Mets News and Breakfast Links - 12/2/2019

MLB Trade Rumors says that the Brewers may make Josh Hader available and that the Mets may be a trade partner. Pointing to an article by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. Reading the post, not much substance tying the two teams together other than “Mets’ GM Brodie Van Wagenen co-represented Hader at CAA before taking over in Flushing”.

Also MLB Trade Rumors a couple of days ago pointed to another Athletic article that tracked payroll trends noting that the Mets “have not kept pace with other big-market spenders (New York was third in payroll over the course of the aughts, but spent the majority of this decade outside the top ten in payroll spending).”

Following up Baltimore’s placing Jonathan Villar on Waivers and Mack’s Mets Open thread on the subject on Friday, Elite Sports NY thinks Jonathan Villar could be a “sneaky play”.  They compare having him versus Jed Lowrie.  An interesting choice, but given the budget limits the Mets are constraining themselves to, not likely.

Rising Apple says that Seth Lugo to the rotation saves money which is why it will happen. Plus as Mack has been telling me, Seth has requested such a move.

Franchise Sports thinks the Mets should look at Dallas Keuchel.  They say they must sign him if they are serious about contending.

Metsmerized offers some good low cost alternatives that may help the Mets next year.  FYI, Alex Wood, Kevin Pillar, Jarrod Dyson, Robinson Chirinos, and others.

Mets Daddy recaps some of the best low cost bargains the Mets have picked up over the years.

Rising Apple has three Mets transaction predictions for this December: Upgrade backup catcher, trade Dom Smith, get a good bullpen arm.

Rising Apple also says that the Mets need Marcus Stroman to be a star. 

Faith and Fear in Flushing is running down the top 100 Mets of the 2010 decade.  The first installment are players 91-100.  His recollections of these players like #100, David Aardsma, are amazing. 

Metsmerized ran down the Mets coaching staff as it stands now.

Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of the Cano-Diaz trade, Mets 360 takes stock of the trade one year later.  “The Mets were handcuffing their future payroll by agreeing to take on the final five years of Cano, adding a $20 million per year commitment to a player almost guaranteed not to be worth the expenditure over the life of the deal. They also sunk a lot of resources into acquiring a reliever, a position well-known for being very fickle in results from year to year. Finally, they raided their farm system to make the deal happen.” Well said.

Call to the Pen looks at missed Mets Opportunities.  They site recent free agent signings and that the Mets should act quickly to improve the team while they can.

Ichiro Suzuki pitched and batted in a Japanese sandlot-level game against a team of high school teachers.

Fox Business had a story how MLB will now allow private equity firms to allow investment funds to acquire minority stakes in multiple teams. 

Mike’s Mets Reviews Daniel Zamora’s 2019 season. Personal note – I met Daniel after a Binghamton game in 2018.  Super nice guy.  You never know what will happen but I hope he makes it.  If not, at least he made it to the Majors.  So many in the minors are not even able to say that.  I am sure Mack has hundreds of nice guys he met over the years that never got the call. 

All you have to do is look at the December 2008 Mack Met’s Blast from the past as Mack looked at 2009 Minor league starting pitchers. 

Speaking of Mr. Zamora, in Winter Ball Last night:

Daniel Zamora was the only current Met to see action in a 15-4 Toros win (box). 

Daniel pitched the bottom of the 8^th with Toros Del Este leading 15-4.  He walked his first batter, retired the second batter on a line out to left field, struck out the next batter, and ended the inning by getting Seattle Mariners Infielder Tim Beckham to ground out to third.

This winter Daniel Zamora has appeared in 5 games for 3 innings, 4 hits, 1 un-earned run, 2 walks, 3 Ks, 0.00 ERA.

Some Ex-Mets also appeared in the game, Anderson Hernandez played for Estrellas de Oriente going 0 for 1, Jordany Valdespin went 2 for 3 with a walk and 3 RBIs and is now hitting .319 for the winter, and Raul Valdez started for Toros Del Este giving up 4 runs in 6 innings to get the win.

In Australian Baseball, after Sunday’s game where no Mets minor leaguers played, the Auckland Tuatara will now be off until next weekend. 

UltimateMets has this date in Mets History:

Born on this date:

• Jay Kleven (1949)
• Chip Hale (1964)

Transactions:

Mets drafted Jerry Hinsley from the Pittsburgh Pirates on December 2, 1963.

New York Mets purchased Hawk Taylor from the Milwaukee Braves on December 2, 1963.

Mets drafted Wayne Garrett from the Atlanta Braves on December 2, 1968.

Oakland Athletics drafted Tommie Reynolds from the Mets on December 2, 1968.

New York Mets signed free agent Bobby Bonilla of the Pittsburgh Pirates on December 2, 1991 to a $29 million, five-year deal. The 28 year-old highly touted outfielder will hit only .249 during the first year of his contract for an under-achieving New York club.

New York Mets signed free agent Roger Mason on December 2, 1992.

Cleveland Indians signed Eddie Murray of the New York Mets as a free agent on December 2, 1993.

Arizona Diamondbacks signed Armando Reynoso of the New York Mets as a free agent on December 2, 1998.

Cleveland Indians signed Roberto Hernandez of the New York Mets as a free agent on December 2, 2006.

In 2008, Mets COO Jeff Wilpon says the team's new ballpark's name will remain Citi Field regardless of the suggestion made by two NYC council members who believe the venue should be called Citi/Taxpayer Field. Citigroup, a struggling financial institution that is benefiting from a bailout from the federal government, is paying the franchise $400 million over 20 years for naming rights to the stadium.

Los Angeles Angels signed Hisanori Takahashi of the New York Mets as a free agent on December 2, 2010.

Pittsburgh Pirates signed Fernando Nieve of the New York Mets as a free agent on December 2, 2010.

Los Angeles Dodgers signed Chris Capuano of the New York Mets as a free agent on December 2, 2011.

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