The day has finally come! Major League Baseball Opening Day is officially upon us!

Unfortunately, the Mets have to wait another day. But let’s take a look at some of the games on the slate for today.

The first game on the docket is the Orioles who will be hosting the Angels while Corbin Burnes makes his Baltimore debut. The Mets’ crosstown rival Yankees go to Houston as they will throw Nestor Cortes against the Astros’ Framber Valdez in a 2022 ALCS rematch. One final matchup to look at will have the reigning champion Texas Rangers hosting the Chicago Cubs in a battle of Cy Young hopefuls, as Justin Steele will be going head-to-head against Nathan Eovaldi. 

What games are the MMO readers looking most forward to? Click here for the full opening day slate.

Latest Mets News

Opening Day for the Mets this season will be delayed as their Thursday game has been postponed until Friday at 1:40 p.m. Click here for more information on Mets Opening Day. 

A non-profit started by Rusty Staub will present the family of slain NYPD officer Jonathan Diller with a check for $50,000 to help the family through immediate financial concerns.

Kodai Senga played catch at Citi Field as he continues to progress in his rehab.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza announced that DJ Stewart has made the team, following his hot end to the 2023 season. Click here to learn more about the decision and J.D. Martinez‘s status to start the season.

Mike Petriello of MLB.com went into detail on why Martinez is such a good fit for the Mets and Citi Field.

Latest MLB News

The Los Angeles Dodgers and catcher Will Smith agreed to terms on a 10-year, $140 million contract extension, per Jeff Passan of ESPN.

Max Scherzer is progressing well according to Rangers GM Chris Young, as reported by Buster Olney of ESPN. Young does not plan to place Scherzer on the 60-day IL, which could mean a possible May return.

The Cincinnati Reds announced that their up-and-coming second baseman Matt McLain had successful surgery to address cartilage damage and repair his labrum in his left shoulder. There is no timeline but the Reds hope to have him back this season.

Major League Baseball’s owners approved the sale of the Baltimore Orioles to David Rubenstein, who released a video message to Orioles fans. 

The Marlins traded infielder (and Mets killer) Jon Berti to the Yankees, per Craig Mish of Miami Herald Sports.

Red Sox RHP Noah Song is undergoing Tommy John surgery, per Chris Hatfield of SoxProspects.com.

Diamondbacks top prospect Jordan Lawlar will be having surgery on his right thumb and is expected to miss at least a couple of months, per Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic. 

The Boston Red Sox acquired RHP Naoyuki Uwasawa in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, per Jeff Passan. Uwasawa spent nine years pitching in Japan prior to this season. 

The Houston Astros claimed RHP Penn Murfee off waivers from the Atlanta Braves, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic. The Astros put Kendall Graveman on the 60-day IL to make room. 

Toronto Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano and starting pitcher Alek Manoah are “likely” to start the season on the IL, per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com.

Latest on MMO

There is a new Metsmerized Pod out with Mets broadcaster Keith Raad!

MMO is giving away a code for Out of the Park Baseball 25!

The Mets are ready for opening day! Read about the players’ feeling towards the 2024 opener!

On This Date in Mets History

2019: Pete Alonso records his first major league hit in the eighth inning of his MLB debut against the Washington Nationals.

Birthdays: Brad Emaus (38), Paul Wilson (51), Craig Paquette (55)

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On Wednesday, Bloomberg released an article stating that PGA Tour signed a $3 billion investment deal with the Strategic Sports Group, which includes the Fenway Sports Group and Mets owner Steve Cohen. The deal will include an initial investment of $1.5 billion and is for a new for-profit entity which values PGA Tour Enterprises at $12 billion. LIV Golf is not initially involved in the deal, but The Saudi Public Investment Fund will provide additional money if PGA and LIV Golf reach an agreement on a merger. The group includes numerous other owners including Arthur Blank of the Atlanta Falcons, Tom Ricketts of the Chicago Cubs, and Wyc Grousbeck of the Boston Celtics. 

Steve Cohen. Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Latest Mets News

Six Mets prospects break into the ESPN top 100 prospects list: Jett Williams, Drew Gilbert, Luisangel Acuña, Ronny Mauricio, Ryan Clifford, and Christian Scott. Click here to see where they landed on the list. 

The Mets announced their promotion schedule for the 2024 season as well as a different start time for Saturday games, check out Metsmerized’s article on it to learn about all the important dates and information!

Former Mets reliever Joe Smith is calling it a career after 16 major league seasons, per his agency Excel Baseball. Smith appeared in a whopping 866 games throughout his career while racking up 228 career holds. 

Mets radio announcer Keith Raad joined FanGraphs‘ “Beat the Shift Podcast” to talk about his career path and answer some questions about this years Mets club. 

The Mets’ Double-A affiliate, the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, announce that their old persona — the “Binghamton Mets” — will return for select games during the 2024 season. 

Latest MLB News

Left-handed relief pitcher Wandy Peralta agreed to a a four-year, $16.5 million deal with the San Diego Padres, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The deal includes three opt-outs. Click here to learn more about the signing. 

The Baltimore Orioles released an official statement as the Angelos family agrees to sell control stake in the Baltimore Orioles to David Rubenstein and his group, which includes Cal Ripken Jr. The release, which was posted to Twitter by Dan Connolly of Sportsnaut.com, says that John Angelos will stay on as a senior advisor and the Angelos family will keep over 30% stake. 

RHP Wily Peralta signed a minor league deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates, which includes an invite to spring training, per Robert Murray of FanSided. The veteran relief pitcher put up a 2.93 ERA in his two seasons with the Detroit Tigers. 

Former Met Robert Gsellman signed a minor league deal with the Washington Nationals and will make $900k if he is in the majors with the club, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post. 

Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reported that the guarantee on James Paxton‘s one-year deal with the Dodgers will be lowered due to an unspecified health concern. The guarantee will be lowered from $11 million to $7 million but still has a maximum potential value of $13 million. 

The Boston Red Sox claimed utility man Romy Gonzalez off of waivers from the Chicago White Sox and in turn designated RHP Zack Weiss for assignment. 

The Houston Astros announced that they are acquiring IF/OF Trey Cabbage from the Los Angeles Angels and are sending RHP Carlos Espinosa in return. 

Latest on MMO

Patrick Glynn ranked all five projected NL East starting third baseman for the 2024 season. 

Take a look at the Mets’ promotion schedule for the 2024 season!

See where the Mets’ top prospects landed on ESPN’s top 100 prospect list. 

On This Date in Mets History

2013: The New York Mets sign Marlon Byrd to a minor league deal. Byrd would go on to bat .285 and lead the team with 21 home runs before being traded to the Pirates later in the season.

Birthdays: Steve Gelbs (37), Austin Jackson (37), Rich Becker (52), Joe Vitko (54)

The post Morning Briefing: Steve Cohen Group Invests in PGA Tour appeared first on Metsmerized.

Today’s biggest news is that Baltimore Orioles owner John Angelos has agreed to sell the team in a deal worth $1.725 billion to a group led by Baltimore billionaire David Rubenstein. Puck News first reported the deal. 

Mike Arougheti, the co-founder of Ares Management Corp., is a major player in the deal. Rubenstein is worth $4.6 billion, according to Forbes, while Arougheti is worth $1.8 billion. Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner reports that former Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr. will be part of the ownership group. 

A timeline for the deal to be completed is unknown. 

The Orioles surprised many this past season as its young core won 101 games and cruised to an AL East title. 

Baltimore is home to some of the sport’s brightest young stars, with the likes of Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman dazzling the loyal fans at Camden Yards. 

Due to Angelos’ stingy spending style, it was long expected a number of the young stars finding their stride in the majors were going to follow a path blazed by Manny Machado and find their riches elsewhere after their first contract. With new ownership, there may be reason to be optimistic about that fact. 

Latest Mets News 

The Mets announced the return of Adam Ottavino on a one-year contract. 

The Athletic published the annual Mets fan survey.

The Mets signed José Rondón to a minor league deal. 

Andy Martino of SNY said pitcher Brandon Woodruff is “worth keeping an eye on” for Mets fans. 

Latest MLB News

Pieces of a stolen Jackie Robinson statue were found burned in Kansas. A GoFundMe to replace the statue has been made. 

Justin Turner will sign with the Blue Jays, per Jon Morosi of MLB Network. 

Longtime New York Post writer Andrew Marchand has announced he is leaving for The Athletic. 

The Yankees are signing outfielder Greg Allen to a minor league contract, per Robert Murray of Fansided. 

The Royals made a trade with the Mariners to clear a roster spot with Adam Frazier, per Mark Feinsand of mlb.com. 

World Series MVP Corey Seager underwent sports hernia surgery, the Rangers announced. 

The Cubs are the most likely landing spot for Cody Bellinger, per Morosi. 

Nick Solak is joining the Mariners on a minor league contract, per Murray. 

Latest on MMO 

Christian De Block profiles free agent Brandon Belt. 

The Mets Madness series between the 2006 and 2019 Mets went seven games. Patrick Glynn details the thrilling series. 

If the Mets have to choose between adding pitching or power, what should they do? Patrick Glynn gives an answer. 

On this Date in Mets History

1962: Ralph Kiner officially signed on to the Mets broadcast team, kickstarting a stint full of memorable moments, affectionately remembered as “Kinerisms.” 

Birthdays: Alex Claudio (32), Guillermo Heredia (33), Rafael Santana (66), Bob Apodaca (74), Nolan Ryan (77)

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