Happy Baseball Day (so the start time moved, we will adjust)! After a lockout that lasted more than three months, a delayed spring training and a delayed start of the regular season, baseball is finally here. This will be full season unlike any other since 1972, when both the American and National Leagues did not have the Designated Hitter. Yes, the DH is in the National League now, and it’s permanent (unlike the 2020 pandemic-shortened season).

I do not like the DH rule, and I never have. No, I’m not a traditionalist, in fact, I think the game has to innovate to re-generate fan interest. I’m not opposed to the “ghost runner”, I think it adds an element of strategy and excitement to extra innings. I really like the new schedule that we will see in 2023, in which every team will play every other team each year. And I like seven-inning games. The stakes are higher in every inning, and I think it makes the game more exciting (as well as two and one-half hours long, which it what it should be).

The DH is being employed for several reasons, some of which are reasonable. First, there has to be  the same rules in both leagues to implement the new scheduling format. The DH helps prevent injuries to pitchers (see Jacob deGrom), and it may allow starting pitchers to pitch deeper into games.

However, there is an inherent beauty of nine players against nine players in baseball. Every player plays a position, and bats. The concept is elegant in its simplicity. Player removal decisions have to be carefully contemplated and timed. That conjures up the “strategy” word. For 50 years, AL fans would say that no one goes to the game to see strategy. I would say “nonsense”, the NL plays chess while the AL plays checkers. The NL games was always more interesting, at least to me.

The days of nine on nine are now gone. We have to accept it. Some (maybe many) will like it. In an article for ESPN.com, Tim Kurkjian recaps some of the moments that pitchers taking their swings have provided over the years, the likes of which we will never see again:

We will never see a pitcher hit two home runs on Opening Day, as Madison Bumgarner — the only pitcher ever to do that — did in 2017. Adrian Beltre hit 477 homers and Johnny Bench hit 389, but neither hit one on Opening Day; Bumgarner hit two on the same Opening Day.

We will never have a competition within a pitching staff like the one on the 2021 Brewers. Bench coach Pat Murphy bought a 4-foot-tall wooden statue that was awarded to any Brewers pitcher who drew a walk without swinging his bat. The honorary statue was placed in that pitcher’s locker until the next pitcher accomplished the feat. “It’s in my locker now,” said Brewers pitcher Adrian Houser proudly. “It’s very competitive. As soon as it happens, the statue is moved immediately. It might be in my locker forever.”

We will never see a pitcher hit like George Brett‘s older brother, Ken, who hit a home run in four consecutive starts, a major league record. George always liked to say that Ken was the best hitter in the family.

And of course, there’s this one:

Indeed. In 2016, the overweight, underestimated, unforgettable Bartolo Colon, at age 42, became the oldest player ever to hit first major league home run, which featured one of the slowest, most joyous trips around the bases in baseball history, and it triggered one of the wildest dugout celebrations we have ever seen. “When we get back to the dugout, it’s just me and Bartolo; everyone else is down hiding in the tunnel,” said then-Mets catcher Kevin Plawecki, who was on base at the time of the home run. “I didn’t know what to do, bear hug him again? And then, everyone comes shooting out of the tunnel. It was unbelievable. Every guy on the team went over and gave him a big hug. It was absolutely nuts.”

It was nuts. It was magic. Now that magic is gone.

Current day pitchers have varied opinions on no longer digging in to take their swings. From the ESPN.com article:

“I’m going to miss it,” said New York Mets pitcher Max Scherzer, who loves hitting and running the bases as much as any pitcher in the game. “It bothers me as much as it should bother me.”

“I’m not going to miss it,” said Atlanta Braves pitcher Charlie Morton. “I don’t think anyone wants to watch me strike out on three pitches and walk back to the dugout 98 times out of a hundred.”

Baseball will now have uniformity, that’s true. But if that’s so important, why aren’t all the ballparks using the same dimensions? Anyway, I digress.

The National League held out for 50 years. Thank you to league presidents Chub Feeney, Barlett Giamatti, Bill White, and Leonard Coleman for sticking with original baseball from 1973 through 1999, then to the National League team owners for keeping the game nine versus nine for twenty two more years (save for the pandemic season).

Let’s play ball, even if the rules have changed. It’s still baseball, it will still be in our midst for seven months, and it’s still the greatest game on the planet.

The post For National League Fans, It’s a New Ball Game appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Good morning Mets fans! Monday’s 8:00 p.m. EST non-tender deadline has come and gone, and MLB now has a new crop of free agents. With 56 players non-tendered (including one who retired before being non-tendered), clubs will now be able to take a look at some expected non-tendered free agents, in addition to some unexpected non-tendered free agents.

Latest Mets News

The Mets tendered contracts to all of their arbitration-eligible players which includes Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz, Marcus Stroman, Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo, Seth Lugo, Robert Gsellman and Edwin Diaz.

The Mets are among a variety of teams interested in trading for Josh Hader according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post wrote that Hader is a risk the Mets cannot take.

Tony DeFrancesco, the manager of the Syracuse Mets, may be added to Carlos Beltran‘s coaching staff according to Andy Martino of SNY. DeFrancesco could slot into the Mets’ first base coach position.

Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported that the Mets again have a limited budget for the offseason. Therefore if the team is looking to add significant money, they would expectedly need to move money first.

Latest MLB News

The Cincinnati Reds and Mike Moustakas agreed to a four-year, $64 million contract.

The Chicago Cubs non-tendered Addison Russell. Last season Russell served a 40-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy in 2018. In the 82 games Russell did play in, he hit .237/.308/.391 with nine home runs and 23 RBIs.

The San Francisco Giants non-tendered Kevin Pillar.

The Oakland Athletics non-tendered Blake Treinen. Treinen registered a 0.78 ERA, 0.834 WHIP and 100 strikeouts in 80 1/3 innings during an All-Star 2018 campaign. However, he followed that up in 2019 by registering a 4.91 ERA, 1.619 WHIP and 59 strikeouts in 58 2/3 innings.

The A’s also traded Jurickson Profar to the San Diego Padres in exchange for Austin Allen and either a player to be named later or cash considerations. The Padres then signed Profar to a one-year, $5.7 million contract per Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports.

Texas Rangers general manager Josh Daniels recently met with free agents Anthony Rendon and Zack Wheeler according to Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News.

The Boston Red Sox traded Sandy Leon to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for minor leaguer Adenys Bautista. The Indians then signed Leon to a one-year, $2 million contract with performance bonuses of $25,000 if he starts 75 games at catcher and 100 games at catcher, per Zack Meisel of The Athletic.

The Indians also non-tendered Kevin Plawecki.

Latest NL East News

The Miami Marlins acquired Jonathan Villar from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for minor leaguer Easton Lucas. The team also claimed Jesus Aguilar off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays. Additionally, the Marlins designated JT Riddle and Tayron Guerrero for assignment, while also not tendering a contract to Riddle.

The Philadelphia Phillies non-tendered Maikel Franco and Cesar Hernandez.

The Atlanta Braves non-tendered John Ryan Murphy, Charlie Culberson and Rafael Ortega.

The Washington Nationals non-tendered Koda Glover and Javy Guerra. Glover, 26, announced his retirement earlier in the day, citing his injuries over the last three years as the reason for retirement.

Latest on MMO

Matt Musico wrote about two areas Robinson Cano improved upon in the second half of 2019.

Brian Devine listed and wrote about the Mets’ top-five worst offseason acquisitions of the decade.

Devine also wrote about how the Mets must act now on the reliever market.

This Day in Mets History

1969: The Mets traded Amos Otis and Bob Johnson to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for Joe Foy. Otis went on to win three Gold Gloves and appear in five All-Star Games in 14 seasons with the Royals. Foy played one season for the Mets and hit .236/.373/.329 with six home runs, 37 RBIs and 22 stolen bases.

1974: The Mets traded Tug McGraw, Don Hahn and Dave Schneck in exchange for Del Unser, Mac Scarce and John Stearns.

Birthdays: Matt Reynolds turns 29, Tobi Stoner turns 35, Paul Byrd turns 49, Kevin Morgan turns 50, Mark Bradley turns 63, Wayne Garrett turns 72 and Dave Eilers turns 83. Darryl Hamilton was also born on this day in 1964.

The post Morning Briefing: Non-Tender Deadline Leads To Annual Free Agent Frenzy appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The New York Mets made another trade on Sunday, sending catcher Kevin Plawecki to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for right-handed starter Walker Lockett and minor-league infielder Sam Haggerty, as per the team.

Plawecki, 27, was the Mets’ first-round draft pick in the 2012 MLB amateur draft, eventually making his MLB debut in 2015.

Over parts of four seasons with the big club, the Indiana native slashed .218/.308/.330 with 14 home runs, 75 runs batted in, 33 doubles, and a 77 OPS+ rating over 237 games (804 plate appearances).

Lockett, 24, was traded to the Indians from the San Diego Padres in November. He pitched to a 4.73 earned-run average with 118 strikeouts, 33 walks, and 1.335 WHIP over 23 starts for Triple-A El Paso last season.

The Jacksonville, Florida native made his MLB debut for the Friars on June 1 last year, making three MLB starts in 2018 (9.60 ERA, 2.133 WHIP, 15.0 innings).

As per Brooks Baseball, Lockett’s pitch repertoire consists of a four-seam fastball (93 MPH), curveball, and changeup. He will take Plawecki’s spot on the 40-man roster and has one minor league option remaining as pointed out by MMO’s own Jacob Resnick. Brodie Van Wagenen had this to say on Lockett as detailed by Matt Ehalt of The Record:

“We continue to focus on acquiring young major league ready talent for 2019 and beyond. Still only 24 years old, Walker provides us valuable depth to our starting rotation.”

Sam Haggerty, also 24, is a utility infielder (shortstop, second, and third base) drafted by Cleveland in the 24th round of the 2015 MLB draft.

In 372 plate appearances split between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus, Haggerty hit .239/.369/.384 with 21 doubles, one triple, four homers, and 36 RBI. He also stole 26 bases while being caught seven times.

On Haggerty, Van Wagenen said that he “is athletic with good speed and a strong arm.”

The post Mets Send Plawecki to Cleveland, Acquire RHP Walker Lockett appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

An often overlooked, but important date of the off-season baseball calendar is fast approaching. That date is January 11, 2019 and it marks the deadline for teams and arbitration-eligible players to submit 2019 salary figures.

The player files what he believes he should be paid in the upcoming season and the team counters with what they think the player should be paid. It is important to note that even after the filing period, both the teams and players can still negotiate a contract of any size.

Over 200 players are arbitration-eligible in 2019 and as of this writing only about 20% have avoided arbitration by settling with their team on a new contract. Interestingly, the World Champion Boston Red Sox have the most players who are eligible for arbitration with 12, followed by the Diamondbacks with 11 with four teams having ten (Astros, Brewers, Dodgers, and Twins).

The Red Sox have 2018 American League MVP Mookie Betts arbitration-eligible and it will be interesting to see if the Sox try to negotiates a long-term contract with Betts before his free agency years which begin after the 2020 season.

As for the New York Mets, after Travis d’Arnaud agreed to terms with the team in late December, they are left with six players who are arbitration-eligible. The six names will be listed along with the estimate for their projected arbitration salaries according to MLB Trade Rumors.

Jacob deGrom, RHP – The NL reigning Cy Young award winner, is entering his third year of arbitration and is projected to make $12.9 million. DeGrom earned $7.4 million in 2018.

Zack Wheeler, RHP – The 28-year-old also entering his third year of arbitration and is projected to get a significant raise to $5.3 million from his $1.9 million salary of a year ago.

Noah Syndergaard, RHP – He’s entering his second year of arbitration and is projected to make $5.9 million after earning a little over $2.9 million last year.

Steven Matz, LHP –  Entering his first year of arbitration and is expected to earn $3 million. It is interesting to note that the first four players are all Mets’ pitchers, under team control for now but free agency looms around the corner.

Michael Conforto, OF – He’s entering his first year of arbitration and is projected to see a significant raise to $4.4 million in 2019.

Kevin Plawecki, C -Also in his first year of arbitration, is expected to earn $1.3 million.

The most notable of the above of course is Jacob deGrom. Mike Puma of the NY Post wrote on Tuesday that a long-term contract with deGrom is a team priority, but the Mets have not extended an offer to him as of now.

Puma’s sources further indicate that there were discussions at the recently concluded Winter Meetings between Mets’ COO Jeff Wilpon and deGrom’s new agent, Jeff Berry, but it is still unclear if the talks involved a long-term contract or a possible salary for 2019. Mets’ GM Brodie Van Wagenen, deGrom’s former agent, was not allowed to participate in the talks for fear of conflict of interest.

DeGrom, 30, is under team control for the next two seasons so it certainly behooves him to seek a deal as soon as he can. It is not unreasonable for deGrom to ask for a salary in the Max Scherzer, Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke area all of whom make over $30 million per year. It will be interesting to see how the contracts of Betts and deGrom play out over the coming days, months or even years and if either (or both) the Red Sox and the Mets decide to opt for long-term deals.

With January 11 just a week away, general managers around baseball will be busy trying to sign their own players and avoid arbitration which can be contentious. Randy Levine, the president of the New York Yankees, still has some harsh words for Dellin Betances following their 2017 hearing.

Over the years, the vast majority of arbitration-eligible players agree to a contract before filing salary figures. For those who do not, arbitration hearings will take place between February 1 and February 20. Some teams, like the Mets use a “file and trial” approach meaning that a team cuts off contract negotiations after filing salary figures. This is meant to put pressure on the player to sign. But as pointed out by the Post, “file and trial” teams are often open to negotiating long-term contracts, so that the player will not necessarily be heading for arbitration.

Whatever happens, it is assured that it will be a long and potentially arduous time for baseball before pitchers and catchers finally report in Florida and Arizona in mid-February.

The post Deadline To Exchange Arbitration Figures is Week Away appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

After Wilson Ramos‘ introductory press conference on Tuesday, New York Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen addressed what has become a hot-button topic since the team signed Ramos on Sunday; what’s to become of incumbent backstops Travis d’Arnaud and Kevin Plawecki?

Speaking with SNY‘s Steve Gelbs, Van Wagenen gave some crystal-clear insight as to where the organization stands on these two and their future with the Mets.

When asked if he “could see himself” starting next season with Ramos, d’Arnaud, and Plawecki on the roster, or if he feels the need to trade one of the backups, Van Wagenen minced no words.

“We don’t need to move one of those guys”, Van Wagenen said. “There’s been a lot of interest from other teams, both before [the Ramos signing] and certainly after, that gives us an indication that teams value our players highly.”

He also noted d’Arnaud’s ability — and eagerness — to play other positions, and how it gives credence to the idea of keeping and carrying all three catchers.

“I think that Travis’ versatility to be able to play first, his willingness to explore third base and left field gives us [confidence] that we could carry three catchers given the fact that [d’Arnaud] could be an offensive-minded player that can fit around the diamond,” he said. “As we’re looking to build 25 guys, he can be a really interesting guy for us.”

The Mets chose to bring back d’Arnaud, 29, for his seventh season with the club. Before requiring ulnar collateral surgery in April, the California native carried with him a .245/.306/.406 slash line with 162-game averages of 19 home runs, 27 doubles, 66 runs batted in, and a 96 OPS+ rating.

Unfortunately for d’Arnaud, actually staying on the field for a full season has been an ongoing issue.

He played in over 100 games twice in his six-year career (2014, 108; 2017, 112), but played in a total of just 177 through his other four MLB seasons due to consistent trips to the disabled list caused by a laundry list of injuries (concussion, 2014; fractured finger, 2015; sprained left elbow, 2015; rotator cuff strain, 2016; bruised wrist, 2017; UCL, 2018). The life of a catcher, eh?

His framing skills are terrific behind the plate, but he’s got a notoriously weak arm. It’s possible a move from catcher could reignite a clearly talented ballplayer in d’Arnaud. There’s a reason he’s stuck around this long, after so much adversity.

As for Plawecki, his 2017 season (.260/.364/.400, 106 OPS+) gave a glimpse of what type of player the 27-year-old can truly be at the plate. Despite a not-so-pretty .210/.315/.370 slash line and 65 strikeouts in 277 plate appearances last season, his 13 doubles, seven homers, and 94 OPS+ indicate some definite upside.

With an everyday catcher in Wilson Ramos now in the fold, a hypothetical spring training battle between d’Arnaud and Plawecki should be a good one. Whether both are still here come February will be presumably be determined in short order.

The post Mets See Versatility in D’Arnaud, Could Carry Three Catchers appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Kevin Plawecki, C

Player Data: Age: 27, B/T: R/R, Free Agency: 2023
Basic Stats: 79 G, 277 PA, 7 HR, .210/.315/.370
Advanced Stats: 96 wRC+, .302 wOBA, .160 ISO, 0.6 fWAR, 1.3 bWAR

Grade: C-

2018 Review:

Kevin Plawecki produced an eye-opening .885 on-base plus slugging in his final 27 games in 2017 to solidify his role as a major league player going into this year. In 2018, he cemented his role as a valuable backup catcher on for a contending team with significant room to grow.

The Mets’ 2018 Opening Day catcher never fully had an opportunity to seize the full-time job as both he and Travis d’Arnaud suffered injuries in April. When the team acquired Devin Mesoraco to supplement their depleted catching depth, Plawecki was relegated to a backup role for the majority of the season.

Although Plawecki was unable to replicate his late-2017 offensive surge, his 96 wRC+ ranked significantly greater than the 84 wRC+ produced by the average major-league catcher. He produced a career-high 277 plate appearances and offensive numbers to correlate: a career-high seven home runs and 13 doubles highlight his above-average offensive ability behind the dish. He continued to show increased plate discipline with a walk percentage (10.5) greater than his career average (9.5). Furthermore, he showed offensive versatility in his ability to hit both right-handed pitchers (.681 OPS) and left-handed pitchers (.700 OPS) – a trait that will make him all the more valuable for the Mets moving forward.

Plawecki’s -4.6 framing runs show he has significant room to grow behind the plate, but Fangraphs’ 4.6 Def ranks him as an above-average option behind the dish. For a backup catcher he is a perfectly adequate option at an affordable salary.

2019 Outlook:

Plawecki’s continued improvement is encouraging for a Mets team that desperately needs to find consistency at the position; yet, Plawecki’s advancements are not enough to justify his role as an everyday option. If the Mets want to contend in 2018, he will be an ideal complement to a newly-added starting catcher. 

The post 2018 Mets Report Card: Kevin Plawecki, Catcher appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors released a predictions list for all 30 teams arbitration-eligible players and what their final salaries will end up being.

The Mets have nine players on the roster that are slated to be eligible for arbitration this offseason.

In terms of the pitching staff, all four of the young starters pictured above will be hitting arbitration. Jacob deGrom will make the largest sum of the bunch entering his second season of arbitration with a projected income of $12.9 million when its all said and done in his third year of arbitration after his Cy Young campaign in 2018.

Noah Syndergaard, meanwhile, is projected to receive $5.9 million in his second year of arbitration after making a little over $2.9 million this year.

Zack Wheeler is expected to see a $4 million raise from his $1.9 million salary in 2018 at a total of $5.9 million in his third and final season of arbitration this offseason. His salary remained so low largely due to the number of injury issues he dealt with from 2015-2017. Wheeler will be a free agent at the end of the 2019 season.

Steven Matz will have the lowest number of the bunch as he is expected to receive only $3 million in his first year of arbitration.

The last pitcher mentioned is Rafael Montero who could be a non-tender candidate, but coming off Tommy John Surgery in 2018 is only expected to make $900K, thereby making him quite inexpensive to keep. However, he will once again be without any options so if he fails to earn a roster spot upon returning from the DL next season he could find himself without a job very quickly.

In terms of hitters with secure footings on roster spots in 2019, Michael Conforto will be entering his first season of arbitration and is expected to see a raise to $4.4 million this offseason.

Meanwhile, Kevin Plawecki could see more a modest increase in his first year of arbitration to $1.3 million in 2019.

Moving on to the non-tender candidates, Travis d’Arnaud is projected to make $3.7 million, but coming off Tommy John Surgery and having not had an uber-productive season since 2015, the Mets might look to part ways for the catcher at that price.

Wilmer Flores, who by now is an iconic fan-favorite, also might find himself in jeopardy of being non-tendered given his early signs of arthritis and the fact that the team has multiple first base options including Jay Bruce, Dominic Smith, and top-prospect Peter Alonso. If the Mets were to strike a deal with him, Flores could get $4.7 million.

Flores notably challenged the Mets in his first year of arbitration back in 2017 as the Mets offered $1.8 million while he countered at $2.2 million. That ended up leading to a hearing in which Flores won. This will be his third and final time going through arbitration before becoming a free agent at the conclusion of the 2019 season.

The post MLBTR: 2019 Mets Arbitration Projections appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The New York Mets (75-84) defeated the Atlanta Braves (89-70) by a score of 4-1 on Thursday night at Citi Field.

The post Game Recap: Mets Beat Braves 4-1 Behind Vargas’ Best Start Of 2018  appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

According to a report by Mike Puma of the New York Post the CT scans for both Zack Wheeler and Kevin Plawecki have come back negative.

Wheeler pitched seven innings of three-run ball with nine strikeouts despite being drilled by a Justin Turner line dive in the fourth inning.

Plawecki was hit by a pitch in the eighth inning and had to leave the game. He went 2-for-3 on the night.

Original Post – Sept. 5

Mike Puma of the New York Post reports that Zack Wheeler and Kevin Plawecki will both be getting CT scans before the team leaves L.A. tonight.

Puma reports, though, that Wheeler already received an x-ray on his chest that came up negative as a result of being hit by a line drive in the chest off the bat of Justin Turner.

Wheeler, 28, pitched seven innings in which he allowed three runs, three hits, and walked two while striking out nine batters to record his tenth victory of the year.

Plawecki, meanwhile, went 2-for-3 and was hit by a pitch in the ribs during the top of the eighth which got him replaced by the Tomas Nido in the bottom of the inning.

Devin Mesoraco has been hurt too so the Mets might have to add a catcher to the 40-man roster if Plawecki needs to miss any time.

The post CT Scans Negative for Plawecki, Wheeler appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Heading into Friday night’s series opener in San Francisco, the New York Mets announced a couple of roster moves.

Catcher Kevin Plawecki was placed on paternity leave, which had been expected, and the Mets activated right-handed reliever Jacob Rhame as the corresponding roster move.

Plawecki, 27, is hitting .235/.336/.396 in 60 games this season. He missed nearly two months (April 11 to May 28) with a broken bone in his hand after being hit by a pitch.

Rhame, 25, has had a mostly disappointing campaign after showing a ton of promise in spring training.

In 23.1 innings pitched this season (22 appearances), the right-hander has a 7.71 earned-run average with a 6.71 FIP, and a 48 ERA+.

The post Plawecki Placed on Paternity Leave, Rhame Activated appeared first on Metsmerized Online.