Photo by Chris Simon

New details emerged Tuesday evening on the Mets dismissal of interim general manager Zack Scott, following his failure to immediately report a DUI on Sept. 1.

The Athletic reports that the Mets and Scott started to reconcile the final weekend of October with Scott awaiting trial on Dec. 8. Scott even gave thoughts on what the Mets should do early in the offseason.

Mets president Sandy Alderson was in favor of bringing Scott back. Cohen reportedly “was more concerned about the potential public-relations fallout not just of retaining Scott but of promoting him in the wake of his arrest and charge.”

A meeting between Scott and his defense lawyer and Cohen’s Point72 asset management attorney turned contentious as Scott’s side felt the administrative leave was unlike many organizations and thought it lumped him into the sexual harassment allegations against Jared Porter and Mickey Callaway. Cohen’s lawyers found issue with Scott waiting a day before reporting what happened.

Alderson previously stated the Mets would wait for the result of Scott’s pending trial but that turned out not to be the case.

“I assume and I advise everyone else I’m in contact with to assume that anything you do, anything you say is going to become public,” Alderson said at the GM meetings on Tuesday. “And if you have that discipline, then you’re fine. But that’s something I try to advise everyone that I know and try to live with myself. I don’t drink. Why? Because I don’t want to get stopped. I have no idea how my body would react to a couple of beers. I don’t want to know.

“What we’re looking for, what we hope to get is someone that has the discipline to understand what they stand for in terms of the organization and themselves personally.”

The post New Details Emerge in Zack Scott’s Dismissal appeared first on Metsmerized.

The 2021 league year officially came to a close when the Atlanta Braves won the World Series. (The Mets are now the only NL East team to not win a World Series in the 21st century.) With that came a drove of news in terms of player personnel as the 2022 league years gets under way, as well as some routine disappointments with regards to the Mets’ front office search.

Let’s look at what went on this week.

Scott’s Gone

The biggest news of the week was the Mets’ decision to not bring Zack Scott back to their front office.

Scott had been on administrative leave since mid-August when he was arrested for an alleged DUI. His court date for that charge isn’t until December 8, and it was assumed Scott would be in limbo up until then.

The Mets made the decision this week, though, to not bring Scott back for next season. He served as the team’s acting general manager for the 2021 season after Jared Porter was fired for misconduct in past roles. Scott could have returned to an assistant general manager role–the role he was originally hired for back in in 2020–under a new administration, whomever may be leading it, but the Mets decided against that.

More Denials: Part Infinity

Speaking of the Mets front office, it was another week of denials from candidates for the Mets top front office job. This week, the following reportedly either declined an interview or pulled their name out of the running:

• Red Sox executive Raquel Ferreira
• Orioles assistant general manager Sig Mejdal
• Twins executive Daniel Adler
• Yankees executive Jean Afterman

So who’s left in the search? A couple names remaining are Braves assistant GM Ben Sestanovich and Cardinals assistant GM Randy Flores (the same Randy Flores from the 2006 Cardinals team). There have also been reports the Mets met with former Angels GM Billy Eppler, though it wasn’t an official interview.

Free Agents

Once the league year ended after the World Series, a litany of Mets became free agents. Those include the likes of Marcus Stroman, Michael Conforto, Noah Syndergaard, Aaron Loup, Javier Baez and others. The Mets had a total of 11 players become free agents.

On top of that, both Kevin Pillar and the Mets declined the option on Pillar’s deal for 2022, so he became a free agent, as well. (The Mets paid him a $1.4 million buyout.)

Robinson Cano was reinstated to the team after serving a 162-game suspension for testing positive for a banned substance this week, too. The Mets didn’t have to pay him in 2021, but he now has two years and $48 million left on his contract, though the team is only on the hook for $40.5 million of that.

With all healthy players reinstated from the 60-day injured list (Jacob deGrom, Thomas Szapucki, David Peterson), along with Cano, the Mets’ 40-man roster now sits at 32 players. There will probably be plenty more additions and subtractions from this roster across the offseason.

Qualifying Offers

Both Michael Conforto and Noah Syndergaard were extended the qualifying offer by the Mets Saturday night. They have 10 days (until November 16) to accept the offer, which is set at $18.4 million for 2022.

Conforto is expected to decline the offer (they’ll get a compensatory pick if he signs elsewhere) and Syndergaard expressed he’d be “grateful” to receive the offer after his missing basically all of 2020 and 2021 due to Tommy John surgery.

What Comes Next?

Well, immediately, Francisco Lindor could win a Gold Glove Award this evening.

After that, the GM meetings in Carlsbad, California, are this week from Tuesday to Thursday. Tim Healey reported the Mets aren’t expected to make a front office hire before the meetings, meaning Sandy Alderson will lead the front office triumvirate of himself, Ian Levin and Bryn Alderson to California. (The latter two took over the acting GM role from Scott when he was placed on leave.)

The GM meetings are certainly a place the Mets want to lay groundwork for trades this offseason. Some potential names to target are Jose Ramirez, Matt Chapman and Sonny Gray.

The post Mets Offseason Recap: Week 5 appeared first on Metsmerized.

Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

The 2021 Fall Classic will get back underway Tuesday night in Houston for Game 6 between the Braves and Astros. Atlanta will send out southpaw Max Fried (14-7, 3.04 ERA) to the mound to face-off against an unannounced pitcher for Houston.

First pitch is set for 8:09 p.m. EST and can be seen on FOX.

Let’s get into this morning’s briefing.

Latest Mets News

As Andy Martino of SNY reported, Mets GM Zack Scott will no longer be with the organization going forward.

As the Mets’ POBO search continues, the Red Sox have granted them permission to speak to Raquel Ferreira, per Martino.

Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic writes on how Mets owner Steve Cohen’s tweet has been cited by minor leaguers in a class action bid. In the tweet posted on Aug. 1, Cohen said “Education time – Baseball draft picks are worth up to 5x their slot value to clubs. I never shy away from investments that can make me that type of return.”

Latest MLB News

Red Sox hitting coach Tim Hyers will not return to the team, and will explore opportunities with other teams, according to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. The Yankees and Cubs are among the teams looking for a hitting coach.

Padres baseball analyst David Cameron is leaving the organization after letting his contract expire.

A brief piece of personal news. pic.twitter.com/ty8J5ztQzK

— Dave Cameron (@OneDaveCameron) November 1, 2021

Nick Groke and Eno Sarris of The Athletic report on how the Rockies stalled on contract talks with Jon Gray despite the righty wanting to stay in Denver.

Latest on MMO

Alex Horowitz fills out his report card for Kevin Pillar‘s 2021 season.

Matt Musico talks about how players from the 2015 and 2016 squads are dwindling away.

Matt Musico also writes on how the Mets’ performance in 2021 depended on the quality of their opponent.

On This Date in Mets History

Birthdays: Greg Harris (66), Tom Paciorek (75)

Let’s go Mets!

The post Morning Briefing: World Series Returns to Houston For Game 6 appeared first on Metsmerized.

Photo by Chris Simon

Just as we got one seemingly positive update about the New York Mets’ front office, you know it had to be balanced out with something not so positive, right?

SNY’s Andy Martino was back with another update, this one regarding Acting General Manager, Zack Scott:

Sources: Mets acting GM Zack Scott will no longer be a part of the organization. More to come soon.

— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) November 1, 2021

Given the situation and the Mets’ ongoing search for both a President of Baseball Operations and General Manager, this isn’t necessarily shocking news. Scott had been away from the team on administrative leave since early September after news surfaced that he was arrested in late August for driving under the influence. He pleaded not guilty to these charges and is set to appear in court for a non-jury trial on December 8.

Prior to originally joining the Mets as assistant general manager in 2020 before taking on the GM role on an interim basis following Jared Porter’s departure from the organization, Scott spent 17 years with the Boston Red Sox.

This is just the latest in a string of bad hires by the Mets. Hopefully, they’ve learned enough over the past 12 months about the flaws in their hiring process for the current hunt. With new ownership still settling in and having lofty goals of being a consistently competitive team in the near future, New York could badly use some stability in the front office and the coaching staff moving forward.

The post Zack Scott Reportedly Won’t Remain With Mets appeared first on Metsmerized.

The Mets may be getting a couple of their offensive stalwarts back sooner rather than later.

Second baseman Jeff McNeil is beginning a rehab assignment with Single-A Brooklyn on Sunday, where he is expected to get two or three at-bats at the plate and play around five innings, manager Luis Rojas said prior to Sunday’s series finale with the San Diego Padres.

McNeil, 29, was placed on the injured list on May 17 with a hamstring strain after dealing with leg cramps for several games prior to the strain.

The Santa Barbara, Calif. native has progressed well and general manager Zack Scott said on Friday that they expect McNeil to return this upcoming weekend.

The four-year MLB veteran has appeared in 32 games for New York so far this season and owns a triple slash of .242/.336/.374 with a 106 wRC+ and .318 wOBA.

Trailing Jeff McNeil is Michael Conforto, who ran the bases on Saturday at “95-100 percent,” according to manager Luis Rojas.

Rojas added that Conforto, 28, could begin a rehab assignment earlier this week. The outfielder had planned to talk to Rojas this morning to see what the next steps would be, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post.

“I’m getting the itch,” Conforto said.

The Seattle, Washington native has been worth 0.3 fWAR through 34 games with the Mets this season. Like McNeil, Conforto was placed on the injured list on May 17 with a strained hamstring.

The outfielder owns a .230/.356/.336 triple slash, a 106 wRC+ and .317 wOBA.

Having both McNeil and Conforto back would give the team nearly a fully healthy lineup, with just Brandon Nimmo and J.D. Davis on the sidelines.

It doesn’t appear either Nimmo or Davis are close to returning, however, as they are currently just beginning to take dry swings, which means no baseballs are involved, manager Luis Rojas said on Sunday.

The post Injury Updates: McNeil to Begin Rehab Assignment, Conforto Close Behind appeared first on Metsmerized.

It’s no secret that the New York Mets have been decimated by injuries in the month of May.

And on Monday, acting general manager Zack Scott provided updates on the status of some of the team’s injured players prior to the start of the Amazins’ seven-game home stand.

Lets start with the position players.

Regarding outfielder Michael Conforto and second baseman Jeff McNeil, who strained their hamstrings in the series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays eight days ago, Scott called their injuries “significant,” and noted that they will be out for a “while.” As of now, the Mets are looking at late-June as a realistic timetable for their return.

Center fielder Brandon Nimmo is dealing with a nerve issue in his finger and Scott says they are trying to reduce the pain and find a level of tolerance in which he can play through it. For now, he is still not swinging a bat.

Third baseman J.D. Davis, who started a rehab assignment in Triple-A late last week, was out of the lineup for Syracuse on Sunday with neck stiffness, and he is still not ready to return to the big league club, per Scott.

While there was certainly a lot of bad news to be delivered, Scott did provide some positive updates including the status of first baseman Pete Alonso, who landed on the injured list with a wrist/hand issue on Friday. According to Scott, Alonso is expected to return quickly and should be back next week.

Versatile utility man Luis Guillorme has been out with a strained oblique since April 30, and he is set to undergo some imaging soon to determine the progress of his recovery. The Mets hope he can start a rehab assignment next week.

As for the pitching staff, Carlos Carrasco (torn right hamstring) won’t be back until that late-June/early July time frame either, per Scott.

Carrasco ramped up to six innings in a simulated game earlier this month, but wasn’t able to push the muscle as much as they would’ve liked in order to be ready for game speed. The right-hander has since re-joined the Mets and has been seen playing catch recently. But he hasn’t been doing much else.

Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Yesterday’s starter Jordan Yamamoto (right shoulder soreness) received an MRI on Monday and the Mets are reviewing the results in order to determine next steps.

On a brighter note, Scott was also able to provide good news for one big bullpen arm, as the Mets could be getting reliever Seth Lugo back from the injured list as early as next week (May 31st).

Despite the Mets’ stacked IL, ace pitcher Jacob deGrom will make his return on Tuesday. And the team should be getting some important reinforcements back in the next week or two in order to replenish the cupboard.

To look even further ahead, pitcher Noah Syndergaard (Tommy John surgery) began a rehab assignment last week and barring any setbacks, he should be back by mid-June, which will be a significant boost to the starting rotation. He will start for the St. Lucie Mets on Tuesday.

The post Mets Injury Updates: Conforto, McNeil, Lugo, Carrasco, Alonso And More appeared first on Metsmerized.

New York Mets manager Luis Rojas provided additional updates on Monday regarding three of the club’s pitchers who are trying to make their way back from the injured list.

According to Rojas, starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco, who is rehabbing from a strained hamstring, recently threw four innings in a simulated game. As Rojas also noted, the plan is for Carrasco to go five innings in his next outing as the team is hoping to move him to their alternate site in Brooklyn soon.

"Carrasco is up to 4 innings. We are thinking of moving him to the alternate site soon to throw simulated games there. He is progressing with everything he needs to do. I think he is going to go to 5 innings next outing." Rojas on Carrasco

— Pat Ragazzo (@ragazzoreport) April 12, 2021

While Carrasco has been swinging the bat, as well, he still needs to begin running at full-speed. Regardless, it is a good sign that he is ramping up on the mound and progressing towards a return.

The next pitcher Rojas was asked about was reliever Seth Lugo (elbow surgery). The hope is, that Lugo will be able to throw off of a slope next week as Rojas told reporters.

Rojas says Seth Lugo is expected to throw off the slope next week

Drew Smith is playing catch #Mets

— Pat Ragazzo (@ragazzoreport) April 12, 2021

As general manager Zack Scott said on Saturday, the expectation is that Lugo will return next month. The Mets’ bullpen has been a bit shaky to start the year and could certainly use Lugo on the mound late in games.

And speaking of bullpen help, the Mets might be closer to getting another reinforcement back in right-hander Drew Smith (shoulder soreness), who Rojas says is playing catch. However, Rojas did not say if or when Smith will throw off of a slope.

The Mets’ starting rotation has been a bright spot through the first five games, but the bullpen has lacked stability. These three arms would provide some much needed depth to the entire pitching staff as a whole.

The post Mets Injury Updates: Seth Lugo, Carlos Carrasco, Drew Smith appeared first on Metsmerized.

The New York Mets are missing three very talented arms on their pitching staff in Seth Lugo (elbow), Carlos Carrasco (hamstring) and Noah Syndergaard (Tommy John rehab).

Acting general manager Zack Scott spoke to the media on Saturday morning via Zoom and provided updates on the status and timeline for these three hurlers.

With the Mets’ bullpen looking shaky out of the gate, Scott said they feel comfortable with what they have on the roster and cited the expectation of Lugo’s return to action next month.

"We are always trying to improve the team. But I think there are several good arms here and Seth (Lugo) will be coming back here hopefully next month,"- #Mets GM Zack Scott on if they are looking to add any additional bullpen pieces

— Pat Ragazzo (@ragazzoreport) April 10, 2021

So for now, don’t expect the Mets to go outside the organization for bullpen reinforcements. That is, if all continues to go as planned in Lugo’s recovery.

Regarding Carrasco, who strained his hamstring back in March, Scott did not offer much of a detailed update beyond the fact that he is progressing well.

Zack Scott said Carlos Carrasco is progressing very well, “so far so good.”@Metsmerized

— John Flanigan (@JohnFlanigan_) April 10, 2021

According to manager Luis Rojas, Carrasco has been throwing bullpen sessions and has looked good, but he has not yet begun running yet.

With Carrasco’s timetable still looking cloudy, the Mets will either go with left-hander Joey Lucchesi or an opener every fifth day in the meantime. Lucchesi made his Mets debut on Wednesday against the Phillies and looked impressive tossing two scoreless innings with three strikeouts while only allowing one hit.

And as for Syndergaard, the Mets are impressed with how he has been progressing in his rehab from Tommy John surgery. According to Scott, Syndergaard is still expected back in June, likely mid-month, and is set to throw live batting practice today.

Scott says Noah Syndergaard is still expected back in June (likely mid-June) #Mets

— Pat Ragazzo (@ragazzoreport) April 10, 2021

The Mets already have a solid pitching staff, which could be getting three very talented reinforcements back over the course of the next two months.

Obviously, injuries happen throughout a 162-game season, especially when talking about pitchers. But Steve Cohen, Sandy Alderson and Zack Scott have built depth, which the organization has been lacking in the past several seasons.

The post Zack Scott Provides Updates on Lugo, Carrasco and Syndergaard appeared first on Metsmerized.

Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

According to a source, free agent right-handed reliever Shane Greene has been preparing all spring and will be “ready to go” and help someone win ballgames when the right opportunity arises.

An update on free-agent reliever Shane Greene:

I’m being told he has been preparing all spring and will be “ready to go” and help someone win ballgames when the right opportunity arises

— Pat Ragazzo (@ragazzoreport) April 10, 2021

Greene, who is the best remaining relief pitcher left on the market, has been mimicking a spring training schedule in order to be ready when the right offer comes along.

The Mets bullpen has received mixed results to start the season thus far and are without their setup man Seth Lugo (elbow surgery). However, according to general manager Zack Scott, Lugo is expected back from the injured list next month.

“We are always trying to improve the team. But I think there are several good arms here and Seth (Lugo) will be coming back here hopefully next month,” Scott said on Saturday morning.

With Lugo on the mend, Scott says believes they have enough talent in the bullpen. The GM also cited Thursday’s promising performance from their seven-eight-nine inning guys in: Miguel Castro, Trevor May and closer Edwin Diaz, who combined for three scoreless innings, surrendering only one hit and striking out three batters.

Once Lugo is back, this will add another reliable option to the mix, who can help the Mets secure victories late in games. While Greene seems like a long shot signing for the Mets at this point, injuries do happen, which is why Greene could be a fit with teams like the Oakland Athletics and Toronto Blue Jays, who have dealt with the injury bug in their bullpens losing Trevor Rosenthal (Thoracic Outlet Syndrome) and Kirby Yates (torn UCL) for the season.

Greene posted a 2.60 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in 28 appearances last season. Overall, Greene has been solid in the last two years as a late inning bullpen arm. But his velocity has taken a dip, which could be a contributing factor as to why he has remained unsigned.

Regardless, Greene would be a solid quick-fix bullpen option if and when a club loses someone in the backend. But for now, Greene will continue to prepare until the time and offer are both right.

The post Report: Free Agent Shane Greene Still Waiting For The ‘Right Opportunity’ appeared first on Metsmerized.

Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The Mets announced on Monday that they have acquired right-handed pitcher Jordan Yamamoto from the Miami Marlins in exchange for minor league infielder Federico Polanco.

In a corresponding move, the Mets designated infielder Robel Garcia for assignment.

Yamamoto, 24, came to Miami by way of the Milwaukee Brewers in the blockbuster Christian Yelich trade prior to the 2018 season.

The Hawaii native debuted the following year and appeared in 15 games for Miami, and pitched to a 4.46 ERA, 4.51 FIP and 4.89 xFIP. He was also worth 0.9 fWAR.

In the shortened 2020 season, Yamamoto toed the rubber in just four games and had a dismal 18.26 ERA, 11.93 FIP and 6.66 xFIP. He was designated for assignment by Miami last week.

While Yamamoto doesn’t possess high velo on his fastball, he makes up for it with decent spin, as he ranked in the 64th percentile by Statcast in 2019. His curveball spin is also solid, as it ranked in the 69th percentile that year.

Here’s a glimpse of what the right-hander brings to the table:

Going back to Miami is infield prospect Federico Polanco, who is the cousin of Mets top prospect Ronny Mauricio.

As Jacob Resnick adds on Twitter, Polanco, 19, signed with the Mets in 2017 and received a $325 thousand signing bonus. Polanco was not ranked by MLB Pipeline in their top 30 Mets prospects.

Garcia, 27, was claimed off waivers by the Mets in October prior to the finalization of the team’s sale to Steve Cohen.

The Dominican Republic native did not play in 2020 at the big league level, but had a cup of coffee with the Chicago Cubs in 2019.

Yamamoto is free agent eligible in 2027.

The post Mets Acquire RHP Jordan Yamamoto From Marlins appeared first on Metsmerized.