A Long Island native with lifelong ties to the orange and blue, the 51-year-old endeared himself to the fan base during New York’s pennant-winning 2015 season when his selfie-style video reactions to the Mets’ daily fortunes became popular on social media. Rather than watch the action from a suite like many celebrities prefer, Breuer can often be seen cheering amongst the crowds at Citi Field.

While his energetic and offbeat style makes him an ideal fit for the stage, the “SNL” alum is just as comfortable discussing the history of his favorite baseball team. A follower of the Amazins since 1973, Breuer reflected on Mets third baseman David Wright and what the team captain meant to him personally over the course of a storied career.

“He was the guy, you know? I’ve only went through two cycles of players where I got to watch them come out of the system,” Breuer said during a recent phone interview. “Watching him come through the system and then become that Met guy was really awesome because there really hasn’t been once since the ’80s.”

Drafted by the Mets 38th overall in 2001, Wright was the longest-tenured active player to spend his career with the same team. Until returning to action last Friday night as a pinch-hitter, the seven-time All-Star had missed almost two and a half years with debilitating back, neck and shoulder injuries. The franchise leader in hits, RBIs, runs, extra-base hits, walks and a few other offensive categories, Wright played in his last major league game on Saturday in front of 43,828 emotional supporters whom he addressed in a brief on-field ceremony following the last out.

Currently on the road performing stand-up and touring with Metallica, Breuer planned to watch the night play out backstage on his iPad as he prepared for a private show in San Francisco. Wright’s 2-year-old and infant daughters were in the ballpark, however, to witness him play for the first time in the 35-year-old’s big league career.

“I always say God has you out there for the right reasons. For all you know, he needs to be home with his little girls. He needs to be taking care of his body for something deeper that may happen down the road, so in the end it doesn’t even matter if his kids saw him play,” Breuer said. “My kids have no clue that I did TV and stuff. They just care that you’re a dad. My wife just cares that I’m a husband, and maybe at this point in his life it’ll be a little more important for him and he can relax and give his body a rest and know that he gave it his all and he was one of the all-time greatest.”

Wright provided many memorable moments since first appearing as a fresh faced 21-year-old from Virginia, but one in particular that stands out for Breuer came in a key game down the stretch in 2015 against division-rival Washington.

“That summed up a career and his life as a Met. As a Met fan I felt like one of my children just felt that all-time, lifetime moment,” Breuer recalled. “I believe it was against the Nationals and they were coming to the final stretch and there was a play at the plate and he slid in and he got up and he did the big fist pump down, and you see that clip a bunch of times now. I’ve been seeing it more and more. I remember watching that moment and seeing the excitement in his face, and that thrill and the passion. For me that’s the moment I’m going to remember (from) him forever. The passion he had as a Met. The thrill of feeling that we can win this. We can beat these guys. We can take it all.”

Wright’s enthusiastic reaction after sliding in safely with an important run late in that game was both exciting and also somewhat out of character for the typically-reserved Mets captain. In fact, Breuer wasn’t convinced early on that Wright had what it took to be a leader based on his calm demeanor. That all changed when the third baseman stepped in after separate incidents where two of the club’s young pitchers behaved in a manner he thought was unbefitting of a major leaguer.

“There was a long time where people would say he needs to be the leader, he needs to be the captain, and he’s got such a soft, I don’t know the exact word, clean-ish personality. And I went, I don’t know, is he really the captain?” Breuer said. “But I have to say, you’d see little examples which made me respect him so much more. He looked like a timid guy and he seems to be the guy that, I wouldn’t say is a pushover, but can easily be like, ‘ahh, just let it go, it’s all good.’ But there were a couple moments where Noah Syndergaard came up and I believe he stepped up and said something to Noah.”

Breuer added: “And then that whole thing with Matt Harvey. I remember that moment too, when Matt was walking in the outfield (during batting practice) and they showed it and David Wright kind of gave that ‘You just disrespected the team, bro. You put yourself ahead of the team.’ look. That was a powerful moment for me as a fan, not so much against Matt but I saw that full-blown respect like, ‘hey, David’s in charge here and he sets a tone on how you’re supposed to be as a player and as a gentleman.’ It almost goes up there with, I got to say, like a Gary Carter but without the high intensity.”

Jose Reyes, Wright’s partner on the left side of the infield for many years, took his usual place at shortstop for Saturday night’s sendoff and shared several laughs and embraces with his old buddy throughout the evening. A former batting champion who led the NL in stolen bases three consecutive years, Reyes batted just .189 this season and his career may also be coming to a close, a fact not lost on Breuer.

“I say he was one of the most exciting Mets that I’ve ever watched and rooted for in my whole life. I love Jose Reyes,” Breuer said of the former shortstop who was brought back to the Mets in 2016 after his domestic violence suspension ended. “I loved him from the moment he showed up. I was absolutely heartbroken when he left. When he came back I know he wasn’t the same player. I don’t care. It’s like having an old family member. He gave me the greatest thrills for the longest time as a Met fan. I adore Jose Reyes and he’ll always have a special place for me in my heart as a Met fan. He’s one of my all-time favorites. Everything about him. That smile, the years when he would just get on base and be a menace to society. He’d hit one in the gap and before you blink he was on third and it was over.”

Wright has stated that he’d like to stay involved with the club in some capacity, a development that could provide some consolation to Breuer and his fellow Mets fanatics.

“I hope he stays in the organization forever. That would mean so much to me as a Mets fan, to see David Wright always be a Met,” Breuer hoped. “I feel better as a Met fan moving forward knowing that he’s going to be somewhere in the organization and I hope Jose Reyes is, too.”

Photo credit: Brad Penner – USA Today Sports

As throngs of folks lucky enough to land tickets formed long lines that snaked from the ballpark’s main entrance all the way to Roosevelt Avenue and the stairs to the 7 train, a family of five milled about near the third base marker from Shea Stadium, their young son beaming from ear to ear, exclaiming, “I can say I stood on the same third base as David Wright!”

Others in the parking lot were similarly appreciative, but also melancholy about their favorite Met’s impending swan song. By the close of the on-field theatrics later that night, both Wright and many in the stands had shed their share of tears. The waterworks began much sooner for some tailgating supporters, however.

Donning a standard-issue David Wright home jersey and struggling to contain her sadness about the finality of the moment, Anna Connelly’s dark sunglasses couldn’t mask the wave of emotion hidden behind their lenses.

“I’m hoping I’m not going to cry,” said the Dumont, New Jersey resident, a proud member of the Flushing faithful since 1973. “His teammates love him and he tried so hard. It’s such a shame that he has to go out like this but I’m so glad to be at this game.”

“He’s just classy. You don’t hear anything bad about him, and for his daughters to be able to see him play is something amazing,” a choked-up Connelly added. “That he could make this comeback, and the work that he has to take just to be able to play a game. Hours to get ready, I can’t believe it and I can’t believe I’m here. I just can’t.”

Kyle Brancato, 25, reflected on Wright’s debut and how he rooted for the always-smiling Virginia kid from day one.

“He means the world to me. I remember distinctly listening to his first game on the radio when they were playing the Expos and there was something about him,” Brancato said, wearing an orange T-shirt with the word ‘Captain’ emblazoned across the chest. “Announcers were talking about him and talking about his experiences in the minors coming up, and over the years I feel like whether they were winning or losing he was just always the first one doing an interview, talking about how much he loved being a Met, and obviously on the field he was going to be a Hall of Famer. It didn’t work out but he’s always going to be Hall of Famer in my eyes, for sure. He was that good.”

Brancato’s pal, Michael Bonello, saw the night as a kind of closing time for his younger years.

“It’s going to be an end of an era,” Bonello said about Wright and Jose Reyes taking the field together for the last time. “A bit of my childhood leaves today along with them.”

Long Island native and lifelong Mets fan Tim Massa spoke passionately about Wright, comparing him to another New York baseball idol.

“Wright has a special place for me based on his pride to wear the orange and blue. He loved being a Met,” said the 57-year-old Massa. “Wright wanted to be a Met and never wanted to be anything but a Met and you’ve got to respect that. He’s the closest we have to our Derek Jeter.”

Massa added: “I’m a grown man but I’m going to cry. I know it. It’s going to happen. Listen, baseball is threaded into your body. You’ve got to be a special guy to be a Met fan because they put you through hell, but that’s what it is to be a Met fan and having a David Wright day, it can’t be better than this.”

Massa’s son, T.J., a fan since the late ’90s, has tried to follow Wright’s lead off the field as well.

“David Wright came up when I was just like in the sixth or seventh grade and I was immediately drawn to him in the way he carried himself and he was such a great ballplayer and he was such a leader,” the younger Massa said. “I always kind of wanted to be like that myself in my life. I just always looked up to David, one of my favorites of all time.”

Eventually, they all huddled inside the park to watch a game that they’ll never forget, and as Saturday night turned into early Sunday, a flock of weary scribes hung around in front of Wright’s locker in a mostly empty Mets clubhouse. Several cracked jokes with the always affable third baseman, the class that Connelly alluded to still on display despite a physically and emotionally draining couple of days. With family and friends waiting patiently in the hallway to continue the celebration, Wright had a few kind words and a handshake for every one of us individually. No big surprise, though. Since 2004, that was David Wright. I imagine that it always will be.

Photo credit: Scott Orgera; pictured: Kyle Brancato (left) and Michael Bonello (right) 

Sunday? The Mets.

In the year of our Lord, 2018? Well…

WHAT HAPPENED, DON’T YOU EVER TELL ME THERE IS CONSEQUENCES:

The odd thing about having the final recap of the season is that, well, this article can go in multiple directions. Do you focus on Game 162 like it was any other? Do you turn one game into one long, drawn-out metaphor for a 77-85 season? I had the, let’s say, pleasure of recapping this very game last season. It ended, as follows: “Farewell, 2017, and may you rot in hell.” As you can tell, I wasn’t exactly filled with optimism for 2018. And, as you might remember, there was a lot to be upset about when we were here last season.

While 2018 was similar in a lot of ways, it felt different in all the wrong ways. Overall, it just felt tired. It felt exhausting to yell the same things into the same void and question if anyone with decision-making ability is watching the same game that you’re watching. As a sports fan, that’s just how it is sometimes. It’s one of the more pointless aspects, sure, but it’s a feature of fandom nonetheless. That’s because we view sports as our release. Our mental break from the seemingly endless grind for the thankless bourgeoise. No matter how in-depth your fandom is.

It’s this aspect of fandom, escapism, that allows fans to see themselves as owners much too often. It’s this aspect that allows fans to focus on the vision they had of themselves playing professional sports, for better or worse. More importantly, it is this aspect that creates an environment where the thing you feel so deeply invested in, well, it might not actually matter at the end of the day. It is this aspect that allows fans to tell themselves the game they see is completely devoid of the context of society. Out of sight and out of reach, even when it is so clearly, painstakingly not.

The Mets started Sunday by allowing an accused domestic abuser to hit and/or play the field. This, of course, isn’t new. For this specific player, Sunday marked the 315th game in which that statement reigned true. And while that might seem a bit abrasive, that fact about Jose Reyes cannot possibly be separated from him. It is central to how he even wound up here in the first place.

On May 13, 2016, Jose Reyes was suspended 52 games by Major League Baseball under the league’s joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy. He was immediately released by the Colorado Rockies on June 15, 2016, upon completing his suspension and being taken off of administrative leave. After waiting the required amount of time, Reyes was scooped up by the Mets for the pro-rated Major League minimum. He was immediately welcomed with open arms. He received a standing ovation by Mets fans.

Everything since than has been pretty simple. Reyes has played at an awful level, but somehow managed to get a seemingly unlimited amount of opportunities. To anyone paying attention at the end of the year, it’s been pretty clear why. The Mets front office and the Wilpons have an insatiable desire to rehab the former great. Waiting for the perfect opportunity, all parties seized the David Wright opportunity. And, using the credibility/persona that is ‘The Captain,” the Mets seem to have been successful in their efforts to rehab Jose Reyes. Like he did the day he returned, he received a standing ovation on his way out the door.

Reyes isn’t the first person to be accused of domestic abuse and see their career rehabbed. About the only thing that makes him unique is that, despite poor play, he still found some form of redemption among the fanbase, which, ultimately, speaks to the farcical and downright awful fact that plenty of fans conflate athletic performance with some sort of corrective action for domestic violence charges. It lays barren the biggest lie sold to our society: actual domestic abusers, specifically high-profile ones, don’t face actual repercussions.

No matter how many times we repeat and shout about what Reyes allegedly did, nothing changed. People forgave in the absence of any true reason to forgive. People were eager to assume change and “time served.” He was immediately given a blank-check chance for redemption, as if the area of baseball were even remotely able to provide him such a thing, and never looked back. The Mets, who understood that the fanbase was truly eager for a reason to forgive, made sure this narrative was written in stone.

This type of treatment also holds up to what occurs in our world at large. Be it domestic abuse or sexual assault. Aroldis Chapman won a World Series ring the season he served his suspension. Not even a year after the public learned about some truly heinous acts committed by Louis C.K., he had a gig in New York at the Comedy Cellar. Chris Hardwick is back to riding whatever coattails “The Walking Dead” has left. Barry Bonds just had his number retired in San Francisco. If Brett Kavanaugh doesn’t get his promotion, he’ll just go back to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The list goes on and on.

It is truly remarkable that people can say charges of domestic violence/sexual assault can ruin someone’s career. It is a boldface lie. It is always told to serve a purpose. And, with Jose Reyes in particular, it is so easy to see. Accept for a second the premise (a premise which has a abysmally low rate of even occurring) that some levied accusation is false, but believed as truth. Is there really any overwhelming evidence that someone already owning notoriety will even feel more than a slight road bump in their career?

We sit idly by as the powerful use their clout to shake off the irreversible and deep trauma that they have imposed on another human being. While I’d like to believe we’re better, the fact of the matter is that many of us look for any excuse at all for things to go back to the way they were.

We disregard the pain and suffering of people we don’t know in favor of more well-known people that we don’t know. We have no reason to give high-profile abusers cover or a pass because we like the way they used to hit a baseball or throw a fastball or act or vote in ways we would vote. And yet, here we are.

At the time of Reyes’ return, Sandy Alderson had this to say: “I go back to the fact that he was with this organization as a teenager, as a young adult, and during all of that time with us — admittedly a few years ago — he was a very good citizen across the board. We are confident we’re going to get the best possible version of today’s Jose Reyes.”

Even if Alderson isn’t running things nowadays, that quote is very telling. It lets us know where the Mets wanted to try and return Reyes’ career. It perfectly combines the use of a non-sequitur and a strawman to skate around the fact that people we view as obtaining all types of great characteristics can still do terrible things to other people. And, at the end of the day, those other people should be who this whole discussion deserves to be centered around.

So, this is (potentially) the last time we’ll see Jose Reyes in a Mets uniform. It is long overdue, but all the Mets have done to rehab his character should remain a stain on this franchise for years to come. The sad reality, however, is that it won’t. Because even though we think of sports as some event outside of the jurisdiction of modern society, it isn’t. And if our society and our culture is an indication of the future of Jose Reyes, he’ll have his number retired in seven years. What a just world this is.

Photo credit: Brad Penner – USA Today Sports

For most of the evening, Wheeler found himself locked in a tight pitcher’s duel with Giants’ lefty Andrew Suarez as both hurlers left the opposing offense befuddled basically all night. Both men tossed seven innings, and of the 14 combined frames the starters pitched, eight were 1-2-3 innings.

The Mets’ first real threat came in the seventh when Jeff McNeil was hit by a pitch to start the inning and Austin Jackson followed with a single. After a Wilmer Flores fly out scooted McNeil to third, up stepped Jay Bruce with a golden opportunity to break the ice in this one and push the game’s first run across. Instead, the veteran bounced into an inning-ending 3-6-3 double play to send the momentum back to the home dugout. And San Francisco would take advantage.

Brandon Belt pulled the first pitch of the home seventh down the right field line for a lead-off double, and he advanced to third base on a groundout. Young Chris Shaw, playing in his first Major League game, then got just enough of a fly ball to center to put the Giants up 1-0.

The Mets briefly threatened in the eighth when Brandon Nimmo doubled with one out against San Francisco’s Tony Watson, but the veteran southpaw was able to get Jose Reyes and Michael Conforto out to end the threat. And in the bottom of that inning, the Giants were able to easily put the game out of reach.

Young catcher Aramis Garcia crushed his first big league bomb to lead off the inning and, before the frame was over, Robert Gsellman, Daniel Zamora, Drew Smith and Jacob Rhame would combine to allow six Giants to score and put the Mets down 7-0. New York went down 1-2-3 in the ninth against Ty Blach to end a disappointing series opener for New York.

Up next, the Mets will send Steven Matz to the bump against fellow left hander Derek Holland later this afternoon.

 Photo credit: Stan Szeto – USA Today Sports

But the offense broke out immediately in this one, with Todd Frazier blasting a grand slam into the left field bleachers in the first inning. And, amazingly, it was basically all over but the shouting from there. Vargas continued his run of actually pitching well, reaching the sixth inning in his fourth consecutive start, while only allowing one run on four hits and two walks, with six strikeouts. The outing lowered Vargas’s ERA to a shiny 6.56 on the year.

Hey look, I’m trying not to be too snarky, okay? I’m trying not to turn wins into negatives. That said, though, the success of Vargas comes with a side of malaise and dread for Mets fans who have been paying attention, because we know what it means. With this team, and Vargas’s salary, it’s almost depressingly easy to expect the team to use his late-season competency as a reason to justify handing the struggling veteran a rotation spot next season. Guaranteeing anything to Vargas is, of course, a terrible idea, because even if he pitches well over the last handful of starts here, under no circumstances is he a viable rotation option on any team hoping to compete next season; he will be 36 years old next year, and coming into this game, he had a 6.36 ERA over his last 30 starts dating back to July 17, 2017. Don’t be fooled; he’s still not good.

Anyway, the Mets led 4-1 going into the seventh when they struck for four more runs. Singles by Amed Rosario and Austin Jackson drove in two, and then Jose Reyes tripled in two more [snarky comment redacted]. The lead was now 8-1.

But they still weren’t done. Frazier added his fifth RBI of the game in the ninth inning on an RBI single, and Brandon Nimmo got in on the fun with an RBI single of his own a few pitches later. The Mets led 10-1 at the time, and even though Jacob Rhame did his best Jacob Rhame impression and served up a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning, the Mets held on to win 10-3.

OTHER NEWS OF THE DAY

Whether or not David Wright plays for the New York Mets in 2018 is apparently his call, and he seems pretty damn intent on playing Major League Baseball in 2018.

The Mets released their 2019 Spring Training Schedule, in case you want to try pinpointing the exact day you talk yourself into Jay Bruce, full-time first baseman.

WHAT’S NEXT

Off day today, but the Mets finish off August by traveling to the Bay Area to take on the Giants in AT&T Park. Zack Wheeler takes the hill against Andrew Suarez at 10:15 p.m..

Photo credit: Jim Young – USA Today Sports

The Mets, who apparently win series now.

WHAT HAPPENED, ON JOSE REYES:

On Sunday, Jose Reyes recorded his third home run of August. However, it should also be noted that Jose Reyes is bad. I could list all the reasons why this is true, but you’re reading the game recap of the 49-66 New York Mets. Suffice to say, you’re not ignorant of the countless reasons why Reyes should not be on this club. You’re not an idiot. You’re not management.
What is troubling is what is looming. A hot end to 2017 served as justification for re-signing Reyes during this past offseason, a re-signing which afforded him the opportunity to challenge for the crown of worst player the league has to offer. Comments about the FO’s loyalty to Reyes also lead one to believe that they’ve dug their heels in until Reyes is ready to call it quits. Either that, or they see admitting Reyes is bad and cutting bait as an admission that they were wrong — effectively viewing it as a sign of weakness.

One home run doesn’t matter. Two home runs don’t matter. Jose Reyes is still bad at baseball. In addition to that, his constant platform as a leader in the clubhouse, despite his DV past, is past the point of being just problematic. It is deeply ingrained into how Jose Reyes ended up back here in the first place. It is flat-out wrong.

Maybe this comes off as holier-than-thou, or maybe it comes off as grandstanding on a clearly bad player. But consider how fanbases really work. The better you play, the more you’re liked. All can be forgiven, so long as you can produce. This is why it is so awful for Reyes to still be here. The opportunity to play his way into ‘redemption’ narratives is the only real purpose Reyes has left. Every good outing gives the fanbase, which gave Reyes an ovation upon returning from his DV suspension, greater reason to rally behind him.

The issue isn’t just that every win where Jose Reyes is prominently featured feels problematic. It isn’t that Reyes can’t perform above his current level. The issue is that Jose Reyes becomes normalized with every positive PA. His very real and very consequential decision has been reduced to an ability to hit over the Mendoza line. An ability to present a respectable OPS, or play decent enough defense. And with every opportunity he is presented by the Mets, this issue has a chance to grow.

I fully expect Reyes to get hot again. It always seems to happen that way when Reyes is close to the chopping-block. But it really doesn’t matter how well he plays. It distracts from the real issues at hand: that Jose Reyes should not have the opportunity to fix his credibility by swinging a hot bat. That Jose Reyes should not be on this team, nor should he have ever been allowed a chance at a second stint (considering the context).

WHAT HAPPENED, YESTERDAY:

So, yeah, Jose Reyes wasn’t the only good thing to come out of Sunday’s action against the Miami Marlins. Noah Syndergaard pitched well, Michael Conforto homered and Seth Lugo recorded his first save. The Mets won their second consecutive series! There were other positives that could’ve drawn the focus of the game, but the Reyes issue cannot possibly be addressed enough. Especially when he appears to be on the precipice of a hot streak.

WHAT HAPPENS, TODAY:

The Mets stay in the New York area to make up a rainout against the Yankees. It’ll be a battle of aces as Jacob deGrom squares off against Luis Severino. After a two-game mid-week series against the Baltimore Orioles, the Mets go up against the Philadelphia Phillies five times. In facing the Phillies, the fifth game of that series will be the MLB Little League Classic, which takes place in Williamsport, PA.

Photo credit: Steve Mitchell – USA Today Sports

On a humid and miserable night that ended with rain dampening whatever was left of the spirits of whatever was left of the Flushing faithful, the Mets limply lurched to another loss, while Atlanta played for a share of first place.

It wasn’t until the third when the Mets remembered they were the Mets, and Atlanta scored three runs to obliterate a a 1-1 tie.

Brandon Nimmo hit his 14th home run in the first inning (his third lead off home run of the year), and a pinch-hitting Luis Guillorme driving in Jose Reyes in the fifth accounted for all the Mets runs.

The closest the Mets came to changing the momentum came in the sixth, after Michael Conforto walked with one out; Wilmer Flores knocked a single into center that Ronald Acuña Jr. overran. Atlanta won their appeal of the tag play at second, and instead of the tying runs on base with one out, Todd Frazier popped out on the very next pitch.

Ozzie Albies and Johan Camargo drove in one and two runs, respectively, cementing their status as Mets killers. Usual suspect Freddie Freeman drove a run in as well.

Jason Vargas went five innings, surrendered four runs (all earned) and struck out seven. The Wilpons are paying $8 million a year for this.

Braves starter Mike Foltynewicz went six innings, holding the Mets to two runs and striking out five. Atlanta is paying him $2.2 million a year, for what it’s worth. A.J. Minter collected his seventh save on the year.

These two teams face each other again tonight, with Anibal Sanchez (5-3, 3.00) taking on human embodiment of pathos Jacob deGrom (5-6, 1.82). First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m.

Photo credit: Adam Hunger – USA Today Sports

This series, however, was only two games, so only two of those types of games could fit into this series. And since the Mets are not good enough to even hold a lead over Washington, let alone beat them in an inspiring manner, that means these two games could only reflect the first two types of games mentioned there: the blowout and the frustrating loss. Tuesday night was the blowout, and yesterday, Gio Gonzalez didn’t pitch, but the Mets were still frustratingly shut-down by *checks notes* Tommy Milone.

Yes, that Tommy Milone.

The Mets mustered just one run on three hits in seven innings against literally Tommy Milone. He somehow struck out nine, which was the most batters he had struck out in a game since May 1, 2013. His game score of 76 was also his best since July 19, 2016.

And that one run the Mets scored against him was, of course, a solo home run hit by new Staff Ace Jose Reyes. It was his first of two homers on the day, raising his OPS all the way up to .549. His .191 batting average is now the closest it’s been to the Mendoza line all season, and I wish I was kidding. I’m not. This is the highest that both his OPS and average have been all season.

On the mound, Noah Syndergaard returned from hand, foot and mouth disease and struggled out of the gate, giving up a run in the bottom of the first, and then two more in the third on an Anthony Rendon homer. But Syndergaard settled down from there, retiring the next 12 hitters he faced and getting through the seventh without allowing any more runs to cross. The strikeout stuff wasn’t there — he only fanned four — but the velocity was back, which is a great sign that everything is back to normal and Syndergaard is free of the gross kiddie germs.

Not much else happened in this game worth discussing. Seth Lugo is still the only good reliever left on the team. Juan Soto aided Wilmer Flores into a home run. Austin Jackson looks like a waste.

It’s not gonna get any prettier, folks.

OTHER NEWS OF THE DAY

Steven Matz is experiencing the proverbial “forearm tightness.” Whooaa boy.

Tim Peterson was optioned for Noah Syndergaard’s spot on the roster.

WHAT’S NEXT

If you still care, the Mets return home and welcome in the Braves tonight for a four-game set at 7:10 p.m. ET. Jason Vargas goes against Mike Foltynewicz. Hey, both guys have been All-Stars in the last two years.

Photo credit: Brad Mills – USA Today Sports

Zack and Jake are still here. That’s good! Bautista and Mesoraco are still here. That’s bad. Both will pass through waivers. That’s good! The Nationals didn’t blow it up. That’s bad. This game (Steven Matz vs Tanner Roark to start a two game set in D.C.) comes with free frogurt. That’s good! The frogurt is cursed. That’s bad. Jose Reyes isn’t starting. That’s good. Jose Reyes contains potassium benzoate.

If you’re ready to leave now, get in line with the rest of the Mets fans who wish this season was just over already.

Game Recap

There’s a great scene in “Moneyball,” where Billy Beane is driving to see Oakland’s minor league team while the major league team plays for the 20-game win streak. His daughter calls and tells him to come back and watch the game, at which point he turns on the radio and hears the broadcaster simply say, “If you’re just joining us, you’ve missed a lot. I think my recap will be simple: the A’s scored six in the first, one in the second and four in the third.” Beane proceeds to make a U-turn, return to the stadium and watch the A’s finish their historic streak in truly stupendous fashion on Scott Hatterberg’s walkoff home run.

So on that note, you’ve missed a lot. I think I’ll keep the recap simple: the Nationals scored seven in the first, three in the second, three in the third, three in the fourth, three in the fifth, six in the eighth and beat the Mets into the ground by a final score of 25-4. Steven Matz was awful, and the cavalcade of relievers the Mets sent out were just as bad for the most part. Wilmer Flores left the game in the first with dizziness and dehydration, and he was probably the lucky one.

There were a couple of bright moments. Jeff McNeil hit his first career home run off the facing of the second deck in right. A Michael Conforto double and a home run from Austin Jackson led to a three-run rally that really pissed off Nationals reliever Shawn Kelley, which was amusing.We also got to see Jose Reyes pitch and get destroyed, which was somewhat cathartic. Other than that, this was a game you were better off missing.

Thoughts from the Game

The only major thought from this game is man, do the Mets have a lot of work to do in their bullpen. Most of the relievers they traded for at the deadline last year are bad, and for some reason, several intriguing arms are still lingering in the minors or sit unused in the bullpen. Tyler Bashlor, Drew Smith, Eric Hanhold, Stephen Villines, Adonis Uceta and the newly acquired Bobby Wahl should all see significant major league action the rest of the season to evaluate their viability for 2019. I’m sure the Mets will just opt to track down Chris Beck again though, because that’s just how they roll.

Other Mets News

The Mets let the trade deadline pass without making any moves. In a vacuum, that’s not entirely surprising; the roster is a mix of guys who they really shouldn’t move (Jacob deGrom and Zack Wheeler) and rental pieces that don’t have much value (Jose Bautista and Devin Mesoraco). The latter group will almost certainly pass through waivers, meaning the Mets still have another month to snag a couple more marginal pieces.

More concerning than the lack of moves was the press conference that followed. John Rico came out and said the Mets haven’t decided whether they’ll go for it or rebuild for 2019. Commentary on which direction makes more sense aside, this is the latest in what feels like a tsunami of examples of the incompetence and dysfunction within the front office. It’s baffling that a major league team would enter a trade deadline with what amounts to no long term plan, but it’s just par for the course for this organization.

Reyes, from the time he was called up, a day short of his 20th birthday, in 2003 until his departure as a free agent after the 2011 season, was one of the best players on the New York Mets and a fan favorite. During that time, Reyes was a top offensive threat and an above average defender and, along Carlos Beltran and David Wright, was able to lead them in 2006 to their first division title and NCLS since 1988. But this is no longer the Jose Reyes that sparked “Jose-Jose-Jose” chants at Shea Stadium and subsequently Citi Field. Mets fans must understand and accept that this is not the same player or person they remember. This Jose Reyes is an accused domestic abuser who was suspended 51 games in 2016 and a below-replacement player.

It is understandable that some New York Mets fans have fond memories of Reyes and are not seeing how bad he really been this season. From 2006 to 2011, Jose Reyes totaled 28.5 BWARP, which placed him 13th in Major League Baseball over that period, despite an injury shortened season in 2009. In his final season with the Mets in 2011, before taking his talents to South Beach (the Miami Marlins), he had 6.4 BWARP, placing him eighth in the majors and led the National League in batting average. Not only was Jose Reyes one of the best players on the team by new age statistics, but he led the Mets in many counting stats, making his presence felt on the team even more. During his tenure, he led the team in hits four times and finished in the top three six times. Once he reached base, he was a constant threat to steal bases, setting the team single-season stolen base record in 2007 with 78, the most in a single season of any major leaguer since 1988, and holds the record for most as a member of the New York Mets. And whenever Reyes was on base, he would often score runs, leading the team three times. In the eyes of some of the remaining faithful New York Mets fans, Reyes is still this amazing player and offensive threat.

Reyes, who left the Mets in 2011, followed it up with only a single season with Miami and a BWARP of 4.1 before being sent to the Toronto Blue Jays in the Marlins fire sale along with Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell. After two years of posting a 3.3 and 3.0 BWARPs, Reyes was subsequently dealt to the Colorado Rockies at the trade deadline of 2015 in exchange for Troy Tulowitzki. Unfortunately, Reyes’ decline continued and he posted only a combined 1.2 BWARP that year and an OBP in hitter friendly Colorado of only .291.

Not only was Reyes’s on-field performance on the downfall, his off-the-field performance in 2015 was even worse. While on vacation in Hawaii in October 2015, Reyes’s wife, Katherine Ramirez, called the police after the shortstop allegedly grabbed her by the throat and threw her into a glass door; she was taken to the emergency room with injuries to her side, neck and wrist. Unfortunately, Ramirez failed to cooperate with police, meaning no charges were brought against Reyes.

The only punishment Reyes received was a 51-game suspension under Major League Baseball’s Domestic Violence Policy, keeping him off the field until May 31, 2016. However, as Reyes was already on leave from the Rockies, his punishment was only him being suspended 17 games, donating a measly $100,000 to a charitable cause (less than 0.1% of the contract he signed with the Marlins) and a scripted apology. After a brief stint in Triple-A with the Rockies, he was designated for assignment and subsequently released.

However, the New York Mets are not the Colorado Rockies. They are the team under the ownership of Jeff Wilpon, who fired a pregnant Leigh Castergine, the Senior Vice President of Ticket Sales, after she reported him to human resources for making disparaging comments about her having a child out of wedlock. With Reyes released from the Rockies, Colorado was responsible for the rest of his salary from the contract he signed with the Miami Marlins, meaning the former Met was available for the Major League minimum. The Mets were happy to give Reyes a minor league contract. On June 26, 2016. he was back with the team in the minors and in the majors by July 5. Of course, the Mets took full advantage of this situation, using Reyes as much as possible despite his performance on and off the field.

The New York Mets, pretending it was still the late 2000s and operating as a small-to-medium market-sized team, decided to bring back Reyes for 2017 at his league minimum salary after posting a 1.6 BWARP in 2016. Despite his dismal performance, he managed to lead the team in games played and plate appearances. With top prospects, particularly Amed Rosario, ready to play every day and Asdrubal Cabrera and Todd Frazier on the team, it seemed like Jose Reyes’ second tenure with the New York Mets would hopefully come to an end. But in typical New York Mets fashion, it did not.

In early 2018, the New York Mets re-signed Jose Reyes to a $2 million contract as a utility player and to serve as a mentor for Amed Rosario. This logic is flawed in both senses. The New York Mets already had Asdrubal Cabrera and Wilmer Flores as utility infielders, assuming Rosario started at shortstop, and could have had multiple other options on the 40-man roster. Additionally, saying that Jose Reyes should be a mentor for Amed Rosario is laughable. I do not believe Jose Reyes is someone a team would want to mentor their top prospects. Not only does Jose Reyes have the domestic violence issue, he was sued in 2015 for child support for a child he had while cheating on his wife, who he only told after she found out in 2015 and was sued for stopping pay of child support. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think Jose Reyes is proper mentor material.

But it wasn’t even just that Reyes was brought back for 2018; he has been inexplicably starting for the team too, having started 32 of the 45 games he has appeared in so far. Between his personal issues and poor performance, Reyes’ time with the New York Mets must come to an end.

Reyes, no longer a serviceable Major League Baseball player by any measure, has been worth -0.8 BWARP so far this season, meaning he has been worse than replacement level and as one of the worse players in the league. His poor performance offensively is evident through his lack of ability to get on base: this season, his on-base percentage is a career worst .250 and tied for seventh-worst for all players with more than 150 plate appearances this season.

What exactly is the reasoning behind Jose Reyes’s inability to get on base? It’s not that he doesn’t walk or strikes out too much. While his strikeout rate at 14.9% is the second highest of his career, it’s still below the league average of 22.2% and even his walk rate of 8.9% is slightly above the league average 8.6%. Currently his BABIP is .205, which is the second lowest in the league and the lowest of his career, meaning there is the potential that he is having some bad luck.

However, it’s more apparent that Reyes is just making bad contact. His percentage of balls hit softly is a career high for him of 30.5, based on data from Baseball Info Solutions. This is worst in Major League Baseball out of all hitters with 150 plate appearances, where the next highest is 29.7%, almost a full percentage point lower. The average for Major League Baseball is 18.2%. This means that Jose Reyes is, in fact, just a bad player. Even if there is some bad luck, if he can no longer make quality contact and get on base, then his offense is not worth keeping him around on the team.

Along with the lack of quality contact is also the impact of less power, which puts Reyes at his career low slugging percentage of 0.235, again the worst in Major League Baseball this season. The combination of soft contact and lack of power makes Reyes anything but an offensive threat to opposing teams.

Based on these statistics alone, it’s clear that Jose Reyes is not being kept around for his offense. So maybe there is something the New York Mets’ front office sees in his defense. While fielding metrics are far from perfect, Reyes has a negative UZR (ultimate zone rating) at both shortstop and third base, which means that he is a below average at both positions defensively. Additionally, according to Baseball Prospectus, he has been worth -1.8 Fielding Runs Above Average this season. So defense can’t be the reason the New York Mets keep him around either

Between the on-field and off-field evidence, it’s inexplicable why Jose Reyes is still on the major league roster, and especially inexplicably why he’s getting playing time. The only plausible reason that I can see to keep him around is the front office’s frugality. For some reason, they gave him a $2 million contract for 2018 and he still has salary owed to him for the rest of the season as little as it may be. The Mets have proven that are reluctant to spend money, let eat money; the team failed to pay down any contracts in their recent trades of Asdrubal Cabrera and Jeurys Familia and have steadfastly refused to reinvest money saved with the insurance on David Wright’s contract. There is also the fact that I am sure the Mets still have unused Jose Reyes merchandise that they need to use while he is a member of the Mets. As recently as last year, they were still giving out Jose Reyes and David Wright duo souvenir soda cups, even though Wright didn’t play a single game.

Whatever the reason would be, for the sake of the future of the New York Mets and the sanity of their fans, it is time to cut the cord, once and for all. If the Yankees can force Alex Rodriguez to retire after a Hall of Fame career, I am sure the Mets can cut a deal to at least get Reyes off the field and off fans’ televisions.

Photo credit: Jason Getz – USA Today Sports