Morning Briefing: DeGrom Talks to Post Following Strong Bullpen

Good morning, Mets fans!

Max Scherzer struck out five, allowing three hits and one run over two innings, and the Mets rallied late to defeat the Nationals 6-2 on Sunday. Daniel Vogelbach and Mark Vientos both drove in runs with doubles, and Ronny Mauricio clocked a monstrous home run that traveled 450 feet. D.J. Stewart added a two-run single to cap off a three-run eighth inning.

Jacob deGrom spoke with the New York Post after his latest bullpen session, saying that he thought he would be back in New York. The two-time Cy Young award winner spoke highly of his time in New York and says he still keeps in touch with his friends from the city.

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David Peterson will make his spring debut today against the Cardinals at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter. Peterson is coming off a solid season, making 28 appearances (19 starts) and turning in a 3.83 ERA/3.64 FIP (101 ERA+) with 126 strikeouts in 105 2/3 innings, though he also walked 48 batters. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 pm.

Scherzer talked about why he loves the new pitch clock and how he believes he can use it to his advantage. Scherzer also wore a PitchCom device on his glove on Sunday, giving him the ability to call pitches when he wants.

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The Padres are finalizing an 11-year, $350 million contract extension with Manny Machado, Jeff Passan of ESPN reports. The six-time All-Star had planned to opt out of his contract with San Diego after the 2023 season, and it was reported he was commanding $400 million. Machado is coming off a year in which he finished second in MVP voting, hitting .298/.366/.531 (159 OPS+) with 32 homers, 37 doubles, 102 RBIs, and 6.8 rWAR.

Former Mets draft pick Kumar Rocker is wowing folks in Rangers camp writes Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

With another big contract being signed, MLBPA president Tony Clark said that spending should be celebrated, not questioned. Clark said earlier last week that he doesn’t expect MLB to ever agree to impose a salary cap.

The Twins have signed right-hander Jeff Hoffman to a minor league contract that can be worth up to $1.3 million if he makes the majors. The former first-round pick struggled with walks in 2022, but he pitched to a solid 3.83 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 44 2/3 innings for the Reds.

Justin Dunn is expected to miss most of spring training, and possibly all of it, due to a shoulder injury. Dunn dealt with shoulder issues last year, which delayed the start of his season. This year, the 27-year-old was expected to battle for the last spot in the Reds’ rotation.

The Braves have signed right-hander Joe Harvey to a minor-league contract, according to his MLB.com transactions tracker. The 31-year-old didn’t pitch at all in 2022, last pitching in Triple-A with the Rockies and Twins organizations in 2021.