NY Mets News: Luis Robert Jr. update, more Eric Chavez, Wally Backman cloud yelling

If you haven’t followed New York Mets baseball closely, you might’ve turned on your TV on Monday and thought maybe the team was kicked out of the country. No. It’s just a bi-annual trip to play the Toronto Blue Jays. The last time we were there Francisco Lindor was breaking up a no-hitter and the 2024 team was rallying back in September on a regular basis. They got another homer from Lindor on Monday. It was all they ordered.

A 2-1 loss that felt far worse because of a little league home run to begin the game and failed opportunities throughout, the loss felt defining. Sean Manaea pitched well, but for what purpose? The team went 0 for 9 again with RISP. Once more, a chance to win slipped by.

Off the field was the bigger drama. Injury updates and loud voices commenting on the state of the team, the Mets have gone full soap opera.

Luis Robert Jr. is finally about to start his rehab

He’s back…well maybe. Almost. Sort of. Luis Robert Jr. is scheduled to begin his rehab assignment on June 30th with the Syracuse Mets.

Just over a month to go before the trade deadline, everyone should have the same thought: this is all about trading him. Even if the Mets were to somehow rack off 10 wins in a row and climb into a pennant race, Robert has no real use for the Mets.

Center field now belongs to A.J. Ewing. Flipping Robert for prospects is the only way for the original trade with the Chicago White Sox to end well.

There was even more from Eric Chavez

Eric Chavez dropped bombs on Sunday with David Stearns as his target. Back in the news for the first time in a while, Chavez talked about a few topics including the overuse of analytics.

He continued to call out David Stearns further, referencing how unworthy the Mets’ POBO was to receive the contract he did.

There was never any doubt Chavez and Stearns have a poor personal relationship. Completely different ideas on what it means to be a leader, he addressed further how Juan Soto would distance himself from the team at times last year and put the blame on Stearns for not addressing it.

Soto was asked about Chavez's comments about him. He used the Fifth Amendment and said "no comment." Keeping your mouth shut isn't a bad thing.

Wally Backman went on WFAN and yelled at some clouds

WFAN welcomed in Wally Backman whose existence conjures up the idea of certain fans having the desire to see him manage the team. The timing couldn’t have been coincidental with Carlos Mendoza fired Friday and Eric Chavez spilling beans on Sunday.

Backman talked about launch angle and sounded like your favorite or least favorite uncle with the way he disapproved of how many analytics are being used in the game. A Backman-Chavez duo in the Independent Leagues seems too perfect.

Backman has fair points. In particular with a struggling David Stearns-led team, you’re going to get fans to agree with you more easily when you trash a new way of thinking. Backman probably isn’t the best person to comment on launch angle with 10 career home runs in over 3700 career plate appearances. Calling the game “soft” is something every past generation probably believes. Even if the usage of pitchers pains you to see whenever they exit early due to a pitch count or any other analytical mumbo-jumbo, one has to always consider the money now involved.

Like it or not, the game has evolved and things will never be the way they were 40 years ago.

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