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Mets Sign Cheslor Cuthbert To Minor League Contract

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The Mets have signed infielder Cheslor Cuthbert to a minors contract, according to Levi Luna of TN8 Nicaragua (Twitter link).  Cuthbert didn’t last long on the open market, as the Reds just released him from a previous minor league deal on Tuesday.

While the Mets are slowly starting to get some injured personnel back onto the field, Cuthbert will help provide some depth for a club that is still very short-handed.  He has played most of his MLB career as a third baseman, with a good chunk of playing time at first base and a handful of games at second.

Cuthbert hit .250/.300/.378 over 1160 plate appearances with the Royals from 2015-19, coming up through the pipeline as a notable prospect in Kansas City’s farm system and working as the regular third baseman in 2016.  K.C. non-tendered Cuthbert following the 2019 season and he joined the White Sox on a minors deal, ultimately appearing in one big league game in 2020.

Mets Outright Cameron Maybin, Wilfredo Tovar

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The Mets have outrighted outfielder Cameron Maybin and infielder Wilfredo Tovar to Triple-A Syracuse after both cleared waivers, notes Tim Healey of Newsday (Twitter link). Both players have the right to refuse a minor league assignment and elect free agency.

With their outfield in shambles, New York acquired Maybin from the Cubs a few weeks ago. The hope was the respected veteran would prove a competent fill-in while many of the Mets regulars recovered from various injuries. That didn’t prove to be the case, though, as the 34-year-old went just 1-28 with three walks and twelve strikeouts in nine games. The Mets designated Maybin for assignment on Monday, selecting the hot-hitting Mason Williams from Triple-A in his place.

Tovar’s major league work was even sparser than Maybin’s. Selected to the roster on May 18, Tovar only picked up twelve plate appearances in six games before being removed from the roster. The Mets designated the 29-year-old for assignment after claiming Travis Blankenhorn off waivers on Tuesday.

Mets Claim Travis Blankenhorn, Designate Wilfredo Tovar For Assignment

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The Mets have claimed infielder Travis Blankenhorn off waivers from the Mariners, per the Athletic’s Tim Britton (via Twitter). The Mets will be Blankenhorn’s fourth organization of the 2021 season. He has been added to the active roster.

Not unrelated, Wilfredo Tovar was designated for assignment. The 29-year-old infielder made just 12 appearances in his second stint with the Mets. He managed two hits and a walk while striking out four times. Tovar was originally signed as a amateur out of Venezuela by New York way back in 2007. He made 34 total plate appearances for the Mets across three seasons. If he passes through waivers, he’ll have the opportunity to stay with the organization.

Despite being so well-traveled, Blankenhorn does not have a Major League plate appearance this season. He did score a run in a pinch-running appearance for the Twins. He was 1-for-3 in four plate appearances with the Twins in 2020.

Blankenhorn’s stay in Queens may also prove a temporary one, as the Mets are continually dealing with an injury-ravaged roster. At present, infielders J.D. Davis, Luis Guillorme, and Jeff McNeil are all on the injured list along with outfielders Brandon Nimmo, Michael Conforto, Johneshwy Fargas, and Albert Almora Jr.

Red Sox Expected To Finalize PTBNLs From Benintendi Trade In Near Future

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The Red Sox will soon decide on the three players they’re still owed as players to be named later from February’s three-team Andrew Benintendi swap, per a pair of reports from Lynn Worthy of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link) and Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. Worthy suggests that the Royals, who owe the Red Sox two players, could have some resolution within the next week or two. Meanwhile, Cotillo indicates that the player the Mets will send to Boston is expected to be the best of the three PTBNLs and must be settled upon by this coming Friday.

Technically, the teams involved all have until August to settle the deal, as PTBNLs come with six-month windows. It seems as though the matter will be resolved well before to that point, however.

It’s fairly common for teams to take some of that six-month allotment to evaluate the farm system of a trade partner. Oftentimes, the team receiving the PTBNLs agrees to a list of players from which they select, and those players can be tracked and evaluated over the coming months. That aspect was likely of particular importance for the Red Sox this time around, given last year’s lack of a minor league season.

The original trade sent Benintendi to Kansas City and outfield prospect Khalil Lee to New York, while the Red Sox received outfielder Franchy Cordero (from the Royals) and minor league righty Josh Winckowski (from the Mets). Cordero’s early struggles prompted the Red Sox to option him to Triple-A Worcester last week, which resulted in a fair bit of criticism of the trade from the Red Sox’ vantage point. Of course, Cordero is but one of five pieces who’ll join the Sox organization as a result of the deal, and judging any trade before the identities of all involved players are even known is rather short-sighted.

Benintendi, 26, got out to a miserable start in Kansas City, batting just .180/.254/.230 through the season’s first three weeks. He’s been on a tear in the five weeks since that time, however, raking at a .345/.395/.466 in 129 plate appearances. Cordero, meanwhile, mustered only a .179/.228/.274 slash in 102 plate appearances. He’s 5-for-12 with a couple homers since being optioned. The 22-year-old Lee went 1-for-18 with the Mets in his first taste of MLB action after being recalled out of necessity due to the team’s rash of injuries. He was recently optioned back to Triple-A Syracuse, where he’ll be in line for everyday at-bats.

The Royals control Benintendi through the 2022 season. The Red Sox control Cordero through at least 2023. Lee had yet to make his MLB debut when the Mets acquired him and has multiple minor league options remaining, so he could be a piece of their outfield puzzle for upwards of a decade, depending on his development and the frequency with which he’s optioned.

Mets Make Several Roster Moves

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The Mets have reinstated first baseman Pete Alonso, outfielder Kevin Pillar and reliever Seth Lugo from the injured list, Tim Healey of Newsday was among those to report. In other moves, the Mets designated outfielder Cameron Maybin and right-hander Sam McWilliams for assignment; selected outfielder Mason Williams; and optioned outfielder Khalil Lee, catcher Patrick Mazeika and reliever Sean Reid-Foley.

The returns of Alonso, Pillar and Lugo (all previously reported) will add some reinforcements to a New York team that has been ravaged by injuries this year. Despite their health issues, though, the Mets have started a solid 25-20 en route to a 3 1/2-game lead in the National League East.

Thanks in part to their injuries, the Mets acquired Maybin from the Cubs on May 18. The Mets bought extremely low on Maybin, whom they picked up for a dollar, but they got little bang for their buck. The 34-year-old totaled 33 plate appearances, collected one hit (a single) and struck out 12 times before they designated him.

McWilliams, meanwhile, signed a major league contract with the Mets last offseason despite having never pitched in the bigs. He also hasn’t reached the majors this season, instead throwing 8 1/3 innings of 10-earned run ball at the Triple-A level. The 25-year-old owns an ugly 8.60 ERA with 53 strikeouts against 25 walks in 52 1/3 Triple-A frames.

Mets Expected To Activate Pete Alonso, Select Mason Williams

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The Mets are planning to reinstate first baseman Pete Alonso from the 10-day injured list, reports Buster Olney of ESPN (Twitter link). He’ll return from a hand sprain after spending the minimum amount of time on the IL. The 2019 NL Rookie of the Year got off to a fantastic start to the 2021 season, but his production has cratered since he was hit by a pitch on May 5. Mets fans are surely hoping the brief reset will allow him to recapture his previous levels of production.

Alonso isn’t the only Mets position player returning to the field in the near future. Kevin Pillar is expected back within the next few days, Olney also reports. The 32-year-old outfielder suffered multiple nasal fractures when he was hit in the face by a Jacob Webb fastball just under two weeks ago. Considering how frightening that scene was, it’s nothing short of remarkable Pillar is seemingly in line to come back as quickly as he is.

Even once Pillar returns, the Mets will still find themselves short in the outfield. Brandon Nimmo, Michael Conforto, Albert Almora Jr. and Johneshwy Fargas all remain on the IL. In their absences, the Mets have mostly relied upon Dominic Smith, Cameron Maybin, Billy McKinney and Brandon Drury in the grass.

To add to that outfield mix, New York is planning to select Mason Williams, reports Anthony DiComo of MLB.com (Twitter link). The 29-year-old Williams has gotten to the big leagues in each of the past six seasons, although he’s never topped 132 plate appearances in any given year. Once a well-regarded prospect in the Yankees system, Williams signed a minor-league deal with the Mets last month. He’s raked at Triple-A Syracuse in the early going, hitting .373/.458/.569 over 59 plate appearances. A 40-man roster move will be necessary to create space for Williams’ formal selection.

Mets Notes: Walker, Diaz, Lugo

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The Mets have activated Taijuan Walker from the injured list, optioning Yennsy Diaz to Triple-A to free up the roster spot, per Tim Healey of Newsday (via Twitter). Walker missed the minimum amount of time with tightness in his side. Walked has excelled in eight starts this season with a 2.05 ERA/2.84 FIP across 44 innings.

Diaz has thrown two scoreless innings in two appearances. He came to the Mets this winter from the Blue Jays as part of the Steven Matz trade. While Diaz was mostly a starter with the Blue Jays, the Mets have thus far used him exclusively out of the pen both in the Majors and in Triple-A.

The Mets also plan to get another arm back soon in Seth Lugo. The Mets plan to activate Lugo when he’s eligible to return on Monday, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com (via Twitter). Lugo has been a huge piece of the Mets’ pitching staff over the past five seasons, but arm surgery has kept him from the mound so far this season. Over 167 games (38 starts) since 2016, Lugo has pitched to a 3.45 ERA/3.59 FIP in 383 1/3 innings, notching 25 wins, 32 holds and 12 saves.

Mets Shut Noah Syndergaard Down For Six Weeks

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Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard will be shut down from throwing for the next six weeks due to inflammation in his right elbow, manager Luis Rojas announced to reporters Thursday (Twitter link via Anthony DiComo of MLB.com).

Syndergaard, who is working his way back from 2020 Tommy John surgery, exited his most recent minor league rehab start due to elbow discomfort. Tests did not reveal any damage to Syndergaard’s ulnar collateral ligament, but today’s announcement still marks a substantial setback. He’ll need to build back up once he resumes throwing in mid-July, meaning the earliest he’d be able to return to the big league rotation is likely some point in August.

The Syndergaard setback is the latest in a rather remarkable deluge of injuries the organization is attempting to weather. While the pitching staff hasn’t been hit as hard as the lineup, the looming promise of a Syndergaard return nevertheless stood as a potential boon for the club as it tries to patch the roster together while a whopping 17 players are on the injured list.

The Mets’ rotation has been excellent, anchored by yet another dominant performance from two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom. Mets starters have pitched to a collective 2.94 ERA on the season, ranking fifth in baseball. They also have the game’s fifth-best strikeout percentage (28.1 percent) and the seventh-lowest walk percentage (7.1 percent).

That said, it’s been a top-heavy group. Each of deGrom, Taijuan Walker and Marcus Stroman has turned in a sub-3.00 ERA (sub-1.00, in deGrom’s case), but young David Peterson has worked to a 4.91 mark in 44 innings while the fifth spot has been a revolving door. Carlos Carrasco, like Syndergaard, has yet to pitch this season and is said to still be “weeks” away from his potential Mets debut, and another rotation option, Jordan Yamamoto, was placed on the 60-day injured list yesterday.

The setback, of course, is worrisome for Syndergaard on a personal level as well. He’s in his final season of club control and was already facing a best-case scenario of just under four months to showcase his health in advance of free agency. He could now be looking at closer to a six-week audition window — perhaps longer if the Mets reach the postseason.

Mickey Callaway Placed On Ineligible List Through At Least 2022

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Major League Baseball has placed Angels pitching coach Mickey Callaway on its ineligible list through at least the 2022 season, commissioner Rob Manfred announced. The league made the decision after investigating Callaway for harassment allegations that were levied against him. The Angels have fired Callaway, per a team announcement. Maanfred issued the following statement on his ruling:

My office has completed its investigation into allegations of sexual harassment by Mickey Callaway.  Having reviewed all of the available evidence, I have concluded that Mr. Callaway violated MLB’s policies, and that placement on the Ineligible List is warranted.  We want to thank the many people who cooperated with our Department of Investigations (DOI) in their work, which spanned Mr. Callaway’s positions with three different Clubs.  The Clubs that employed Mr. Callaway each fully cooperated with DOI, including providing emails and assisting with identifying key witnesses.  Harassment has no place within Major League Baseball, and we are committed to providing an appropriate work environment for all those involved in our game.

The allegations against Callaway first came to light in a report from Brittany Ghiroli and Katie Strang of The Athletic, who explained that five women in sports media accused him of lewd behavior. The Angels subsequently suspended Callaway, and Ghiroli, Strang and colleague Ken Rosenthal soon reported that even more women had come forward to make allegations against Callaway. In one case, Callaway was said to carry on an extramarital affair with a woman whose husband found out and made Cleveland president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti and general manager Mike Chernoff aware. The husband also reportedly contacted another of Callaway’s former employers, the Mets, to make a complaint, but nothing was done back then.

In response to the reports, Callaway admitted in March to multiple “infidelities” but maintained that some of the reporting was “inaccurate.” He also denied using his position to harass women, but MLB concluded otherwise during its lengthy investigation. Now, Callaway is facing a year-plus ban, and it seems hard to believe any MLB team will hire him when he’s eligible to return.

Mets Acquire Billy McKinney

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The Mets announced that they have acquired outfielder Billy McKinney from the Brewers for minor league left-hander Pedro Quintana. New York also transferred righty Jordan Yamamoto to the 60-day injured list.

McKinney will add some much-needed outfield depth to a Mets club dealing with a rash of injuries in that area (and just about everywhere else). Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo, Kevin Pillar and Albert Almora Jr. are all on the injured list, and Johneshwy Fargas is about to join them on the shelf. As a result of its injuries, the team went with a starting alignment of Dominic Smith in left, Cameron Maybin in center and Brandon Drury in right during its win over the Rockies on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old McKinney, whom the Brewers designated for assignment on May 22, comes with a fair amount of major league experience at both corner outfield spots. The former first-round pick (No. 24 to the Athletics in 2013) has seen time with the Yankees, Blue Jays and Brewers since he debuted in 2018, and he has hit .226/.285/.422 with 21 home runs in 511 plate appearances. He picked up 100 PA with Milwaukee this year but batted just .207/.260/.359 with three homers. McKinney has no minor league options left, so the Mets won’t be able to send him down without possibly losing him.

Quintana, still just 17 years old, joined the Mets in the winter as a free agent from Venezuela. There’s otherwise little information on Quintana that’s available, but the Brewers think he’s worth taking a chance on in exchange for an outfielder whom they deemed expendable.

Yamamoto went to the 10-day IL on the 23rd with shoulder soreness, and his shift to the 60-day version means he won’t return until at least the end of July. Acquired from the Marlins in the offseason, Yamamoto has made two appearances this year and allowed six runs (five earned) over 6 2/3 innings.

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