Photo by Ed Delany of MMO

Good morning, Mets fans!

Mike Puma of the New York Post reports that the television home of the Mets, SNY, and Keith Hernandez have made progress on talks and are not far apart on a multi-year deal. Puma reports that while the sides are close, there’s still a lot of work to be done before a deal is signed.

Now onto the morning briefing!

Latest Mets News

Steve Cohen and the New York Mets will feature an ad on Super Bowl Sunday that, in total, cost upwards about $1.5 million all together. The ad, featuring Mets players Edwin Díaz, Francisco Lindor, Tomas Nido, Kodai Senga and Brandon Nimmo, encourages people to call about tickets for the upcoming Mets season. Evan Drellich of The Athletic details exactly why the Mets did this, and the rationale behind what Steve Cohen is looking to accomplish with the Mets and their branding.

Featured on ESPN from Joon Lee, is the story of Mets reliever Adam Ottavino and the story of how he turned an empty storefront in Harlem, into his own place to track his pitching data, which transformed into a hub where players from the majors to recreation league can come to throw and train.

The Amazin’ Mets Foundation hosted a Mets Holiday Shopping Spree, which allowed underserved families to have an unforgettable holiday experience. Twenty children were invited by Win NYC to shop at Target for themselves and their families. Mets general manager Billy Eppler, along with players Daniel Vogelbach and Carlos Carrasco joined those families to help bring cheer to their holiday season.

The New York Mets are hiring! The team is currently looking for people to fill positions as a Software Engineering Associate, Production Design Associate, and Product Management Associate. If interested, click here for the job descriptions and how to apply!

As spring training is about to begin, the Mets have released some guidelines and promotions regarding upcoming spring training at Clover Park, along with what to expect at the facility for this upcoming season.

The Mets announced their coaches for their Double-A affiliate in Binghamton. Formerly manager in Low-A St. Lucie, Reid Brignac will take the helm as manager in Double-A Binghamton and joining him as bench coach is former major league infielder, Mariano Duncan, who previously served as hitting coach for the Mets High-A affiliate in Brooklyn.

Latest MLB News

AJ Cassavell from MLB.com reports that the San Diego Padres and pitcher Yu Darvish have agreed to a six-year, $108 million extension that will keep the pitcher in San Diego until 2028. Darvish is coming off his best season and he reports that Darvish wanted to stay with the club for the foreseeable future.

Zach Buchanan of The Athletic goes in-depth on the oral history of the radar gun, as told through 13 MLB scouts.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Toronto Blue Jays and shortstop Bo Bichette have agreed to a three-year, $33.6 million deal that has no options and can lean upwards to $40.65 million through escalations and awards.

Left-handed pitcher Caleb Smith has signed a minor league deal and an invitation to major league camp with the Pittsburgh Pirates, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Smith previously pitched with the New York Yankees, Miami Marlins and Arizona Diamondbacks.

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On This Date in Mets History

1982: Mets GM Frank Cashen made his first big trade, sending Greg Harris, Jim Kern, and Alex Trevino to Cincinnati for former MVP George Foster. Foster, who was a strong power bat for the Big Red Machine, failed to live up to expectations in New York and provided little outside the occasional home run. Foster was released by the Mets on August 7th, 1986, in the midst of their championship season.

Birthdays: Travis d’Arnaud (34), Alberto Castillo (53), Bobby Jones (53), Lenny Dykstra (60)