Good morning Mets fans! Yesterday a number of teams made a slew of roster moves in order to protect prospects from the Rule 5 Draft.
Latest Mets News
Ryan Fagan of Sporting News lists Mets starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard as a trade candidate this offseason. Fagan notes that the hard-throwing right-hander will come with a high price tag.
Tim Britton of The Athletic looks at the James Paxton deal and what it means for a potential Noah Syndergaard trade (subscription required).
The Mets have released reliever Jenrry Mejia, a former closer who last appeared with the team in 2015. Mejia was reinstated from his permanent suspension from Major League Baseball in July.
Latest MLB News
After a 21-year career that included five Gold Gloves, four Silver Sluggers, and four All-star selections, third baseman Adrián Beltré has retired. Beltré played in 2,933 games for the Dodgers, Mariners, Red Sox, and Rangers, collecting 3,166 hits and 477 home runs while spending the majority of his career at the hot corner.
The Los Angeles Dodgers added Yadier Alvarez, Matt Beaty, Edwin Ríos, Keibert Ruiz and Josh Sborz to their 40-man roster. Zac Rosscup, Tim Locastro, and former Met Erik Goeddel were designated for assignment. Tom Koehler was given his unconditional release.
The Tampa Bay Rays designated C.J. Cron for assignment. Cron slashed .253/.323/.493 and slugged 30 home runs in his first season with the Rays.
The San Diego Padres sold the rights of third baseman Christian Villanueva to the Yomiuri Giants, per Ken Rosenthal.
Rosenthal reports that the Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Dodgers have engaged in trade talks. He notes that the Dodgers also have interest in Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto.
The Chicago Cubs traded infielder Jason Vosler to the San Diego Padres in exchange for pitcher Rowan Wick, per Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.
The New York Yankees added pitcher Joe Harvey to the 40-man roster.
Ken Rosenthal of the Athletics reports the San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners have engaged in trade discussions surrounding Jean Segura, Mike Leake, and Wil Myers. Rosenthal notes that a trade is not close and both Leake and Segura have no-trade clauses.
The Boston Red Sox traded Esteban Quiroz to the San Diego Padres for Colten Brewer.
Domingo Tapia, a 27-year old former Mets prospect, has signed a minor-league deal with the Boston Red Sox, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com.
The Cleveland Indians rolled out their full lineup of 2019 uniforms, introducing red uniforms as the new home alternate. The block C logo is on all caps, and the All-Star Game patch takes the place of Chief Wahoo on the sleeves.
Jay Jaffe of FanGraphs explores the 2019 Hall of Fame ballot. He questions if Mariano Rivera will be unanimously elected to the Hall and if Edgar Martinez will finally be elected.
The St. Louis Cardinals designated No. 27 prospect Conner Greene for assignment.
Amazon made a bid for the YES Network, the home of the New York Yankees.
Scott Boeck of USA Today reports that Blue Jays prospect Griffin Conine has been suspended 50 games after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. Conine, the son of Jeff Conine, spent most of the 2018 season with the single-A Vancouver Canadians.
Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated details the toll that higher velocities are taking on high school pitchers.
David Price of the Boston Red Sox was named the 2018 American League Comeback Player of the Year. Jonny Venters earned the award for the National League.
Latest NL East News
The Miami Marlins added seven players to the 40-man roster and designated three for assignment as they continue to shake up their roster with young players. Dillon Peters, Braxton Lee, and Ben Meyer were designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.
The Marlins also claimed Julian Hernandez off waivers from the San Francisco Giants, acquired Nick Anderson from the Twins for Brian Schales, and designated Derek Dietrich for assignment.
The Philadelphia Phillies selected the contracts of Arquímedes Gamboa, Édgar García, and Adonis Medina to protect them from the Rule 5 draft.
Latest on MMO
John Sheridan profiles trade target Edwin Diaz, a right-handed relief pitcher for the Seattle Mariners. Diaz broke out in 2018, racking up 57 saves with the Mariners.
Rob Piersall notes that four Mets prospects would likely be kept off the 40-man roster and exposed to the Rule 5 Draft.
Jack Hendon grades Jeff McNeil’s 2018 campaign. The rookie second baseman made his presence felt in the final third of the season, slashing .329/.381/.471 in 63 games for the Mets.
Matt Musico opines that the Mets should not deal starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard. Musico writes that such a trade would require the Mets to spend on a free agent starting pitcher to replace Syndergaard if the team wants to win in 2019.
This Day in Mets History
Birthdays: Dan Murray is 45, Dick Schofield is 56 and Bill Almon is 66.
1970: Mets’ outfielder Tommy Agee wins the Gold Glove, becoming the first non-pitcher to do so in each league.
1972: Left-handed pitcher Jon Matlack wins the National League Rooke of the Year award after pitching to a 2.32 ERA with the Mets.
1983: Outfielder Darryl Strawberry takes home the National League Rookie of the Year award after slashing .257/.336/.512 in 122 games with the Mets.
