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| Mets LHP A.J. Minter (Photo Credits to Roberto Carlo) |
Minter had a solid 2024 season with a 2.62 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 34 1/3, but had his season end early due to a hip injury that required him to have surgery in August.
He will help the Mets have a solid left-hander out of the bullpen and they could still for more arms out of the pen.
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| Mets Outfielder Jesse Winker (Photo Credits to Brad Penner-Imagn Images) |
Winker hit .243 with a .683 OPS in 44 games for the Mets after he was traded over from the Washington Nationals.
However, he hit well in the postseason with a .318 batting average (7-22) including two triples, one homer, four RBI and seven walks.
Winker brings power, a good eye as well as the ability to get on base and provide a lot energy.
He quickly became a fan favorite and will hope to follow up his postseason.
Winker will DH in place of Starling Marte who is aging as well as play the outfield.
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| Mets LHP Sean Manaea (Photo Credits to Brad Penner-Imagn Images) |
Manaea is coming off the best season of his career with a record of 12-6 and 3.47 ERA in 184 2/3 innings pitches.
He had 184 strikeouts and 3.0 WAR.
Manaea's return helps the Mets have that ace at the top of the rotation that they desperately needed after losing RHP Luis Severino to free agency.
Along with Manaea, RHP Kodai Senga, RHP Frankie Montas, RHP Clay Holmes, LHP David Peterson and RHP Paul Blackburn help round out the rotation.
Now with Manaea back, the Mets might look up to upgrade the bullpen back as they continue to upgrade roster.
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| Mets OF Juan Soto (Photo Credits to David Dermer (Imagn Images) |
It is the largest deal in professional sports history as well as the biggest signing in the history of the Met organization.
The contract also has no deferrals and includes an opt-out after five seasons.
Soto is only 26 years old and is a 4x All-Star, World Series Champion with the Washington Nationals in 2019, 5x Silver Slugger Award Winner and NL Batting Champion.
He has hit.285 with 201 homers in his career and also has more career walks (769) than strikeouts (696) as well as hitting .281 with a .927 OPS in 191 postseason plate appearances.
Soto and SS Francisco Lindor will help form the top of the order for years to come.
It will be exciting to see what other moves Owner Steve Cohen and President of Baseball Operations make to surround Soto and Lindor with in the rest of the lineup.
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| RHP Clay Holmes (Photo Credits to Roberto Carlo) |
Holmes was an excellent reliver for the Yankees with a 2.69 ERA and 74 saves over 220 appearances.
However, the Mets are hoping that he will be able to transition to a starting pitcher even though he not started a game in the Major Leagues since 2018 as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
If Holmes is not able to pan out as a starter, he can still be a fine piece at the back end of the bullpen.
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| Mets RHP Frankie Montas (Photo Credits to Benny Sieu-Imagn Images) |
Montas had a 4.84 ERA last year in 30 starts with the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers.
He previously pitched for the Yankees after he was traded there in 2022 from the Oakland Athletics, but struggled with a 6.35 ERA down the stretch and dealt with a right shoulder injury in the 2023 season.
The Mets are hoping that Montas can regain his 2021 form where had a terrific season for the Athletics with a 13-9 record, 3.37 ERA, and 207 strikeouts and finished sixth in the American League Cy Young vote.
He will hopefully help solidify the Met rotation along with RHP Kodai Senga and LHP David Peterson.
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| Mets RF Starling Marte (Photo Credits to Jayne Karnin-Oncea-Imagn Images) |
LHP Sean Manaea cleary did not have his best stuff starting in the bottom of the first due to decreasing fastball velocity after he gave up a lead-off single to DH Shohei Ohtani and two batters later a single to LF Teoscar Hernandez.
Manaea then gave up a two-run double to 2B Tommy Edman.
Manaea was able to get a scoreless bottom of the second, but then ran into more trouble in the bottom of the third.
Manaea gave up a lead-off single to Hernandez and then a two-run homer to Edman and walked 1B Max Munch and was then taken out.
RHP Phil Maton followed and after retiring the first two hitters he faced, gave up a two-run homer to catchee Will Smith and was taken out after the inning.
RHP Edwin Diaz came in next and threw two scoreless innings in the bottom of the fourth and fifth and was then taken out.
RHP Ryne Stanek followed in the bottom of the sixth and gave up a lead-off walk to Smith and two batters later, a RBI single to Ohrani and was then taken out.
RHP Reed Garrett came in next and retired the next three hitters he faced to end the inning.
RHP Kodai Senga followed with a scoreless bottom of the seventh, but then had a rough bottom of the eighth.
Senga gave up a lead-off single to 2B Chris Taylor and then walked Ohtani.
Senga then gave up a RBI double to the following hitter RF Mookie Betts and a sacrifice fly to the following hitter Teoscar Hernandez.
Later in the inning, Senga gave up a RBI single to Kiki Hernandez and was then taken out with two outs.
RHP Jose Butto had to come in and retired CF Andy Pages on a fly out to center to end the inning.
The Met offense got on the board early in the top of the first after SS Francisco Lindor led off with a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch.
LF Brandon Nimmo followed with a ground-out to second to advance Lindor to third and two batters later, 1B Pete Alonso drove in Lindor with an infield single.
In the top of the second, catcher Francisco Alvarez walked and Lindor singled with two outs, but Nimmo popped out to second to end the inning.
In the top of the third, Alonso reached first on another infield single with one out and then DH Jesse Winker walked.
Two batters later, CF Tyrone Taylor was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs, but then 2B Jeff McNeil struck out to end the inning.
In the top of the fourth, catcher Francisco Alvarez led off with a single and three batters later, 3B Mark Vientos hit a two-run homer for his fifth homer of the postseason along with 18 hits and 14 RBI.
After a scoreless top of the fifth, Alvarez singled to lead off the top of the sixth and then Vientos and Alonso walked to load the bases with two outs.
Winker had a chance to cut into the lead, but flew out to left to end the inning.
In the top of the seventh, Taylor and McNeil singled with one out and then Alvarez drove in Taylor with a sacrifice fly.
After a scoreless top of the eighth, Taylor singled with two outs in the top of the ninth and McNeil followed with a RBI single.
Alvarez grounded out to second for the final out of the game.
The Met offense had numerous chances to deliver with men on base, but were unable to come up with big hits.
They went 2-9 with runners in scoring position leaving nine runners on base.
The Mets now look ahead to the offseason and will be interesting to see what moves David Steans makes to improve this roster.
Thank you everyone who supported QueensFaithful all season long.
It was a blast and a fun season and this 2024 Mets team gave us fans a lot of fond memories to look back on.
Please tune in during the offseason as I will continue to report on the latest free agent signings and trades.
Until next year, LGM!
