Mets Enter Break On a Loss and Trade Rumors Begin to Swirl

Added by Eddie Utley on July 8, 2012.

Jon Niese was roughed up by the Chicago Cubs as the Mets head into the All-Star break on a losing note.

The New York Mets went out there today in Chicago and, once again, lost to the Cubs. The Mets just didn’t produce, like most of this series. Starting pitcher Jon Niese got touched up for four runs in the first inning, and then a 3-run homer later in the game, as the Mets lost 7-0.

At least Daniel Murphy had three hits, so there’s one good thing to come out of the loss.

The Mets enter the All-Star break six games over .500. They will come out of the break playing the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals, so there will be no extra room to rest. As soon as the season is back on, it’s crunch time.

The trade rumors are starting and, as usual, with GM Sandy Alderson, it’s about players who should not be touched and a few you know they won’t touch.

Ramon Hernandez is being rumored as a target for the Mets along with Matt Reynolds. Hernandez is about done, he may provide a hit or two more than Nickeas as the backup catcher, but that’s not anything to write home about. Instead of trading for Hernandez, the Mets call up Rob Johnson. He knows the staff and isn’t DONE.

Reynolds is a lefty who can’t get left-handers out, so not sure why they would want him included in a trade when they already have a specialist in the pen.

Carlos Quentin; now this is a name I’d love to see on the back of a Mets jersey, but doubt it will happen. It sounds like the Mets are going to give Jason Bay a chance…again. Quentin will probably be gone by then with other teams like the Pirates looking for a right handed outfielder as well.

Can we give up on Bay already; he’s lost it. He can be a slider speed hitter like Mike Norse, Andruw Jones and others if he’d give up trying to be the guy he used to be. Quentin does have knee issues but you can rest him with Mike Baxter from time to time as your 4^th outfielder.

Other guys I would look at are BJ Upton and Matt Joyce from Tampa Bay. Upton is in a walk year and is a better CF than the Mets have had since Mike Cameron. Then you can shift Captain Kirk over to LF and leave Duda in RF. Matt Joyce is coming up on his first arbitration hearing so the Rays may be tempted to trade him, too, but he may cost more since he’s under team control for three years.

Speaking of Upton’s, Justin Upton is apparently available as well. It seems he’s worn out his welcome in Arizona. He would cost more than the Mets are willing to give up, so I don’t see that happening, but it’s worth a look.

The Mets need to dump Bay. Then they can move forward. He is a good guy, but, right now, he’s hurting the team. This team can make what most people call an unlikely run, and Bay is an albatross holding them back.