Mets News and Morning Links - 12/30/2023

 

Good Morning.  Happy Birthday Kevin Long. Mets lose out on Free Agent target Lucas Giolito and Carlos Cortes goes deep again in Winter Ball.

Section Links: Mets Links, MLB Links, Winter Baseball, and This Day in Mets History.

Mets Links: 

SNY.TV: Potential Mets target RHP Lucas Giolito signing two-year deal with Red Sox. "Lucas Giolito and the Boston Red Sox are in agreement on a two-year deal worth $38.5 million with an opt-out after the first season, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan."

MLB.com: 

• Each team's most likely breakout star for '24 - for the Mets it is Francisco Alvarez - "Alvarez was still exceedingly raw when the Mets brought him back to the Majors this April at age 21. The Venezuelan rookie showed flashes of brilliance regardless, and showcased a defensive acumen that was better than advertised. But Alvarez finished with just a .209/.284/.437 slash line, leaving plenty of room for improvement. Now, with more than a full year of experience and some additional maturity, Alvarez is the exact kind of player who could develop into a star in 2024."

Yahoo Sports/Mets:

• If Mets trade Pete Alonso, here's the 'middling' return they could receive

Metsmerized:

• Boston Red Sox Sign Lucas Giolito
• Mets Madness Series Recap: 1969 Mets Beat 1997 Mets in 7 Games
• Hall of Fame Case: Carlos Beltrán
• Crossfire: Should Mets Sign J.D. Martinez or Justin Turner?

Amazing Avenue: 

• Mets interested in Gio Urshela

Mets360: 

• Mets Card of the Week: 1967 Greg Goossen

Mack's Mets: 

• Tom Brennan - Stupid Franchise? You Decide
• Reese Kaplan -- There's Still a Lot of Work to Do

SportSpyder Mets Links: 

Winter Baseball:

In the Dominican - 

• Robinson Cano 2B 1 for 3; 
• Hansel Robles 1 inning, no runs, 1 hit, 2 Ks;

In Puerto Rico -

• Carlos Cortes RF 1 for 4, HR (2), 1 run, 1 RBI - hitting .203 with a .567 OPS;
• Albert Almora Jr. LF 1 for 3, 1 K - .216 batting average with a .570 OPS; 

In Venezuela -

• 2021 Syracuse Met Jose Martinez DH 0 for 4, 1K;

In Mexico:

• Ex-St. Lucie Met Juan Uriarte C 0 for 3 - hitting .170 with a .478 OPS; 

MLB Links:

MLB.com: 

• Giolito agrees to 2-year deal with Red Sox (source)
• The latest on the starting pitching market
• 10 of the wildest box score lines from 2023
• Remembering those the baseball world lost in 2023
• 5 reasons Beltré belongs in the Hall of Fame
• White Sox add veteran Flexen to pitching mix (source)
• Revisiting the top moments of the 2023 MiLB season
• Predicting the major award winners for 2024
• 11 stats that show why Koufax is a legend
• We found them: They're the worst team ever
• 1 incredible 2023 stat for every team
• Each team's best individual performance of 2023
• These 10 swings are the sweetest we've seen
• Prospect debuts we're excited to see in '24 -- one for each team

MLB Trade Rumors: 

• Red Sox To Sign Lucas Giolito
• Red Sox Exploring Trades Involving Outfielders
• Dusty Baker Discussing Potential Role With Giants
• White Sox Agree To One-Year Deal With Chris Flexen
• Blue Jays Have Reportedly “Taken The Lead” In Yariel Rodriguez Sweepstakes
• Cubs Sign Joe Hudson To Minor League Deal
• Free Agent Profile: Gary Sánchez
• Blue Jays Sign Isiah Kiner-Falefa
• Mets, Angels Interested In J.D. Martinez
• The Opener: New Year, Pirates, Red Sox
• Andrelton Simmons Retires

Yahoo Sports: 

• The 10 moments that tell the story of baseball in 2023
• Former Giants manager Baker eyeing return to organization
• MLB free agency 2023 tracker: Lucas Giolito joins Red Sox on $38.5 million deal
• Top 25 MLB free agents 2023-24: With Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani off the board, who's still out there?
• RHP Lucas Giolito agrees to 2-year contract with the Boston Red Sox, AP source says
• Blue Jays finalize $15 million, 2-year contract with Isiah Kiner-Falefa
• White Sox add right-handed veteran to starting rotation: report
• Fox News apologizes for listing White Sox legend Frank Thomas as dead in their 'In Memoriam'

ESPN: 

• Sources: Red Sox land Giolito for 2 years, $38.5M
• Rays' Franco no-shows agency summons in D.R.
• Blue Jays, Kiner-Falefa finalize 2-year, $15M deal
• 2 ex-Tigers scouts sue, allege age discrimination

CBS Sports:

• Lucas Giolito to sign with Red Sox: Boston hands out two-year, $38.5 million deal after down year
• MLB free agent tracker: Cody Bellinger, Blake Snell among notable names left with top two players signed
• Shota Imanaga free agency: Three things to know about NPB pitcher overshadowed by Yoshinobu Yamamoto
• NPB ace Roki Sasaki wants to be posted to MLB after 2024 season despite financial limitations, per report
• MLB rumors: Red Sox still looking for pitching help; J.D. Martinez garnering interest from Mets, Angels

FanGraphs: 

• Effectively Wild Episode 2105: The Stories We Missed in 2023
• Jay Jaffe’s 2024 Hall of Fame Ballot
• JAWS and the 2024 Hall of Fame Ballot: Bartolo Colon

Today in Mets History Per Ultimatemets.com: 

Born on this date:

• Kevin Long (1966)
• Ralph Milliard (1973)

Transactions:

New York Mets signed free agent CF Corey Wimberly to a minor league contract.on December 30, 2011.

Centerfield Maz: 

• Rickey Henderson (The Mets Years 1999 - 2000)
• Ruben Gotay: Former Mets Infielder (2007)
• Jeff D'Amico: Early 2000's Italian / American Mets Pitcher (2002)
• Ray Knight: 1986 Mets World Series MVP (1984 - 1986)
• Tim Harkness: Early Sixties Mets First Baseman (1963-1964)

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