Morning Briefing: Happy Opening Day Eve!

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Good morning, Mets fans!

Today is the last day before the 2023 baseball season officially begins. So enjoy this last free day, get caught up with all our articles previewing the season, and bring on some baseball!

Latest Mets News

Relief pitcher Bryce Montes de Oca will undergo arthroscopic surgery today to remove bone fragments from his right elbow, sources tell BallySports’ and Stadium‘s Russell Dorsey. Recovery time is four months with a possible return to action mid-August.

Tim Healey of Newsday said on Twitter that catcher Kevin Parada and righthander Blade Tidwell will open the year with with High-A Brooklyn. Parada was the Mets’ top draft pick last year and Tidwell was the second-rounder and is the organization’s top-ranked pitching prospect.

Do you remember McFadden’s? The location that was home to many fans during the 2015 postseason run will be open once again as The K Korner. The bar will operate in the former McFadden’s location on Seaver Way, opens to fans on Thursday, April 6 for the home opener. Fans can enjoy food and beverages at The K Korner before, during and after all home games this season. The news was announced via the New York Mets on Twitter.

Latest MLB News

According to ESPN and Jeff Passan, second baseman Andrés Giménez and the Cleveland Guardians are finalizing a long-term contract extension, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN. Giménez, 24, was a first-time All-Star and Gold Glove winner last year. The former Met, who was packaged along with Amed Rosario for Francisco Lindor, will be signed for seven years and $106.5 million, including a club option for the 2031 season. The deal starts next year and covers Giménez’s three arbitration years and potentially five free agent seasons.

Twenty-six-year-old Cuban pitcher Yariel Rodriguez left his contract with the Chunichi Dragons and the Cuban Baseball Federation and will seek to sign with an MLB team in the near future, according to MLB‘s Francys Romero. According to MLB scouts, Rodríguez could sign a contract in the range of $50M and five years. He’s a potential 3-5 spot starter in an MLB rotation.

Amazon announced they will be broadcasting 20 MLB games this season that will all be available on Amazon Prime for no additional cost, according to cordcuttersnews.com. The 20 games are all New York Yankees games and will all be produced by YES Network, the flagship home of the Yankees broadcasts. Additionally, fans watching these games through Amazon will be able to access line in-game stats about the players and the teams. The first broadcast available from Amazon will be Tuesday, April 4, against the Philadelphia Phillies. The broadcasted games will also be made available for up to 48 hours after the game’s original broadcast.

Negro League players like Satchel Paige and Jackie Robinson will be made available in newest installment of MLB The Show as playable characters. The game will feature a narrative story mode that will feature short videos about the players along with gameplay focused on the epic moments of their careers. Players like Buck O’Neil, Rube Foster, Hilton Smith, John Donaldson, Hank Thompson and Martin Dihigo will also be available to play as.