“Mr. Ohtani is considered a victim in this case,” Martin Estrada, the U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, said at a downtown Los Angeles news conference. The complaint includes dozens of incriminating messages allegedly sent between Mizuhara and the bookmaker.

In 2018, according to an affidavit filed with the federal criminal complaint, Mizuhara went with Ohtani, who didn’t speak English, to a bank branch in Arizona to help him open an account. Ohtani’s baseball salary was deposited in the account, and he never gave control of it to Mizuhara.

Mizuhara allegedly told Ohtani’s U.S.-based financial professionals, who do not speak Japanese, that Ohtani denied them access to the account.

Photo by Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Three years later, in September 2021, Mizuhara began gambling with the illegal sports book, and a few months after that, he started losing large sums of money, according to the affidavit. At this time, the contact information on Ohtani’s bank account was allegedly changed to link it to Mizuhara’s phone number and an anonymous e-mail connected to the interpreter.

Mizuhara also allegedly phoned the bank and falsely identified himself as Ohtani to trick bank employees into authorizing wire transfers to the gambling operation.

From this past January until last month, the 39-year-old also allegedly used the account to buy about 1,000 baseball cards at a total cost of $325,000 from eBay and Whatnot. He had them mailed to the Dodgers clubhouse under the alias “Jay Min.”

Ohtani denied authorizing the wire transfers in an interview with law enforcement last week, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The Dodger provided his cell phone to law enforcement, who determined there was no evidence to suggest he was involved in Mizuhara’s alleged crimes.

According to the complaint, Mizuhara made about 19,000 bets, on average 25 a day, from December 2021 to January of this year. He had a net loss of more than $40 million.

Mizuhara is charged with bank fraud, a felony that carries a maximum sentence of 30 years. He is expected to appear in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles in the near future.

Ohtani addressed the situation at a Dodger Stadium news conference last month.

“I never bet on baseball or any other sports or never have asked somebody to do it on my behalf, and I have never went through a bookmaker to bet on sports,” he said through interpreter Will Ireton.

The post Ohtani’s Ex-Interpreter Charged With Stealing $16 Million appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

On Friday, it was announced that Roki Sasaki, the 22-year-old Japanese superstar pitcher, agreed to a contract with his current Pacific League team, the Chiba Lotte Marines, for the 2024 season. There have been rumors in the past that Sasaki was interested in being posted for MLB teams as soon as possible, but his current team might be interested in holding on to him until 2026 at the latest. For now, though, Sasaki is only signed to a deal through 2024 which could allow him to be an MLB free agent at just 23-years-old if he does happen to be posted next offseason.

Latest Mets News

The Mets had four prospects listed in MLB Pipeline’s latest Top 100 prospect list. Jett Williams (no. 45) was the highest ranked Mets prospect, followed by Drew Gilbert (n0. 53), Luisangel Acuña (no. 66), and Ryan Clifford (no. 97). Three of the four prospects (Gilbert, Acuña, Clifford) were acquired just last season during the trade deadline.

Latest MLB News

The Brewers officially announced that they signed Rhys Hoskins to a two-year contract that includes an opt-out after 2024 and a mutual option for 2026.

The Braves announced that they traded minor league pitcher Tyler Owens to the Rangers in exchange for outfielder J.P. Martínez. Martínez made his big league debut in 2023 and recorded 44 total plate appearances.

The Cardinals announced that they signed reliever Josh James to a minor league contract. James last played in the big leagues for the Astros in 2021.

The Nationals shared new uniforms that the team will wear starting this upcoming year. The changes include a new pullover alternate uniform and a tweaked road uniform that now features block lettering instead of script.

Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports that the Rangers are in talks to bring back outfielder and former Met Travis Jankowski for a second year with the club. General manager Chris Young confirmed this later in the day by saying that Jankowski will be back on a one-year deal.

Per Robert Murray of FanSided, reliever Carl Edwards Jr. signed a minor-league contract with the Cubs. Edwards spent the 2023 season with the Nationals.

Latest on MMO

Michael Mayer shares his updated top 75 Mets prospects.

Michael Mayer analyzes the current state of the free agent bullpen market.

Colby Morris lists five pitchers in the Mets’ system that could make a major league debut in 2024.

On This Date in Mets History

Birthdays: Ángel Berroa (46)

The post Morning Briefing: Roki Sasaki Signs One-Year NPB Deal appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

On Wednesday, the New York Mets held a live Zoom call with Mets legends Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden as they announced the dates of their jersey number retirements. Doc’s number will be retired on Sunday, April 14, and Darryl’s number will be raised later in the season on Saturday, June 1. 

But aside from setting the date for the festivities, the iconic duo were receiving questions and they both gave some poignant answers as they reminisced on their time in Queens. One of those coming from Darryl as he said, “My heart and soul bleeds blue and orange. Always have. Always will.” Along with that, Darryl also commented on the Mets’ current situation with Pete Alonso, “I ended up personally with a belly full of regrets from leaving, because there is nothing like playing in New York.”

To hear more about what Doc and Darryl had to say about their special day, click here!

Latest Mets News

Mets prospects Jett Williams, Ronny Mauricio, and Drew Gilbert cracked Baseball America‘s top 100 prospects list. Click here to see where they landed on the list!

MLB released the first workout dates for all 30 major league clubs; the Mets will have their first pitcher and catchers workout on Wednesday, February 14 and first full squad workout on Monday, February 19. For more information on the release, click here!

Alfredo Franceschi of El Emergente wrote an article highlighting Mets vice president of baseball operations, Eduardo Brizuela. The article mentions how Brizuela is at the highest level of any Venezuelan in Major League Baseball and highlights his unique journey to this point. 

Latest MLB News

Right-handed pitcher Yariel Rodríguez and the Toronto Blue Jays came to an agreement on a four-year, $32 million deal, per Francys Romero of MLB.com. For more information on Rodríguez and the deal click here!

The New York Yankees officially announced the signing of starting pitcher and former Met Marcus Stroman to a two-year deal with a conditional player option for 2026. In a corresponding move, they designated former Guardians outfielder Oscar Gonzalez for assignment. 

Austin Voth and the Seattle Mariners came to an agreement on a one-year, $1.25 million deal, per Robert Murray of Fan Sided. 

The Kansas City Royals announced that they signed veteran catcher Sandy Léon to a minor league contract with an invitation to big league spring training. 

Free-agent utility man Josh VanMeter signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. 

The Cincinnati Reds signed LHP Tyler Gilbert to a minor league contract with an invite to major league camp. 

The Los Angeles Dodgers signed RHP Jesse Hahn to a minor league deal with an invite to big league spring training, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. They also signed southpaw Stephen Gonsalves to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training per JP Hoornstra of DodgersNation.com.

An article by Derrick Goold of STL Today highlighted Amazon’s agreement to purchase a minority stake in Diamond Sports Group, which owns Bally Sports. This deal provides DSG a framework to rise out of bankruptcy and will keep TV operations at status quo for the time being for many major league clubs. 

Latest on MMO

Take a look at the highest international free agent bonuses in Mets team history!

Check out which Mets prospects cracked Baseball America’s top 100 prospects list.

Baseball is around the corner! Read up on when Mets pitchers and catchers report!

The post Morning Briefing: Strawberry’s ‘Heart and Soul Bleeds Blue and Orange’ appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Due to the new collective bargaining agreement, the Commissioner’s Office has the power to set the deadline to any date between July 28 and August 3. The league liked having the deadline on a Tuesday, as the 2023 deadline was on Tuesday, August 1, so they decided to keep it on a Tuesday again this year. 

The 2023 deadline saw the Mets trading away a majority of their veteran pieces, including Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Tommy Pham, and more. Now, with a newly replenished farm system, it will be interesting to see how the Mets approach the 2024 deadline, in particular with Pete Alonso on an expiring contract. The Mets will have a large number of veterans who are impending free agents if they aren’t in contention for the second straight season. 

This upcoming trade deadline may seem insignificant at the moment, but Pete Alonso’s future as a Met could very well come to a conclusion leading up to that July 30 date. 

The post 2024 Trade Deadline Set For July 30 appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

On Friday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that Yoshinobu Yamamoto‘s 12-year contract with the Dodgers includes opt-outs after years six and eight. Rosenthal added that Yamamoto’s contract is backloaded, so he may miss out on more money if he chooses to opt-out. Yamamoto’s contract was historic, as he signed the largest contract for a pitcher in MLB history, beating Gerrit Cole‘s by $1 million, without even throwing a pitch in the majors. If he lives up to the hype, he may choose to exercise either of his opt-outs making his deal potentially six or eight years long.

Latest Mets News

In reference to the Mets’ pursuit of Japanese superstar Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Steve Cohen told the New York Post on Friday that he “feel(s) good about our efforts and I left it all on the field.” Cohen and the Mets did everything they could, including visiting Yamamoto in Japan and then hosting him in a separate meeting at Cohen’s mansion. Ultimately, the Mets reportedly offered Yamamoto a 12-year, $325 million contract that the Dodgers wound up matching.

Andy Martino of SNY reports that the Mets will likely look to pursue pitchers on relatively cheaper deals after missing out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto. This likely takes the Mets out of contention for players like Jordan Montgomery and Blake Snell and puts them more in the range of a player like Lucas Giolito. While these won’t be flashy moves, David Stearns might deem them in the best interest of a rebuilding Mets club.

Latest MLB News

Per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s contract with the Dodgers includes opt-outs after years six and eight.

Rosenthal also offered nuggets of information from around the league, including:

• Many teams are interested in trading for Angels players including Luis Rengifo and Mickey Moniak.
• The Red Sox are showing interest in free-agent outfielder Teoscar Hernández.
• The Rangers are pursuing Clayton Kershaw, who is expected to miss the beginning of the 2024 season, but Kershaw could potentially land back with the Dodgers as well.
• While the Padres have had trade discussions around Jake Cronenworth, he is now less likely to be moved than previously thought.

Per Kiley McDaniel of ESPN, the Tigers signed pitcher Shelby Miller. The Tigers announced that it is a one-year, $3 million deal with a $4.25 million club option for 2025.

The Padres announced that they claimed reliever Luis Patiño off waivers from the White Sox.

The Orioles announced the passing of Ryan Minor, a former third baseman who had a long career as a minor league manager.

Latest on MMO

Rich Sparago takes a look at the latest rule changes for the 2024 MLB season.

Michael Mayer breaks down Baseball Prospectus’ list of the top 10 Mets prospects.

Michael Mayer analyzes the state of the Mets’ rotation after the team failed to land Yoshinobu Yamamoto in free agency.

On This Date in Mets History

1999: Just a week after Ken Griffey Jr. vetoed a trade that would have sent him to the Mets, the team pivoted and acquired reigning Cy Young Award runner-up and 22-game winner Mike Hampton, who had spent the previous six years with the Astros. The Mets sent Roger Cedeño, Octavio Dotel, and minor leaguer Kyle Kessel to Houston. In Hampton’s lone season in New York in 2000, he went 15-10 with a 3.14 ERA while also batting .274 in 84 plate appearances.

Birthdays: Jordany Valdespin (36), Josh Satin (39), Rick White (55), Tim Leary (65), Jerry Koosman (81), Tim Harkness (86)

The post Morning Briefing: Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s Contract Includes Two Opt-Outs appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Major League Baseball continues in its efforts to minimize the time of games after rapid improvement in the area following the adaptation of the pitch clock in the 2023 season. Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that the MLB’s competition committee has proposed reducing the pitch clock from 20 seconds to 18 seconds when runners are on base next season, while keeping the 15-second timer for when the bases are clear. The goal of said proposition is to reverse a late-season trend that saw the average time of game increase by 7 minutes. Along with hearing out this proposition, the competition committee was also proposed the idea of cutting the mound visits allowed from five to four.

Passan notes that there have been concerns voiced from players about continued reduction of the pitch clock timer due to their belief that it is resulting in increased injuries among pitchers. However, MLB continues to deny that as they do not believe there is any correlation between the two. The league ultimately has near full reign over rule changes as teams hold the majority of seats on the competition committee, which was formed during the 2022 collective bargaining agreement negotiations. 

The competition committee can implement a change to on-field rules with 45 days’ notice to players after a proposal. Passan reports that the players are currently discussing said proposal and are expected to go to the committee with potential adjustments. 

Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Latest Mets News

Kodai Senga finished in seventh place in the National League Cy Young Award race for the 2023 season, as the results were announced on Wednesday night. The rookie received three third-place votes as well as three fourth-place votes. 

Mets new manager Carlos Mendoza appeared on the “Foul Territory” podcast on Wednesday to talk about his new role with the club. During the interview, Mendoza talked about his building of the coaching staff as he mentioned that they are in the very early stages of the hiring process and that he’s going over many names with the front office. Along with that, he also mentioned how he’s been reaching out to many current Mets including Edwin Díaz and Pete Alonso. 

Andy Martino of SNY reported that Kodai Senga has “made it clear” to the Mets that he wants them to bring Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Along with that, Martino also mentioned how while the Mets and Yankees are interested in the star pitcher, it is far from a two team race as he could be posted “any day”.

Latest MLB News

The Cy Young Award winners in each league were announced Wednesday night; Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees won the award in the American League while Blake Snell of the San Diego Padres took the award in the National League. Snell won the second Cy Young award of his career and becomes the seventh pitcher to win the award in both leagues as he won it in the AL with the Rays in 2018. Gerrit Cole won the first Cy Young of his career as he was voted unanimously, receiving all 30 first place votes.

Major League Baseball has tendered a status check on 2022 KBO MVP Lee Jung-hoo of the Kiwoom Heroes and LG Twins closer Go Woo-suk, per Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News. Yoo mentions how this is just a formal administrative check that the league must take before signing a Korean player. 

Adam Plutko, who has played his last two season in Korea, is looking to return to MLB as he is now a free agent, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The veteran starting pitcher has posted two back-to-back sub 2.50 ERA seasons, 2.39 and 2.41 in 2022 and 2023 respectively, while holding his opponents to a .596 OPS over the two year span.

The Los Angeles Angels introduced their newest manager, Ron Washington, on Wednesday as they held his introductory press conference at Angels Stadium. Washington did not mince words as he came out and said, “Our whole focus will be to run the West down. You can take that to the bank and deposit it.”

The Los Angeles Dodgers are reported to be among the most interested teams in star Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, per Jon Morosi of MLB Network. Although, Morosi mentions that his posting window has yet to formally open. The Dodgers weren’t the only team with reported interest, to see a deeper dive into the reports on Yamamoto click here.

Rickie Weeks was hired as associate manager for the Milwaukee Brewers as new manager Pat Murphy is starting to fill out his coaching staff. Weeks played second base in parts of 11 season for the Brewers while making one all-star appearance during his time in Milwaukee.

Evan Drellich of The Athletic reported that the Cleveland Guardians and Texas Rangers’ TV deals could be dropped by Diamond Sports group. Diamond currently has 11 deals in place with MLB teams but a wind-down plan for the company was approved by a United States federal judge on Wednesday as they look to close up their bankruptcy proceedings. 

MLB Network is releasing a new documentary of George Brett, titled “Brett”, which will premier on Thursday, December 7th at 8 P.M. EST. The documentary will feature interviews with George Brett, footage from his iconic career, and insight from teammates and many of those close with Brett. 

The Tampa Bay Rays have hired Buddy Carlyle as their pitching coordinator, per Eno Sarris of The Athletic. Carlyle had just been recently let go of by the Los Angeles Angels after serving as their minor league pitching coordinator. 

In other baseball news, the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League have announced that Lew Ford will take over as their seventh manager in franchise history. Ford, who is taking over for Wally Backman, has played a franchise record thirteen seasons in Long Island including playing the last nine as a player/coach. 

Latest on MMO

Metsmerized Online is teaming up with Out of the Park Baseball to create “Mets Madness”! The Metsmerized staff will try to answer the age old question of which Mets team is truly the best. Check out the first round of matchups here.

Evan Mazza did a complete breakdown of Carlos Mendoza‘s introductory press conference as New York Mets manager. 

MMO reader/moderator Tommets submitted a Fan Shot of what the Mets course of action should be this off-season. 

On This Date in Mets History

1961: The New York Mets unveil their original logo which was created by cartoonist Ray Gotto. The logo contains the New York skyline while also featuring the colors of blue and orange to represent the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants.

Birthdays: Juan Centeno (34), Mark Corey (49), Dwight Gooden (59), Don Hahn (75), Leon Brown (75)

The post Morning Briefing: MLB Proposing Reduction to Pitch Clock Time appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

With the 2023 season in the books, let’s take a look at the evolving situation between Major League Baseball and national and local television. The results from 2023 were mixed, and for several teams, the future is cloudy.

World Series Television Audience

This year’s World Series between the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks drew the fewest viewers of any Fall Classic in history. The 2023 Series averaged 9.11 million viewers (peaking at 11.45 million during Game Five), lower than the 2020 matchup between the Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angels Dodgers (9.95 million average), according to SportsProMedia.com. Viewership in 2023 was 23% lower than 2022 when the Phillies took on the Astros.

Fox, which aired the World Series, was expectedly disappointed with the low number of people who tuned in.

“I think it’s a good thing for the health of baseball to have new pennant winners and new champions, new teams playing in the World Series. You don’t want it to be the same market and the same brands every year,” Mike Mulvihill, Fox executive vice president, head of strategy and analytics told the Associated Press.

“But I admit it is difficult for ratings in the short term when you’ve got some brands paired up that don’t really have traditional national boards.”

While the World Series used to draw around 40 million viewers annually, it’s important to note that things are quite different in the network television world than they were as recently as twenty years ago. People have more entertainment options, primarily because of streaming services like Apple TV and Netflix. Audiences for all network television programming (except the NFL) are down in the current era.

For example, the highest-rated television show (other than the World Series) the week of October 30 was The Golden Bachelor, which drew just over four million viewers. Contrast that to Everybody Loves Raymond in the early 2000s, which averaged an audience of over 20 million, and The Big Bang Theory’s 23 million average during the 2015-2016 season.

The World Series won its time slot on October 31 and November 1, with no NFL games airing. However, winning the time slot is a minute victory in 2023, and the smaller audience this year is below expectations after MLB had a good year in many respects.

Local Television Did Well

More people watched regular-season baseball in 2023 than in recent years, and the turnstiles were busier. MLB attendance was up 9.6% over 2022, and 17 teams of 29 (data for the Blue Jays was unavailable) had larger television audiences. Per the Sports Business Journal, nine teams saw their local viewership increase by at least 25% in 2023. Of those nine, six made the playoffs, and just two teams were eliminated from the playoff race in the final week of the season.

The Chicago Cubs were one of the teams in contention for a postseason spot during the season’s last week, and the Cubs saw a whopping 34% increase in local viewership in 2023. The Cubs are one of eleven teams broadcast by Bally affiliates, and the future of Bally Sports and MLB is, at best, questionable.

MLB and Bally Sports

Diamond, the parent company of Bally Sports, filed for bankruptcy last year. That led Bally to stop broadcasting San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks games mid-season. MLB stepped in and broadcasted the games, but as of now, Bally has not informed MLB which teams it intends to continue to cover. That puts teams in a difficult spot with the free-agent spending season upon us, as an important revenue stream is undefined.

Evan Drellich wrote about the Bally situation recently in The Athletic.

“I don’t know about us specifically,” said Matt Arnold, general manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, when asked about the impact on payroll. “But it’s certainly daunting for the industry. We just have to make sure we, as an industry, are aligned with the best ways to generate revenue. … It’s certainly a challenge in our industry for sure, especially in the smallest market in the league.”

The Minnesota Twins’ contract with Bally has expired.

“There’s a lack of clarity on the TV revenue,” Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said in October, before the planned payroll trim became public. “That’s a fact, that’s no secret to anybody. So I think that that plays a role, you know, just like all of our revenue sources play a role in some degree.”

MLB has anticipated the changing model of coverage by regional sports networks. Many believe that baseball prefers to see local contracts expire. The regional networks’ contracts allow them to control their markets, so if you live in what MLB defines as a local market, cable and satellite can carry only the team that owns that market. The Cubs are a great example. Their market covers several states, so only their games can be broadcast, and even if a provider chooses not to carry them, people in the market cannot get access to other teams unless they pay for a full package on MLB Extra Innings or MLB.TV.

Rob Manfred has stated that he’d like to make all MLB content available for fans to purchase as they wish (team-by-team, without having to buy the full slate of games), regardless of geography. The path forward is through streaming, which is why we see games on Apple TV and Peacock. MLB is trying to perfect the delivery model to offer it more broadly in the near future. Of course, it will cost fans money, and teams will make money. However, it no longer makes sense to limit the choices fans have based on geography. The game will not grow that way.

The Mets are one of a handful of teams that have an ownership interest their regional sports network. The Mets now stream SNY on the app so fans can take the games with them on the go. That’s one way to encourage fan loyalty, and it’s an example of good marketing by bringing content to the consumer in a variety of ways.

We may never see 40 million people watch a World Series game again. That’s not necessarily a problem. The important thing for MLB is to ensure consumers can access the content they want, when and where they want it. Baseball is doing just fine now, and with continued wise marketing, the game will continue to prosper into the future.

The post MLB and Television: A Mixed Bag in 2023 appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

On Wednesday night, the MLB season officially ended as the Texas Rangers defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2023 World Series, four games to one. Winning Game 5 of the series by a score of 5-0, the 2023 Rangers gave the franchise their first-ever World Series trophy since its inception in 1961.

Game 5 was the definition of a pitcher’s duel, even though each side’s pitcher did it in their own way. Nathan Eovaldi did a masterful job of wiggling in and out of trouble throughout his six innings of work, as the Diamondbacks were getting runners into scoring position consistently. While the D-backs couldn’t cash in on any of their early chances, their ace Zac Gallen did more than keep them in the game as he started his outing with six no-hit innings. However, Mitch Garver helped the Rangers scratch across a run as he was the third of three consecutive hits off of Gallen in the seventh inning. But the final blow came in the ninth inning; Jonah Heim scorched a two-RBI single, which was followed by a Marcus Semien two-run home run, as the Rangers solidified their championship win.

Corey Seager won his second Willie Mays World Series MVP as he tallied three home runs, six RBIs, and hit for a 1.137 OPS during the five-game series. Additionally, three former Mets — Max Scherzer, Travis Jankowski, and Jacob deGrom — became World Series champions, Scherzer winning his second. Rangers GM Chris Young also played for the Mets, and interviewed for their GM opening in 2020. 

Just over a decade after losing back-to-back World Series, even being an out away from accomplishing the feat, Texas overcame all of the odds to win this year’s commissioner’s trophy. They became the third team in MLB history, including the 1969 New York Mets, to win the World Series just two seasons after losing 100 games. 

Latest Mets News

Andy Martino of SNY reported that Mets third base coach Joey Cora has heard from several teams regarding open coaching positions. Cora is not under contract with the Mets any longer, and his future with the team is uncertain as the Mets continue to make changes after the hiring of David Stearns. 

Joel Sherman of the New York Post gave two significant updates to the Mets managerial search on Wednesday, as he reported that the Mets have interviewed Carlos Mendoza and Andy Green for the position. Mendoza, who has been with the Yankees organization for 15 seasons and has spent the past four as their bench coach, is reportedly also in a second-round callback interview with the Mets per Andy Martino of SNY. Green is a former major leaguer, playing four games for the Mets, and has managing experience as he formerly managed the San Diego Padres. 

Latest MLB News

Evan Drellich of The Athletic reported that Major League Baseball will no longer use uniform employee contracts, the agreements with standardized language that MLB long required managers, coaches, trainers, and salaried scouts to agree to across the 30 teams. Clubs are now to draft their own contracts, allowing terms to vary as the MLB makes this move to protect the league office against liability. However, Drellich reports that many are worried that clubs will now attempt to include language that works against employees in new ways. 

MLB’s Arizona Fall League announced the participants for their 2023 Home Run Derby, which will take place on Saturday, November 4. The field has several top prospects: Kevin Alcántara, Kyle Manzardo, Aaron Sabato, Ivan Melendez, Wes Clarke, Damiano Palmegiani, Gabriel Rincones Jr., and Kala’i Rosario.

The San Diego Padres recently took out a $50 million loan to help cover payroll, per a report from Dennis Lin, Evan Drellich, and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Despite being in a bottom-third media market in the league, San Diego had one of the highest payrolls in baseball, as they are obligated to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to Xander Bogaerts, Fernando Tatis Jr., and others. According to the article, the loan was taken out to “address short-term cash flow issues and meet their obligations, including payroll.”

Latest on MMO

Allison Waxman looked back at the infamous Matt Harvey ninth inning in Game 5 of the 2015 World Series and asked the readers, should he have gone back out?

Jett Williams‘ plan to make his major league debut in 2024 was highlighted by Alexis Farinacci. 

Evan Mazza looked into the Mets’ recent interviews for their open manager position. 

On This Date in Mets History

2015: After a historic postseason run in which he led the Mets to an unexpected World Series appearance, Daniel Murphy graces the cover of Sports Illustrated, titled “The Amazin’ Murphy.”

1972: The Mets traded Gary Gentry and Danny Frisella and, in return, acquired Félix Millán and George Stone from the Atlanta Braves. Both players the Mets received played crucial roles in their 1973 pennant-winning season; Millán hit .290 and received MVP votes, while Stone went 12-3 with a 2.80 ERA.

Birthdays: Denyi Reyes (27), Tom Paciorek (77)

The post Morning Briefing: Texas Rangers Win First World Series Championship appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

John Stanton, who is chairman and managing partner of the Seattle Mariners and was selected to chair the meeting that approved the extension, said, “At a critical moment in the history of our game, commissioner Manfred has listened to our fans and worked closely with our players to improve America’s pastime… The significant momentum that MLB has built reflects his ongoing initiatives that are advancing.”

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Since Rob Manfred took the helm as the commissioner of baseball in 2014, there have been many ups and downs. However, the timing of this election could not have worked out any better for Manfred since, over the past couple of months, MLB has seen highs in attendance numbers across the league. Along with that, some recent accomplishments on his resume include the implementation of pace-of-play rules which have had great success this season and can be linked to the rise in attendance. With new rules such as the runner on second at the start of extra innings and, most notably, the pitch clock, the average time of MLB games has decreased by about 25 minutes. These recent rule changes have had a positive impact on Manfred’s reputation, helping counteract how he dealt with the Astros Cheating scandal and the 2022 lockout, among other things.

Commissioner Manfred spoke on his re-election, “It is an honor to serve the best game in the world and to continue the pursuit of strengthening our sport on and off the field… Together, all of us in the game will work towards presenting our sport at its finest and broadening its reach and impact for our loyal fans.”

The post Rob Manfred Will Be MLB Commissioner Through 2029 appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

Brett Baty got to catch the first pitch on Wednesday from his childhood friend Garrett Wilson. He described the experience as “surreal” and called Wilson “the best guy in the world.” Wilson is the New York Jets star wide receiver that won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year last season.

The Mets followed that up with their second win in a row, beating the Phillies 4-1. They’ll look to wrap up a three-game sweep today at 1:10 p.m. ET with Max Scherzer on the mound.

Latest Mets News

Voting is now open for the 2023 MLB All-Star game being held in Seattle. Pete Alonso and Francisco Álvarez are among names listed on the ballot.

Per SIS Baseball, with a jumping catch rob the Phillies of a home run on Tuesday night, Brandon Nimmo now has 13 catches that are either by sliding, diving, or jumping this season. That surpasses Kevin Kiermaier for most by an outfielder in 2023.

According to Michael Mayer of Metsmerized, the New York Mets will host Lou Gehrig Day at Citi Field on June 2. New York City native Sarah Langs will participate in a special pregame ceremony, during which the Amazin’ Mets Foundation will present Project ALS with a $10,000 grant for research in honor of Langs.

Will Leitch of Baseball America released Baseball America’s best players in the month of May. Álvarez was included in the honors.

Jeff McNeil joined Brent Suter and Ken Goldin on Foul Territory on Wednesday to talk about the season and some light-hearted talk of adding Tommy Pham to the fantasy football league as well.

Adam Virk of MLB Network caught up with Mets relief pitcher David Robertson to talk about his first season with the Mets and what he’s been able to learn from Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer.

MLB.com released their new rookie power rankings. Álvarez now has an early lead to win the Rookie of the Year award potentially.

Per New York City reporter Katie Honan, New York Governor Kathy Hochul was at Citi Field on Wednesday night for the Mets’ game against the Phillies. She was talking with Mets owner Steve Cohen.

Latest MLB News

With the MLB Draft just over a month away, Carlos Collazo of Baseball America released version 1.0 of Baseball America’s top 500 prospects.

Chris Rose Sports spoke with Chris Bassitt on the current state of the foreign substance rules in Major League Baseball.

The San Diego Padres on Wednesday announced that MLB has taken over production and distribution of all local Padres games starting Wednesday. This gives fans the option to now watch on TV or stream digitally without local blackouts (subject to national exclusivity).

Deadline Hollywood announced on Wednesday an exclusive HBO and Words + Pictures production on a documentary about Barry Bonds.

Major League Baseball opened the ballots for 2023 All-Star voting on Wednesday. Fans can visit https://www.mlb.com/all-star/ballot to vote today.

Latest on MMO

David Crocco recaps the Mets’ minor league affiliate games from Tuesday, including Matt Rudick continuing to impress.

Sam Neumann recaps Kodai Senga’s impressive start against the Phillies and his success at Citi Field.

Ross Bentley discusses Eduardo Escobar proving he can still be a valuable piece for the Mets.

Ross Bentley discusses Alonso and Álvarez being among the Mets on the 2023 MLB All-Star Ballot.

Christian De Block talks about Jose Quintana’s rehab process and that he is expected to begin throwing live batting practice soon.

On This Date in Mets History

2012: Johan Santana throws the Mets’ first no-hitter in the club’s history.

Birthdays: Dean Chance (82)

The post Morning Briefing: Brett Baty Catches First Pitch From Childhood Friend Garrett Wilson appeared first on Metsmerized Online.