Good morning Mets fans! Yesterday the rumor mill started churning as the Mets have been connected to the Seattle Mariners for second baseman Robinson Canó. No deal is in place at this point.
Latest Mets News
Jon Heyman of FanCred Sports reports that the Mets have hired Adam Guttridge as assistant General Manager of systematic development. Guttridge formerly served as the Brewer’s manager of baseball research and development.
Citi Field, the home of the New York Mets, has announced that Cirque Du Soleil’s Luzia show will open May 3 under the Big Top next to the stadium.
Mike Puma of the New York Post tweets that Brandon Nimmo will once again serve as Santa at the Mets’ holiday party this year.
Sheryl Ring of FanGraphs writes about possible conflicts that Brodie Van Wagenen could face while serving as the general manager of the Mets.
Latest MLB News
Wes Jenkins of Fangraphs’ The Hardball Times writes about why sliders are so difficult to hit. He notes nine pitchers, including Patrick Corbin and Blake Treinen, who throw some of the most unhittable sliders in baseball.
Former MLB outfielder Doug Glanville pens a story for the Athletic describing what it is like for professional baseball players to live through the offseason. Glanville writes, “A baseball player inherently lives in two worlds: The season and the offseason.” (subscription required)
Jim Allen of Kyodo News writes a briefing about Yusei Kikuchi, a 27-year-old left-handed pitcher expected to make the jump from Japan’s NPB to Major League Baseball this offseason.
Jay Jaffe of FanGraphs continues his series on the 2019 Hall of Fame ballot by taking a look at Edgar Martinez. The former Mariners slugger took 72% of his plate appearances as a designated hitter but still racked up 67.7 WAR for his career.
Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reports that the Texas Rangers and right-handed pitcher Jesse Chavez have agreed to a two-year deal in the range of $8 million. Chavez started the 2018 season with the Rangers, but was dealt to the Chicago Cubs midway through the year.
The St. Louis Cardinals announced three promotions within the Baseball Operations staff. Randy Flores was promoted to Assistant General Manager/Director of Scouting. Ernie Moore was promoted to Director of Team Travel. Mark Walsh was named head clubhouse manager.
Lindsey Adler of the Athletic writes about Major League Baseball’s plan for managing political lobbying. Changes to political lobbying will be made in response to a controversial $5,000 donation to the campaign of U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, a Republican from Mississippi.
Latest NL East News
Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports reports that free agent starting pitcher Patrick Corbin visited Citizens Bank Park, the home of the Philadelphia Phillies. Salisbury notes that Corbin is high on the Phillies’ wish list.
Latest on MMO
Marc Epstein writes a Fan Shot detailing why the Mets should retire number 24 in honor of Willie Mays. The Hall of Fame outfielder played only two seasons with the Mets, and he was named an all-star in the 1973 season at the age of 42.
John Edwards writes that Robinson Canó and the Mets could be an imperfect match, noting that Canó’s bat can bring value to the lineup.
This Day in Mets History
2005: The Mets sign left-handed reliever Billy Wagner to a four-year, $43 million contract, giving him the highest average salary for a reliever in baseball history at the time.
Birthdays: José Parra is 46. Pedro Astacio is 50.
