Morning Briefing: Buck Showalter Joins MLB Network as Analyst

Good morning, Mets fans!

Former Mets manager Buck Showalter will rejoin MLB Network as an analyst for the 2024 season, Andrew Marchand of The Athletic reports. Showalter worked for the network during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. He’ll start at the beginning of April.

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Latest Mets News

The Mets had an off day on Monday and now welcome the Cardinals to Clover Park today. First pitch is scheduled for 6:10 PM. Lance Lynn will take the mound for St. Louis, while the Mets haven’t yet announced a starter.

Latest MLB News

The Giants and Blake Snell have agreed to terms on a two-year contract worth $62 million. The deal includes an opt-out for Snell after the 2024 season. The 31-year-old lefty won his second Cy Young award in 2023, posting a major league-leading 2.25 ERA and racking up a career-high 234 strikeouts in 180 innings, though he also walked 99 batters, the most of any pitcher in the majors.

Jayson Stark of The Athletic reported that Bryce Harper is dealing with some back stiffness, which has held him out of the Phillies’ lineup for three straight games. Harper didn’t participate in any baseball activities on Monday. Phillies manager Rob Thomson said he isn’t too concerned about the issue and that the team is just being cautious with the two-time MVP. Stark noted that Harper missed some games last August due to back issues.

Twins closer Jhoan Duran will begin the season on the injured list due to a mild oblique strain, general manager Derek Falvey said on Monday. Lefty Caleb Thielbar, another significant part of the Minnesota bullpen, will begin the year on the IL due to a hamstring issue.

For the first time, Baseball Savant will carry Statcast data from MiLB games in 2024. Mike Petriello of MLB.com broke down some differences he noticed between major league and minor league performance from the newly accessible data.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said D.J. LeMahieu has a “pretty significant” bone bruise after fouling a ball off his right foot. The team is unsure if he’ll be ready for Opening Day.

Trevor Bauer tweeted Monday that he will be pitching against the Yankees on March 24 for the Diablos Rojos del México of the Mexican League. Bauer has also agreed to pitch in five games for the team between April 11 and May 8 to stay ready in case he gets a major league opportunity.

MLB Pipeline revealed their All-Spring Breakout teams, headlined by fireballing righty Paul Skenes. 30 players from 18 different teams were selected.

Israel Baseball is launching a professional organization in the United States called Israel Baseball Americas, which will run programs year-round for players, youth participants, and fans. Mets’ Vice President Jay Horwitz will serve as a board member, alongside Team Israel’s World Baseball Classic manager Ian Kinsler and Kevin Youkilis.

The Reds will be without center fielder TJ Friedl to begin the season due to a wrist fracture. He will be reassessed in three to four weeks.

The Mariners have granted Cole Tucker his release. A former first-round pick, Tucker got just eight at-bats in the majors in 2023 with the Rockies and had gone 2-for-10 in spring training this year.