The Mets agreed to a one-year, $3.8 million contract with Tyrone Taylor to avoid arbitration. Taylor’s 2025 season was a disappointment as he owned just a .598 OPS, though he continued to bring stellar defense. Taylor is likely to begin 2026 as the Mets’ fourth outfielder, with the Mets actively seeking an upgrade over him in center field.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Latest Mets News

The Mets made several roster moves Friday, including non-tendering Danny Young, Max Kranick and José Castillo.

Adam Ottavino criticized Carlos Mendoza on his podcast, saying he “has no idea what he’s doing when it comes to bullpen guys.”

Speaking on Pete Alonso‘s impending free agency, Mets pitcher Sean Manaea said: “I love Pete to death. He’s the man. Ultimately, I just want whatever’s going to be best for him and his family.”

Latest MLB News

Several notable players around the league were non-tendered Friday, including Adolis García and Jonah Heim.

Miami’s home stadium loanDepot Park is set to be home for La Gente Del Barrio Home Run Derby on Dec. 6. Players such as Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Fernando Tatis Jr. will be participating.

Former MLB All-Star Brady Anderson has been named as the Angels’ new hitting coach under new manager Kurt Suzuki.

The Cubs signed reliver and former Met Phil Maton to a two-year contract with a club option for a third year. Maton had a solid 2.79 ERA between the Rangers and Cardinals in 2025.

Jonathan India re-signed with the Royals on a one-year, $8 million contract. India had a .669 OPS in his first year in Kansas City.

Former Met James McCann signed a one-year contract with the Arizona Diamodnbacks. McCann spent 2025 in Arizona and had a .754 OPS in 42 games.

The Giants traded for outfielder Joey Wiemer, acquiring him from the Marlins for cash. Weimer had a .715 OPS in 61 plate appearances with the Marlins in 2025.

A 12,000 square-foot experience center showcasing the A’s upcoming ballpark in Las Vegas will open on December 2. The center will feature a ballpark model, seating concepts, and design showcases.

Johnny Flores Jr. of The Athletic wrote about Joey Gallo‘s career switch, attempting to go from hitter to pitcher.

Latest on MMO

Robert Colonna profiles reliever Luke Weaver as a potential free agent target for the Mets.

David Melendi breaks down what Justin Willard will bring to the Mets as pitching coach.

On This Date in Mets History

Born on This Date: Adam Ottavino (1985), Ricky Ledée (1973), Jay Payton (1972), Gene Walter (1960), Lee Guetterman (1958), Rich Chiles (1949).

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Agree to Terms with Tyrone Taylor appeared first on Metsmerized.

Internal Options

Before Sunday’s spring training game against Washington, president of baseball operations David Stearns noted, “We’ll see. I think we feel good about the guys we have in camp.” This was in response to whether or not the Mets would look outside the organization to compensate for Alvarez’s injury. It feels all but likely the Mets will stay internal, especially with the timetable for the youngster’s return.

Looking inside the Mets organization, the following players now have an opportunity for the rest of spring training to get a spot on the roster. Take Jakson Reetz, for example. He started Sunday’s 7-6 win over the Washington Nationals, and he made his presence felt with a grand slam in the bottom of the first inning to give New York a 6-0 lead.

JAKSON REETZ GRAND SLAM!

The 29-year-old catcher makes his presence felt as he competes for the Opening Day roster spot 👀
pic.twitter.com/8G97YTUyki

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) March 9, 2025

Reetz has played in just eight MLB games, including six with the San Francisco Giants last year. Meanwhile, Chris Williams hit 38 home runs in the previous two years in Triple-A. Hayden Senger is a defensive whiz but has struggled with the bat in the minors (.235/.325/.360/.684 line across six minor league seasons).

The Mets, of course. have former first-round pick Kevin Parada, who’s never played above Double-A. He’s the least likely to find a spot on the roster and has also struggled with plate discipline in his minor league career. Parada hit just .214/.304/.359/.663 in 2024 with Binghamton, finishing his season with a 94 wRC+, 33.7% strikeout rate and .146 ISO. Depending on what the Mets do, they will have three weeks to show New York they don’t have to look outside the organization.

James McCann

The name James McCann might make Mets fans groan after his stint in New York from 2021-2022 didn’t work out. However, after Alvarez’s injury, signing a savvy vet like McCann could help for a bit. The same way Torrens did. Soon to be 35 years old, McCann is an 11-year veteran with valuable experience behind the plate and can manage a pitching staff. His bat may not be his strong suit right now (.234/.279/.388 in 66 games), but he’s a tough player behind the plate. Look at last year as a Baltimore Oriole when he got hit on the nose and stayed in the game. He then started a game two days later. The Orioles applauded his toughness and leadership after that.

Yasmani Grandal

A boom-or-bust type player, the switch-hitting Yasmani Grandal has seen his power decline over the last three seasons. He went from hitting 163 home runs between 2014-2021 to just 22 from 2022-2024. He hasn’t reached 20 home runs since 2021 and has not passed 10 home runs since. His WAR has ranged in the negatives in two of the last three seasons. However, David Stearns knows him well from his days in Milwaukee, and Grandal was an All-Star in 2019 with the Brewers. That season, he hit a career-high 28 home runs.

He spent 71 games behind the dish for the Pirates in 2024 and ranked eighth in catcher framing runs (how well a catcher frames a pitch to influence an umpire’s call). For reference, Francisco Alvarez ranked ninth At 36 years old, Grandal still finished with positive blocks above average in 2024 (two). The only Met to finish with positive blocks above average in 2024 was Omar Narváez (one). Torrens finished with negative four, and Alvarez finished with -20 blocks above average.

Tomás Nido, Jessica Alcheh-USA TODAY Sports

A Possible Tomás Nido Return?

After spending 13 years in the Mets organization, Tomás Nido was released last June after Torrens was acquired and Alvarez returned from the injured list. Nido spent the rest of the season with the Chicago Cubs and Detroit Tigers, respectively. He re-signed with Detroit on a minor league contract during the offseason. Currently, Nido is the third catcher on the Tigers’ depth chart. As someone well-known in the Mets organization, Nido is familiar with their pitchers and coaches. This is always a plus for a ballclub to avoid as many growing pains as possible. He’s even doing well in spring training, as he’s batting .333/.368/.778/1.146 in nine games. On Wednesday, he hit two home runs in a 17-7 Tigers win over the Phillies.

The post Exploring Mets’ Catching Options With Alvarez Out appeared first on Metsmerized.

While certain individuals continue to do their best to ease any worries about the starting rotation, the Mets suffered a huge blow on the injury front over the weekend.

To that end, let’s recap all the good and the bad from the last batch of Grapefruit League games in the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

3 UP

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

HOLMES MASTERCLASS

The decision to stretch Clay Holmes into a starter looks more and more like a home run with each passing day. Granted, we’re still in the throes of spring training. It is foolish to overreact to anything during this time of year. With that said, however, Holmes has taken to his new role with ease and has looked mighty impressive thus far. His strong spring continued on Sunday against the Nationals. In three 2/3 innings, the righty extended his scoreless streak to 9 2/3 innings. He allowed one hit and walked three but struck out eight. Holmes’ nasty sinker mowed through the Nationals lineup, and he elicited 13 swings and misses in total on Sunday.

It remains to be seen just how much Holmes will be able to give the Mets as a starter over a full 162-game regular season. But, as the old adage goes, quality over quantity is always preferred. We’ve certainly seen a lot of quality from Holmes so far.

SPRING STANDOUT

Every team in baseball will see a shock star performer emerge from the monotony of spring training exhibition games. It happens every single year. Well, Max Kranick has been that man for the Mets this spring. The righty has been making impressive noise throughout camp in a bid to make the Opening Day roster. He threw another scoreless inning out of the pen on Friday, registering 97.7 mph on one of his pitches – the hardest he’s thrown in spring training. In total, Kranick has allowed no runs and no walks with four hits and eight strikeouts in seven outstanding innings. With a minor league option, it remains to be seen if Kranick does break camp with the major league ballclub.

But, whether he does or not, the 27-year-old possesses both nasty stuff and a lot of upside. As a result, he has what’s needed to become a multi-inning threat out of the bullpen at some point in 2025.

SIGN OF THINGS TO COME

The entire Juan Soto experience has started perfectly for the Mets so far. By every indication, the superstar hitter with the record contract has fitted in comfortably, and he is already emerging as a real leader in that clubhouse. Furthermore, Soto has lived up to his lofty billing on the baseball diamond. In seven spring training games, the generational hitter is slashing.400/.471/.867/.1.337 with two homers, one double, two walks and five RBIs. He finished 3-for-3 against the Marlins on Saturday, including an opposite-field RBI double. All in all, Soto has come exactly as advertised. It will be a thrill to watch him put on a hitting masterclass in Queens.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

3 DOWN 

ALL-TIME BODY BLOW

The Mets were dealt an especially nasty punch to the stomach on Sunday. It was announced that Francisco Alvarez willmiss six to eight weeks with a fractured hamate bone in his left hand. The catcher will undergo surgery. It is a huge blow to the Mets, who will now rely on Luis Torrens as their everyday catcher. But it is arguably a bigger blow for Alvarez, who hoped to author a comeback year after a tough 2024 season. The slugger reworked his swing and tweaked his mechanics in the hope of becoming a real X-Factor for the Mets in 2025. Instead, he will now begin the year on the shelf.

Of course, there is always the danger of setbacks and complications with any kind of injury. As such, you can make a compelling argument that the Mets should go out and bring in another catcher. Yasmani Grandal, who is a free agent, arguably offers the most offensive upside of all the options available. Other alternatives include former Mets catchers James McCann and Tomás Nido. It is important to note, however, that the latter would require a trade given that he is currently with the Tigers. The Mets do have internal options, too, but going outside of the organization for an insurance policy might be the better play.

Whatever the Mets decide to do, though, there is no replacing Alvarez, and his absence at the start of the season is a notable setback for both team and player.

SLOW PROGRESS

Setbacks are proving to be the theme of spring training for Brandon Nimmo. The outfielder is battling soreness in his right knee – a fight he is currently losing. Despite being expected to return to the lineup on Sunday, that proved to not bethe case. Instead, Nimmo received a gel injection and sat out. He will rest through at least Monday and then will continue to ramp up. However, while there is no structural damage, the persistent soreness is somewhat concerning. Nimmo has been limited to just two plate appearances so far this spring. That lack of preparation is hardly conducive to getting off to a fast and productive start in 2025. We will see what happens the rest of the way, but Nimmo’s nagging knee soreness is a worrisome development worth keeping an eye on.

TOUGH SLEDDING

Things are starting to take shape with the starting rotation, but there are still question marks over the backend. Paul Blackburn was considered a contender to win a spot at the back of that rotation. However, it has been a rough camp for the veteran. Through three starts, Blackburn has allowed eight hits, four walks, two home runs and seven runs (six earned), while recording just one strikeout. He got roughed up pretty badly in his last outing on Friday too, giving up three runs on five hits. He allowed two homers in that one while walking two batters.

As things stand, Blackburn is probably lagging behind Tylor Megill and Griffin Canning in what is effectively a three-horse race for a rotation spot. However, still recovering from spinal leak surgery, there is time for Blackburn to turn things around. After all, it isn’t about how you start but, rather, how you finish.

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Clay Holmes Dazzles, Mets Suffer Alvarez Blow appeared first on Metsmerized.

With a struggling bullpen and an influx of moves on the horizon, the Mets DFA’d both RHP Adrian Houser and RHP Shintaro Fujinami on July 26. While Fujinami cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday, Houser was released by the club on Wednesday, per Will Sammon of The Athletic. The Mets also released RHP Ty Adcock. 

Houser, who was acquired along with Tyrone Taylor from the Brewers in the offseason, had his ups and downs throughout his short Mets tenure. The veteran started in the Mets’ rotation, where he struggled severely, having his ERA balloon up to 8.37 at its highest. The Mets then moved him to the bullpen, where he thrived for a short period, but he came back down to Earth recently, and his subpar performance made him expendable. Houser posted a 5.84 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 1-5 record in his 69 1/3 innings and 23 games with the Mets.

At Citi Field on Wednesday, the Mets finished their homestand and series against the Minnesota Twins in disappointing fashion. While a Mark Vientos home run gave the Mets an early 2-1 lead in the second inning, it would all go downhill from there. Luis Severino had one of his worst outings in Queens, only lasting three innings while giving up six runs on six hits, leading to an 8-3 Mets loss. However, the Mets leave Citi Field with the series win and a 4-3 record during their homestand. Click here for a full game recap. 

The Mets are now going on a West Coast trip. Their first stop will be in Anaheim, where they will take on the Los Angeles Angels for three games. They will have Thursday off and be back in action on Friday night when Paul Blackburn will make his Mets debut on the mound. 

Photo by David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Latest Mets News

Baseball America ranked all 89 prospects dealt at the trade deadline. Here is where the pieces the Mets parted with landed: RHP Tyler Stuart (35), RHP Kade Morris (41), RHP Paul Gervase (75), OF Rhylan Thomas (82) and INF Wilfredo Lara (86).

The Mets optioned newly acquired right-handed relief pitcher Tyler Zuber to Triple-A Syracuse prior to Wednesday’s game. They also optioned LHP Matt Gage to Syracuse and activated former Marlin RHP Huascar Brazobán.

Two new promotions were added to the Mets’ schedule for their mid-August homestand. On Saturday, August 17, against the Marlins, the first 15,000 fans will receive an “OMG” T-shirt, and fans can get an “OMG” foam finger through a special ticket offer for the game on Tuesday, August 20th, against the Orioles.

The Mets’ newest starter, Paul Blackburn, will make his first start for the Amazin’s on Friday against the Angels. Tylor Megill, slated to start that game, has been put in the bullpen. He went two innings while giving up one run on three hits during his first appearance out of the ‘pen on Wednesday against the Twins. Click here to learn about Blackburn.

Reed Garrett looked “really good” in his live session on Wednesday, per Joe Pantorno of amNewYork. Garrett, who hit 97 mph in his live session, will be making a rehab appearance on Saturday for the Syracuse Mets. 

Sean Reid-Foley was on point during his rehab appearance for Double-A Binghamton, getting all three batters he faced to strike out swinging. 

Brandon Nimmo left Wednesday’s loss to the Minnesota Twins after fouling a ball off his foot in the sixth inning. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters after the game that X-rays were negative and Nimmo should be good to go for Friday. Click here for more on Nimmo’s injury.

The Mets signed 18 of their 20 draft picks in the 2024 MLB Draft. The only players the Mets did not sign were ninth-rounder RHP Jaxon Jelkin and 20th-rounder SS Adam Haight.

Latest MLB News

The Houston Astros DFA’d former Mets pitcher Rafael Montero, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic. The flame-throwing right-hander was in year two of his three-year, $34.5 million deal.

St. Louis Cardinals veteran RHP Lance Lynn was placed on the 15-day IL with right knee inflammation. Lynn has a 4.06 ERA and 1.36 WHIP in 106 1/3 innings of work this season.

Jackson Holliday‘s first career home run was a grand slam, which he rocketed deep into right field, onto Eutaw Street.

JACKSON HOLLIDAY!

His first big league homer is a grand slam! pic.twitter.com/UhYSrT2MiQ

— MLB (@MLB) July 31, 2024

Baltimore Orioles third baseman Jordan Westburg fractured his hand after getting hit by a pitch in the fifth inning of Wednesday’s game, per Steve Melewski of MASN Sports. The club hopes he can return by the end of the season.

Former Mets catcher James McCann played in Wednesday’s Orioles game with multiple nasal fractures after taking a 95 mph fastball to the face on Monday. McCann sported a new mask to do so.

Latest on MMO

See what MMO writers graded the Mets’ trade deadline.

The Mets activated their newest reliever, Huascar Brazobán.

More on the news of Nimmo fighting off an injury scare.

The Mets signed 18 of their 20 draft picks.

On This Date in Mets History

2015: Lucas Duda drives in all three Mets runs as his two home runs and eighth-inning go-ahead RBI double power the Mets past the Nationals. This win puts the Mets one game back of the Washington Nationals for first place in the NL East. 

2010: 1986 World Series champions Darryl Strawberry, Dwight “Doc” Gooden, Davey Johnson, and Frank Cashen are inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame.

1999: Pitcher Pat Mahomes gives the Mets a 13th-inning lead with a two-out base hit and gets the save in the bottom of the frame to beat the Cubs in Wrigley. 

1989: Kevin McReynolds finishes off the fifth cycle in Mets history with his ninth-inning triple.

Birthdays: Brian Bohanon (56), Gregg Jefferies (57)

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Release Adrian Houser appeared first on Metsmerized.

The Mets’ London hangover did not last for too long as they took Game 2 of the series in a big way.

Harrison Bader opened the game with a bang, sending a ball to the left field seats and giving the Mets an early 2-0 lead over the Marlins. While the Marlins evened things back up, a three-run second inning answer gave the Mets the lead for good. The Amazin’s piled on from there, resulting in a 10-4 win to get things back on track. Click here for a full game report.

The Mets sent left-hander Danny Young to Triple-A Syracuse after the game, per Tim Healey. This opens up a roster spot for Edwin Díaz.

The Mets look to take Game 3 of the series on Thursday at 7:10 ET as Luis Severino (4-2, 3.25 ERA) will go for the Mets and Roddery Muñoz (1-2, 5.95 ERA) will be on the mound for Miami.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Latest Mets News

Young won Baseball Prospectus Pitch of the Day on Tuesday with his sweeper, which covered over 23″ of horizontal break and had an IVB of -4.9″.

Carlos Mendoza said that Díaz will be the Mets closer upon his return on Thursday, per Tim Healey of Newsday.

Christian Scott had a short but sweet start for Triple-A Syracuse: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. The Mets are continuing to manage his workload. Click here for a full breakdown of his start.

Brett Baty tallied two hits in Triple-A Syracuse Tuesday.

McDonald’s mascot Grimace threw out the first pitch at Citi Field last night.

Grimace threw out the first pitch tonight at Citi Field 🟣 pic.twitter.com/9i9vEWpDxz

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) June 12, 2024

Drew Gilbert was named the Mets prospect with the best power-speed combo by MLB.com.

Latest MLB News

The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired INF/OF Cavan Biggio in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays, where they sent RHP Braydon Fisher to Toronto.

The Chicago Cubs signed Jorge López to a minor league deal, per Andy Martínez of Marquee Sports Network. López was designated for assignment by the Mets on May 30th.

The Chicago White Sox DFA’d left-handed relief pitcher Tim Hill.

Latest on MMO

Christian Scott looks to make his return to the big leagues.

The Mets defensive woes continue to be a thorn in their side.

Brett Baty continues to hit in Triple-A.

On This Date in Mets History

2012: R.A. Dickey throws a one-hitter in a 9-1 Mets victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. Dickey also set a franchise record during the start, going 32 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings. 

1988: Lee Mazzilli gives the Mets a win over the Cardinals with a walk-off RBI single in the 12th inning. David Cone went 10 innings of one-run ball, striking out seven and throwing 130 pitches. 

1986: Darryl Strawberry walks off the Pirates with an RBI single, avenging Jesse Orosco, who gave up two runs in the top of the ninth.

Birthdays: James McCann (34)

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Option Danny Young to Make Room for Edwin Díaz appeared first on Metsmerized.

David Stearns. Photo by Mike De Sisti

With the World Series over and the offseason officially underway, it’s time to take inventory of how much payroll the Mets already have committed heading into the winter.

Simple Guaranteed Contracts

• OF Brandon Nimmo | 8 yrs/$162.0M (2023-2030) [$20.25M AAV]
• OF Starling Marte | 4 yrs/$78.0M (2022-2025) [$19.50M AAV]
• RHP Kodai Senga | 5 yrs/$75.0M (2023-2028) [$15.00M AAV]
• RHP Jose Quintana | 2 yrs/$26.0M (2023-2024) [$13.00M AAV]
• IF/OF Jeff McNeil | 4 yrs/$50.0M (2023-2026) + $15.25M club option for 2027 or $2.0M buyout [$12.50M AAV]

Total Salary Guaranteed Contracts: $80.25M

For MLB Luxury Tax calculation purposes, salaries for players on guaranteed deals are determined by the Average Annual Values of their contracts. An easy simple ($/years) calculation. One thing to keep in mind though is how option years and/or buy-outs are calculated.

Contracts with player options are considered guaranteed years and as such the AAV calculation will include the option year. All other options (club, vesting, mutual) are considered non-guaranteed. Any buyouts associated with these options are included in the AAV calculation but the options themselves are not.

For example, Jeff McNeil’s contract pays him $48 million during the life of the contract, however, since it has a $2.0M buyout with his 2027 club option, the AAV ends up being $12.50M instead.

Brooks Raley. Photo by Roberto Carlo

• LHP Brooks Raley | 1 yr/$6.5M via exercised club option, $1.25M buyout not used (2024) [$5.25M AAV]
• C Omar Narváez | 1 yr/$7.0M via exercised player option [$7.50M AAV]

Total Option Year Contracts: $12.75M

These are generally the same as the previous category, however, the flipside of how buyouts are included in AAVs fall out here. Since Raley’s 2024 option buyout was already included in previous AAV calculations but were not used, the Mets may now take a credit for the buyout amounts in the option year season. So Raley’s AAV impact is reduced by $1.25M.

Likewise, for Narvaez, his $7.0M player option was included in the original AAV calculation on his 2023 contract as a 2 yr/$15.0M deal so the $7.50M AAV carries over to 2024.

Francisco Lindor. Photo by Roberto Carlo

Guaranteed Contracts With Deferrals 

• SS Francisco Lindor | 10 yrs/$341.0M with $50M deferred (2022-2031) [$32.35M AAV]
• RHP Edwin Díaz | 5 yrs/$102.0M with $26.5M deferred (2023-2027) [$17.38M AAV]

Total Deferral Contracts: $49.73M

Alright, folks strap in, grab some paper, and a pen as we take a trip down Financial Accounting 401. For any contract that includes deferred compensation, a standard $/years AAV approach cannot be used. This is because of a concept known as the “time value of money (TVM)”. Said in its simplest terms, money is worth more now than it will be at a future date due to its earnings potential.”

We are all suffering through inflation in our personal lives as we speak so I think we can all understand that a dollar right now can’t get you as much as a dollar did 10 years ago.

With this in mind, in order to factor in this devaluation of money, for AAV purposes, deferrals on a contract must be recalculated and factored in based on their “net present value (NPV).” This in turn generates a cost savings for teams against the luxury tax based on three main factors:

1.) How much money is deferred.

2.) How long the money is deferred for.

3.) The discount rate applied at the time of contract signing [Generally based on JP Morgan Bank’s Prime Rate].

For Lindor, $50 million of his compensation ($5M per year) is being deferred for 10 years and discounted at 4.0%. So the NPV of his $50.0M is only $32.48, a $17.52M luxury tax savings across 10 years (-$1.75M AAV reduction). So, instead of his contract having a $34.10M AAV, the team is only hit for $32.35M.

For Díaz, although only $26.5M of his compensation is being deferred, it is being deferred at a 7.0% discount rate, and for a time frame ranging from 10-to-15 years. So, the NPV of his $26.5M is only $11.39M, a $15.11M savings across 5 years (-$3.02M AAV reduction) reducing his AAV from $20.40M to $17.38M

For Ottavino, since his option is of the player controlled variety, his 2024 salary and associated deferrals were included in last year’s calculation, thus the AAV carries over. In total, $8.0M of his 2023-2024 salaries are being deferred at a 7.5% discount rate, and for a time frame ranging from 4 to 7 years. So, the NPV of his $8.0M is only $3.10M, a $4.90M savings across 2 years (-$2.450M AAV reduction) reducing his AAV from $7.25M to $4.80M.

Max Scherzer. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Dead Money

• RHP Justin Verlander | 2 yrs/$86.6M (2023-2024) + $35M conditional player option for 2025, $16.98M on Astros books for 2024 and $17.5M in 2025 if option vests and is exercised [$26.36M AAV]
• RHP Max Scherzer | 3 yrs/$130.0M (2022-2024), $16.8M on Rangers books for 2024 [$26.53M AAV]
• C James McCann | 4 yrs/$40.6M (2021-2024), $650k on Orioles books for 2024 [$9.50M AAV]
• RHP Adam Ottavino | 1 yrs/$7.75M (2023) + $6.75M player option with $8M total deferrals. (Player option declined. $0.86M balancing adjustment) [$0.86M]

Total Dead Money: $63.25M

Now, for the depressing part of this segment, the flip side of the trades former general manager Billy Eppler made last season. At the deadline, the Mets sent Scherzer + $35.5M to the Rangers and Verlander + $35.0M to the Astros.

For MLB Luxury Tax purposes, the pro-rated amount of remaining salaries on both contracts are used to determine the cash impact split between 2023 and 2024. So, for Scherzer, that means 74.7% of the cash the Mets sent are on the books for 2024, and for Verlander, 75.3% of the cash applies.

Since McCann was traded before the season began, the $19M of cash sent with him is a more simplistic standard AAV calculation spreading it across the 2 yrs that were remaining on his deal.

{Updated 11/6/2023}

Oh boy…..as if payroll isn’t complicated enough….

With Ottavino declining his 2024 player option, an obscure luxury tax “balancing adjustment” is going to affect the Mets payroll for 2024. When Ottavino signed his contract, his player option was considered a “guaranteed” year for luxury tax purposes. On top of that $8M of the total $14.5M in the contract were deferred for payment between 2025 and 20235. As a result the calculated AAV was only $5.63M each year instead of the simple math amount of $7.25M.

With Ottavino off the books now, we need to recalculate what the AAV would have been for only the 1 yr of pay + deferrals. The difference between this calculation and the original AAV calculation is the “balancing adjustment” the Mets will need to account for in 2024. Nerdy mathematics below!

Pete Alonso. Photo by Roberto Carlo

Arbitration Contracts (estimated per MLB Trade Rumors)

• 1B Pete Alonso | Arbitration Year 3 ($22.00M)
• DH Daniel Vogelbach | Arb 3 ($2.60M)
• IF Luis Guillorme | Arb 3 [Super 2] ($1.70M)
• RHP Drew Smith | Arb 3 ($2.30M)
• RHP Joey Lucchesi | Arb 2 ($2.00M)
• RHP Trevor Gott | Arb 3 ($2.00M)
• RHP Sam Coonrod | Arb 2 ($0.90M)
• LHP David Peterson | Arb 1 ($2.00M)
• OF D.J. Stewart | Arb 1 [Super 2] ($1.50M)
• RHP Jeff Brigham | Arb 1 ($1.10M)

Total Arbitration Contracts: $38.10M

Once a player reaches three years of service time (or two for players with “super 2 status”), their salaries for subsequent seasons, until they reach six years of service time, are determined based by an arbitrator based on their career and prior season performances in relation to their peers who have also gone through arbitration. Unless of course, the two sides agree to a deal before the hearing is scheduled to occur.

Alonso’s arbitration situation is certainly the most important one for the team. While the arbitration number is high, the Mets could theoretically combine the arbitration year with a potential extension to try and reduce the future AAV impact of said deal.

While Lucchesi and Peterson seem like locks to remain with the team at their estimated prices, a case can be made for everyone to be non-tendered by the team thus savings ~$12.1M in salary.

Francisco Álvarez. Photo by Roberto Carlo

MLB/MiLB Renewable Minimum Salary Contracts

$740k if on MLB roster or $120.6k if on MiLB roster ($60.3k if first time on a 40 man roster)

• C Francisco Álvarez
• IF Ronny Mauricio
• SS Luisangel Acuña
• 3B/LF Brett Baty
• DH Mark Vientos
• LHP Josh Walker
• RHP Tylor Megill
• RHP José Butto
• RHP Phil Bickford
• RHP Penn Murfee
• RHP Reed Garrett
• RHP Grant Hartwig
• RHP Sean-Reid Foley

Total Renewable Contracts: $5.90M

Any player with less than three years of service time is subject to team-controlled renewable contracts. While teams can certainly choose to pay their pre-arbitration players more than MLB/MiLB minimum, they are under no requirement to do so.

Other MLB Luxury Tax Requirements

1/30th of the Player Benefits Pool | $17.9M
1/30th of the Pre-Arbitration Bonus Pool | $1.67M

Total Other: $19.57M

The final piece of the luxury tax calculation is something the teams have no control over. The player benefits pool and pre-arbitration bonus pools are both financial pieces negotiated as part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Funding for these two pools are split evenly between all 30 MLB teams.

Final Total MLB Luxury Tax Payroll: $269.55M

Not only are the Mets already walking into the off-season already over the 2024 luxury tax line of $237M; they’re already estimated to be in the second-level of penalties with only ~$2.7M of space before third-level penalties before making a single move.

With sheer number of holes in the rotation and bullpen that need to be filled if the team is going to be competitive, there is a very high probability that the Mets will once again hit the special Steve Cohen fourth-tier of penalties for the 2nd season in a row. This will come with a 110% tax on every dollar spent over $297M.

The post Mets’ Current 2024 Payroll Breakdown Ahead Of The Offseason appeared first on Metsmerized.

José Quintana. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

The New York Mets (50-61) looked to end a losing streak and set the season back on track against the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday afternoon. With José Quintana taking the mound, he gave the Mets his best start of his short tenure with the team, but the offense proved to be their Achilles heel as New York dropped their sixth in a row, 2-0.

Quintana pitched brilliantly against a Baltimore offense that has clobbered the Mets in the first two games of the series. When the other starters, David Peterson and Tylor Megill, gave up 17 runs combined, Quintana limited the Orioles to one run on a fielder’s choice by Adley Rutschman which sent Jorge Mateo home after hitting a triple in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Quintana went six innings and allowed two additional hits in the seventh inning, consequently, getting pulled for Trevor Gott. While allowing one run through his first six innings, Quintana would be responsible for the second Baltimore run which was also scored on a fielder’s choice.

The defense this afternoon was also a thorn in the Mets side. The fielder’s choice in the seventh inning to allow the Orioles to extend their lead could have easily been a recorded out and limiting the damage. Danny Mendick could have handled the ball and thrown it home to get James McCann in at least a rundown, but chose to get the runner out at second. Gott would get through the inning cleanly after the blemish from the defense.

Offensively, the Mets were quiet again and the Baltimore defense shined when the Mets had a chance to get on base. New York was limited to only four hits. It all culminated in another shutout loss, 2-0, and the team dropping to a season-worse 11 games under .500.

Player of the Game: José Quintana

Quintana has pitched great so far during Mets’ tenure and in Sunday afternoon’s game against Baltimore it was no different. Quintana went six strong innings, allowing six hits, two walks, and struck out six batters. Poor defense from the Mets contributed greatly to the couple blemishes he had.

In his fourth start of the season, Quintana has pitched just over 25 innings and allowed 12 runs. Averaging that out to about three runs a start. He has been great, but has yet to be on the winning side of a decision.

Statistic of the Game: No Offense, No Runs

The Mets managed to accumulate 11 hits throughout the first two game against the Orioles. Sunday, the Mets had four with no runs with only one extra base hit.

Since the start of their series against the Kansas City Royals, the Mets have only scored three or more runs once.

The offense has proven to be null and void, with their best opportunity came in the top of the fifth inning when the Mets had the bases loaded, thanks to a pair of walks and a single by Francisco Lindor. However, DJ Stewart grounded out to end the inning.

On Deck:

The Mets (50-61) will send Kodai Senga to the mound to take on the red-hot Chicago Cubs (57-54) and Drew Smyly. The Mets open the three-game series at 7:10 pm at Citi Field on Monday.

The post Despite Strong Outing From José Quintana, Mets Drop Sixth Straight appeared first on Metsmerized.

Omar Narváez. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

The New York Mets have had issues at the catcher position for over a decade. This offseason, the team decided to move on from James McCann and sign veteran Omar Narváez to platoon alongside Tomás Nido. Extremely early returns show that may have been a terrific move.

To be fair, the bar was set extremely low. Last season, McCann posted a -0.1 WAR and an OPS+ of 55. Nido, on the other hand, was solid, but it was clear the Mets needed to upgrade the position. Through two starts, Narváez, the former Brewers’ backstop, is 3-for-7 with two RBIs and a walk. He also caught both of the Mets’ victories, and, in each game, he flashed his superb ability to frame pitches. Interestingly enough, through three days of the season, he ranks in the league’s 100th percentile in framing, per Baseball Savant.

On Saturday, Narváez’s sacrifice fly in the second inning started the scoring and left the bat at nearly 100 mph (98.3 to be exact). Later in the game, he hit a single that came off the bat at 103.1 mph. Narváez was also very close to picking up a third RBI, but Starling Marte was forced out at third base in an extremely close play. So, thus far, he is putting the ball in play, and has hit it pretty hard. Which is a great early sign for someone who struggled offensively last season (.597 OPS).

The 31-year-old is only two years removed from an All-Star 2021 campaign where he hit .266. He also had a season where he slugged 22 home runs with Seattle in 2019. Further, his defensive acumen is well documented, mainly his ability to frame the ball, as since 2020 he has ranked in the league’s 100th, 70th, and 89th percentile. So, the history of success is there, even offensively.

Again, it is extremely, extremely early in the season, so it would be dangerous to make the assumption that the catcher woes have been fixed. But, the first two games Narváez has played have both went very well. If he can post some type of average production at the plate, as we know the defensive framing ability will be elite, the Mets may have very well found themselves a catching duo that can be more than formidable for this season.

The post Extremely Early Returns From Omar Narváez Have Been Strong appeared first on Metsmerized.

TODAY Sports

This offseason, we’ve been looking at the Mets’ history with free agency. Starting out the bad contract list were two players whose second turn with the Mets was unlike their first: Roger Cedeño and Jeurys Familia. Next is a former All-Star catcher who up until last year was the bane of Mets fans’ existence. 

There’s no recency bias here. The decision to sign James McCann and bypass other free-agent catching options in the winter of 2020, particularly J.T. Realmuto, was quickly regrettable.

The Mets acknowledged their mistake when they traded McCann to the Baltimore Orioles last December with two years and $24 million remaining on his contract (for which they will pay all but $5 million). The front office clearly felt they were better served with Tomás Nido, 20-year-old Francisco Álvarez, and newcomer Omar Narváez.

At four years and $40.6 million, McCann’s value to the Mets was that he could replicate his All-Star performance of 2019 with the Chicago White Sox — when as a 29-year-old he produced18 homers and a .789 OPS in 476 plate appearances. His shortened 2020 season was pretty respectable as well: a 143 OPS+ in 31 games despite the small sample size.

Met management chose to take McCann and not overpay for the superior two-time All-Star J.T. Realmuto. As it turned out, $40-plus million was a gross overpay for who they wound up getting. In two seasons, McCann’s 70 OPS+ was even below what he had early in his career with the Detroit Tigers. His 13 total homers matched his total in 2017 alone and his 161 strikeouts were more than his two-year output in Chicago. A .232/.294/.349 slash line over 112 games in 2021 was actually the high-water mark in Queens. The following year, he declined with a .195/.257/.282 performance.

In 2022, the Mets had the NL’s worst offensive output from the catching position. McCann’s presence in the lineup was limited because Nido’s production was relatively better (both at and behind the plate) plus he had trouble staying healthy. An injury to the hamate bone in his left wrist made his poor hitting worse and it hindered his usually adequate throwing ability. A left oblique strain sat him out for additional time. In total, McCann played just 61 games with a slash line of .195/.257/.282, three homers, and 18 RBIs.

Even his pitch-calling, a relative strength, came into question by a Mets’ ace. After the 2022 season, the acquisition of Narváez and the promotion of Álvarez was making McCann more expendable — even if it meant eating that remaining salary.

By getting a player to be named later in return from the Orioles, saving $5 million, and giving McCann the opportunity to mentor a young catching phenom in Baltimore, the Mets found the best solution to what can amount to an otherwise wasted contract and a failed experiment.

The post Mets Worst Free-Agent Signing No. 8: James McCann appeared first on Metsmerized.

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Mets announced on Thursday afternoon that they’ve signed catcher Omar Narváez to a one-year deal with a player option for 2024. Narváez will make $8 million in 2023 and then has a $7 million player option for the 2024 season.

The left-handed hitting Narváez had a rough 2022 season at the plate for the Brewers with a .206/.292/.305 slash line in 84 games. The 30-year-old had a much better offensive season in 2021 when he hit .266/.342/.402 with 20 doubles, 11 home runs, and his lone All-Star appearance. Narváez also had back-to-back seasons of posting a 119 OPS+ in 2018 and 2019.

Narváez has been one of the better framers in baseball over the last three seasons with FanGraphs ranking him second among catchers at 20.2 with their metric that measures framing.

“We are excited to bring Omar to New York,” said Mets general manager Billy Eppler. “Omar has contact ability and solid approach at the plate, and his left-handed bat fits our roster well. Additionally, the defensive skill and experience he brings behind the plate will be great additions for the Mets and our pitching staff.”

The Mets dealt away catcher James McCann late on Wednesday night in a salary dump to the Baltimore Orioles. The Mets are still paying $19 million of the $24 million owed to McCann over the next two seasons. The Mets will get a player to be named later or cash considerations in return.

Narváez joins Tomas Nido and top prospect Francisco Alvarez as the Mets catchers on the 40-man roster. To make room on the 40-man roster for Narváez, the Mets have sold the contract of right-handed pitcher Yoan Lopez to the Yomiuri Giants in Nippon Professional Baseball’s Central League.

The post Mets Announce Signing of Omar Narváez appeared first on Metsmerized.