Good morning Mets fans!
Latest Mets News
Sam Dykstra of MiLB.com presented the 2018 All-MiLB team, featuring Mets farmhands Peter Alonso at first base and Jeff McNeil at second base. Alonso paced the minor leagues in home runs with 36 bombs, and McNeil posted a 176 wRC+ between Binghamton and Las Vegas.
Anthony DiComo of MLB.com details the story of Cleon Jones, a member of the 1969 New York Mets who now spends his days serving the residents of Africatown, a neighborhood of Mobile, Alabama. “If you think receiving awards makes you happy, just think about giving something to somebody who’s really, really in need, how happy that makes them,” Jones said.
Mike Puma of the New York Post writes that the Mets are receiving interest in catchers Travis d’Arnaud and Kevin Plawecki. Puma notes that either catcher may be traded for a backup position player.
Latest MLB News
Dan Connolly of The Athletic, who covered Manny Machado in Baltimore, writes that the superstar infielder will bring supreme talent as well as his quirks to whatever team signs him. “At this point in his maturation, Machado pretty much is what he is: a supremely talented player who marches to his own drum.”
The Japan Times reports that the Hanshin Tigers have come to an agreement with Jefry Marte. Marte, who spent parts of four seasons in Major League Baseball, owns a .222/.288/.407 slash line for his career.
Robert Murray of The Athletic reports the Toronto Blue Jays have agreed to a minor-league deal with infielder Eric Sogard. Sogard struggled against major league pitching in 2018, slashing only .134/.241/.165 for the season.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that Andrew Miller’s deal with the St. Louis Cardinals is worth $25 million over two years. The contract includes a vesting option for a third year and a full no-trade clause.
The New York Yankees have signed pitchers Danny Coulombe and Rex Brothers to minor-league deals with invitations to spring training.
Switch-pitcher Pat Venditte has agreed to a one-year contract with the San Francisco Giants. Venditte logged a 2.57 ERA over 14 innings with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2018.
TR Sullivan of MLB.com reports that Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said Joey Gallo is not an option at third base.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic details CC Sabathia‘s recent heart procedure. Sabathia had a blockage in an artery leading to his heart, and he had a stent inserted into the artery to clear the blockage.
The Texas Rangers signed pitchers Ariel Hernandez, Phillips Valdez, Miguel Del Pozo, and former Met Jack Leathersich to minor-league contracts with invites to spring training. The Rangers also added infielder Nolan Fontana on a minor-league contract.
The Cincinnati Reds and the Los Angeles Dodgers completed a blockbuster trade exchanging major league talent. The Dodgers are sending Matt Kemp, Yasiel Puig, Alex Wood, Kyle Farmer and $7 million to the Reds. The Dodgers are receiving Homer Bailey and prospects Jeter Downs and Josiah Gray.
Latest NL East News
The Philadelphia Phillies made a slew of minor-league signings, bringing in pitchers Jeremy Bleich and Josh Martin, catcher Rob Brantly, infielders Phil Gosselin and Gregorio Petit, outfielder Shane Robinson, and utility player Matt McBride. Each minor-league deal includes an invite to spring training.
Latest on MMO
Dilip Sridhar details Framing Runs Above Average, a statistic that measures a catcher’s ability to frame pitches as strikes.
John Sheridan drafts a profile of free agent left-handed reliever Tony Sipp. Sipp was worth 1.3 bWAR last season, racking up a 1.86 ERA in 38.2 innings of work.
Michael Mayer interviews ESPN analyst and senior writer Keith Law about the Mets farm system.
Sheridan opines the Mets should pursue superstar outfielder Bryce Harper as their next move of the offseason.
This Day in Mets History
Birthdays: Gavin Cecchini is 25.
LGM!
