Daniel Zamora got his first taste of Major League action in 2018 and made the most of it. The southpaw, whom the New York Mets acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates for Josh Smoker on Jan. 31, 2018, spent most of 2018 in Double-A Binghamton before getting the call to The Show.

While with the Rumble Ponies, Zamora put up a solid 3.48 ERA and 1.03 WHIP, while striking out 69 batters in 40 games and 51 2/3 innings.

The injury bug hit the Mets hard yet again in 2018. After Bobby Wahl headed to the disabled list with a right hamstring strain, Zamora got the call and became the franchise-record-tying 54th player that the Mets used in 2018.

Zamora was notified of his promotion on Aug. 17 and quickly made his MLB debut later that night against the Philadelphia Phillies. He started things off strong as he fired 1 1/3 scoreless innings while striking out two.

He continued keeping opponents off the board in his next four appearances as well. In them he pitched two scoreless innings accompanied by two hits, no walks and two strikeouts.

The 25-year-old’s toughest stretch of his brief stint came in three games from Aug. 27 to Aug. 31. In those games he gave up two runs in 1 1/3 innings. That also included an appearance on Aug. 28 against the Chicago Cubs in which he replaced Paul Sewald in the bottom of 11th and gave up a walk-off RBI single to Ben Zobrist.

The one positive taken out from that three-game stretch was that Zamora was still able to remain the strikeout pitcher that he is as he fanned all four batters he retired in those appearances.

In September, Zamora rebounded quite nicely. He appeared in eight games and four innings for the Mets, and limited opponents to one hit, one walk and no runs while striking out eight of the 12 batters he retired.

The Mets often used Zamora as a lefty specialist which was valuable as Jerry Blevins took a massive step back in 2018. Blevins became unreliable in that role as he actually had more success against right-handed batters in 88 at-bats (.193/.330/.352/.682) than against left-handed batters in 72 at-bats (.264/.341/.444/.786).

2019 Outlook

Zamora emerged in 2018 as a solid reliever who has a good chance of playing a part in the Mets’ 2019 plans.

While nine innings is not enough to simply hand him a job in the bullpen on Opening Day, the fact that he is a lefty strongly helps his case.

The Mets had no real lefty options for 2019 before signing Hector Santiago and Luis Avilan to minor league deals recently. Brodie Van Wagenen has indicated that Avilan has a good chance of getting a spot on the Opening Day roster. However, even if Avilan does indeed make the team, it should be alongside Zamora rather than in place of him.

Zamora would likely only see his role shrunk if the Mets add another southpaw or two on major league contracts. However, even if that does happen, Zamora being an up-and-coming young player still helps his chances over Avilan. Barring a very weak spring training, it can be expected that he makes the Opening Day roster regardless of any moves the Mets make from now until March 28.

The post 2018 Mets Report Card: Daniel Zamora, LHP appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Good morning, Mets fans!

If you love pitching duels, make sure to tune in to today’s Mets-Phillies contest. 2015 Cy Young award winner Jake Arrieta (9-7, 3.33 ERA) will face the probable 2018 Cy Young award winner Jacob deGrom (7-7, 1.81 ERA). The game can be viewed on PIX11 and 710WOR at 4:10 p.m.

Last night, Aaron Nola out-dueled Noah Syndergaard as the Phillies took the middle game of the five-game series. Daniel Zamora struck out two in his Major League debut and became the 54th player to play for the Mets this year, which tied the franchise record.

Latest Mets News 

Bobby Wahl‘s first Major-League season has hit a Wahl as he was placed on the 10-day DL with a hamstring strain.

Daniel Zamora was called up to replace Wahl on the roster. Here are some quick notes about the lefty reliever.

• Who is Zamora? Daniel Zamora was acquired by the Mets this offseason in exchange for Josh Smoker. He’s pitched to 3.48 ERA and 1.026 WHIP in 2018.
• Where is Zamora? Zamora has been promoted from Double-A Binghamton.
• Why is Zamora? Yeah, I can’t answer that one.

Peter Alonso was named on Jim Callis‘s list of prospects who could make an impact in September.

Baseball America praised Andres Gimenez for having some of the best tools in the Florida State League.

Tim Healey of Newsday revealed that Brandon Nimmo does not have any structural damage in his right hand after his hit-by-pitch yesterday.

Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports that Jerry Blevins is drawing some trade interest.

Latest MLB News

The Diamondbacks re-signed Randall Delgado.

The Reds placed Joey Votto on the 10-day DL with a right knee contusion.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic interviewed former National skipper Dusty Baker.

The Cubs put Mike Montgomery on the DL after he experienced shoulder inflammation.

The PawSox intend to begin the 2021 season in a new stadium in Worcester.

Latest NL East News

Matthew Leach of MLB.com raved about some of the up-and-coming stars in the NL East.

Latest on MMO

Hours before Zamora’s promotion, John Sheridan examined his recent run of success.

Tim Ryder commended David Wright‘s latest comeback attempt

Michael Mayer noted Andres Gimenez’s hot streak in Binghamton.

Mayer also analyzed Amed Rosario‘s production over the last few weeks.

Finally, Mayer talked about Kevin Plawecki‘s historic game on Wednesday.

On this Date in Mets History 

Tommie Agee was inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame.

Several weeks after acquiring Brett Bulter from the Dodgers, the Mets traded him right back to Los Angeles in exchange for two minor-leaguers.

Birthdays: Terry Blocker (58), Pat Misch (36)

Let’s go Mets!

The post Morning Briefing: DeGrom Seeks to Even Up Series appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Logan Barer/MetsMerized

With pitchers and catchers reporting, the Mets are reportedly still looking for a second left-handed reliever to compliment Jerry Blevins in the bullpen. The Mets search is not surprising considering Blevins and Steven Matz are the only two left-handed relievers on the entire 40 man roster.

While Sandy Alderson and the front office continues their search, there is an opportunity for a few pitchers to show the team they should crack the Opening Day roster.

P.J. Conlon

2017 Team: Binghamton (AA)
2017 Stats: 8-9, 3.3.8 ERA, 28 G, 22 GS, 3 CG, 3 SHO, SV, 136.0 IP, 108 K, 1.235 WHIP, 2.5 BB/9, 7.1 K/9

For the second straight season, Conlon has been invited to Major League camp with an opportunity to make the Opening Day roster as the second left-handed pitcher in the bullpen. The Mets interest in looking at him as a LOOGY is understandable for a few reasons.

First and foremost, Conlon gets left-handed batters out. Last year, he limited left-handed batters to a .252/.273/.358 batting line, and in 2016, he was even stingier limiting them to a .216/.267/.288 batting line. One of the reasons he is so successful is because Conlon locates the ball exceptionally well, and as a result, he limits his walks.

The other reason the Mets want to look at him in the bullpen is there is some doubt about his viability in the rotation at the Major League level. Conlon lives in the 80s with his fastball and change-up. We have seen this type of repertoire succeed in the majors with Jamie Moyer, and Mets fans have seen Bartolo Colon be successful featuring a fastball that did not top 90 MPH. However, the margin of error is small for these types of pitchers.

Overall, this should not obfuscate the fact Conlon knows how to pitch, and he knows how to get left-handed batters out. With a good Spring and no other moves, he may get a chance to prove that at the Major League level.

Matt Purke

2017 Level: International League (AAA)
2017 Stats: 4-5, 3.84 ERA, 48 G, 65.2 IP, 80 K, 1.355 WHIP, 3.8 BB/9, 11.0 K/9

Like Josh Smoker, Purke is a former Nationals draft pick who had questions surrounding his shoulder, did not succeed as a starter, and he now finds himself as a reliever in the Mets organization. In 2015, he signed a deal with the Chicago White Sox, and he had a brief 12 game cup of coffee with the team in 2016.

Last year, Purke spent the entire season in Triple-A where he dominated left-handed batters. Overall, left-handed batters hit just .192/.314/.212 off of him with just two extra-base hits. Purke has strikeout stuff with a low 90s fastball, good slider, and split that acts like a change-up. However, Purke has difficulty keeping the strike zone, which is evident in left-handed batters maintaining a .314 OBP off of him despite their inability to square up against him.

Overall, Purke has talent, but he has yet to fully harness his stuff. Certainly, when working with Purke, that is an area of focus for Mickey Callaway and Dave Eiland this Spring.

Hansel Robles

2017 MLB Stats: 7-5, 4.92 ERA, 46 G, 56.2 IP, 60 K, 1.341 WHIP, 4.6 BB/9, 9.5 K/9

At this point, Mets fans are tired of Robles’ inconsistency and his pointing to the sky. However, like Rafael Montero, he is still here, and he is poised to make the Opening Day roster. With that in mind, the Mets need to find the best way to use him.

Now, one of the reasons why Callaway was an enticing managerial candidate was because he thinks outside the box. We have already seen that with him stating he wants to use Jeurys Familia like Andrew Miller in that he wants Familia to pitch in the highest leverage situations and not just save situations. If Callaway is really looking to maximize everyone’s skill-set, then Robles should be used as a right-handed LOOGY.

In his career, Robles has limited left-handed batters to a .178/.281/.335 batting line. As a point of reference, Blevins, an excellent LOOGY, has yielded a .211/.264/.304 batting line to left-handed batters. More impressively, the best left-handed NL East batters, Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy, and Freddie Freeman are a combined 2-10 with a double, walk, and four strikeouts against Robles.

Given his track record, are you going to trust Robles to get one of the best left-handed batters in the game out in a pressure-filled seventh or eighth inning spot? No, you’re not, but the Mets aren’t going to do that with a hypothetical second left-handed reliever they obtain before the start of the season.

And if you plan to utilize Robles to get left-handed batters out, you open the door for the Mets to give another reliever a chance to make the roster. Certainly, this would open the door for a Jamie Callahan or Jacob Rhame to make the team with a good Spring.

Overall, the Mets internal options are limited because the team has only invited two non-roster left-handed pitchers to Spring Training. Unless they are willing to really think outside of the box, the team is going to have to add one more arm this Spring.

The post Internal Options Who Can Get Lefty Hitters Out appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Photo Credit: Tim Williams/Pirates Prospects

Daniel Zamora knew early on in his young baseball career that the best path towards making it professionally would be as a pitcher. He laughs when he remembers his days as a hitter, noting that he left much to be desired in the batter’s box.

For Zamora, the decision to focus solely on pitching turned out to be the right choice in his career.

The 24-year-old (25 in mid-April) left-handed pitcher is one of the newest members of the New York Mets organization this winter, having been traded from the Pittsburgh Pirates – along with cash – for fan favorite and fellow lefty reliever Josh Smoker.

For the Mets, adding an intriguing lefty to their organization who has multiple years of control left and could prove to be a potential LOOGY down the line was not a bad return for the 29-year-old Smoker.

Zamora attended local Stony Brook University on Long Island, pitching two seasons with the team while missing the 2014 season due to a torn labrum. With the injury, Zamora wasn’t even sure he would get drafted, though he was originally selected in the 27th-round of the 2012 Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays before committing to Stony Brook.

Zamora returned in 2015 and appeared in 15 games (13 starts), going 7-3 with a 3.00 ERA, leading the team in innings pitched (81) and strikeouts (80). The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Zamora in the 40th round, making him just the 23rd player to be drafted out of Stony Brook at the time.

He was assigned to the Short-Season A West Virginia Black Bears in 2015, where he appeared in 14 games out of the pen. In 20.1 innings, Zamora posted a 2.66 ERA with 25 strikeouts to just four walks. His 6.25 SO/BB ratio was third-best on the team that season.

In 2016, Zamora spent his season in the South Atlantic League with the West Virginia Power, where he continued to showcase high strikeout totals (10.4 strikeouts-per-nine), however, saw a rise in his BB percentage from 4.7 in 2015 to 9.2 percent in 2016.

This past year, Zamora posted his best overall season between Bradenton (Advanced A) and Altoona (Double-A). Over 39 games, Zamora posted a career-best 1.76 ERA. He spent nearly the entire season with Bradenton (minus the three innings late in the season with Altoona), posting a career-best 57 percent ground ball rate, a decrease in his BB percentage from 2016 to 7.6 percent, and was utilized for multiple innings in 17 out of his 37 games in the Florida State League.

Zamora had his all-around best season against left-handed hitters in 2017, posting a combined line of .232/.284/.261 with 25 strikeouts to just four walks in 75 plate appearances. Those numbers are appealing for a team in need of adding another left-hander to the pen, although, Zamora is likely slated to begin the season with Double-A Binghamton.

For now, Zamora is intent on establishing himself in the Mets’ organization and building off a strong season in 2017, hopeful to open some eyes this spring.

I had the privilege of speaking with Zamora in early February, where we spoke of his introduction to baseball, time at Stony Brook University, and his first reactions to hearing he was traded to the Mets.

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

Daniel: I grew up an Angels fan, I’m from Los Angeles. I always liked Francisco Rodriguez, and when I was a kid I loved Chuck Finley and Troy Percival. I was a huge Angels fan, so all of my favorite players as a kid were all Angels.

MMO: Did you play any other positions growing up?

Daniel: Yeah, I’ve been a P.O. (pitcher only) since I ended Little League. I’m not very good at hitting. [Laughs.]

MMO: Who introduced you to the game of baseball?

Daniel: My parents. We would just go outside and play wiffle ball. My mom and dad would take me to this high school behind my house that had a park. We’d just go hit baseballs and throw around and hang out. That was just what we did when I was a kid; we’d go to the park and play all day.

MMO: Being from California, can you talk a bit about how you ended up attending Stony Brook University on Long Island?

Daniel: My high school pitching coach was actually friends with the pitching coach at Stony Brook. They kind of connected, and I got a good vibe from Coach [Mike] Marron; he’s at Old Dominion now. We just connected really well, and I liked what they had, and that’s why I ended up going to Stony Brook.

MMO: During your time at Stony Brook, were you able to visit Manhattan much, and get a taste of New York life?

Daniel: I didn’t explore much, I’ve been there a couple of times. But never got to truly explore and do the tourist things of it.

MMO: Prior to you being selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 40th-round of the 2015 MLB Draft, were you aware of any team’s interest in you?

Daniel: I honestly had no clue. I had labrum surgery after my freshman year [of college]. So I didn’t know if I was going to get drafted; I was just happy to get the opportunity to play professional baseball and take advantage of all the opportunities I’ve gotten because of it.

MMO: For fans that might not know a lot about you, can you give a brief scouting report on yourself?

Daniel: I primarily throw a fastball and slider, and I have a changeup. My strength, I guess, is I have a couple of pitches I can mix and throw whenever I want. I just have a lot of confidence in what I do, so that just helps me go a long way.

MMO: Your numbers against left-handed hitters this year were the best of your career so far. Were there any adjustments you made in order to have such success this season?

Daniel: I just made a couple of adjustments to what I was doing before. My fastball command wasn’t very good my first two years in pro ball, so last year I got my fastball command and I was able to locate my fastball a lot better. That just gave me a lot more confidence to kind of take-off and get better results and just progress as a baseball player.

MMO: Can you talk a little about what the Pirates’ pitching philosophy was while you were in their organization?

Daniel: Most of it was a mental thing. With the Pirates, we had to be very aggressive. Every pitcher has to establish their fastball, but it really just comes down to being able to compete and just show up every day. That’s what the Pirates were all about, just being able to compete and show up every day and bring your best game.

MMO: What were your initial reactions when you heard you were traded to the Mets, and how did you find out the news?

Daniel: I was really thrown off, actually. I got a call from Larry Broadway (Senior Director, Minor League Operations), and I was like, ‘Oh, he’s never called me before.’ So I got a call and I was like, ‘What’s going on?’

I found out, and I was really thrown off at first, but I’m really excited and it’s an awesome opportunity. I’m really excited to be part of the Mets organization now.

MMO: Has the team given you any indication of where you might begin the season in 2018?

Daniel: I think that’s something to be determined in spring training. I haven’t really talked too much about their plan with me; I think they’re going to introduce me to their philosophy and go from there.

MMO: Have you had the chance to speak with anyone in the Mets organization?

Daniel: Not entirely. Just for a couple of minutes, just welcoming me to the organization and telling me I’ve been traded and they’re happy to have me. But outside of that, not much.

MMO: What are some things you hope to improve upon in 2018?

Daniel: To command all my pitches. I created a good base last year with what I was doing, and I’m going to try and continue to take off on that, and just try to get better and develop as a baseball player.

MMO: Thank you for your time today, Daniel. All the best in 2018!

Daniel: Thank you very much.

Follow Daniel Zamora on Twitter, @Daniel_Zamora32

The post MMO Exclusive: Left-Handed Reliever, Daniel Zamora appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

After trading away Josh Smoker, the Mets have put themselves in a bit of a situation, as they currently only have two left-handers on the entire 40-man roster. Those two are Jerry Blevins and Steven Matz.

As a result, the Mets must find some options to fill their second LOOGY role in the bullpen. While the simple choice would be to just go sign a reliever such as Tony Watson or Fernando Abad, Sandy Alderson hinted that the team could potentially claim someone off waivers at the team’s Spring Sendoff at Citi Field. He said this on the matter:

“As these free agents begin to sign, there’s going to be a lot of roster churn among the teams and other opportunities. So it’s going to be interesting the next two or three weeks.”

Most teams are at or near their max on their 40-man rosters at the moment. Which begs the question, what team might have excess left-handed relievers to offer?

The Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Dodgers currently have 10 left-handed pitchers on their 40-man roster that currently sits at 39 as of today. The team has remained quiet for most of the offseason, like many other teams, which likely sets the team up to make a move or two in the coming weeks.

However, one of the moves they did make was acquiring a left-handed reliever, Scott Alexander, from the Kansas City Royals.

Anyways, if they make two moves, the team will be forced to DFA a player on their 40-man roster. Most teams tend to remove positions in which they have redundant pieces, which in the case of the Dodgers is left-handed relievers.

As of today, Roster Resource projects the Dodgers to open the season with Alexander, Tony Cingrani, and Adam Liberatore as the rare trio of lefties in the bullpen.

The name in that list that stands out for the Mets is Liberatore, who most would say makes sense to be the odd-man out on the 25-man roster.

The 30-year old only appeared in four games last season before getting a season-ending forearm injury. For his career, though, Liberatore has a 3.69 ERA, 1.203 WHIP, 3.05 FIP, and 81 strikeouts in 75.2 innings pitched (101 appearances).

While he can definitely handle right-handed hitters, he dominates against lefties with a career .208 batting average against them.

Liberatore could very well have the ability to provide the Mets with a proven lefty-specialist if the Dodgers were to cut bait with him.

However, the Mets would likely have to go out and actually make a trade for him, as many teams would be interested in his services if the Dodgers were to DFA him. There would be little to no chance of him clearing waivers.

Its unlikely he will be the guy to get DFA’d, though, because there are much more practical options for the team to remove from the 40-man.

One of those options might be 31-year old Edward Paredes, who made his MLB debut in 2017. The lefty is currently projected to not make the team.

He did impress in his short stretch with the team, though, as he allowed three runs, and struck out 11 batters while walking none in his 8.1 innings of work. That was good for a 3.24 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and 2.08 FIP in his limited sample size.

His overall minor league track record does not bode well for him in the future, though. He has a career 4.31 ERA and  1.43 WHIP to go along with 509 strikeouts over 538.1 innings.

However, his more recent track record potentially does. In 44 innings pitched between double-A Tulsa and triple-A Oklahoma City, he had a superb 2.25 ERA, 66 strikeouts, and a .230 average against him.

The strikeouts are particularly impressive as it appeared he was missing bats at a rate he previously was unable to.

While finally having success at the upper levels of the minors at the age of 31 is not that impressive, it is possible that he could have figured out any of his previous issues in the minors and might have finally turned a corner.

If he were to get DFA’d, the Mets would have a much better chance at acquiring him as it is very unlikely that a team would want to use a 40-man roster spot on a 31-year old lefty specialist that still has rookie eligibility while over 100 free agents sit out on the open market.

There is one more name to keep an eye on and this is by far the most interesting one on this list. That pitcher is Henry Owens.

The former top prospect has already gone through some change of scenery this offseason as he was claimed on waivers twice already after being outrighted to the minors by the Boston Red Sox. He was first claimed by the Arizona Diamondbacks only to be placed on waivers again two weeks later and claimed by the Dodgers.

The 25-year old has hit rock bottom in his career after starting off his career with a lot of hype. In his career in the majors, the lefty has a 5.19 ERA, 5.00 FIP, 1.518 WHIP, and only 71 strikeouts in his 85 innings of work (16 starts).

His minor league statistics tell a different story, though, as he has a career 3.49 ERA and 1.30 WHIP to go along with 828 strikeouts in his 781.2 innings pitched.

The main reason Owens is on this list is because of his likely availability. The fact that Owens has been DFA’d twice this offseason already suggests that he does not have much value in the game right now.

Heck, the Mets could probably offer the Dodgers cash and they could have him today, regardless of if the need for a roster spot presents itself. They almost certainly would cut bait with him before anyone else on their 40-man roster.

However, he could present an intriguing option for the Mets. He is still only 25 years old and could very well still be fine-tuning his skills.

As the old adage goes, you shouldn’t give up on a young lefty that shows promise in the minors. It sometimes takes them a little bit longer to harness their mechanics at the major league level.

While many would say Owens should probably not start anymore, he could find a niche as a reliever if given the chance.

Owens is a complete wild card. I get that. It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, though, to bring him into camp and see if he can find a role in the bullpen or if he can show some of the promise that once made him a top-50 prospect.

Worst case scenario: Mets dump him with no penalty.

Best case scenario: Mets find a viable LOOGY option in an unlikely place.

With Matt Purke, a 30-year old reliever with only 12 MLB appearances in his career, being the only option to fill the second lefty role in the bullpen, bringing in Owens to compete with him could at least give the team another option to consider.

All of these relievers could probably be had for the right price with the Dodgers having so many options on the 40-man roster already.  One of them, at the very least, is likely going to become an option on the open market before the offseason is over.

The post Keep An Eye on Dodgers’ 40-Man Roster Crunch appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

After the New York Mets inked infielder Jose Reyes to a major league deal last week, they subsequently designated southpaw Josh Smoker for assignment to make space on the 40-man roster.

On Jan. 31, the Mets traded Smoker to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for left-handed pitching prospect Daniel Zamora and cash considerations.

Zamora, 25 in April, was originally drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 27th round of the 2012 amateur draft, but instead chose to attend Stony Brook University on Long Island. He was then drafted by the Bucs in the 40th round of the 2015 draft.

The 6’3″ and 190 pound California native spent the first two years of his professional career with the Short-A West Virginia Black Bears of the New York-Penn League. He was used exclusively out of the bullpen and recorded a 2.66 and 3.46 ERA in 2015 and 2016, respectively.

Last year, he split his season between the High-A Bradenton Marauders and Double-A Altoona Curve. Cumulatively, he registered a 1.76 ERA, 10.1 K/9 and 1.225 WHIP in 56.1 innings hurled.

He held lefties to a .232/.284/.261 clip (16-for-69) and righties to a .236/.306/.299 slash line (34-for-144) while logging a 63/19 K/BB between the two clubs as well.

His fastball tops out at about 92 mph while his slider has a peak velocity of about 80 mph. However, the main knock on the southpaw is that his fastball can lay flat and he has some trouble controlling his pitches. Though, his slider does generate swings and misses.

“Zamora creates a solid angle to the plate and deception, with a sweeping, sharp slider flashing as a quality pitch that he can sweet with reasonable consistency to the glove side,” according to Baseball Prospectus. “Hitters often start and stop their swing too late, or miss badly. This puts him in consideration for middle relief, but the fastball is below-average in both command and movement, and the resulting margin for error is very small. Org value is most realistic.”

At the end of the day, he could find himself as a LOOGY type pitcher if he ever reaches the majors according to some scouts. We will have to see if he can build off his success in the minors from last season.

The post Getting To Know New Mets Prospect Daniel Zamora appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Since being diagnosed with spinal stenosis in 2015, it’s been a battle for David Wright to stay on the field. That year and 2016, he combined to play just 75. He did not appear in a game this past year.

Just this past year, Wright has also underwent disk fusion surgery, rotator cuff surgery and a laminotomy procedure in an effort to get back on the field. However, his future remains just as uncertain as ever.

However, the longtime Mets third baseman plans to head down to Port St. Lucie in two weeks where the team will assess him, according to Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. He has yet to begin any type of baseball activity.

“The surgeries are obviously serious stuff, but it just kind of plays with your mind mentally, where you don’t know how your body’s going to hold up,” Wright said. “You don’t know how you’re going to feel a month from now. You don’t know how you’re going to feel a couple weeks from now. You’re hoping that it continues to get better, but you just don’t know.

“Everything is a concern for me. I haven’t progressed to the point where I’ll know how it feels to throw a baseball until we get closer to spring. I certainly don’t know how the back is going to hold up.”

In his column, Davidoff touches upon two important nuggets surrounding Wright going into the 2018 season.

Wright currently has a spot on the 40-man roster, but as of Feb. 14, the team could place him on the 60-day disabled list, freeing up a roster spot. They can then theoretically keep him there until November roles around again when they have to make Rule 5 decisions.

Feb. 14 is less than two weeks from now, and with the free agent market as slow as it has been, this could be crucial in the Mets adding another arm. Potentially a starter or even another lefty reliever. Remember, they lost Josh Smoker, so the only southpaw on the 40-man currently is Jerry Blevins.

If he doesn’t play again this year and November comes, the Mets will have a decision to make. However, it seems unlikely that they will release him because that would cancel their insurance policy on him. Since July, 2016, that policy has paid 75 percent of his salary. Davidoff points out that they would only be on the hook to pay him $5 million of his $20 million salary for this year.

“After this season, Wright will be due $15 million in 2019 and $12 million in 2020,” Davidoff writes. “The insurance carrier, which would be covering $20.25 million of that through the course of the contract, could agree on a lesser, upfront payment — a ballpark guesstimate would be $15 million — that would get the deal off its books and give the Mets a short-term boost in return for the long-term hit.”

It’s going to be an uphill climb for Wright to get back on the field, and if he doesn’t play again this year, there will surely be decisions the slugger and team will have to make. However, since the team isn’t paying his full salary anyway, we might find ourselves here yet again 365 days from now.

To read the rest of Davidoff’s column which is strongly encouraged, click here.

The post David Wright: Where Will the Story End? appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Spring Training is only 11 days away!

Latest Mets News

As a direct result of his DFA on Friday, Josh Smoker was traded away to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Smoker was the first round pick of the Washington Nationals in 2007 , but found himself in independent ball in 2014. The Mets took a flier on him the following year and it paid immediate dividends as Smoker made his MLB debut in 2016. Smoker will end his Mets career with a 4-2 record and 5.02 ERA in 71.2 innings. We wish all the best to Brown Bear!

In return for Smoker, the Mets acquired reliever Daniel Zamora and their favorite trade target, cash considerations. Zamora is a 24-year-old southpaw who posted a 1.86 ERA in 53.1 innings with the West Virginia Black Bears, the Pirates Single-A team. Zamora profiles as a LOOGY and will appear in the Binghamton bullpen in 2018.

Latest on the MLB

The Diamondbacks announced that they signed nine-year veteran Alex Avila to a multiyear contract worth 8.25 million dollars. Avila posted career-best offensive numbers in 2017 with the Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs. The Dbacks designated for assignment outfielder Rey Fuentes to make room for Avila on their 40-man roster.

Mookie Betts won his arbitration case yesterday and will earn 10.5 million dollars in 2018.

Jim Morosi of MLBNetwork reports that Eric Hosmer is looking for an eight year contract.

The Rays and the Diamondbacks will extend their netting next year.

According to Bob Nightengale of The USAToday, The Yankees have sold 550,000 more tickets than they did at this time last year.

The White Sox agreed to a minor league deal with former Phillie closer, Jeanmar Gomez.

The Cardinals signed Edward Mujica to a minor-league deal.

Jon Heyman of Fanrag Sports ranks the top outfields in baseball.

Latest on the NL East

Former Phillie outfielder Oscar Gamble passed away at the age of 68.

Matt Breen of Philly.com believes that speedy outfielder Roman Quinn will make the team out of spring training.

In a recent interview with SiriusXM, Nationals GM Mike Rizzo reaffirmed his faith in Matt Wieters as the starting catcher.

Bill Ladson of  reports that Davey Lopes, who coached for the Phillies and Nationals, has retired.

Lastest on MMO

John Finkelstein ponders where Seth Lugo will fit into the Mets plans in 2018.

Finkelstein is strictly against Steven Matz moving to the bullpen.

Finally Finkelstein also writes about Jerry Blevins‘s expanding role.

On this date in Mets history

Johan Santana signed a 6 year, 137.5 million dollar contract on this date in 2008.

The Mets also acquired Endy Chavez on this date. Chavez will forever be etched in Mets lore for this incredible catch.

Rich Becker turns 46 today.

Joe Vitko turns 48 today.

The post Morning Briefing: No Bears left appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The New York Mets announced that they have traded LHP Josh Smoker to the Pittsburgh Pirates for LHP Daniel Zamora and cash considerations. Smoker was designated for assignment last week to make room for Jose Reyes on the 40-man roster.

Smoker, 29, had a 5.11 ERA, 4.92 FIP, 1.70 WHIP and allowed ten home runs in 56.1 innings last season for the Mets. Though he did strike out 68 batters in those innings, and looked better down the stretch with a 2.63 second half ERA that included a dominant September in which he struck out 16 in 11.1 innings and held opponents to a .658 OPS.

The Mets bullpen now only has one left-handed reliever, Jerry Blevins.

You can read a Metsmerized Online exclusive interview with the now former Met here.

Zamora, 24, was drafted by the Pirates in the 40th round of the 2015 draft out of Stony Brook University. The reliever has a career 2.49 ERA in three minor league seasons, recording a 1.76 mark in 56.1 innings in 2017. He struck out 63 and walked 19, pitching to a 1.225 WHIP. He mostly pitched in A+ ball, bur recorded three scoreless innings at Double-A after a late-season promotion.

The post Mets Trade Smoker To Pirates For Daniel Zamora And Cash appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

One rival talent evaluator detailed his take on the Mets as potentially being a very steady team in 2018, as detailed in an article written by Abbey Mastracco of NJ.com.

The evaluator said that the Mets should make a bold move and have Steven Matz in the bullpen this season.

For an elaboration on the idea here is the exact statement by the evaluator:

“If they need another lefty, Matz might be an easy transition to the pen. They can sign someone to a one-year deal like Jason Vargas or Jaime Garcia to fill up innings.”

After designating Josh Smoker for assignment, the Mets currently have two left-handed pitchers on the entire 40-man roster which includes Matz and Jerry Blevins only.

As a result, adding another lefty starter or reliever would not be an awful idea. However, moving Matz to the pen is a very interesting idea.

In parts of three seasons with the Mets, the 26-year old has only managed to pitch in 41 games (234.2 innings) in the regular season with a 15-15 record, 3.99 ERA, 1.304 WHIP, 211 strikeouts and 3.89 FIP.

Last season was by far his worst season of his career, though, as he went 2-7 with a 6.08 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, and 5.05 FIP.

However, it was revealed that the southpaw was pitching with pain in his ulnar nerve which caused him to get surgery. The procedure that he had was the same as Jacob deGrom had one year prior and was successful afterward

So, now let’s examine whether Matz would make sense as a lefty-specialist.

His career statistics so far actually suggest he would not. Left-handed hitters have hit .274 off of Matz with a .353 OBP while righties have only hit .269 with a .310 OBP.

While having reverse splits as a starter is not bad at all, it does not bode well as a lefty-specialist.

Yes, the Mets have had many lefties over the last few years such as Alex Torres, Antonio Bastardo, and Smoker who have had this same issue.That doesn’t mean that they should strive for this by any means.

While Matz’s health is a concern, moving him to the bullpen will not necessarily improve that despite throwing less innings.

As a starter, it is very easy to get into a routine, while a reliever has to be ready whenever called upon which thereby creates an element of unpredictability for a reliever, especially one who has never pitched in that role before at any level.

While the Mets definitely need to find a lefty-reliever, they should not experiment with Steven Matz. He still has a lot of promise as a starter that the Mets will, and rightfully so, not give up on going into 2018.

The post Should Steven Matz Move to the Bullpen? appeared first on Metsmerized Online.