Good morning and happy Valentine’s Day, Mets fans!

Yankees left-hander Nestor Cortes Jr. has withdrawn from the World Baseball Classic after he recently tweaked his hamstring. The 2022 All-Star was expected to lead Team USA’s rotation alongside Clayton Kershaw, Brady Singer, and Miles Mikolas. With Cortes out of the picture, Adam Wainwright and Kyle Freeland will be expected to play bigger roles as the Americans look to defend their title.

Latest Mets News

Keith Hernandez has agreed to a three-year contract to remain in the SNY booth. Mike Puma of the New York Post reports that Hernandez is expected to work 110 games in each of the next three seasons. Hernandez, Gary Cohen, and Ron Darling are entering their 18th year working together as the Mets’ TV broadcasting crew.

Brandon Nimmo spoke to reporters in Port St. Lucie on Monday, saying that he bought himself a new car after signing his eight-year contract in December. He also spoke on his decision to withdraw from the World Baseball Classic, saying he didn’t want to risk getting injured before the season started.

Chris Newell was named the 14th manager in Brooklyn Cyclones history, replacing Luis Rivera. Newell served as the team’s bench coach last year and has previous managerial experience in the United States Shore Baseball League.

Adam Ottavino shared his thoughts on the new pitch clock rules, saying that he thinks pitchers like upping their pace when they’re pitching well to keep hitters uncomfortable.

Latest MLB News

Major League Baseball’s Joint Competition Committee unanimously voted to keep the runner on second base rule in extra innings permanent for all regular-season games. The committee also voted that position players will only be allowed to pitch either in extra innings, when the leading team is up by at least 10 runs, or when the trailing team is down by at least eight runs.

Real estate magnate and Washington Nationals owner Ted Lerner passed away Sunday at the age of 97. Lerner took over the reins of the franchise in the summer of 2006, with his family owning 90 percent of the team’s shares. He saw the team win the NL East four times and the franchise’s first World Series in 2019.

The Tigers have agreed to a minor league contract with right-hander Matt Wisler, with an invite to spring training. Wisler was solid for the Rays in 2022, turning in a 2.25 ERA with 35 strikeouts against 14 walks in 44 innings.

Marlins Rule 5 pick Nic Enright announced on his Instagram that he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma back in December and has already completed his first round of treatment. An alum of Virginia Tech, Enright has spent the last four seasons in the Cleveland organization.

The Cardinals have extended president of baseball operations John Mozeliak’s contract through the 2025 season. By the end of this latest extension, Mozeliak will rank as one of the longest-tenured executives in the franchise’s 132-year history in the NL.

The Twins are showing interest in three-time All-Star and Minneapolis native Brad Hand, according to Darren Wolfson of SKOR North. The former Met appeared in 55 games for the Phillies in 2022, posting a solid 2.80 ERA with 38 strikeouts in 45 innings.

Latest on MMO

John Sheridan looks at what to expect from Mark Vientos, who checks in as the eighth-best prospect in the Mets organization in MMO’s rankings.

On This Date in Mets History

1985: The Mets agree to a one-year contract worth $1.32 million with Dwight Gooden, making him the youngest player ever to receive over a million dollars. Gooden won Rookie of the Year in 1984 and won the NL Cy Young award in a historic 1985 campaign.

Birthdays: Kelly Stinnett (53), Tyler Clippard (38)

The post Morning Briefing: Nestor Cortes Jr. Withdraws From World Baseball Classic appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Fernando Tatis Jr.

Position: Shortstop, Outfield
Bats/Throws: R/R
Age: 24 (January 2, 1999)
2021 Batting (Missed 2022)
Traditional: 546 PA, .282/.364/.611/, 135 H, 42 HR, 97 RBI, 68 BB (intentional walks included), 153 K
Advanced: .403 wOBA, 157 wRC+, 28.0 K%, 11.4 BB%, .324 BABIP, .407 xwOBA, 7.3 fWAR, 6.6 bWAR

Rundown

I know what everyone is thinking but let us get it out of the way: Fernando Tatis Jr. is without a doubt one of the most talented players in Major League Baseball. Well that statement is probably contingent on believing that his PED suspension is more a result of him using them to recover from left wrist surgery, and that his 2019-2021 seasons are not the result of him using PEDs. Of course, that aforementioned surgery would not have been required if not for a slew of motorcycle accidents.

Probably not a great thing, when Fernando Tatis was asked when his motorcycle accident happened, he responded, 'which one.'

— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) March 14, 2022

I am usually one to dismiss off-field extracurriculars but in the case of Tatis, I think there are some things to think about. I am less concerned about the PED usage as I was with say Robinson Cano. In Cano’s case, it was pretty clear that he was a player looking to stay relevant and not fall off the proverbial cliff.

On the field, Tatis has been a star since day one. In 2019, he posted a 3.1 fWAR in 84 games while slashing .317/.379/.590 as a 20-year old rookie. He also hit 22 homers and stole 16 out-of 22 bases. He likely would have challenged a 40-40 season had he played a full season. He followed that up with an equally great 2020 season and in 2021, he was an MVP finalist behind Juan Soto and Bryce Harper. In 2021, he posted a 7.3 fWAR and he hit .282/.364/.611 (!). He also had 42 homers and stole 25 out-of 29 bases. His power output is historic for a shortstop and his offensive skillset would likely play anywhere on the diamond.

Nothing on his offensive profile suggests that he would slow down. In 2021, his expected slugging was .617 and his expected weighted-on-base-average was .407, both higher than his actual figures. In 2021, Tatis excelled at hitting the ball hard, only putting it on the ground 40% of the time, and pulled the ball almost 50% of the time. When Tatis hit the ball in the air, he made hard contact close to 60% of the time as well, meaning he made full use of hitting the ball in the air.

Defensively, Tatis grades out as a passable shortstop depending on the statistic you prefer. DRS and UZR thinks he is below average, but outs above average likes him more than those two stats do. The Padres have pretty much moved on from him at shortstop going forward. Xander Bogaerts will be their shortstop in 2023 after they failed at landing Trea Turner. Manny Machado is their third baseman and Juan Soto is in right field. So Tatis will probably be in various spots this season such as the outfield and first base. Feels like a weird position to be in with your $340 million star but he did himself and the Padres no favors in the process.

Package

I think my answer here is: depends on how much the Mets would send back to San Diego. They have been pretty hesitant to trade their more high value prospects in trades in order to rebuild the system. I bet the Mets would use their financial power to minimize the prospect cost of landing Tatis. The Padres might hate selling low on a player who has shown the flashes of greatness like Tatis has, but they have a lot of money tied up to that roster already and have to extend Soto and Machado in the coming offseasons.

My Thoughts

There are a lot of concerns but the upside is also enormous. Tatis can be a perennial 30-30 player and flirting with 40-40 in some seasons, while manning third base for the next 10 years in Queens next to Francisco Lindor. The downsides as evidenced by 2022 also exist.

I think the upside in the case of Tatis is too high to ignore, especially since Steve Cohen does not care about money. The offensive upside in the case of Carlos Correa pales in comparison to what Tatis can provide. Tatis has a career slash line of .292/.369/.596 with a .399 wOBA and 153 wRC+ for his career. The closest Correa has come to reaching that wRC+ was in 2017.

If Fernando’s medicals look good (big if), I think the Mets should do it. Maybe this is just my amygdala talking because I wanted Correa, but I do think this could cement the Mets as a World Series favorite for the next 5 plus years.

The post MMO Trade Profile: Fernando Tatis Jr., SS appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Chris Bassitt had an ugly outing Monday night, but the resilient righty, who’s had a big hand in the team being atop the NL East has been nothing but a breath of fresh air in manager Buck Showalter‘s starting line-up.

Up until tonight’s game, the Mets had won each of Bassitt’s last eight starts. He was 4-0 in August with a 1.65 ERA – never giving up a long ball the entire month. Chalk it up to him having a bad day at the office. Who hasn’t?

Position players had a tough time, as well, stranding 10 runners against rookie right-hander Javier Assad – twice with the bases loaded. Mark Canha left the bags full in the first, striking out on four pitches while looking at the last three. It’s times like these I wish the Mets could’ve transferred some runs from their last two games, like college students taking their credits when leaving one college for another.

The Cubs drew first blood off of Bassitt in the top of the second. After retiring Ian Happ and Patrick Wisdom on fly balls to center, Bassitt lost Rafael Ortega on a 0-2 count, sending the former Oakland Athletics’ 80 mph slider into the right field seats.

New York was much ado about nothing in the bottom frame. Assad erased Eduardo Escobar on a fly ball to center, fanned Tyler Naquin with his 85 MPH curve and shut the door on James McCann with a fly out to right on a 92 MPH sinker.

Bassitt gave leadoff hitter Alfonso Rivas a free pass after a 0-2 count, struck out Christopher Morel on three pitches – then surrendered a two-run homer to Zach McKinstry to put himself in a 3-0 hole.

The bottom of the third was much like the second, albeit a walk that went nowhere.

In the top of the fourth, the wheels came off with another leadoff walk to Happ, an errant pickoff attempt by Pete Alonso, that put Happ in scoring position, which he later achieved after landing on third on a groundout, and crossing the plate on Ortega’s RBI single to left. P.J. Higgins moved Ortega to second who crossed the plate for the Cub’s fifth run on Riva’s single to left center.

Assad’s only sign of weakness came in the bottom of the inning when Canha and Escobar reached base on back-to-back singles and James McCann, sandwiched between strikeouts to Naquin and Brandon Nimmo, drove in the first of the Mets two runs.

Tommy Hunter came in relief of Bassitt in the top of the fifth keeping the Cubs at bay, retiring the side in order. Assad followed suit against the Mets.

In the top of the sixth, Trevor May took the baton from Hunter and fanned two out of three with a series of change ups four-seam fastballs and sliders.

With two away in the bottom of the inning, Escobar threatened with triple to deep center, only to be left out to dry when Naquin struck out swinging.

Mychal Givens was another bright spot in relief for the Mets in the seventh, striking out the side on 10 pitches.

Mark Leiter, Jr., former Met Al Leiter’s nephew, stepped in for Assad and did his uncle proud with a 1-2-3 outing – striking out Francisco Lindor on three straight pitches in the process.

Givens kept the Mets in the game the hard way, allowing a pair of singles to start off the eighth, but after Franmil Reyes went down swinging, Seiya Suzuki was caught stealing and Happ, who then walked, remained at second when Wisdom whiffed on a 96 mph four-seamer.

The Mets had a monumental chance in the bottom of the inning to do some serious damage when they loaded the bases with no outs. Jeff McNeil managed an infield single, Alonso banged a base hit to shallow left, Daniel Vogelbach drew a walk and Canha, who crushed his first grand slam two days prior, looking to redeem himself for leaving them loaded in the first, struck out swinging on an 87 mph slider.

With two more attempts to make a dent, Escobar flied out on a 0-2 pitch to center and Darin Ruf, having a rough time at the plate, lined out to right.

Joely Rodriguez matched his fellow relievers in the top of the ninth striking out two of the 6, 7 and 8 hitters, and for the Mets last licks – it was too little too late with two outs when Lindor hit a solo shot to right center – ending on McNeil’s groundout to second.

The good news? Atlanta fell to San Francisco and tonight, Jacob deGrom is on the mound.

The post Chris Bassitt, Bats Struggle in Series Opener vs. Cubs appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Well, the Mets lost.

It’s not as if that’s a shock. Let’s face it, the Mets rarely win. Aside from the Miracle Mets of 1969 and the New York squad of 1986, the Mets have fallen short of a World Series championship during their other 55 campaigns.

But this time was supposed to be different.

It was online baseball.

Instead of playing in the spacious Citi Field with LaGuardia imports roaring ahead, the setting was reduced to an online format. Players were reduced to pixels, whose only interaction with fans took place via the video-sharing platform, Twitch.

And this difference invited the return of normalcy. Jeff McNeil, the Mets’ player thought to have the superior MLB The Show talents among the current group of Mets’ players, was dubbed to take over the controls to the Mets’ 2019 virtual roster and compete head-to-head against the best talents in baseball in MLB The Show’s Players League.

There’s no real baseball taking place in the US, but it was certainly fascinating to see players in a way that hadn’t been afforded to us fans yet. I associate Pete Alonso with record-setting home runs. Jake with two consecutive Cy Young awards. Luis Castillo for his missed catch at Yankee Stadium. You get it. But fans rarely get the chance to see a player’s personality. That’s what this streaming provided. It was just guys being dudes.

In the beginning, I was skeptical that this would work. I doubted the idea would gain much traction and MLB would quickly shut down the whole thing, calling it a failed experiment. With college canceled and so many other events postponed over the last few months, what hope did I have? Not much.

But as I watched more, I became more hooked. The Mets actually began winning. It was something I was unaccustomed to. Sure, they had their moments over the last few seasons. But this was sustained winning. Winning that could result in a playoff berth.

McNeil’s Mets quickly ripped off an eight-game winning streak and never looked back. At the outset of the tournament, not many expected a competitive squirrel to be a serious contender in The Players League. But 18 games in, McNeil owned a 14-4 record with walk-off wins over Hunter Pence of the Giants and Carlos Santana of the Indians. Midway through the season, he was the clear favorite in the NL East.

Baseball’s biggest names. Fallen thanks to the aptitude of Jeff McNeil‘s digits. Rhys Hoskins. Defeated. Lance McCullers Jr. Beaten. Juan Soto. Conquered.

As McNeil’s season went on, it didn’t go unnoticed that he was steadily climbing up the leader board of the NL East. Jake Marisnick was hitting bombs. Jacob deGrom was doing Jacob deGrom things. And McNeil’s adopted dog, Willow, was providing all of the Puppy Power she could muster to help her owner clinch a playoff spot.

On April 27th, McNeil had the chance to do what the Mets franchise had only done nine times: clinch a spot in the playoffs. And even though he was defeated by Blake Snell and the Rays, Tommy Kahnle and the Yankees lost, granting McNeil the fourth seed in the playoffs.

Let me state the obvious. Virtual playoffs aren’t the same as real-life playoff games. But still, it invigorated those who had been watching McNeil’s stream and gave them something that’s been tough to find over the last few weeks: hope. What if McNeil advanced? What if he won the whole damn thing? There would probably be no ticker tape parade, but maybe a CAD designer could be hired to create a virtual one.

In the first round of the playoffs, McNeil was matched up against the Orioles’ Dwight Smith Jr.. Smith Jr., the fifth seed, had ridden an Orioles team who didn’t have much talent to a postseason berth, making a run reminiscent of the Miracle Mets of  ’69.

On May 1, McNeil and Smith Jr. faced off on Fox Sports 1. First player to two wins would earn a spot in the semifinals, which would take place the following night. A Robinson Cano RBI double scored the first run of the game, giving New York an early advantage. But pinch-hit dinger from Chris Davis soon tied the game up.

This game would advance into extras. Edwin Diaz jogged from the bullpen and within two minutes, the Orioles had their first lead of the game. The Mets had one last chance to bring the series back to Baltimore with a 1-0 lead.

The middle of the order was up. So there was still hope. But it was dwindling. And the collective hope of all watching Mets fans fell even lower after Michael Conforto recorded the first out of the frame. Pete Alonso was then walked. Mychal Givens smartly pitched around the slugger, intending to go after the next hitter, J.D. Davis.

“Just Dingers” made him pay, driving a first-pitch fastball over the left field fence for a game-ending, two-run home run. And the Mets and their virtual fan base regained that what-was-thought-to-be-lost hope, emulating the real-life Mets.

JD Davis clutch as always comes through off the bench with a walk off two run shot, and Jeff McNeil is fired up after a big Game One win. pic.twitter.com/v3ew1y81Fz

— John Flanigan (@JohnFlanigan_) May 2, 2020

Game two was a lot less dramatic. Noah Syndergaard had his troubles in the first inning but escaped with only one run allowed. A home run from the ever-so-clutch virtual Robinson Cano knotted the game up at one. A couple of batters later, blasts from Brandon Nimmo and McNeil himself put the champagne on ice.

Jeff McNeil is fired up as he goes back to back with himself and Brandon Nimmo to push his Mets into the next round of the playoffs. pic.twitter.com/GTVl2nuxDR

— John Flanigan (@JohnFlanigan_) May 2, 2020

The next round wasn’t going to be easy. Blake Snell and his 24-5 regular season record was awaiting McNeil and Willow. David versus Goliath. The first seed versus the fourth seed.

McNeil had Willow alongside him the entire time, but alas, it was not meant to be. McNeil had Snell within a game of elimination after a victory in Game One, but the lanky southpaw prevailed in Games Two and Three and was off to the finals. Thus concluded a journey that involved a dog, a cat, a lot of squirrel emojis, and the first sense of normalcy.

This baseball season will be different in so many ways due to COVID-19. But for a brief period in April, we regained a bit of normalcy.

Virtual baseball isn’t the same as real-life baseball, but the similarities were there. We enjoyed the ups and downs of a baseball campaign. The euphoria of a walk-off win and the frustration of a postseason loss. Pete hitting homers, Jake striking out opponents, Brandon sprinting to first, Michael stroking doubles into gaps. They were all there.

But baseball’s more than just the players themselves. It provides entertainment. At 7:10 p.m., my TV is usually tuned to SNY, where Gary, Keith, and Ron indulge me for the night. For the next three hours, I’m glued to my TV, hoping the team can pull off a victory.

That’s what McNeil’s streams provided. It wasn’t only a chance for baseball’s biggest names to gain a platform, it represented an opportunity to regain normalcy. It represented hope. Hope that the Mets could finally do something right and win the championship that’s eluded them for so long. And in this age of COVID-19, we need all of the hope and normalcy we can get.

https://twitter.com/DeeH_NYC/status/1256761616730853377?s=20

We might have not won the whole thing, but nothing’s replacing this banner.

The post Jeff McNeil, Video Game Master appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Atlanta Braves and young outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. have reached an agreement on an eight-year, $100 million contract extension, with a pair of club options included.

The deal will begin this season, and guarantees Acuña another seven years which includes a $10 million buyout on two options for the 2027 and 2028 seasons worth worth $17 million. In total, the Braves will be paying him a maximum of $124 million.

This deal gives Acuña the largest extension ever signed by a player with as little time in the majors as he has. This contract is also the second largest contract in Braves history behind Freddie Freeman‘s eight-year, $135 million contract which he signed back in 2014.

Acuna, 21, is the All-Star left fielder for the Atlanta Braves. He was signed for $100,000 as an international free-agent in July of 2014. And last season in his rookie year in Atlanta, he hit .293/.366/.552, which helped him take home the National League Rookie of the Year award.

The post NL East News: Braves Sign Acuña to Eight-Year Extension appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

A sure sign that Opening Day is right around the corner is when we start rolling out all of our staff picks, predictions and odds for the 2019 baseball season. We begin with our 2019 MLB Award Winners and which players we believe will be taking home some hardware for their production and performance this season.  Here goes…

Marshall Field

Al Cy Young: Chris Sale
NL Cy Young: Noah Syndergaard

AL MVP: Mike Trout
NL MVP: Nolan Arenado

Rookie of the Year NL: Pete Alonso
Rookie of the Year AL: Vladimir Guerrero, Jr.

AL Comeback Player of the Year: Miguel Cabrera
NL Comeback Player of the Year: Kris Bryant

AL Manager of the Year: Kevin Cash
NL Manager of the Year: Mickey Callaway

John Jackson

AL Cy Young: Chris Sale
NL Cy Young: Jacob deGrom

AL MVP: Mookie Betts
NL MVP: Nolan Arenado

AL Rookie of the Year: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
NL Rookie of the Year: Pete Alonso

AL Comeback Player: Byron Buxton
NL Comeback Player: Corey Seager

AL Manager of the Year: Aaron Boone
NL Manager of the Year: Gabe Kapler

Roberto Correa

AL Cy Young: Trevor Bauer
NL Cy Young: Walker Buehler

AL MVP: Aaron Judge
NL MVP: Michael Conforto

AL Rookie of the Year: Forrest Whitley
NL Rookie of the Year: Nick Senzel

AL Comeback Player of the Year: Ervin Santana/Hunter Pence
NL Comeback Player of the Year: Marc Rzepczynski

AL Manager of the Year: Brad Ausmus
NL Manager of the Year: Dave Roberts

Tim Ryder

AL Cy Young: Mike Clevinger
NL Cy Young: Jameson Taillon

AL MVP – Mike Trout
NL MVP – Nolan Arenado

AL Rookie of the Year: Bo Bichette
NL Rookie of the Year: Fernando Tatis Jr.

AL Comeback Player of the Year: Jacoby Ellsbury
NL Comeback Player of the Year: Sonny Gray

AL Manager of the Year: Alex Cora
NL Manager of the Year: Mickey Callaway

Dilip Sridhar

AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander
NL Cy Young: Jacob deGrom

AL MVP: Mike Trout
NL MVP: Bryce Harper

AL Rookie of the Year: Vlad Guerrero Jr.
NL Rookie of the Year: Nick Senzel

AL Comeback Player of the Year: Troy Tulowitzki
NL Comeback Player of the Year: Corey Seager

AL Manager of the Year: Kevin Cash
NL Manager of the Year: Andy Green

John Sheridan

AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander
NL Cy Young: Noah Syndergaard

AL MVP: Mike Trout
NL MVP: Paul Goldschmidt

AL Rookie of the Year: Jonathan Loaisiga
NL Rookie of the Year: Victor Robles

AL Comeback Player: Byron Buxton
NL Comeback Player: Trevor Rosenthal

AL Manager of the Year: Brad Ausmus
NL Manager of the Year: Bud Black

Joe D.

AL Cy Young: Chris Sale
NL Cy Young: Jacob deGrom

AL MVP: Alex Bregman
NL MVP: Trevor Story

AL Rookie of the Year: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
NL Rookie of the Year: Pete Alonso

AL Comeback Player of the Year: Marcus Stroman
NL Comeback Player of the Year: Corey Seager

AL Manager of the Year: Alex Cora
NL Manager of the Year: Mickey Callaway

Rob Piersall

AL Cy Young: Chris Sale
NL Cy Young: Jacob DeGrom

AL MVP: Mike Trout
NL MVP: Bryce Harper

AL Rookie of the Year: Eloy Jimenez
NL Rookie of the Year: Fernando Tatis Jr.

AL Comeback Player: Chris Davis
NL Comeback Player: Robinson Cano

AL Manager of the Year: Alex Cora
NL Manager of the Year: Mike Shildt

Jack Hendon

AL Cy Young: Gerrit Cole
NL Cy Young: Jacob deGrom

AL MVP: José Ramírez
NL MVP: Paul Goldschmidt

AL Rookie of the Year: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
NL Rookie of the Year: Chris Paddack

AL Comeback Player: Ken Giles
NL Comeback Player: Corey Seager

AL Manager of the Year: Rick Renteria
NL Manager of the Year: Mickey Callaway

Joseph Hill

AL Cy Young: Chris Sale
NL Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw

AL MVP: Mike Trout
NL MVP: Juan Soto

AL Rookie of the Year: Eloy Jimenez
NL Rookie of the Year: Victor Robles

AL Comeback Player of the Year: Byron Buxton
NL Comeback Player of the Year: Corey Seager

AL Manager of the Year: Kevin Cash
NL Manager of the Year: Dave Roberts

Michael Mayer

AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander
NL Cy Young: Jacob deGrom

AL MVP: Mike Trout
NL MVP: Bryce Harper

AL Rookie of the Year: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
NL Rookie of the Year: Chris Paddack

AL Comeback Player of the Year: Marcus Stroman
NL Comeback Player of the Year: Adam Eaton

AL Manager of the Year: Alex Cora
NL Manager of the Year: Andy Green

John Flanigan

AL Cy Young: Jose Berrios
NL Cy Young: Walker Buehler

AL MVP: Alex Bregman
NL MVP: Paul Goldschmidt

AL Rookie of the Year: Eloy Jimenez
NL Rookie of the Year: Pete Alonso

AL Comeback Player: Carlos Correa
NL Comeback Player: Corey Seager

AL Manager of the Year: Rocco Baldelli
NL Manager of the Year: Mickey Callaway

Josh Finkelstein

AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander
NL Cy Young: Nosh Syndergaard

AL MVP: Aaron Judge
NL MVP: Paul Goldschmidt

AL Rookie of the Year: Yusei Kikuchi
NL Rookie of the Year: Pete Alonso

AL Comeback Player of the Year: Domingo Santana
NL Comeback Player of the Year: Daniel Murphy

AL Manager of the Year: A.J. Hinch
NL Manager of the Year: Joe Maddon

The post 2019 MLB Award Winners: MMO Staff Picks appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Jackie Bradley

Position: CF
Bats/Throws: L/R
Age: April 19, 1990 (28)

Traditional Stats: .234/.314/.403, 33 2B, 4 3B, 13 HR, 59 RBI, 17 SB, CS
Advanced Stats: 2.1 bWAR, 2.8 fWAR, 92 OPS+, 90 wRC+
Defensive Stats: -2 DRS, 7.4 UZR

Free Agent: 2021

Fresh off a World Series victory where the Red Sox had to cycle starters into the bullpen on their throw days, the Boston Red Sox are looking for relief help this offseason. Their needs are all the more heightened when you consider their closer, Craig Kimbrel, and their top set-up man, Joe Kelly, are free agents.

The Red Sox ability to sign free agents or to improve their team is hindered by their payroll. Last year, the Red Sox had the highest payroll in baseball, and they were well over the luxury tax. In addition to the team’s $238.4 million payroll, they had to pay $11.3 million in luxury tax.

At the moment, even with Kimbrel likely gone, the Red Sox payroll obligations are expected to rise, and that is before bringing in bullpen help. As a result, Boston is exploring trading some of their players to free up payroll room and/or add relievers.

One of the more attractive options on the market is Bradley, who is two years removed from free agency. From a Red Sox perspective, they could move Mookie Betts to center making Bradley one of their more expendable players.

With respect to Bradley, he has a reputation as a good defensive outfielder. While his DRS was down last season, he had the second best UZR among center fielders, indicating the down year was a little more than a blip. From 2016-2017, he had the fourth best DRS among center fielders with the third best UZR.  Among the players in the top five, he was arguably the best hitter of the group.

That doesn’t mean he was a particularly good hitter. Aside from a two year stretch from 2015-2016 where he had a 119 wRC+, Bradley has been a below average league hitter. In fact, over the past two years, he has had an 89 wRC+. Surprisingly, that does put him in the top 15 among Major League center fielders over that stretch. Considering players like Michael Conforto and Andrew McCutchen are ahead of him on the list, he is really among the top 1o.

In terms of his offense, there is reason for optimism and pessimism. On the one hand, Bradley could be an effective part of a platoon as he hits .251/.332/.437 against right-handed pitchers and .185/.260/.303 against left-handed pitchers last season. Another consideration with Bradley is he hit .277/.351/.442 at home and .193/.279/.366 on the road.

Overall, Bradley is arguably one of the best defensive and even offensive center fielders in baseball. At 28, he may not present much upside, but he may also be a terrific addition for whichever team obtains him.

Why the Mets Should Obtain Him

By obtaining Bradley, the Mets can set up a platoon between him and Juan Lagares. By doing that, you get phenomenal defense while getting the most out of the offensive potential from each player. Also, in the event Lagares suffers yet another injury, you can be more than comfortable playing Bradley in center everyday.

Why the Mets Should Not Obtain Him

While the Mets are looking for center field upgrades, they are also looking for upgrades in the lineup, and Bradley may not exactly be that. In some ways, it is difficult to give Bradley and Lagares roughly $17 million between them and not get much back in terms of offense. Mostly, with the Red Sox looking for relievers, you’d be extremely hard pressed to part with their relievers, like Seth Lugo when you are a team who needs bullpen help itself.

Verdict

With Brodie Van Wagenen being one for the bold move, you have to wonder if there is a blockbuster deal here. At the moment, the Red Sox are dangling Xander Bogaerts and Rick Porcello in addition to Bradley. The Mets may have the pieces to acquire one if not all of them in one deal, but the question remains if that is a worthwhile endeavor, especially when you take salaries and proximity to free agency into account.

While Bradley should prove to be an upgrade, getting him at the cost of your pitching or even just eating the expense when looking to address other areas of this team may not be worth it. That is unless the Red Sox and Mets could pull off and blockbuster where they shift players back-and-forth to fill in the holes in each respective roster. The chances of that happening are extremely unlikely.

The post MMO Trade Target: Jackie Bradley, Jr., CF appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Mark Vientos/Photo by Allen Greene Photography

Heading into the 2017 draft, Mark Vientos was not only one of the youngest players available, but he was also considered one of the top prep bats available. Last year, Vientos would prove to be the impact bat the Mets organization believed they were getting when they took him in the second round.

Despite a slow start to the season, Vientos would have a strong finish with Kingsport. From July 1 to the end of the season, Vientos hit .292/.396/.500 with ten doubles, ten home runs, and 45 RBI. Overall, he would finish fourth in the league in homers, sixth in total bases, tenth in slugging, and ninth in OPS.

One of the reasons why Vientos was able to put up those power numbers was his exit velocity. As Mike Puma of Baseball America wrote Vientos’ exit velocity was on par with Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., Juan Soto, and Fernando Tatis, Jr. To put that further in perspective, Guerrero and Tatis are Baseball America‘s top two prospects, and Soto is a finalist for the 2018 NL Rookie of the Year Award.

Seeing Vientos in that company should have everyone excited. Certainly, the Mets are excited. As Mets Assistant General Manager John Ricco said, “He is in some pretty good company. Our guys liked him as a hitter, but they weren’t sure about the power. I am really happy about what we saw this year. We are really pumped about him.”

The Mets are not just pumped about him at the plate, but the organization is also excited about him in the field.

When Vientos was drafted, it was expected he would need to move off of shortstop. While you would normally be inclined to see if he could stick at the position, with the Mets deep talent at the position, it made sense to facilitate the position switch sooner rather than later. Accordingly, Vientos would play 54 of his 58 games in the field at third base.

On the move, a Mets talent evaluator told Puma, “He has soft hands and a good arm. He’s still maturing, because he grew quick. He was a shortstop in high school, but he’s better on the corners.”

With Vientos hitting for power and handling the position switch well, the Mets organization may have its third baseman of the future. When you combine Vientos with other notable prospects in Kingsport like Jarred Kelenic and Ronny Mauricio, the Mets future looks very bright.

The post Mark Vientos Flashed Elite Power Potential in 2018 appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

According to Adam Rubin on ESPN, Jeurys Familia’s court date was again pushed back, this time to Monday November 14th.

Last Report – Nov 2

Per Adam Rubin of ESPN, Mets closer Jeurys Familia, who was arrested for alleged domestic violence, had his court date pushed back at the request of his attorneys.

The first hearing was originally going to be this Thursday, however it is now scheduled for November 10th.

This is the first news that has anything to do with his attorneys, as they have yet to issue a statement pertaining to the situation.

Additionally, several sources are now confirming that the unnamed victim was indeed his wife Bianca.

Original Report – Nov 1

In a report by Andrew Wyrich and Abbott Koloff of the Bergen County Record, Mets closer Jeurys Familia has been charged with simple assault and a disorderly persons offense stemming from an alleged domestic violence altercation between Familia and an unnamed victim.

Fort Lee Police Chief Keith Bendul declined to give specifics of the incident instead only stating the police responded to a call at a Fort Lee apartment building at 2:22 A.M. regarding a dispute.  This was the same apartment building where Familia currently resides with his wife Bianca and one year old son.

The unnamed victim in the complaint was said to have a scratch to the chest and a bruise to the right cheek.  While there were no details on the altercation itself, responding officer Tony Pickens, Jr. swore under oath he believed there was probable cause that an act of domestic violence occurred.

“The matter was brought to our attention and we are monitoring the situation,” the Mets said in a statement to The Record on Tuesday.

The statute charged Familia with a misdemeanor and not a felony.  Should Familia be convicted, he would be subject to fines, up to six months in jail, and/or one year of probation. And then of course MLB would conduct their own investigation as well.

Last month, Familia had appeared in a Public Service Announcement to condemn domestic violence. They issued the following statement:

“I am deeply disturbed by the allegations against Jeurys Familia and call on MLB to launch an immediate and thorough investigation. We created #NotAFan so fans can communicate that domestic violence is absolutely unacceptable and to give a voice to fans who didn’t have one before. I will be reaching out to the Mets and the Familia ads will be removed from the campaign. Last week it was Josh Brown this week it’s Familia. The problem is rampant. The solution is to confront it.”

Jeurys Familia is denying the report and told Dominican reporter Hector Gomez: “Somebody is trying to damage my reputation with this info. I’m at peace with my family.”

This is a breaking story. Please check back for more details.

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In his first start with his former team, Jon Niese appeared to be the antidote missing from the Mets pitching rotation, until the 4^th inning reared it’s ugly head.

Sailing through the first three innings, Niese stifled the D’backs with cutters in the 80’s until Rickie Weeks, Jr. and Yasmany Tomas took him back-to-back deep, resulting in a 13-5 crushing defeat in the desert.

In the bottom of the 5^th, opposing pitcher, Zack Godley, who was godlike, (7.1 innings, 5 hits, 2 runs) slapped a single up the middle, ending Niese’s unfortunate outing with 4 runs on 4 hits in 4.2 innings.

So what does that mean for Niese’s future in the rotation? It doesn’t appear to be in any jeopardy.

“I told him, even on the mound, for a guy who hadn’t pitched in six weeks, I thought he threw the ball great,” manager Terry Collins said after the game. “I was very happy with the way he pitched.”

With the day off on Monday, it’s likely they’ll just skip the fifth starter’s spot unless they opt to give one of the young arms extra rest. “We don’t make those decisions this far in advance,” Collins continued. “We’ve got to wait to see what happens in the next couple of days.”

Looking for some heat in relief after an early shower for Niese, Collins brought in Erik Goeddel, who had trouble with the curve, and more issues finding the plate.  After a series of balls landed in the dirt, far from d’Arnaud’s glove, Paul Goldschmidt drew a walk, then Weeks unloaded his second HR, a three run blast, to extend Arizona’s lead 6-1.

Seth Lugo held the Diamondback’s in check for an inning and a third, then 3 additional runs rained on rookie Gabriel Ynoa in the bottom of the 7^th.

Josh Edgin was brought in to stop the bleeding in the 8th, but there was no tourniquet tight enough to tame the Diamondback’s bats.  Jean Segura singled to center, Mitch Haniger and Goldschmidt both got free passes on four pitches, and Segura scored a run courtesy of a wild pitch.   Then Tomas cranked a 2-0 pitch to center for a 3 run HR, his second of the game, and just like that, Arizona had themselves a baker’s dozen.

The Mets, cramming for exams in the top of the 9^th, tried to stage an improbable comeback against Dominic Leone, scoring 3 runs off of a Curtis Granderson solo shot, and a pitch hit 2 run HR by Rene Rivera.  With one out, a Ty Kelly double and Kelly Johnson single was titillating, but too little too late, as the door was slammed shut by Randall Delgago, who left them out to dry.

Another night of the same old same old with men in scoring position.  The Mets were 2-15, with 8 men LOB.  Their hunt for October still has some life, but with the Pirates and Cardinals pulling away from the pack, they’re making a tough case for fans to believe.

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