Pat Ragazzo of Mets on SI reported on Friday night that the Mets had offered Pete Alonso a three-year, $85 million deal with lots of deferred money and opt-outs. Alonso settled on a two-year, $54 million deal, seemingly preferring to limit the amount of deferred money in his deal. He will make $30 million for the Mets this year with the chance to opt out after year one.

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Latest Mets News

According to multiple reports, including SNY’s Andy Martino and the New York Post’s Mike Puma, Steve Cohen and David Stearns met with Alonso and Scott Boras in Tampa on Tuesday to try and hammer out a deal. According to the reports, Alonso expressed frustration at the situation, while the Mets reiterated their desire to have Alonso back.

Per Pat Ragazzo of Mets on SI, 2024 Met Jose Iglesias is not seeking a two-year deal as previously reported and would sign a one-year deal. The Mets have reportedly offered him a one-year deal this offseason.

Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB Pipeline participated in a mock draft where each person selected a prospect within their respective organization’s top 10 prospect list. Each player, though, had to have a different prospect ranking (no doubling up on no. 1 prospects, for example). For his righty pitcher, Mayo chose Brandon Sproat, who they have as the Mets’ ninth-ranked prospect.

Citi Field announced in a post on X that the stadium will host Billy Joel and Sting for a one-night-only concert on August 21.

Latest MLB News

Shohei Ohtani‘s former translator, Ippei Mizuhara, was sentenced to 57 months in prison on Friday. The sentence will begin on March 24. Mizuhara will have three years of supervised release and will have to pay nearly $17 million to Shohei Ohtani.

In a story by Evan Drelich of The Athletic, commissioner Rob Manfred explained why he believes the Dodgers are not bad for baseball, stating: “The Dodgers are a really well-run, successful organization. Everything that they do and have done is consistent with our rules.”

Per Katie Woo and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Pirates signed former Met outfielder Tommy Pham to a one-year, $4 million deal. Pham was fantastic in 2023 between the Mets and the Diamondbacks (.774 total OPS), but struggled a season ago between the White Sox, Cardinals, and Royals (.674 OPS total OPS).

Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Angels signed Yoán Moncada to a one-year, $5 million deal. Moncada played sparingly during the 2024 season, recording a .756 OPS in 12 games.

John Seidler, brother of late Padres owner Peter Seidler, was unanimously approved by MLB owners as the Padres’ control person.

Latest on MMO

Michael Mayer argues that the Mets should bring back Jose Iglesias for the 2025 season.

Evan Mazza projects the Mets’ lineup with the return of Pete Alonso.

Mathias Altman-Kurosaki analyzes what Alonso’s return means for players like Ronny Mauricio, Luisangel Acuña, and Brett Baty.

On This Date in Mets History

Born on This Date: Ty Adcock (1997), Endy Chávez (1978), Charlie Puleo (1955), Benny Ayala (1951).

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Offered Alonso Three Years, $85 Million appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The first baseman was in the middle of trade talks all winter long, mostly propagated by journalists and radio talk show hosts. Yet, as David Stearns alluded to all offseason, Alonso is donning the orange and blue, getting ready for the 2024 season in Florida.

Photo by Roberto Carlo

This hasn’t changed the core mentality surrounding the media and almost every single Mets fan, however. Will Alonso be a Met past 2024? Does Alonso want to be a lifelong Met? Are he and his camp discussing a long-term extension?

All of these questions were addressed and answered on Saturday when Alonso sat down with the media. Steve Gelbs of SNY got the first question, asking where the first baseman where he stood with the organization heading into a contract season.

“Right now I just feel really blessed that I get to be a part of this 2024 squad,” Alonso told Gelbs. “I think we have a really good team and I’m super excited to get this spring training underway. I’m really excited to be here, and playing in an iconic city like New York, I mean, it’s really a blessing. It’s a great place to play and the fans are awesome. I love it.”

Gelbs then followed with a much more important question. Does Alonso have any sort of deadline for contract extension talks? Or will the first baseman be in discussion with the Mets during the entire season? Alonso instead, deferred and mentioned that the only talks his camp had with the Mets were about a one-year deal for 2024.

“Well, for me right now, I’ve just been sitting back and listening. The only contract matter that we talked about was my one-year contract this year. Again, I’m very happy that I’m back with this squad and it’s a very exciting time in spring.”

Wanting clarification, Anthony DiComo followed a couple of questions later to ask Alonso if there was any dialogue surrounding a deal longer than one year. Alonso again stated he only discussed a one-year deal.

“Again, we sat and listened and the only thing that we talked about was the one-year deal.”

The press conference continued without Alonso stating whether or not he had a deadline for extension talks. It wouldn’t be for another couple of minutes until another member of the media pressed the issue again, this time correlating Alonso’s situation to Lindor, who signed his massive contract before opening day in 2021.

“No. For me, there’s no real standard. For me, I’m just sitting back and listening. There’s no pressure. Again, I can’t reiterate this enough, my whole focus of this spring training is to get prepared to be the best version of myself in the season. I’m gonna be as locked in as I can.”

While Alonso didn’t outright say he didn’t have a deadline, this answer surely implied it. Alonso before, and throughout the rest of the press conference stated how much he wanted to be a Met, how much he loved New York. This answer implied that Alonso is sitting and waiting, and would listen to extension offers during the 2024 season.

The consistent theme, or answer rather, was that Alonso was waiting for the Mets to come to him with a contract extension. Will Sammon of the Athletic asked Alonso if he wanted the team to come to him with a deal longer than one year, and if he and Scott Boras welcomed that discussion from the Mets.

“I know Scott (Boras) made a pun during the winter meetings but, yeah, we just sat back and listened,” Alonso answered. “We welcome conversation, it’s just the only conversation we had was about the one-year deal. But yeah, I’m stoked to be here and I’m proud to be a Met. It’s a great place to be, it’s a great fanbase. I love it here it’s great.”

Sammon followed with another question surrounding Alonso’s looming free agency. This time about whether or not Alonso would be surprised by how aggressively the team pursued him next offseason.

“Yeah, I don’t know. I haven’t really thought of those scenarios because the season isn’t over. I just had my first BP sessions. My focus this year is to be the best I can be, be as locked in as mentally and physically possible as I can be, and to help this team win.”

The almost 20-minute press conference from Alonso might not ended contract extension rumors, or delivered concrete insights and dates between the two parties, but it gave the media new insights into the discussion between Alonso, Boras, and the Mets.

Life Long Met

One important statement from the press conference was Alonso’s love for the Mets. He’s stated in the past that he loved New York, and has thought about being a life-long Met in the past, but hearing it again is soothing.

Sure, it may come back to light if Alonso chooses to leave, but it can’t be more overstated that the ball is in the Mets court. Alonso wants to be here and is intertwined with the Mets fanbase. This was reiterated today when Alonso stated his love for the city, fanbase, and organization.

Or, Alonso put it, he’s just sitting back and listening.

No Long Term Contract Discussions

In surprising fashion, the two parties didn’t discuss any long-term contract extension.

Alonso told the media that the only discussion this offseason was regarding his one-year deal for 2024. With all the buzz surrounding Alonso’s trade market, and market value compared to other All-Star first basemen this offseason, one would think the two parties at least discussed the length of the contract or a monetary number.

Contract Extension Mid-Season

The most important topic addressed in this press conference was Alonso’s willingness to sign an extension mid-season.

Alonso averted the question for half the press conference, but didn’t state he would shut down discussions mid-season.

“No. For me, there’s no real standard. For me, I’m just sitting back and listening. There’s no pressure. Again, I can’t reiterate this enough, my whole focus of this spring training is to get prepared to be the best version of myself in the season. I’m gonna be as locked in as I can.”

Usually, players who have deadlines for contract extensions state them to the media. While Alonso could have an idea, or date, in mind, he didn’t shut down the conversation. As Alonso stated, he’s just sitting back and listening.

In Conclusion 

Alonso’s contract extension will be in the limelight throughout the 2024 season. There’s no denying that.

But the press conference today had interesting takeaways. Alonso wants to be here long-term, loves being a Met, and doesn’t (as alluded to in the press conference) have an end date for contract discussions. He has put the ball in the Mets court, just sitting back and waiting for the Mets to come to him.

All of these points were addressed when Alonso was asked whether or not he wanted to be a part of the Mets organization beyond 2024.

“I love it here. I’ve definitely envisioned myself as a lifelong Met, that’s something I’ve definitely thought about. I love New York, it’s a really special place for myself and my family. But I can’t predict the future. For me, I want to focus on this season, be the best person I can be. I’ve sat back and listened, and I just want to be the best player I can be.”

Epilogue – Animal Shelter Charity 

At the beginning of the press conference, Alonso discussed the charity work he will be doing during the 2024 season.

For every home run hit this season, the Alonso Foundation will donate $1,000 to animal rescues, with the goal of getting animals out of kill shelters.

“The Alonso Foundation this year, we’re going to be donating $1,000 per home run toward animal rescues,” said Alonso. “We’re gonna be trying to tackle the issue of getting animals out of kill shelters, were gonna be getting as many animals as possible, whether that’s paying for transports, beds, toys, blankets, the whole bit. We’re going to donate money to certain rescues to take, especially dogs, out-of-kill shelters. Hopefully, lots of home runs to come.”

Alonso also mentioned where people can go to donate money themselves to help with the cause.

“If you’re interested, log onto Alonsofoundation.org, we’re really excited about this, and hopefully we can save a lot of animals.”

You can check out the Alonso Foundation, including their current and former charity work, by clicking here.

You can also watch the press conference from earlier by clicking here.

The post Alonso Open To Contract Extension During 2024 Season appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

On Friday, Robert Murray of FanSided announced that the Blue Jays signed former Met Daniel Vogelbach to a contract. Jon Heyman of the New York Post confirmed that it is a minors deal with an invite to spring training. Vogelbach was a polarizing figure in his year-and-a-half tenure with the Mets to say the least, and he most notably drew criticism for his lack of speed and inability to play a defensive position. He now finds himself in Toronto with hopes to see the major league team as the designated hitter.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Latest Mets News

Jeff McNeil spoke to reporters on Friday at spring training about finally being pain-free. McNeil, who partially tore the UCL in his left elbow at the end of last season, said he took two months off before getting an MRI in December which still showed a tear. McNeil clarified “it’s a symptom-based kind of injury and I have no symptoms at all.”

The Mets have signed first baseman/DH Ji-man Choi, according to his agency. The deal is a split contract that would be worth $3.5 million if Choi makes the Opening Day roster. Choi posted a .624 OPS between the Pirates and Padres in 2023.

Manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters that the Mets plan to try Jett Williams and Luisangel Acuña at different positions during spring training. Both players will still earn shortstop reps but Williams will get some looks at center field while Acuña will spend soe time at second base.

The Mets posted a photo on X of the team’s new batting practice hats as part of New Era’s 2024 Batting Practice Collection.

Latest MLB News

The Blue Jays officially announced that they signed former Met Eduardo Escobar to a minor league contract with an invite to spring training. Escobar split 2023 between the Mets and Angels and recorded a .613 OPS.

PitchCom announced that they will serve as the exclusive provider of signal-calling systems for MLB and Triple-A through the 2026 season.

Robert Murray of FanSided reported that the Dodgers signed former Met Justin Wilson to a contract. Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic confirmed that it is a minor league deal with an invite to spring training.

Padres manager Mike Shildt told reporters on Friday that Xander Bogaerts will play second base this season, with Ha-Seong Kim returning to shortstop. In 2023, Bogaerts only played shortstop while Kim spent most of his time defensively at second base.

The Phillies signed utilityman Whit Merrifield to a one-year, $7 million deal with an $8 million club option. The deal was first reported by Foul Territory.

Per Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Philies also signed David Dahl, with his deal being a minor league agreement.

According to Evan Drellich of The Athletic, Sacramento has emerged as the frontrunner to host the A’s from 2025-2027 before the team moves to Las Vegas.

According to Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle, Major League Baseball and the Oakland mayor’s office have had preliminary talks about granting Oakland an expansion team in return for the city grantng the A’s a lease extension for the Coliseum.

Latest on MMO

Allison Waxman ranks the bullpens of each team in the NL East.

David Melendi recapped quotes from Mets top prospect Jett Williams, who arrived to spring training on Friday.

Elliot Teichman profiles non-roster spring training invitee Chad Smith.

On the latest MMO Weekly, Sal Manzo talks with Mets pitching prospect Paul Gervase.

Jack Markowski highlights the position battles to watch for the Mets in spring training.

On This Date in Mets History

Birthdays: Stephen Tarpley (31), Juan Padilla (47)

The post Morning Briefing: Blue Jays Sign Daniel Vogelbach appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

On Friday, the Boston Red Sox signed starter Lucas Giolito to a two-year, $38.5 million contract that includes an opt-out after the 2024 season. Giolito, who had a 4.88 ERA across three teams in 2023, is a reclamation project for the Red Sox but has proven to be durable in his career, a desirable attribute even if the product on the mound in 2023 didn’t live up to expectations.

Several reports in recent days and weeks pointed to Giolito as a potential option for the Mets, and Tim Healey of Newsday confirmed the Mets’ interest in the veteran starter on Friday. According to Healey, the team was among the most aggressive for his services and did indeed offer him a contract before Giolito decided on Boston. Now the Mets will continue to look elsewhere, likely not for high-end starters, as they aim to fill out the rest of their rotation for the 2024 season.

David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Latest MLB News

Per Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the White Sox signed former Met Chris Flexen to a one-year contract. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported that he would be making $1.75 million in 2024 with the chance to make an additional $1 million.

According to Enrique Rojas of ESPN, the Blue Jays have taken the lead in the race for Cuban pitcher Yariel Rodríguez. Rojas notes that Rodríguez is close to making a decision on where he will play in 2024. He most recently pitched professionally in Japan in 2022, where he compiled a 1.15 ERA in 54 2/3 innings. He also pitched for Team Cuba during the World Baseball Classic earlier this year.

Latest on MMO

Mojo Hill and Jorge Eckhardt argue whether the Mets should sign J.D. Martinez or Justin Turner.

Brian Wright makes a Hall of Fame case for Carlos Beltrán.

The latest Mets Madness Series Recap sees the 1969 Mets matched up against the 1997 Mets.

On This Date in Mets History

1969: Nearly three months after the Mets won the first World Series in franchise history, general manager Johnny Murphy suffered a heart attack which proved to be fatal as he passed away weeks later. Murphy was one of the main architects of the Miracle Mets, bringing manager Gil Hodges to the club and overseeing one of the biggest upsets in World Series history when the Mets bested the heavily-favored Orioles.

Birthdays: Ralph Milliard (50)

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Made Offer to Giolito Before Red Sox Signing appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Good morning, Mets fans.

According to USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale, Brooks Raley is being replaced on the Team USA roster due to injury, with former Met Aaron Loup taking his spot. It’s not certain what kind of injury Raley is dealing with, or how severe the injury is, but it’s enough to keep him out of the World Baseball Classic which raises concerns. Raley was acquired from the Rays this past offseason and is projected to be the lone left-hander in the Mets’ bullpen this season.

WBC Scores

Japan defeated Korea 13-4.

Chinese Taipei defeated Italy 11-7. Mets minor leaguer Claudio Scotti pitched in the ninth inning for Team Italy.

Latest Mets News

Details of the first ever Amazin’ Day have been announced. On March 25, anyone wearing a Mets hat or any Mets gear will have access to several events and celebrations across New York City.

Buck Showalter told the media Friday night that Brandon Nimmo will make his Grapefruit League debut on Sunday. Showalter also said that the team is still gathering information on José Quintana, who has a stress fracture in one of his ribs.

Darin Ruf said that the arthritis in his right wrist is feeling better but is still bothering him.

John Sheridan wrote on MetsMinors.net about Brett Baty and how Eric Chávez sees a lot of himself in the Mets’ prospect.

Steve Gelbs posted a GoFundMe link on Twitter to raise funds for a family who recently lost their home to a fire. The family has also been dealing with medical issues with their baby boy, and Gelbs got to know them when his own daughter was having health issues. Anyone who would like to donate can click this link.

Latest MLB News

Barry Svrluga of The Washington Post reported that Keibert Ruiz and the Nationals agreed to an eight-year contract extension with two club options that could bring the total value of the deal to $50 million.

Matt Monagan of MLB.com spoke to Team Italy pitcher Joey Marciano about his relation to famous boxer Rocky Marciano.

Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune spoke to former Met prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong and how his defense continues to improve.

Jake Mintz at FOX Sports wrote about Team Israel’s Shlomo Lipetz and his impact on the team.

Latest on MMO

Michael Famulari evaluated several bullpen candidates and their performances so far this spring.

Mike Mayer wrote about Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio‘s continued success this spring.

Tyler Antonelle recapped game one of the split squad doubleheader on Friday while Ross Bentley recapped game two.

On This Date in Mets History

Birthdays: Jeremy Hefner (37), Rich Hill (43), Bobby Abreu (49), Steve Reed (58)

The post Morning Briefing: Brooks Raley Dealing With Undisclosed Injury appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Mets offseason finally feels complete. According to the Boomer and Gio show on WFAN, Keith Hernandez will be back in the broadcast booth for the 2023 season.

Hernandez confirmed the news on Instagram.

Hernandez has been in the SNY broadcast booth for 17 years alongside Gary Cohen and Ron Darling. At the conclusion of the 2022 season, Hernandez’s contract with SNY expired.

Hernandez, 69, fell in New York City in September suffering a shoulder injury that required surgery and kept him out of the booth for the remainder of the Mets’ schedule.

He’s been as big a star calling Mets games as he was when he was on the field for the team.

Last week, the New York Post’s Mike Puma reported the sides were close.

“Hearing there has been progress in the contract talks between SNY and Keith Hernandez,” Puma tweeted. “The two sides are considered not far apart on a new multi-year agreement, but there is still work to be done before it can be completed.”

It was a big step as the sides didn’t seem nearly as close to an agreement earlier that week when there was a reported “gap” in contract talks.

Hernandez has been integral to the Mets booth for the last generation of Mets fans. In 2022 the Mets retired Hernandez’s No. 17.  When asked what the franchise meant to him Hernandez was more than grateful.

“I never dreamed that I would be 50 years, maybe 40, I don’t feel like I’m that old. No, I never dreamed that I would become a fixture of the organization, I never dreamed of being in the booth. I think the fact that I’m still in New York is just because it’s New York City and there’s only one New York City and I’ve fallen in love with Manhattan and in the surrounding areas. I love it up here. There was no reason to leave. I was having too much fun.”

Details of the contract have yet to emerge but there’s at least one more season of GKR.

The post Keith Hernandez, SNY Agree on New Contract appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Photo by Ed Delany of MMO

Good morning, Mets fans!

Mike Puma of the New York Post reports that the television home of the Mets, SNY, and Keith Hernandez have made progress on talks and are not far apart on a multi-year deal. Puma reports that while the sides are close, there’s still a lot of work to be done before a deal is signed.

Now onto the morning briefing!

Latest Mets News

Steve Cohen and the New York Mets will feature an ad on Super Bowl Sunday that, in total, cost upwards about $1.5 million all together. The ad, featuring Mets players Edwin Díaz, Francisco Lindor, Tomas Nido, Kodai Senga and Brandon Nimmo, encourages people to call about tickets for the upcoming Mets season. Evan Drellich of The Athletic details exactly why the Mets did this, and the rationale behind what Steve Cohen is looking to accomplish with the Mets and their branding.

Featured on ESPN from Joon Lee, is the story of Mets reliever Adam Ottavino and the story of how he turned an empty storefront in Harlem, into his own place to track his pitching data, which transformed into a hub where players from the majors to recreation league can come to throw and train.

The Amazin’ Mets Foundation hosted a Mets Holiday Shopping Spree, which allowed underserved families to have an unforgettable holiday experience. Twenty children were invited by Win NYC to shop at Target for themselves and their families. Mets general manager Billy Eppler, along with players Daniel Vogelbach and Carlos Carrasco joined those families to help bring cheer to their holiday season.

“It’s a civic duty that we have to embrace our community and let people know that we’re here, and we are of New York,” – Billy Eppler, @Mets General Manager. Watch our Holiday Shopping Spree, presented by @Delta, and the impact it had on the children of @WINNYC_ORG! #BeAmazin 🧡 pic.twitter.com/wBQNFNcQPP

— Amazin' Mets Foundation (@AmazinMetsFdn) February 9, 2023

The New York Mets are hiring! The team is currently looking for people to fill positions as a Software Engineering Associate, Production Design Associate, and Product Management Associate. If interested, click here for the job descriptions and how to apply!

As spring training is about to begin, the Mets have released some guidelines and promotions regarding upcoming spring training at Clover Park, along with what to expect at the facility for this upcoming season.

The Mets announced their coaches for their Double-A affiliate in Binghamton. Formerly manager in Low-A St. Lucie, Reid Brignac will take the helm as manager in Double-A Binghamton and joining him as bench coach is former major league infielder, Mariano Duncan, who previously served as hitting coach for the Mets High-A affiliate in Brooklyn.

Latest MLB News

AJ Cassavell from MLB.com reports that the San Diego Padres and pitcher Yu Darvish have agreed to a six-year, $108 million extension that will keep the pitcher in San Diego until 2028. Darvish is coming off his best season and he reports that Darvish wanted to stay with the club for the foreseeable future.

Zach Buchanan of The Athletic goes in-depth on the oral history of the radar gun, as told through 13 MLB scouts.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Toronto Blue Jays and shortstop Bo Bichette have agreed to a three-year, $33.6 million deal that has no options and can lean upwards to $40.65 million through escalations and awards.

Left-handed pitcher Caleb Smith has signed a minor league deal and an invitation to major league camp with the Pittsburgh Pirates, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Smith previously pitched with the New York Yankees, Miami Marlins and Arizona Diamondbacks.

Latest On MMO

MLB Expansion Could Lead to New Divisional Alignment

2023 NL East Positional Rankings: DH Edition

MMO Top 30 Mets Prospects: No. 10, Calvin Ziegler

On This Date in Mets History

1982: Mets GM Frank Cashen made his first big trade, sending Greg Harris, Jim Kern, and Alex Trevino to Cincinnati for former MVP George Foster. Foster, who was a strong power bat for the Big Red Machine, failed to live up to expectations in New York and provided little outside the occasional home run. Foster was released by the Mets on August 7th, 1986, in the midst of their championship season.

Birthdays: Travis d’Arnaud (34), Alberto Castillo (53), Bobby Jones (53), Lenny Dykstra (60)

The post Morning Briefing: Progress In Keith Hernandez Contract Talks With SNY appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Jessica Alcheh-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

Will Sammon of The Athletic goes into detail about how the New York Mets and infielder Jeff McNeil began their discussions of an extension and the process it took to get there as well as the simple dinner invite that started the entire process. McNeil signed a four-year, $50 million extension to remain in orange and blue and was all smiles during his press conference.

Now onto the morning briefing!

Latest Mets News

Andrew Marchand of the New York Post wrote a feature about Howie Rose, which reveals his battle with bladder cancer.

Kiley McDaniel of ESPN released his top-100 prospect list for 2023 and it features three Mets prospects within the ranks. Catcher Francisco Alvarez is listed at No. 5, infielder Brett Baty at 20 and Ronny Mauricio at 56. Catcher Kevin Parada and outfielder Alex Ramirez were not on the list but in the group of 50 FV.

Jacob Resnick toured Clover Park in a recent article for MiLB.com.

Latest MLB News

The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame announced the induction of four new members.

The 65th Caribbean Series is starting soon. Buster Olney of ESPN has information on how you can watch.

MLB announced a new animated series paying tribute to the Negro Leagues.

The Reds announced that they’ve signed Chad Pinder and Jason Vosler to minor league deals.

A recent article from Reuters talked about how the U.S. Justice Department requested a federal appeals court to extend MLB’s “longtime immunity from antitrust law to a dispute involving restrictions on the number of minor league teams that can be affiliated with professional clubs.”

Latest On MMO

FOCO Releases New York Mets Valentine’s Day Bobblehead

Full Hitting Profile Breakdown: Pete Alonso

On This Date in Mets History

2008: One day after signing the largest contract a Mets pitcher received in team history, the Mets officially announced the acquisition of Johan Santana from the Minnesota Twins. In exchange for Carlos Gomez, Deolis Guerra, Phillip Humber and Kevin Mulvey, the Mets acquired Santana and signed him to a six-year, $137.5 million contract.

Birthdays: Chin-lung Hu (39), Ronny Cedeno (40), Jason Vargas (40), Melvin Mora (51), Scott Erickson (55), Pat Tabler (65), Leo Foster (72), Dale Murray (73)

The post Morning Briefing: Inside Jeff McNeil’s Extension Process appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

On Friday, the Mets signed Jeff McNeil to a four-year, $50 million contract extension, with a fifth-year club option that could take the deal up to $63.75 million. MMO’s own Mike Mayer reported that there was optimism a deal could get done after recent extension talks had taken place, and ESPN’s Jeff Passan broke the deal soon after. A perhaps overlooked outcome of this deal is that the Mets and McNeil will now avoid arbitration after McNeil was the only Met to not settle with the team. Both sides now avoid the process entirely and have to be thrilled with this deal.

MMO is giving away a Jeff McNeil relic card to celebrate his extension with the team. All you have to do is retweet the post and follow on Twitter for a chance to win!

Latest Mets News

Mike Puma of the New York Post wrote that Kodai Senga will be the talk of the Mets during spring training, as his ability to transition to MLB is still a question mark. Puma also wrote that several Mets’ coaches including pitching coach Jeremy Hefner have traveled to Seattle to watch Senga pitch and build a rapport with him.

Bill Ladson of MLB.com wrote about Darryl Strawberry and how he plans to preach his message of love to troubled individuals in the prison system.

Latest MLB News

The Twins announced that they will be inducting Joe Mauer into their team Hall of Fame during the 2023 season.

The Braves signed manager Brian Snitker to a contract extension through the 2025 season.

The Rays signed reliever Pete Fairbanks to a three-year, $12 million deal according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The deal also includes a fourth-year club option.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that Cole Hamels threw for teams on Friday and was said to look “insanely good.” It is believed that he will receive interest. Heyman noted that Kyle Crick and Derek Holland also threw for scouts on Friday.

The Blue Jays announced new dimensions to the outfield walls in their stadium. They will be bringing the walls in in left-center and right-center field.

The Rangers signed five players to minor league contracts: Danny Duffy, Clint Frazier, Ian Kennedy, Reyes Moronta, and former Met Travis Jankowski.

The Rangers announced “Rangers U,” a program in partnership with Abilene Christian University that provides Rangers players and coaches with college credit via online courses specifically designed for players.

Latest on MMO

Chris Bello ranked the first basemen of the NL East.

Andrew Steele-Davis analyzed the Jeff McNeil contract extension.

On This Date in Mets History

1967: The Mets selected Ken Singleton with the third overall pick of the 1967 January amateur draft, just one pick before the Red Sox selected Carlton Fisk. Singleton was later traded in 1972 as part of a package for Rusty Staub, and went on to enjoy a productive career mostly spent with the Orioles.

Birthdays: Tsuyoshi Shinjo (51)

The post Morning Briefing: The Jeff McNeil Era Is Prolonged appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

The Mets’ priority at this stage of free agency continues to be a fourth outfielder and on Friday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that the Mets are considering signing Tommy Pham for that role. Heyman also mentioned the possibility of Trey Mancini, Adam Duvall, Jurickson Profar, or Tyler Naquin. It was previously reported on Thursday that the Mets had been in contact with Andrew McCutchen, but he wound up signing with the Pirates on a one-year, $5 million deal.

Pham and Duvall especially have had success against lefties, an area in which the Mets struggled last year, so it’s no surprise to hear that the Mets are potentially interested in adding one of their bats to the bench. Even at this stage of free agency, the Mets have plenty of options to choose from for their fourth outfielder next year.

Latest Mets News

Pete Alonso and the Mets agreed to a one-year, $14.5 million contract to avoid arbitration. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, it is the largest deal ever for a first baseman in arbitration. In total, the Mets settled with six of their seven arbitration-eligible players.

In an article on MLB.com, Jim Callis noted about Brett Baty: “New York should give him its third-base job at some point in 2023 because he’d offer more offense and at least as much defense as 34-year-old incumbent Eduardo Escobar.”

The Mets announced that they are receiving Luis De La Cruz from the Orioles as the PTBNL in the James McCann trade.

The Mets’ organizational managers for 2023 have become official with Dick Scott managing Triple-A Syracuse, Reid Brignac managing Double-A Binghamton, Chris Newell managing High-A Brooklyn, and Gilbert Gómez managing Low-A St. Lucie.

The Mets re-signed Connor Grey to a minor league deal.

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Juan Soto and the Padres agreed to a one-year, $23 million contract to avoid arbitration.

Lucas Giolito and the White Sox agreed to a one-year, $10.4 million contract to avoid arbitration.

Brandon Woodruff and the Brewers agreed to a one-year, $10.8 million contract to avoid arbitration.

Other notable players who signed contracts to avoid arbitration with their teams include Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Rhys Hoskins, Josh Hader, and Tyler O’Neill.

The Twins signed pitcher Chris Paddack to a three-year, $12.5 million contract extension.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic interviewed Carlos Correa, asking him about his unprecedented free agency experience.

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Michael Mayer wrote about the Andrew McCutchen signing, including some other players who make sense for the Mets now that he is off the board.

Michael Mayer also wrote about the Mets’ interest in Tommy Pham.

Michael Famulari analyzed the importance of Brett Baty and Eduardo Escobar to the 2023 Mets in the aftermath of the Carlos Correa deal falling through.

On This Date in Mets History

1998: The Mets signed Japanese pitcher Masato Yoshii to a one-year deal. He would go on to pitch to a 6-8 record with a 3.93 ERA during his debut season, earning a contract extension from the team.

Birthdays: Aaron Altherr (32), Mike Pelfrey (39), Ross Jones (63)

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