The Put it in the Books Show – S9 E12: Mets Deadline Talk, Soto All-Star & Young Core

The Mets won a series. Alert the authorities.This week on The Put it in the Books Show, Farace, Rodriguez, and Producer Joe break down the Mets finally taking 2 of 3 from the Royals, which would feel a lot better if the season wasn’t already sitting in the corner wearing a neck brace.The .500 by the All-Star break goal is officially cooked, burned, buried, and probably traded to the Cubs for cash considerations. So now the conversation shifts from “can they save the season?” to “what the hell is the plan at the trade deadline?”Do the Mets sell and add talent throughout the system, or do they try to buy pieces at different levels and pretend this thing is still one hot streak away from mattering? Selling has pros: restock the farm, move short-term pieces, and stop lying to yourself. The cons? You’re punting another expensive season and admitting the whole thing face-planted before August. Buying has pros too: you still have Soto, Lindor, and enough money to bully people. The cons? Buddy, have you watched this team?There is some good news. Juan Soto is an All-Star, because even in the middle of Mets chaos, superstar talent still shows up. Soto gets the nod, the kids keep making noise, and Nolan McLean continues to give Mets fans dangerous ace thoughts that Rodriguez will immediately try to ruin with math and sadness.We’ll also talk about the offense waking up a little, Sean Manaea finally giving them length, Christian Scott flashing, A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge forcing the “play the kids” conversation, and Brett Baty picking a very interesting time to remind everyone he still exists.And yes, Farace will absolutely remind everyone that the Knicks won the 2026 NBA Championship, because New York joy is New York joy — and unlike the Mets, the Knicks actually figured out how to finish something without turning it into a federal investigation.Of course, because these are the Mets, even a series win comes with a bill. Mark Vientos gets hurt, trade deadline panic is still hanging over everything, and Andy Green is trying to manage a team that feels like it was assembled during a fire drill.Plus, we remember Phil Regan, “The Vulture,” who passed away at 89. Former pitcher, longtime coach, former Mets pitching coach, and a baseball lifer. Rest in peace to The Vulture.The goal is no longer .500. The goal is to look alive, figure out the keepers, and maybe not make Farace question every decision that led to owning microphones.Baseball. Sarcasm. Soto as an All-Star. Kids giving hope. Deadline pros and cons. Knicks championship joy. Trade panic. RIP Phil Regan. And Producer Joe probably wondering why he didn’t fake a power outage.LGM.#PiitB #Mets