Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports that San Francisco Giants star Buster Posey has decided to opt out of the 2020 season.

Posey and his wife are adopting recently born identical twin girls. The twins were born prematurely, they are currently in the NICU and will be there for some time.

Posey joins 10 other big leaguers that have opted out of the 2020 season due to Covid-19 concerns; catcher Welington Castillo (Nats), UT Ian Desmond (Rockies), RHP Felix Hernandez (Braves), RHP Mike Leake (D-Backs), OF Nick Markakis (Braves), RHP Hector Noesi (Pirates), LHP David Price (Dodgers), RHP Joe Ross (Nats), RHP Tyson Ross (Giants), and 1B Ryan Zimmerman (Nats).

The 33-year-old catcher was the NL Rookie of the Year in 2010, the NL MVP in 2012, has won three World Championship rings, and is a six-time All-Star.

Posey now has one guaranteed season left on his contract and a team option for the 2022 season.

The post Buster Posey Opts Out of 2020 Season appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

With some of the game’s biggest stars on the move – and the Astros’ cheating scandal stunning the baseball world – this offseason has been anything but slow. So, after all the trades, headlines, and craziness, which teams did the most to improve their rosters?

While the Mets didn’t make this list, fans of the Amazins can take solace in the fact that winning the offseason doesn’t always translate into regular season success. Nothing is ever for certain, but the teams on this list seem primed to either build off their 2019 success, or appear ready to make a significant leap in 2020.

No. 5 Minnesota Twins

Key Additions: Josh Donaldson, Kenta Maeda, Rich Hill, Homer Bailey, Tyler Clippard, and Alex Avila

Key Losses: Brusdar Graterol, Kyle Gibson, Jonathan Schoop, Jason Castro, C.J. Cron, and Martin Perez

Fresh off a 101-win season, the Twins fortified their already potent lineup by signing former AL MVP, Josh Donaldson, to a four-year, $92M contract. The slugging third baseman clobbered 37 homeruns with Atlanta last season, and he posted .259/.379/.521 triple slash line over 155 games.

Even though he’s entering his age 34 season, Donaldson’s 2019 performance proved that he still stands among the game’s elite. His 6.3 bWAR fell just shy of the MLB’s top ten players, and his 4.9 fWAR ranked eighth among all MLB third basemen.

While the Twins didn’t land a dominant starter like they wanted, they still improved their rotation by adding a trio of veterans. They traded for Kenta Maeda, who owns a career 47-35 record, 3.87 ERA, and 3.71 FIP. And they acquired both Rich Hill (4-1, 2.45) and Homer Bailey (13-9, 4.57) to round out their staff.

They also locked up Miguel Sano to a three-year, $30M extension, brought back both Michael Pineda and Jake Odorizzi, and solidified their bullpen with Sergio Romo and Tyler Clippard. So, even without getting a topflight starter, the Twins still experienced a solid offseason.

No. 4 Arizona Diamondbacks

Key Additions: Starling Marte, Madison Bumgarner, Kole Calhoun, Hector Rondon, Stephen Vogt, and Junior Guerra

Key Losses: Wilmer Flores, Adam Jones, Jarrod Dyson, Alex Avila, Taijuan Walker

After trading Paul Goldschmidt and Zack Greinke, it didn’t look like the Diamondbacks would be major players in this year’s free agent market. But Arizona surprised everyone by signing former World Series MVP, Madison Bumgarner, to a five-year, $85M contract.

Bumgarner might not be the same pitcher that carried the Giants to the 2014 championship, but he’s still a quality starter. In 207 innings last year, the 29-year-old lefty went 9-9 with a 3.90 ERA, and 3.90 FIP. He also posted a 4.72 K/BB ratio, which ranked 11th among qualified starters.

Arizona made another big splash by trading for Starling Marte, who offers an excellent combination of speed and power. He stole 25 bases with 23 homeruns last season, and he batted .295/.342/.503 with a 120 OPS + in 132 games. While his declining defensive metrics (-9 DRS in 2019) and past PED suspension are concerns, Marte is unquestionably an impact player, posting a fWAR of 3.0 or higher in six of the last seven years.

Arizona finished just four games behind Wild Card spot in 2019, so these additions will help them contend for the payoffs.

No. 3 Chicago White Sox

Key Additions: Yasmani Grandal, Dallas Keuchel, Edwin Encarnacion, Nomar Mazara, Gio Gonzalez, and Steve Cishek

Key Losses: Yolmer Sanchez, Ivan Nova, and Welington Castillo

Will this finally be the year the White Sox contend? After years of rebuilding, it looks like Chicago has a winning core in place with Yoan Moncada, Lucas Giolito, Tim Anderson, and Eloy Jimenez.

To supplement this core, the White Sox spent aggressively this winter. They targeted the best catcher available, Yasmani Grandal, and signed him to a four-year, $73M contract. No catcher has a higher WAR than Grandal over the past five seasons (24.9), and nobody at his position provides more consistent power.

He’s smashed more than 20 homeruns in each of the past four seasons, and he offers solid overall production with a career OPS+ of 115. Last year, Grandal slashed .246/.380/.468 with 28 homeruns and 77 RBI.

The White Sox further bolstered their lineup by adding Edwin Encarnacion to a one-year $12M contract. Encarnacion blasted 34 homeruns with a .875 OPS last season, and he has hit at least 32 homeruns in every season since 2012. They also retained Jose Abreu (.834 OPS) and traded for Nomar Mazara (.786 OPS).

On the pitching side, they signed Dallas Keuchel (8-8, 3.75 ERA) and Gio Gonzalez (3-2, 3.50 ERA). While the White Sox haven’t had a winning record since 2012, they are now a team that’s trending upwards.

No. 2 New York Yankees

Key Addition: Gerrit Cole

Key Losses: Dellin Betances and Didi Gregorius

The Yankees went all in to land this winter’s biggest prize, reining AL Cy Young Award winner, Gerrit Cole. Sure, investing $324M in any player -regardless of his talent – carries massive risk, but a dominant starter like Cole could be exactly what the Yankees need to get back to the World Series.

In 2019, Cole led all qualified starters in WAR (7.4), xFIP (2.48), and K/9 (13.8). His 2.50 ERA ranked as the AL’s best, and his 2.64 FIP also led the AL.

For a team with a top-ranked offense that features hitters like Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge, adding a star pitcher like Cole is massive. While the Yankees are dealing with concerning injury news for both James Paxton and Luis Severino, they will still be a powerhouse with Cole leading their rotation.

Honrable Mentions

Los Angeles Angels

Pairing Anthony Rendon with Mike Trout gives the Angels a lethal duo on offense, but they didn’t do enough to improve their rotation. Their staff’s 5.64 ERA ranked as the AL’s worst in 2019, and their only significant pitching additions this offseason were Julio Teheran (10-11, 3.81 ERA) and Dylan Bundy (7-14, 4.79 ERA).

Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies enter 2020 with several new faces with manager Joe Girardi, starter Zack Wheeler, and shortstop Didi Gregorius. But are these additions enough for them to stand out in the crowded NL East?

Cincinnati Reds

The Reds obtained a pair of power bats in Nicholas Castellanos and Mike Moustakas, and they signed veteran starter Wade Miley. Another intriguing move was signing Nippon Professional League standout, Shogo Akiyama, to a three-year $21M contract. The Reds will be a team to watch in 2020, especially if Joey Votto and Trevor Bauer rebound from disappointing 2019 seasons.

No.1 Los Angeles Dodgers

Key Additions: Mookie Betts, David Price, Blake Treinen, and Brusdar Graterol

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According to a report from Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Dodgers have agreed to a deal with the Red Sox to acquire superstar outfielder Mookie Betts and starting pitcher David Price.

The Dodgers, who have won consecutive six division titles, now look to become even stronger as they attempt to break their 31-year championship drought. At this point, this is a team going all in.

Betts, who will be a free agent in 2021, has solidified himself as one of the best players in all of baseball, posting 35.4 fWAR over the last five seasons, including an elite 10.4 in 2018. He has spent his entire major and minor league career with the Red Sox, leading them to a World Series championship in 2018. The Dodgers will likely try to attain Betts long-term.

Price has been in the big leagues since 2008, posting a 3.31 ERA and 41.7 fWAR over the course of a very solid major league career. Now 34, Price is still posting decent numbers, though is more of a salary dump in the larger context of the deal.

Betts is owed $27 million in 2020, while Price is owed $96 million over the next three seasons. Rosenthal reports that significant cash will be heading from the Red Sox to the Dodgers in the deal.

Additionally, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that there could be a third team involved.

According to Rosenthal, Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson is going to the Angels in what is technically a separate deal. Jeff Passan of ESPN reports that infielder Luis Rengifo is the return for Pederson.

Rosenthal later reported that the Dodgers are sending right-handed starting pitcher Kenta Maeda to the Twins as part of the package, with right-handed pitcher Brusdar Graterol going from the Twins to the Dodgers. Alex Verdugo is the only other name that has been confirmed to be in the Dodgers’ package so far.

We will update with more information as it is reported.

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Various media outlets are reporting the Los Angeles Dodgers are pursuing a trade to obtain Mookie Betts from the Boston Red Sox.

Andy McCullough of The Athletic reports the two teams are discussing different trade scenarios with one of them including taking on David Price‘s contract. Price, 34, has three years $96 million remaining on his contract.

In some ways a trade like this is reminiscent of the famed 2012 trade between these two teams. In that trade, the Red Sox sent the large contrasts of Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, and Carl Crawford to the Dodgers for what was mostly salary relief.

That trade helped bring the Dodgers back to prominence while allowing the Red Sox to free up payroll to help sign players to help them win the 2013 World Series.

At the moment, the willingness to take on Price’s contract may put the Dodgers in the lead over the Padres in the pursuit of Betts.

Jon Heyman of MLB also notes the relationship between Andrew Friedman and Chaim Bloom may also help facilitate a trade. Friedman and Bloom worked together for 10 years as members of the Tampa Bay Rays organization.

Even with that relationship, the determining factor may be just how much the Red Sox value Padres prospect Luis Campusano.

According to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Tribune, the Padres are willing to offer two prospects from their strong farm system in exchange for Betts. The issue in a potential trade wouldn’t be the inclusion of Campusano, who MLB Pipeline rates as the fourth best catching prospect, but rather, the Padres insistence the Red Sox take back Wil Myers in a deal to help offset their financial commitments.

Myers, 29, has three years, $61 million guaranteed remaining on his contract, and he is coming off a year with a -0.3 WAR.

With Spring Training now weeks away, both the Dodgers and Padres are pushing hard to obtain Betts, and we may very well see Betts traded to either team in the near future.

The post MLB News: Dodgers Remain Engaged in Mookie Betts Talks appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Good morning Mets fans! The New York Mets (59-56) had a day off on Thursday ahead of their weekend series with the Washington Nationals (61-53). The next three games can have a big impact on the National League Wild Card race as the Mets could come out leading the Nats by half a game, trailing the Nats by 5.5 games, or somewhere in between.

Latest Mets News

Marcus Stroman (6-11, 3.07 ERA) is slated to make his Citi Field debut against Stephen Strasburg (14-5, 3.72 ERA), who is coming off his worst start of the season. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. EDT, with coverage on SNY, WCBS 880 and ESPN Deportes 1050.

Joe Panik is expected to sign with the Mets after he clears waivers on Friday at 1:00 p.m. EDT sources confirmed to MMO.

The Mets announced that they signed Brad Brach to a major league deal, optioned Donnie Hart to Triple-A Syracuse and transferred Brandon Nimmo to the 60-day injured list.

Despite the move to the 60-day injured list, Nimmo is making progress in his recovery from a bulging cervical disk (and other physical issues that popped up during his recovery). He is currently working out and he may start a minor league rehab assignment within the next week according to Mike Puma of the New York Post.

Former Mets Ron Hunt and Skip Lockwood will be greeting fans on Friday from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Mets’ Hall of Fame at Citi Field.

Latest MLB News

The Chicago White Sox announced that they will play the New York Yankees at the Field of Dreams in Iowa on Aug. 13, 2020.

The Boston Red Sox placed David Price on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to Aug. 5) with a cyst in his left wrist, as reported by Pete Abraham of the The Boston Globe.

Jared Diamond of The Wall Street Journal wrote a piece on Nathan Patterson, the 23-year-old software salesman who lit up a speed-pitch challenge booth at a Colorado Rockies game in July and received a contract from the Oakland Athletics in August.

A record six Hawaiian players are playing in the Area Code Games as noted by Kyle Glaser of Baseball America. The six headline a 2020 high school draft class which many consider the best class out of Hawaii in recent history.

Glaser also got some MLB All-Stars to weigh in on whether pitchers should choose college ball or pro ball out of high school.

Gabe Lacques of USA Today Sports wrote a piece on how a fourth year of declining MLB attendance rates are leading some teams to aim at shrinking their ballparks to match.

The Houston Astros will upgrade and extend protective netting at Minute Maid Park beginning on Aug. 19, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. The current netting will be replaced with knot-less netting which will improve the view from the seats located behind the netting.

Latest NL East News

The Atlanta Braves (68-49) remain atop the NL East standings, followed by the Nationals (61-53; 5.5 games back), Philadelphia Phillies (59-56; 8.0 games back), Mets (59-56; 8.0 games back) and Marlins (43-71; 23.5 games back).

The Marlins defeated the Braves 9-2 and the Phillies fell to the San Francisco Giants 5-0. Like the Mets, the Nationals had a day off.

The Braves placed Austin Riley on their 10-day injured list (retroactive to Aug. 5) with a right knee sprain, and recalled Jeremy Walker from Triple-A Gwinnett. Riley has a partially torn LCL in his right knee and will visit Dr. James Andrews in Pensacola, FL as reported by Gabriel Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The Phillies reinstated Jay Bruce from the 10-day injured list and optioned Adam Haseley to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Latest on MMO/MMN

Gianna Arantes broke down Steven Matz‘s start from Wednesday.

Michael Mayer wrote a piece spotlighting Mets’ catching prospect Francisco Alvarez‘s impressive start to his professional career.

John Sheridan continued his “3 Up, 3 Down” series following the Mets’ four-game sweep of the Marlins.

Cesar Montenegro wrote a Fan Shot that told the stories of how he became a Mets fan, his experience visiting Citi Field for the first time in 2016 and his excitement for the 2019 Mets. If you are interested in writing a Fan Shot for MMO, you can find out more information here.

Rob Friedland provided 19 key stats that help explain the Mets’ second half resurgence.

Ernest Dove interviewed St. Lucie Mets reliever Marcel Renteria.

This Day in Mets History

1963: Jim Hickman hit a walk-off grand slam against the Chicago Cubs at the Polo Grounds. The grand slam led the Mets to a 7-3 victory and snapped Roger Craig‘s 18-game losing streak.

1964: Jim Bunning followed up his perfect game against the Mets on Father’s Day by retiring the first 14 Mets. While his streak ended on Joe Christopher‘s base hit on a bunt, he had retired 44 straight Mets batters dating back to his June 13 start.

1988: The Mets took part in Cubs history as they played the first official night game at Wrigley Field. The Cubs had previously played 5,687 straight day games at home before their contest with the Mets.

2006: In his return to Queens as a San Diego Padre, Mike Piazza hit two home runs off of Pedro Martinez. His first home run was greeted with a curtain call, while his second home run was greeted with boos.

Birthdays: Pat Mahomes turns 49. Tommie Agee was also born on this day in 1942.

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Begin Critical Series With Nationals appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

More than two and a half years have passed since Scott Kazmir last appeared in a major league game.

The date was September 23, 2016, when the former top pitching prospect toed the rubber for the Los Angeles Dodgers in his 12th big league season. It would be Kazmir’s first start back in over a month for L.A. after he landed on the disabled list with neck inflammation and later thoracic spine inflammation.

Kazmir threw 19 pitches in a scoreless first inning against the Colorado Rockies at home; however, he was replaced by rookie pitcher Ross Stripling before tossing a pitch in the second. The southpaw was pulled after experiencing right intercostal spasms, a similar issue Kazmir faced in a minor league rehab start just a few weeks prior.

His season was over.

He returned for spring training in 2017, in the second year of his three-year contract he signed with L.A. in December 2015. A major decrease in velocity in which Kazmir was sitting in the low-to-mid 80s after averaging a low-90s fastball in ’16 – coupled with hip tightness, which messed with his flexibility and mechanics – sidelined the lefty for the entire ’17 season, aside from four minor-league rehab appearances totaling 12.0 innings.

A financially-motivated blockbuster trade in the 2017-18 offseason saw the Dodgers trade Adrian Gonzalez, Brandon McCarthy, Charlie Culberson, Kazmir and cash considerations to the Atlanta Braves for outfielder Matt Kemp.

Kazmir appeared in five spring games for the Braves, posting a 4.22 ERA with a 1.69 WHIP in 10.2 innings pitched. The Braves released the veteran starter near the end of spring training, with Kazmir sitting out the entire year in part due to personal family matters.

The mental and physical obstacles Kazmir underwent while trying to work his way back to a major league mound were strenuous, while the prospects of making a comeback were slowly fading.

Baseball is a fickle game, one in which age and injuries deplete the skills of every player at some point. Some experience prolonged success and go out on their own terms, while others watch their once high skill set diminish quicker than others.

Kazmir fits the latter.

The former 15th overall pick by the New York Mets in the 2002 First-Year Player Draft out of Cypress Falls High School in Houston, Texas, was considered one of the best arms in the draft. Armed with an explosive fastball that sat in the low-to-mid 90s with movement, along with an overpowering slider, Kazmir was one of the most intriguing and well-regarded prospects in the game.

From 2003-05, Kazmir was rated no lower than 12th on Baseball America’s Top-100 Prospects lists and was dominating older competition while working his way up through the Mets’ minor league affiliates.

Fans’ excitement grew over the eventual arrival of Kazmir in Queens, where the hard-throwing left-hander would one day don the orange and blue with the potential of being a top-of-the-rotation starter in an aging rotation.

Those plans were upended on July 30, 2004.

On the morning of, the Mets were sitting in fourth place in the N.L. East, six games out of first and nine games out of the Wild Card race. In a clear short-term move, then Mets GM Jim Duquette made two separate trades a day before the non-waiver trade deadline:

• Dealing Matt Peterson, Jose Bautista and Ty Wigginton to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Jeff Keppinger and Kris Benson.
• Dealing Jose Diaz and Scott Kazmir to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for Bartolome Fortunato and Victor Zambrano.

The ensuing results were not kind for the Mets, as Zambrano was already dealing with a balky right elbow and made just three starts for the Mets in the rest of the ’04 season.

Meanwhile, the then 20-year-old Kazmir was set to make his major league debut with Tampa Bay less than a month later, firing five shutout innings against the Seattle Mariners on the road.

From regrettable quotes like then pitching coach Rick Peterson suggesting to Mets personnel that he could fix Zambrano in “10 minutes” to Duquette explaining that there were too many “cooks in the kitchen” in regards to the decision-making process, the Kazmir trade left not only the fans disappointed, but the young Texan as well. He grew to love the organization and yearned to prove that the club made the right decision in selecting him in the first round just two years prior.

Instead, Kazmir took that initial motivation along with his intriguing arsenal to Tampa Bay.

From 2005-08, Kazmir was one of the best American League starting pitchers. Among qualified A.L. pitchers, Kazmir was tied for fourth in ERA (3.51), second in strikeout percentage (25.1) and tied for sixth in fWAR (14.4). He made two All-Star appearances with Tampa Bay (’06, ’08) and one in his lone season with the Oakland Athletics in 2014.

In total, Kazmir appeared in 298 major league games (297 starts), with a lifetime record of 108-96 and a 4.01 ERA. Among all-time Tampa Bay pitchers, Kazmir is third in wins (55), fourth in innings pitched (834.0), fourth in strikeouts (874) and third in bWAR for pitchers (16.5).

At 35, Kazmir is still holding out hope that he could make a return to the majors. After attempting a throwing program this past offseason, Kazmir had to shut it down as he wasn’t where he needed to be psychically.

While remaining hopeful and realistic about his future in the game, Kazmir looks back on his time in the majors with great pride. From the success he had with Tampa Bay, including a trip to the World Series in ’08, to making a comeback with the Cleveland Indians in 2013 after being out of baseball for nearly two seasons – which included a stint with the Sugar Land Skeeters of the independent Atlantic League – Kazmir reflects fondly on his tenure in the game.

I had the privilege of speaking with Kazmir in mid-April, where we discussed being drafted by the Mets, the infamous trade, and his success with Tampa Bay.

MMO: Who were some of your favorite players growing up?

Kazmir: I was always an Astros fan. I’m from Houston, and I was always a fan of the Killer B’s. To be honest, most of the games were blacked out when I was a kid, so I was watching a lot of the Braves’ games and everything that was on WGN like the Cubs and White Sox. I was always a big David Justice and Andruw Jones fan.

MMO: At what age did you start primarily focusing on pitching?

Kazmir: I’d probably say I was eleven or twelve when I started taking it seriously, and pretty much playing year-round in Houston and throughout the country.

MMO: What are your memories from the 2002 Draft? It seemed as though the Cincinnati Reds were set to take you with the third overall pick, and got scared off by potential contract demands. Were you aware of the Mets’ interest?

Kazmir: At the time, no. The days leading up to the Draft, I thought it was pretty set on the Reds. It was literally the morning of that I got a call that said it was not going to happen.

Throughout the entire Draft, it was kind of just hanging on wondering where I’d go. Once I got selected by the Mets, I was very excited knowing that I’d be with an organization that is very popular and just has a lot of history.

MMO: You excelled and built up quite the billing while pitching with several of the Mets’ minor league affiliates. Being the club’s top pitching prospect, along with the lofty expectations that come with it, did that put any additional pressure on you? Or, did you embrace it?

Kazmir: I think I embraced it. Everyone throughout the organization that was there at the time was awesome and made me feel very comfortable throughout every single level that I went to.

As soon as I got to pro ball, I had the privilege of having HoJo as my manager and [Bobby] Ojeda as my pitching coach. It was pretty fun to break into pro ball that way and really be able to talk with those guys and just get used to living the pro ball lifestyle.

MMO: A day Met fans won’t forget and are still upset over is July 30, 2004: when you were dealt along with Jose Diaz to Tampa Bay for Bartolome Fortunato and Victor Zambrano. What were your first reactions when you heard the news that you were being traded?

Kazmir: I was in Binghamton [Double-A] at the time, and I honestly thought that the guys were not telling the truth. They brought me into the office, and I thought they were just joking with me because we joked around throughout the entire year because we were very comfortable.

They were like, “This is not a joke. You’ve got to take this call pretty soon and head to an affiliate with the Rays.”

It was devastating for me, to be honest with you. It was a team I grew to love, and I really wanted to show the organization and fans that they made the right decision in drafting me, and I wasn’t able to do that.

MMO: There was a report that perhaps some of the veterans on the Mets were unhappy with some of your antics, which included changing the music in the clubhouse during spring training. Do you think there was any validity to rumors that some of the veterans might have spoken to the front office about you, or do you think it’s much ado about nothing?

Kazmir: I think that whole thing was blown way out of proportion. I don’t think it was even an issue to begin with, but somehow it got out [about the changing of the music], and it was unfortunate how everything went down, but there are no regrets with anything that happened.

I felt I learned so much throughout that one spring training where I had all of those veterans like John Franco, Al Leiter and all of those guys. They were great to me for the month and a half that I was there in spring training, and I learned so much.

MMO: Less than a month after the trade to Tampa Bay, you were called up and made your major league debut in Seattle against the Mariners. You went five scoreless innings while scattering four hits for the win. What memories do you have from that day and game?

Kazmir: It kind of felt like a blur, to be honest with you. It seemed like I blinked and I was in the fifth inning because I was so amped up.

From what I remember when I was warming up, it only took me twelve or thirteen pitches. I told the pitching coach, ‘I was ready to go,’ and he was in shock. But judging by how the bullpen went he said, “All right, let’s do it!”

I knew the batters I was going to face coming up: Ichiro, Randy Winn and Edgar Martinez. It was guys that I knew I had to be amped up right out of the gate for. It was awesome.

I remember Jose Cruz Jr. hit a home run in the sixth inning to give us a big lead. It was a memorable day.

MMO: From 2005-08, you were one of the best pitchers in the American League. Among qualified A.L. starters, you tied for the fourth-best ERA (3.51), second-highest K% (25.1) and tied for the sixth-best fWAR (14.4). What do you attribute your early success to with Tampa Bay?

Kazmir: I think a lot of that has to do with the staff that I had when I came to the Rays. I had a great training staff that really embraced everything about pitching preparation. I was really able to stick to a good program, and had hands-on treatment that I started progressing with. Everything was feeling more and more comfortable. I was getting more consistent with my delivery and I credit the entire training staff that we had.

MMO: Your 2008 club, which won the A.L. East with 97 wins and ended up facing the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series, was a fun and young team. To you, what made that club so special?

Kazmir: I think we knew we had something at the end of the 2007 year. We were very confident heading into the offseason. We knew we had some guys that were coming up, like [Evan] Longoria and David Price. We knew we were going to get full seasons out of them and that they were special.

We just had fun with it. Knowing we’d go to Boston and New York and we’d be these young guys facing these established veterans, we knew we were capable of beating those teams. We just had that swagger about ourselves the whole year.

MMO: You battled a series of injuries following that ’08 season, and eventually were released by the Los Angeles Angels in 2011. You signed with the Sugar Land Skeeters, an independent league team, in 2012 before signing a minor league deal with the Cleveland Indians prior to the ’13 season.

Can you talk a bit about some of the things you went through in re-establishing yourself in terms of fundamentals, mechanics and velocity?

Kazmir: Those were tough times. Not being able to do what I loved my entire life in playing baseball, it was tough. I ended up playing in a couple of winter leagues in the Dominican, Puerto Rico and then independent ball to get my innings and just try to reestablish myself. It made me a stronger person, a better player and it’s something I’ll never regret.

I’ll never think of a different path that I should’ve taken because I feel like that was the path that was for me. It really helped me grow up as a person and a player.

MMO: What was the main issue you were facing in your comeback?

Kazmir: It was more physical stuff than mechanics. It was just little things with flexibility, and it was tough to be able to bounce back every five days. It was new environments where it was new stuff going on where it was really tough to be consistent to be honest with you. I just had to go back to square one; learn the fundamentals again, get that flexibility back and just get my innings up.

MMO: I read an ESPN article that detailed some of the work you did with Ron Wolforth – a renowned pitching guru – in your attempts to get back to the majors. How important was he in resurrecting your career?

Kazmir: He was great in the fact that he had some great fundamental stuff just to get you back to good fundamentals as far as your delivery. I think that after I kind of started feeling comfortable with that, I took that to my old [routine]; when I was in high school, just doing long tosses as long as I can, and stuff like that.

I think long toss, after the fact of getting my fundamentals and mechanics right, really contributed to getting my arm strength back and getting back into the big leagues.

MMO: In your lone season with the Cleveland Indians, you got to work with then pitching coach Mickey Callaway. What were your impressions of him?

Kazmir: He was awesome to work with! One of the best pitching coaches I’ve ever been around. Just the guy, being able to talk with him, he’s very easygoing. You can talk to him about anything!

He really made you feel comfortable out there, and he made you feel like he was rooting for you. And that’s huge, especially with the environment that you’re in playing in the major leagues. You want someone in your corner. His personality was infectious. Everyone loved being around him and it was a great combo of him and Tito [Francona] in the dugout. It was awesome.

MMO: What does the future hold for Scott Kazmir? Would you like to get back on the mound? Would you look to stay in the game as a scout, coach or broadcaster?

Kazmir: I’m not sure right now. I really want to be back in the game; I want to play some more. This past November, I started to throw again and started my throwing program in December; it just didn’t turn out too well physically. I was a little bit behind in flexibility and everything, so we kind of shut it down.

I’ve got a lot of stuff going on in my personal life; I’ve got a kid who’s one and a half years old now and another one on the way. I have some family stuff health-wise that my mom’s going through, and I’d like to be close to her these next couple of years. So we’ll see what happens.

I really miss the game. I love watching these games, and it’s bittersweet because I want to be out there. But I’m loving spending time with my family, that’s for sure.

MMO: Do you still hear from Mets fans who are bitter about the trade all these years later?

Kazmir: [Laughs.] I actually do. Out of any fan base, Mets fans are passionate about the trade. I’ll never hear the end of it.

MMO: When you look back on your career, what are you most proud of?

Kazmir: There are a lot of things to be proud of. I loved working with the young guys, especially when I was a veteran. It was very fun for me to be able to almost coach them throughout the years and everything like that.

If I said anything I’d be proud of, it would be playing the game the right way; playing it cleanly. I think that was the biggest part for me. I think that would probably be the biggest thing for me.

MMO: Thanks for some time today, Scott. It was great to speak with you about your career.

Kazmir: My pleasure. Thanks.

Follow Scott Kazmir on Twitter, @scottkazmir19

The post MMO Exclusive: Three-Time All-Star Pitcher, Scott Kazmir appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Game one of the 2018 World Series featured a marquis matchup of two Hall of Fame-bound lefties when Chris Sale and the Red Sox beat Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers by a score of 8-4. Tonight, two more lefties took the mound as David Price started for Boston and Hyun-Jin Ryu took the ball for the visiting Dodgers.

The first run of the game came with two outs in the bottom of the second inning when Ian Kinsler brought home Xander Bogaerts with a base hit to left field. The Red Sox continued their clutch two-out hitting as in their 11th game this Postseason, this was their 30th two-out hit. Then, Jackie Bradley Jr. knocked a base hit to left field, but when Kinsler attempted to get to third base, Chris Taylor made a perfect throw to nab him and end the inning.

David Price held the Dodgers hitless through the first three innings, but the boys in blue broke through in the fourth with back-to-back singles from David Freese and Manny Machado to start the inning. A walk to Chris Taylor loaded the bases for Matt Kemp, who hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Freese from third and tying the game at one.

With runners on first and second one out, Kike Hernandez worked a 10-pitch at-bat before striking out swinging. Then, on the first pitch of the at-bat, Yasiel Puig socked a base hit to center field, scoring Machado and putting runners at first and third with two outs. Though, Price would strike out Austin Barnes to end the threat, holding the Dodgers’ lead to 2-1.

With two outs in the 5th inning, Christian Vazquez and Mookie Betts knocked back-to-back singles (more two-out hits) to bring up Andrew Benintendi. The half inning after a magnificent catch in left, Benintendi worked a full count before drawing a walk, loading the bases and booting Ryu from the game.

Ryan Madson came in relief with the bases loaded and immediately walked Steve Pearce to force in a run, bringing an even more dangerous J.D. Martinez to the plate. The DH delivered, and as the cameras shook, two runs scored to give the Sox a 4-2 lead. Xander was up next, and after getting ahead in the count 2-1, he struck out swinging to strand runners on first and third to end the inning. Ryu’s final line: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 69 pitches.

Julio Urias pitched a scoreless bottom of the 6th for the Dodgers, and when the Red Sox ran out onto the field, a different pitcher ran to the mound. David Price‘s night was done, having pitched well: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 Ks, 88 pitches.

Joe Kelly came in relief of price for the 7th inning and absolutely carved up the Dodgers, striking out two in the perfect inning. Kenta Maeda then came in to pitch the bottom of the 7th for the Dodgers, and after inducing a groundout off the bat of Vazquez, Betts hit a fly ball double high off the Green Monster. After Benintendi struck out, lefty Scott Alexander was brought in to face Mitch Moreland who, after a wild pitch let Betts advance to third base, he struck out to end the inning.

With the Red Sox’ Game Three starter yet to be announced, Nathan Eovaldi came in to pitch the 8th inning. He quickly dispatched with Cody Bellinger, blowing a 99 MPH fastball by him. A Justin Turner groundout and Joc Pederson ended the inning, sending the game to the bottom of the 8th with the Red Sox still winning 4-2.

Dodgers reliever Pedro Baez was greeted by a first-pitch swing by J.D. Martinez who lined a ball deep to center field, though Bellinger was up to the task, making a nice sliding catch. Bogaerts then hit a fly ball to center, a much easier play for Bellinger. Two pitches, two outs. He only needed three more to get a groundout to end the inning, sending it to the top of the ninth.

Craig Kimbrel, five for five in save chances this Postseason (though they’ve all been precarious) came in to nail down the save and was greeted by Manny Machado who flew out to center field. Chris Taylor grounded out to second base for the second out and Matt Kemp followed suit, grounding out to shortstop to end the game. A one-two-three inning for Kimbrel who nails down his sixth save of the Postseason.

After losing his first 11 career Postseason starts, David Price has now won his last two. The Red Sox take a 2-0 lead in the World Series as they head to Los Angeles for Game Three.

The post Red Sox Pitching Dominates Dodgers in 4-2 Game 2 Victory appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Game 2
Houston Astros vs. Cleveland Indians, Minute Maid Park 4:37 p.m. (EST).
Gerrit Cole (15-5, 2.88 ERA) vs. Carlos Carrasco (17-10, 3.38 ERA)
Houston Leads Series 1-0

On Friday, Houston roughed up Indians’ ace Corey Kluber en route to a 7-2 victory. The reigning champs will look to take a commanding 2-0 series lead tonight with the potent Gerrit Cole toeing the rubber.

To check out a preview of the match up, click here.

Game 2
Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees, Fenway Park 8:15 p.m. (EST)
David Price (16-7, 3.58 ERA) vs. Masahiro Tanaka (12-6, 3.75 ERA)
Boston Leads Series 1-0

The Red Sox will send David Price to the hill this evening, and the Yankees will counter with Masahiro Tanaka. Last night, the Yankees rallied late but ultimately fell to the BoSox 5-4.

Boston closer Craig Kimbrel said he’d be ready if the Sox need him to get four outs tonight.

To check out a preview of the match up, click here.

The post ALDS Game Thread: Indians vs. Astros, Yankees vs. Red Sox appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The New York Mets will host the Boston Red Sox this afternoon at Tradition Field. Due to potential thunderstorms, LHP David Price who was due to pitch against today’s Mets starter Noah Syndergaard, will be replaced by RHP Heath Hembree in the 1:10 PM contest.

New York Mets

Curtis Granderson – RF
David Wright – 3B
Yoenis Cespedes – CF
Lucas Duda – 1B
Neil Walker – 2B
Wilmer Flores – DH
Travis d’Arnaud – C
Juan Lagares – LF
Matt Reynolds – SS

The post MMO Game Thread: Red Sox vs Mets, 1:10 PM (SNY/WOR) appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

When Jesse Orosco fanned Marty Barrett my dad and I instantaneously flew off the couch. This wasn’t the man who taught me how to ride a bike, how to drive a car and (tried to) teach me math. There wasn’t 23 years between us. Instead, at this frozen moment in time we were both two little kids, jumping up and down, relishing the fact our team was World Champions. I was too young to remember 1969 and after losing my dad nearly five years ago, this would be the only championship we’d share as father and son.

After my mom turned in he and I reminisced until sunup about the season that just concluded. We drank coffee, my dad smoked. And although I was a college senior and a few weeks shy of turning 21, I was still too embarrassed to light up around him. My smoking—of all kinds—remained on campus. My dad commented, “Now, we (the Mets) have to go home, rest up all winter and prepare for next year. We’re champions and everyone’s going to be coming after us.”

Wow! My dad seemed almost Yoda-like. Wise, knowledgeable. After all, he was the ripe old age of 44.

Today the Mets are not World Champions but NL Champions. And in 2016, 14 other clubs will once again be coming after us. Are we ready?

One thing that makes Baseball the greatest game ever devised is that it remains the most unpredictable sport there is. I, my fellow MMO bloggers, the best Baseball minds, the nation’s top sportswriters and the most ardent fans spend all winter theorizing, hypothesizing and conjecturing. Then comes the first pitch on Opening Day and it all goes out the window.

Coming into 2015, who would have imagined a player that had largely floundered for much of his career in Baltimore, Jake Arrieta, would emerge Cy Young Winner? Or that some guy named Dallas Kuechel would win only one less game than Clayton Kershaw and Justin Verlander combined?

While many expected the Mets to be competitive and possibly reach 500, who expected a NL pennant? In 1969, the Mets were 100-1 underdogs. On the flipside, in 1985 and 2007 they were picked to win it all. That’s what makes this a beautiful game.

To digress for a moment I now apologize to Sandy Alderson. Almost from day one I’ve been extremely and perhaps unfairly harsh to the Mets GM. I preferred the approach of his predecessor. Big names, big bucks. I falsely blamed Alderson for the last several seasons of futility. After winning the pennant, I realized he can only do so much with what he is given. Blaming Alderson for several season of sub-500 baseball is like me blaming my boss for the fact I drive a Toyota and not a Lamborghini.

It is on his watch the Mets have developed a starting staff that is the envy of 29 other clubs. As good as Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey and Noah Syndergaard were in 2015, they will only get better. These young pitchers not only survived their first pennant race and post-season. They thrived. They excelled. Performing on Baseball’s biggest stage did not rattle the nerves of our young inexperienced staff.

I’ve often said pitching allows you to compete, but pitching, in and of itself, does not win. From 1969 through 1976, the Mets had arguably the best 3-man rotation in the game. Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman teamed first with Nolan Ryan and then later Jon Matlack. Add Tug McGraw in the pen and it’s easy to see why for 8 years the Mets were always in the thick of things, always in a pennant race and always had a legitimate shot. Yet, during that 8 year span, despite the stellar staff, we captured just two pennants and one Championship. Good, not great. Not exactly a dynasty.

The Mets Achilles Heel in 2015 was offense. They say good hitting is contagious. On July 30, the Mets were 52-50, 3 GB of Washington. Then, Yoenis Cespedes arrived. The Mets caught fire, went 38-22 and left Washington in the dust.

Cespedes didn’t don a Mets jersey until July 31, yet finished 5th on the team in RBI’s (44), 3rd in HR’s (17) 2nd in BA (287) and 1st in slugging (604.) And when Cespedes cooled in the post-season, it was Daniel Murphy who put the team on his back and almost single-handedly carried them to the Promised Land. The Mets homegrown second baseman became the first player in history to go deep in six consecutive post-season games and joined Lou Gehrig as the only player ever to have a hit, run scored and RBI in seven straight post-season games.

This winter Mets ownership made a token effort to retain the two biggest offensive weapons a team with very little offense possesses in the first place.

In all fairness to the owners, I can understand their reluctance to open their wallets. After all, they forked over almost half a billion dollars—billion with a “B”—to Pedro Martinez, Carlos Beltran, Billy Wagner, Johan Santana, Jason Bay and Francisco Rodriguez and came away with just one post-season appearance. Not exactly a Bernie Madoff return on your investment.

The Mets are now on the cusp of becoming the dominant team in the game for the next 6-8 years, maybe longer. But money will need to be spent. Not for the sake of spending, but spent wisely. If ownership is reluctant to spend big bucks now, what does this say when it comes to retaining the pitchers we have? Are the Wilpons simply avoiding spending now and saving up for big contracts coming down the road? Or are we seeing a glimpse into the future?

My concern is that when a team gets oh-so-close, when they get a taste of October Baseball, they ratchet it up. The 2014 Royals returned to the World Series for the first time in almost three decades. They came within one hit of winning it all. That winter they resigned Eric Hosmer, Yordano Ventura, Edinson Volquez, Lorenzo Cain, Mike Moustakas and added Alex Rios. And we all saw what happened in 2015. The Giants, after winning 3 times in 5 seasons, fell short in 2015. This winter they spent $210 million for Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija and now have the best staff in their division. Last off-season, after handing over $88 million to Hanley Ramirez and $100 million to Pablo Sandoval, Boston went out and finished last. Yet, they didn’t become gun-shy. This winter they signed David Price for $217 million.

And while Neil Walker and Asdrubal Cabrera are nice additions and Michael Conforto can be a major asset, do you feel that, as of now, the Mets are better or weaker than the team we had on August 15? I’m not saying ownership should spend just for the sake of spending, and yes, I know we can trade a half dozen prospects next trade deadline. I am saying, however, that money will need to be spent eventually. As the saying goes, you can pay me now or pay me later. What kind of signal does this send to our young aces? If management is hesitant to reward Cespedes and Murphy for their accomplishments, will our pitchers be rewarded for theirs? And with anemic hitting and lack of run support, will our big three—and Matz–wind up as nothing more than a bunch of .500 pitchers? In time, the agents for our young stud pitchers will come calling? And when they do, will ownership pick up the phone?

The only thing more difficult than getting to the top is staying there.

The post Staying On Top Is More Difficult Than Getting There appeared first on Metsmerized Online.