- Because of the numerous off-days baked into the early-season schedule, the Mets are likelier to open the season with seven relievers than they are with eight, tweets Mike Puma of the New York Post. Edwin Diaz, Jeurys Familia, Justin Wilson, Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo are locks to hold down five of those spots, and Puma adds that non-roster lefties Luis Avilan and Hector Santiago are strong candidates to claim the other two slots. Both veterans signed minor league contracts with invites to Spring Training, and both have thrown quite well to open camp. That’d give manager Mickey Callaway three lefties to utilize out of the ’pen early in the season, although it wouldn’t leave the team with too much in the way of roster flexibility. With so many veteran relievers on board, the only three pitchers of that bunch who could technically be optioned to the minors would be Lugo, Gsellman and Diaz — none of whom would figure to be sent down to the minors at any point. If the Mets do eventually shift to carrying eight relievers, they’d be able to use that final ’pen slot to shuffle some fresh arms back and forth between the Majors and Triple-A Syracuse.
Mets Rumors
Mets To Keep Michael Conforto In Right Field
- Michael Conforto will stick to right field this season, Mets manager Mickey Callaway told Newsday’s Anthony Rieber and other media. Over Conforto’s four MLB seasons, he has actually spent the least amount of action in right field (208 1/3 innings) of any of the three outfield spots, as he has 869 1/3 innings as a center fielder and 2045 innings in left field. As per UZR/150 and Defensive Runs Saved, Conforto has struggled in center field but been solidly above-average in the corner outfield spots, so keeping in right field should enhance his overall value. Conforto’s placement should provide some stability within a very in-flux Mets’ outfield situation, as Jeff McNeil and Brandon Nimmo are slated to see much of the work in left field, with Nimmo, Keon Broxton, and Juan Lagares all in the mix in center field. Veterans Carlos Gomez and Rajai Davis are also in camp, and there’s still a slim chance that Yoenis Cespedes could return from the injured list at some point in 2019.
Drew Smith Dealing With Elbow Issue
- Mets reliever Drew Smith is heading back to New York for an evaluation of his sore right elbow, Tim Healey of Newsday was among those to report. Smith’s attempt to win a season-opening spot in the Mets’ bullpen is on hold as a result. In his first major league action last season, the 25-year-old pitched to a 3.54 ERA/3.66 FIP with 5.79 K/9 and 1.93 BB/9 over 28 innings.
Pete Alonso's Defense Impressing Mickey Callaway
- Renowned for his offensive ability, Mets first base prospect Pete Alonso has lived up to the billing this spring with a .423/.464/.885 line and three home runs over 26 exhibition at-bats. But it’s the 24-year-old’s defense which has truly raised manager Mickey Callaway’s eyebrows, per Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News. “I kind of knew the offense was going to be somewhat special. So for me, the defense and how locked in to a game he is every day (is surprising),” said Callaway, who added, “All the little things that it takes to be a quality major-league player, he’s doing them on defense.” A consensus top 100 prospect, Alonso is competing with Dominic Smith, who was a touted farmhand not long ago, for the Mets’ starting job at first. Smith has also raked this spring (.435/.500/.609 in 23 ABs), and it could help his cause that New York would gain an extra year of control over Alonso by sending him back to the minors until mid-April. The Mets, however, have insisted service time won’t play a role in whether Alonso lands an Opening Day roster spot.
NL Notes: Darvish, Beede, McNeil
The latest from the Senior Circuit…
- It’s a big year for Cubs righty Yu Darvish, as The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney explores in an in-depth look at the Japanese star. Darvish “didn’t feel any power in [his] body” last season, easily the nadir in the righty’s decorated seven-year MLB career thus far. The righty’s season-long search for the root of his struggles came to a head in August, when he was ultimately diagnosed with a stress reaction in his right elbow. Limited to just 8 starts last season, Darvish claims to be flinging the “best stuff of his life” in early Cactus League-play, and his coterie of Cub teammates and coaches agree: “He’s been almost a different person this year,” manager Joe Maddon said. “We all know him. He knows us better. Definitely the self-confidence level seems to be soaring a bit right now. I just think the familiarity with the whole group matters to him, plus he’s healthy. All those factors are pointing the needle in the right direction right now.” Peak performances refrains are all too familiar in Spring Training, but a forthright Darvish may just be the weight that tips the scales in favor of Chicago in this season’s brutal NL Central.
- Giants righty Tyler Beede, who’s had difficulty harnessing a high-octane arsenal since spurning a huge Toronto offer as a first-round selection in the 2012 draft, may finally be turning the corner, writes Grant Brisbee of The Athletic. The Vanderbilt product, who overhauled his scintillating repertoire at the behest of the old Giants regime, turning himself into a sinker/command guy who sought soft contact, has gone back to his roots: a hard four-seam/overhand curve mix that’s baffled Cactus League hitters thus far. Technology implemented by the new, data-conscious staff under GM Farhan Zaidi (who singled out the righty in an early-spring media chat) appears to have been the catalyst, and the 25-year-old Beede is all ears. Beede’s eventual role remains unclear – there’s talk of him breaking camp with the club as a reliever – but he’s again a name to watch by the bay.
- Mets IF/OF Jeff McNeil will split time between third base and left field for the remainder of spring, per manager Mickey Callaway (via the NY Daily News’ Deesha Thosar). McNeil, 27 next month, was a virtual non-prospect before mashing his way to the big leagues in 2018: once there, he impressed further, slashing .329/.381/.471 over 248 late-season plate appearances. Much of McNeil’s big-league time came at second base last season, but the lefty has seen time at seven different positions over a six-year minor league career. Veterans Jed Lowrie and Todd Frazier are still shelf-ridden, with no concrete timetable for a return, so an opening-day spot at the hot corner appears increasingly likely for the feel-good story of last season.
Mets Release Infielder T.J. Rivera
The Mets released infielder T.J. Rivera, per Newsday’s Tim Healey (via Twitter). Rivera was attempting to work his way back from Tommy John surgery in September of 2017, but was struggling to get back to full strength. He played parts of two seasons with the Mets after making his debut in 2016.
Rivera, 30, hasn’t played in the big leagues since July of 2017 when he was placed on the injured list with a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow. He came back in July of last season for a 6 game rehab stint, collecting three singles and a double in twenty-two at-bats in the minor leagues, but he did not see any game action after that. His release comes after a setback in his elbow recovery, through GM Brodie Van Wagenen also points to the infield depth both at the major and minor league levels as cause for his release, per the New York Post’s Mike Puma (via Twitter).
Across his two seasons with the Mets, Rivera hit .304/.335/.445 in 344 plate appearances. He split his time fairly evenly between second, third and first base, though he also handled a few innings in left. His release doesn’t come as a total surprise, as Van Wagenen is correct in that the Mets are fairly flush with this type of player. Still, with Jed Lowrie and Todd Frazier both getting banged up this spring, and there being at least a modicum of uncertainty around J.D. Davis’ ability to produce consistently at third, it’s a shame to see Rivera unable to get healthy enough to compete for at-bats. As is, Adeiny Hechavarria and Jeff McNeil are both capable of backing up multiple infield positions, while Dilson Herrera, Gavin Cecchini, Arismendy Alcantara, Luis Guillorme and a few others are all competing to crack the Opening Day roster.
Mets, Michael Conforto Have Mutual Interest In Considering Long-Term Deal
- Outfielder Michael Conforto says he’s interested in exploring a potential extension with the Mets, per SNY.tv’s Andy Martino, though there’s no indication that talks will occur this spring. Conforto is still under control for three seasons, the first of which will come at a $4.025MM salary. While both he and GM Brodie Van Wagenen say they’re interested in a long-term relationship, Conforto also acknowledges that he doesn’t believe “the time’s here yet” for contract talks. Conforto, who recently celebrated his 26th birthday, says his focus is on the ballfield. He’ll be looking to build off of a strong run through his first four seasons in the majors, over which he carries a .251/.349/.476 slash with 76 home runs.
Mets Hire Al Leiter As Baseball Operations Advisor
The Mets announced Monday that they’ve hired former big league left-hander Al Leiter as an advisor in their baseball operations department. Leiter will focus on scouting and player development, per the Mets, with a particular emphasis placed on mental preparation for pitchers at every level of the organization.
“Al is one of the most memorable pitchers in club history and we are thrilled to welcome him back into the organization,” said general manager Brodie Van Wagenen in a press release announcing the move. “Al’s passion for the game is infectious. His unique ability to communicate his knowledge to players, coaches and the front office will immediately make us better.”
The Mets are also expanding the role of club ambassador John Franco. Like Leiter, he’ll assist the club with scouting and player development, with an emphasis being placed on helping to develop the organization’s pitching talent.
Both Leiter and Franco enjoyed lengthy, productive stints as pitchers for the Mets in the 1990s and 2000s. Leiter pitched for the club from 1998-2004, tallying a combined 3.42 ERA over the life of 1360 innings. Franco suited up for the Mets in parts of 14 MLB seasons, spanning from 1990-2004. In 702 2/3 innings as a Met, he saved 276 games and logged a 3.10 ERA. Both pitchers were fixtures on the Mets’ pitching staff during the organization’s consecutive postseason appearances in 1999 and 2000 — the latter of which resulted in a World Series showdown with the Yankees.
Mets Sign Carlos Gomez
Saturday, 1:25 PM: The deal is now official, per Mike Puma of the New York Post.
Friday, 11:48 AM:The Mets have reportedly struck a deal with free agent outfielder Carlos Gomez. The @BigDaveRants account first tweeted the news, which has been confirmed since by several reports. It’s said to be a minor-league pact, pending a physical.
Memorably, Gomez nearly became a member of the Mets in the summer of 2015. At the time, he was a star center fielder and the New York club was readying for a stretch run at the postseason. The deal was all but done before things fell apart.
The undoing of that swap created huge ripples still being felt. Gomez ended up being swapped instead to the Astros in a deal that worked out terribly for Houston but didn’t prevent the club from finding its own successes. That trade helped spur the Brewers’ recent resurgence.
Meanwhile, the Mets hung on to Zack Wheeler, who’ll now be a key member of the rotation after his own 2018 renaissance. The other piece of that trade-that-wasn’t, Wilmer Flores, provided one of the trade deadline’s indelible moments when he shed some tears on the field following the reporting of the deal. (He was non-tendered this fall and landed with the Diamondbacks.)
Looking to the present, the deal makes for a somewhat interesting match. Gomez will obviously need to earn his way onto the roster after a forgettable 2018 season for the Rays, but he had a productive stop with the Rangers before that and only just turned 33 years old.
The Mets already have a host of left-handed-hitting outfielders, but are less certain from the right side. Gomez could push Juan Lagares and Keon Broxton in camp. While those younger options have much better gloves, Gomez is the most accomplished hitter of the bunch — though Broxton has been a similarly productive offensive performer (despite worrying strikeout numbers) over the past three seasons. It could be that Gomez will end up serving mostly as a depth piece while auditioning for other teams, but there’s about a month left in camp and circumstances can always change.
Latest On Mets, Jacob deGrom
- There hasn’t been much reported progress in contract talks between the Mets and Jacob deGrom, and according to the New York Post’s Joel Sherman, “the word circulating is specifically [Mets owner] Fred Wilpon” has some hesitation about extending the right-hander. As Sherman points out, if the elder Wilpon has concerns, they wouldn’t be unjustified — deGrom turns 31 in June, has undergone a Tommy John surgery in his past, and is already controlled through the 2020 season. (Plus, the Mets have been burned on several pricey contracts in recent years.) Sherman proposes a possible extension that could satisfy both sides; a four-year deal covering the 2020-23 seasons for $124MM in guaranteed money, plus a vesting option for 2024 that pays deGrom another $10MM in a buyout, and up to $31MM for 2024 if the option vests.
