Mets Afternoon News: deGrom simulated game success, Soto sweepstakes continues

Meet the Mets

The Mets have set their rotation for this weekend. Max Scherzer will pitch tonight, Chris Bassitt will pitch tomorrow, and Carlos Carrasco will take the mound on Sunday.

Jacob deGrom threw 60 pitches in his simulated game yesterday and felt good after the outing.

Dominic Smith was officially placed on the injured list, retroactive to July 17 with a right ankle sprain. There has been no corresponding roster move announced yet, but the recently DFA’d Ender Inciarte has elected free agency and Travis Blankenhorn is in New York.

The Red Sox are among the teams interested in Smith and have had trade talk with the Mets involving the lefty 1B/DH, reports Robert Murray.

Tim Britton of The Athletic explores ways the Mets could get creative at the trading deadline.

According to reporting from Andy Martino of SNY, trade talks between the Mets and Nationals involving Juan Soto have “died down” and it is now an “extreme longshot” that Soto will end up in Queens.

Anthony DiComo of MLB.com answered some questions around the Mets’ pursuit of Soto, including what it would take to get a deal done for the superstar.

Buck Showalter says that Taijuan Walker went to New York to get checked out before the All-Star break, but emphasized that it was not a big deal. Walker is still slated to start one of the Mets’ first five games in the second half.

Around the National League East

Jon Heyman of the New York Post is reporting that the Nationals have a preference for a prospect-heavy package for Soto, rather than one involving current major leaguers, especially if the receiving team is willing to take on “bad” money from other contracts, like Patrick Corbin’s. It now seems more likely that he will be traded before the deadline. However, Heyman is hearing from both Mets and Yankees folks that teams may be unwilling to surrender their top three prospects plus more for Soto.

A CT scan on Jazz Chisholm, Jr.’s back has revealed a stress fracture. The Marlins All-Star second baseman will be sidelined for approximately six weeks.

Ethan Witte of The Good Phight argues that the Phillies should approach the trading deadline similarly to how the Braves did last year.

The bitter rivalry between sports economists Andrew Zimbalist and J.C. Bradbury over the Braves’ stadium subsidy rages on.

Around Major League Baseball

ESPN placed all 30 MLB teams into six tiers based on playoff potential. The Mets are in the second tier along with the Astros, Dodgers, Braves, and Padres as the “five biggest threats to the Yankees,” who stand alone in the top tier.

VinePair tells the bizarre story of MLB’s “official vodka,” which may or may not actually exist.

The San Francisco Giants signed Trevor Rosenthal to $4.5M pro-rated deal plus incentives.

No. 1 overall pick Jackson Holiday signed with the Orioles for $8.19 million, which is the highest signing bonus ever for high school player in the history of the draft.

Wasserman Agency expanded its MLB business by acquiring Jet Sports Management.

ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez wrote about Latino players’ views on the international draft.

Testing out efforts to limit defensive shifts, starting today, each field in the Florida State League will have chalk lines extending from the CF-facing tip of second base to the edge of the OF grass, between which infielders cannot stand before a pitch is thrown.

An alleged serial burglar stole more than $650,000 of jewelry from Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco’s car in June, according to court and police records obtained by ESPN.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

Steve Sypa brought us draft profiles on the Mets’ tenth through fifteenth-round draft picks: Zebulon Vermillion (10th rd), Rhylan Thomas (11th rd), Paul Gervase (12th rd), Dylan Ross (13th rd), Cameron Foster (14th rd), and Jackson Jaha (15th rd).

In a new episode of Amazin’ Avenue Audio (The Show), Brian Salvatore and Chris McShane reflect on the first half and share their thoughts on the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game.

This Date in Mets History

On this date in 1986, the Mets had a classic baseball brawl with the Reds.