NEW YORK, NY — The dust had finally settled over Queens and as expected, the Mets overturned a third of their roster at MLB’s August 3rd trade deadline. Keith Hernandez, the Mets Hall of Famer and current SNY team broadcaster, joked that the Mets cleared out their trash.
Hernandez quickly apologized for the remark even though anyone who knows him realizes it was tongue-in-cheek. Contending teams would not have been interested in acquiring these players if they were awful. What Keith was saying was these trades were necessitated because the season had become a dumpster fire.
The general rule of thumb for summer deadline deals is the buying team wants proven veteran talent to bolster a playoff run, while the selling team wants to both shed salaries, and acquire minor league prospects.
Mets owner Steve Cohen has shown a willingness to throw in cash to a buyer to pay off a high salary if that team was willing to send a premium prospect in return. Given that Luke Weaver was one of the most sought-after relievers, it was surprising to learn the Mets paid $8 million dollars to the Pittsburgh Pirates in addition to giving them Weaver. The Pirates, in turn, sent minor league shortstop Sammy Stafura, who grew up in Westchester, to the Mets. He had better be an impact player in Queens soon.
If you put stock in the Major League Baseball prospect ranking system, the top minor leaguer the Mets received last was slugging infielder Jefferson Rojas from the Chicago Cubs. The Mets sent Clay Holmes, who was the Mets’ most dependable starting pitcher over the last two seasons until he was struck by low line drive off the bat of the Yankees’ Spencer Jones in mid-May and was on the injured list since,
Also going to the north side of the Windy City was outfielder Tyrone Taylor, who was the Mets’ best defensive outfielder and their most reliable hitter since the All-Star Game break. Taylor had lived in Astoria during the season since joining the Mets in 2024. He knew he was going to be traded and told me two days before being dealt he was going to miss the neighborhood, especially its many ethnic restaurants.
With the Mets trading every reliever by the beginning of August except closer Devin Williams, the team was forced to call up reinforcements from their Syracuse AAA affiliate. One of those was fireball thrower Jefry Yan.
He quickly became the talk of baseball when he struck out the Cleveland Guardians’ Angel Martinez who happens to be a close friend. Yan immediately jumped up and down and did a leg split which Todd Zeile said reminded him of James Brown.
Opposing managers should warn their hitters not to mimic Yan’s celebratory antics when they hit a home run off him, They might pull a calf or back muscle.
Unrelated to the trade deadline, the Mets claimed infielder Gabriel Arias off waivers from the Cleveland Guardians on Friday. That is not exactly a vote of confidence for onetime top Mets prospect Ronny Mauricio who remains in Syracuse. Expect him to be traded in the offseason.
Mrs. Met becomes first female mascot inducted into Mascot Hall of Fame
Mrs. Met will be joining her spouse, Mr. Met, in the Mascot Hall of Fame seventeen years after he was inducted. She becomes the first female mascot to receive that honor. Surprisingly, the Phillie Phanatic has remained single all these years.
Rain Delay Theater at Yankee Stadium
One of the hardest things for any baseball air personality to do is to pass time during a long rain delay. YES studio host Bob Lorenz, along with Adam Ottavino and Todd Frazier, who both played for the Mets and Yankees, did yeoman’s work discussing baseball player rituals during rain delays, favorite pizzerias and pizza types, chess, and athlete nicknames. The time flew by.
Daniel Murphy’s Stellar Job in the Booth
Former Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy would appear to be the favorite to join the Mets SNY television booth when either Keith Hernandez or Ron Darling retires. Murphy flew from his Jacksonville home to accompany Gary Cohen last weekend, as both Keith and Ron were celebrating the 40th anniversary of the 1986 Mets World Series-winning team.
Murphy has a relaxing delivery and knows how to make the viewer part of the game. When the Mets had a runner on first base, Murphy asked Cohen if he, and by extension the audience, would opt to send the runner on the next pitch. That makes for a good broadcast.
San Francisco Giants analyst Mike Krukow to retire at the end of 2026 season
Howie Rose will not be the only baseball broadcaster retiring after this season. Longtime San Francisco Giants analyst Mike Krukow will be stepping away as well. Krukow has been battling a degenerative nerve malady for years and getting around has become extremely difficult.
Krukow also enjoyed a sixteen-year career as a starting pitcher from 1974 through 1989. He owned the Mets during that time as he posted a 22-7 record against them.
Lewis Kalb: A Natural in the Booth after One Inning
Every year the Philadelphia Phillies philanthropic foundation holds auctions granting special experiences with the team. One of the most popular items is for a fan to broadcast half an inning of a game with team radio play-by-play man Scott Franzke and analyst, and former Phils reliever, Larry Andersen on WIP. A Phillies fan from South Jersey, Lewis Kalb, won the prize by bidding $22,000. He quickly became a viral sensation with his smooth, unflappable delivery.
While he was not a novice, it would be unfair to call him a ringer. In the early 1990s Kalb did stringer work for WFAN and was an afternoon deejay at an Atlantic City radio station. He spent most of his years, however, as a salesman for the confectioner Russell Stover, and as a substitute teacher.
If Kalb was nervous, he certainly did not show it. He was knowledgeable and sounded quite similar to Washington Nationals play-by-play radio voice Charlie Slowes. Scott Franzke asked him about his background and then stayed silent as he saw Kalb was quite capable. Larry Anderson interacted with him as if they had been working for years.
Kalb also showed a Bob Uecker-style sense of humor. When Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz slammed a hard foul down the left field line which caromed into the outfield and had to be retrieved, he slyly stated, “The ballgirl is getting a little action!” Groucho Marx would have been proud.
At age 73, Lewis Kalb had a Walter Mitty moment of his dreams. Given the great reviews and the national attention he received, Audacy, which has the radio rights for the Phillies, the Yankees, and the Mets, should have him do fill-in work.
Netflix launches third season of “WWE Unreal”
Netflix has just launched their third season of “WWE Unreal” which gives viewers a behind-the- scenes look at both the business side of professional wrestling, and the personal lives of the wrestlers. The two main plots of this season are the retirement of John Cena, and the unexpected injury to champ Seth Rollins. What is most fascinating is watching the camaraderie of the wrestlers offstage at the end of a show after they followed the script to pulverize each other in the ring. They are great stuntmen and showmen.
Mark your Calendars for September 25-27: Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame to host 10th annual induction ceremony at Hard Rock Casino & Hotel
The Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame will host its tenth annual induction ceremonies at the Hard Rock Casino & Hotel during the weekend of September 25-27. Among the boxers being honored are Miguel Cotto, Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, and Zab Judah. Also being honored is longtime New York boxing promoter Lou DiBella.
New York Red Bulls’ Unusual Yet Cool Ticket Package for August 18th Match vs. Nashville SC
The New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer are offering an unusual ticket package for their game against Nashville SC on August 19. Fans purchasing this ticket offer will get a goody bag featuring the latest book, “It Happened One Summer,” from New York Times bestselling novelist Tessa Bailey. There will also be a Q&A session with Bailey before the match.
You can read more of Lloyd Carroll’s columns posted weekly on The Queens Chronicle.
