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Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto was named the MVP of the Pacific League for the third straight year. He becomes the first to win an NPB MVP award for three straight years since Ichiro from 1994-1996 and just the third player overall to do it.
The 25-year-old Yamamoto is currently a free agent and is expected to talk to teams via Zoom soon.
Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports
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Jay Horwitz posted a tribute on his Twitter account to former Mets catcher Ron Hodges, who passed away on Friday. Horwitz said Hodges never craved the spotlight and during his 12-year career, he transcended two eras for the franchise. Horwitz added that he saw Hodges just a few months ago.
The Mets have hired former Bloomberg Media CEO M. Scott Havens to be the team’s new President of Business Operations. Havens will be in charge of all non-baseball functions for the front office. He will begin working for the team in January
Latest MLB News
The Dodgers are showing interest in former All-Star pitcher Lucas Giolito, according to Robert Murray of FanSided. Giolito spent 2023 with the White Sox, Angels, and Guardians, posting a 4.88 ERA/5.27 FIP (91 ERA+) with 204 strikeouts while giving up an AL-worst 41 homers in 184 1/3 innings. Giolito attended Harvard-Westlake High School in Studio City, CA, which is approximately 30 minutes from Dodger Stadium.
The Cardinals have signed AL Cy Young runner-up Sonny Gray to a three-year contract worth $75 million. Gray made the third All-Star Game of his career in 2023, posting a 2.79 ERA and a major league-best 2.83 FIP, striking 183 batters and allowing just eight homers over 184 innings.
Japanese hurlers Shōta Imanaga and Naoyuki Uwasawa were both posted on Monday. Teams now have 45 days to negotiate a contract with them. Uwasawa posted a 2.96 ERA over 170 innings for the Nippon-Ham Fighters in 2023. Imanaga had a 2.80 ERA with 174 strikeouts in 148 innings for the Yokohama DeNA Baystars.
Jim Duquette of MLB Network reported Monday that there’s a possibility the Astros could trade third baseman Alex Bregman this offseason. The two-time All-Star is set to make $30.5 million in 2024 and can hit the free-agent market at the end of the season. Bregman batted .262/.363/.441 (122 OPS+) with 25 homers, 96 RBIs, and 4.9 rWAR while playing in 161 games in 2023.
The Dodgers have agreed to re-sign Jason Heyward to a one-year deal worth $9 million, pending a physical. The 34-year-old enjoyed a major bounce-back season in 2023, batting .269/.340/.473 with 15 homers in 377 plate appearances.
The Marlins have claimed right-hander Ryan Jensen off waivers from the Mariners. A former first-round pick, Jensen pitched to a 5.32 ERA with 78 strikeouts and 54 walks over 64 1/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A in 2023.
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Shaun Huntley looks at the Topps Pro Debut and Topps Archive baseball card sets that were just released.
On This Date in Mets History
1961: In the first trade in franchise history, the Mets trade Gus Bell to the Braves for Frank Thomas. The 33-year-old Thomas clubbed 27 homers in the 1961 season, 25 of which were for Milwaukee.
1994: The Mets trade two players to be named later to the Astros in exchange for former All-Star hurler Pete Harnisch. The 28-year-old is coming off a down year, but he was an All-Star in 1991 and had a 2.98 ERA over 217 2/3 innings in 1993.
2005: The Mets agree to a four-year contract worth $43 million with four-time All-Star closer Billy Wagner. The fireballing southpaw is coming off a strong year with the Phillies, recording 38 saves with a career-best 1.51 ERA and 87 strikeouts in 77 2/3 innings.
Birthdays: Pedro Astacio (55), José Parra (51)
