Good morning, Mets fans!

Highly sought-after Japanese free agent Yoshinobu Yamamoto is set to join the Los Angeles Dodgers, signing a reported 12-year, $325 million deal, as revealed by YES Network’s Jack Curry and confirmed by ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The Mets also offered the same amount, but Yamamoto chose the Dodgers over the Yankees, who offered $300 million. For more on this news, check out our piece for more information.

Now onto the morning briefing.

Photo via Kyodo

Latest Mets News

The Mets have inked a minor league deal with right-handed pitcher Victor Castaneda. The 25-year-old, known for his distinctive forkball/splitter, posted a 4.50 ERA with 26 strikeouts across 20 innings this season spanning the Rookie, Double-A, and Triple-A levels.

Grayson Crawford, formerly the Double-A pitching coach for the New York Yankees, announces that he has accepted the role of pitching coach for the Mets Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse.

Latest MLB News

Major League Baseball tweets that Shohei Ohtani has been named the AP Male Athlete Of The Year for the second time in three years.

Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com selects the annual All-Awardless Team. This piece was written to highlight players who did not receive formal honors but still deserve recognition, offering them the thrill of seeing their names mentioned on the Internet. New York Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo was named as one of the outfielders chosen.

Jesse Rogers of ESPN tweets that the MLB competition committee has given the green light to several rule changes set to take effect in the 2024 season. Notable adjustments include the introduction of an 18-second clock for pitchers with runners on base, aimed at speeding up the pace of play. Mound visits will be reduced from five to four, emphasizing more efficient communication between players and coaches. Additionally, a new mandate requires pitchers who begin warming up before an inning to face at least one batter. The runner’s lane to first base has also been widened within the infield grass, likely impacting base-running strategies.

Latest on MMO

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Sean Kenny goes in-depth on the Mets latest acquisition, Adrian Houser.

On This Date in Mets History

Birthdays: Gavin Cecchini (30)