The Washington Nationals have unexpectedly canceled Stephen Strasburg‘s retirement press conference, according to sources reported by Britt Ghiroli of The Athletic. Initially, the plan was to hold the press conference to honor Strasburg and retire his number. However, the Nationals have now altered their approach. It was the team that approached Strasburg about retirement and offered to pay his full contract, but sources with knowledge of the situation indicate that the team now seeks to renegotiate the terms of the deal.

The Mets, meanwhile, begin a three-game series against the Twins Friday at 8:10 p.m. ET.

Now onto the morning briefing!

Latest Mets News

The MLB.com starting pitcher power rankings were released and reflect recent performance, with some new faces making significant moves. Mets pitcher Kodai Senga is now ranked fifth, having previously been unranked.

Cohen Private Ventures, led by New York Mets owner Steven A. Cohen, has acquired the rights to a TGL (The Golf League) team representing New York. This addition makes New York the fourth city to have a TGL team, joining Los Angeles, Boston, and Atlanta in the inaugural season of the league, which is set to launch in January. Two more teams will be announced in the coming weeks.

Latest MLB News

In a conversation with Taylor Ward, conducted by Sam Blum of The Athletic, Ward discussed the harrowing experience of being struck by a 92 MPH sinker in the face. He shared details about the moment of impact and the challenging aftermath. Importantly, Ward expressed his confidence that he will return to his previous hitting form despite the incident.

Andy McCullough, a writer for The Athletic, has spent the past two years working on a book centered around Clayton Kershaw. The book, titled “THE LAST OF HIS KIND,” delves into the themes of the weight of greatness, personal evolution without sacrificing one’s identity, and Kershaw’s unique position in the contemporary era of baseball. Preorders for the book are available.

The MLB Players Alumni Association faced off against the Savannah Bananas at Grayson Stadium. The MLBPAA team, consisting of former players aged 35 and over, displayed a playful spirit before the game. They aimed to win the final game of a series against the Harlem Globetrotters. Newcomers Eric Sogard and Dee Strange-Gordon joined the MLBPAA for added talent. Curtis Granderson managed the team but didn’t play. The event provided a unique, fan-focused, and lighthearted experience for former players.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have announced several roster moves. They’ve selected infielder Jordan Lawlar from Triple-A Reno and recalled right-handed pitcher Ryne Nelson from Reno. Catcher Seby Zavala has reported to the team and is now active. Following Thursday’s game, catcher Jose Herrera and right-handed pitcher Bryce Jarvis have been optioned to Reno. Additionally, the Diamondbacks have designated shortstop Nick Ahmed for assignment.

An emotional Nick Ahmed on today's tough news:

"Disappointed obviously. Spent a long time here … 10 years and ripping a Band-Aid off in 10 minutes." pic.twitter.com/3CRCgtzOcg

— Jesse Friedman (@JesseNFriedman) September 7, 2023

Rangers outfielder Adolis García is set to hit the injured list due to a patellar tendon strain, as reported by Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. In his place, Evan Carter will be added to the roster.

Latest on MMO

Michael Mayer takes a look at the players involved in the Mets deadline deals and what each side’s players have done since their respective trades.

Joander Suarez throws a no-hitter for Double-A Binghamton, we take a look into his performance.

José Butto shines in latest appearance for the Mets against the Nationals.

On This Date in Mets History

1979: In a marathon 15-inning game that took place on this date in 1979, the New York Mets secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Notably, the game’s turning point occurred in the bottom of the sixth inning when Ed Kranepool hit a home run off Bert Blyleven, marking the 118th and final home run of Kranepool’s illustrious career. A Mets veteran since 1962, Kranepool retired at the conclusion of the 1979 season, holding the record for the team’s all-time leader in home runs, a record that would later be surpassed by Dave Kingman just three years later.

Birthdays: Bobby Parnell (39), Don Aase (69)

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Gary Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

With the trade deadline less than a week away, all of the buzz still seems to be around where Washington Nationals superstar Juan Soto is going to land, and rightfully so. The young phenom has a career slash line of .291/.426/.539, with 118 home runs and 357 runs batted in. He has also walked more than he has struck out in his career, 456 to 411. Already a two-time All-Star and 2019 World Series champion, the game has never seen a player of this caliber and age (23) available on the trade market.

Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo was on Junks Radio and made it clear that the team will not prioritize adding bloated contracts such as Patrick Corbin‘s remaining $70.9M or perhaps Stephen Strasburg‘s remaining $140M after this season.

Soto is currently slashing .245/.401/.485 with 20 home runs and 45 runs batted in. Metsmerized’s Johnluke Chaparro has readers covered with his Soto trade profile.

Corbin is struggling this season, pitching to a 6.02 ERA and 4.60 FIP. No longer a front-of-the-rotation starter, Corbin could give teams innings at the back of the rotation or even work as a lefty out of a team’s bullpen by the time October rolls around. However, it does not seem like, as of now, Rizzo has any plans to include the 33-year-old lefty in talks.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post was recently on the Big Time Baseball podcast and told listeners that he believes there are a handful of frontrunners for the young slugger’s services. “I think Cardinals, Padres, probably the Dodgers are probably the more likely candidates to land Soto,” Heyman said. Last week, it was reported that the Mets are also believed to be one of the many teams interested in acquiring Soto.

The Nationals will be receiving many more phone calls as the deadline nears. As MLB analyst and insider Jim Bowden said, It is expected that the Nationals, if Soto is indeed traded, will receive the most significant prospect return in baseball, if not sports history.

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Good Morning, Mets fans!

Latest Mets News

As of this writing, the Mets are scheduled to play baseball tomorrow for the first time in five days. Since news of their COVID-19 outbreak arose Thursday afternoon, the Mets have been forbidden from holding team workouts.

Fingers crossed that we’ll get to see a Mets-Marlins game tomorrow.

MetsMerizedOnline’s Jacob Resnick learned that the Mets released Brian Dozier.

Pete Caldera of NorthJersey.com heard that the Mets and Yankees could play five times next weekend.

Latest MLB News 

It’s Jose Abreu‘s world and we’re just living in it.

The Dodgers activated Will Smith from the 10-day IL. No, not the actor.

The Giants DFA’d fan-favorite Hunter Pence.

The Rays placed Nick Anderson on the 10-day IL with forearm tightness.

Latest NL East News

Stephen Strasburg was recommended to receive season-ending surgery to fix his carpal tunnel syndrome.

Latest on MMO

Michelle Ioannou polled the MMO writers on which Mets team they’d want to hang with.

On This Day in Mets History 

1975: Ed Halicki no-hit the paltry Mets.

2005: Mike Jacobs went yard four times in four games becoming the first player in MLB history to achieve such a feat.

Birthdays: Bartolome Fortunatoc (47)

Stay safe, Mets fans!

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According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, the Angels have signed free agent third baseman Anthony Rendon to a seven-year, $245 million contract.

Rendon, 29, has spent his entire career with the Nationals, and has posted three 6-plus fWAR seasons in a row. He had probably the best season of his career in 2019, posting a 154 wRC+ and 7.0 fWAR while finishing third in MVP voting.

The Angels, who were also in on superstar Gerrit Cole, acquired another star talent to support the great Mike Trout on an Angels team that has struggled to wine even with the best player in baseball on their team. Signing a star like Rendon is definitely a huge step forward for them as they look to compete with the Astros in the AL West.

Rendon got the same exact deal in terms of years and money as his former teammate Stephen Strasburg, who recently re-signed with the Nationals. The deal is said to include no opt-outs, and his $35 million average annual value is the best for any position player aside from only his new teammate Trout.

There is also said to be no money deferred in the deal.

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Good morning Mets fans! Tuesday marks the third official day of the 2019 MLB Winter Meetings. While nothing groundbreaking usually happens on the first day (Sunday) since players, executives, agents and media typically just get settled in, the second day (Monday) was expectedly busy in terms of news and rumors.   

Latest Mets News

Brodie Van Wagenen addressed the media on Monday night and answered various questions about the New York Mets, their offseason plans and 2020 expectations.

Van Wagenen indicated that OF Yoenis Cespedes has been swinging a bat for weeks and has been running too.

Van Wagenen also deflected any questions regarding Steve Cohen potentially becoming a majority owner of the Mets.

The Mets will receive the 74th overall pick in 2020 MLB Draft as compensation for losing RHP Zack Wheeler in free agency to the Philadelphia Phillies.

ESPN announced their first 16 Sunday Night Baseball games and the Mets will appear on their broadcast three of those first 16 times (Apr. 19, Apr. 26 and May 31).

2B Robinson Cano‘s agency, Roc Nation Sports, shared a picture of Cano reunited with a boy who received open heart surgery 11 years ago, which was paid for by Cano.

Former Met RHP Drew Gagnon signed with the KIA Tigers of the KBO for $650,000 and a $200,000 signing bonus as announced by the team and translated by Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net.

The Mets and Venezuelan C David Rodriguez agreed to a minor league deal per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Rodriguez spent the last seven seasons in the Tampa Bay Rays organization.

Latest MLB News

Pete Frates, co-founder of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge with Pat Quinn and former Boston College outfielder, passed away on Monday after battling ALS for over seven years. Frates’ fight against ALS was supported by MLB and along his journey he signed an honorary contract with the Boston Red Sox in 2015, had the bucket from his own Ice Bucket Challenge displayed in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2017 and received a custom 2018 Red Sox World Series ring in 2019.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post expects RHP Gerrit Cole to receive a deal over $300 million. He suggested that a nine-year, $324 million contract could be realistic for Cole.

The MLB Draft will move from New Jersey to Omaha in 2020 according to Kendall Rogers of D1Baseball.com. The draft will occur from Jun. 10 through Jun. 12.

RHP Dellin Betances is likely going to sign a one-year contract to increase his value after a lost 2019 campaign, per Jack Curry of YES Network.

In a new agreement on opioids being negotiated between MLB and the players’ union, marijuana will be removed from the list of banned substances for minor leaguers according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Major leaguers on the other hand, have not been subject to testing for marijuana.

The Texas Rangers and LHP Joely Rodriguez agreed to a two-year, $5.5 million contract, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network. Rodriguez will return from Japan after playing for the Chunichi Dragons since 2018.

Latest NL East News

The Washington Nationals re-signed RHP Stephen Strasburg to a seven-year, $245 million contract. The deal set records for most money committed to a pitcher ($217 million) and average annual value for a pitcher ($34.4 million).

Latest on MMO/MMN

Michael Mayer wrote about what the Mets need to do at the Winter Meetings.

Mayer also listed five takeaways from Van Wagenen’s Monday night presser at the Winter Meetings.

Brian Devine discussed whether Van Wagenen will make a big splash or not at the Winter Meetings.

John Sheridan wrote about the Mets’ managerial vacancies in Double-A and Triple-A.

Sheridan also wrote about how the Mets may lose INF Shervyen Newton in the Rule 5 Draft on Thursday.

This Day in Mets History

1971: The Mets traded RHP Nolan Ryan, C Frank Estrada, RHP Don Rose and OF Leroy Stanton to the California Angels in exchange for six-time All-Star 3B Jim Fregosi. Ryan went on to set the all-time MLB strikeout record (5,714 strikeouts) and become a member of the Hall of Fame, while Fregosi hit .233/.319/.328 with five home runs and 43 RBIs in 146 games during his two years in Queens.

1982: The Mets traded RHP Mike Scott to the Houston Astros in exchange for OF/1B Danny Heep.

1984: The Mets traded C Mike Fitzgerald, OF Herm Winningham, 3B Hubie Brooks, and RHP Floyd Youmans to the Montreal Expos in exchange for C Gary Carter. Carter, a Hall of Famer, 11-time All-Star and 1986 World Champion, hit .249/.319/.412 with 89 home runs and 349 RBIs in 600 games during his five seasons with the Mets.

2008: The Mets were involved in a three-team, 12-player trade. The Mets sent OF Endy Chavez, OF/1B Mike Carp, OF Ezequiel Carrera, RHP Maikel Cleto, RHP Aaron Heilman and LHP Jason Vargas to the Seattle Mariners and RHP Joe Smith to the Cleveland Indians. The Mariners sent RHP Sean Green, RHP J.J. Putz and OF Jeremy Reed to the Mets and INF Luis Valbuena to the Indians. The Indians sent OF Franklin Gutierrez to the Mariners.

2008: The Mets completed a three-year, $37 million contract with RHP Francisco Rodriguez. The new Mets closer came off a 2008 campaign in which he saved an MLB-record 62 games for the Los Angeles Angels.

Birthdays: OF Victor Diaz turns 38, RHP Dan Wheeler turns 42, RHP Mel Rojas turns 53, RHP Doug Henry turns 56 and INF Ted Martinez turns 72.

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Dodgers Looking Big

According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, the Dodgers are looking at the three top free agents in third baseman Anthony Rendon and right-handers Stephen Strasburg and Gerrit Cole.

Heyman notes that the Dodgers can afford to go big, but also expect to remain disciplined this offseason. The Dodgers current projected fifth starter is Tony Gonsolin, both Alex Wood and Rich Hill are free agents.

The Dodgers have also had rumored interest in third base free agent Josh Donaldson. LA wants to add a big-time right-handed bat to the lineup.

Twins Could Add Third Baseman

Despite the presence of Miguel Sano, the Twins could look to add a free agent third baseman according to Darren Wolfson of KSTP-TV. Wolfson mentions Donaldson and former Mets third baseman Todd Frazier as two confirmed names they’ve talked about.

In this scenario, the Twins would likely move Sano to first base and non-tender 1B/DH C.J. Cron.

The non-tender deadline is December 2, and it would be the second straight offseason being non-tendered for Cron. He hit .253/.311/.469 with 103 OPS+ in 125 games for the Twins in 2019.

Mariners Open to Trading Offensive Catcher

Jeff Passan of ESPN reports that the Mariners have shown a desire to trade offensive-minded catcher Omar Narvaez and a deal could be completed soon. The 27-year-old was one of the best hitting catchers in baseball last season (119 wRC+ ranked third behind only Willson Contreras and Yasmani Grandal), but he was one of the worst defensively (ranked 110 out of 113 according to Baseball Prospectus).

Narvaez is under team control for three years and is first-time arbitration eligible this offseason. He’s projected to make $2.9 million for the 2020 season.

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Strasburg Deal Could Be Sealed Before Winter Meetings

Stephen Strasburg, one-third of this offseason’s most elite free agents- with Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rendon as the remaining two-thirds- could potentially re-sign with the Washington Nationals before the Winter Meetings even begin on December 8, says Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.

The Nats made no effort to hide their interest in re-signing the righty after he decided to opt-out of the remaining four years and $100 million on his contract, with negotiations opening up almost immediately following this opt-out.

Braves Bring Back Chris Martin, Add Players To 40-man Roster

The Atlanta Braves made another addition to their roster on Tuesday evening, announcing that they have signed reliever Chris Martin to a two-year deal worth $14 million. Martin finished 2019 with the Braves after the club acquired him at the trade deadline.

Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors also reported that the Atlanta Braves selected the contracts of outfielder Cristian Pache, catcher William Contreras, as well as pitchers Jasseel De La Cruz, Tucker Davidson, and Phil Pfeifer. Pache, Contreras, De La Cruz, and Davidson are ranked by MLB.com as four of Atlanta’s top 15 prospects.

The Braves’ decision to add all five players now protects them from being selected in the upcoming Rule 5 draft, with the protection deadline set for Wednesday evening.

Akiyama is Potential Piece for Cubs

The Cubs are interested in Japanese outfielder Shogo Akiyama, and according to Bruce Levine of 670 The Score, this could make a whole lot of sense for Chicago.

Akiyama could potentially fill the club’s current holes in the leadoff spot as well as in center field, while also remaining an affordable option. The outfielder is reportedly looking for three years and $15 million, which appears doable for a Chicago team that is limited financially after exceeding the luxury tax in 2019 and anticipating a 2020 payroll of more than $200 million.

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Major League Baseball’s deadline for impending free agents to accept or decline their former team’s $17.8 million, one-year qualifying offers for 2020 passed at 5 PM ET on Thursday. Of the ten extended deals, just two players accepted.

As expected, Mets right-hander Zack Wheeler declined the qualifying offer. Brodie Van Wagenen told reporters on Thursday that he expects the Mets to continue having dialogue with Wheeler about keeping him in New York.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Jake Odorizzi, 29, accepted the Twins’ qualifying offer to remain in Minnesota for one more season.

The right-hander pitched to a 3.51 ERA (3.36 FIP) with 178 strikeouts, 53 walks, and 1.21 WHIP over 30 starts (159 innings).

Jeff Passan of ESPN confirmed that Jose Abreu, 32, also agreed to his qualifying offer from the Chicago White Sox.

Over 159 games last season (693 plate appearances), the Cuban first baseman hit .284/.330/.503 with 33 home runs, and AL-leading 123 RBIs, and 38 doubles while being named to his third All-Star team.

Left-handed reliever Will Smith — extended a qualifying offer from San Francisco after pitching to a 2.76 ERA with 96 strikeouts and 21 walks in 65.1 innings with the Giants last season — declined and signed a three-year with the Braves just ahead of the deadline on Thursday.

The other seven players extended qualifying offers — right-handers Gerrit Cole, Stephen Strasburg, and Wheeler, left-hander Madison Bumgarner, third basemen Anthony Rendon and Josh Donaldson, and outfielder Marcell Ozuna — all declined their deals, as well, making them free agents.

As per MLB guidelines, if/when any of the above-referenced rejectees sign with a new team, their respective former teams will receive a compensatory pick in this year’s draft and, potentially, international pool money. They are still permitted to negotiate and sign a new contract with their old teams, as well.

We’ll keep you updated with any new information as it becomes available.

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Bryan Hotch of MLB.com reports that the New York Yankees have “checked in” on Zack Wheeler as well as Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg.

The Yankees were reportedly one of the teams who were interested in acquiring Wheeler at the MLB Trade Deadline, with the Mets deciding to hold onto him in the end.

Wheeler, 29, went 11-8 with a 3.96 ERA, 3.48 FIP, and 1.259 WHIP in 2019 across 31 starts (195 1/3 innings). He also averaged 9.0 K/9 as compared to 2.3 BB/9.

As MMO’s own Michael Mayer notes, the Mets would receive a compensatory pick between Competitive Balance Round B and Round 3 of the MLB Draft next season if Wheeler were to reject the $17.8 million qualifying offer and sign with another team.

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Jon Paul Morosi of MLB.com reports free agent starter Zack Wheeler is going to notify the New York Mets he is going to reject the qualifying offer in advance of Thursday’s deadline. Part of the reason for Wheeler’s decision is he is garnering plenty of interest on the market.

So far, the Angels, Padres, and White Sox have already expressed interest in signing the 29 year old starter. Morosi contemplates the market for Wheeler could expand in the event he waits out Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg inking their own free agent deals.

Wheeler is coming off a year where he was 11-8 with a 3.96 ERA, 1.259 WHIP, 2.3 BB/9, and a 9.0 K/9. After not pitching for two years due to complications from Tommy John surgery, and his dealing with a stress reaction in 2017, Wheeler has put together back-t0-back seasons where he has thrown over 185.0 innings.

Over the past two years, Wheeler has a 3.37 FIP which ranks as 10th best in the majors. Notably, that is one spot ahead of Strasburg who is two years older. He has also thrown more innings than Strasburg during the past two regular seasons.

Notably, Morosi did not name the Mets as one of the teams who has expressed interest in signing Wheeler to a free agent deal. We should learn the level of the Mets interest in Wheeler in the upcoming days, weeks, and months. The same can be said for the aforementioned three teams as well as the rest of Major League Baseball.

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