Francisco Álvarez and Daiverson Gutierrez

Good morning, Mets fans!

The 2023 International Free Agency period began yesterday and the Mets were active on the market. They inked three players ranked in Baseball America’s top 40 players list: 17-year-old catcher Daiverson Gutierrez of Venezuela (No. 20), Venezuelan shortstop Christopher Larez (No. 25), and Dominican outfielder Anthony Baptist. The team also signed Cuban left-handed pitchers Daviel Hurtado and Wilmer Lugo. MMO’s Mike Mayer reports that Gutierrez received the heftiest signing bonus at $1.9 million, with Larez receiving $1.5 million and Baptist getting $1.1 million. Francys Romero of MLB.com reports that Hurtado received a bonus of $640,000.

Latest Mets News

Steve Cohen and his wife Alex met up with Justin Verlander and Kate Upton for dinner last night, according to Alex Cohen’s Instagram story. Alex said in her caption that the two parties had a great time getting to know each other.

Latest MLB News

Lewis Brinson has signed with the Yomiuri Giants of NPB for the 2023 season, the team announced. Once ranked as high as 18th in Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospects list, Brinson has accumulated -3.6 rWAR and hit just .198/.246/.328 with 28 homers and 327 strikeouts in 1,150 MLB plate appearances. However, he hit well in the minors in 2022, hitting .298/.356/.556 with 22 homers in 373 plate appearances split between the Triple-A affiliates of the Giants and Astros.

The Rangers have inked first baseman and outfielder Yoshi Tsutsugo to a minor-league contract, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports. Tsutsugo was unable to build off his strong finish to the 2021 season, hitting just .171/.249/.229 in 193 plate appearances before the Pirates released him in August. However, he posted a strong .301/.422/.520 batting line in 154 Triple-A plate appearances.

Latest on MMO

Mathias Altman-Kurosaki profiles free-agent outfielder Tommy Pham.

Andrew Steele-Davis writes about why the Carlos Correa saga shouldn’t define the Mets’ offseason.

Ross Bentley looks at who will play third base for the Mets after the 2023 season.

On This Date in Mets History

1986: The Mets send former first-round pick Billy Beane to the Twins along with pitchers Joe Klink and Bill Latham in exchange for infielder Tim Teufel and outfielder Pat Crosby. Teufel finished fourth in the AL Rookie of the Year voting in 1984, while Beane registered just 18 at-bats in the majors between 1984-85.

2002: The Mets sign veteran righty Pedro Astacio to a two-year contract. The 33-year-old endured a tough 3.5-year stint with the Rockies, but he finished the 2001 season strong with a 3.14 ERA in four starts with the Astros.

2020: After being the only player named in the report of the Astros cheating investigation, Carlos Beltrán and the Mets mutually agree to part ways. This comes just two months after Beltrán signed a three-year contract to become the team’s new skipper, and he becomes the third manager to lose his job as a result of the scandal, with Alex Cora and A.J. Hinch both getting fired a few days earlier.