Morning Briefing: Mets' Front Office Situation Suddenly In Limbo

Good Morning, Mets fans!

Per Jeff Passan and Mina Kimes of ESPN, New York Mets general manager Jared Porter sent explicit and lewd photos and messages to a foreign female reporter in 2016 after she had ignored dozens of other messages from him for weeks. Passan discusses this story more in depth on ESPN.com.

Latest Mets News

Per Justin Toscano of NorthJersey.com, Sean Dean, who worked security for the Mets for 16 years, passed away of COVID-19. He leaves behind a wife and two daughters. There is a GoFundMe to help support his family. David Wright released a statement stating, “I’m thankful I had the opportunity to call him a friend.”

Christopher Soto of Metsmerized put together some scenarios of how a Robinson Cano buyout would look and how it would help the luxury tax.

Per Ken Rosenthal of MLB on FOX, a source has confirmed that the Mets are getting Joey Lucchesi in a three-team trade with Padres and Pirates. Joe Musgrove is headed to the Padres and five prospects are headed to the Pirates. All transactions are pending medical review. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union Tribune was the first to report the trade.

Jacob Resnick of Metsmerized broke down which Mets have minor league options remaining and which don’t. The update is following the Joey Lucchesi trade. What sticks out, according to Resnick: There won’t be much movement in the bullpen barring other moves or injuries.

Per Mike Puma of the New York Post, the Mets will be sending scouts to today’s showcase in Miami for Julio Teheran and Anibal Sanchez.

Baseball America released their 2021 Top 100 MLB Prospects. The Mets have three prospects on the list for 2021, included catcher Francisco Alvarez at No. 48, shortstop Ronny Mauricio at No. 65, and right-handed pitcher, Matt Allan at No. 98.

Per Jon Morosi of MLB Network, George Springer’s free agent decision could come this week, multiple industry sources believe. The Blue Jays and Mets are the two front runners for Springer as of Monday.

Latest MLB News

Hannah Keyser of Yahoo Sports released an article looking at when baseball players get the COVID-19 vaccine and how MLB will navigate the messy rollout.

Doug Glanville of ESPN, whose father passed away before meeting any of his grandchildren, shared a birthday with Martin Luther King Jr. Today he wrote an article exploring being a father and the opportunity to manage in Major League Baseball when race and conflict are so front and center in America.

Per Meghan Montemmuro of The Athletic, the Philadelphia Phillies have acquired prospect infielder D.J. Chatham from the Red Sox for a player to be named later. To make room on the 40-man roster, right-handed pitcher Victor Arano has been designated for assignment. Jon Morosi of MLB Network also confirmed the transaction.

Per Ken Rosenthal MLB on FOX, free agent left-handed pitcher Jon Lester is in talks with the Washington Nationals, sources tell him and Jon Greenberg of The Athletic. MLB Trade Rumors confirmed and also reported the story.

Per Major League Baseball, the Nationals and Jon Lester have reportedly agreed on a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2022. ESPN’s Jeff Passan had the report first.

Per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, with the relief pitcher market remaining crowded, one pitcher on a lot of radars is Jeremy Jeffress. Per sources, at least 10 teams, including the Blue Jays, Red Sox, Cubs, Astros, Dodgers, Mets, Phillies, and Nationals.

Per Jon Heyman of MLB Network and Ken Rosenthal of MLB on FOX, sources have confirmed that free-agent right-handed pitcher Tyler Chatwood is in agreement with the Toronto Blue Jays, pending a physical.

Michael Mayer of Metsmerized tweeted some notes about Spring Training in Port Saint Lucie and the 2021 St. Lucie Mets season. All notes are subject to change given the unknown of COVID-19:

– Major league workouts at Spring Training and minor league fields will be closed to the public.

– Fans will be allowed for Spring Training games, with a capacity percentage still to be determined from the league.

– The 2021 St. Lucie Mets season is scheduled to start in May.

Per Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports, Free-agent Alex Colome is now with a new agent. He has begun working with Wasserman.

Latest on MMO

“We are happy to announce that Tim Ryder will be promoted to editor of our news division,” writes Metsmerized’s fearless leader, Joe D. “Tim is a diehard Mets fan and earned his promotion due to his commitment to excellence and his respect for honest journalism. Congratulations, Tim!”

John Jackson looked at what position the Mets should prioritize to finish the offseason.

Matt Musico looked at three trends to watch with Jeff McNeil in 2021.

Tim Ryder looked at the three Mets’ prospects who were included in Baseball America’s Top 100 list.

Dilip Sridhar discussed Feinsend’s report that the Mets have shown interest in Jeremy Jeffress.

Dilip Sridhar wrote an MMO Free Agent profile on right-handed pitcher Trevor Rosenthal.

Tim Ryder discussed Morosi’s report that George Springer’s decision could be coming this week.

Patrick Glynn discussed the Mets’ acquisition of Joey Lucchesi, and the Padres getting Joe Musgrove in the three-team deal.

Patrick Glynn discusses Mike Puma’s report that Mets will scout Anibal Sanchez and Julio Teheran in Miami.

Mojo Hill discusses Jeff Passan of ESPN’s breaking news story regarding Mets general manager Jared Porter sending lewd photos and messages to a female reporter.