Photo by Mike Watters of USA Today

The New York Mets announced on Friday afternoon that they’ve claimed right-handed pitcher Dennis Santana off waivers from the Minnesota Twins. Santana was sold by the Rangers to the Braves in November and then was claimed by the Twins off waivers from the Rangers last month.

Santana, 26, has allowed three runs in six innings on six hits, only one walk, and seven strikeouts in six games for the Twins this spring. The hard thrower had a 5.22 ERA, 3.89 xERA, 3.35 FIP, 1.33 WHIP and 54 strikeouts in 58 2/3 innings for the Rangers in the majors last year over 63 games. Santana had a 4.28 ERA in 54 2/3 innings between the Rangers and Dodgers in 2021.

Mets have claimed right-handed Dennis Santana off waivers from the Twins.

Average fastball 96.7 mph last year and had 3.89 xERA in 58 2/3 big league innings.

pic.twitter.com/i2ANVZUrWY

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) March 17, 2023

Santana throws hard with a 97.7 mph average on his four-seamer and 96.7 mph on his sinker last year. Opponents had just a .282 slugging percentage in 2022 against his slider and an even lower .205 slugging percentage off his changeup.

Like Mets bullpen hopeful Stephen Nogosek, Santana is on the 40-man roster and out of options. The Mets will continue to look for bullpen improvements following a season-ending injury to Edwin Diaz and injuries to Sam Coonrod and Bryce Montes de Oca that will leave them unavailable for Opening Day.

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Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

In mid-November the Mets claimed William Woods off waivers from the Atlanta Braves. The 24-year old from Tennessee finally made the majors last year where he pitched in two games in late April / early May. Before the start of last season, the Braves were so worried that Woods be selected in the Rule V draft that they added him to the 40-man roster. In the process of creating roster space at the end of the season the Mets were able to swoop in and pick him up.

In his brief time in the majors, Woods allowed no runs over two innings from two hits and a walk while striking out two. He showed his mid-90’s fastball with an average 2391 RPM and his mid-80’s slider with a 2504 RPM (Baseball Savant). He spent most of the season though bouncing around different levels of minor league ball while recovering from injuries. When he was on the field in the minors he had a 6.04 ERA and 1.342 WHIP over 24 games and 25 1/3 innings. The most significant injury he had was an ankle injury that sidelined him from May to July.

Braves websites have written about Woods in the past and their thoughts about his future role has shifted over the years. Before the 2022 season he was seen more as a starter leading with a powerful fastball. At the end of last season he was seen more as a reliever (with the same tool set). Ultimately, he needs to develop secondary pitches to stay in the majors.

William Woods is worth the look the Mets are going to give him this spring. The Mets always need flamethrowers in the bullpen and it is unpredictable when a player can find lightning in a bottle and put all their talents together. Woods has a lot of competition ahead of him. He’s not on the 40-man roster, he’s a righty, etc. Like everyone else we have looked at in this series, a strong spring can change everything.

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Eric Orze, Photo by Ed Delany of MMO

For a second straight season Eric Orze gets an invite to major league camp for the Mets. Orze was one of the six players the Mets drafted back in 2020. They traded away their first pick, Pete Crow-Armstrong for Javier Baez. They traded J.T. Ginn for Chris Bassitt. They traded away Isaiah Green in the package for Francisco Lindor. Matthew Dyer was traded for Rich Hill. Anthony Walters was released.

So the last man standing from the 2020 draft is Orze.

After overcome a boatload of personal adversity (more below), Orze boasted a 3-0 record and a 2.75 ERA when the Coronavirus forced the NCAA to shut down the remainder of the baseball season. Orze impressed teams with his mental fortitude and his filthy stuff, and he was selected 150th overall by the Mets in the fifth round of the 2020 Draft.

Orze was mostly used in Syracuse last year. He pitched in 34 games, totalling 50 1/3 innings with a 4.83 ERA and a 1.152 WHIP. While in Syracuse he was three years younger than the average player in the league. This was building off of his previous year where he posted a 3.08 ERA over 49 2/3 innings. That year Orze dominated in Syracuse with a 2.19 ERA and 1.135 WHIP while being four years younger than the average player.

Orze is also a double cancer survivor. When he was in college he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. A couple of years later he was diagnosed with skin cancer. I highly recommend reading Dicomo’s article as it chronicles Orze’s tough and amazing journey.

Right now, Orze is listed as the Mets 29th best prospect by staff at Metsmerized and the 19th best prospect by MLB Pipeline. According to MLB Pipeline, Orze’s pitch to watch is his low-80’s splitter (Scout Grade 60) which he mixes in with his 93-95 mph fastball. Overall he has a 40 scout grade.

While I don’t think Orze will make the team out of spring this year (unless he completely forces the issue), I do think we’ll see him at some point this year. He has shown the ability in his two years in the minors to throw multiple innings in the same game, a real need for the Mets depending on game script.

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Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Updated Post – Feb. 15, 8:37

Mets outfielder Khalil Lee has cleared waivers after being recently designated for assignment. He was sent outright to Triple-A Syracuse. The DFA came shortly after the Mets found out Major League Baseball was investigating Lee for the alleged assault of his former girlfriend.

Tim Healey of Newsday reports that Lee is still in the Mets organization and will receive an invitation to major league spring training camp.

Original Post – Feb. 6, 19:14

The New York Mets have designated outfielder Khalil Lee for assignment. Lee is under an active MLB investigation due to a lawsuit accusing him of assault last year.

In a corresponding move, the Mets have claimed right-handed pitcher Sam Coonrod off of waivers from Philadelphia. Coonrod was designated for assignment by the Phillies last week to make room for infielder Josh Harrison.

Coonrod, 30, missed most of last season with a shoulder strain. In his 12 appearances, he had a 7.82 ERA. Prior to that, Coonrod had a 4.04 ERA in 42 1/3 innings for the Phillies in 2021.

Coonrod is a player the Mets are certainly taking on as a bounceback candidate. His FIP and SIERA had Coonrod’s ERA as much lower last season and there is optimism his velocity can get back to the 98 and 99 miles per hour level now that he’s further removed from injury.

Coonrod has an option on his contract and will not need to be guaranteed an active roster spot, allowing the Mets to keep him in the minor leagues until possibly needed.

The Mets acquired Lee in 2021 from the Kansas City Royals. Lee appeared in 13 major league games over the last two seasons. He spent most of the year at Triple-A Syracuse where he slashed .211/.326/.366 in 100 games. He’s under investigation by Major League Baseball under the league’s domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy. His ex-girlfriend filed a federal lawsuit that alleges Lee assaulted her physically and verbally in May of last year.

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Mike Vasil, Photo by Ed Delany of MMO

Starting with Matt Allan being ranked at 11, our staff has dedicated a more detailed analysis of the top prospects in the New York Mets farm system. At number 9, we take a look at another right-handed starting pitching prospect who slid in the draft but who still possesses a high ceiling.

No. 9 Mike Vasil, RHP

B/T: L/R     Age: 3/19/2000 (22)
Ht: 6’5         Wt: 225 lbs.
Acquired: Drafted in 8th round of 2021 Draft out of the University of Virginia
ETA: 2024  Previous Rank: 27
Stats (St. Lucie): 4-2, 3.53 ERA, 18 G, 17 GS, 71.1 IP, 1.08 WHIP, 4.05 BB/9, 11.8 K/9

Back in 2018, Mike Vasil withdrew his name from the draft despite being a top-50 prospect at the time. The decision proved to be rather costly for him as he struggled at the University of Virginia and became an eighth rounder in 2021.

The good news for the Mets and Vasil is the Mets have been able to undo a lot of the changes that caused Vasil to struggle at UVA. In Eric Logenhagen’s update from over the summer for FanGraphs, he mentioned that Vasil gained several miles per hour on both his fastball and slider. MLB Pipeline’s end of the season update mentioned the Mets have worked on making Vasil’s delivery more athletic, hence the added velocity.

Keith Law of The Athletic recently wrote up the Mets system and had this to say about Vasil: “He can get up to 95-96 mph with high spin and pairs it with a 55 slider and 50 changeup that has late action but not enough deception.”

In terms of the underlying data behind Vasil’s pitch offerings, he seems to get good spin on his pitches. According to Will Hoeffer, he averages close to 2,700 RPMs on his curveball and about 2,500 on his fastball (both four-seamer and sinker).

The Mets started Vasil out in St. Lucie and worked his way to Brooklyn. He unfortunately missed a lot of time this past summer with irritated bone spurs but he did pitch in the Arizona Fall League, a good sign that he is healthy heading into 2023.

The knock on Vasil that the linked rundowns and the stats will tell you is that Vasil needs to work on walking fewer batters. He had 26 walks in 71.1 innings and nine in 15.1 innings in the Arizona Fall League.

For his 2023 outlook, I expect Vasil will go back to A+ and he should be in Binghamton in the earlier part of the season. He really did not have much experience in A+ or did not even get to build up his innings this past season.

The Mets have enough arms to weather the storm between Tylor Megill, David Peterson, and Jose Butto, but I think there is a low chance that Vasil could talk his way into getting a shot should things get that dire, especially in the second half. I think back to Megill getting a shot in what was essentially his second full professional season.

I do think prospect rankings underrate Vasil a little bit because he may not have the potential of someone like Calvin Ziegler or Blade Tidwell but, in reality, he is a few notches in command from being a surefire starter in the big leagues. Of course, it is easier said than done but the Mets and Vasil have already figured out how he could add a good amount of velocity.

He really does not need 60 or even 70 level command to become a starter. I think if and when Vasil makes his MLB debut, he will be seen as a massive surprise but in reality, I think his combination of ceiling and floor make him someone that Mets fans can at least get a little excited about.

Other prospect rankings:

30-26
25-21
20-16
15-12
11. Matt Allan
10. Calvin Ziegler 

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Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports

Tommy Hunter is, arguably, already a Mets Legend.

Tommy Hunter, in his 476th career game, gets his first big league hit. pic.twitter.com/VsgfyXH1Gb

— Michael Mayer (@mikemayer22) May 18, 2021

I’ve come around the Universal DH, but memories like that warm my National League heart.

The 36-year old righty was drafted by the Rays back in 2005, made his debut in 2008 and has traveled all over. He’s played for the Rangers, Orioles, Cubs, Guardians, Orioles (again), Rays, Phillies, and for the last two seasons, the New York Mets. Hunter was mostly used as a starting pitcher until 2013. The Orioles then shifted him to the bullpen for 68 games (still his career high) over 86 1/3 innings.

From 2013 on Hunter has pitched in 396 games making only one start with a 3.14 ERA, 3.46 FIP and a 1.110 WHIP. When healthy, he has the capability of pitching in 60 or more games, but he has only done that four times since 2013, the most recent time being in 2018.

His time with the Mets has been memorable. In 2021,  Hunter pitched eight scoreless innings and collected his first major league hit during a stretch when the Mets were  falling apart health wise but still somehow winning ballgames. Hunter was later traded to Tampa Bay in the Rich Hill trade before re-signing with the Mets the next season. Last year, Hunter pitched 22 1/3 innings over 18 outings with a 2.42 ERA, 1.209 WHIP, 4.28 FIP and a 162 ERA+.

We know what we are getting with Tommy Hunter. He’s a veteran reliever who has been in the game for a while. The question for the Mets — is there space for Hunter on the big-league roster? The question in turn for for Hunter — is he willing to go to Syracuse in April if he doesn’t break with the team in spring?

Hunter is clearly in a position battle for the bullpen. My gut says that if he stays with the Mets, he ends up on the 40-man roster at some point and sees at least as much playing time as he did last year. If he has a tremendous spring, or if there’s an injury, we’ll see him sooner than later.

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Non-roster invites (NRIs) to spring training run the gambit from top-tier prospects to veterans trying to get back on major league rosters to minor-league players who never got their shot. Connor Grey falls into the latter category.

A New York state native who graduated from St. Bonaventure in 2016, Connor Grey was originally drafted by the Diamondbacks back in 2016. He made some noise back in 2017 when he posted a 2.87 ERA over 18 games and 103 1/3 innings spread over four levels of minor league ball. This included a 100-pitch perfect game. The following season showed success again at AA ball, posting a 2.93 ERA over 10 games but hit a roadblock in AAA, posting a 9.39 ERA and 2.478 WHIP in seven games.

Then the Covid-19 pandemic happened. There was no minor league baseball in 2020 and Grey was essentially cut from the Arizona system. He started to pitch for an independent team in Chicago which is how the Mets found him. The Mets have signed him as a minor league free agent multiple times since then.

Grey started out with Brooklyn in 2021, 3.7 years older than the average player in the league. When Grey was in the Arizona system, he was used primarily as a starter until 2019. The Mets immediately switched him back to his starting role. In Brooklyn, he made four starts with a 3.22 ERA and 1.075 WHIP so he was bumped up to Binghamton. He faced a few more hurdles but finished the year with a 4.55 ERA and a 1.168 WHIP.

The Mets then brought Grey back last year where he pitched exclusively with Syracuse. Grey was 28 years old, only one year older than the average AAA baseball player. Last year was tough for Grey. He had a 6.38 ERA and a 1.668 WHIP over 104 1/3 innings. But, he pitched over 100 innings, which by itself is an accomplishment.

Grey also came frustratingly close last year to making his major league debut. He was added to the Mets roster in a late August series against the Yankees but wasn’t used. Then was designated for assignment, then had to be resigned by the Mets.

I see two different ways Connor Grey fits with the 2023 Mets. If the Mets need a spot starter for one turn in the rotation, and there is no one in the bullpen who can do that (and Showalter doesn’t want to do a bullpen game), Grey could be called up to eat some innings. Or, if the Mets have to turn a long man in the bullpen into a starter, and the innings are starting to add up on arms in the pen, Grey could be called up to become that long man for an afternoon (maybe on a doubleheader day). One thing the Mets have shown us over the years is you can never have too many healthy arms. Grey was *this close* to making his debut last year, I have a feeling the circumstances for his debut will happen at some point this year.

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Grant Hartwig

If you are looking for one player in the New York Mets’ organization that made the biggest rise in 2022, one name that comes to mind is right-handed reliever Grant Hartwig. Last year, Hartwig made an appearance at each of the four levels in the system in his first full season of professional baseball.

Due to the 20-round limit in the MLB Draft, Hartwig ended up signing as an undrafted free agent out of Miami (Ohio) in July 2021. If the draft was 40 rounds like there was in the past, you would think someone would have taken the chance on selecting him.

Nevertheless, Hartwig had a strong 2022, to say the least. The 25-year-old had a 1.75 ERA in 39 appearances (6-2 record) with 83 strikeouts to 24 walks in 56 2/3 innings of work. In addition, he held opponents to a .187 batting average.

That success earned Hartwig a trip to the Arizona Fall League this year. While he did have some struggles in Arizona (10.00 ERA, 8 Ks, 4 BBs, in nine innings), it had to be a good experience for him to face some top competition:

Overall, Hartwig may not have the greatest strikeout totals, but he did a great job last year in making sure opposing hitters were hitting the ball on the ground. According to FanGraphs, the six-foot-five reliever had a ground-ball rate of over 48% at Low-A St. Lucie, High-A Brooklyn, and Double-A Binghamton. Additionally, he threw 62% of his pitches for strikes, so he is able to pound the zone at an effective rate.

As Michael Mayer pointed out back in December, Hartwig was being used for multiple innings as a reliever. With his starter experience, that could go a long way in getting him a big-league debut at some point in his career.

Grant Hartwig.

In the latest MLB Pipeline ranking of the Mets’ system, Hartwig is listed as the 22^nd best prospect in the organization. Further, they say his slider is his most devastating pitch, and it pairs with a fastball that is usually around 93-94 MPH. He also features a changeup.

 “His best pitch by far is a low-80s slider with good vertical and horizontal break that gets the majority of his whiffs. Speaking to the confidence he has in the breaker, he throws it about as equally as the fastball, sending batters at three different levels either lunging or frozen in place.”

While Hartwig probably won’t make the big-league roster out of camp this spring, he should get a chance to shine at Triple-A Syracuse. He only appeared in two Triple-A games a year ago and did not allow a run across three innings.

With a chance to face more experienced competition, it will be fun to see if the numbers Hartwig had last year can continue into 2023. If they do, the Mets may have found themselves a diamond in the rough going forward.

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Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

The trigger has been pulled on a significant trade in MLB today with the Minnesota Twins acquiring starting pitcher Pablo López from the Miami Marlins. The deal was first reported by Ken Rosenthal and Dan Hayes of The Athletic.

Later confirmed by Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Marlins received All-Star second baseman Luis Arraez as the cornerstone (and only) piece of the return package. Craig Mish of SportsGrid reported that infielder Jose Salas, the No. 4 overall prospect in the Miami farm system, according to Baseball America, would go back to the Twins.

The final piece of the puzzle in terms of the completed package was outfielder Byron Chourio, who also went to Minnesota along with López and Salas.

It was a major deal and it also looks like an immediate win-win for both franchises. The Marlins acquire a legit offensive weapon in Arraez, who is the reigning American League batting champion. He is also under club control for the next three years, which is another important piece of this deal.

Arraez hit .316/.375/.420/.795 with 49 RBI in 2022. He also finished with a 4.4 WAR and can put the ball in play at a very high rate. The 25-year-old becomes the first player to win a batting title and be traded the following offseason since Hall of Famer Rod Carew was dealt to the Angels after the 1978 season.

Interestingly, in the wake of Friday’s trade, Marlins general manager Kim Ng revealed that Jazz Chisholm Jr. will now play center field. Arraez will take over at second base from Chisholm Jr., with Jean Segura manning third in 2023. Chisholm Jr. has exclusively played at second and at shortstop during his big league career. Miami have now revamped its infield and added a different dynamic to its lineup.

For the Twins, this deal ticks a lot of boxes. For starters, they significantly upgrade their rotation with the addition of López. The righty posted a 3.75 ERA in 2022 with a 10-10 record for the Marlins. He also struck out 174 batters in 180 innings. The 26-year-old has averaged 8.6 strikeouts per nine for his career.

Minnesota also received a highly-rated prospect in Salas, who stole a combined 33 bases in 2022 at Single-A. He finished the year with a .339 on-base percentage and has star potential according to scouts. Chourio, meanwhile, batted .344 in his first season in the Dominican Summer League. He’s regarded as a plus runner, hitter and defender.

While the price was high for the Twins in terms of losing a quality bat in Arraez, they add a solid starter to the rotation and get two very good prospects with high ceilings in return. It adds to an offseason that saw star shortstop Carlos Correa return to Minnesota after his agreement with the Mets fell through. Correa eventually signed a six-year, $200 million contract with the Twins.

This is a pure baseball trade all round. The Marlins upgrade their infield and boost their lineup with Arraez, while the Twins bolster their rotation and add two talented young players to their farm system. While it will take time to see how this deal ultimately shakes out, both organizations arguably got better with the trade which is a rare thing in today’s game.

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Photo by Ed Delany of MMO

Free agent right-hander Chris Bassitt is attracting interest from the San Francisco Giants, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Bassitt enjoyed a solid first year in Queens but became a free agent after rejecting the Mets’ one-year qualifying offer. ESPN’s Jeff Passan has previously reported that the team would like to bring the veteran back, a sentiment echoed by Mike Puma of The New York Post. However, according to Puma, Bassitt is seeking a contract longer than three years in free agency while the Mets aren’t keen on going beyond that term.

In terms of this latest report, the Giants would make sense given their reported desire to bolster their rotation this winter. They have been linked to a number of the most notable free agent starters, including the likes of Carlos Rodón, Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, and Andrew Heaney. The latter has since signed with the Texas Rangers.

It is worth noting that the Giants have been in on some of the biggest prizes available this winter but, so far, they have come up empty every single time. They were all in on superstar slugger Aaron Judge before he decided to return to the New York Yankees, while Mike Puma of The Post reported that they also made an offer to outfielder Brandon Nimmo before he signed a contract with the Mets.

Bassitt is one of the best starters left on the open market. The righty posted a 3.42 ERA over 181 2/3 innings in 2022 for the Mets, securing a career-high in strikeouts with 167 and finishing with a 15-9 record. Bassitt also had a 6.6% walk rate and a career-best 48.8% grounder rate. He found plenty of success with his 72 m.p.h curveball, with hitters slashing just .156/.181/.195 against it and no home runs.

Perhaps more importantly, Bassitt proved he was durable last year by becoming the only Mets pitcher to start 30 games and record over 160 innings. He recorded 19 quality starts and could be relied upon in a good chunk of his starts to go deep in games and deliver the goods.

Bassitt’s track record extends beyond 2022 too. He became an All-Star for the first time in 2021 after posting a 3.15 ERA with a 12-4 record for the Oakland A’s in 2021, and he has been a solid and dependable starter for the duration of his career. He’s also a respected figure in the clubhouse and a player who could be a solid No. 2 or No. 3 starter for most teams in MLB.

With multiple reports suggesting that the Mets are still all in on signing Senga in order to beef up their rotation, it remains to be seen whether owner Steve Cohen is willing to spend the money to bring Bassitt back, especially if he wants a contract that exceeds four years. With the Mets having already dished out deals to Justin Verlander and José Quintana, Bassitt may have to take his talents elsewhere and the Giants would be a good fit given their need for starting pitching.

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