The deal is reportedly for four-years, $72 million, and the Dodgers add him to a bullpen that includes Blake Treinen (who the Dodgers also re-signed this offseason) and Michael Kopech.

Scott pitched for the Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres last year. He posted a 1.75 ERA in 72 innings to go along with 22 saves and 104 strikeouts. He has a 2.04 ERA over the last two seasons. 

The best reliever on the market is now the latest to join the Dodgers. A team that has been very active in free agency as they pursue a second consecutive World Series title and a third in six years. They’ve signed Scott, Sasaki, Blake Snell, brought back Treinen, Hyeseong Kim, Michael Conforto and were able to re-sign Teaoscar Hernandez. With the signing of Scott, the Dodgers continue to show the Mets and the rest of MLB that they will be the team to beat this year.

The post Report: Tanner Scott Signs With The Los Angeles Dodgers appeared first on Metsmerized.

Position: RP B/T: R/R
Age: 36 (06/30/1998)

2024 Traditional Stats: 50 G, 7-3, 1.93 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 46.2 IP, 56 SO, 11 BB
2024 Advanced Stats: 1.4 bWAR, 1.0 fWAR, 201 ERA+, 2.38 xERA, 3.00 FIP, .255 BABIP, 30.4 SO%, 7.6 BB%

Rundown

After missing nearly two entire seasons, the mid-30s Treinen returned like he’d never left.

Treinen, who’s been in the league since 2014, is known for his nasty slider/sweeper. In parts of 10 big league seasons, he’s posted a 2.78 ERA along with 9.2 SO/9 over 549 2/3 innings. The former South Dakota State University right-hander was drafted in the 23rd round by the Marlins in 2010, but didn’t sign. He was drafted again in the seventh round the following year by the Athletics.

In 2013, Oakland traded Treinen to the Nationals in a three-team deal involving Michael Morse. Treinen spent his first three MLB seasons in Washington. He ended up back in the A’s organization, though, after being traded there in 2017 in a deal for Ryan Madson and Sean Doolittle.

After a historically great 2018 campaign for Oakland — a 0.78 ERA over 80 1/3 innings — he had back-to-back down years. And it looked like that reign of dominance might be short-lived. He posted a 4.91 ERA for the A’s in 2019, then only had a pedestrian 3.86 ERA in his first season with the Dodgers in 2020. Even more worrisome is that his SO/9 fell to 7.7 that year.

But Treinen turned it back on in 2021. He put up a sub-2.00 ERA in more than 70 innings for the Dodgers, with a 10.6 SO/9.

A right arm injury ended his 2022 season after only five innings. He made seven rehab appearances, but was placed on the injured list with right shoulder tightness before he could make it back to the big league club. He ended up having to undergo shoulder surgery, and missed the entire 2023 season as a result.

Treinen returned once again this year, though, and was still in tip-top form despite his age and the slew of injury troubles. He wasn’t completely immune to injuries this season; he had a bruised lung that sat him out until May, and he missed a couple of weeks in August due to left hip discomfort. But he still managed to pitch in 50 major league games this year.

Treinen posted a 1.93 ERA, his second-lowest in a (mostly) full season throughout his career. He struck out nearly 11 batters per nine innings and walked just a hair over two. He limited the opposition to 6.4 hits per nine. Against his sweeper, batters hit just .120 and slugged .173.

By all accounts, it doesn’t look like Treinen is slowing down, at least not yet. His age should at least be a mild area of concern, along with his lengthy injury history, but signing him on a short-term deal could prove to pay immediate rewards for any team.

Contract

The Athletic’s Jim Bowden predicted that Treinen would get a two-year contract worth $17 million, which seems reasonable. Most relievers with his age and injury history would only get one year, but Treinen was dominant enough in a substantial sample that he may just have a couple more strong years in him.

This, of course, doesn’t account for subtleties in the contract like opt-outs. Two guaranteed years might be considered a gamble for some, considering the fickle nature of relievers in general. Anything more than two years would definitely be stretching it. But with Treinen’s recent performance, he’s earned a boost of confidence.

Recommendation

The Mets should absolutely have interest in Treinen. Bullpen depth was a weak point at times this year, and Treinen would be a massive, high-leverage arm to complement Edwin Díaz in the backend. A healthy Treinen and Díaz for the eighth and ninth could be one of the most feared duos in all of baseball.

Treinen won’t cost a ton, at least not more than you’d reasonably expect for a high-caliber reliever. As already discussed, given his age, he doesn’t require any kind of long-term commitment. If the Mets are looking for a major difference-maker in the bullpen for the next year or two, Treinen is a perfect fit.

The post Free Agent Profile: Blake Treinen, RP appeared first on Metsmerized.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are your 2024 World Series Champions.

On Wednesday night, MLB crowned their champs, as the Dodgers finished off the New York Yankees in five games to become World Series champions. The Yankees jumped out to an early 5-0 lead with their ace Gerrit Cole on the mound, nearly assuring them a trip back to L.A. However, a calamity of errors in the fifth inning let in five unearned runs for the Dodgers, knotting the game back up at five apiece. While the Yankees took a 6-5 lead, the Dodgers offense would scratch off another two runs in the eighth. Blake Treinen and Walker Buehler combined for 10 outs and subsequently secured a celebration in the Bronx.

Freddie Freeman took home World Series MVP after homering in the first four games of the series.

The Dodgers, who have been the class of the National League for the past decade, look to be just getting started as they will have many key pieces returning next year. Los Angeles put its money where its mouth is, dishing out over $1 billion in contracts this past offseason, now other teams will have to rebut.

While the Mets fell short, another exciting offseason should be on tap, as the Mets and the rest of MLB look to catch the Dodgers.

Let the Juan Soto rumors begin! After the Yankees loss, the superstar outfielder said he was open to signing with any team. Free agency officially begins at 9 a.m. ET today but players cannot sign with new teams until Nov. 4.

Latest Mets News

Mets VP of Scouting, Kris Gross, joined the Over-Slot MLB Draft Podcast to give insight to the Mets’ farm system happenings.

Mark Vientos wrote a Players’ Tribune article, titled “A Letter to Mets Fans.” In the message, Vientos thanked the Mets for the electricity they brought all year, mentioning how “it feels like I was born to be a New York Met.” Mark also added how he feels like something special is building in Queens.

Jon Heyman of the NY Post reported that if the Yankees can’t sign Juan Soto this offseason, then Pete Alonso, alongside some starting pitching, could be their plan of attack in free agency.

Latest MLB News

After the Dodgers’ celebration, L.A. pitcher Daniel Hudson said he’s calling it a career.

Former Mets draft pick Anthony Kay pitched seven innings of shutout ball in Game 4 of the NPB Japan Series. This outing helped tie the series between the BayStars and the SoftBank Hawks at two games apiece.

The Cincinnati Reds and MLB are mourning the loss of Reds Hall of Fame pitcher Joey Jay. He was 89 years old.

The Yankees and Major League Baseball banned the two fans who interfered with Mookie Betts from attending Game 5 of the World Series on Wednesday night, refunding them for their tickets. The Yankees were then able to give those tickets to Calvin Young, a 15-year-old cancer patient, and his family, per Jorge Castillo of ESPN.

Latest on MMO

A pair of interfering Yankee fans were banned from game 5.

MMO grades David Peterson‘s breakout season!

Steve Cohen is leading the Mets down a new path.

On This Date in Mets History

2015: Michael Conforto becomes the second Met to hit two home runs in a World Series game. Doing so in Game 4 of the Fall Classic, Conforto joined Gary Carter as the only two Mets to do it.

Born on This Date: Steve Trachsel (1970), Tim Byrdak (1973).

The post Morning Briefing: Happy Offseason! appeared first on Metsmerized.

The disappointing part isn’t just that they lost, but how. Bases loaded – twice, 17 runners hung out to dry, and men standing on bags in all but one inning. Would the outcome have been different if the Mets could’ve carried Game 5’s momentum into Game 6 without a day off in between? Oy, why do I do this to myself?

Francisco Lindor’s four pitch leadoff walk to start the first and the subsequent wild throw that placed him on third felt like a good omen. Pete Alonso’s infield single that scored the first run seconded that emotion. Jesse Winker’s free pass with the hot hitting Starling Marte at the plate made me prematurely giddy until the 35-year-old flied out to end the inning.

Dodger manager Dave Roberts’ kitchen sink of bullpen pitchers got redemption this time against Mets ace Sean Manaea, who couldn’t duplicate the swing and miss good fortunes he reaped in the series tying Game 2.

LA shortstop Tommy Edman, the NLCS MVP to be named later, was the gnat NY could not swat away. Four runs in two at bats – ever since the start of this series, I’ve cursed him every time he’s come to the plate. And when Teoscar Hernandez came out of his 0-18 shell, I knew it was not going to be pretty for any Met on the mound.

With a 4-1 lead, Manaea was pulled for Phil Maton, who always looks like he’d rather be playing Fortnite than pitching in the Majors. The pouty righthander did what he’s infamous for – retiring the first two batters, before giving up a two-run homer, this time, to Will Smith.

Trailing by five in the fourth, Francisco Alvarez’s prolific of late bat sent a leadoff single to center off LA’s third reliever, Anthony Banda, who replaced Ben, “I’m Casparius! I’m Casparius!”  With two down, Ryan Brasier gave up a two-run shot to the Mets postseason darling, Mark Vientos, cutting the lead 6-3.

Edwin Diaz arrived earlier than usual in the bottom of the fourth, keeping LA quiet with vintage sliders and four-seam fastballs.

With Evan Phillips on the rubber, the Mets loaded them up once again in the sixth on an Alvarez single, and back-to-back walks to Vientos and Pete Alonso. While I’m thinking the Mets are due for a go-ahead grand slam – Jesse Winker’s bat answered back, “Not from me,” as his inning ending fly ball landed in the glove of Teoscar Hernandez in left.

Ryne Stanek, whose been a workhorse out of the Mets bullpen, failed to keep the Dodgers at bay, walking Smith, allowing Chris Taylor to sacrifice him to second, surrendering a 3-2 rbi single to Shohei Ohtani – after he had him 0-2.

In the top of the seventh, Tyrone Taylor and Jeff McNeil delivered one out singles off Daniel Hudson, and Alvarez got back a run on a sac fly to right. With the hope of a comeback lingering, Lindor left the second baseman holding the bag at first.

Kodai Senga returned from his poor Game 1 performance in the bottom frame, and after plunking leadoff hitter Max Muncy, he retired the next three batters, which made me wonder, maybe he should’ve been an option a few innings earlier.

Blake Treinen dashed any run scoring ideas the Mets may have had up their away jersey sleeves, striking out the side in the top of the eighth. When Senga came back for seconds in the bottom frame, he made it very clear why I shouldn’t be an MLB manager.  He gave up three runs on singles, a double, a fielder’s choice and sac fly.

In their final at bat, with two away, Taylor and McNeil delivered too little too late back-to-back singles, that a Jewish mother manager would remark, “Now you get hits?”- eking out a run, ending their miracle postseason season on Alvarez’s ground out to second.

You gotta give kudos to rookie skipper Carlos Mendoza who ran a steady, tight ship over rocky waters – always believing the Mets were the best team on the field even when they were two outs away from clearing out their lockers.

The post The Mets End Their Storybook Season in LA appeared first on Metsmerized.

Credit: Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

In a year that proved to be very disappointing for the New York Mets, one area of their roster that didn’t underperform in 2021 was the bullpen, however, one key piece of that group could be headed out the door this offseason.

Though big-ticket items like Javier Baez, Michael Conforto and Marcus Stroman are expected to receive most of the attention if all three of these players become free agents, Aaron Loup should also be thrown into that mix as he served as one of the Mets’ most reliable performers throughout this past season.

Since spending his first six and a half seasons in the majors with the Toronto Blue Jays, Loup bounced around to three different organizations, including the Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres and the Tampa Bay Rays, before landing in New York last winter. Coming off his respectable showing in the Sunshine State, the 33-year-old earned himself a one-year, $3 million contract and was primarily expected to serve as a lefty specialist.

Luckily for the Mets, the 5’11” hurler quickly emerged into far more than just a one-dimensional reliever, earning himself a much larger role than previously anticipated. Since the three-batter minimum rule exists in this era, it had also become imperative for the left-hander to transition into a more rounded pitcher anyway – it just so happens he took a major step in that department in 2021.

With Loup excelling against both left-handed and right-handed hitters, he made significantly more appearances than he had in each of the last three seasons, which saw him compile the most outings (65 in ’21) of his career since 2017, resulting in 70 appearances.

Thriving in his new surroundings, the former ninth-round selection ultimately positioned himself into a high-leverage role, joining teammates Edwin Diaz, Trevor May and Jeurys Familia in that group. In turn, he was able to enjoy the top statistical performance of his career, and on just a one-year deal, the timing of this stellar showing couldn’t have come at a more perfect time.

Credit: Rhona Wise-USA TODAY Sports

Exploding past several previous career marks, Loup was called upon for 56 2/3 innings pitched, including a pair of opening starts, producing a remarkable 0.95 ERA, 2.45 FIP, .187 OPP AVG, 26.1% strikeout rate, 7.3% walk rate, 50.4% GB rate, 26.6% FB rate, 2.7% HR/FB rate and a 1.6 fWAR rating.

Taking this a step further, the dominating lefty compiled 53 2/3 innings from out of the bullpen, allowing him to finish with the best ERA (1.01) and ERA- (26), the second-best HR/FB rate (2.8%), the eighth-best FIP (2.52), tied for the eighth-best FIP- (60) and the 10th-highest fWAR rating (1.5) among all qualified relievers in the majors, according to FanGraphs.com.

Based on this impressive production, it’d be difficult to imagine how the Mets’ bullpen would’ve fared without Loup in 2021, especially given the lack of support they received from the starting rotation in the second half. Hoping to avoid that scenario next season, there’s no question the front office will be pushing hard to re-sign the veteran reliever this offseason, and rightly so.

Though a contract extension is certainly a possibility, given how vital Loup’s presence was to this team, there’s understandably some concern surrounding this franchise that he may depart through free agency. While it’s impossible to predict the future, at least for most people, bringing him back for another season might be easier than it seems.

First, the former Blue Jay expressed interest in returning to the Mets numerous times over the course of the 2021 campaign, most recently as a month ago. After spending time in five different cities throughout his career, which has included a change of scenery in each of his last four seasons, it might be ideal to remain in one place this time around.

While Loup is expected to be one of the top left-handed relievers on the market this winter, there also shouldn’t be any shortage of quality arms available in free agency, most notably Kenley Jansen, Adam Ottavino, Raisel Iglesias, Archie Bradley, Daniel Hudson, Corey Knebel, Hector Neris, Ian Kennedy, Kendall Graveman and many others.

With that in mind, there’s a possibility the Louisiana native could be forced to wait until the higher profiled names are signed before receiving a suitable offer, which may prove to be a taxing process at times.

Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Paired with what’s expected to be a loaded free-agent class, there also already seems to be a set market for someone like Loup, who could end up costing slightly less than Diaz in 2022, as he’s projected to earn $10.4 million through arbitration.

Searching for a comparable contract to Loup’s current value, Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen and his two-year, $17.5 million contract could serve as perfect guides for this situation, especially since there are plenty of similarities between these two hurlers.

For starters, they’re the same age, 33-years-old, and their birthdays are only separated six months apart. In addition, they also feature very similar pitching styles as neither of them allows much hard contact, they both strike out a solid amount of batters, focus on keeping balls on the ground and weren’t plagued by home runs this past season.

As a result, their respective values, as per FanGraphs, have been almost identical in each of the last two seasons. In 2020, Treinen posted a 0.5 fWAR rating over 25 2/3 innings, whereas Loup earned a 0.2 fWAR rating through 25.0 innings. Then in 2021, Treinen recorded a 1.8 fWAR rating in 72 1/3 innings, as for Loup, his rating came in at just 0.2 points lower while completing 16 fewer innings.

At $8 million per season, based on his production from this past season, the Dodgers’ reliever appears to have slightly performed above his value and served as somewhat of a financial bargain. But considering he didn’t receive any save opportunities, he’d likely be hard-pressed to earn a dramatically higher salary on the open market.

Bringing things back around to the Mets, they could be forced to spend beyond this two-year, $17.5 million contract to retain Loup’s services, although that deal should serve as a solid starting point for both sides. When the dust finally settles on the offseason, there’s a fairly strong chance the Tulane product’s next deal might not be all that different from Treinen’s.

For a team that could potentially part ways with Diaz, May and Seth Lugo after next season, as they’re each just one year away from becoming eligible for free agency, it’d likely be very beneficial to feature at least one high-leverage reliever on the books beyond 2022 – even if that’s someone who isn’t a closer.

So while there might be a ton of skepticism regarding New York’s chances of re-signing Loup, in actuality, they probably possess the best odds of keeping the lefty around for more than just a single season.

The post Re-Signing Loup Might be More Attainable Than it Seems appeared first on Metsmerized.

Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

In front of a sold out crowd sans the presence of super fan Mary Hart, and Gavin Lux in the lineup, the Dodgers dusted off their humiliating loss to stave off elimination.

Chris Taylor, the guy responsible for his teammates donning uniforms late into October, launched a postseason record three home runs in a win or go home, showing Braves offensive man of the hour, Eddie Rosario, whatever you can do, I an do better.

It was an ominous start when Joe Kelly, the first of many bullpen bodies to take the mound, left the game with bicep tightness after surrendering a sneaky Ozzie Alibies single, followed by a two-run homer to Freddie Freeman, one batter shy of completing the inning.

Former Atlanta reliever Evan Phillips came to the rescue earlier than expected, striking out Adam Duvall, preventing any further damage.

Braves ace Max Fried, who looks like an older version of the boy who took me to the sixth grade prom, surrendered a lone single to Trea Turner in the bottom frame, hopefully a sign of good things to come for the slumping second baseman.

Evans returned for seconds in the top of the second, getting Joc Pederson on a pop up to center, fanning Dansby Swanson and Travis d’Arnaud looking and swinging at a series of nasty sliders – prompting Ron Darling to share through Braves skipper Brian Snitker, that the righty didn’t have that stuff when pitching for Atlanta.

In the bottom half leadoff batter A.J. Pollock took Fried’s 94 mph four-seamer into the left field seats. Albert Pujols proving he’s still got game, delivered a sharp single to left, and Taylor, hammered a first pitch fastball, much further in the same direction, 406 ft. to be exact, putting LA ahead, 3-2.

Alex Vesia and his porn mustache, reminiscent of Charlie Finley’s Oakland A’s, replaced Phillips. As Will Smith flashed a sequence of signs, my husband complained that he was getting mixed signals. Max Fried, a good hitting pitcher, was punched out on a called strike three. Rosario singled to center, Albies flied out to left and with Freddie Freeman and his scorched bat at the plate, Smith nailed Rosario trying to swipe second.

In the bottom of the third, we learned that Sandy Koufax was Fried’s favorite player, sharing not only their Jewish heritage, but also his number 32, that he wore in high school. Unable to channel his hero, the lanky lefty lost Pollock on a base hit to left, followed by Pujol’s single to right center, and Taylor’s RBI single up the middle.

With a 4-2 lead, Dodger reliever Brusdar Graterol, always appearing hopped up on Adderall, retired the side in order in the fourth, striking out Duvall on a 90 mph slider after three servings of 100 mph heat.

Fried answered back with his first 1,2,3 inning on milder in comparison pitches in the mid-90’s.

In the top of the fifth, Graterol used eight pitches to erase the side in order, getting Pederson swinging and looking at a cutter, sinker and slider.

Leading off the bottom frame, Smith drew a walk and was eliminated along with Pollock on a 643 double play. Pujols free pass on seven pitches ended Fried’s outing, bringing Chris Martin to the mound. On his third pitch, Taylor took his namesakes 95 mph four-seam fastball into the center field seats for two more ribbies, extending the Dodger lead 6-2, receiving another hug at the plate from Pujols.

Blake Treinen, a calmer version of Graterol, took care of business in the top of the sixth keeping the hot-hitting Rosario from cashing in on his double by getting Albies and Freeman to fly out to left.

Braves brought in Dylan Lee to stop the bleeding in bottom half, which he succeeded, allowing a sole single to the surging Turner, who for the first time in the NLCS, was sitting at 2-3.

It took Treinen six pitches to retire the Braves in order in the seventh. And in the bottom of the inning, it took Taylor the same amount to drive in his sixth run, with a solo blast to left center, his third, living up to his moniker, CT3.

Corey Knebel struck out the side in the top of the eighth after surrendering a lead off single to Swanson. Jacob Webb had the dubious honor of pitching to the Dodgers in the bottom half, and didn’t fare better than those who preceded. Betts was back to playing like Betts, singling and stealing second. Turner brought him home on his first RBI base hit of the NLCS. Seager singled to center and Pollock, playing second fiddle to Taylor, knocked in three more runs with his second homer on a 94 mph four-seamer.

Kenley Jansen closed it out, retiring the Braves heart of the order, in order, with his signature hip twitching pitching.

So, for the Dodgers it’s now on to Atlanta with a hopeful, let’s win there.

The post Dodgers Say, ‘Not So fast,’ Beating the Braves to Survive Another Day appeared first on Metsmerized.

As we continue looking at potential 2021 free-agent targets, lets delve into every Met fans’ favorite concern — the bullpen.

Like much of the potential roster for 2021, the Mets will need to bolster an area of need that could be without Justin Wilson and Dellin Betances (without ever throwing a pitch as a Met).

With Seth Lego left as the only reliable late-inning performer, the Mets will need much more than hoping the Familia/Diaz duo can regain some of their past dominance to compete in the NL East.

This crop of will-be and could-be free agents has a bunch of intriguing names that should certainly be on the Mets radar if they want to contend in 2021.

5) Alex Colome`

This up and down closer should get some traction with potential suiters.

The right-hander spent the last two seasons in Tampa Bay/Seattle and then the White Sox, where he pitched to a sub 3.00 ERA in both 2018 and ’19 for the Mariners and Chi Sox.

In his age 30 season, Colome` appeared in 62 ballgames for Chicago saving 30 games — but a closer look shows less than stellar metrics with 23 BBs, a 4.08 FIP, 164 ERA+, and just 8.1 K/9.

Despite command issues and some inconsistency’s, Colome`still presents a live arm that for the right deal could turn into a home run for New York.

4) Blake Treinen 

After a disappointing 2019 that saw a major step back from his dominant 2018 campaign, the Dodgers scooped him up on a one-year deal hoping he’ll reclaim his recent success in Oakland.

Treinen compiled one of the best relief-pitching seasons in recent memory as an Athletic in ’18.

In 68 appearances, the right hander pitched to the tune of a microscopic 0.78 ERA with 38 saves, a 531 ERA+, 0.83 WHIP, 11.2 K/9, and 100 strikeouts in 80 IP.

2019 saw those numbers balloon to pedestrian level, but injuries hindered Treinen down to 58 innings. All things considered, the would-be 33 year old still presents a ton of upside that could pay-off big for the Mets.

3) Dellin Betances

This native New Yorker presents a truly unique conundrum for the Amazin’s.

Obviously, Betances was signed as a free agent for 2020 after coming off an achilles injury for the Yankees in 2019, but could end up never throwing a pitch in Queens.

Betances does have a $6 million player-option for ’21, and if the big-right hander is fully healed — that could turn out to be a steal for the Mets.

Even if he does declare for free agency, they would be smart to bring Betances back on another one or two-year deal to bolster the late-innings.

2) Sean Doolittle/Justin Wilson

With Wilson set to become an unrestricted-free agent for 2021, the Mets will be in need a quality-left hander out of their bullpen.

The reasonable choice (as of now) would be to bring back Wilson, who proved to be one one of the few reliable arms besides Seth Lugo.

Although the south paw spent time on the injured list in ’19, in 45 appearances he threw to a 2.54 ERA with 10.2 K/9 — showing success in taking care of both left and right-handed batters.

Another intriguing option from the left-side is 2019 Mets’ pitching machine (only joking) Sean Doolittle.

Doolittle (along with the rest of the Nationals bullpen) struggled for a good portion of ’19, but somehow righted the ship for the stretch run and road that momentum all the way to a World Series championship.

A 4.05 ERA and 63 hits (including 11 home runs) allowed in 60 IP doesn’t exactly move the needle, but Doolittles’ overall body of work as a high-leverage reliever, coupled with his fantastic postseason performance for the Nats (a sub 3.00 ERA in 9 appearances) makes him an enticing signing.

1) Kirby Yates

The 33 year-old Padres’ right-hander will surely be the one of the most coveted relievers on the free-agent market.

Yates burst onto the scene with San Diego at the age of 30 in 2017, striking out an astonishing 14.1 K/9 in 55 IP.

2018 and ’19 saw even more success for Yates, posting 2.14 and 1.19 ERAs consecutively in at least 60 IP in both seasons. The strikeouts kept coming too, with K/9s of 12.9 and 15.0.

Yates also proved that he could be a reliable full-time closer, saving a major-league leading 41 saves in 2019.

At 34, it will be interesting to see how the market looks at Yates as a long-term investment, but if he is willing to be a “gun for hire” on a short-term deal, the Mets should be jump to the front of the line and make his signing a priority.

The post 2021 Mets Free Agent Targets: Relievers appeared first on Metsmerized.

Free agent reliever Dellin Betances is reportedly looking for a one-year, $10 million deal according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network. Betances is looking to bet on himself after a disappointing 2019 season that saw him pitch in only one major league game due to injury.

Betances has a career 2.36 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and an incredible 14.6 K/9 in 381 2/3 innings over eight seasons for the Yankees.

The Dodgers – despite already signing Blake Treinen and having Kenley Jansen – are one of the top teams showing interest. Phillies are in on Betances as well and recent reports say the Mets are unlikely to sign the right-hander.

Betances has been working out at Impact Zone in New Jersey alongside Mets reliever Jeurys Familia this offseason.

The post MLB News: Dellin Betances Looking for One-Year, $10 Million Deal appeared first on Metsmerized.

Good morning Mets fans! The New York Mets strengthened their outfield defense on Thursday as they acquired OF Jake Marisnick from the Houston Astros in exchange for minor league LHP Blake Taylor and minor league OF Kenedy Corona. Mike Petriello of MLB.com put Marisnick’s defensive prowess into perspective by noting that he is tied for ninth in MLB over the last four years in outfielder Outs Above Average (+39), which is impressive for someone who is not an everyday starting outfielder.

Latest Mets News

Mike Ozanian of Forbes reported that hedge fund billionaire Steve Cohen will immediately own over 50% of the team should the proposed deal between him and the Wilpon family go through. With that in mind, Ozanian wrote that Cohen is likely going to be the one calling the shots when he becomes majority owner despite Fred Wilpon and Jeff Wilpon reportedly staying in their current positions of CEO and COO for the next five years.

The Wilpon family’s proposed sale of the Mets to Cohen will not include SNY according to Tim Healey, Neil Best and David Lennon of Newsday. It is possible that the Wilpon family will seek a deal for SNY, but if so, it will be a separate from their current negotiations with Cohen for the team.

The Mets signed OF Jarrett Parker and INF Max Moroff to minor league deals with invites to spring training.

Anthony DiComo wrote an article on potential replacements for RHP Zack Wheeler.

Latest MLB News

The Minnesota Twins re-signed RHP Michael Pineda according to Pierre Noujaim of FOX 9 Minneapolis. Pineda’s deal will be for two years and $20 million according to Dan Hayes of The Athletic.

The San Diego Padres acquired OF Tommy Pham from the Tampa Bay Rays according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports. The Padres will trade OF Hunter Renfroe and prospects for Pham.

RHP Kyle Gibson‘s contract with the Texas Rangers is finished and official according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network. Gibson will earn $28 million guaranteed over three years, with the possibility to earn up to $3 million more in incentives.

The New York Yankees have ownership-level approval to offer RHP Gerrit Cole a record-setting deal according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.

MLB announced that SK Wyverns’ LHP Gwang-hyun Kim and Doosan Bears’ OF/DH Jae-hwan Kim have been posted for all 30 MLB teams, per Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News Agency. Teams can negotiate with the two players from Friday at 8:00 a.m. EST until Jan. 5 at 5:00 p.m. EST.

Latest NL East News

Washington Nationals principal owner Mark Lerner told NBC Sports Washington’s Donald Dell in an interview that the organization can only really afford to re-sign one of either 3B Anthony Rendon or RHP Stephen Strasburg this offseason.

Latest on MMO/MMN

Matt Musico analyzed what went wrong for RHP Blake Treinen in 2019.

Michael Mayer wrote an “MLB Rumor Roundup”

John Sheridan wrote a profile of Cohen.

Sheridan also wrote about Baseball America’s analysis of the Mets’ 2019 international free agent signings.

This Day in Mets History

1989: The Mets traded LHP Randy Myers and RHP Kip Gross to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for LHP John Franco and minor league OF Don Brown.

2006: The Mets traded RHP Brian Bannister to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for RHP Ambiorix Burgos.

Birthdays: RHP Kevin Appier turns 52, OF Terry McDaniel turns 53, 1B Luis Rosado turns 64, SS Tim Foli turns 69, SS Larry Bowa turns 74 and INF Amado Samuel turns 81.

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Strengthen Defense In Their First Offseason Trade appeared first on Metsmerized.

As MLB’s non-tender deadline came and went on Monday, a bunch of big leaguers were added this winter’s free-agent market, including a number of players with names we’re familiar with. There are plenty of newly-minted free agents the New York Mets will have an interest in, and one that immediately comes to mind is former Oakland Athletics closer, Blake Treinen.

Treinen’s trajectory over the past couple years is a reminder of how humbling baseball can be. He excelled in Oakland after landing there in the middle of the 2017 season and followed that with a ridiculous 0.78 ERA and 2.46 SIERA, along with a 31.8% strikeout rate, 6.7% walk rate, and 3.6 fWAR in 80.1 innings in 2018. Yet here we are, a year removed from a performance that earned him some American League Cy Young votes, and he’s currently looking for work. A 4.91 ERA (with a 5.01 SIERA), 13.9% walk rate, 1.38 homers allowed per nine innings, and a -0.3 fWAR in 58.2 innings will do that, though.

If both Edwin Diaz and Jeurys Familia are taking up space in the Mets’ bullpen come Spring Training, New York will have its hands full getting those two to bounce back after rough performances of their own. Adding another rebound candidate may be a bit much, but it’s easy to see the appeal for a hurler who has enjoyed recent success and is trying to rebuild his value before heading back out into the open market.

So what exactly went wrong for the right-hander this past season?

What Went Wrong

There are plenty of places to sift through when looking areas that need to improve. His 17.8% soft-hit rate decreased for the third straight year and was just barely above the league-average rate for relievers. His 36.7% hard-hit rate allowed was still better than league average, but it increased by almost eight percentage points compared to the year before. His walk rate just about doubled, his strand rate dropped by about 10 percentage points, and his homers allowed per nine innings rate went from 0.22 in 2018 to the 1.38 mark he finished with in ’19.

What’s interesting here, though, is that Treinen posted a 61.3% first-strike rate (a career-best mark), along with a 37.8% zone rate (a career-worst mark). Getting strike one wasn’t the problem — it seemed like a lot of other things were. However, it was the 31-year-old’s shift in pitch mix in recent years is what caught my own when looking through everything.

Since throwing his slider at a career-high 30.4% rate in 2016 with the Washington Nationals, that number has gone down each year, with his usage rate coming in at just 13.3% in 2019. Conversely, Treinen has been using a cutter with increased frequency: 0.5% in ’17, 11.8% in ’18, and 19.7% in ’19. Between the four pitches he threw this past season (four-seamer, sinker, cutter, slider), the slider was both his least used and most effective pitch when looking at wRC+.

Opposing hitters mustered a 78 wRC+ against that offering last year, with none of Treinen’s other three pitches producing an opponent wRC+ below 104 (none of these pitches produced a wRC+ above 58 in 2018, just for comparison’s sake).

Although Treinen’s walk rate went up across the board for each pitch in his arsenal, his sinker wasn’t his biggest problem (7.2% in ’18 to 10.3% in ’19) — it was his four-seamer. After producing a 9.0% walk rate with that pitch during his breakout 2018 season, that number jumped up to an alarming 28.8% (with his strikeout rate going from 32.8% to 21.2%). Another drastic change took place with that cutter. His walk rate for this offering went from 3.4% to 10.2%, while his strikeout rate went from 34.5% to 45.9%.

Even though it was a step back from the prior season, his slider still wasn’t too shabby when considering the circumstances (walk rate went from 1.3% to 5.4% and strikeout rate went from 58.7% to 48.5%).

Looking Ahead and Overall Fit

Of course, the answer isn’t necessarily as simple as, “Well, then he should just throw more sliders.” That may be part of the answer, and if it is, being in an environment where another fellow reliever (Diaz) is trying to recapture his magic with that pitch may not be the worst thing in the world. And let’s not forget that throwing more sliders ended up being a clear second-half trend for the Mets’ entire starting rotation.

Improving the bullpen — regardless of whether Diaz and Familia stick around and bounce back — is one of the Mets’ biggest offseason priorities. The free-agent market for relievers isn’t super deep and a number of available hurlers have already been signed by other teams. The financial flexibility (read: willingness) to stretch for those on the open market may not be there, but it’s not as if trying to overpay for someone like Kirby Yates or Josh Hader makes sense (and for Hader, there are other reasons there, too). After all, we just saw how that worked out in a similar situation by acquiring Diaz and Robinson Cano in exchange for a number of the organization’s top prospects.

Instead of sacrificing more prospect capital for a player’s performance that’s far from a guarantee, it’d be interesting to see the Mets throw their hat in the ring for Treinen’s services since the only thing they’d be surrendering by taking this risk is cash. Depending on how his market ends up forming, the righty’s asking price will at least be in a range New York is willing to sacrifice.

The post What Went Wrong For Blake Treinen In 2019? appeared first on Metsmerized.