Tim Locastro, Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized
Good morning, Mets fans!
The Mets announced on Monday that they have designated Darin Ruf for assignment, ending a tough tenure in orange and blue for the 36-year-old. In 74 plate appearances after coming over from the Giants last summer, Ruf recorded just three extra-base hits and hit an anemic .152/.216/.197. This spring, he was just 5-for-30 while dealing with a wrist injury.
“It was a trade that didn’t work out. Plain and simple,” general manager Billy Eppler said.
Tim Locastro will be the final man on the Mets’ bench. Locastro said he’d been informed of the decision on Sunday night but was told to keep it a secret from everyone else.
Latest Mets News
In other roster-related news, David Peterson has officially won the final spot in the Mets’ rotation. While Peterson issued eight walks, he didn’t allow a run in 12 innings this spring and struck out 13 batters. Meanwhile, Tylor Megill will head to Triple-A Syracuse, where he is expected to start on Opening Day.
Latest MLB News
The Braves revealed their City Connect uniforms, in which they pay homage to Hank Aaron. The jerseys will be debuted on April 8, which is the anniversary of Aaron’s 715th career home run.
Matt Eddy of Baseball America looks at what teams could earn extra draft picks for capitalizing on their prospect promotion incentives.
The Brewers have signed Luke Voit to a one-year contract with a club option for the 2024 season. In addition, they have designated former first-round pick Keston Hiura for assignment and optioned Abraham Toro to Triple-A.
Mike Trout announced he is building a golf club designed by Tiger Woods in Vineland, NJ. Construction will begin this year and the private club is anticipated to open in 2025.
The Orioles will not be bringing top prospect Grayson Rodriguez on their MLB roster to begin the season. The right-hander struggled in his final three starts of spring training, which Mike Elias cited as the reason for not bringing the young righty north to start the season.
The Rays announced they will wear their Devil Rays throwback jerseys during every Friday home game this season. The team went by the Devil Rays from 1998-2007.
Brandon Crawford has been named the winner of the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award. This honor is given to the player who best shows the giving character of the Hall of Famer.
The Cubs have traded utility man Zach McKinstry to the Tigers for right-hander Carlos Guzman. The 24-year-old Guzman spent most of last season in High-A.
The Cubs have given infielder Nico Hoerner a three-year extension worth $35 million. The deal buys out one year of free agency, meaning he will be 29 when he hits the market.
Sergio Romo made one last appearance for the Giants on Monday night to officially retire as a Giant. A 28th-round pick out of Colorado Mesa College, Romo made an All-Star team and was a three-time World Series champion in San Francisco, racking up 84 saves in nine seasons. He also racked up three saves in the 2012 World Series, including striking out Miguel Cabrera to end the series.
Latest on MMO
Mathew Brownstein interviews Mets minor leaguer Bubby Rossman.
Christian De Block previews what to expect from the Braves this season.
On This Date in Mets History
1985: Sports Illustrated writer George Plimpton publishes a story about Mets rookie pitcher Sidd Finch. The phenom reportedly wears one hiker’s boot while pitching, plays the french horn, and throws 168 miles per hour.
2019: Robinson Canó homers in his first at-bat as a Met, and Jacob deGrom outduels Max Scherzer as the Mets win on Opening Day, 2-0. Rookie first baseman Pete Alonso collects his first major league hit and Edwin Díaz locks down his first save as a Met.
