Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

The Phillies have signed utilityman Josh Harrison to a one-year contract worth $2 million, MSM Sports announced. The two-time All-Star appeared in 71 games for the White Sox in 2022, hitting .256/.317/.370 (94 OPS+) with seven homers in 425 plate appearances.

Latest Mets News

The Mets have signed first baseman Dariel Gomez to a minor league contract for the 2023 season. The 26-year-old spent five seasons in the Cardinals organization before spending the last two seasons in the Mariners system. In 113 games for High-A Everett, Gomez hit .223/.321/.472 with 26 homers, which led the Northwest League. Strikeouts have always been an issue for Gomez, and he struck out 163 times in 409 at-bats in 2022.

He’s also a brother of MLB insider Héctor Gómez, whose other brother Gilbert was hired as the St. Lucie Mets’ manager last month.

Latest MLB News

The Giants are signing catcher Roberto Pérez, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports. A two-time Gold Glover, Pérez only appeared in 21 games with the Pirates in 2022, hitting .233/.333/.367 in 69 plate appearances.

Latest on MMO

Brian Wright looks back at the Mets’ signing of Oliver Pérez, which MMO ranks as the team’s third-worst free-agent signing.

Joe D. looks at why Tommy Pham could be a great acquisition for the Mets.

Jack Markowski ranks the best second basemen in the NL East.

On This Date in Mets History

1962: The Mets sign Gil Hodges to a contract worth $33,000. The eight-time All-Star has endured two rough seasons in a row but is expected to compete for a starting role in his age-38 season.

1984: The Mets release Dave Kingman after failing to find a trade partner for him. The right-handed slugger hit just .198/.265.,383 (79 OPS+) with 13 homers in 273 plate appearances in 1983. He finishes his Mets tenure with 154 homers over six seasons.

2006: Mike Piazza‘s Mets career officially ends, as he signs a one-year contract with the Padres worth $2 million. He finishes his time in Flushing with a .296/.373/.542 (136 OPS+) batting line and 220 homers in eight seasons.

Birthdays: Davey Johnson (80), Nick Evans (37), Ariel Jurado (27)

The post Morning Briefing: Phillies Sign Veteran Utilityman Josh Harrison appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

The Miami Marlins seem to be making some news in both the free agent and trade markets. Jon Heyman of the New York Post is reporting the Marlins are among a few teams interested in signing relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman, who is also being considered by a few other MLB teams. The Marlins are also talking with the Minnesota Twins about their All-Star Luis Arraez, according to Dan Hayes of The Athletic. The 2022 American League batting champion will come at a steep price, according to Hayes, as the Twins are looking potentially for pitcher Pablo Lopez.

Latest Mets News

The Mets held a press conference to introduce their newly acquire catcher Omar Narváez and re-signed reliver Adam Ottavino. General manager Billy Eppler, who led the press conference, commented on multiple subjects.

While emphasizing the depth the Mets roster already have, Eppler said the team continues to look for right-handed batting outfielders and relief pitchers, something the team could have used late in the 2022 season. Some big names still remain available in the free agent market, like Tommy Pham and Adam Duvall, but Eppler also says the team has dabbled in the trade market.

Along with depth, Eppler kept his comments to himself when asked about the Carlos Correa signing. He also kept things quiet when asked about extensions to All-Stars Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil.

To put it in Eppler’s words, we’ll see if “anything actually comes to fruition” in the coming weeks before the start of Spring Training and the World Baseball Classic.

Speaking of Alonso, he continues to hold charity baseball outings while on his offseason. The Mets first baseman held his first annual “Battle for the Bay” home run competition where youth baseball and softball participants from around the Tampa Bay area came to meet MLB players while supporting a good cause. Alonso grew up in the area and continues to do his charitable work back at home.

The 1st annual Pete Alonso “Battle for the Bay” home run competition was a GRANDSLAM💥‼️

Youth baseball & softball participants & @MLB Friends came through to support the amazing day! Congratulations to the champs! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/jw6g0LMAlr

— Play Ball (@PlayBall) January 17, 2023

Latest MLB News

ESPN‘s Alden González is reporting that if Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani  were to be available on the free agent market next season, he could be raking in a contract worth around half a billion (yes, with a B).

Free agent infielder and outfielder Brian Anderson is in agreement with the Milwaukee Brewers, according to The Athletic‘s Ken Rosenthal. The deal is currently pending a physical.

Heyman also is reporting some of the Boston Red Sox’s free agent interests, which include Duvall and Josh Harrison. With shortstop Trevor Story sidelined after having surgery, the Red Sox will also be looking into the shortstop market.

Philadelphia Phillies legend Jimmy Rollins talked with Heyman and Joel Sherman of the New York Post on their podcast and discussed his Hall of Fame eligibility and how confident he is in getting elected.

MLB also released some interesting rankings for a few positions, including who they believe is the top left fielder currently in the game. That honor went to Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez. MLB also released rankings for the top left-handed and right-handed pitchers prospects, with the Marlins having three of those top 20 pitchers. Other teams, like the Toronto Blue Jays,Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Guardians and Phillies each having two.

Latest on MMO

Patrick Glynn discusses the press conference from yesterday and Eppler’s comments.

The post Morning Briefing: Marlins Interested In Aroldis Chapman appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Position: 2B, 3B, SS, LF, RF
Bats/Throws: R/R
Date of Birth: 7/8/1987 (34)

Traditional Stats: 138 G, .279/.341/.400, 33 2B, 8 HR, 60 RBI, 9 SB
Advanced Stats: 106 OPS+, 2.1 WAR, 13.4 K%, 5 OAA

Rundown

Josh Harrison was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the sixth round of the 2008 MLB Draft out of the University of Cincinnati. He shined in his first year in the organization, hitting .305 with a .799 OPS, 15 doubles, and 18 stolen bases over 64 games.

However, his time with the Cubs was short-lived, as he was shipped off to the Pittsburgh Pirates at the 2009 trade deadline along with two other prospects in exchange for John Grabow and Tom Gorzelanny. He spent the next two seasons in the minors before making his big-league debut in May of 2011. It’s only fitting that the Met killer would record his first knock in the big leagues against R.A. Dickey and the Mets.

He went on to make 65 appearances that season and was impressive in his first cup of coffee. Harrison hit 13 doubles, two triples, and his first career homer while posting a .272 batting average and a .656 OPS. He struggled over his next seasons before settling down during the 2014 campaign. Harrison was named to his first career All-Star team and ended up finishing ninth in National League MVP voting.

Harrison hit a career-high .315 (second in the NL) with a .347 OBP and .837 OPS on the year. He also recorded 38 doubles, 13 home runs, 52 RBI, and 18 stolen bases while striking out just 81 times over 143 games.

His success continued over the next two seasons, and he was again named to the NL All-Star team in 2017. Over that three-year span, he posted a .326 OBP, .730 OPS, 80 doubles, 24 homers, and stole 41 bases. Harrison was hit by a pitch on the hand early on in 2018 and missed six weeks. He ended the year, and his time in Pittsburgh, struggling to the tune of a .656 OPS with just 21 extra-base hits over 97 games.

After the Pirates declined his 2019 option, Harrison signed a one-year deal with the Detroit Tigers. His time there was definitely one to forget, as he struggled and was ultimately released while rehabbing from a hamstring injury. That offseason, he signed a minor-league deal with the Phillies, but was again released in July after not cracking the big-league level. Harrison then stayed in division, signing with the Washington Nationals, where he finally began to look like himself.

Harrison performed well enough during his 33-game stint to earn a one-year big league deal for this past season. He continued his success in a Nationals uniform, hitting .294 with a .366 OBP, .800 OPS, 120 OPS+, 23 doubles, and just 50 strikeouts over 90 games.

The lowly Nationals shipped him off to the Oakland Athletics at the trading deadline where he finished out the year. Harrison struggled a bit in kelly green but overall finished 2021 strong. The 34-year-old showed he still has a little something left in the tank and could be a valuable piece to any team at the plate, in the field, and on the bases. Harrison made appearances at second, third, shortstop, and both corner outfield positions last season.

Contract

Harrison signed a one-year deal worth just $1 million with the Nationals last offseason. That, of course, came just one year after he was forced to settle for a minor league deal with the Phillies.

According to Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet, Harrison’s market was quietly showing some signs of life prior to the lockout. There was reportedly 10-plus teams in the mix, with multiple offers on the table. Harrison’s role is said to be all over the place, with some teams viewing him as a second baseman, and others as more of a third baseman or in a super-utility role. It sounds like it will depend based on team need.

Nicholson-Smith mentioned the Blue Jays, Marlins, Angels, and Dodgers as potential fits. With that being said, even with numerous teams showing interest, it shouldn’t cost all that much to bring the 34-year-old in. The only question is if Harrison would rather sign with a team he’d likely get more playing time with than filling a bench spot with this Mets team as currently constructed.       

Recommendation

With the additions of Starling Marte, Eduardo Escobar, and Mark Canha, the Mets’ lineup seems to be just about complete for 2022. While there could be room for one more big splash, they may decide to focus more on depth.

If that were to be the case, Harrison could certainly be a fit for this team. He’s a high-energy, veteran presence who brings a ton of versatility to his club. As mentioned above, he played second, third, and some outfield this past season.

While Harrison is on the older side, he was still productive with the bat last season. His 33 doubles were the second most he’s produced in his career, and the 60 RBI were a career-high. He also produced a .341 on-base percentage on the year. Harrison could be a veteran bat off the bench, and like Jonathan Villar last season, fill-in all over the infield when needed. He also provides some speed off the bench and is a pretty good baserunner.

I’d personally rather see the Mets go all-in on revamping this lineup and add Kris Bryant to play third. Bryant is the big middle-of-the-order bat they are missing and would put this lineup over the top. 

However, if they decide to leave things as is on offense and focus on rounding out the bullpen and rotation, Harrison could certainly make sense as a depth addition to this squad.

The post MMO Free Agent Profile: Josh Harrison, UTL appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The fourth place Detroit Tigers are still in rebuild mode and the team is open to trading veterans according to Jon Morosi of MLB.com. 

Morosi noted lefty starter Matthew Boyd and closer Shane Greene as the two big pieces that teams will certainly ask about. Outfielder Nicholas Castellanos is a clear trade piece given he will be a free agent after the season.

Boyd, 28, is in the midst of a career-year with a 3.08 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 3.3 bWAR, and a league best 7.00 SO/W. The former Blue Jay is under team control through the 2022 season.

Greene has been one of baseball’s best relievers in 2019 with league leading 20 saves, 1.00 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, and 9.7 K/9. The 30-year-old becomes a free agent after the 2020 season.

Tigers also have Josh Harrison, Gordon Beckham, Jordy Mercer, and Tyson Ross as pending free agents they will likely look to deal before the July 31 deadline.

The post MLB News: Tigers Open to Trading Veterans appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

As we get ready to enter the month of February in 2019, there’s still a significant amount of talent left on the free agent board. Pitchers and catchers starts reporting in less than two weeks and full squads for a few teams begin on Feb. 16.

Big-time deals happening this late in the offseason is becoming common practice with the San Diego Padres signing Eric Hosmer for eight years on Feb. 17 and J.D. Martinez going to the Red Sox on Feb. 26 last year.

The free agent market still holds the best outfielder, best infielder, best reliever, and one of the better starting pitchers that was available to begin the offseason.

Let’s take a took at the 2019 All-Free Agent Team:

Starters

Matt Wieters, C
Marwin Gonzalez, 1B
Josh Harrison, 2B
Manny Machado, SS
Mike Moustakas, 3B
Bryce Harper, OF
Denard Span, OF
Carlos Gonzalez, OF

Bench

Martin Maldonado, C
Jose Iglesias, INF
Adam Jones, OF
Curtis Granderson, OF
Derek Dietrich, UT

Starting Rotation

Dallas Keuchel, LHP
Gio Gonzalez, LHP
Wade Miley, LHP
Clay Buchholz, RHP
Jeremy Hellickson, RHP

Bullpen

Craig Kimbrel, RHP
Jake Diekman, LHP
Bud Norris, RHP
Tony Sipp, LHP
Ryan Madson, RHP
Adam Warren, RHP
Xavier Cedeno, LHP

There’s obviously a significant drop-off after the big names on this team, though there’s still value to be had with names like Gio Gonzalez and Adam Warren. Both pitchers that could help Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen finish off the depth he’s been building during his first offseason.

The post The 2019 All-Free Agent Team appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Position: 2B, 3B, OF

Bats/Throws: R/R

Age: July 8, 1987; 31

Traditional Stats: .250/.293/.363, 8 HR, 37 RBI, 13 2B in 344 AB

Advanced Stats: .285 wOBA, 78 wRC+, .286 BABIP, 0.3 bWAR, 0.3 fWAR

Josh Harrison spent eight years with the Pittsburgh Pirates, racking up a .277/.317/.408 slash line with 162-game averages of 10 homers, 52 runs batted in, 30 doubles, and a 97 OPS+ rating before hitting the free agent market after last season.

From 2014 through 2017, the 31-year-old shone at the plate, hitting .290/.331/.428 while playing in an average of 129 games per year and making two National League All-Star teams (2014, 2017).

After fracturing a bone in his left hand in April, Harrison hit the ground running after returning to the lineup on May 20, finishing the month with a .304/.313/.457 slash line in 46 at-bats.

After a lackluster June (.250/.283/.337 in 92 at-bats) and a dreadful July (.200/.257/.323 in 65 at-bats), the Cincinnati native kicked it up a notch in August (.279/.328/.377 in 61 at-bats), before hitting rock-bottom in September (.174/.208/.391).

Over 97 games, Harrison finished the season with a .250/.293/.363 and an 80 OPS+ rating.

In the field, Harrison spent most of his time at second base for the Pirates last season, also playing in two games at third base. Over 727.1 innings at the keystone position, he had a -2 defensive runs saved rating and a 0.4 ultimate zone rating, as per Fangraphs.

Prediction

Josh Harrison played out the final year of the four-year, $27.3 million contract extension he signed in April 2015, making $10 million. After the season, Pittsburgh declined Harrison’s $10.5 million club option for 2019, making him a free agent.

Fangraphs has the 31-year-old’s value on the open market estimated at $14.5 million per year over two seasons. After such a disappointing 2018 season, that could be a stretch for a veteran who’s peak may have been reached in 2014 when he hit .315/.347/.490 with a 133 OPS+ rating over 143 games.

Recommendation

New York Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen must feel the same shock of anxiety when he looks at the current level of depth on his roster. He’s said that he’s not done filling the voids on this team and has — on multiple occasions — made it clear he intends to compete in 2019.

Adding a player like Josh Harrison as a bench player at the right price could be a home run for this organization. His respectable career strikeout rate (15.2 percent) and penchant for putting balls in play and finding success (.313 BABIP over his career) could play very well on the Mets — or any team, for that matter.

The post MMO Free Agent Profile: Josh Harrison, UTL appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

It has been made clear over the course of the offseason that the Mets are looking to sign an outfielder, preferably a center fielder with A.J. Pollock being one name the Mets have considered.

However, another name that has been the subject of Mets rumors in the past might be the best fit. That player is Andrew McCutchen, the former Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder that the Mets tried to acquire along with Josh Harrison last offseason.

McCutchen, 32, is coming off a very solid season split between the San Francisco Giants and the New York Yankees, albeit not up to par with his MVP caliber seasons that saw a peak of an 8.1 WAR in 2013.

In 155 games, the outfielder hit .255/.368/.424 with 20 home runs, 65 RBI, and 14 SB to give himself a 120 wRC+ and 2.6 WAR on the year. He also accumulated two defensive runs saved in time split between right and left field with a -0.8 UZR.

That seems to be in line with what to expect from him in the near future as he had a 123 wRC+ in 2017 which is obviously very similar to this past season’s clip.

One notable piece of information is that the outfielder happened to have the highest walk rate of his career last season at 21.3%, which is encouraging for a player advancing in age.

It shows that while his bat might be slowing down, he is adjusting quite smoothly and learning to be more patient in the process.

Another encouraging aspect of the outfielder’s game is his extreme durability. The five-time All-Star has played no less than 146 games in a season every year except for his rookie season. He has also played in 155 games or more six times in his career.

That statistic looks even more impressive when comparing it to the health status of Mets’ target A.J. Pollock who has only played in 150 games or more one time in his career (2015).

Pollock, though, does have a significant advantage on McCutchen, though, in that he is still a center fielder. That is with no doubt true as McCutchen simply can’t play the position anymore as he accumulated -16 DRS and -5.5 UZR at the position in 2017.

The Mets should by no means expect him to move back to the middle of the outfield. However, he might be a safer gamble to give a multi-year contract if the team is willing to move one of Brandon Nimmo or Michael Conforto to center field.

If the team were to go this route, Nimmo would make the most sense to move to center field as he had -2 DRS at the position in 350 1/3 innings at the position in 2018 as compared to Conforto’s -8 DRS in 501 2/3 innings.

Mike Puma of the New York Post reported yesterday that the Mets were considering acquiring a right-handed hitting corner outfielder and moving Brandon Nimmo to center field to serve in a platoon with Juan Lagares, the only natural center fielder on the Mets roster currently.

However, McCutchen (.950 OPS) does edge Pollock (.825 OPS) against left-handed opponents for his career. The Mets struggled mightily against southpaws last season, with an offense that lacks a right-handed hitting presence with Yoenis Cespedes expected to be on the disabled list until at least July.

In terms of what it would cost to sign McCutchen, Jon Heyman of FanCred projects his ninth-best free agent to get a three-year, $39 million contract. That likely will make him cheaper than Pollock who is asking for a contract similar to Lorenzo Cain‘s from last offseason (five-years, $80 million) and Heyman projects to get a three-year, $45 million contract in the end.

While McCutchen obviously is not a perfect fit given he is not really a center fielder anymore, the 2013 MVP could prove to be a smart investment between his on-field contributions and his reputation as being an incredible clubhouse leader.

The post Mets Should Sign Andrew McCutchen To Fill Outfield Need appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Mets, like most teams, have space to add at least one infielder this offseason, especially if the team decides to non-tender Wilmer Flores, which Brodie Van Wagenen alluded to as a possibility citing his lack of versatility in his eyes.

Therefore, the team will likely look to the free agent market to fill the open spot and there are three names that should be considered for this role with one of them already a reported target for the Mets.

1. Marwin Gonzalez

Gonzalez should get plenty of attention this offseason, and the Mets are reportedly interested. In fact, this versatile utility player has sparked interest from 29 of the 30 MLB teams, according to Jon Heyman of Fancred.

Gonzalez, 29, has been viewed as a vital piece to the puzzle for the Houston Astros over the last five seasons as he has proven to be extremely versatile, filling in wherever they have needed him. His best season during that stretch was in 2017 in which he hit .303/.370/.530 with 23 home runs and 90 RBI to give him an elite 144 wRC+ and .907 OPS.

On the defensive side of things, Gonzalez registered -4 DRS, but he did that while logging innings at first base, second base, shortstop, third base, left field, and right field.

All in all, that gave him a 4.0 fWAR, placing him among the top players in the game and which led him to get MVP votes, finishing 19th on the ballot.

However, his strong 2017 season might have been characterized by a high BABIP that rose to .343 that season as his 2018 season numbers were much more in line with his career numbers.

In 2018, Gonzalez hit .247/.324/.409 with 16 home runs and 68 RBI to give him a 104 wRC+ and .733 OPS. While he was still a net positive, the natural shortstop finished with a much-reduced fWAR of 1.6.

Most of his innings came in the outfield where he logged seven defensive runs saved while garnering -3 DRS in the infield, with a personal worst of -5 DRS at shortstop.

That season was much more of what any team signing Gonzalez should expect as he has a career wRC+ of 103 and OPS of .753.

Heyman currently projects his 11th best free agent to receive a four-year, $52 million contract, which he arguably might not be worth it to the Mets considering their plethora of needs and the presence of a couple of cheaper options capable of providing similar production.

2. Daniel Descalso

The utility-infielder represents a very cheap option for the role if the Mets would prefer to go that route, as he is not even ranked among Heyman’s list of 131 free agents.

Descalso, 32, represents a potential value-pickup for the team as he was actually very productive for the Arizona Diamondbacks this past season as he hit .238/.353/.436 with 13 home runs and 57 RBI to give him a 111 wRC+ and .789 OPS.

Defensively, he can play all across the infield with his best position being at the keystone where he had two defensive runs saved in 2018 and his worst position being at shortstop where he had -7 DRS.

However, this season was by far his best to date and he has not been nearly as productive at any other point in his career. His highest wRC+ prior to last season was 90 in 2016 with the Colorado Rockies.

Another feature of Descalso that would not serve in his favor in regards to his chances of joining the Mets is that he is left-handed, making him not an ideal back-up to Jeff McNeil at second.

The Mets are likely looking to acquire someone who can play on a semi-regular basis if McNeil’s stellar start to his career proves to only be that and adding another left-handed hitting infielder would not help, especially considering Descalso has never played in more than 138 games. That would mean he would likely not be a candidate to take over the role from the second-year player entirely if he were to falter.

So, in Descalso’s case, he could very well be the way to go if they choose to go cheap in this regard. That being said, like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, there is always one that is too hot, one that is too cold, and one that is just right.

3. Josh Harrison

That guy is Josh Harrison who, in my eyes, is the happy medium between production and price.

Harrison, 31, has been rumored as a potential Mets target since last offseason when the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Mets tried to reach a deal involving the infielder. However, the Mets balked at the asking price that included Brandon Nimmo.

Obviously, the Mets proved to make the right decision as Nimmo broke out in a big way in 2018 while Harrison battled through injuries and did not perform to his standards.

This offseason, though, the Mets don’t have to give up anything to get him as Harrison had his $10 million contract option declined by the Pirates, thereby making him a free agent.

In 97 games this season, Harrison hit .250/.293/.363 with eight home runs and 37 RBI to give him a 78 wRC+ and .656 OPS.

Meanwhile, in the field, Harrison played almost all of his innings at second base this year in which he recorded -2 DRS and a -2.1 UZR.

However, in the past, Harrison moved around the diamond quite a bit and 2017 was one of the better years of his career.

Harrison logged innings at second, third, and the outfield that year in which he had a combined total of seven defensive runs saved.

That year he also hit .272/.339/.432 with 16 home runs and 47 RBI to give himself a 104 wRC+, .771 OPS, and 2.6 fWAR. His peak season was also arguably better than that of Gonzalez as he had a 4.8 fWAR at his height as compared to 4.0, albeit his came in 2014.

As compared to Descalso, he actually could serve as a hedge to Jeff McNeil in case he falter. Harrison has a career .279 average against lefties, making him a potential platoon partner again tough lefties who could move around the diamond on his off days.

Heyman projects Harrison’s price to be very reasonable too, as he expects him to command a two-year, $12 million contract this offseason as he ranked him the 47th best free agent.

If the Mets decide to not pursue Manny Machado or Josh Donaldson for the infield this offseason, Harrison, in my opinion, represents the best utility infield option.

The post Featured Post: Comparing Possible Depth Options for Mets appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Good morning, Mets fans! Welcome back to another edition of the hot stove rumor roundup! On tap today, the other New York baseball team has already laid out a pretty robust blueprint in perfecting its starting rotation, and the Chicago Cubs make an interesting proposition as they try righting the ship following a disheartening collapse that cut their 2018 season short.

Yankees Shopping for Starters

The New York Yankees have their sights set on completing their rotation, which currently hinges on the big-league talents of Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, and the recently re-signed CC Sabathia.

Right-hander Sonny Gray, while still on the roster, has been marketed on the trading block over the past few weeks, evidently as a means of picking up whatever young talent may be available. According to Jon Heyman of Fancred Sports, the Oakland Athletics could step up as a possible landing spot, while Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune has pegged the San Diego Padres as another team with interest in the 29-year old. Sources have told MLB.com‘s Mark Feinsand that up to five teams have contacted the Yankees about Gray.

With a 4.90 ERA and a projected $9.1M in arbitration salary likely off the ledger as the Yankees try moving on from Gray, general manager Brian Cashman has reportedly turned his attention to a trio of lefties – some more affordable than others. The first arm, J.A. Happ, made 11 starts during the second half last year in the Bronx, going 7-0 with a 2.69 ERA in his fifth-straight season with double-digits in the win column. Though 36 years old, Happ’s 15.8 WAR dating back to 2014 ranks ninth among southpaws, and his age could line up perfectly for a modest two-three year deal, something Cashman has admitted to recently discussing with Happ’s agent.

Another potential option for the Yankees is highly-coveted free agent Patrick Corbin, as explored by Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. Coming off a season in which he cracked 200 innings while setting personal records in ERA (3.15 with a 2.47 FIP), HR/9 (0.7), and K/9 (11.1 against just 2.2 BB/9), the 29-year old Corbin has openly discussed interest in playing for his childhood organization, which is “undeterred” by neither his asking price nor injury history.

Perhaps the most attractive of trade pieces at the moment is Seattle Mariners’ ace James Paxton, who has also been confirmed as a target for the Yankees’ front office by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The two sides are rumored to have been in contact regarding a trade, though nothing more has been said. Paxton made a career-high 28 starts in 2018, posting a 3.76 ERA/3.23 FIP while striking out 11.7 batters per nine innings in a dominant showing.

Paxton comes with two more years of team control, projecting to make $9M in arbitration for the 2019 season, though his injury history could temper Seattle’s chances at prying away the entire farm system should a trade be worked out. That’s not to say the Yankees haven’t pushed the cards in, however, as they’ve clearly demonstrated a willingness to sacrifice resources, however possible, in order to keep a foot in the divisional race.

Cubs “Open” to a Potential Bryant Trade

Among other spicy developments, the Chicago Cubs – though not with the same flare as the Mariners – have expressed a willingness to part with their current core in order to build a more successful team. It’s never explicitly noted in Buster Olney’s recent article for ESPN that the team intends to sell, but rather that it will listen to just about any offer for just about any player, including All-Star third baseman and 2016 NL MVP Kris Bryant.

Bryant was limited to 102 games this past year, hitting .272/.374/.460 with just 13 homers as his 1.9 WAR went down (with a thud) as a career-low, but still boasts plenty of value in the everyday lineup, be it at the hot corner or in left field. In a rather anti-climactic elaboration from team president Theo Epstein, the Cubs essentially revealed that Bryant, like just about anyone on the roster, could be worth trading down the line:

“We’ve never operated with untouchables,” Epstein said. “It sends the wrong message. Given what we’re trying to accomplish, it would be virtually impossible to envision the deal that would make sense to move them. I just don’t believe in untouchables. Why limit yourself?”

Put another way, it’s still unclear whether or not the Cubs’ stance spells either an end of an era or a simple act of fine-tuning as teams around the league ponder ways to make room for Manny Machado. There’s still a lot to be known in the Windy City.

Harrison Drawing Interest

Meanwhile, among utility options, Marwin Gonzalez may finally have some (minuscule) competition, as teams have reportedly been in touch with recently-bought-out Josh Harrison. Despite turning in his worst offensive campaign as a regular (97 games, .656 OPS, 3 steals, 0.3 WAR, 78 wRC+), Harrison has received calls from such teams as the Washington Nationals, Cincinnati Reds, and New York Yankees (Jon Heyman of Fancred Sports).

Harrison has experience starting at second and third base, and has also patrolled the corners of the outfield every so often. While no such team will look to deploy the 31-year old in an everyday role, Harrison’s potential value as a utility upgrade akin to Brock Holt, Howie Kendrick, Hernan Perez could have its advantages as the season wears on and depth is tested.

Teams Looking at Chirinos

Like Harrison, he isn’t by many measures the leading act in his department, but catcher Robinson Chirinos is nonetheless drawing interest. According to MLB Network‘s Jon Morosi, both the Atlanta Braves and Minnesota Twins have expressed interest in the backstop.

Chirinos hit .222/.338/.419 in 113 games last year with the Texas Rangers, but also set career-highs in home runs (18) and runs batted in (65). His 26% caught-stealing rate from 2014 to 2017 took a dive as he nabbed just 10% of runners this past year, but with the line of viable part-time catchers thinning out relatively early down the line, it’s hard to envision Chirinos being passed over.

Cruz Getting Looks from American League Clubs

In a final bit of news, the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros have both emerged as potential suitors for veteran designated hitter Nelson Cruz (Jon Heyman). Cruz, 38, just wrapped up the final year of a four-year, $57M deal with the Seattle Mariners and the fifth consecutive 35+ homer campaign. Admittedly, his .850 OPS was his lowest line since the 2014 season, but 37 homers and 97 runs batted in is more than enough consolation.

Despite his age, Cruz has generally managed to stay healthy – as his 144 games in 2018 was his lowest total since 109 appearances in 2014.  Nonetheless, for such teams that need a piece of lumber in the middle of their orders as the Astros, it’s hard to see how south things could go on whatever one or two-year deal Cruz takes up.

The White Sox, meanwhile, would be able to experiment with their next competitive step on a seemingly low-risk deal that could be shipped out by July should the division get away early on. One point worth noting is that Cruz has played nine games in the outfield since 2017, which almost certainly renders him off-limits for National League teams.

The post Hot Stove Rumor Roundup: Yankees At it Again appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Good morning Mets fans, yesterday we lost another great member of the MLB family way too soon. After a hard fought battle with cancer, former Padres and Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers passed away yesterday at the age of 56.

Latest Mets News

Eno Sarris of FanGraphs has said that in Brandon Nimmo the Mets basically have a young, pre-injury Michael Brantley. “A player with great discipline and good corner outfield defense with a chance at more.”

Matt Ehalt of NorthJersey.com breaks down the pro and cons of the infielders the Mets could acquire.

Though Pirates infielder Josh Harrison is involved in that list, Ehalt has said that a source has indicated that the Mets are not currently pursuing a deal for the utility man.

Latest MLB News

Bob Nightengale of USA Today tributes the life of Kevin Towers in a very touching piece. Towers was loved and well respected by all, he will be missed.

According to theScore, MLB will implement new mechanisms to record dugout phone conversations in an attempt to eliminate sign stealing.

According to Ken Davidoff of the New York Post, former Met Jon Niese and the Texas Rangers have agreed to a minor league deal with a spring training invite.

Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic has been told that reliever David Hernandez has agreed to a two year deal with the Reds.

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports has said that the Brewers are talking to Yu Darvish, and said to be one of the more aggressive teams.

Heyman has also said that the San Francisco Giants and Andres Blanco have agreed to a deal worth $1.1M plus 4000K worth of incentives.

Heyman was also first on reporting that the Arizona Diamondbacks and catcher Alex Avila have come to terms on a deal.

Chris Cotillo of SB Nation has said that former Mets prospect, catcher Xorge Carrillo, has signed a minor league deal with a spring training invite with the Rays.

Latest NL East News

According to Baseball America, the Braves have averaged more than five prospects on the Top 100 prospects list for each of the 29 years the list has existed.

Latest on MMO

Rob Piersall debates whether or not the Mets should bring back Neil Walker.

Rob also breaks down how a rival scout thinks the Mets have the tools to compete in 2018.

Jacob Resnick provides a look at Keith Law’s recently released Top 23 Mets Prospects List.

Chris Gaine breaks down the All-Time “Five-Percented” Team.

This Day in Mets History

1962: Ralph Kiner signs up to join Bob Murphy and Lindsay Nelson in the broadcast booth

2013: Mets sign LaTroy Hawkins

Nolan Ryan turns 70 today, Bob Apodaca turns 67 today

The post Morning Briefing: Former GM Kevin Towers Passes Away At 56 appeared first on Metsmerized Online.