Mets News and Morning Links - 1/5/2024

 

Good Morning.  Happy Birthday Eduardo Escobar, Charlie Hough and Nori Aoki.  Pete Alonso likes the Mets signing of Harrison Bader to one year deal and Starling Marte takes night off in Winter Ball. 

 

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

Mets Links: 

Report: Mets sign OF Harrison Bader to one year contract

NY Post: "The Mets and Bader agreed to a one-year, $10.5 million contract on Thursday, The Post’s Joel Sherman reported...Though Bader struggled to stay healthy as a Yankee — missing time over the past two seasons with plantar fasciitis, an oblique strain and a hamstring strain — he has proven to be one of the best defensive center fielders in the game."

Will Sammon and Tim Britton The Athletic. "While the Mets haven’t been as active in the starting and relief markets this winter, they have done well to upgrade their defense. Bader is the headliner there, of course, but smaller moves for Taylor and Joey Wendle also help." (Subsription required)

NY Post: Mets’ Pete Alonso excited to reunite with college teammate Harrison Bader.  "In a post on Instagram, Alonso, 29, showed his excitement to be playing with Bader again in a post that featured two pictures of Bader and Alonso as teammates at the University of Florida. 'The diesel bros are back baby!!! Welcome back to the orange and blue!!!! #LFGM,' Alonso captioned the post."

Pete Alonso is excited to be back together with college teammate Harrison Bader 💪

(via IG/polarpete20) pic.twitter.com/PxcRdbw4ki

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) January 4, 2024

MLB OAA leaders among outfielders since 2018:

1. HARRISON BADER (66)
2. Kevin Kiermaier (58)
3. Manuel Margot (47)
4. Lorenzo Cain (45)
5. Michael A. Taylor (44)

(h/t @mike_petriello, @MLBStats) pic.twitter.com/oT8APFy67A

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) January 4, 2024

Off of @WillSammon's article regarding Luis Severino's tipping issues, @martinonyc discusses what he's learned and @JerryBlevins demonstrates how easy of a fix it is and what Severino can do https://t.co/96QYh72GEs

▶ Tri-State @Cadillac pic.twitter.com/s8YbBsOx3Z

— SNY (@SNYtv) January 5, 2024

Would Hyun-jin Ryu be a good addition to the Mets' starting rotation? @ConnorJRogers discusses it with @PSLToFlushing on The Mets Pod https://t.co/PNDOdOeIOU

SUBSCRIBE✔️
Apple Podcasts: https://t.co/3DdIdJ8B1T
Spotify: https://t.co/vVBZOZD9ou

➡️ Tri-State @Cadillac pic.twitter.com/jXBYX7MVyT

— SNY (@SNYtv) January 5, 2024

On Baseball Night in New York, @sal_licata, @martinonyc, @AnthonyMcCarron & @JerryBlevins discuss Josh Hader, including his market and how he could be looking at a contract larger than Edwin Díaz's, as well as his potential fit with the Yankees or Mets https://t.co/rLY3AKJETW pic.twitter.com/X8Kc0uN40n

— SNY (@SNYtv) January 5, 2024

Mets.com:

• Mets agree to deal with former Gold Glover Bader (source)

Yahoo Sports/Mets:

• Trevor Bauer 'more than open' to signing with Mets after 2021 offseason fiasco
• Mets should stay away from J.D. Martinez: 'I'd rather (have) Giancarlo Stanton,' says WFAN's Sal Licata - Sal says "He has got washed up written all over him. The second he signs with the Mets, he’s going to go downhill... J.D. Martinez would be so bad, Mets fans would be begging for Daniel Vogelbach back." 

Metsmerized:

• Free Agent Profile: Hyun-Jin Ryu, SP
• Mets Sign Center Fielder Harrison Bader
• Report: Mets Open to Trading Omar Narváez

Amazing Avenue: 

• Top 25 Mets Prospects for 2024: Boston Baro (23)

Mets Minors:

• 2023 All-Mets Minors Team: Relief Pitchers

Mets360: 

• Mets sign OF Harrison Bader to a one-year deal
• The slow-moving free agent class of 2023-24
• Why signing J.D. Martinez should be the Mets’ first priority in 2024

Mack's Mets: 

• Paul Articulates – What if?
• Tom Brennan: Bad Ronny Mo Uodate; Mets’ 2019 Draft; & Marte and Luxury Tax

SportSpyder Mets Links: 

Winter Baseball:

In the Dominican - 

• Starling Marte did not play.
• Robinson Cano 2B 0 for 4, 1 K;
• Michael Perez C 1 for 4, 1 K;
• Ex Minor League Met Hector Rodriquez CF 1 for 4, 1 K;
• Ex-Syracuse Met Sam McWilliams 1 inning, no runs, 1 hit, 1 K;
• Hansel Robles 1 inning, no runs;

In Puerto Rico -

• Carlos Cortes RF 0 for 6, 1 run, 1 walk;
• Albert Almora Jr. LF 2 for 4, double;

In Venezuela -

• Wilfredo Tovar DH 1 for 4, double, 1 RBI; 
• Wilson Ramos C 1 for 4, HR, 1 run scored, 1 RBI;
• Ex-Syracuse Met David Rodriguez RF 0 for 3, 1 walk

No Mets related players in action in Mexico.

MLB Links:

Ken Rosenthal The Athletic: Why Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley are both on my Hall of Fame ballot.  Ken says "it was impossible to vote for one and not the other." questioning how the 2B-SS combo of "Alan Trammell is in [the Hall] and Lou Whitaker is not".

MLB.com:

• Watch 'em fall! Records we want to see broken in '24
• 10 quiet teams that still could make a noisy move
• Plenty of power left on free agent market
• Are these AL East rivals vying for Cease?
• HOF ballot update: 8 crucial questions as announcement nears
• This club is viewed as Montgomery's 'first choice'
• Prospects primed to break out in '24 -- one for each team
• Snell has privately expressed interest in joining this team (report)
• Newly acquired Sale signs 2-year deal with Braves
• Yanks claim OF Thompson from Reds, add RHP Poteet (report)
• Here's the skinny on new Red Sox starter
• MLB announces 8 college teams set for '24 Desert Invitational
• Which 2 clubs face most pressure in '24? Go coast to coast

MLB Trade Rumors:

• Braves, Chris Sale Agree To Two-Year Deal
• Rangers Hire Dave Bush As Director Of Pitching Strategy
• Pirates, Mariners Have Shown Interest In Carlos Santana
• Padres Sign Oscar Mercado, Kevin Plawecki To Minor League Deals
• Mets Indicating Willingness To Trade Omar Narvaez
• Reds Outright Austin Wynns
• Tigers, Andrew Vasquez Agree To Minor League Contract
• Pirates Sign Michael Plassmeyer To Minor League Deal
• Astros Sign Chris Gittens To Minor League Deal
• White Sox Outright Carlos Perez
• KBO’s Samsung Lions Sign Denyi Reyes
• Astros Designate Joel Kuhnel For Assignment
• Twins Claim Ryan Jensen From Marlins
• Yankees Claim Bubba Thompson From Reds
• Astros Claim Declan Cronin From White Sox

Yahoo Sports: 

• MLB Hall of Fame: Here's how Class of 2024 voting is going
• Why Zaidi ‘can't imagine' Giants trading top prospect Harrison
• Yankees free agency and trade buzz: NY reportedly among teams expressing 'sincere interest' in Dylan Cease
• Zaidi lists two positions of need Giants could target via trade
• As teams make moves on pitchers, is trade market for Dylan Cease shrinking?
• Zaidi shares candid outlook on criticism that comes with Giants role
• Mets signing Harrison Bader helps, but more offense is needed

ESPN: 

• Bauer admits 'mistakes,' wants 2nd shot in MLB
• New Braves lefty Sale gets two-year extension

FanGraphs: 

• Effectively Wild Episode 2107: The Mascot Menu
• The Rangers Are Building for the Second Half
• Is 2024 the End of the Astros as We Know Them?
• Dan Szymborski FanGraphs Chat – 1/4/24
• 2024 ZiPS Projections: Philadelphia Phillies
• Billy Cook Is an Under-the-Radar Prospect in a Loaded Orioles System
• Philadelphia Phillies Top 26 Prospects

Today in Mets History Per Ultimatemets.com: 

Born on this date:

• Charlie Hough (1948)
• Nori Aoki (1982)
• Eduardo Escobar (1989)
• Keyshawn Askew (2000)

Died on this date:

• Rogers Hornsby (1963)
• Tug McGraw (2004)
• Rick Down (2019)

Transactions:
New York Mets traded Vince Coleman to the Kansas City Royals for Kevin McReynolds on January 5, 1994.

New York Yankees signed Miguel Cairo of the New York Mets as a free agent on January 5, 2006.

New York Mets signed free agent David Newhan of the Baltimore Orioles on January 5, 2007.

New York Mets traded Corey Coles and Ryan Meyers to the Chicago Cubs for Angel Pagan on January 5, 2008.

New York Mets signed free agent Jason Bay of the Boston Red Sox on January 5, 2010.

Milwaukee Braves signed Eric Young of the New York Mets as a free agent on January 5, 2016.

New York Mets traded Bobby Wahl, Adam Hill and Felix Valerio to the Milwaukee Brewers for Keon Broxton on January 5, 2019.

New York Mets signed free agent Brandon Drury of the Toronto Blue Jays on January 5, 2021.

National Pasttime:

1974

Due to heavy financial losses, Rheingold Beer reveals plans to close the Brooklyn-based plant. As a result, the brewery will end its 13-year relationship with the Mets as the team's primary radio-TV sponsor.

1994

The Mets trade Vince Coleman to the Royals to reacquire Kevin McReynolds, who played in New York for five seasons beginning in 1987, along with $500,000 to make up the difference between the salaries of the two outfielders. Co-owner Fred Wilpon indicated that Coleman would never wear his team's uniform again due to the 32 year old's role in the firecracker incident at Dodger Stadium, reported to have injured three fans in the Chavez Ravine parking lot.

 

2010	The Mets and R.A. Dickey agree to a one-year minor league deal reportedly worth $600,000 if the journeyman makes to the major league roster, along with the opportunity to earn $150,000 more in performance bonuses. The 35-year-old knuckleballer will become the first player in franchise history to win six of his first seven starts (6-0, 2.33 ERA).
2011	After narrowly missing induction last year, second baseman Roberto Alomar and hurler Bert Blyleven are elected to the Hall of Fame by a wide margin. The right-hander, who waited 14 years before getting the nod, and the second baseman, considered a sure first-ballot inductee last season, join executive Pat Gillick, broadcaster Dave Van Horne, and writer Bill Conlin in Cooperstown next July.

Baseball Reference:

1994 - In a trade of outfielders, the New York Mets send Vince Coleman to the Kansas City Royals for Kevin McReynolds. For McReynolds, it is his second stint with Mets. 

2006: In a trade involving four pitchers, the Los Angeles Dodgers acquire Jae Seo and Tim Hamulack from the New York Mets in exchange for Duaner Sanchez and Steve Schmoll.

January 5, 2004: Tug McGraw passed away. He was 59. McGraw pitched nine seasons with the @Mets, including the 1969 World Championship team and 1973 National League title team #LGM #MetsRewind #YaGottaBelieve pic.twitter.com/fqEySeeuou

— Mets Rewind (@metsrewind) January 5, 2021

Centerfield Maz:

• Eduardo Escobar's Mets Career (2022-2023)
• Alvin Dark: 1954 World Champion New York Giants Short Stop (1950-1956)

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