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New York Times
3 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Where the Mets go from here
The 2025 MLB trade deadline arrives at 6 p.m. (ET) Thursday. Join us for live updates and analysis on trades around the league. Getty Images Getty Images So, after they landed Tyler Rogers and Ryan Helsley to bolster their bullpen, what's next for the Mets? It's probably the offense, league sources said. Center field stands out as the most obvious area for an upgrade, but the Mets aren't limiting themselves to just that position, people familiar with their thinking said. Their fluid situation at designated hitter allows them to explore different things. Getty Images Within an hour of the Phillies trading for Twins closer Jhoan Duran, the Mets made a move for Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley. Relief pitching — especially closers — was one place where this trade market felt potentially deepest, and once that market started to move, two of the biggest chips came off the board in a hurry. Duran ranked No. 6 on our Big Board (the top-ranked closer other than Emmanuel Clase) and Helsley ranked No. 26 (the top bullpen rental), but Pirates closer David Bednar, Rays closer Pete Fairbanks, and Royals closer Carlos Estévez also ranked among our top 50. Padres closer Robert Suarez didn't make the Big Board but probably should have (we chose not to rank him, but it now seems possible the Padres could get creative and trade him). The Giants could also trade Camilo Doval, the Nationals could trade Kyle Finnegan, the Angels could trade Kenley Jansen, and the Braves could try to find a taker for Raisel Iglesias. There are still plenty of closers available, but two of the best have come off the board in quick succession. More coming shortly from The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal about Jansen... The Mets' deal for Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley is, to use a highly technical term from The Athletic's prospects guru Keith Law, "a f---ing heist." After New York traded MLB reliever José Buttó and two MLB-ready prospects to the Giants for setup man Tyler Rogers, the Cardinals by comparison got three prospects well outside New York's top five in return for the two-time All-Star closer — shortstop Jesus Baez and right-handed pitchers Nate Dohm and Frank Elissalt. Baez ranked No. 7 in Law's list of the top 20 prospects in the Mets' farm system before the season, while Dohm ranked No. 17 on that list. Baez is still in the lower levels of the minors. Elissalt was not ranked on Law's list. GO FURTHER New York Mets 2025 top 20 prospects: Brandon Sproat, Jett Williams lead the way Getty Images In their three-game sweep in San Diego, the Mets saw first-hand the value of a shutdown bullpen. The Padres' league-best pen held New York to four hits in 47 at-bats, allowing one run in 11 1/3 innings. That's the kind of pen the Mets are aiming to construct. In Tyler Rogers and Ryan Helsley, the Mets have acquired arguably the two best rental relievers on the market. Rogers is a nightmare on opposing hitters with his submarine arm angle — to the point that the Trajekt system many teams employ to prep for pitchers can't imitate him — and Helsley led the National League in saves just last season. New York can shorten the game now, with Rogers and Helsley joining Reed Garrett, Gregory Soto, Ryne Stanek and Brooks Raley as set-up options to get to Edwin Díaz. Helsley's ample closing experience also provides manager Carlos Mendoza with the freedom to use Díaz earlier in games if desired. The Mets had lacked that kind of piece since A.J. Minter went down earlier this season. Getty Images The Cardinals sell-off begins. Closer Ryan Helsley is the first of three relievers St. Louis expects to move before Thursday's deadline, including right-hander Phil Maton and left-hander Steven Matz. Helsley, the longest-tenured Cardinal, joins what is shaping up the be a super-bullpen in Queens. The Cardinals, eager to bolster their depleted farm system, add prospects Jesus Baez, Nate Dohm and Frank Elissalt. Baez entered the season ranked No. 7 in the Mets system, per The Athletic's Keith Law, while Dohm is ranked No. 17. Though he hasn't been as dominant as last season, Helsley, 30, remains one of the top closers in the league thanks to his powerful fastball and wipeout slider. Entering play on Wednesday, Helsley had posted a 3.00 ERA over 36 games (21 saves), with 41 strikeouts in 36 innings. Helsley's fastball ranks in the 99th percentile in average velocity (99.3 miles per hour). Both his chase rate and whiff rates are over 30 percent and he's struck out roughly a quarter of his total batters faced this year. There will be some concern over his fastball command — the heater has been hit much harder this year than in previous seasons. But Helsley's stuff, combined with his overall experience, makes him a legitimate weapon and greatly improves the back-end of any contending team's bullpen. GO FURTHER Mets acquire closer Ryan Helsley from Cardinals: Sources The Mets are sending prospects Jesus Baez, Nate Dohm and Frank Elissalt to the Cardinals in the deal for Ryan Helsley, league sources tell The Athletic . Getty Images Ryan Helsley, the fireballing two-time All-Star closer and longest-tenured member of the St. Louis Cardinals, recently estimated his chances of being traded away '90 percent.' He was proven correct on Wednesday, when the New York Mets traded for Helsley, league sources confirmed to The Athletic's Will Sammon. Minutes after our team at The Athletic broke the Phillies' trade for Jhoan Duran, there are some reports about their main competition in the NL East also going all-out for a top closer... We'll have more on that for you shortly... Getty Images One rival evaluator tells me that 18-year-old Eduardo Tait, the former Phillies catching prospect heading to Minnesota, is regarded as having a high ceiling and was asked about by several teams. The evaluator said that pitching prospect Mick Abel could use some improvement his changeup but is now in a good position to do so with the Twins, who are strong at pitching development. GO FURTHER Phillies call their shot and get their closer, acquiring Jhoan Durán from Twins Getty Images Jhoan Duran was asked about the possibility of getting traded an hour ago: 'That'd be hard. I got a couple years here and I feel like here is my family so if that happens, that's maybe breaking my heart a little bit.' Getty Images Minnesota's rumored asking price for Jhoan Duran was extremely high, and the Twins ended up getting (basically) two top-100 prospects for the 27-year-old closer. High-A catcher Eduardo Tait is a consensus top-100 prospect and 23-year-old right-hander Mick Abel was a top-100 prospect prior to graduating to the majors earlier this season. It's the biggest prospect haul for any player traded so far, and yet it's easy to see why Philadelphia was willing to pay the price. Bullpen issues have been a constant for the Phillies, and in Duran they get an elite-level reliever with overpowering raw stuff who can transform the late-inning situation for the next 2 1/2 seasons. Duran leaves behind a huge hole in the Twins' bullpen and his potential closer replacement, Griffin Jax, has also been rumored to be available on the trade market. Louis Varland and Brock Stewart are other candidates to take on a bigger role for the Twins. Tait is the second teenage catching prospect acquired by Minnesota this week, as the Twins picked up rookie-ball prospect Enrique Jimenez in the Chris Paddack swap. It's clear the Twins value catcher depth with Christian Vázquez and impending free agent and Ryan Jeffers under team control through only 2026. Getty Images It has been a rough go for the Phillies bullpen since top reliever José Alvarado was suspended for PED usage on May 18. Since then, the group ranks in the bottom half of MLB in ERA (16th, 4.09), WHIP (19th, 1.35), K% (23rd, 20.7%) and FIP (27th, 4.53), per Fangraphs. The Phillies have needed a high leverage arm to pair with relievers like Matt Strahm and Orion Kerkering, the latter of whom has emerged as a key part of the closer by committee operation in recent weeks. They will get that in Duran, who has a 2.01 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 49 1/3 innings. Griffin Jax, another reliever on the trade block who tentatively becomes the Twins' closer if and when the Jhoan Duran trade is finalized, had this to say to The Athletic's Dan Hayes minutes before the Duran trade news broke: The Athletic's Jayson Stark reports that the Twins will be getting right-handed pitcher Mick Abel and catcher Eduardo Tait from the Phillies in this deal if finalized. Tait was ranked as the No. 4 prospect in the Phillies' farm system and Abel was ranked the team's No. 9 prospect before the season, per The Athletic's Keith Law. Getty Images The Phillies are close to acquiring closer Jhoan Duran from the Twins, league sources tell The Athletic . Getty Images By Chandler Rome and Dan Hayes The Astros still employ two of Carlos Correa's closest friends: Jose Altuve and Lance McCullers Jr. McCullers is the godfather of Correa's oldest son, Kylo. 'Correa is a guy with a lot of history here in Houston,' Altuve said after the Astros' 9-1 win against the Washington Nationals on Wednesday. 'He's a great player, great human being, great teammate. Anything that happens, I hope it's the best for him and for us.' Asked if he had spoken to Correa about the possibility of a reunion, Altuve replied 'not yet' and 'maybe when the trade deadline is over.' He then politely ended the interview. Read more from our updated story below. GO FURTHER A Carlos Correa return to Houston via trade with Twins seems unlikely — for now: Sources Getty Images There are a lot of closers and other high-leverage relievers who could be traded in the next 24 hours — Jhoan Duran, Ryan Helsley, Pete Fairbanks, David Bednar, Camilo Doval — but first, contenders are addressing their late-inning, left-handed matchups. Three left-handed relievers have been traded today, and that's after lefty Gregory Soto went to the Mets as the first reliever of consequence to be traded this week. Andrew Chafin (from the Nationals to Angels), Taylor Rogers (from the Reds to Pirates), and now Caleb Ferguson (from the Pirates to Mariners) have all been traded in the past few hours. The only left-handed reliever who made our Big Board was Reid Detmers of the Angels, but he's kind of an unusual case as a failed starter who only this year began pitching out of the bullpen (with considerable success the past three months). Among the other lefties who could be available: Danny Coulombe of the Twins, JoJo Romero of the Cardinals, Jalen Beeks of the Diamondbacks, and Aaron Bummer of the Braves. Getty Images The Yankees optioned JC Escarra to Triple A to make room for Austin Slater, who was acquired earlier today from the White Sox.
New York Post
6 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Contrasting GM styles fueling Mets-Phillies deadline battle for NL East
The NL East race grew more fascinating Wednesday as the Mets and the Phillies played a game of 'any relief pitcher you can get, we can do better.' The Mets landed Tyler Rogers, the Phillies countered with Jhoan Duran, and the Mets fired back with Ryan Helsley. And in many ways, it also was a mano a mano of David Stearns and his new-school baseball operations philosophies versus the old-school tactics of the Phillies' Dave Dombrowski. Access the Mets beat like never before Don't miss Mike Puma's text messages from Queens and beyond — he's giving Sports+ subscribers the inside buzz on the Mets. Sign up Now All that is at stake for who got it right is the NL East title — and perhaps more. Steve Cohen hired Stearns for his big-picture discipline so that he might turn the Mets into serial championship contenders. And even with a strong club in a heated race in a huge market for a franchise title-less since 1986, Stearns was willing to give up plenty of supplementary depth to upgrade the pen with lefty Gregory Soto and now Rogers and Helsley.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
MLB Trade Deadline: Mets bolster bullpen with Ryan Helsley, Tyler Rogers; roster impact, fantasy analysis
The National League East race between the Mets and the Phillies promises to be a tight one until the very end, and both teams made moves to fortify their bullpens on Wednesday. While the Phillies addressed their closer questions with the acquisition of Jhoan Duran from the Twins, the Mets pulled off a pair of big deals to acquire Ryan Helsley from the Cardinals and Tyler Rogers from the Giants. The Trades: Mets acquired RHP Ryan Helsley from the Cardinals for INF prospect Jesus Baez, and RHP prospects Nate Dohm and Frank Elissalt. Mets acquired RHP Tyler Rogers from the Giants for RHPs Blade Tidwell and José Buttó, and prospect OF Drew Gilbert. Mets Impact: The bullpen was an obvious area of need going into the trade deadline, as the Mets have lost several trusted arms due to injury over the past couple of months, but the question was whether David Stearns and company would go more quantity over quality. Well, so far they've gone with both quantity and quality. Edwin Díaz is as good as it gets in the ninth inning, but now there's a legitimate three-headed monster in the late innings for Mets manager Carlos Mendoza. Both Helsley and Rogers are due to become free agents following the season, so the Mets paid a pretty penny for rentals to ensure that their bullpen is October-ready. Helsley, 31, has been one of the game's best closers since moving into the role for St. Louis in 2022. With a high-octane fastball and untouchable slider, he's posted 103 saves and a 2.03 ERA with 266 strikeouts in 203 2/3 innings during that time. Rogers couldn't be more different than Helsley, what with his submariner-delivery and low-to-mid 80s sinker, but he's been one of the game's best relievers anyway. The 34-year-old holds a 2.79 ERA over seven seasons in the majors, all with the Giants. After leading the league with 77 appearances last season, he's doing again this year (53 games) while posting a 1.80 ERA over 50 innings. In addition to being a ground ball machine, he's walked just 10 batters in 120 1/3 innings dating back to the start of last season. It seems like an afterthought now, but the Mets already picked up left-hander Gregory Soto from the Orioles over the weekend. Add this new crew to Díaz, Reed Garrett, Ryne Stanek, and Brooks Raley, and you have a very stout group built for a long playoff run. By the way, a fun fact: Tyler's twin brother Taylor was also traded on Wednesday, as he was sent to the Pirates in the Ke'Bryan Hayes deal. If you were curious if brothers have ever been traded on the same day before, we're here to confirm that it has never happened. Giants Impact: It wasn't too long ago that the Giants looked like they were in it to win it, but things have changed in recent weeks. While it has been a disappointing turn of events, especially after the blockbuster trade for Rafael Devers, the Giants did very well in the return package for Rogers. Buttó broke out as a member of the Mets' bullpen last year, but things haven't gone nearly as smoothly for him this season. Still, the 27-year-old misses plenty of bats and keeps the ball on the ground, so he's an intriguing pickup for San Francisco. The club could keep him in the bullpen or potentially give him another chance to start. According to MLB Pipeline, Tidwell was the Mets' No. 10 prospect while Gilbert was No. 12. Tidwell, a hard-throwing right-hander, made his major league debut earlier this season. Gilbert, 24, was acquired from the Astros in the Justin Verlander trade two years ago. He's put together a .246/.349/.435 batting line with 12 homers and 46 RBI over 81 games with Triple-A Syracuse this season. Both will surely get chances with the Giants in short order. Cardinals Impact: The Cardinals managed to nab the best prospect the Mets parted with on Wednesday, as Baez ranked No. 8 on the team's list according to MLB Pipeline. Still just 20 years old, he's a right-handed hitter with intriguing power potential and a solid approach. He's mostly played with High-A Brooklyn this season while slashing .242/.332/.390 with 10 homers over 69 games. He's been mentioned as a shortstop in reports of the trade, but has also played second base and third base this season. Dohm, a third-round pick out of Mississippi State in 2024, has posted a 2.87 ERA over 17 starts and one relief appearance this season between Class A St. Lucie and High-A Brooklyn. The 23-year-old was also drafted last year (19th round) and has pitched between St. Lucie and Brooklyn this year while compiling a 3.04 ERA and 65/21 K/BB ratio in 56 1/3 innings (seven starts, 13 relief appearances). While interesting, Baez is the centerpiece for St. Louis. Fantasy Impact: In all likelihood, nothing much will change for Edwin Díaz. Perhaps we'll see him lose a couple of save chances with the luxury of a deeper bullpen, but he should still be the top dog in the Mets' bullpen. The real adjustment fantasy-wise will be with Ryan Helsley. When his name was mentioned in trade rumors in recent weeks, the expectation was that he would go somewhere to close and maintain most or all of his fantasy value. It's a much, much tougher case now, even if the strikeouts and ratios will be helpful. As for the Cardinals, they probably aren't done making trades. so it's hard to pin down the closer situation just yet. Phil Maton is a logical name to go, and it's possible JoJo Romero will be dealt as well. One name to watch in fantasy leagues is Riley O'Brien. You don't hear about 30-year-old rookies very often, but he's earned his keep with a 1.75 ERA and 28 strikeouts over 25 2/3 innings.
NBC Sports
6 hours ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
MLB Trade Deadline: Mets bolster bullpen with Ryan Helsley, Tyler Rogers; roster impact, fantasy analysis
The National League East race between the Mets and the Phillies promises to be a tight one until the very end, and both teams made moves to fortify their bullpens on Wednesday. While the Phillies addressed their closer questions with the acquisition of Jhoan Duran from the Twins, the Mets pulled off a pair of big deals to acquire Ryan Helsley from the Cardinals and Tyler Rogers from the Giants. The Trades: Mets acquired RHP Ryan Helsley from the Cardinals for INF prospect Jesus Baez, and RHP prospects Nate Dohm and Frank Elissalt. Mets acquired RHP Tyler Rogers from the Giants for RHPs Blade Tidwell and José Buttó, and prospect OF Drew Gilbert. Mets Impact: The bullpen was an obvious area of need going into the trade deadline, as the Mets have lost several trusted arms due to injury over the past couple of months, but the question was whether David Stearns and company would go more quantity over quality. Well, so far they've gone with both quantity and quality. Edwin Díaz is as good as it gets in the ninth inning, but now there's a legitimate three-headed monster in the late innings for Mets manager Carlos Mendoza. Both Helsley and Rogers are due to become free agents following the season, so the Mets paid a pretty penny for rentals to ensure that their bullpen is October-ready. Helsley, 31, has been one of the game's best closers since moving into the role for St. Louis in 2022. With a high-octane fastball and untouchable slider, he's posted 103 saves and a 2.03 ERA with 266 strikeouts in 203 2/3 innings during that time. Ryan Helsley slams the door in the 9th! 🔥 Rogers couldn't be more different than Helsley, what with his submariner-delivery and low-to-mid 80s sinker, but he's been one of the game's best relievers anyway. The 34-year-old holds a 2.79 ERA over seven seasons in the majors, all with the Giants. After leading the league with 77 appearances last season, he's doing again this year (53 games) while posting a 1.80 ERA over 50 innings. In addition to being a ground ball machine, he's walked just 10 batters in 120 1/3 innings dating back to the start of last season. Tyler Rogers lowers his season ERA to 1.59 after making his 47th relief appearance, which is tied for the most in @MLB It seems like an afterthought now, but the Mets already picked up left-hander Gregory Soto from the Orioles over the weekend. Add this new crew to Díaz, Reed Garrett, Ryne Stanek, and Brooks Raley, and you have a very stout group built for a long playoff run. By the way, a fun fact: Tyler's twin brother Taylor was also traded on Wednesday, as he was sent to the Pirates in the Ke'Bryan Hayes deal. If you were curious if brothers have ever been traded on the same day before, we're here to confirm that it has never happened. Giants Impact: It wasn't too long ago that the Giants looked like they were in it to win it, but things have changed in recent weeks. While it has been a disappointing turn of events, especially after the blockbuster trade for Rafael Devers, the Giants did very well in the return package for Rogers. Buttó broke out as a member of the Mets' bullpen last year, but things haven't gone nearly as smoothly for him this season. Still, the 27-year-old misses plenty of bats and keeps the ball on the ground, so he's an intriguing pickup for San Francisco. The club could keep him in the bullpen or potentially give him another chance to start. According to MLB Pipeline, Tidwell was the Mets' No. 10 prospect while Gilbert was No. 12. Tidwell, a hard-throwing right-hander, made his major league debut earlier this season. Gilbert, 24, was acquired from the Astros in the Justin Verlander trade two years ago. He's put together a .246/.349/.435 batting line with 12 homers and 46 RBI over 81 games with Triple-A Syracuse this season. Both will surely get chances with the Giants in short order. Cardinals Impact: The Cardinals managed to nab the best prospect the Mets parted with on Wednesday, as Baez ranked No. 8 on the team's list according to MLB Pipeline. Still just 20 years old, he's a right-handed hitter with intriguing power potential and a solid approach. He's mostly played with High-A Brooklyn this season while slashing .242/.332/.390 with 10 homers over 69 games. He's been mentioned as a shortstop in reports of the trade, but has also played second base and third base this season. Dohm, a third-round pick out of Mississippi State in 2024, has posted a 2.87 ERA over 17 starts and one relief appearance this season between Class A St. Lucie and High-A Brooklyn. The 23-year-old was also drafted last year (19th round) and has pitched between St. Lucie and Brooklyn this year while compiling a 3.04 ERA and 65/21 K/BB ratio in 56 1/3 innings (seven starts, 13 relief appearances). While interesting, Baez is the centerpiece for St. Louis. Fantasy Impact: In all likelihood, nothing much will change for Edwin Díaz. Perhaps we'll see him lose a couple of save chances with the luxury of a deeper bullpen, but he should still be the top dog in the Mets' bullpen. The real adjustment fantasy-wise will be with Ryan Helsley. When his name was mentioned in trade rumors in recent weeks, the expectation was that he would go somewhere to close and maintain most or all of his fantasy value. It's a much, much tougher case now, even if the strikeouts and ratios will be helpful. As for the Cardinals, they probably aren't done making trades. so it's hard to pin down the closer situation just yet. Phil Maton is a logical name to go, and it's possible JoJo Romero will be dealt as well. One name to watch in fantasy leagues is Riley O'Brien. You don't hear about 30-year-old rookies very often, but he's earned his keep with a 1.75 ERA and 28 strikeouts over 25 2/3 innings.
New York Times
7 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Free-falling Giants react to the Tyler Rogers trade: 'It kind of shows where we're headed'
SAN FRANCISCO — Tyler Rogers and Ryan Walker kept the same routine every game. San Francisco Giants' two right-handed setup relievers would watch the first two innings from the comfort of the clubhouse. Then, before the top of the third inning for road games, or the bottom of the third for home games, they'd stroll across the field and take their seats in the bullpen. Advertisement They were sitting at their lockers and watching a clubhouse TV in the early innings Wednesday afternoon. Then, Rogers got called into the manager's office. In the bottom of the third, when Walker headed to the bullpen, he was on his own. The Giants traded Rogers to the New York Mets for three players on Wednesday, and although one of them was another major-league reliever, right-hander José Buttó, the implications were as clear as they were stunning. Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey had shifted into a selling posture. In the funereal hush of the home clubhouse following a 2-1, 10-inning loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, as the Giants packed and dressed for a flight to New York, it was an open question who else might be on the move before the plane touches down. 'We lost six in a row and haven't given Buster and the front office any reason to add,' Giants third baseman and unofficial captain Matt Chapman said. 'We kind of did it to ourselves. It sucks. Obviously, you can tell everybody is pretty upset. It's not how we saw this thing going. 'I don't know what to expect. When you trade one of your best arms in the bullpen, I think it kind of shows where we're headed.' The only thing more stunning than Posey subtracting from the major league roster was how the Giants arrived here. They climbed to a season-high 12 games over .500 and pulled into a share of first place in the National League West when they won the first game of a series at Dodger Stadium on June 13. Nobody knew it at the time, but Posey was on the verge of completing the biggest trade any team is likely to make all season. The acquisition of All-Star slugger Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox made shockwaves through the industry and signaled the Giants' aggressive resolve. After seven seasons with the #SFGiants and 392 games pitched—10th-most in the SF era—we say thank you, Tyler 🧡 @tyrogers2020 — SFGiants (@SFGiants) July 30, 2025 Nobody saw the Devers trade coming. Nobody could've seen what the next six weeks would bring, either. The Giants are 13-24 since the trade. Not only did the Devers addition fail to ignite the lineup, but the production went backwards while the Giants have scored the fewest runs in the major leagues. The depth-challenged pitching staff hasn't been able to carry the team to the degree it did in May and June. Worst of all, most of the losses featured bad optics, physical errors and mental mistakes on the bases and in the field in situations so basic that a Pony League coach would make their players run laps for making. Advertisement It happened yet again in the 10th inning to decide Wednesday's loss. The Pirates advanced runner Oneil Cruz to third base on a groundout, and Walker issued a walk to Jack Suwinski to put runners at the corners. When Henry Davis followed with a tapper back to the mound, Walker did not check on Cruz before he whirled and threw to second base. He hadn't realized that Suwinski was running with the pitch. Suwinski beat the throw, and Cruz scored without a play. 'It was a mental mistake,' Walker said. 'I take full responsibility for today, personally. A play has to be made there. I mean, that's a Little League mistake. For some reason, I had 'turn two' all the way, which, sure, could it have (worked) if he didn't steal? Maybe. But in a situation like that, it doesn't matter. You've got to make sure the runner stays, or you've got your play at the plate. I didn't do that. So, it's my fault.' A night earlier, the Pirates' winning run was fueled by a miscommunication on a ground ball to second baseman Casey Schmitt. Devers, who is having a rough apprenticeship at first base, went for the ball and ended up screening Rogers, who covered the bag but never saw the throw. Left fielder Heliot Ramos, who has made too many baserunning mistakes to catalog, walked into an out because he either misinterpreted or failed to understand the infield fly rule. As poorly as the Giants have played since the All-Star break, losing nine of 11, it was difficult to envision a scenario in which Posey would shift into sell mode. It probably would've required getting skunked on their six-game homestand against the Mets and Pirates. That's precisely what happened. The Giants were winless on a homestand of at least six games for the first time since 1896, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. And they're suddenly six games behind the San Diego Padres for the third and final NL wild-card spot. But it was the manner of Tuesday night's loss that represented a breaking point for the front office. The Giants had looked every bit like a losing club, even though they hadn't had a losing record all season. Now they do. Wednesday's loss left them at 54-55 and under .500 for the first time all year. Advertisement 'Unfortunately, it's where we're at,' said Giants manager Bob Melvin, whose contract option has been exercised for next season but must ask himself hard questions about the team's preparedness and almost certainly will be asked to make changes to his coaching staff. 'We put ourselves in this position. When you play like we did again today, you lose games. … (The Rogers trade) hasn't changed our expectations for ourselves. But you also understand we put the front office in a tough spot, too. They have to look at the future and the now.' In addition to Buttó, who could be stretched out to start down the road, the Giants received a pair of 24-year-old prospects who were former top draft picks. Right-hander Blade Tidwell made his major-league debut earlier in the season and could transition from starting to relief. Outfielder Drew Gilbert is a one-time Top-100 prospect who has dealt with injuries after Houston sent him to the Mets in the 2003 trade deadline transaction that brought Justin Verlander back to the Astros. To create room on the 40-man roster for Tidwell, the Giants designated right-hander Sean Hjelle for assignment. The Giants also were without All-Star reliever Randy Rodríguez over the three games against the Pirates. The right-hander was unavailable after Melvin taxed him for back-to-back appearances against the Mets — something the team has tried to avoid after he ended last season with a sore elbow — including a multiple-inning assignment when he gave up two home runs on Sunday. Melvin said he expected Rodríguez to be available Friday in New York, but it's an ominous sign that he needed a full series to recover. Regardless of the players coming back, Chapman's assessment was sobering: You don't deal away a key bullpen asset like Rogers if you're going for it. 'It can't get much worse than losing every game of a homestand,' Chapman said. 'I think the only way we can go is up. … It is surprising we are in this position. I wouldn't have thought that three weeks ago. But it's just the way it goes. We have to accept it and try to finish strong, however we can, and see how it ends up.' Advertisement Rogers wasn't the longest-tenured Giant — Mike Yastrzemski and Logan Webb have him by a handful of days — but the right-hander toiled for seven seasons in the minor leagues before he debuted in 2019, and he'd been in the organization longer than anyone. 'Ty is one of my best friends in baseball,' said Webb, who ended a rotten run of three starts with six solid innings Wednesday. 'Our entire big league career, we've been together. … It sucks we're losing a guy like that. He's saved me a lot of times. He's saved the Giants a lot of times. He's been one of the best relievers in baseball the last seven seasons now.' Webb said he didn't learn of the trade until he exited the game, returned to the clubhouse and saw Robbie Ray and Justin Verlander staring at him. 'They were kind of looking at me weird,' Webb said. 'I was like, 'I gave up a run, but I didn't feel like it was that bad.' Then they told me Ty got traded. It's not the position you want to be in, but I don't blame Buster for doing something like that.' Who's next to go? Yastrzemski will be a free agent after the season. So will Wilmer Flores. There could be a taker for Verlander after he's thrown two solid starts since the break. Perhaps Giants executives could cling to some notion that they still believe in this team after acquiring a mix of prospects and a major league arm for Rogers. But not if they give away Verlander for anyone willing to pay the freight. If Yastrzemski played his final game as a Giant on Wednesday, he made a memorable final impression. He flung himself over the short wall in the right-field corner and landed in the netting like a moth caught in a spider web as he made a spectacular catch. He tried to start a rally with a bunt single, too. But he couldn't discount the 24-hour possibility that a major-league player named Yastrzemski could be traded for the first time. Advertisement 'I've known Buster for a long time, and I know and trust he's doing what's best for this team and organization,' Yastrzemski said. 'He's cared about it for so long. Just because we traded Ty doesn't mean he doesn't believe in this team. He's making strategic moves to optimize this organization every single day. 'There's two months left in this season. There's a lot of games to make up, but crazier things have happened. I don't think there's a guy in this room that has quit on this season, and I don't think they're going to. … Even though we've had a really rough start to the second half, I still believe in this team. And I'm going to give 100 percent of my effort every day to try to make something happen. 'It's kind of a tough place. We haven't really played well enough to force them to add any more pieces. As big a piece as Ty was, it's not like the whole team has been dismantled yet.' Yet. 'It's pretty s—-y, to be honest,' Webb said. 'We're not playing good, plain and simple. … We have a great group of guys. We hang out together. We have a blast. We just haven't put it together. It's not like we're trying to go out there and look like s—. It's a hard game. I know that's not going to be a popular answer. But it's just not good right now. We all know that. You feel it. You can see it in the clubhouse. It's not fun to be in here. 'The only thing you can do is show up on Friday and try to beat the Mets.' (Photo of Mike Yastrzemski: Lachlan Cunningham / Getty Images)
