- Mets infielder Jed Lowrie continues to be plagued by left leg issues, notes Tim Healey of Newsday. He won’t participate in today’s Summer Camp matchup with the Yankees. As Mike Puma of the New York Post points out, that doesn’t bode particularly well for Lowrie’s chances of being ready for Opening Day. It’s the latest setback for the well-respected veteran in a Mets’ tenure unfortunately marred by them. Injuries held Lowrie to just eight plate appearances in the first season of a two-year, $20MM deal.
Mets Rumors
Matt Adams Elects Free Agency
First baseman Matt Adams has exercised the opt-out clause in the minor-league contract he signed with the Mets, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. He’s now a free agent. Adams had been included in the Mets’ 60-player pool.
Adams will look for an opportunity with a new team, with the Mets’ group of position players making it unlikely that Adams would find significant playing time this year, even with the National League playing with a Designated Hitter.
With Pete Alonso firmly entrenched at first base and Dominic Smith right behind him, Adams fell firmly behind that combination in the Mets’ pecking order. Smith will likely get priority as the Mets allocate DH at-bats, and Yoenis Cespedes figures to get some run in that role ahead of Adams.
Adams, 31, was a contributor on last year’s title-winning Nationals team, making 333 plate appearances and slugging 20 homers for the Nats. But his overall performance offensively was nothing special, as he tallied a mediocre .741 OPS. And for a player who’s limited defensively, average offense is often not enough to justify clearing space in the lineup for his bat.
That said, Adams is a decent bet to latch on with another club as a situational role-player. He’s made a living as a pinch hitter and reserve bat, and with a track record of solid power numbers, there are certainly teams who can make use of his skillset.
Minor Injury Notes: Rendon, Luzardo, deGrom
Anthony Rendon sat out Friday’s game with oblique tightness, per the Angels’ PR department (via Twitter). Rendon is day-to-day. The Angels’ third baseman was remarkably stable during his time with the Nationals, appearing in at least 136 games in five of the last six seasons. His only significant injury time came in 2015 when a sprained knee and quad strain limited him to 80 games. This season, of course, games will come at a premium. Barring a setback, the Angels hope and plan to have Rendon back in the lineup well in time for their July 24th opener against the Oakland Athletics. Let’s take a spin around the league to check in on other minor injuries…
- MLBTR’s Connor Byrne wrote yesterday about the A’s long-term dream for Jesus Luzardo as a rotation stalwart. But as Byrne noted, after missing time due to the positive coronavirus test, it’s unlikely he will be ready to join the rotation by Opening Day. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter) confirmed as much this morning, as manager Bob Melvin suggested the rotation would be “difficult for him initially.” What that means exactly for Luzardo’s near-term future isn’t totally clear. The A’s could choose to keep him in camp to stretch him out until he is ready to join the rotation. Or they could throw him back into the role he held last season as a multi-inning shutdown artist. Slusser suggests his chances of breaking camp on the roster are good, giving the A’s one heck of a bullpen weapon as the season gets underway.
- The New York Mets plan to pitch Rick Porcello on Saturday and Corey Oswalt on Sunday, tweets Mike Puma of the New York Post. That puts ace Jacob deGrom in line for a simulated session to run concurrently with Sunday’s preseason game. DeGrom should then be ready to start the season opener next Friday, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post. A back issue flared up for deGrom last week, prompting an MRI, but all appears to be well and deGrom is back on track for Opening Day. With Noah Syndergaard out for the season, deGrom is probably the most important player on the Mets’ roster (which would probably be true even with Syndergaard). DeGrom has won each of the last two NL Cy Young awards, and in a short season, his brand of dominance could go a long way to keeping the Mets’ firmly in contention. One long losing streak could tank the year, but if deGrom is up to his usual antics (read: dominance), he should be as effective a streak stopper as there is in baseball.
Latest On Jacob deGrom
- After an MRI on Mets ace Jacob deGrom’s back returned good results Thursday, he had a throwing session and told Anthony DiComo of MLB.com and other reporters that he plans to start Opening Day. However, the Mets aren’t ready to say whether that will happen. Manager Luis Rojas stated the club’s taking “a day-to-day approach” with the back-to-back NL Cy Young winner, who probably won’t be able to go as long as expected if he does take the mound for their opener. He’d originally been slated for around 100 pitches, but 85 seems to be a more realistic ceiling now. In the meantime, deGrom will throw 65 pitches in an exhibition game against the Yankees on Sunday.
Mets Place Brad Brach, Jared Hughes On IL
The Mets have placed relievers Brad Brach and Jared Hughes on the injured list, Tim Britton of The Athletic was among those to report. The team didn’t provide a reason in either case, but neither player has reported to Summer Camp yet.
Brach had great success with the Orioles and Braves earlier in his career, but his production took a negative turn in 2019 as a member of the Cubs. After signing a one-year, $3MM deal in free agency, he slumped to a 6.13 ERA and a bloated 6.4 BB/9 in 39 2/3 innings, leading the Cubs to release him in August. Brach then caught on with the Mets, with whom he tossed 14 2/3 innings of 3.68 ERA ball and posted 9.2 K/9 against 1.8 BB/9. That was enough for New York to bring him back on a one-year, $850K with a 2021 club option.
Hughes, meanwhile, just joined the Mets last month, signing a major league deal worth a prorated $700K. The former Pirate, Brewer, Red and Phillie brings a strong track record of preventing runs and keeping the ball on the ground, though his 4.04 ERA and 5.29 FIP from a year ago rank among the worst of his career.
Both Brach and Hughes have eaten up quite a bit of innings in recent years, and the Mets likely had similar plans for them entering this season. Now, though, it’s now unknown if or when they’ll be ready to go. However, the Mets do still have several well-established late-game arms they’ll be able to call on, including Dellin Betances, Seth Lugo, Edwin Diaz, Jeurys Familia, Justin Wilson and Robert Gsellman.
Latest On Mets Bidding
2:13pm: This morning’s report has received quite a bit of pushback. Per a statement from Silver Lake, “Any claim that Silver Lake is making or joining a bid for the NY Mets is entirely false and inaccurate.”
That follows a report from Charles Gasparino of FOX Business (Twitter link), who cites a spokesperson for the proposition that Adelson “has no interest in buying” the Mets, whether or not as part of a group.
10:28am: In a major potential development in the Mets sale process, billionaire Sheldon Adelson has entered the bidding picture, according to a report from Thornton McEnery of the New York Post.
Adelson, a casino magnate and top Republican donor who previously dabbled with the NFL’s Raiders as they moved to Las Vegas, is not launching his own, independent bid. Rather, he and private equity firm Silver Lake Partners are said to be joining the already established bidding group led by the present owners of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and NHL’s New Jersey Devils.
As McEnery details, this represents quite an aggregation of wealth in one outfit. It isn’t clear just what the mix of ownership would be, though it seems Josh Harris and David Blitzer remain the lead prospective owners. Presumably, one of those men would be presented to the league as the would-be control person.
Most of the recent chatter surrounding the Mets sale process has involved the reemergence of Steve Cohen as the leading bidder. He was already trying to hold off a celebrity-laden group that couldn’t challenge him for financial supremacy. Now, Cohen will be vying with an even richer challenger.
Jacob deGrom Undergoes MRI
2:05pm: The results were not concerning, a source tells MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo (via Twitter). That’s obviously great news for the Mets.
12:22pm: The Mets have decided to send top starter Jacob deGrom in for an MRI on his ailing back, manager Luis Rojas told reporters including Newsday’s Tim Britton (Twitter link). deGrom left his Summer Camp appearance yesterday after a single inning.
There’s still no reason for serious alarm, to be clear. But it’s hardly the best news to follow up on yesterday’s development. Sending deGrom in for imaging does indicate that the organization has concern beyond the level of regular maintenance.
If all goes well and the MRI reveals minimal damage, perhaps there’s still a shot for deGrom to resume his march towards Opening Day. But even the missed build-up opportunity represents a threat given the shortened second training period we’re in. And the Mets will obviously want to exercise ample caution with their best player.
Jacob deGrom Dealing With Back Tightness
Mets ace Jacob deGrom departed the team’s instrasquad game after one inning Tuesday because of back tightness, Tim Healey of Newsday tweets.
It’s not yet clear whether this issue will jeopardize deGrom’s chances of taking the ball for the Mets when their season opens July 24. As Tim Britton of The Athletic points out, though, back tightness did prevent deGrom from making an Opening Day start in 2018.
If the Mets are going to break their three-year playoff drought in 2020, it stands to reason they’ll need a healthy deGrom continuing to lead their pitching staff. The 32-year-old is irreplaceable, having won back-to-back National League Cy Youngs and consistently provided front-line production since he debuted in the majors in 2014. He fired 204 innings of 2.43 ERA/2.67 FIP ball with 11.25 K/9 and 1.94 BB/9 last year.
Of course, with righty Noah Syndergaard out for the year after undergoing Tommy John surgery, deGrom is all the more important to the Mets’ cause. Marcus Stroman, Rick Porcello, Steven Matz and Michael Wacha are slated to make up the rest of what should be a solid rotation if healthy, but the Mets’ depth looks questionable (Walker Lockett and Corey Oswalt may be first in line for starts in the event of an injury).
Marcus Stroman Discusses Pending Free Agency
Mets right-hander Marcus Stroman is slated to become one of baseball’s most prominent free agents in a few months, though no one knows how the game’s economic landscape will look then in the wake of a 60-game season. Stroman discussed his upcoming trip to the open market over the weekend with Tim Healey of Newsday and other reporters. While Stroman is unsure of what the future holds, the 29-year-old is confident he’ll be one of the best pitchers available if he does get to the market.
“It will truly play out as it will play out,” Stroman said. “I should be one of the top arms. I believe I’m one of the youngest. I’m extremely healthy. I’m coming off a great year. So however it plays out I think it will play out.”
It’s hard to argue with any of that. Unlike last offseason’s free agency period that Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg headlined, next winter’s won’t feature any surefire aces. But the likes of Stroman, Trevor Bauer and Robbie Ray look young enough and effective enough to cash in on multiyear contracts.
Stroman, who debuted in 2014 and has spent almost all of his career with the Blue Jays, has typically kept runs off the board at a nice clip. If there’s one clear negative, it’s that Stroman has never been any kind of strikeout artist. However, he has offset that by inducing a boatload of groundballs and limiting walks to a respectable degree.
Last year between Toronto and New York, Stroman combined for 184 1/3 innings – his most since a 201-frame effort in 2017 – and logged a 3.22 ERA/3.72 FIP with 7.76 K/9, 2.83 BB/9 and a 53.7 GB rate. For the most part, those numbers don’t stray too far from Stroman’s career figures. Stroman, though, is convinced he has even more in the tank, saying, “I truly believe my best years are ahead of myself.”
We’ll see if that proves to be the case during a shortened 2020, and whether Stroman does enough to convince the Mets to make a serious run at bringing him back. Owing in part to Stroman’s pending free agency, the Mets’ rotation will head into next winter facing quite a bit of uncertainty behind all-world ace Jacob deGrom. They’ll have a decision to make on Tommy John patient Noah Syndergaard’s roughly $9.7MM arbitration salary (odds are they’ll tender him, but the coronavirus has perhaps made that less of a sure bet), while Rick Porcello and Michael Wacha are due to join Stroman in free agency.
Brian Urlacher, Travis Kelce, Bradley Beal Involved In A-Rod/J. Lo Mets Bid
The group headed up by Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez put in a reported $1.7 billion bid on the Mets last week, and while they’re already known to be backed by VitaminWater and BodyArmor co-founder Mike Repole as well as Florida Panthers owner Vinnie Viola, ESPN’s Vaughn McClure reports that a host of other highly recognizable names are a part of the group. Among them are Pro Football Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher, former Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Joe Thomas and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce; Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal; Denver Nuggets center Mason Plumlee; and ex-Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray.
Urlacher, 42, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018 after a brilliant 13-year career as a linebacker with the Chicago Bears. The 2000 Defensive Rookie of the Year is an eight-time Pro-Bowler who earned more than $80MM in career salaries — to say nothing of countless endorsement deals during his time as one of the league’s most marketable players. He’s also dipped into NFL broadcasting and television analysis. Urlacher himself confirmed to McClure that he’s a part of the group, calling it a “pretty cool” opportunity and voicing particular excitement over working with Rodriguez and his other NFL brethren.
The 35-year-old Thomas figures to join Urlacher in the Hall of Fame when he gains eligibility for the honor in 2023. Thomas went to the Pro Bowl in 10 of his 11 seasons in the NFL from 2007-17, during which he earned $110MM, according to Over the Cap.
Like Urlacher, Kelce confirmed that he’s involved and expressed gratitude for being able to take part in such a “crazy opportunity.” He hasn’t had Urlacher’s 13-year career and decade-plus of endorsement deals, but Kelce is entering the final season of a five-year, $46.482MM contract extension. The five-time Pro Bowler ranks among the game’s elite at his position and should be in strong free-agent position upon the completion of his current deal.
Beal, the No. 3 pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, signed a two-year extension worth nearly $72MM back in October — a contract that came partway through his preexisting five-year, $127MM contract. Beal only just turned 27, so he has plenty of time to sign another big deal in the future, assuming he holds up. Plumlee scored his own sizable payday in 2017, re-signing with the Nuggets for $41MM over three years.
Murray, 32, hasn’t played in an NFL game since spending the 2017 season with the Tennessee Titans. The former NFL Offensive Player of the Year and three-time Pro Bowler, who made just under $26MM in the league, entered the college coaching ranks in recent seasons and is currently an assistant at his alma mater of Oklahoma.
The extent to which each of these high-profile investors is involved isn’t clear. While they’re all unquestionably wealthy and likely able to commit millions of dollars to the bid, it’s also likely that there are quite a few other investors contributing to the mix.
