The minor league signing of Erasmo Ramírez in late January was, at the time, a mere footnote in Mets news cycles given that Luis Rojas had been named manager just a day prior.

And while Ramírez’s signing brought little fanfare — few, if any minor league pacts do — Rojas has been encouraged by what the major league veteran has shown through three weeks of spring games.

“He’s been great. He’s been keeping the ball down, mixing his pitches, good feel for his changeup. And we saw it again [on Sunday], just being comfortable pitching through the lineup against the Astros,” Rojas said.

Ramírez, 29, tossed two scoreless innings on Sunday against Houston in Port St. Lucie, lowering his spring ERA to 1.13 through four appearances. He added four strikeouts to raise his total to 10, as opposed to just three walks.

#Mets NRI Erasmo Ramírez has been solid this spring, posting a 1.13 ERA through four outings, including four strikeouts in two scoreless innings yesterday.

Outside of the Big Six, Ramírez has the most MLB starting experience in camp (92 GS with Seattle and Tampa Bay). pic.twitter.com/DNnF3yst2H

— Jacob Resnick (@Jacob_Resnick) March 9, 2020

Outside of the Mets’ presumed top-six starting pitchers, Ramírez carries the most major league starting experience in camp. Since making his debut in 2012, he has made 92 starts with the Seattle Mariners and Tampa Bay Rays.

But Ramírez can also come out of the bullpen — he did so 63 times for the Rays in 2016 — and the Mets believe he could be a useful piece down the line in a variety of roles.

“You can see that we have value there,” Rojas said. “We have a pitcher who can do a lot of different things. We’ve seen him [in camp] as a long reliever, but he has the ability to start in his repertoire so we have him stretched out to where he needs to be right now.”

Ramírez relies on a sinker that sits around 90 mph, topping out at 92 mph, and a changeup that he works lows in the strike zone and inside to right-handed hitters. He occasionally mixes in a cutter and curveball.

After spending the first seven seasons of his professional career with the Mariners, Ramírez was traded to the Rays just prior to the start of the 2015 season for then-minor leaguer Mike Montgomery. Ramírez found his way back to Seattle two-and-a-half years later when he was swapped for Steve Cishek at the deadline.

He spent the majority of 2019 with Triple-A Pawtucket in the Boston Red Sox organization, though he made one relief appearance in the major leagues in April.

Ramírez, who would become the first native of Nicaragua to play in a major league game for the Mets, is likely to open the season in the Triple-A Syracuse rotation that should also include 40-man roster members Stephen Gonsalves, Corey Oswalt, and the out-of-options Walker Lockett. Former first-round draft pick David Peterson is slated to begin in Syracuse as well.

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Ed Delany/MMO

Despite the ongoing rumors swirling around about a possible extension for Jacob deGrom, the reigning Cy Young award winner is all smiles at camp on Saturday.

DeGrom, 30, is coming off a year where he was nothing short of elite. In 32 starts, the right-hander logged a 1.70 ERA, 1.99 FIP and struck out 269 batters in 217.0 innings pitched.

The five-year veteran will look to repeat on his stellar campaign and anchor the Mets’ rotation back to playoff contention in 2019.

Behind him stands right-hander Noah Syndergaard, who will look to be the No. 2 in the 1,2 punch that him and deGrom will look to be.

Syndergaard, 26, went 13-4 with a 3.03 ERA and 2.80 FIP in 25 starts for the Metropolitans last year, but will look to find his way back to the type of season he had in 2016. That year, he appeared in his first All-Star game and had a league leading 2.29 FIP to go along with 218 strikeouts.

Ed Delany/MMO

Chris Flexen is my player to watch this Spring. (Article on that coming Tuesday).

As you can see, Flexen has shed a ton of weight this winter and will look to be a dark horse candidate for New York’s No. 5 starter.

Last year, Flexen, 24, got into just four games at the big league level, but logged an unimpressive 12.79 ERA with two homers allowed in just 6.1 innings pitched.

I can go on a rant about how I don’t think he was handled properly during his time in the majors, but that’s beside the point. Flexen is on a mission this Spring and is in terrific shape.

Ed Delany/MMO

Acquired by the Mets in 2017 for outfielder Jay Bruce, Ryder Ryan has shown flashes during his time in the organization that he could be a one day MLB talent. Here he is slinging a pitch.

The 23-year-old could make the jump to the bigs later this season after ending last year with Double-A Binghamton.

In 42 games between Double-A and Single-A St. Lucie last year, Ryan recorded a 3.23 ERA, 1.057 WHIP and had 59 strikeouts in 53 innings.

He is a reliever to keep tabs on and one that’ll surely get some opportunities this Spring to prove himself.

Ed Delany, MMO

Kyle Dowdy was selected by the Mets in the Rule V draft at the end of the winter meetings, and the organization is very high on him.

At Citi Field last week, general manager Brodie Van Wagenen raved about Dowdy and how they hope he will be a force in the Mets’ bullpen this year.

The 26-year-old split last year between the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians organizations, where he spent time at Double and Triple-A. Cumulatively, he logged a 4.47 ERA, and struck out 44 batters in 54.1 innings pitched.

Dowdy will be a name to watch due to his Rule V status. I bet he has an inside track to make the Opening Day roster for that reason, barring a disastrous spring.

Ed Delany/MMO

An old friend!

Dilson Herrera is back with the organization after originally being traded by New York in 2016 in exchange for Jay Bruce.

Herrera, 24, played in 53 games for the Cincinnati Reds in 2018, hitting .184/.268/.414 with five homers and 11 RBI.

Amazingly, Herrera is still extremely young and was a low risk, high reward pickup this winter. The Mets have made it a priority to bolster their infield this winter, and Herrera gives them some nice insurance.

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This offseason, New York Mets General Manager Brodie Van Wagenen has improved the roster significantly. As a result, some returning players have had their roles changed for better or worse.

Pitchers and catchers are just eight days away from reporting to Port St. Lucie, and Spring Training games begin shortly after. With that in mind, here are three position players to keep an eye on in big league camp this season.

UTL Jeff McNeil

McNeil is coming off a phenomenal breakout 2018 season at both the minor and major league level. Upon receiving the call to Queens, his contact first approach at the plate provided the Mets offense with a much needed spark.

Over 63 games, he hit .329/.381/.471 with eleven doubles, six triples, three home runs, and 19 RBI. McNeil also scored 35 runs, and posted stellar a 137 wRC+ and 2.7 WAR.

Despite the strong showing, the Mets went out and added infielders Robinson Cano and Jed Lowrie. As a result, Mickey Callaway and the Mets are going to be working McNeil out as an outfielder throughout camp.

If the kid can develop into a solid corner outfield, and produce the same results at the plate, he will almost certainly force his way into the Opening day lineup. His progress as an outfielder is certainly something Mets fans should keep an eye on throughout camp.

1B/3B Todd Frazier

The 2018 season was one to forget for Frazier. Over 115 games, he hit just 18 doubles and 18 home runs while posting a career low .693 OPS. He also missed significant time due to multiple injuries for the first time in his career.

Despite the Mets added infield depth, Frazier still has a role on the 2019 club. He provides solid depth behind Jed Lowrie at third. He also serves as a nice insurance policy just in case rookie first baseman Peter Alonso struggles upon the call to the big leagues.

A bounce back season from the power bat of Frazier could go a long way for this Mets offense. Though he has shown some obvious signs of decline, he did hit 27 homers just two years ago. If he can regain his form, he can add length to the middle of the Mets order. A solid showing in camp could go a long way towards sparking that bounce back performance for the 33-year old.

CF Juan Lagares

Last season Lagares came into camp “in the best shape of his life.” He added more muscle, and after working with a swing coach was showing a different approach at the plate. He started the 2018 season strong, through 30 games he was hitting .339/.375/.390 with a 118 OPS+ and a 1.0 WAR.

However as has been the case often times in his career, the injury bug bit Lagares in early-May. While attempting to catch a fly ball in center, Lagares suffered a torn plantar plate in his toe. He was forced to undergo surgery, and as a result Lagares missed the remainder of the 2018 season.

The biggest thing for Lagares this camp is obviously to stay healthy. With the acquisition of Keon Broxton and McNeil’s move to the outfield he will have some competition for the final spot in the outfield. A healthy and producing Lagares could go a long way for the Mets in 2019.

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The Mets will be relying heavily on their pitchers this season, and will have a pair of strong coaches to help them out.

Mickey Callaway is excited to work with the pitching staff, but don’t sleep on new pitching coach Dave Eiland, who is already gaining respect at Mets camp, according to Kevin Kernan of the New York Post.

“When you have a manager that was a pitcher, obviously he is going to relate to the pitchers better than a manager that wasn’t a pitcher,’’ Eiland, 51, said.

“But Mickey is the manager, he is going to have a lot on his plate as far as managing. […] I didn’t come here to be the assistant pitching coach and he be the manager/pitching coach, I came here to be the pitching coach or I wouldn’t have come.”

Eiland played with Callaway during their time with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 1999. Now reunited, they are always talking and swapping ideas.

“He’s another set of eyes,’’ Eiland said of Callaway. “I think it’s a good thing. He knows what the pitcher is feeling. He knows what I’m feeling.

“When I first met Mickey, he was a guy whose eyes and ears were open, he wanted to learn, very respectful, and we kind of hit it off back there. Mickey is one of the most genuine people you’ll ever meet and is one of the big reasons I came here.

“There are other reasons, too. I know what it’s like to win in [New York], to win the championship there. I love the expectations there. I like the pressure of it all, I embrace it. I embrace the expectations, the pressure, the energy of the fans.’’

The two know they will have a tall task in preventing and mitigating injuries. Eiland said they are going to “err on the side of caution” with the guys, but don’t want to baby them too much because they still need to get ready to go.

“You’re running a guy out there every night you feel you are going to win the game with — as a pitching coach, it’s kind of the situation you want to be in. But that being said, it’s my job to prepare them most mentally and physically,’’ Eiland said.

“If these guys don’t pitch up to their capabilities, it’s on me. I’ll take responsibility for that. I will be the first one to take the heat if they don’t get it done.’’

To read the rest of Kernan’s piece, click here.

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Jason Starks of ESPN.com writes that the Pirates continue to monitor Ike Davis‘ status in Mets camp.

The Pirates are looking to find a left handed hitting platoon to partner with  Gaby Sanchez at first base. Stark shares that when Morales and/or Nelson Cruz sign, it could result in players such as Justin Smoak or Mitch Moreland becoming available.

Pirates GM Neal Huntington said on Tuesday, the Pirates remain “confident in our internal options.”

But Huntington also said: “That doesn’t stop us from looking elsewhere. It’s just that now, our bar has been set a little bit higher, as to ‘How do we make the club better?’ And ‘How do we make the club better at the right situation for us?’ … If there’s something that makes us better, and makes sense for us, we’ll still look to do that.”

Well if Huntington feels that Davis makes them better, then it will be interesting to see if Sandy Alderson makes a deal with the Bucs again. Just last summer the Mets traded away Marlon Byrd and John Buck to the Pirates and received in return, relief pitcher Vic Black and top prospect Dilson Herrera. Could another deal be in the works again? Only time will tell.

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The two players that were invited and still weren’t in camp are Omar Quintanilla and Wilmer Flores. Flores was due to arrive this morning, after finishing his second stint at the fitness camp in Michigan.

I’m sure the buzz surrounding Flores, when he finally arrives, will be as intense as it was around Noah Syndergaard yesterday. Everyone seems excited to see if the camp has helped Flores’ speed and agility—both of which have been question marks for years.

Flores is one of the players that Mets fans should keep a very close eye on this spring.

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February 17

Ruben Tejada reported early on Sunday and manager Terry Collins was impressed today by how he looked, saying: “You can tell he’s really worked hard and trimmed down. I asked him how much faster he was. He said, ‘I’ll show you.’ And I said, ‘OK, good.’ He’ll have the chance.’’

February 16

One of the New York Mets on the hot seat is shortstop Ruben Tejada, who got into manager Terry Collins’ doghouse for not reporting early two years ago, his first replacing Jose Reyes.

He appears to have gotten the message, with the proof being showing up to spring training Sunday, almost a week ahead of schedule.

Technically, he reported on time two years ago, but Collins’ way of thinking was in Tejada’s first year as starter he should have shown initiative and reported even earlier.

Tejada redeemed himself by hitting .289 in 2012, but didn’t report in peak shape last spring and his work ethic was brought into question. Tejada got off to a miserable start both at the plate and in the field, was injured and eventually optioned to the minors.

He struggled when he returned and ended the season with a fractured leg and seemingly out of the Mets’ future plans.

However, when the shortstop market – Jhonny Peralta and Stephen Drew – became too pricey, the Mets had no alternative but to thought they’d give Tejada another chance.

Other than the market, what moved the Mets toward a Tejada encore was his commitment in an off-season fitness camp in Michigan.

Tejada’s presence in Ann Arbor, and reporting early is a good sign.

(Photo by Anthony J. Causi)

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Six seasons of work in the making, the New York Mets finally bore witness to the fruits of their labor with the major-league debut of longtime-top prospect Wilmer Flores.

Despite the o-fer in last night’s thrilling 3-2 victory in the series opener against the Colorado Rockies, Flores’ first game marks yet another infusion of quality young talent into the mix at the major league level.

The young infielder has been molded by the Mets organization since he signed a $700K contract on his sixteenth birthday back in 2007. Exactly six years later, sans braces, Flores celebrated the 22nd anniversary of his birth by batting sixth in the Amazin’s lineup and taking the field at third base.

When Flores turned right and stepped foot into the Mets clubhouse for the first time, he saw a number of familiar faces, one of whom has been his teammate for much of his minor league career, Josh Satin. Speaking with Satin at the Jr. Mets Camp event in Bushwick, Brooklyn, the 28-year old had nothing but glowing reviews of his once again-teammate.

“I love Wilmer,” said Satin as his face lit up when the conversation moved to Flores. “We’ve been teammates off and on, since I’ve been in New York—I’ve been in this organization since 2008—I’ve seen him grow, I’ve seen him play a lot. He’s an amazing kid. Off the field, on the field, baseball aside he’s a great kid. I really enjoy being around him, we joke around. I’m excited to have him here.”

As much as Satin enjoys Flores as a person, his own personal scouting report of the Mets top-hitting prospect is even more complimentary, focusing mostly on his abilities at the plate.

“He’s an incredible hitter, especially considering he’s 21 years old,” said Satin, taking a moment to consider the words to use to describe his teammate and friend. “His eye-hand coordination is second-to-none. He does things that I can’t believe. Sometimes with two strikes on a pitch that he can’t reach, he’ll throw the bat and he’ll hit the ball, and he’ll get a hit. That is just the kind of talent he has and the kind of ability he has. He’s fearless out there and I think he’ll have a successful start to his career and it should be exciting for the fans.”

Although there is an age gap, both Satin and Flores have a similar dilemma; each of them have significant abilities with a bat, but have never had one specific position to call their own. Satin says that the two have spoken about that topic before, however their situations vary. Satin is using his ability to play multiple positions as a way to make himself more versatile and therefore more appealing, meanwhile the team is looking for a position where Flores can stick.

“For him it’s a little different,” said Satin. “He’s young, and while I’m kind of trying to make my name as a guy who can play everywhere; they’re trying to find a position for him to play every day. It’s not easy but it is always good to do different things. If he couldn’t play third, maybe he wouldn’t be here today and if I couldn’t play third maybe I wouldn’t be here today. Versatility is always a positive, but if you hit, they’ll find a way.”

Flores has hit, and the Mets intend to ‘find a way’ as Terry Collins told reporters Tuesday night that he intends to give the top-hitting prospect some consistent at-bats.

If so, it shouldn’t be long before we see Flores rip his first knock in the show and with it receiving his inaugural major-league whip-cream ambush, which master-pie thrower Justin Turner says will “hopefully” be soon.

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Justin Turner, Josh Satin and Mr. Met took the field in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn yesterday afternoon along with 50 campers from the YMCA Jr. Mets Camp presented by Citi, and it was difficult to tell who was having more fun; the kids, or the Mets.

The clinic took place at Green Central Knoll Park, marking the third event in this year’s series of programs with the Jr. Mets Camp, in which over 1,000 total local area YMCA kids participate each year.

“I’m having a great time,” said Satin, as he looked out at the field of kids on their break. “These kids, you come out here and you never know what to expect; the kids have had great energy and they just love being around the game and being outside and being around us and it makes you really enjoy yourself.”

Coming back for his second tour of duty with the Jr. Mets Camp, Turner says he thoroughly enjoys opportunities to participate in the Mets community outreach programs such as the clinic.

“When [the Mets] came up and asked me to do this again, I did this last year, I was thrilled,” said Turner. “I had a great time last year and I’m exciting to get out and make an impact on the community around New York and the best part is seeing how much fun the kids have and how much they really enjoy Josh and I being out there.”

Both Satin and Turner hosted their own series of drills, dividing the YMCA into several groups. They ran baserunning, fielding and catching drills while also holding some tee-ball batting practice. Turner ran the hitting lessons, while Satin held a defensive drill in which the campers caught a slow roller and quickly threw to first.

YMCA Jr. Mets Presented by Citi is a comprehensive youth baseball program that emphasizes the fun of playing baseball while developing athletic and social skills, practicing the YMCA’s core values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility. Themes of sportsmanship, teamwork and fair play are central to the annual program. 

YMCA Director of Corporate and Fundraiser Relations Susan Glass was thrilled to see the event continue this year as she says it provides the campers with a rare opportunity that most kids could only dream of.

“To be able to do that with a player,” said Glass as she points towards and pauses to watch Justin Turner giving a young camper hitting instructions and promptly cracking a smile cheering for him as he flawlessly squared up the ball off the tee. “Hit a ball, talk to a player about what it means, there’s nothing greater. They’re so proud.”

Citibank Ridgewood Branch Manager Fabricio Moran, representing Citi at the event, was happy to witness such a program occur as a result of a joint effort between the Mets and Citi, especially so close to home.

“[Citi Field] is not just the name on the field,” said Moran. “It’s Citi and the Mets helping out the communities from Brooklyn through all the five boroughs. I’m from this neighborhood, I lived here for the past 30 years, it is a great event going on.”

At the end of the clinic, both Satin and Turner stayed after for autographs and photos. While taking a group shot, Turner asked if “we can get a ‘Let’s Go Mets’ chant going”, prompting the video featured above. The kids enthusiastically obliged and later wished them luck in that night’s series opener against the Colorado Rockies.

The pair of Mets infielder left with smiles ear to ear, as did the kids as they waved goodbye; likely a meeting that neither the campers, nor the players, will soon forget.

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Most notable among them, but hardly a surprise is catcher Josh Thole who will start the season in AAA-Buffalo where he will hone his defensive skills. We may see him again this season, but probably not before the All Star break.

Here is the complete list of players who have been cut.

C – Josh Thole
3B – Shawn Bowman
RP – Eric Niesen
RP – Jack Egbert
SP – Josh Fogg*
RP – R.A. Dickey
RP – Travis Blackley
RP – Bobby Livingston
RP – Arturo Lopez
IF – Andy Green
3B – Mike Hessman
IF – Mike Cernevak
OF – Jesus Feliciano
SS – Luis Hernandez

Adam also adds that Josh Fogg may retire or ask for his release due to a side muscle injury.

This first big round of cuts usually signals more playing time for all the regulars as well as players locked in position battles. Expect to see more of Gary Matthews Jr. and Angel Pagan in the outfield, and Mike Jacobs and Daniel Murphy at first base. The majority of players that were cut were pitchers which means longer outings of four or more innings pitched for the starting pitchers.

** Add RHP Clint Everts and OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis to the list of cuts.

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