The baseball world is mourning the loss of a true lifer. Former Mets bullpen coach and team adviser Guy Conti passed away yesterday at 84. Conti was a pivotal figure, a real baseball man who worked with legends like Pedro Martinez during his early development and was close friends with the iconic Sandy Koufax. Before his time in Queens, he even spent some time with the Dodgers. What a career, what a life dedicated to the game.
Building the Future, One Trade and One Pitcher at a Time
While we remember Conti’s impact, the Mets are clearly looking ahead, trying to build something special. It sounds like Zac Thornton is already plotting big moves for the pitching staff. He wants to bring in Tarik Skubal, a powerhouse left-handed pitcher, and he’s not shy about it. Thornton told Mike Puma, “I talk to [Nolan McLean] all the time about it, and he had some good talks with Skubal when they were in the WBC together.” Imagine the ideas they could bounce off each other, especially with so few lefties on the staff. Thornton already chats a lot with Sean Manaea about being left-handers, so another top-tier lefty would be huge. That kind of talk from players wanting to recruit talent? That’s what you love to hear.
And speaking of smart moves, it looks like the Mets totally flipped the script on the Cubs. After the sting of that Pete Crow-Armstrong trade, the Mets shipped Clay Holmes and Tyrone Taylor to Chicago at the deadline for top infield prospect Jefferson Rojas. Max Goodman over at NJ.com says that move has already aged incredibly well from the Mets’ perspective. Pulling a “role reversal” like that and getting a guy who’s already looking like a steal? That’s how you make real progress.
Around the League: Shaking Up the NL East and ALCS Firepower
Change is definitely in the air across the league. Down in the NL East, the Phillies are expected to name Don Mattingly as their full-time manager this week. That’s a big move for them, getting a steady hand at the helm. Over in Miami, the Marlins are looking at prospects for 2027 and even focused their broadcaster decisions on social media reach, trying to promote their subscription service. Hey, gotta get that engagement somehow, right?
And how about the Nationals? In Paul Toboni’s first year as President of Baseball Operations, their farm system is apparently in a healthy state. Plus, their No. 4 prospect, Jarlin Susana, is absolutely lighting up the radar gun in the Arizona Fall League, projecting to debut as soon as next season. That’s the kind of young talent that gets a fanbase hyped!
Out in Major League Baseball, the ALCS is already a battle. Freddy Peralta put on a sterling performance, leading the Rays to a 3-1 win over the Guardians to even the series at one game apiece. The Rays broke through in the fourth inning with some serious speed on the base paths and capitalized on a costly error by José Ramírez at third base to plate three crucial runs. The Guardians, with their infectious team mentality of grinding out at-bats, are still dangerous, with their trade deadline pickups really leading the charge. This series is just getting started, and it’s gonna be a good one.
What’s next for the Mets? If they can land a guy like Skubal to join Manaea and then keep developing Rojas, their future could seriously be looking up. Keep an eye on those young guys, because they could be making some noise really soon.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Amazin’ Avenue.
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