Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Mets Rumors

Managerial Rumors: Angels, Callaway, Bochy

By | at

The Padres have already moved on from skipper Andy Green, whereas Ned Yost has announced that this’ll be his final year managing the Royals. There’s been some recent chatter surrounding the fate of Pirates manager Clint Hurdle, as well, which stemmed largely from none other than Hurdle himself. It’s the time of year that’s typically filled with managerial/coaching/front office turnover, and there won’t be any shortage of rumblings on that front over the next several days. Here’s some of the latest from that arena…

  • Although Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic recently suggested that the Angels would “consider” moving on from Brad Ausmus after just one season in order to pursue Joe Maddon (should he become available, as many expect), Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times writes in her latest Angels mailbag column that Ausmus is will be back in 2020. Torres adds that she’s received no indication that any members of the coaching staff are in particular danger of being replaced, either. Ausmus is signed through the 2021 season under a three-year contract he agreed upon just last offseason.
  • The Mets’ second-half Wild Card push fell short but was enough to at least raise speculation about Mickey Callaway surviving the offseason and returning for a third year. Nevertheless, SNY’s Andy Martino writes that multiple people connected to the team will still be surprised if Callaway is retained after the season. New York won’t make any final announcement on the matter until after the season has wrapped up, however, and team decision-makers are expected to discuss the manager’s future into early next week. Callaway himself campaigned a bit for his job prior to last night’s loss, per Mike Puma of the New York Post, telling the Mets beat: “I think a manager’s job is to get guys going in a direction and I think these guys never wavered from that, so I am definitely proud about that. … I understand the rigors of the job and I try to deal with it the best I can and try to stay even-keeled for the organization’s sake and for our players’ sake.”
  • There’s been speculation that Bruce Bochy could pursue other managerial jobs once he steps away from the Giants — some from his own players, even — and the future Hall of Famer discussed that speculation with John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle this week. While Bochy doesn’t have any immediate plans to seek out other opportunities, he conceded that there’s no telling what the future holds. “Later on, when you get away from the game, who knows how you’ll react?” Bochy asked rhetorically. “I’m good with my call. I’d be lying if I didn’t say it’s been tough here at the end of the season realizing it’s ending. No, I’m fine with it. I can’t tell you what’s going to happen in the future because I don’t know.”

Quick Hits: Pillar, Mets, White Sox

By | at

Whether the Giants tender outfielder Kevin Pillar a contract during the offseason “will serve as a clear referendum on how married to the metrics Farhan Zaidi’s baseball operations group will be,” Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic writes (subscription required). The Giants’ Zaidi-led front office acquired Pillar from Toronto in April, though the club could move on from him within the next couple months if it decides he’ll be too pricey to keep. Pillar’s making an affordable $5.8MM this year, but he’ll earn an appreciable raise over that sum during his last trip to arbitration because of his counting stats (631 plate appearances, 21 home runs, 86 runs batted in, 81 runs, 13 stolen bases). Those are aesthetically pleasing numbers, which can’t be said of the .257/.284/.430 batting line or the 83 wRC+ Pillar has posted. And while the soon-to-be 31-year-old Pillar has rightly been regarded as a marvelous defender throughout his career, advanced metrics haven’t been that bullish on him the past couple seasons (zero DRS, plus-1.2 UZR between center and right this year).

Pillar realizes the new-school turn that baseball’s front offices have taken could spell doom for his tenure as a Giant. He told Baggarly he wants to stay in San Francisco, but he acknowledged that “my future’s kind of up in the air.” Baggarly’s piece is worth a full read for more quotes from Pillar, a couple of his teammates and manager Bruce Bochy in regards to the high impact they believe he has made as a Giant.

Checking in on a pair of other MLB clubs…

  • Mets first baseman/corner outfielder Dominic Smith will attempt to add center field to his list of positions next year, Tim Healey of Newsday relays. Smith, who has already slimmed down since he debuted in the majors in 2017, will spend the offseason getting in even better shape in order to become a viable option at the outfield’s most challenging spot. Whether Smith will play another game for the Mets after this season is in question, though, with Healey noting the 24-year-old could be a trade chip over the winter. NL Rookie of the Year shoo-in Pete Alonso occupies Smith’s primary position, first base, while the Mets count Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil and J.D. Davis (not to mention the injured Yoenis Cespedes) among their other corner outfield-capable players.
  • White Sox right-hander Dylan Cease’s season came to an early end when the club made him a late scratch from his scheduled start Thursday. Cease is dealing with a hamstring issue, one that will require an MRI on Friday, Scott Merkin of MLB.com tweets. The touted 23-year-old wrapped up his debut campaign with a 5.79 ERA/5.19 FIP, 9.99 K/9 and 4.32 BB/9 in 73 innings.
  • Righty Michael Kopech, another of the White Sox’s coveted young arms, didn’t pitch at all this year after undergoing Tommy John surgery last September. Now, though, the flamethrowing Kopech is anticipating what he hopes will be a normal spring training. “I am as ready I can be right now,” Kopech said (via Bruce Levine of 670 The Score). “I have done everything I can to prepare. It has been a long time coming. I am ready to go for next spring.” Kopech should have a shot to join the returning trio of Cease, breakout star Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez in the White Sox’s season-opening rotation in 2020. 

Mets Notes: Cano, Diaz, Offseason, Smith

By | at

It’s a hypothetical that Mets fans could be asking for years to come — what if the team didn’t make last December’s big blockbuster trade with the Mariners for Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz?  Yahoo Sports’ Matt Ehalt looks at a potential alternate reality where the trade didn’t take place, which keeps Jay Bruce, Anthony Swarzak, Gerson Bautista, and prospects Jarred Kelenic and Justin Dunn in the New York organization and also slightly dims Van Wagenen’s “win-now” push, which also means that Marcus Stroman isn’t acquired at the trade deadline (for pitching prospects Anthony Kay and Simeon Woods-Richardson).  All other moves remain the same, which means that J.D. Davis and Wilson Ramos are still on the team, for instance.

The end result is a Mets roster that has a lot more young talent as its disposal as possible trade chips or roster reinforcements for 2020, plus a lot more financial flexibility without Cano or Diaz on the payroll.  McNeil is locked in as the everyday second baseman, while players like Davis and Pete Alonso still blossom as they did in the real world.  “In this alternate universe, the Mets enter the offseason in a much better position,” Ehalt writes, as while “this version of the Mets would win fewer games than the 80-plus games the Mets will win this year, but a few wins are irrelevant when neither season results in a postseason berth.”

Here’s more from Citi Field…

  • “Boldness won Brodie Van Wagenen the job of Mets general manager, and lost the season,” the New York Post’s Joel Sherman writes in roundup of the Mets’ 2019 campaign and a look ahead to what the team should do this offseason.  Sherman notes that while many of Van Wagenen’s bigger moves (i.e. the Mariners trade) backfired, many of his less-heralded moves proved successful, such as acquiring J.D. Davis or Justin Wilson.  Looking ahead to 2020, Sherman proposes that the Mets should continue to “find hidden treasures” on other teams’ rosters, acquire a proper center fielder (Sherman suggests the Padres’ Manuel Margot) for at least a platoon role, and hang onto Diaz and Noah Syndergaard rather than trade either pitcher.  To juggle the payroll, Sherman also suggests a few bad contract swaps, unloading the likes of Ramos or Jed Lowrie for high-priced relievers who are also in need of a change of scenery (such as the Rockies’ Jake McGee or White Sox righty Kelvin Herrera).
  • Dominic Smith, center fielder?  After getting work in the corner outfield this year, Smith tells MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo that he wants to contribute to the 2020 Mets at as many positions as possible.  This includes all three outfield spots and at his old first base position, despite something of a roster logjam — Pete Alonso obviously isn’t going anywhere at first base, while Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil, or J.D. Davis could all be options for corner outfield work (not to mention the x-factor that is Yoenis Cespedes, should he be able to get healthy).  While center field may seem like a tall order for a player who didn’t fare well defensively as a corner outfielder, Smith will have an offseason to fully prepare himself for outfield work, and to that end has already hired a track coach for offseason speed training.  With the Mets looking for answers in center, there’s at least a chance that Smith could be a part-time solution up the middle.  “Why not get in great shape, man, and go out there and try to compete and do it? I don’t sell myself short on anything. I feel like I can go out there and compete and do anything,” Smith said.

Mets Activate Dominic Smith From 60-Day IL

By | at

The Mets have activated first baseman/outfielder Dominic Smith from the 60-day injured list, as per a team announcement (via Twitter).  Jeff McNeil will take Smith’s spot on the 60-day IL, as McNeil suffered a fractured wrist in last night’s game.

After a stress reaction in his left foot put Smith out of action back on July 27, he has made it back in time to add a coda onto what has already been a successful 2019 campaign.  Smith has hit .278/.352/.506 with 10 homers over 196 plate appearances, with the bulk of that playing time coming against right-handed pitching.  While Smith was much more successful (.882 OPS) against righties, he also managed a pretty respectable .281/.343/.406 slash line in his 35 PA against southpaws, which is a promising sign for the 24-year-old’s chances at becoming an everyday player.

Formerly a top-100 prospect, Smith’s first two seasons in the majors saw him hit only .210/.259/.406 over 332 PA.  Smith faced criticisms about his conditioning (which he addressed last winter) and, with Pete Alonso on the rise as the Mets’ new first baseman of the future, there was speculation that New York could look to trade Smith since he seemingly didn’t have any other position on the diamond.  Instead, Smith saw a lot of time in left field this year, though defensive metrics (-24.1 UZR/150, minus-2 Defensive Runs Saved) weren’t impressed by work.

It isn’t out of the question that Smith could be put on the trade market again, now that he has somewhat revived his stock by showing that he can hit MLB pitching.  An American League team that can offer DH at-bats could be a better fit than a National League club like the Mets, plus New York also has a crowded corner outfield situation as it is.  That said, Smith is still controlled for the next four seasons and isn’t arbitration-eligible until after 2020, so the Mets could prefer to keep him around as an inexpensive and useful part-timer.

Zack Wheeler Discusses Pending Free Agency

By | at

In what could be his final week in a Mets uniform, pending free-agent right-hander Zack Wheeler spoke about his future with Mollie Walker of the New York Post, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com and other reporters Wednesday. Unsurprisingly, the 29-year-old Wheeler doesn’t sound like someone who’s ready to commit to his current team with what could be a lucrative trip to the open market looming.

“I think you have to weigh your options when it gets to this point,” said Wheeler, who’s just over a month from becoming a free agent. “I love it here and I definitely would listen to these guys. But I think you have to weigh all your options and see what’s best for me personally at that point.”

Wheeler was both a trade and an extension candidate as recently as July, but the Mets neither dealt him nor locked him up. And there haven’t been any rumors regarding a new contract between the sides since then, so it appears increasingly likely Wheeler will test the market.

Considering the wide interest he drew prior to the trade deadline, the Mets probably could have gotten something for Wheeler back in July (though he was coming off shoulder issues at the time). However, even if he walks in free agency, they’ll still have a chance to land draft compensation for Wheeler – who looks like a surefire candidate to receive the qualifying offer. Wheeler would then have the option of accepting the one-year offer (which should be worth in the $18MM-$19MM neighborhood) and sticking with the Mets. As you’d expect, though, Wheeler prefers more security than the QO presents.

On the prospect of signing a multiyear pact, Wheeler stated: “Hopefully, yeah. Time will tell.”

Although Wheeler’s a former Tommy John patient who sat out for almost all of 2015-17 with arm injuries, he has spent the past two seasons making a strong case for a considerable multiyear payday. After firing 182 1/3 innings of 3.31 ERA/3.25 FIP ball in 2018, Wheeler has notched 187 1/3 frames of 3.99 ERA/3.47 FIP pitching this year. During that two-year span, Wheeler has struck out just under a hitter per inning while walking fewer than three per nine. Moreover, Wheeler boasts elite fastball velocity – the pitch clocks in at just under 97 mph – which should only make it easier for him to cash in during the coming months.

In the event Wheeler pitches for a different team in 2020, the top of the Mets’ rotation could still be in enviable shape. Ace Jacob deGrom might be a back-to-back NL Cy Young winner by then, while Noah Syndergaard and Marcus Stroman make for fine complements. Then again, with all the trade rumors that have surrounded Syndergaard since last winter, perhaps he – like Wheeler – isn’t a lock to don a Mets uni next year.

Jeff McNeil Diagnosed With Fractured Wrist

By | at

Mets infielder/outfielder Jeff McNeil has been diagnosed with a fracture in his right wrist that was sustained when he was hit by a pitch in tonight’s game, the team announced (Twitter link via Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News). Specifically, McNeil has suffered a right distal ulnar fracture. That puts an end to his 2019 season — on the same night the Mets were mathematically eliminated from postseason contention by a Brewers victory.

It’s a sour note on which to finish an exceptional season for the 27-year-old McNeil, who hit .318/.384/.531 with 23 home runs, 37 doubles and a triple in his first full big league season. McNeil leads Mets regulars in batting average and on-base percentage, and only 12 qualified hitter in all of baseball have posted a lower strikeout rate than his minuscule 13.2 percent.

While it’s been a disastrous year for the Mets in some regards — Robinson Cano, Edwin Diaz and Jeurys Familia have all struggled; Jed Lowrie has taken seven plate appearances — McNeil and likely Rookie of the Year Pete Alonso have been among the club’s brightest spots. The position(s) at which McNeil is deployed in 2020 will depend somewhat on the team’s offseason maneuverings, but he’ll assuredly be in the lineup with regularity now that he’s cemented himself as a late-blooming building block in Queens. He’s seen action at second base, third base and in both outfield corners this season but could have a clearer path to regular reps at third base with Todd Frazier set to become a free agent. Then again, McNeil looked destined for regular second base work in 2019 before the Mets stunned the baseball world with the ill-fated Cano/Diaz blockbuster.

Regardless of where he lines up defensively, McNeil’s bat has proven to be among the most potent in the National League. Barring an offseason extension, he’ll continue to give the Mets an extreme bargain, playing out the 2020 campaign at scarcely more than the league minimum, given his standing as a pre-arbitration player. McNeil won’t even be eligible for arbitration until the completion of the 2021 season, and he’s under club control all the way through 2024.

NL Notes: Mets, Posey, Alcantara

By | at

While there have obviously been some bright spots for the Mets this year, Joel Sherman of the New York Post rejects the idea that it’s just another season. Having dealt away significant prospects and bypassed opportunities to recoup others, the Mets made a win-now gambit that hasn’t paid out. That makes this year a distinct waste, Sherman argues. There’ll surely be long-term impacts that haven’t yet fully been felt. Most immediately, Sherman posits that skipper Mickey Callaway is likely to be bounced from the dugout — an approach that would be supported heartily by MLBTR readers.

More from the National League:

  • There has long been debate as to whether and when Giants catcher Buster Posey would begin spending more time at first base. But that’s no longer really a relevant inquiry, Kerry Crowley of The Mercury News writes. Posey remains a steady presence behind the dish as his first decade in the majors draws to a close, but his bat has distinctly fallen off its former pace. The 32-year-old is slashing just .256/.320/.368, marking the first below-average offensive campaign of his career. What of top prospect Joey Bart, who is nearing MLB readiness? Crowley argues that he’s the better candidate to spend part of his time at first base once he reaches the bigs.
  • Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara has increasingly impressed over the course of the season, as MLB.com’s Bill Ladson explores. The 24-year-old’s latest outing drew his earned run average south of four per nine over a 191 1/3-inning sample. Alcantara has outpaced his peripherals, but it’s still quite a promising showing for a young hurler. Manager Don Mattingly says that Alcantara “has turned the corner” as he has increased his confidence and aggressiveness. Alcantara will not be eligible for arbitration until 2022.

Poll: Should The Mets Replace Mickey Callaway This Fall?

By | at

Mets manager Mickey Callaway has been on a warm seat for a good bit of his tenure. The temperature has gone up and down at various points, but has never fully cooled — even as GM Brodie Van Wagenen offered near-term support for the skipper. After a disappointing season featuring good-but-not-great results following significant roster investments, should the team move on?

When we asked back in June whether the Mets should dump Callaway in the middle of the season, two-thirds of respondents were in favor. The club sank further from that point but then bounced back and will likely finish the season with a winning record. But the postseason won’t happen barring a total miracle. (Current odds, per Fangraphs: 0.3%.)

It’s awfully difficult to blame Callaway entirely for the way things have gone. Injuries and lack of roster depth in key areas have hurt. Not all of the baseball operations decisions have worked out as hoped. The bullpen has been a mess beyond Callaway’s control, even if his management of it hasn’t always been optimal. He has at least held things together through an undeniably difficult stretch. And he’s already under contract for 2020 with an option for another season.

On the other hand, Callaway has now been at the helm for a pair of seasons without a postseason appearance to show for it. He wasn’t hired by Van Wagenen, for what that’s worth. There’s year-to-year improvement in terms of wins and losses, but it’s also fair to wonder whether the overall mix is one that will allow the Mets to break through in a tough division. Roster maximization is always the key, but there’s an argument that a makeover in the dugout leadership would be a sensible accompaniment for some other offseason changes — if only to instill a sense of urgency. There are some venerable former managers out there in search of new gigs, with more potentially soon to join them.

In the unlikely event that the Mets somehow sneak into a Wild Card spot, it seems fair to presume that Callaway will be safe. But if the season ends in the manner it’s likely to — nice try, but falling short — what ought the organization do? (Poll link for app users.)

Should the Mets replace Mickey Callaway this winter?
Yes 71.69% (8,187 votes)
No 28.31% (3,233 votes)
Total Votes: 11,420

NL East Notes: Marlins, Mets, Nationals, Kendrick

By | at

With the Marlins reaching the vaunted 100-loss mark, CEO Derek Jeter spoke on Friday about his team’s approach to the impending offseason, with the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson speculating on what the winter may hold. This season, the club ranked second-to-last in payroll, dishing out just $70MM in total salary expenditures. However, with Martin Prado slated to hit free agency and the team likely to decline Starlin Castro’s club option, a considerable portion of that number will come off the books following the season, leaving the Marlins with just about $31MM in guaranteed contracts for the 2020 season, per Roster Resource. That number will rise as the team inks players under team control, but the point stands that the Fish will have significant room to seek upgrades in the offseason. After a trade deadline that saw them bolster the farm system through the acquisitions of Lewin Diaz, Jazz Chisholm, and Jesus Sanchez, the Marlins now find themselves with one of the Majors’ better farm systems, featuring a solid crop of position-player prospects, though few in that group will be ready to contribute in the coming season. With that in mind, Jeter sees his team as needing to strike a balance between seeking positional upgrades and developing youngsters: “You want to give [prospects] enough time to continue to develop but you don’t want to block their way,” he said on Friday. The team has needs all over the diamond, though outfield, first base, and the bullpen stand out as perhaps the most glaring. Jackson lists a number of potential free-agent targets to keep an eye on, including big-name hitters with south Florida roots like Jose Abreu and Nicholas Castellanos; however, it remains uncertain whether the team will target big fish, since projections of increased revenue have yet to actualize, though attendance-related issues may be remedied by making a splash in the offseason.

Here are the latest tidbits from the ever-competitive NL East…

  • Just over a week ago, the Mets found themselves at the heart of quite a controversy when Mets starter Noah Syndergaard expressed his proclivity for catchers not named Wilson Ramos, who has been the most productive hitter out of the Mets’ catching group. For the first time, Ramos offered his thoughts on the situation, as relayed by Mike Puma of the New York Post. Evidently, the veteran catcher isn’t bothered by the drama, understanding that there are times when pitchers feel a heightened comfort with a particular catcher. Ramos, who’s been around since 2010, is certainly no stranger to the dynamics of a big-league clubhouse and is instead choosing to focus his energy on getting the Mets into the postseason. Coming off a win last night, his club finds themselves 3.5 games out of the second Wild Card spot with nine games left to play—a deficit that, while not insurmountable, makes them a longshot to play in October. After making a pair of starts with Ramos behind the dish, Syndergaard got his wish on Wednesday, when he threw to Rene Rivera, though that combination didn’t yield much better results. With his next start scheduled to come on Tuesday, it will be interesting to see whether Mickey Callaway turns again to Ramos.
  • One of the unsung heroes of the Nationals bid for the postseason has been veteran Howie Kendrick, who has excelled as a pinch-hitter and occasional infielder. As Todd Dybas of NBC Sports writes, he’s enjoying a career year that might not have happened if he weren’t under contract for 2019 following an Achilles tear suffered early last season. Of course, the free agent market has been notoriously cruel to players in their 30s, and Kendrick, 36, may not have gotten another chance in the Majors after such a significant injury. However, with a $4MM salary already in place for 2019 after inking a two-year deal with Washington, Kendrick has carved out a nice role and now projects to play an instrumental part in a potential Nats playoff run, all while setting himself up to draw interest for yet another contract this coming offseason.

East Notes: Red Sox, La Russa, Mets, Callaway, Bichette

By | at

Set to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2015, the Red Sox have already made a few changes to their front office. They let go of president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski on Sept. 8, and then followed his firing with the dismissals of senior VP of baseball ops Frank Wren and special assignment scout Eddie Bane on Thursday. VP/special assistant Tony La Russa won’t walk the plank with them, though, as Jon Heyman of MLB Network first reported the Red Sox planned to retain the former big league manager. He’ll indeed come back for at at least another year, according to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. La Russa, soon to turn 75 years old, was a Dombrowski hire back in November 2017.

More from the East Coast…

  • Don’t expect the Mets to trade outfielder Brandon Nimmo during the offseason, Mike Puma of the New York Post tweets. After looking like a breakout star in 2018, Nimmo got off to a rough start this season before sitting out from late May until the start of this month because of neck problems. However, his torrid numbers over the past couple weeks have allayed any concerns Mets brass had over him earlier in the campaign, according to Puma. The 26-year-old has posted a video game-like September 1.183 OPS that has helped him to a .222/.377/.407 line in 213 plate appearances this season.
  • While Nimmo looks like a good bet to stick with the Mets in 2020, the same might not be true for oft-maligned manager Mickey Callaway. The Mets won’t decide on whether to keep Callaway until after their season ends, multiple organizational sources have suggested to Puma. The club has rallied from an awful start to log a respectable 79-73 record; however, the Mets are still 3 1/2 games back of a wild-card spot, and they’re likely to fall short of the expectations the front office placed on the roster entering the year, Puma notes. That could lead to the firing of Callaway, who’s in his second year on the job and whose teams have gone 156-158.
  • Standout Blue Jays rookie Bo Bichette left the team’s game against Baltimore on Thursday after getting hit in the helmet with a pitch. The Blue Jays removed Bichette for precautionary concussion testing, per Sportsnet’s Arash Madani, who adds that the club will reevaluate the 21-year-old shortstop Friday. Bichette has burst on the scene since his late-July promotion, having slashed .311/.358/.571 with 11 home runs in his first 212 major league PA. The Jays are way out of contention, but Bichette’s among the reasons they could return to relevance soon, so they’re certain to proceed with caution in regards to his health.
Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top