Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

On Friday night, the Mets traded third baseman Eduardo Escobar to the Angels for minor league pitchers Coleman Crow and Landon Marceaux. News of the trade broke during Friday night’s game and the Apple TV booth asked Francisco Lindor about Escobar.

“He’s one of the best teammates I’ve ever had,” Lindor said. “We’re going to miss him a lot.”

After the trade was announced, Escobar thanked Mets fans and the organization on Twitter.

For more on the trade, Jorge Eckardt broke it down here.

Latest Mets News

The Mets fell to the Phillies on Friday night, 5-1. Defensive miscues and a sluggish offense were to blame for the Mets’ third loss in a row, bringing the team down to a 34-41 record.

Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reported that the Mets are making a minor rotation change, as Max Scherzer is now scheduled to start today instead of Sunday. That pushes Carrasco back to Sunday’s start and separates Scherzer and Justin Verlander in the rotation, something Buck Showalter has been wanting to do.

The Mets officially announced that they have optioned Tylor Megill to Triple-A Syracuse, with reliever Vinny Nittoli taking his spot on the active roster. Nittoli made his Mets debut last night and pitched a scoreless inning.

The Mets will be playing the Phillies in London next year on June 8 and 9 as part of MLB’s London Series.

Actor Vincent D’Onofrio will be portraying Mets’ owner Steve Cohen in the upcoming movie Dumb Money, which centers around the GameStop stock market short squeeze that occurred in 2021.

Latest MLB News

Julio Rodríguez was announced as the first confirmed participant of this year’s Home Run Derby. The event is set to take place on July 10 in his home ballpark in Seattle.

Friday night, Elly De La Cruz hit for the cycle in the Reds’ comeback win over the Braves. De La Cruz is the first Reds player to hit for the cycle since Eric Davis did so in 1989.

MLB announced some of the participants in this year’s All-Star Celebrity Softball Game. Among the participants are former players Ryan Howard and Adam Jones, as well as notorious Mets fan and NBA superstar Donavan Mitchell.

The Reds released outfielder Wil Myers after he was designated for assignment earlier in the week. Myers has just a .541 OPS in 141 plate appearances this season.

Latest on MMO

In the latest Mets Minors Recap, Colby Morris broke down the impressive performances of Tyler Stuart and Luke Voit.

Allison Waxman wrote about Daniel Vogelbach‘s success at the plate since his break from the lineup.

Jack Markowski discussed who the Mets could trade at the deadline if the team continues to struggle.

Jack Ramsey looked at some of the players in the upcoming draft who have been linked to the Mets through mock drafts.

On This Date in Mets History

1975: Jerry Koosman became, at the time, the second pitcher to have won 100 games in a Mets uniform, achieving the feat in a 5-1 victory over the Cardinals.

Birthdays: Mike Bruhert (72)

The post Morning Briefing: Eduardo Escobar Thanks Mets After Trade appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

If there are two main reasons why the Mets have been a sub-.500 ball club this year, it’s because of first-inning struggles and inexcusable mental miscues. When you fall behind early and consistently make mistakes, you’re going to lose more games than you win.

That remained true on Friday night as the Mets fell behind due to multiple defensive mishaps and couldn’t get the offense going, losing 5-1 to the Phillies.

After the game, Buck Showalter pinpointed the Mets’ mistakes on trying too hard: “Everybody is trying to make the perfect play, be everything to everybody every night. The want to is through the roof — sometimes through that, you push for some things that aren’t there.”

The first example of this occurred during the Phillies’ first at-bat of the game when Brandon Nimmo dropped a Kyle Schwarber fly ball which resulted in a leadoff baserunner. Kodai Senga battled for the rest of the inning, throwing 28 pitches and giving up two unearned runs on a Bryce Harper bloop single and a Bryson Stott sacrifice fly.

An inning like that has a chance to affect a pitcher for the rest of the game, trying to pitch with a high pitch count and an early deficit. Not Senga, though, as he shut down the Phillies’ offense for the next several innings before leaving the game with runners on the corners and one out in the sixth.

Josh Walker came into the game and immediately induced a high pop-up just beyond the infield in left field, and it appeared as though the Mets would be getting a crucial second out in the inning while keeping the runners on their respective bases. Francisco Lindor seemed to call for the ball and wait underneath it before ducking out of the way at the last second, thinking it was Tommy Pham‘s ball. The ball fell to the ground and allowed the runner on third to score.

That miscue, which was ruled a single, was the second pop-up of the game with at least a 95% catch probability that was not caught by Met defenders and both resulted in runs. Lindor took responsibility after the game for not catching the ball during the play: “It was on me, I should’ve taken full charge of the ball.”

In support of both Nimmo and Lindor, Buck Showalter stated: “You’ve got a majority of people that usually execute it really well… Just miscommunication by two people who normally make those plays easily.”

With rain pouring at this point in the game both literally and figuratively, Trea Turner added on with a two-run single to extend the Phillies’ lead to 5-1.

Along with the defense, the offense just wasn’t there either. Save for a Nimmo solo homer in the third, the Mets rarely threatened to score as Taijuan Walker and the Phillies bullpen set the Mets batters down with ease. It was a night where little went right for the Mets as they dropped their third game in a row to fall seven games below .500.

Stat of the Game

Sitting now at 34-41, the Mets are closer to having the worst record in the National League than they are to being in a playoff spot. As the end of June nears, the Mets have not yet had the kind of turnaround they have been hoping for as things just keep getting worse.

The Mets are closer to the worst record in the NL (6 games) than they are a playoff spot (7.5 games).

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) June 24, 2023

Mid-Game Trade

During an otherwise mundane game for the Mets, it was announced by the Apple TV booth that the Mets traded Eduardo Escobar to the Angels. While the booth was doing a mid-game interview of Lindor, he said of Escobar: “He’s one of the best teammates I’ve ever had. We’re going to miss him a lot.” Showalter said after the game that he told Escobar he was traded during the second inning: “It’s a tough conversation, I wish I had more time to spend with him. Everybody has a lot of respect for him.”

On Deck

The Mets look to end their three-game skid as the series with the Phillies continues on Saturday with a 4:05 p.m. ET first pitch. Max Scherzer (6-2, 4.04 ERA) was bumped up a day in the rotation so he will get the start for the Mets rather than going on Sunday. For the Phillies, it will be long reliever Christopher Sánchez (0-0, 3.24 ERA) who is expected to take the mound. The game will be broadcast on PIX11 and FS1.

The post Defensive Mishaps Punish Mets in 5-1 Loss to Phillies appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

Anthony DiComo of MLB.com talks about the excitement for Eduardo Escobar to be able to play for Team Venezuela in the 2023 World Baseball Classic tournament.

The Mets played an exhibition game to Team Venezuela on Thursday and lost 6-4. Metsmerized’s own Jack Ramsey was there and covered the game. Check out his game story here.

WBC Scores

Japan 8, China 1

Italy 6, Cuba 3

• Matt Harvey: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
• Yoenis Céspedes: 0-for-4

Czech Republic 8, China 5

Cuba 13, Panama 4

• Ruben Tejada 1-for-3, 2 RBI

Latest Mets News

Mets manager Buck Showalter spoke with Adam Jones on the Adam Jones Podcast on Thursday.

Tim Healey of Newsday Sports talks about two changes Drew Smith made during the offseason: his pitching delivery and his diet.

Matt Harvey pitched three scoreless innings in Italy’s 6-3, 10-inning win over Cuba on Thursday morning. Per USA Today, Harvey said the game on his outing: “You know, I know my grandfather is part of the reason I’m able to be here. He’s getting older, and I know he was up this morning to watch it and it’s just special to be able to play for him.”

Latest MLB News 

Per Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, the New York Yankees are eventually expected to have a uniform sponsorship patch, but according to the New York Post, it won’t be before opening day.

Christina De Nicola of MLB.com talks about how after the World Baseball Classic, Ty Kelly plans to go to Triple-A as a coach.

According to Greg Joyce of the New York Post, Carlos Rodon has a mild forearm strain and will not throw for seven to 10 days, per Brian Cashman.

Nabil Crismatt will get the ball in Team Colombia’s opening World Baseball Classic game on Saturday. He spoke with AJ Cassavell of MLB.com about what it means to him to pitch for his country, but especially to be the first to get the ball in the tournament.

The Cincinnati Reds announced on Thursday that Hunter Greene will get the ball on opening day for the Reds.

Per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, free-agent first baseman Yuli Gurriel is in agreement on a contract with the Miami Marlins.

Latest on MMO

Rivka Boord discusses Baseball’s Savants stats on catchers and which Mets catcher’s defense should keep that player’s playing time up.

Michael Mayer recaps Matt Harvey’s scoreless three-inning start in Team Italy’s win on Thursday.

Dan Quinones recaps Max Scherzer’s outing on Wednesday against Team Nicaragua.

Christian De Block previews Pool B of the upcoming 2023 World Baseball Classic that officially starts this weekend.

Jack Ramsey discusses Jose Butto’s struggle in his first start since the rotation spot opened.

Colby Morris talks about Bryce Montes de Oca impressing during the spring for Mets Minors.

On this Date in Mets History

1962: The 1962 New York Mets made their spring training debut. They lost the game 8-0 to the Cardinals under Casey Steng.

Birthdays: John Cangelosi (60), Mike Birkbeck (62), Wayne Twitchell (75), Ken MacKenzie (89) 

The post Morning Briefing: Eduardo Escobar Proud To Represent Team Venezuela appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

One of the things to watch coming into Mets camp was how hard third base prospect Brett Baty was going to push to be included on the Opening Day roster and the early answer is very.

Baty, 23, albeit in a small sample size, has been one of the best players on offense for the Mets through seven games. The left-handed hitter got his spring off to a good start with two hits in an intrasquad game and he hasn’t stopped since. After two more hits on Thursday, Baty is 6-for-12 with a home run, four RBIs, and a walk.

That brings us to the Mets’ veteran third baseman Eduardo Escobar. The 34-year-old is coming off an uneven first season with the Mets that saw him suffer through peaks and valleys offensively and a bad season defensively with -6 outs above average.

In the Mets’ 6-2 loss on Thursday, Escobar started at third base and then shifted to left field in the fifth inning. Using Starling Marte’s glove, Escobar played two innings in left and didn’t have any balls hit his way. Earlier this week, Mets’ manager Buck Showalter told reporters that Escobar might see time in left field during camp because Team Venezuela might use him out there during the World Baseball Classic. Escobar does have 43 big league games of experience in left field, but none since 2017 with the Twins. In fact, Escobar is one of the few active players that has played all nine positions.

Now, the Mets can certainly say Team Venezuela is the only reason Escobar is out in left field. However, big league teams aren’t in the habit of going out of their way to accommodate other teams/organizations without a benefit to them. In fact, it’s much more common to see it the other way around, like Team Puerto Rico understanding that the Mets don’t want star closer Edwin Diaz pitching back-to-back games yet.

The Mets’ outfield depth outside of Mark Canha, Brandon Nimmo, Starling Marte, and Tommy Pham is a group of veteran players with limited major-league success and no top-30 prospects in the upper minors. Getting Escobar back in left field might help Venezuela later this month, though it could benefit the Mets in the long run during the 2023 season giving Showalter more flexibility with the roster.

The post Eduardo Escobar Plays Left Field appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Buck Showalter talked to reporters on Monday before the Mets took on the St. Louis Cardinals in Jupiter with David Peterson on the mound. Here are the important notes from the Mets’ second-year manager:

Escobar in The Outfield?

Showalter said that third baseman Eduardo Escobar could play in a game on Tuesday in left field, though he’s not sure if it will be a Grapefruit League game or on the backfields in Port St. Lucie. The Mets say they’re putting Escobar in left field because Team Venezuela said they might use the veteran infielder out there during the World Baseball Classic.

Escobar has 43 games of experience in left field with the most recent time being in 2017 for the Twins.

Mets’ third base prospect Brett Baty is off to a strong in camp after two hits in the intrasquad game last week and then a home run on the first pitch he saw in a spring training game.

Verlander Making Debut

Mets co-ace Justin Verlander will make his debut on Saturday when the team travels to Jupiter to play the Marlins. The game starts at 1:10 p.m. and can be seen on MLB TV. Max Scherzer will start the game on Friday, giving Mets fans their first chance to see the future Hall of Famers pitch back-to-back.

Verlander says he plans to use his changeup more this season after the pitch had been kind of hidden in his repertoire in recent seasons. The veteran threw the pitch only 2.4% of the time in 2022 and hasn’t thrown it more than 10% since 2014 when he was with the Tigers.

Scherzer Embracing Rules, Technology 

Max Scherzer held out from using PitchCom until late July of the 2022 season and after the game said the technology that sends the pitch call and location from the catcher to the pitcher should be “illegal.”

Now, in his first start this spring, Scherzer was seen with PitchCom on his glove so he could send the pitch call to the catcher. Scherzer told reporters that he would use the device to call pitches at certain times when he had a pitch he knew fit into the gameplan and that the catcher will still continue to make a majority of the calls.

As you can see from the picture, Max Scherzer was wearing a PitchCom device on his glove Sunday. This allows Scherzer to call the pitch in situations when he knows what he wants to throw. pic.twitter.com/cn36LDzKmY

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) February 27, 2023

Scherzer told The Athletic that the new pitch clock rule would be something he would actually use to his advantage to control the pace of the at-bat. “I can’t pitch until ‘8’ (seconds left), but as soon as his eyes are up, I can go,” Scherzer said.“I already had the pitch call and we already know it, so I can come set. Now, I can’t fire until his eyes are up on me. But if his eyes are up on me with 12 seconds left, I can fire. So, just another play I can use.”

The post Spring Notes: Escobar Could Play LF, Verlander to Start Saturday appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Mets baseball has returned! The team played an intrasquad game of three innings on Friday afternoon with the rosters being split into two teams, New York Mets and New York Mets A.

For the Mets, Joey Lucchesi took the mound while Dominic Hamel was the pitcher for the Mets A squad. The Mets A squad, consisting mostly of Mets prospects, impressed with Brett Baty, Alex Ramirez, Ronny Mauricio all contributing, leading to a 3-0 victory at the end of the three innings.

The game started with Baty lining an opposite field single off of Lucchesi. Baty, who was sidelined for an extended period of his rookie campaign with a thumb injury, would add an RBI double in his second at-bat of the scrimmage off of Luis Moreno and he subsequently scored a run on a Lorenzo Cedrola single. Alex Ramirez, the Mets’ fourth-ranked prospect, singled in his lone at-bat and later scored on a DJ Stewart double that found the gap.

Brett Baty with his second opposite field hit of the day, this time for a double driving in Stewart to give the Blue squad a 2-0 lead. pic.twitter.com/lfX94q0kst

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) February 24, 2023

On the defensive side of the ball, Ronny Mauricio made a great running catch in shallow left field on a blooper that showed off his speed and defensive range from the shortstop position.

For the Mets squad, consisting of mostly major leaguers, offense was tough to find but Eduardo Escobar and Francisco Lindor were able to draw walks off of Hamel, who is listed as the Mets’ twelfth-ranked prospect. In typical Mark Canha fashion, Canha was drilled by an inside fastball in his only plate appearance. Daniel Vogelbach later drew a walk off of Trey McLoughlin and the team ultimately went hitless through the three innings.

Defensively, Escobar made an excellent diving snag going to his right on a bullet off the bat of Jonathan Araúz, a play that rivaled Mauricio’s in terms of defensive difficulty.

Great diving play by @escobardelapica! pic.twitter.com/uJKQrG2W16

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) February 24, 2023

Player of the Game: Brett Baty

It’s difficult to choose a player of the game during an intrasquad scrimmage, but Baty easily stood out among everyone else. He went 2-2 in his two at-bats, including an RBI double, and both of his hits went the opposite way. With Escobar slated to start the 2023 season as the starting third baseman, Baty might begin the year in Triple-A, but if his performance on Friday precedes a dominant spring training, fans should remain optimistic about his bright future.

On Deck

The Mets’ real spring training begins on Saturday, with a split-squad doubleheader against the Astros and Marlins. The first game will take place at the Astros’ spring training site for a 1:05 game with Denyi Reyes expected to take the mound. The night game takes place at home against the Marlins at 6:10. José Butto will be on the mound for that one.

The post Mets Baseball Returns With Intrasquad Game appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Eduardo Escobar. Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Eduardo Escobar was largely a disappointment for the New York Mets in 2022. Aside from a red-hot September, he failed to produce on a consistent basis.

With that in mind, what are realistic expectations for the veteran in 2023?

It proved to be a strange winter for Escobar. Heading into the offseason on a high after a strong finish to 2022, the 34-year-old was brought back down to earth after being mentioned in trade talks. Those discussions followed the Mets’ pursuit of star Carlos Correa and their intention to play him at third base.

“I saw the reports, and I felt a little sad,” Escobar told The New York Post. “But I trust the decision making from the front office. And I understand the business of baseball. I love this team. I love everyone here.”

With Correa ultimately heading back to the Minnesota Twins following a prolonged and insane saga, normal service is resumed and Escobar will be the starting third baseman for the Mets heading into the 2023 season. Brett Baty could also get some reps at the hot corner, but how he does throughout spring training will determine just how big a role he will play right out of the gate.

Back to Escobar, though. The switch-hitter was one of the beneficiaries of owner Steve Cohen’s lavish spending spree last winter, and big things were expected out of Escobar given that he made the All-Star game in 2021. However, he largely struggled from the off and he got progressively worse as the summer months arrived.

He entered the All-Star break hitting just .224/.279/.397/.676 with 11 homers, 40 RBI and 89 strikeouts. Even coming out of the break, Escobar continued to struggle as he slashed .177/.222/.235/.458 with no home runs and just two RBI in the month of August. It is important to note that the veteran did miss time that month after going on the IL with a left oblique strain.

Also, according to The Post, Escobar went through a personal situation throughout 2022 which certainly could have played a role in his overall struggles and impacted his performances on the field.

“Last year was really, really hard,” Escobar told The Post. “A lot of people here supported me. Buck (Showalter) and Joey (Cora, third-base coach). The front office. Everybody.”

Bounce-back On The Way?

With those issues now behind him, there’s reasons to be optimistic that Escobar will be a consistent performer for the Mets in 2023 and that he won’t disappear for large chunks of the year. After all, his electric September proved exactly what he’s capable of when he’s on.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

He went on an absolute tear in September and put the team on his back at times during critical moments down the stretch. He hit a combined .321/385/.596/.982 with eight home runs, four doubles, 25 RBI and 12 walks in 122 plate appearances in September / October.

Despite a rough start to 2022, Escobar still finished with a 106 OPS+ – a tick above his career norm – and he ended 2022 with 20 home runs and a .726 OPS. Now with all his troubles seemingly behind him, the immediate future looks bright for Escobar.

According to Baseball Reference’s 2023 projections, Escobar is slated to post similar numbers in 2023 to the ones he put up in 2022. He’s projected to hit .239/.296/.421 with a .717 OPS to go along with 19 homers, 66 RBI, 23 doubles, four triples, 39 walks and 117 strikeouts.

They are just projections though. Unless Baty absolutely dominates in spring training, Escobar will be the main guy at the hot corner for the Mets in 2023. Now settled and happy and not trying to do too much at the plate, it figures that there will be no early season struggles.

If Escobar can translate even half of his dominant September over a full season, then he’s going to put up much better and bigger numbers for the Mets this year. He wasn’t trying to force the issue as much during his red-hot tear and, if he can begin 2023 with that same relaxed approach, then good things should come early.

Plus, given that he will play for Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, Escobar will have an opportunity to hit his stride before the 2023 regular season begins. In other words, with his personal issues settled and his confidence restored, expect a big bounce-back from the 34-year-old.

It may not be realistic to expect him to put up monster numbers all year round, but Escobar is certainly capable of mashing and being a consistent hitter. If he can just provide steady offense, good defense at the hot corner and avoid cold spells for more than half the season, then that will be good enough for the Mets who will certainly need a lot more from their third baseman in 2023.

The post Expectations For Escobar In 2023 appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

On Friday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that the Cubs have signed Michael Fulmer to an undisclosed contract. The former Mets minor leaguer was traded to the Tigers as part of the Yoenis Céspedes trade and remained an integral part of the Detroit bullpen until he was shipped off to the Twins at the trade deadline this past year. Between these two AL Central teams he recorded a 3.82 ERA in 67 games. Mets fans clamored to acquire Fulmer at the trade deadline and again as a free agent this offseason, but he now heads to Chicago as the Cubs continue their busy offseason.

Now onto the morning briefing!

Latest Mets News

In a video posted on SNY‘s Twitter account, Eduardo Escobar expressed excitement about being back with the Mets in 2023, stating “I love it here.”

Khalil Lee has cleared waivers and has been sent outright to Triple-A Syracuse. Lee was designated for assignment this past week amidst assault allegations.

Latest MLB News

MLB Pipeline took a look at some of MLB’s top prospects in this year’s World Baseball Classic. Sal Frelick, Harry Ford, and Bo Naylor are the participants in MLB’s top 100 prospects, while several other players sit in their respective team’s Top 30.

Commissioner Rob Manfred said at a recent owners’ meeting that the league is prepared to take over local broadcasts for the teams whose rights belong to Bally Sports. There is concern that Diamond Sports Group, the company that operates Bally Sports, will not be able to make the necessary payments for the fourteen teams it holds the rights to.

The Astros signed pitcher Cristian Javier to a five-year, $64 million contract extension that includes a $2 million signing bonus.

The Dodgers signed outfielder David Peralta to a one-year, $6.5 million contract, with incentives that can take the deal up to $8 million.

Yasiel Puig and renowned attorney Ben Crump will address federal charges against Puig today in Los Angeles. Crump calls the charges, relating to illegal sports gambling, “erroneous.” Puig originally plead guilty as part of a plea deal but has since withdrawn from that deal.

Former major league first baseman Justin Bour announced his retirement from baseball.

Jack Harris of the LA Times wrote a piece on Mookie Betts‘ passion for bowling and how it helps him during MLB’s offseason.

Latest on MMO

Rich Sparago broke down how the pitch clock will work in MLB this year.

Brian Wright rated Vince Coleman as the worst free-agent signing in Mets history.

Ricky Keeler profiled Mets’ Non-Roster Invitee Hayden Senger.

Rivka Boord listed the top five questions facing the Mets heading into the 2023 season.

On This Date in Mets History

1987: Coming off a memorable World Series victory in which he won World Series MVP, Ray Knight left the Mets in free agency and signed with the Baltimore Orioles. He became the first player to win World Series MVP and switch teams the following offseason.

2o10: The Mets signed Hisanori Takahashi, who had been playing professionally in Nippon Professional Baseball, to a minor league contract. In his lone season with the Mets Takahashi served as both a starter and a reliever, taking over the closer role after Francisco Rodriguez became injured. He pitched to a 10-6 record with a 3.61 ERA with the Mets that year.

Birthdays: Brian Daubach (51)

The post Morning Briefing: Michael Fulmer Signs With Cubs appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Upon hearing that free-agent infielder Carlos Correa and the Minnesota Twins officially agreed to a deal, the Mets have been left with uncertainty surrounding their ability to add more pieces to the team this offseason. While there is still time to strike a trade or sign a free agent, they currently have two internal options worth looking at to fill the massive void Correa has left at the third base position.

First, they have the player who appeared in 130 games as their third baseman in the 2022 season in Eduardo Escobar. Escobar has one year remaining on his two-year agreement that he signed prior to the 2022 season, and is certainly looking to cash in during free agency next offseason with a strong 2023 campaign. During the 2022 season, Escobar proved to be a reliable option offensively, as he accumulated a slash line of .240/.295/.430 with 20 home runs and 69 RBIs. Consequently, his 106 wRC+ puts him at just above league average offensively, and he is ranked 16th out of 22 qualified third basemen in this metric. Based on this, it can be concluded that Escobar is a reliable option offensively that will find himself in the lineup more often due to the Correa situation.

However, Escobar’s defensive ability at the hot corner can be called into question due to his uninspiring -11 DRS and -4.4 UZR that he accumulated during the 2022 season. The Mets are likely hoping that this was an anomaly for Escobar, as he posted a much better -3 DRS and 1.7 UZR the prior season with two different clubs. While the Mets also have Luis Guillorme, who is an exceptional defensive option at third base, he fails to provide the same offensive output as Escobar.  As a result, manager Buck Showalter seems to prefer using Guillorme in a utility role in which he fills in for the infielders when a need arises.

Brett Baty is the second internal option for the Mets at third base. While there have been some rumblings of moving Baty to the outfield, this article will run under the assumption that he will remain at third base due to the dramatic turn of events with Correa. During his rookie campaign, Baty had a slash line of .184/.244/.342 with two home runs and five RBIs in a mere 11 games. Since this is a very small sample size, it is important to examine his 2022 stats in the minors. Between Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse, Baty accumulated a promising slash line of .315/.410/.533 with 19 home runs and 60 RBIs in 95 games.

Defensively, Baty is hard to assess due to his very small MLB sample size. In 93 innings at the position, Baty earned a -3 DRS and -0.2 UZR.  While these numbers are not very good, it is unfair to Baty to evaluate his defensive ability based on 93 innings. As a result, it is important that the Mets allow Baty to take reps at the position in order to develop into a better defender. Jim Callis of MLB.com showed confidence in Baty’s defense in a recent mailbag, “Baty won’t win any Gold Gloves at third base, but he can play there for a while.”

Callis also broke down the competition between Escobar and Baty as well. “New York should give him its third-base job at some point in 2023 because he’d offer more offense & at least as much defense as 34-year-old incumbent Eduardo Escobar,” Callis said.

Overall, the Mets infield situation was heavily complicated by the Correa mishap as it opened up the full-time third base job. While the options are not limited to Baty and Escobar, it is likely that they will be able to compete for the job throughout spring training and the early part of the 2023 season. It will be interesting to see whether they go with the veteran Escobar or the potential long-term answer in Baty.

The post The Sudden Importance of Brett Baty and Eduardo Escobar appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

We are now entering week two of Carlos Correa watch as his negotiations with the Mets continue to be the main reason Mets fans log on to Twitter and read our articles (thanks by the way)! As the deal is reportedly coming closer than most fans think, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic detailed other moves the Mets can make once the deal is finalized.

Of the moves the Mets could make, the most likely one would be moving third baseman Eduardo Escobar.

“I would assume this week we see resolution and then we see the Mets spring into further action,” Rosenthal said on The Athletic Baseball Show. “They’re going to need to make some other trades, they have traded McCann and would trade Escobar if they finalize Correa. And you may see some other things.”

The move makes sense for the Mets, as Correa would more than likely play third base with Francisco Lindor taking the reigns at shortstop, the position Correa played predominantly with his former teams the Houston Astros and Minnesota Twins. Escobar is also in the final year of his two-year contract with the Mets, who are reportedly listening to offers from their division rival Miami Marlins.

Between Correa, Escobar and rookie Brett Baty, the piece to move, or the odd one out of the three, is Escobar.

Latest Mets News

Rosenthal is also reporting in The Athletic Baseball Show, the deal between the Mets and Correa could look much different from what was originally reported before his physical with New York came to light. It was also reported the Mets were waiting on the MLBPA to look at specific terms of the contract would entail were to get hurt and play much less than anticipated.

Some Mets players are already putting in the work down in Port St. Lucie where the team spends their Spring Training. Players like Lindor, Brandon Nimmo and Tomas Nido are all working out at the team’s facilities there, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post.

Latest MLB News

All-Star third baseman Rafael Devers and the Boston Red Sox are in agreement on a one-year, $17.5 million deal to avoid arbitration, sources tell ESPN‘s Jeff Passan. Devers and Boston have been in discussion about what they see for each other long term, with most speculating the team will move Devers in the upcoming season. As the sides agree on a deal to avoid arbitration, it shows there is interest on both sides to stay together.

Former Mets reliever Alex Claudio has signed a minor league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers, according to MMO’s Michael Mayer. The left-handed pitcher tossed 3 1/3 scoreless innings for the Mets in 2022 and is 1 of 25 pitchers in team history with a 0.00 ERA.

The New York Yankees announced that they have appointed Brian Sabean as Executive Advisor to Senior Vice President and General Manager Brian Cashman.

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Johnluke Chaparro talks about free agent outfielder AJ Pollock and what he can bring to the table with the Mets.

On This Date in Mets History

Birthdays:Kevin Pillar (34),Daryl Boston(60),Paul Gibson(63),Bart Shirley (83)

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