Former Mets bullpen coach and team adviser Guy Conti has died at 84, according to Jay Horwitz. Conti was a baseball lifer whose time with the Mets ran from 2005 through 2008 as bullpen coach before he moved into a minor league adviser role. He also played a key part in Pedro Martinez’s early development and was close friends with Sandy Koufax, after previously working with the Dodgers before coming to Queens.
The Mets also have a familiar reminder of what they let get away in the Pete Crow-Armstrong trade, but they may have turned the tables on the Cubs at the deadline. Their move sent Clay Holmes and Tyrone Taylor to Chicago in exchange for top infield prospect Jefferson Rojas, and Max Goodman of NJ.com wrote that the deal has looked strong from the Mets’ side so far.
There is also some recruiting going on behind the scenes. Zac Thornton said he wants the Mets to sign Tarik Skubal in an interview with Mike Puma of the New York Post, and he made clear why.
“I talk to [Nolan McLean] all the time about it, and he had some good talks with Skubal when they were in the WBC together,” Thornton said. “It would be awesome to bounce ideas, especially coming from another left-handed pitcher.
Sean [Manaea] and I talk a lot, just about being lefties-there are not many around here, so it would be awesome to have another powerhouse left-handed pitcher around here.”
Elsewhere in the division, the Phillies are expected to name Don Mattingly their full-time manager this week, according to Matt Gelb and Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic. Christina De Nicola of MLB.com looked ahead to Marlins prospects worth tracking in 2027, while Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported that some Marlins broadcaster decisions were tied to a broadcaster’s ability to use social media to help promote the team’s subscription service. On the Nationals’ side, Sam Sallick of Federal Baseball wrote that Paul Toboni’s first year as president of baseball operations has left the farm system in healthy shape, and Nationals No. 4 prospect Jarlin Susana is already turning heads in the Arizona Fall League with radar-gun readings that point to a debut as soon as next season.
Around the league, the Rays evened the ALCS at one game apiece with a 3-1 win over the Guardians behind a strong outing from Freddy Peralta. Tampa Bay broke the game open in the fourth, leaning on speed and a costly José Ramírez error at third base to score three runs in a tight pitchers’ duel.
Deesha Thosar of FOX Sports wrote that the Guardians’ grind-it-out approach has spread through the clubhouse and helped fuel their postseason run, with trade deadline additions stepping into big roles. Nathaniel Lowe’s path to a signature ALCS Game 1 moment has been especially emotional after he lost his mother in March to a brain tumor, then had to battle for a roster spot and endure a trade. Victor Mesa Jr. followed a similar postseason rise, going from designated for assignment to a major contributor and hero for the Rays.
The Mariners’ managerial search also continues, with Joe Espada, Rocco Baldelli, Brandon Hyde, and David Ross among the names being considered for the vacancy.
In the National League, William Contreras delivered the punch for the Brewers in their Game 2 win over the Dodgers. He became the first player in nearly 30 years to record three game-tying or go-ahead hits in a postseason game, and Christian Yelich called him “the fire of our team.” Contreras’ surge is also giving Brewers fans a payoff from a trade that, four years ago, felt like a betrayal.
The Dodgers, meanwhile, are in a deep hole after falling behind two games to none in the NLCS. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic wrote that it is difficult to see a path back for them, particularly with a compromised Shohei Ohtani. Dave Roberts said Ohtani will be in the lineup for Game 3 today, and hitting coach Aaron Bates said Ohtani’s issue at the plate is more about timing than the physical effects of his injuries.
In Other News...
Former Mets Manager Lands With Rival As Offseason Fallout Grows
The Phillies have made a familiar-looking addition to their coaching staff, hiring Carlos Mendoza as their new third-base and infield coach after his run as Mets manager ended mid-season. It is another notable twist in a National League East rivalry that rarely stays quiet, especially when one club is reshaping its dugout and the other is watching a former manager land somewhere down the division ladder.
Philadelphia also moved on from hitting coach Kevin Long and infield coach Bobby Dickerson as part of the staff overhaul. For Mets fans, Mendozas new job adds another layer to an offseason already full of fallout, with a former skipper now helping guide a division rivals day-to-day operations in the field. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Fans Will Have Strong Opinions On How These Top Prospects Panned Out
Since 2011, the Mets have had 13 different players sit atop MLB Pipelines prospect list, and the track record has produced plenty of debate for a fan base that remembers every miss, every injury and every breakthrough. Sorting those names from worst to best based on major league performance so far is the kind of exercise that instantly turns into a referendum on how the organization has developed talent, with the evaluation built around big-league value, longevity and numbers like bWAR and ERA.
The list brings together a familiar mix of old and new, from Travis dArnaud, Steven Matz, Noah Syndergaard and Amed Rosario to newer headliners such as Francisco Alvarez, Ronny Mauricio, Jett Williams, Brandon Sproat and Nolan McLean. For Mets fans, the appeal is obvious, because these rankings do more than revisit a prospect history, they hint at how much promise has already been cashed in and how much is still waiting to be written. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Could Revisit A Surprising Deadline Decision This Offseason
The Mets reshaped both their roster and their farm system at the summer deadline, but the story around those moves may not be finished once the offseason arrives. With several of the players sent out still in the mix as possible targets for a return, the front office has to balance what it gave up with what those names could still mean to the club heading into next year.
Freddy Peralta is one of the more interesting cases because of how things have lined up since the deadline, and Steve Cohens presence at an ALCS game he started only added to the sense that the door is not fully closed. Robert, Peterson, Minter and Peralta all carry different contract and performance angles, which means the Mets could end up revisiting one of the more surprising deadline decisions if the market and their own roster needs point them back in that direction. [Read more 🡒]