This Week in Mets Quotes: Terry Collins wants paid baseball players ready to play baseball.

Your 2017 New York Mets: We were overmatched.

“We were overmatched. They outplayed us in every facet of the game.” –Terry Collins [New York Post]

Not quite as succinct/inspiring as Belichick’s ‘do your job’ mantra.

“You have to show up ready to play baseball. That’s what you get paid to do. That’s what your job is. That’s why you do this. And our fan base deserves your best effort.” –Terry Collins [New York Post]

Jay Bruce was traded 5 days after this comment.

“We want to make sure — as with Amed — when [Dom Smith] comes here, he gets most of the playing time. I would suspect that would be in the near future, but I can’t give you a specific time frame.” –Sandy Alderson [New York Post]

Some final quotes from a surprisingly candid interviewee.

“MLB.com: Disappointment that a trade didn't happen?

Bruce: What I am disappointed about is all of us anticipated we had a chance to be a World Series contender. It has not worked out that way. We have so many guys who have spent time on the disabled list. That's the disappointing part. That's why you play. You know the ramification of underachieving is selling pieces off to get better for the future. We wanted to make the most of this season, but it didn't happen.

MLB.com: Surprised you weren't traded?

Bruce: I knew this was a possibility. I am happy to still be there. Nothing changes. We'll see what happens. Obviously, the August trade deadline is still there.” [Mets]

Over/Under on when Mets fans turn on Rosario if he can’t get his average over .200?

"I am very thankful for the reaction I got from the fans. For me, it's a pleasure." –Amed Rosario [MLB]

Really was expecting him to say ‘Mets’ rather than ‘Minor Leagues’.

"It's an honor and a privilege to be drafted by the Mets. I don't think anyone grows up wanting to be in the Minor Leagues, so my goal is to get here, and play in this stadium, and help the team win. Obviously, starting in Brooklyn is the first step." –David Peterson [MLB]

Including this quote from deGrom on his 2015 playoff start against the Dodgers to reiterate that for Nickname Weekend, deGrom’s nickname is ‘Jake’.

“I thought to myself that they can say I stunk tonight, but I gave it all I have. That was my mindset: My stuff ain’t very good today, but this is what I’ve got and I got to figure it out.” –Jacob “Jake” deGrom [New York Daily News]

Bless You, Howie.

“The Dodgers have won their first six, and they’ll go for the season series sweep tonight just as soon as the network stooge down there says that it’s OK to play baseball. The pitcher, Steven Matz, is rubbing up the ball, he’s ready to go. The home plate umpire, Tim Timmons, looking suitably disgusted, just took his mask off and kind of rests it against his left hip as he helplessly stares near the Dodger dugout where said network stooge is holding all the cards. So, suspended animation on the field right now. You’ve got nine Mets standing around, you’ve got the Dodgers’ leadoff hitter, Chris Taylor, standing —it really is ludicrous—but now, and only now, do we get the OK, and so we’re gonna have a baseball game here tonight, about seven hours later than we should have.” –Howie Rose [New York Daily News]

Good to see Rosario already reaching out for help from the coaching staff.

“I approached [Kevin Long], because I told him I was feeling a little bad that I could not connect bat to ball. So together we worked on some adjustments.” –Amed Rosario [New York Daily News]

It’s all in the game.

“That’s the name of the game up here. That, adjusting to the report on you, that’s the tough part about being here in the big leagues. He’s going to learn that real quick. I’ve seen him adjust before and I am excited for him, excited to see him progress as the season goes on.” –Michael Conforto [New York Daily News]

He continued, ‘and that other day was one of them, and the before that one…’

"I think it was just a bad day. I'll keep working hard. Anybody can have a bad day. Today was one of them." Rafael Montero [Mets]

SiteBot FacePalm of the Week

“I think I'm done.

It’s been 35 years since my first Mets game in 1983. I went to the game on Tuesday with my son. I had a pastrami sandwich and a giant Shocktop, and they won. It was a nice night. But yesterday, with this stupid salary dump, I think is the last straw.

Should Jay Bruce have been traded? Yes.

Should the Mets have eaten salary? Yes

Should they have gotten much better prospects than a 30th rounder stuck in A ball? Yes

But none of that happened. The owners lined their pockets and failed to make their team better. Just another shining example of Wilpon era baseball. When I graduated college in 2000, I came home to a winning Mets team. And that October, I learned a fateful truth. He had been a Mets fan for as long as I could remember and brought me up as a Mets fan. When the Yankees started winning in the late 90s he jumped on the bandwagon. And when it came down to it, in the Subway Series, he went for the Yankees. My entire childhood was a lie. And overwhelmingly, that’s a funny story I tell people when they ask me about being a Mets fan.

The truth is, this team’s owners are only in it for themselves. Like Jeff Loria, the product on the field is incidental to self gratification. This team could be great, and the owners could make just as much money, if they actually cared about baseball. But they don’t. I don’t feel like I can support them anymore, nor can I be the example I want to be to my son, rooting for a team I don’t believe in. The Wilpons will not sell. Manfred won’t remove them as bad owners. These kinds of things will not end. It’s not worth putting the boy through the same stupidity, just because I like to watch the game. Especially not in the MLB.tv age.

So who we gonna root for the rest of the season? Astros?” -Help!I'maRock!

AA Quotes of the Week

“Well well as one of the biggest proponents of dropping his option, and biggest opponents of the trade, I was pleasantly surprised by all he was able to do for us this season. I wish him well on all his future endeavors.” -blueandorange4life

“Ryder Ryan is a fucking 30th round draft pick We traded a guy who’s gonna hit 40 homers this year for a 30th round draft pick. That’s legitimately hilarious.” –thenamelessone