariano Rivera is NOT a machine.

Mariano Rivera IS human, and if you listen or watch any news report this morning reporting about last night's game, it sounds like it may have been the greatest game you ever watched! It wasn't. It was just a game with a dramatic ending.  Can we move on? Seriously.

Luca Duda got lucky last night. Face it, anyone gets lucky if they can hit off Rivera.  But one thing that's important to know here is, Rivera, while literally a God to everyone in Major League Baseball, does blow it once in a while.  Yes it's rare, but it happens.  It happened last night and you can't cry over it...because Lord knows Mo isn't.

Hiroki Kuroda pitched a gem.  7 innings allowing just 4 hits, 0 runs. DRob handled his appearance with ease as well.  When  Mo came in, he gave up 3 hits and 2 runs and the game ended there.  Oh well.... again, these sports reporters need to end the "David slayed Goliath" rant.  Mo's a good guy, remember?

The Yankees only run game in the 6th, when once again Lyle Overbay was involved in the play and knocked in Brett Gardner.  That was the sole run and that's my recap.  Short, sweet and to the point. the Yankees will move on, the fan should and Mo will.  That's it.

Final: Mets 2 - Yankees 1

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MELKY NEVER HAD A SHOT IN THE BRONX

Joel Sherman had a good piece in the New York Post yesterday.  It involved Melky Cabrera and the fact that the New York Mets could target him this offseason. It makes sense, he could be helpful.  

Sherman writes: "The Mets need outfielders and don’t have a ton of money to address their severe needs there. So if they could bag Cabrera as corner outfield insurance against Jason Bay and Lucas Duda, it could make sense, especially if they are unable to retain Scott Hairston. Probably at his worst, Cabrera would be a motivated fourth outfielder who always could hit righties well, with the possibility he is more than that if any of the improvements of the past two years are real." Read HERE.

He goes on to say that the Yankees never considered Melky Cabrera to be a negative force in the world of Robinson Cano, writing: "Yankees officials never viewed Cabrera as a negative influence on Robinson Cano, as some outside the organization did." I am one "outside of the organization." It's a nugget I'll expand on.

This is my take and you can disagree and I respect that; Sure, Yankee officials aren't going to look like they dislike a player publically, why would they?  I believe they saw possible trouble brewing with Melky, after all, Melky and Cano were the best of friends. As far as I know, they still are.

I even laugh when I think about Melky cranking out that home run in the All-Star game and as he circled  the bases and stuck his hand out and Cano just grinned. They're buds!  Look, I know from a very good friend who lived in the same building as Robbie and Melky in Edgewater when they first game to the Bronx.  They had a very very good time while they were there, let's just put it that way.

In the end though, the Yankees saw mad potential in Robinson Cano and the idea of a "trouble maker" bringing Cano down may have hurt their investment. So, in the spirit of upgrading the franchise, they flipped him to the Atlanta Braves for Javier Vasquez.  It looked like a legitimate business deal, after all, the Yankees needed pitching, so it all worked out. Once he was gone, Cano could blossom...and he did.

Now sure, the Yankees did offer a minor league deal the Melky in 2010 after the season ended. But you know how minor league contracts go with the Yankees.  9 times out of 10, those players are usually released...i.e. Russell Branyan, Jack Cust.

I don't ever see Melky coming back to the Yankees.  As Sherman writes of why the Yanks may not bite on Melky after this season when he's a free agent, "Cano ended up being smeared with allegations this season because of the association, so the Yankees might be hesitant to reunite the pair."

Now, in the end, as I've stated in MELKY CABRERA OFF WORLD SERIES ROSTER SENDS A MESSAGE, once this season ends, Melky has a clean slate with me, so does he deserve to get a fair shake with the Yankees and any other team? Damn right.  But the Yankees reuniting with Melky? Well, let's just say I never see it happening and it's probably better for everyone that way.

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