Meet the Mets
Former Mets bullpen coach and team adviser Guy Conti passed away at the age of 84, Jay Horwitz announced yesterday. A baseball lifer, Conti served as the Mets’ bullpen coach from 2005-2008 before transitioning to a role as a minor league adviser. He was instrumental in Pedro Martinez’s early development and was close friends with Sandy Koufax, having previously worked with the Dodgers prior to his time in Queens.
Zac Thornton wants the Mets to sign Tarik Skubal, per an interview with Mike Puma of
the New York Post. “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.”
As the specter of the Pete Crow-Armstrong trade continues to haunt the Mets, they may have pulled a role reversal on the Cubs when trading Clay Holmes and Tyrone Taylor to Chicago at the deadline for top infield prospect Jefferson Rojas—a move that has aged well from the Mets’ perspective thus far, writes Max Goodman of NJ.com.
Around the National League East
Per reporting by Jon Heyman, there is a “decent or better chance” the Phillies retain Don Mattingly as their manager next season.
Christina De Nicola of MLB.com took a look at which Marlins prospects to pay attention to in 2027.
According to a report by Barry Jackson in the Miami Herald, several of the Marlins’ decisions regarding the turnover of their broadcasters were focused on a broadcaster’s ability to reach people on social media to promote the team’s subscription service.
In the first year of Paul Toboni’s tenure as the Nationals President of Baseball Operations, the Nationals’ farm system is in a healthy state, writes Sam Sallick of Federal Baseball.
Speaking of which, Nationals No. 4 prospect Jarlin Susana is lighting up the radar gun in the Arizona Fall League, as he projects to debut as soon as next season.
Around Major League Baseball
Freddy Peralta gave a sterling performance, as the Rays beat the Guardians 3-1 to even up the ALCS at one game apiece. The Rays broke through in the pitchers’ duel in the fourth inning, able to use their speed on the base paths and capitalize on a costly error by José Ramírez at third base to plate three runs.
The Guardians’ team mentality of grinding out at-bats has been infectious and as a result their trade deadline pickups have been among those leading the charge in their playoff run, writes Deesha Thosar of FOX Sports.
It has been a tough year for Nathaniel Lowe, who lost his mother in March to a brain tumor and had to deal with fighting for a roster spot and getting traded. But after all of that adversity, he was able to provide a signature moment in Game 1 of the ALCS.
Similarly, Victor Mesa Jr. went from being designated for assignment to a key contributor and postseason hero for the Rays.
Joe Espada, Rocco Baldelli, Brandon Hyde, and David Ross are among possible candidates for the Mariners’ managerial vacancy.
William Contreras was the spark for the Brewers in their Game 2 victory over the Dodgers; he is the first player in nearly three decades with three game-tying or go-ahead hits in a postseason game. “He’s the fire of our team,” said Christian Yelich of Contreras, who is finally helping Brewers fans see dividends of a trade that four years ago felt like a betrayal.
Now down two games to none in the NLCS, it’s hard to see how the Dodgers can bounce back, especially given a compromised Shohei Ohtani, writes Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Ohtani, who will be in the lineup for Game 3 today, per Dave Roberts, is struggling with timing at the plate more than the physical aspect of his injuries right now, according to Dodgers hitting coach Aaron Bates.
Mike Trout is launching Generation One Collect, a new sports collectibles company.
This Date in Mets History
A legendary defensive performance by Tommie Agee took place in Game 3 of the 1969 World Series on October 14 of that year.
