- The Mets have hired Rafael Perez the team’s director of international operations and Luis Marquez as their new director of international scouting, Jacob Resnick and Michael Mayer of @Metsmerized report (via Twitter). Perez is a familiar name in New York’s front office, as he is returning to the same position he previously filled from 2005-11. Marquez also previously worked for the Mets as an international scout from 2008-11.
Mets Rumors
Mets Notes: Wheeler, Alonso, Smith, Rivera
Zack Wheeler tells SNY’s John Harper that the Mets have yet to approach him about a contract extension, adding that while’s he’s open to talks and hopes to remain with the team, any contract “would have to be right on my end” given his proximity to free agency. Harper’s piece has extensive quotes from Wheeler, who sounds earnest in his desire to stay with the Mets but not necessarily at a discounted rate with free agency on the horizon next winter. Wheeler says his representatives have pointed out to him that he’ll be among the market’s youngest starters alongside Gerrit Cole next season, which bodes well for him. Of course, it should be noted that Alex Wood is younger than both and that the market is currently set to feature some big fish who are slightly older (e.g. Madison Bumgarner, Chris Sale) and substantially older but nonetheless elite (e.g. Justin Verlander).
All that said, if Wheeler can come within a stone’s throw of his utterly dominant finish to the season — 2.06 ERA, 2.71 FIP, 8.9 K/9, 2.2 BB/9, 0.45 HR/9, 44.8 percent grounder rate over his final 100 2/3 innings — he should indeed be poised for a strong payday. And, as Harper points out, the Mets’ farm is hardly teeming with high-end prospects to replace him.
Here’s more from Queens (er… from Port St. Lucie)…
- Newsday’s David Lennon previews the Mets’ upcoming decision with first base prospect Pete Alonso (who has evidently dropped the “r” from his first name in favor of a monosyllabic moniker). The young slugger looked largely ready for a big league promotion last September, and his representatives were among the numerous agents throughout the league who decried what indeed looked to be another case of service time manipulation when Alonso did not receive an MLB call-up. With Jed Lowrie and Todd Frazier ailing, though, Alonso’s bat could be all the more necessary. Meanwhile, new general manager Brodie Van Wagenen and manager Mickey Callaway have indicated that a player’s destination at the end of camp will be based on merit and nothing more. If Alonso has a strong spring effort, he’d put that to the test. The Mets would only need to send him down for just over two weeks to buy an extra year of team control, though the NL East figures to be ferociously competitive in ’19, so there’s every reason for all four presumptive contenders to put forth their best rosters right off the bat come Opening Day.
- Dominic Smith chatted with Kyle Glaser of Baseball America on Tuesday and discussed changes to his offseason diet and workout programs as well as the extensive work he’s done in terms of watching video and making mechanical alterations to his swing. Once heralded as the Mets’ first baseman of the future, Smith has been leapfrogged for the time being by Alonso, though at just 23 years of age, he spoke confidently about the room for growth his youth still provides. Smith also discussed the “mixed emotions” of watching the Mets add pieces throughout the winter, explaining that the increased competition adds a level of excitement and energy to camp that hasn’t been there the past few seasons. Even after a down season in 2018, Smith is a career .300/.361/.460 hitter in 875 Triple-A plate appearances.
- Infielder T.J. Rivera, who missed the entire 2018 season following 2017 Tommy John surgery, is “having trouble getting over the hump” in his rehab from that procedure, Callaway told reporters (Twitter link via Anthony DiComo of MLB.com). The now-30-year-old Rivera is still experiencing discomfort in his elbow and doesn’t appear close to seeing action in a Grapefruit League contest, DiComo notes. While Rivera hasn’t been considered a likely factor in the team’s Opening Day infield mix anyway, the fact that he’s still not ready for game action is of more note with veterans Jed Lowrie and Todd Frazier sidelined by respective knee and oblique issues. The Mets still have depth with Jeff McNeil, Amed Rosario, Robinson Cano, Alonso Smith and J.D. Davis as options around the infield, to say nothing of non-roster invitee Adeiny Hechavarria.
Todd Frazier Diagnosed With Oblique Strain
Mets third baseman Todd Frazier has been diagnosed with a strained left oblique muscle following an MRI and is headed back to New York to receive a cortisone shot, tweets MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo. While DiComo cites a Mets official who doesn’t believe the issue is severe, there’s no timetable for a return at present.
Given that oblique strains often keep players on the shelf for a month or more, Frazier’s injury could put his readiness for Opening Day in jeopardy. Paired with a knee issue for offseason signee Jed Lowrie, the Frazier injury tests the Mets’ infield depth before the first week of spring games has even come to a close. New York also acquired J.D. Davis from the Astros this winter and is currently planning to deploy Jeff McNeil in the outfield, so the team has options if Frazier and/or Lowrie does indeed need to sit out long enough to miss some time early in the season.
It’s a tough start to the season for the 33-year-old Frazier, who’ll be looking to rebound at the plate after posting a meager .213/.303/.390 slash with 18 homers and 18 doubles in 472 plate appearances last season. Frazier still turned in solid defensive marks last season (+2 Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating alike), and his walk rate topped 10 percent for the second consecutive season after never having done so in his first six seasons. He’s owed $9MM in 2019 in the second season of a two-year, $17MM deal with the Mets.
Jed Lowrie Out With Knee Strain, Could Miss Opening Day
Jed Lowrie returned to Mets camp on Friday but won’t see any action due to a sore left leg, per MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo. The Mets plan on being cautious with Lowrie, whose results from an MRI came back with an official diagnosis of a “capsule strain” in his left knee, per Mike Puma of the NY Post (via Twitter).
Deesha Thosar of the NY Daily News adds (via Twitter) that there is no timetable for Lowrie’s return, and there’s at least a chance he won’t be ready for Opening Day. While the Mets prefer Lowrie in the infield at the start of the season, the bigger concern is that the injury does not linger long into the year. Lowrie, 35 in April, comes to New York on the heels of a career year in Oakland where he hit .267/.353/.448, good for a 120 OPS+. After struggling to say on the field early in his career, Lowrie appeared in over 150 games in each of the last two seasons.
The Mets pray the injury is not a harbinger of things to come, but it’s certainly a reminder that this Mets squad is going to have to deal with durability concerns throughout the grinding 162-game schedule, per Puma. Todd Frazier missed time with hamstring and rib cage injuries last season, and health remains the biggest question mark around backstop Wilson Ramos. Robinson Cano has had a fairly remarkable run of health, but even he will be monitored closely as he enters his age-36 season. The good news for the Mets is they have more depth than in year’s past, with Jeff McNeil able to move around the diamond and Adeiny Hechavarria, J.D. Davis, Dilson Herrera and Gavin Cecchini in the infield mix as well.
Mets Notes: deGrom, Lowrie, Catchers
Agents Jeff Berry and Matt Ricatto of CAA Baseball are in Port St. Lucie and will meet with the Mets regarding Jacob deGrom’s contract status, Newsday’s Tim Healey reports. As Healey notes, it’s routine for agents to pay quick visits to MLB camps to check in with their clients and with organizational decision-makers, though the very public nature of deGrom’s extension candidacy makes this particular visit more intriguing. Certainly, a long-term deal for a pitcher of deGrom’s caliber isn’t something that’d be hammered out in a matter of hours, but this week’s visit could potentially help to lay some groundwork for negotiations that would carry on throughout Spring Training. Last week, deGrom indicated that talks had not yet gotten off the ground, and a few days prior to that, it was reported that his camp has placed an Opening Day deadline on getting a deal finished.
Here’s more out of Queens…
- The Mets received good news following Jed Lowrie’s recent MRI, tweets Mike Puma of the New York Post. Lowrie underwent the test after experiencing some discomfort in the back of his knee earlier this week, but the MRI did not reveal any significant damage. The veteran will be brought along slowly early in camp, Puma notes, although at this point it seems there’s no longer much cause for concern. The 34-year-old (35 in April) inked a two-year, $20MM pact with the Mets this offseason on the heels of a terrific 2018 campaign in which he batted .267/.353/.448 with 23 home runs and 37 doubles in 680 plate appearances with the A’s.
- The Mets aren’t ruling out the possibility of carrying three catchers to open the season, manager Mickey Callaway tells Kevin Armstrong of the New York Times. Offseason signee Wilson Ramos, of course, is a lock to make the Opening Day roster as the team’s new primary option behind the dish, and Travis d’Arnaud seems quite likely to be in the mix as well, so long as his rehab from 2018 Tommy John surgery has adequately progressed. The other two options are 24-year-old Tomas Nido and veteran Devin Mesoraco, who returned to the Mets on a minor league deal this winter. As Callaway explains, Mesoraco’s relationship with deGrom was a huge factor in the organization’s decision to re-sign him; Mesoraco caught 21 of 25 deGrom starts last year after being acquired from the Reds. Callaway spoke with high praise of Mesoraco’s preparation and leadership, which had a positive influence on other catchers and throughout the pitching staff. Given d’Arnaud’s ability to play some first base and left field, carrying a pair of backup catcher options wouldn’t be as limiting as it would for other clubs. Nido, meanwhile, has a minor league option remaining, so he seems likely to be headed for Triple-A to open the year.
No Extension Talks Between Mets, Noah Syndergaard
Most Mets’ fans focus this spring, at least as pertains to the team’s starting pitching, has been on whether the club can agree to a long-term deal to prevent reigning Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom from reaching free agency after the 2020 season. Teammate Noah Syndergaard is a logical extension candidate in his own right, but as he explains to The Athletic’s Tim Britton (subscription link), there’s currently no discussion of a long-term pact.
“I trust my ability and the talent that I have,” says Syndergaard. “So I feel like I’m going to bet (on) myself in free agency and not do what [Aaron Nola and Luis Severino] did.”
Both Nola and Severino agreed to four-year contract extensions earlier this winter, though both did so at different points in their careers. While Nola and Syndergaard both have between three and four years of MLB service, Syndergaard already had one arbitration season and a $2.975MM salary under his belt given his Super Two status. Severino, meanwhile, was arb-eligible for the first time this winter as a Super Two player himself. As Britton explores at length, the $40-45MM guarantees on the Nola and Severino extensions would be too light for Syndergaard, who is already earning $6MM in 2019 and will be arb-eligible twice more before reaching free agency.
To be clear, Syndergaard hardly rules out the possibility of discussing a long-term deal, going on to explain that he is “always open” and would “of course” listen if the Mets approached him about a possible extension. That said, the 26-year-old’s confidence and willingness to go year-to-year are nevertheless notable. So, too, is the fact that the Mets’ current general manager, Brodie Van Wagenen, represented Syndergaard at CAA before divesting himself from the agency upon being hired by the Mets. Certainly, Van Wagenen has an idea of what Syndergaard’s camp would seek in a deal (one of the many potential conflicts of interest that the league apparently deemed acceptable when approving his appointment to his current role).
Jed Lowrie Headed For MRI Following Knee Soreness
- Mets fans have become all too familiar with the injury bug in recent seasons, and unfortunately, the club is already dealing with at least one injury scare. As Tim Healey of Newsday writes, newly signed infielder Jed Lowrie is headed for an MRI after experiencing discomfort in his left knee. Lowrie describes the issue as soreness on the back side of his knee and says it first surfaced when getting up to full speed in running drills and when taking batting practice. Beyond Lowrie, outfielder Brandon Nimmo is experiencing some shoulder soreness but is confident that the issue is just a matter of early-spring soreness rather than an indication of anything serious.
Mets Sign Adeiny Hechavarria
3:54pm: Hechavarria’s contract comes with a $3MM base salary if he makes the roster — a rather large base salary for a minor league pact — per Ken Davidoff of the New York Post (Twitter link). He could also earn a $1MM bonus for spending 100 days on the active roster and another $1MM for reaching 150 days on the active roster.
Feb. 18, 12:50pm: The Mets have now announced the signing.
Feb. 17: The Mets have signed infielder Adeiny Hechavarria to a minor league contract with an invitation to big league camp, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.
Hechavarria will have a chance to continue in New York, where he spent the last month of the 2018 season after the Yankees acquired him from the Pirates. As a member of the Yanks, Bucs and Rays in 2018, Hechavarria hit a modest .249/.279/.336 in 321 plate appearances. The subpar offensive numbers the 29-year-old Hechavarria registered were in line with his career totals, as he has only managed a .635 OPS in 3,004 PAs since debuting with the Blue Jays in 2012.
While offense has never been Hechavarria’s calling card, he has established himself as a defensive whiz. Over nearly 7,000 innings, almost all of which have come at shortstop, Hechavarria has accounted for 22 runs saved and a plus-13.1 Ultimate Zone Rating in the majors. Hechavarria’s glovework could help him earn a backup role behind Mets starting shortstop Amed Rosario, as Healey notes he has a legitimate chance to win a bench spot with the club.
Phillies In Lead For Bryce Harper
7:00PM: Harper’s market is still “evolving,” as Heyman puts it in his latest tweet. The Phillies are still seen as the likeliest team to land Harper, though the outfielder has received several long-term deals with an average annual value of more than $30MM per season.
6:01PM: There is no deal yet, though according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale (Twitter link), Harper “will ultimately receive” a larger contract than the ten-year, $300MM offer he received from the Nationals before free agency began.
1:15PM: As was the case a month ago, the Phillies are the favorites to sign free-agent outfielder Bryce Harper, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets. But Harper’s market has “intensified,” according to Heyman, who unsurprisingly notes he’ll eventually sign a long-term contract.
Philadelphia met with Harper back on Jan. 10, though he and fellow free-agent superstar/Phillies target Manny Machado have shockingly remained on the market since then. Both the Giants and Padres have since joined the race for Harper, who, as of two weeks ago, had drawn interest from “at least” eight teams, Heyman reported. Only five suitors have been identified, though, with Harper’s career-long club – the Nationals – accompanying the Phillies, Giants, Padres and White Sox. The Yankees and Mets are two teams that can be ruled out, Andy Martino of SNY tweets.
Harper entered the offseason seeking a contract worth upward of $300MM – a figure that he could still match or exceed, despite his unexpectedly long stay on the market. And the Phillies are arguably in better position than anyone else to bid an extravagant amount for Harper, as they came into the winter expecting to spend “stupid” money, according to owner John Middleton. The big-market team has been aggressive in improving its roster to this point, having added J.T. Realmuto, Jean Segura, Andrew McCutchen and David Robertson, but it’s not spending an eyebrow-raising sum on any of those players. Plus, despite those upgrades, the Phillies still aren’t in great shape in the outfield, with Odubel Herrera, Nick Williams, Roman Quinn and Aaron Altherr serving as their best options besides McCutchen. The 26-year-old Harper blows that group out of the water, needless to say, and his presence would significantly boost the Phillies’ chances of breaking their seven-season playoff drought in 2019.
Should Harper head to Philly, it would remove a prime suitor for Machado, as the club’s only willing to sign one of the two. Without the Phillies in the mix, Machado would seemingly be left to choose between the Padres and White Sox, who have courted him, though it’s possible a previous suitor such as the Yankees or a mystery team could involve themselves in the race to sign him.
Mets Say Service Time Won't Factor Into Peter Alonso Decision
- First baseman Peter Alonso, MLB.com’s 51st-ranked prospect, may be able to help the Mets as early as Opening Day, though whether he’ll make the team’s roster is in question. The Mets would gain an extra year of control over Alonso, 24, by keeping him in the minors until at least mid-April, after all. However, New York – led by general manager Brodie Van Wagenen – insists having seven years of control over Alonso instead of six won’t factor into whether he cracks its season-opening roster in 2019, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com relays. “Our management’s going to fight for [Alonso],” said manager Mickey Callaway. “I think Brodie’s made it clear that he’s a players’ guy. And if he deserves it, he’s going to be on the team.” The main player standing in Alonso’s way appears to be Todd Frazier – the Mets’ projected starter at first – but the 33-year-old is coming off a poor year. Alonso, on the other hand, was highly productive in Double-A and Triple-A stints last season.
