Also, good morning to any Knicks fans out there!

A good Wednesday for the guys in blue started in Arizona where the Mets took the rubber match against the Arizona Diamondbacks by a score of 7-1. Despite having some control issues early on, Kodai Senga found the range and went six innings of shutout ball, lowering his ERA to 1.16 on the season. Along with that, Juan Soto had his second multi-homer game of the season, going 2-for-4 with two long balls and three RBIs. Click here for a full game recap!

The Mets have an off day on Thursday and will start a three-game set against the Chicago Cubs on Friday at Citi Field. The projected starters are Clay Holmes, Tylor Megill and Griffin Canning. 

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Latest Mets News

The Mets signed veteran left-handed reliever Colin Poche to a minor-league contract and he will report to Syracuse. Click here for more on the signing. 

Padres’ Jose Iglesias was ‘totally shocked’ he didn’t receive contract offer from Mets in the offseason, per Anthony Rieber of Newsday.

Latest MLB News

The Baltimore Orioles acquired RHP Luis F. Castillo (not the All-Star) from the Seattle Mariners for cash considerations. 

The Los Angeles Dodgers announced Evan Phillips is on the IL with right forearm discomfort, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic.

Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino announced he will be playing for Team Italy in the 2026 WBC, per his X page.

Former Mets relief pitcher Stephen Nogosek signed a contract with the Kansas City Royals, per player agent John Shinn.

Alex Bregman launched his 200th career home run over the Green Monster on Wednesday night.

Breggy Bomb No. 200 💥 pic.twitter.com/E0QPmJ47lE

— MLB (@MLB) May 7, 2025

Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black told reporters that Kris Bryant is undergoing an ablation procedure on his lower back on Thursday.

The Cincinnati Reds placed on the 10-day injured list IF Noelvi Marte, retroactive to May 5th, with a left oblique strain. 

The Chicago White Sox placed outfielder Andrew Benintendi on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to May 5th, with a left calf strain.

Latest On MMO

The Mets sign a veteran lefty reliever.

Soto goes deep twice in the Mets’ win.

Mets have three players in Baseball America’s updated top 100. 

On This Date In Mets History

2010: Henry Blanco hits a walk-off home run to beat the Giants.

1961: New York’s National League expansion team announces that they will be known as the “Mets.” 

Born on This Date: Sean Gilmartin (1990), Adrián González (1982), John Maine (1981).

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Grab Rubber Match Over Arizona appeared first on Metsmerized.

The Mets are rolling.

With a 9-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Mets earned a series sweep over the Buccos and have now won four straight series to get back over .500. Luis Severino had another solid outing and the offense continued swinging their hot bats during their four-game win streak. Click here for a full breakdown of the Mets’ win on Wednesday.

Photo by Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Now, the Mets are heading out west as they have to go on one of those vaunted west coast trips. After their 0-5 start it seemed as though this would be an impossible task, but after winning 10 of their last 13, the Mets will go into California with momentum.

Starting on Friday, New York will go to Dodger Stadium and face reigning MVP Shohei Ohtani and the other prize of this past offseason, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, in a three-game set. After facing the struggling Dodgers, who have lost three of their last four series, they will head up the coast to San Francisco to take on the third-place Giants. 

After bouncing back the past two weeks, even a split of these next six games would leave the Mets in a great spot for their next homestand. What’s your prediction for the Mets’ west coast trip?

Latest Mets News

The early reports on Brett Baty are encouraging and Mets manager Carlos Mendoza believes he will be able to avoid the IL, per Will Sammon of The Athletic. Baty left Tuesday’s game against the Pirates with left hamstring tightness.

The Mets announced that they have claimed Michael Tonkin off of waivers from the Minnesota Twins and have DFA’d Tyler Jay. Click here for more information on the transaction.

Mets RHP prospect Christian Scott joins Baseball America‘s top 100 list. Click here for more information.

Laura Albanese of Newsday dove deeper into Mets fan, “The Rally Pimp,” and how his aura has helped turn the Mets’ season around. 

Michael Clair of MLB.com wrote an article about the possibility of bringing baseball to Wrexham AFC as the Mets and Phillies prepare to face off in London this season.

Jack Fisher, who was the starting pitcher for the Mets for the first game at Shea Stadium, threw out the first pitch at Wednesday’s game, 60 years later. Click here for a flashback to that game 60 years ago.

Latest MLB News

Robert Stephenson will miss the season with an elbow injury, the Angels announced.

Justin Verlander will be coming off the IL and is planning to make his first start of the season for the Houston Astros on Friday against the Washington Nationals, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.

Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Whitlock was placed on the 15-day IL with a left oblique strain. To fill the spot, they called up LHP Joe Jacques from Triple-A Worcester.

The Colorado Rockies placed former MVP Kris Bryant on the 10-day IL (retroactive to April 14) with a low back strain. They subsequently recalled outfielder Sean Bouchard from Triple-A Albuquerque. 

The San Diego Padres placed their all-star pitcher, Yu Darvish, on the 15-day IL (retroactive to April 15) with neck tightness. They called up RHP Logan Gillaspie from Triple-A El Paso to take his spot.

The Cleveland Guardians sent cash considerations to the San Diego Padres and received RHP Pedro Avila in return. 

The Seattle Mariners reinstated INF/OF Sam Haggerty from the 10-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Tacoma.

Mike Trout tells Alden González of ESPN.com, a trade “hasn’t even crossed my mind.” González added that Trout seems hellbent on proving that he’s still elite and can bring the Angels to the playoffs.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton said that catcher Joey Bart was scratched from Wednesday’s lineup as he has not felt well after getting hit in the head with a home run in batting practice, per Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The incident happened while Bart was catching in the bullpen.

Latest on MMO

Metsmerized is giving away a rally pimp T-shirt on Twitter. The Rally Pimp will also be joining the MMO podcast this week!

Metsmerized Online continues to remember the founder of the website, Joe D., a year later.

Read up on the Mets 9-1 win against the Pirates, claiming their first sweep of the season!

On This Date in Mets History

2014: The Mets trade first baseman and former first-round pick Ike Davis to the Pittsburgh Pirates for pitcher Zach Thornton and a player to be named later (Blake Taylor). Davis hit .241 with 68 home runs during his time in Queens. 

Birthdays: Brady Clark (51), Rico Brogna (54), Doug Flynn (73)

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Have Won 10 of 13 appeared first on Metsmerized.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Mets (26-14) are heading to Denver to face the Rockies (18-19) in a three-game weekend series. It seems like every time the Mets visit Denver, especially early in the season, the weather is terrible. Back in 2013, there was so much snow when the Mets visited Colorado, that then-general manager Sandy Alderson helped shovel snow off the field. This time, things are still looking unfortunate weather-wise in Denver, as the city is under a winter storm warning from noon on Friday until noon MDT on Saturday.

The game scheduled for Friday night has been postponed. They’ll play a split-admission doubleheader Saturday at 3:10 p.m. and 8:40 p.m.

The Mets are heading to Denver after receiving some terrible news. Ace Max Scherzer has a moderate to high grade oblique strain and is going to miss considerable time. With Jacob deGrom out with his shoulder injury, and not yet throwing off the mound, the loss of Scherzer really weakens the Mets’ starting rotation. Tylor Megill is set to start throwing again Friday, so hopefully he returns soon to help shore up the rotation.

After losing to the Mariners 2-1 in their first series loss of the year, the Mets bounced back to beat the Cardinals 4-1 in the final match up of the year between the two teams. Pete Alonso was great in the final two games of the series, going five for eight with two home runs, including a walk-off, game winner on Thursday. Jeff McNeil continued his hot start to the season, with seven RBIs against the Cardinals. The Mets were without Starling Marte, as his grandmother who raised him passed away suddenly and he had to return home to the Dominican Republic. But he’s returning to the roster on Friday and will be available against the Rockies.

The Rockies have not won a series since they faced the Nationals at the beginning of the month. They lost to the Giants in their most recent series and avoided a sweep by beating the Giants in the final game 5-3. That win ended the Rockies’ 12-game losing streak against the Giants. The Rockies’ pitching has struggled, and their team 5.96 ERA has them ranked 29 out of 30 teams, ahead of only the Reds.

On the offensive side of things, first baseman C.J. Cron has been the Rockies’ best hitter, with a .319/.365/.604 slash line, 10 home runs, and 30 RBIs so far this season. The Rockies’ top off-season acquisition, Kris Bryant, was signed to help the offense, but he was placed on the injured list on April 29 due to back soreness. He is likely going to be activated off the injured list on Friday, in time to face the Mets. Bryant has historically hit well against the Mets, and he has 10 home runs and 24 RBIs in 39 games against them.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, May 21, 2022: RHP Carlos Carrasco (3-1, 3.73 ERA) vs. RHP Germán Márquez (1-3, 6.16 ERA)

Carrasco has never faced the Rockies in his career, and so he has never pitched at Coors Field. Of the players on the current Rockies squad, only Cron, Randal Grichuk, and Jose Iglesias have faced Carrasco. Iglesias has faced Carrasco the most, with a .333/.421/.515 slash line in 33 at bats. Carrasco struggled a bit in his last outing against the Mariners. He gave up four runs in 4 1/3 innings. In general, though, Carrasco has been great for the Mets this season, and the Mets will need the solid Carrasco to show up in this series, especially in light of Scherzer’s injury.

Márquez was an All Star for the Rockies in 2021, the first time in his career he received that honor. He had a 3.36 ERA in the first half of 2021. But things have not gone well for Márquez since that All Star game, as his ERA increased to 6.12 in the second half of 2021, and things have not improved in 2022. Márquez has faced the Mets five times in his career- he has a 3.48 ERA in 31 innings. He has also pitched acceptably at Coors Field, with a 4.81 ERA in 74 games.

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, May 21, 2022: RHP Trevor Williams (0-2, 4.20 ERA) vs. LHP Austin Gomber (2-3, 4.38 ERA)

Williams pitched well for the Mets his last time out, in the first game of the double header against the Cardinals on May 17. He pitched four scoreless innings and helped put the team in a position to win the game. He is starting Saturday in what would have been Megill’s spot in the rotation. Williams has started two games at Coors Field in his career. He has a 5.27 ERA in 13 2/3 innings.

Gomber has only faced the Mets once in his career, but it was a great start. He got the win for the Rockies, going eight innings, and giving up only two runs. Gomber’s most recent start this year was against the Royals. He went six innings, giving up three runs in a game that the Rockies would go on to lose 8-7, thanks to a bullpen implosion.

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Sunday, May 22, 2022: RHP Taijuan Walker (1-0, 3.52 ERA) vs. RHP Chad Kuhl (3-2, 3.86 ERA)

Walker has pitched before at Coors Field, and he has pitched well- in four starts in Denver, Walker has a 2.63 ERA. Walker has mostly pitched well for the Mets this year. His season got off to a slow start, as he suffered a bout of shoulder bursitis during his first start of the season and wound up on the injured list until April 30. His last start against the Cardinals was okay- he gave up three runs in five innings of work. With the injury to Scherzer, Walker is another starter that will be counted on to step up.

Kuhl struggled in his most recent outing against the Giants. He only made it through three innings, and he gave up six runs, five of them earned. Kuhl has faced the Mets three times in his career- he has a 4.73 ERA in 13 1/3 innings. However, most of the current Mets’ squad have not faced Kuhl much- Dominic Smith and Travis Jankowski have the most at-bats against Kuhl. Smith has not recorded a hit against Kuhl in five at-bats, but Jankowski has two hits in four at-bats.

Prediction:

Based on how the Mets and Rockies are trending in opposite directions this season, the Mets should be able to get their first series sweep of the year this weekend. Fingers crossed the weather and the high-altitude of Coors Field don’t cause any issues.

The post Series Preview: Mets Look For Rocky Mountain High appeared first on Metsmerized.

UPDATE: 3/14/22, 2:02 PM EST

Let’s catch up on some news and notes from this morning, shall we?

• Brad Hand will join the Phillies bullpen on a one-year, $6 million deal
• Sean Doolittle returns home to the Nationals on a one-year deal
• Ian Kennedy signed an incentive-laden contract with the Diamondbacks that could be worth up to $7 million.

There was also a report that came out indicating Japanese star Seiya Suzuki will sign a five-year, $70 million deal with the San Diego Padres. He worked out for the team on Sunday. We’ll keep an eye on this one because this isn’t confirmed.

UPDATE: 3/13/22, 11:30 PM EST

In a bit of a shocker, Nelson Cruz reportedly is going to Washington on a two-year deal, according to multiple reports. Jon Heyman clarifies it’s a one-year deal with a second-year mutual option.

In another bit of a shocker, the Yankees are acquiring Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa (just acquired by the Twins Saturday) from the Twins, according to Jeff Passan. Gary Sanchez is heading back to Minnesota (who just traded Mitch Garver in the Kiner-Falefa deal), according to Jon Heyman, as is Gio Urshela, according to Ken Rosenthal.

UPDATE: 3/13/22, 4:40 PM EST

More rumors and signings have surfaced over the last couple hours. They include:

• Anibal Sanchez signed with the Nationals (last pitched in the majors in 2020 with the Nats)
• Vince Velasquez joined the White Sox
• Nelson Cruz reportedly has narrowed down his team choice to the Dodgers and Padres, with the Braves potentially waiting in the wings, according to Hector Gomez

UPDATE: 3/13/22, 1:39 PM EST

The Reds traded starting pitcher Sonny Gray and prospect Francis Peguero to the Twins in exchange for pitching prospect Chase Petty—the Twins’ first-round pick from the 2021 draft and No. 7 in the team’s system.

UPDATE: 3/13/22, 1:08 PM EST

The Mets made a signing! The team inked Adam Ottavino to a one-year deal worth $4 million.

In other reliever news, the Red Sox signed Jake Diekman.

UPDATE: 3/13/22, 11:30 AM EST

A handful of signings occurred overnight and Sunday morning:

• Hanser Alberto to the Dodgers
• Reliever Matt Strahm signed with the Red Sox
• Jesse Chavez re-signed with the Cubs

UPDATE: 3/12/22, 9:19 PM EST

Well, well, well! Old friend Jeurys Familia signed a one-year deal worth $6 million with the Philadelphia Phillies. He reportedly can earn up to an extra million on the deal.

UPDATE: 3/12/22, 7:18 PM EST

While the Mets traded J.T. Ginn and Adam Oller for Chris Bassitt, multiple signings occurred around baseball:

• Joe Kelly to the White Sox
• Scott Schebler to the Reds
• Jose Iglesias to the Rockies
• Robinson Chirinos to the Orioles
• Josh Harrison to the White Sox

UPDATE: 3/12/22, 4:24 PM EST

The Blue Jays signed Yusei Kikuchi to a three-year, $36 million deal. He was one of the better arms left on the free-agent market and one the Mets kept tabs on before the lockout.

If the Mets are still looking for starting pitching, it may come in the form of a trade.

UPDATE: 3/12/22, 11:24 AM EST

The Twins have traded for the Rangers’ Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Jeff Passan of ESPN reported. He added that catcher Mitch Garver is headed to the Rangers in the deal. Kiley McDaniel of ESPN added that the third player in the deal is right-handed pitcher Ronny Henriquez, going from the Rangers to the Twins.

UPDATE: 3/12/22, 10:47 AM EST

As Saturday morning rolls around, there are a couple lighter rumors and reports floating around:

• Johnny Cueto‘s market is “heating up,” according to Jon Heyman
• The Mets are one of a handful of teams interested in infielder Jose Iglesias, according to Hector Gomez
• Reliever Steve Cishek signed a one-year deal with the Nationals
• DH Nelson Cruz will “likely” sign a deal with a team by Sunday, Gomez also reported

UPDATE: 3/11/22, 9:39 PM EST

MMO’s own Michael Mayer says the Mets have talked to Reds about Tyler Mahle. He’s one of three Reds pitchers–along with Luis Castillo and Sonny Gray–who could be dealt before the season.

UPDATE: 3/11/22, 9:08 PM EST

Jon Heyman reports five teams are in the mix for Seiya Suzuki‘s services: the Giants, Dodgers, Mariners, Cubs and Red Sox. The Japanese star has about 30 days left to sign a deal with a Major League Baseball team.

The Mets had previously done scouting on Suzuki.

UPDATE: 3/11/22, 8:08 PM EST

The Dodgers’s talks with Freddie Freeman are intensifying, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network. The report comes following his first tweet that the Dodgers were making a strong push for Freeman. Morosi says Freeman’s decision will come within 24 hours.

UDPATE: 3/11/22, 5:36 PM EST

As Buster Olney reported earlier, Clayton Kershaw is officially heading back to the Dodgers on a one-year deal.

Also, Andrelton Simmons signed a one-year deal with the Chicago Cubs worth $4 million. He can earn more based on incentives. Ken Rosenthal reports this doesn’t stop the Cubs from pursuing Carlos Correa, though that would seemingly put some level of a dent in those plans.

UDPATE: 3/11/22, 5:36 PM EST

The Mets have been linked to a handful of bullpen arm by ESPN’s Buster Olney and MMO’s own Mike Mayer. Those names are Milwaukee’s Josh Hader and free agents Collin McHugh and Andrew Chafin.

Hader would obviously need to be acquired in a trade (and he’d be a hefty price), but it’s clear the Mets are at least looking at premium arms to improve its bullpen.

UDPATE: 3/11/22, 4:05 PM EST

Carlos Rodón, the top free-agent left-handed arm left on the market, signed a two-year, $44 million deal with the San Francisco Giants, according to ESPN‘s Jeff Passan.

On top of that, Buster Olney reports there is “heavy industry expectation” that Clayton Kershaw will pitch for the Dodgers in 2022.

So that’s two lefty starters off the market. Yusei Kikuchi still remains.

UPDATE: 3/11/22, 3:05 PM EST

Joe Frisaro of Man on Second reports that the Marlins are targeting outfielders Bryan Reynolds via trade from the Pirates and free agent Michael Conforto.

Conforto has received interest from the Yankees, Diamondbacks, Phillies, and Mariners as well.

UPDATE: 3/11/22, 2:37 PM EST

Robert Murray of FanSided reports that the Texas Rangers have signed left-handed pitcher Martin Perez. Jon Heyman of Audacy reports that it’s a one-year dal worth $4 million.

Pérez had a 4.74 ERA in 22 starts and 14 relief outings for the Red Sox in 2021. The 30-year-old was originally signed by the Rangers back in 2007 and made his big league debut with the team in 2012.

UPDATE: 3/11/22, 11:55 AM EST

We have the first big league deal post lockout! Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports that the St. Louis Cardinals have signed right-hander Drew VerHagen to a major league deal.

The deal is for two-years, $5.5 million for the former Detroit Tiger. The 31-year-old spent the last two seasons pitching for the Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan.

UPDATE: 3/11/22, 8:50 AM EST

Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports that the Cubs are among the favorites for star free agent shortstop Carlos Correa. The Cubs did engage talks with the top remaining free agent before the lockout started.

UPDATE: 3/11/22, 8:00 am EST

Andy Martino that the Mets are not likely to sign Kris Bryant or bring back free-agent outfielder Michael Conforto.

ORIGINAL POST: 3/10/22, 16:30 pm EST

With the collective bargaining agreement negotiations resolved, Major League Baseball lifted its lockout of the players, opening up free agency to resume Thursday night. It will be the first time in nearly 100 days a player can sign with a major-league club.

Free agency is expected to resume around 6:30 p.m. Thursday night once the MLB owners officially ratify the CBA.

We’ll keep you updated here with deals Mets- and non-Mets-related as they come in through the night and over the next couple days. Larger signings and Mets-related signings will get their own news posts, as well. Some of the big names left on the market include: Carlos Correa, Freddie Freeman, Clayton Kershaw, Kris Bryant, Carlos Rodón, Kyle Schwarber, Trevor Story and others.

For now, strap in, and get ready for a whirlwind of a couple days as hundreds of players try to lock in new deals before spring training games start next week.

The post MLB Free Agency Thread: Brad Hand To The Phillies appeared first on Metsmerized.

After the New York Mets dropped more than $250 million via free agency prior to the lockout, it’s safe to assume many Mets fans had one thought in mind: a return to the playoffs in 2022. When looking at the team’s 2021 performance, it’ll take a significant jump in results to go from a 77-85 club to one that plays postseason baseball.

As everyone knows, the Mets have reached the playoffs nine times since getting established (1969, 1973, 1986, 1988, 1999, 2000, 2006, 2015, 2016). All these occurrences have been preceded by a record better than .500…except in 1969 and 2015.

Of course, these two occurrences were a little extra special because not only did they both include trips to the World Series, but they ended a streak of losing seasons. New York was beginning to trend up in the win-loss column from 1967-68, but the best record they finished with was 73-89. So, following seven straight losing campaigns, the Mets emphatically broke that streak with a 100-62 record and a World Series title. Not bad at all.

Fast-forwarding to 2015, it was a similar but different situation. New York had finished with a winning record four years in a row from 2005-08. From there, they became a perpetual 70-win club while eventually rebuilding for their next competitive window. That streak of winning baseball was followed by six consecutive years of no more than 79 wins, but no fewer than 70. Then, 2015 came around and New York won the National League pennant after posting a 90-72 record.

Although some of the seasons prior to other playoff appearances weren’t terrific, momentum towards something special was being built. The 2022 version of the Mets won’t have to break a cycle of that many consecutive losing seasons thanks to an 86-76 showing in 2019, but the last couple of years haven’t necessarily been great.

Pressure continues to mount, as well. Steve Cohen said prior to last season that his goal is to have the Mets win a World Series within the next five years. After one season under his belt as owner, that timeline has now shrunk by a year. The entire coaching staff has changed, he’s watched an experienced manager in Buck Showalter take control, and he was played an integral part in signing Max Scherzer to lead the rotation with Jacob deGrom.

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Of course, being in the big leagues comes with inherent pressures, and that’s even more true in a major media market like New York. But at least the Mets are showing they’re serious, right?

With eyes of hopefully starting to compete the following season, Sandy Alderson’s major-league acquisitions in advance of 2015 included signing Michael Cuddyer to a two-year, $21 million deal and John Mayberry Jr. to a one-year, $1.45 deal. Sure, they made crucial mid-year trades that helped propel this club to the Fall Classic, but it’s safe to assume nobody was thinking “The Mets are going to the World Series” after that kind of offseason.

Since the Mets are now spending more than ever before, the hope of seeing the Amazins in October again has certainly increased. What will be crucial for general manager Billy Eppler and the rest of the front office is to finish the job they started earlier in the offseason (once there’s a new CBA in place and they’re able to, of course).

Last week, we saw a report from Andy Martino stating the Mets were likely done making splashy acquisitions prior to Opening Day. Of course, “likely” doesn’t mean “definitely”, but I’m not going to lie, I was a little sad upon reading that. Mostly because hearing that wording during the previous regime meant the Mets were definitely done. I’m still getting used to New York having the sport’s richest owner because there’s always a chance Cohen gives the green light to drop the metaphorical hammer if he wants (you know, the one that has all the cash in it).

Jon Heyman got me excited again simply because he worded his tweet differently, saying the Mets could consider bringing in more significant talent to hopefully put them over the edge. Whether that means trying to wine and dine Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, Trevor Story, Clayton Kershaw, or swing a trade isn’t the point. In recent years — during both the offseason and at the July trade deadline — the Mets have made moves but didn’t quite finish the job by completely augmenting the roster in the way it was most needed.

That’ll need to change once the lockout ends. The offense has certainly improved, but the bullpen could use some reinforcements, and the rotation could at least use additional depth so what happened last year — you know, when they essentially ran out of MLB-caliber arms — doesn’t happen again.

We heard Eppler talk last week about how he thinks the Mets are competitive as currently constructed, but won’t close the door on continuing to make additions once he’s allowed to. Based on what we know and have seen from this new era of Mets baseball, I wouldn’t be surprised to see another significant addition or two be made prior to Opening Day (whenever the heck that’s going to be).

Going from below .500 one year to the playoffs the following year isn’t easy. The Mets will need as much help as possible to make this kind of jump for just the third time in franchise history. It’ll soon be time for them to finish the offseason with an exclamation point, and it’s OK to feel reasonably confident that they can make it happen.

The post Opinion: Mets Need to Finish Their Offseason With a Bang appeared first on Metsmerized.

Do you remember when Andy Martino reported last week that the New York Mets were mostly done with the heavy lifting for the roster this winter? Do you remember feeling a little bummed out it like I was? Well, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but MLB insider Jon Heyman is giving us a ray of sunshine to start our week.

Despite Martino’s earlier report, here’s what Heyman had to say on Monday morning:

Have heard Mets might consider signing another significant pitcher and hitter once the lockout ends, on top of Scherzer, Marte, Canha and Escobar. If so $270M payroll could approach $300M.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 31, 2022

Of course, this hardly sounds like a sure thing once MLB teams are able to make big-league acquisitions again. And who knows how the season’s timeline — if it’s impacted by current labor negotiations — will play into that. Either way, this can only mean one thing, dudes like Kris Bryant and Clayton Kershaw are back on the table and in our daydreams. That also leaves the possibility of Kyle Schwarber being an option, too — even if it’s just so he doesn’t have to torment New York as an opposing player again in 2022.

Heyman is alluding to New York making these significant acquisitions via free agency, but if Jeff McNeil, Dominic Smith, and J.D. Davis are available via trade — as Martino reported recently — who knows what general manager Billy Eppler is thinking about pulling off.

Whether there’s any truth to this rumor or not, it’s still a breath of fresh air and something we’re likely still getting used to with Steve Cohen in charge. The pre-lockout spending spree was such a treat because they backed up what they said the objective was at the end of the regular season with action. We all know the Mets can afford to make another big splash or two if they really want. They’re not just going to sign everyone for whatever money they want, but nothing is necessarily out of the realm of possibility anymore.

If we’re being honest here, Martino’s report sounded like something that’d come out of a Wilpon-led organization. What Heyman reported Monday at least jives with what Eppler said in a press conference last week with manager Buck Showalter. The GM is confident the Mets are a good club and can be competitive as currently constructed, but that doesn’t mean he won’t stop hunting for ways to get better.

Now, we just have to get this lockout over with so we can see what they’ll actually do next.

The post Heyman: Mets May Consider Spending Big Post-Lockout appeared first on Metsmerized.

Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players’ Association have broken off negotiations with the current Collective Bargaining Agreement set to expire at midnight on December 1.

All indications are that the owners will impose a lockout beginning December 2, which would halt all free agent signings and trades. The offseason activity had taken on a somewhat frenzied pace in the past week, as players and clubs tried to make as many deals as possible before the proverbial music stops and all player movement will freeze.

New Met, and union leader, Max Scherzer said the lockout as “seems like a very likely scenario.” The two sides have been in Dallas all week, and have had a series of negotiating sessions. However, all reports indicate that no progress is being made and that being the case, the lockout will happen. Nightingale reports that MLB and the MLBPA met twice on Wednesday, once for 50 minutes and once for just seven minutes. The owners left the last session abruptly, and there are no new bargaining sessions planned.

The owners have to vote on the lockout. The concept is expected to easily pass the vote, placing the game, and its fans, on hold indefinitely.

While there are several issues that keep the two sides apart, the primary one seems to be the competitive nature of the game. The players are concerned that many teams do not make a legitimate attempt to compete each year, by not spending on players and positioning themselves for higher draft picks, a practice referred to as “tanking”.

The owners have proposed a $100 million floor on salaries that all teams must meet, and moving to an NBA-style draft lottery to put incentives to compete in place. The players say those moves do not go far enough. From the article, Scherzer adds, “We’re trying to make the game better, more competitive. We’re absolutely committed to doing that. It’s just not me, it’s everybody. It’s obvious to all of the players.’’

Another key point in the CBA negotiations is the threshold at which the Competitive Balance Tax would be implemented. The owners have proposed $185 million, escalating to $220 million in the final year of a five-year agreement. The players have countered with $210 million in year one of the deal, moving to $245 million in year five. The gap is wide.

On the matter of expanding playoffs, the union has opposed the idea, while the owners have pitched expanding the postseason field to 14 teams. Most recently, the players have moved to offer a 12-team playoff format, showing some degree of concession.

The other hot topic revolves around free agency and arbitration. Players want arbitration after two years of service instead of the current three. Owners have proposed doing away with arbitration entirely and basing pre-free agency salaries on a metric, such as WAR. Regarding free agency, the most recent MLB proposal offers it as 29 1/2 years of age. The players do not support this, rather, they are lobbying to maintain free agency after six years of service, or beginning in 2024, at the age of 29 ½ with five years of service, whichever comes first.

And adding insult to injury, according to Travis Sawchik on Twitter, the owners would like to alter pension funding in the new CBA.

Owners proposed reduced MLB pension funding (no cost of living increases), I'm told. That's one way to end a meeting quickly.

— Travis Sawchik (@Travis_Sawchik) December 1, 2021

Both meetings today, as noted above, did end quickly. This dispute has all the makings of a long one. With the NFL entering its most exciting time and the NBA and NHL in full swing, MLB, if this is a long disruption, stands to both alienate its fans and then become less relevant in the sports landscape.

On the day when the Mets introduced Scherzer, and the newly-acquired Starling Marte, Eduardo Escobar, and Mark Canha, the game may be shut down just hours later. The Mets, according to general manager Billy Eppler, are still seeking to improve the team. Additional starting pitching, bullpen arms, and another bat or two seem to be areas of focus. Quality free agents, such as Kris Bryant, remain available. However, winter may literally be coming very soon.

The Mets will have a significantly new look next season. How long we will have to see the finished product on the field remains to be seen. MLB and the MLBPA have a history of lengthy labor disputes, and this one may be short or may last long enough to impact the start of spring training and season. As fans, we can only hope that the two sides have learned from the past, and are not set to repeat it.

The post MLB/MLBPA Negotiations Break Off As Lockout Looms appeared first on Metsmerized.

Wait a minute, they’re not done just yet.

Jon Heyman reports that even after signing Max Scherzer the Mets are still looking for another starting pitcher and one more bat.

After signing the biggest deal (by AAV, $43,3M. Scherzer), the Mets are looking for another starting pitcher and one more bat

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 30, 2021

The Mets payroll already stands at $267 million with the Scherzer signing so another large chunk of change seems unlikely but the Mets are reportedly back in on 3B/OF Kris Bryant. Bryant is another Scott Boras client and they just completed a successful contract negotiation with Scherzer. Boras’ other clients include Michael Conforto.

The name the Mets have been linked to on the pitching market before Wednesday’s deadline is former White Sox Carlos Rodon and former Mariner Yusei Kikuchi. Both are left-handed starters that fit a need for the Mets starting rotation.

The Mets have already committed $254 million to free agents so far with the signing of Scherzer, Eduardo Escobar, Starling Marte, and Mark Canha. They even had an offer in the $125 million range for Javier Baez before he chose to go to Detroit. Steve Cohen felt slighted by Steven Matz’s agent and is continuing to unleash his wallet’s wrath before the Wednesday CBA deadline is reached.

The post Heyman: Mets Looking for One More Pitcher and Bat appeared first on Metsmerized.

Major League Baseball faces a possible lockout two weeks from today, December 2, 2021, unless the owners and players reach a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

If the owners impose a lockout, postseason player moves will be put on hold indefinitely (until there is a new labor agreement). Information on progress toward a new deal is sparse. In an article in The Athletic by Lindsey Adler and Evan Drellich, the authors report that the owners are meeting this week in Chicago with labor relations a hot topic on the agenda.

The owners have a labor policy committee, staffed by Hal Steinbrenner of the Yankees, Mark Attanasio of the Brewers, Ray Davis of the Rangers, Ron Fowler of the Padres, John Henry of the Red Sox, Dick Monfort of the Rockies and Jim Pohlad of the Twins. The composition of this committee is interesting, in that five of seven are from smaller-market teams.

That may explain the most recent the proposal the owners made to the players, which seemed to attempt to somewhat even the field in spending power between the larger and smaller-market clubs. Key tenets from the proposal were a lowering of the threshold for the Competitive Balance Tax, increasing the tax rate, and implementing a $100 million salary floor for all teams.

Hal Steinbrenner, who interestingly supported a proposal that would target the Yankees (among other traditional high spenders) on the process of crafting the proposal:

“Every owner on the committee, there are certainly things in the proposal that we didn’t like. I mean, every owner. But we wanted to put together a proposal that addressed their concerns and come together as a group. And we did. But I mean, specific things — nothing’s ever going to be perfect, in any deal. Any deal.”

Though the players are not at all interested in the most recent owners’ proposal, the salary floor represents an innovation to try to make more teams competitive, addressing an issue that is growing in baseball. In addition, the owners have proposed eliminating arbitration, and starting free agency at 29 1/2 years of age. Once again, the players are taking a hard pass on those offers.

The game can ill-afford a work stoppage. The offseason is just starting to heat up, with the recent signings of Noah Syndergaard, Justin Verlander, and Eduardo Rodriguez. Further, the popularity of baseball is waning in the younger demographic, those who will have spending power in the years to come. Here is glance at television ratings from the most recent World Series and NBA Championship, from Sports Media Watch.

Both Games 4 and 5 of the World Series) outdrew the corresponding games of July’s NBA Finals (Game 4: 5.3, 10.25M; Game 5: 4.8, 9.62M). In the key young adult demos, Game 4 was no match for the corresponding NBA Finals game in 18-49 (3.5 to 2.3), 25-54 (3.6 to 2.9) and 18-34 (3.2 to 1.5). Game 5 outdrew its NBA equivalent in 18-49 (3.1 to 3.0) and 25-54 (4.0 to 3.4), but trailed in 18-34 (2.4 to 2.1).

For the Mets, they can finally begin their planning for 2022 with a new general manager soon to be in the fold, as reported here on MMO. Will Javier Báez be back? How about Marcus Stroman? Should they sign Starling Marte, Kris Bryant, and/or Nick Castellanos? These are some of the intriguing questions, that now can begin to be answered.

But alas, unless there’s a late-inning rally in the next two weeks, we may have to wait a while to find out what the Mets will do. If history best predicts the future in the area of baseball labor disputes, it could be quite a while.

The post Two Weeks Until A Possible Lockout appeared first on Metsmerized.

Let’s get real here for a second: when was the last time you felt happy with or truly content about being a Mets fan?

I asked myself this on Wednesday morning after continuing to see the fallout of Noah Syndergaard signing a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels. My first thought was, well, probably the trade deadline. While New York didn’t get everything it needed, I was jacked up about Javier Báez coming to Flushing. That was still surrounded by an impending second-half collapse, though.

The answer I landed on? The All-Star break. The Mets were in first place, Pete Alonso had just won his second straight Home Run Derby title, and Kumar Rocker inexplicably fell to New York at 10th overall in the first-year player draft. At that point in time, life was good. Sure, the Mets had some issues to fix, but with a couple of weeks before the deadline, it wasn’t outrageous to think they’d do what was necessary to get this club over the hump and back into October.

Not so much. Between that, a complete tailspin out of first place, the thumbs-down fiasco, not signing Rocker, and taking months to find a general manager — among plenty of other things I’d rather not recount — it’s been a rough few months for Mets fans. Syndergaard rejecting a qualifying offer he appeared grateful to get in order to play elsewhere was the straw that broke the camel’s back. At least, that’s what it looks like on Twitter, which we all know totally mirrors real life.

Did news of Thor officially leaving Queens sting? Well, yes — of course it did.

This one hurts. #Mets #LGM https://t.co/wiTJa2PMpk pic.twitter.com/n5JOCRTdoy

— Matt Musico (@mmusico8) November 16, 2021

Did it sting a little extra because of the comments he made after his final appearance of the season? You bet. Why does this really hurt so much, though? For me, it’s because he was one of the last pieces left on the Mets’ roster from their 2015 World Series run, and one of the final pieces of that vaunted rotation we were all giddy about years ago. And, just like that, he’s gone, with only Jacob deGrom left (at least he’s the best of them all?).

It really stinks to see Thor leave, but you know what? He’s human. It seems like he changed his mind, and had good reasons for it happening. Once he came to that decision, there was no turning back. We’ve already seen what life without him in the rotation is like since he’s thrown a total of two innings since 2019. His not accepting the qualifying offer certainly makes New York’s rotation “depth” look…questionable:

To give you an idea of how bad the Mets pitching depth is right now, here's the list of pitchers on the 40-man roster. pic.twitter.com/QV5fKYAqmu

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) November 17, 2021

In reality, Syndergaard returning for 2022 wouldn’t have solved all the Mets’ rotation issues — they would’ve needed to keep adding anyways.

Moving forward, it’s appropriate for the Mets to take a line for late Raiders owner Al Davis: “Just win, baby.” Of course, it’s impossible to win right now since it’s the middle of November (and “winning the offseason” is overrated), but New York just needs to start taking action toward improving for 2022.

Is it still early in the offseason? Yes — the final game of the World Series was just over two weeks ago, but this won’t be like any other offseason thanks to the looming threat of a lockout when the Collective Bargaining Agreement expires on December 1st. Despite that, we’ve seen the Detroit Tigers jump the market by signing Eduardo Rodriguez to a five-year deal, while the Toronto Blue Jays didn’t even want to let José Berríos hit the open market next winter.

All of this stuff has happened…without the Mets officially having a general manager in place. As of Monday night, it sounded like a deal would become official with Billy Eppler at any moment, and nothing has happened since. David Lennon of Newsday reported that an announcement could be coming on Friday, and if that’s the case, man it’s not a moment too soon. New York’s search for new front-office personnel has dragged on long enough — it needs to be over for now so everyone can move on. And I’m saying that in the nicest way possible.

Eppler will have his hands full upon joining the organization, but he’ll be doing it with plenty of payroll flexibility, which is a plus. However, this dude needs to hit the ground running. There shouldn’t be a need to get settled before figuring out how to approach the rest of offseason. Sandy Alderson and company already have an idea on what they’d like to do, as we’ve seen them connected to various free agents and speaking to the representation for players like Kris Bryant and Báez at the GM Meetings. There’s no way those plans haven’t already been shared with Eppler, and if he wasn’t on board with it, both sides wouldn’t be finalizing a deal.

The Mets have important roster questions to answer this winter. Lots of them. After the past few months everyone associated with the Mets has endured, the best thing the front office can do is make a much-needed move to bolster the roster before a potential lockout happens. Seriously, can you imagine what it’ll feel like if everything in baseball halts and New York’s roster looks exactly the same as it does today? That’s the recipe for a real freakin’ long offseason.

I usually don’t mind a slow-and-steady approach, but it appears that while the Mets have fumbled a number of things, certain opportunities have passed them by. Get Eppler officially on board, and start making moves. This roster isn’t going to improve itself.

The post For Mets, The Only Answer Is To Start Making Moves appeared first on Metsmerized.