Morning Briefing: Manfred To Step Down In 2029

Good morning, Mets fans

During a press conference, MLB commissioner Robert Manfred announced that he would resign on January 2029. On his decision to step down, Manfred said “You can only have so much fun in one lifetime. I have been open with them (the owners) about the fact that this is going to be my last term.” Over the summer, it was announced that Manfred’s term would last through July 2029 but it seems that it will be rolled back by seven months.

Now, onto the morning briefing.

Latest Mets News

From a video shared by the SNY Twitter account, Edwin Diaz was back on a mound facing live batters in Port St. Lucie and was bringing the heat.

Edwin Díaz brought the heat in his bullpen session today 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Zqe7ki23vG

— SNY (@SNYtv) February 15, 2024

Tim Britton of The Athletic tweets out Keith Law’s list of the Mets Top 2024 Prospects.

Latest MLB News

Stephen J. Nesbitt from The Athletic writes that the predominant narrative in MLB spring training revolves around the recently introduced jerseys, designed by Nike and manufactured by Fanatics. Fan reactions range from frustration among fans to discontent among players. A prominent star has conveyed his concerns directly to Nike, while others have approached the players union with their grievances.

As reported by Jon Morosi of MLB Network, free agent Whit Merrifield is nearing a decision, and sources indicate that an agreement is likely to be reached by the weekend’s end. Merrifield has seen an uptick in interest from five different teams in recent days, each expressing varying levels of interest in acquiring his services.

Mike Petriello of MLB.com highlights the X feed of Orioles beat writer Jake Rill, who highlighted a plethora of news in regards to consecutive Orioles injuries at the start of camp. One of those players, as reported by Jeff Passan of ESPN, is Kyle Bradish. The right-hander with the best second-half ERA among starters in the American League at 2.34, is heading to the injured list due to a tear in his UCL. Despite the setback, Bradish has undergone a PRP shot, intends to persist with his throwing routine, and will attempt to pitch through the injury.

Sam Dykstra of MLB.com explains everything you need to know about the Spring Breakout games, which will feature MLB’s top prospects.

According to David O’Brien of The Athletic, Atlanta GM Alex Anthopolous has mentioned that the Braves are inclined towards giving Jarred Kelenic regular playing time instead of starting with a platoon arrangement. The belief is that Kelenic will derive greater benefit from consistent at-bats, even if he encounters early struggles akin to Michael Harris II. This factor will also influence the decision regarding the team’s fourth outfielder.

Bryan Hoch of MLB.com notes that Yankees GM Brian Cashman emphasized that Juan Soto will more than likely be “a one year situation” and that “I don’t see too many things stopping him from reaching free agency.”

Robert Murray of FanSided writes that the Toronto Blue Jays are nearing a deal to sign infielder Eduardo Escobar.