Good morning, Mets fans!

Ronny Mauricio had a stellar night at the plate, yet a forgettable night in the field for the Tigres del Licey of the Dominican Winter League on Friday night. In just his second game since joining the team, Mauricio went 4-for-4 with a double, a triple, and 2 RBIs but also recorded three errors in the field playing third base. Mauricio appears to have picked right back up from when he won Dominican Winter League MVP last year, however his fielding issues are cause for concern. He has always struggled in the field, despite only recording one error in a month’s worth of games for the Mets last year, but he continues to prove his hitting and slugging ability that the Mets hope will only continue to improve.

Jordan Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Latest Mets News

The Mets signed reliever Kyle Crick to a minor league deal on Friday, reported first by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. While he did not pitch in 2023, he holds a career ERA of 3.56 in 194 total relief appearances.

The Mets made a couple more moves on Friday, announcing that they claimed utilityman Cooper Hummel and catcher Tyler Heineman off waivers. Both players each have a minor league option remaining.

New Mets’ pitcher Luis Severino posted a statement on Instagram saying goodbye to the Yankees organization and his teammates, and posted a separate statement thanking the fans and expressing his excitement to remain in New York.

Latest MLB News

Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet reported on Friday that Shohei Ohtani‘s free agency is entering its final stretch, and a small group of teams are expected to meet with Ohtani and his representatives this weekend. The Mets are not expected to be in the running anymore, according to ESPN‘s Jeff Passan, as they have turned their attention elsewhere. Passan said the known remaining teams still in the running for Ohtani include the Angels, Cubs, Blue Jays, and Dodgers.

Per Craig Mish of MLB Network, the Marlins hired former Phillies and Giants manager Gabe Kapler to their front office as assistant general manager. Kapler interviewed for the open head of baseball operations job in the Red Sox organization before they hired Craig Breslow to that role. Now, Kapler will work under Miami’s new general manager, Peter Bendix.

Jackson Chourio was in Milwaukee on Friday with his representatives, where his historic contract with the Brewers was nearing its final stages of completion. Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reported that, when completed, the deal will be eight-years, $82 million with two club options and incentives that could max the deal out at over $140 million.

The eighth Hall of Fame ballot was released on Friday, belonging to first-time voter Joe Reedy. Reedy voted for former Mets Carlos Beltrán, Billy Wagner, and Bartolo Colón, while also voting for Adrián Beltré, Todd Helton, Andruw Jones, Joe Mauer, Álex Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield, and Chase Utley. The vote for Colón was the first one he has received.

Latest on MMO

Jack Sargente writes a free agent profile on third baseman Matt Chapman.

Allison Waxman breaks down the Mets’ signing of reliever Austin Adams.

On This Date in Mets History

1991: Bobby Bonilla became the highest paid player in baseball by signing a five-year, $29 million deal with the Mets. His first season in New York was underwhelming by his standards, but he began to live up to the hype in 1993 when he hit a career-high 34 home runs and was an All-Star.

1998: The Mets signed another third baseman to a notable contract, getting Robin Ventura to sign to a four-year deal. Ventura had a fantastic debut season with the Mets, where he recorded 32 home runs and a .908 OPS while winning a Gold Glove and finishing sixth in the MVP race.

Birthdays: Gary Sánchez (31)