Mets Rumors

NL East Notes: Nimmo, Conforto, Cooper, Sanchez

By Kyle Downing | March 31, 2018 at 4:11pm CDT

The imminent return of Michael Conforto could force one of his deserving Mets teammates out of a job, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com writes. Specifically, leadoff hitter Brandon Nimmo (who reached base four times on opening day) could end up being displaced to the bench, as the Mets also have Yoenis Cespedes and Jay Bruce at the outfield corners. Nimmo, who was the club’s first-round selection in 2011, leapfrogged Juan Lagares on the depth chart with a fantastic spring. However, he doesn’t carry the upside of Conforto or the track record of Bruce or Cespedes. DiComo adds that the Mets are not considering shifting Bruce to first base, as the club seems content with Adrian Gonzalez at that position for the time being. For his part, Nimmo isn’t thinking about the outfield crunch at this time. “When Conforto comes back, we’ll deal with that,” he said. “But as far as right now, I’m just going to try to be me, and be the best me I can.”

Other items from the NL’s eastern teams…

In other Mets news, Anthony Swarzak left today’s game with an apparent injury. Said injury was later described as a “sore oblique”, and he’s considered day-to-day for the time being (h/t Anthony DiComo of MLB.com). For Swarzak’s part, he’s “not panicking” about the soreness and is hoping it’ll disappear tomorrow.
After being hit by a pitch on the wrist in yesterday’s 17-inning marathon, Marlins outfielder Garrett Cooper was replaced by fellow outfielder Cameron Maybin. After the game, the club described the injury as a “wrist contusion”, writes MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro. It’s good news for Miami to hear that Cooper’s wrist isn’t broken, but he’s day-to-day for the time being, and it’s unclear when he’ll return to the lineup. “I took the sleeve off, and it was pretty purple,” Cooper said of the injury. “No fracture. Just day-to-day right now. I can move it around. Just a little swollen.”
The Braves currently have three catchers on the roster, but manager Brian Snitker says that one of them could give way to right-hander Anibal Sanchez soon. David O’Brien of the Atlantla Journal-Constitution writes that while Sanchez has been tabbed for the fifth spot in the rotation (when necessary) for some time, the club may add him sooner than that in case they need to deploy him as a reliever. Sanchez pitched to a horrific 5.67 ERA across 415 2/3 innings across his last three seasons with the Tigers, though his strikeout (8.14 K/9) and walk (2.84) ratios remained generally good during that time.

Rusty Staub Passes Away

By Steve Adams | March 29, 2018 at 8:43am CDT

While baseball brims with excitement for the onset of the 2018 season, there’s also sad news for fans and industry folk alike to mourn on Thursday, as Bill Madden of the New York Daily News reports that six-time All-Star Rusty Staub has passed away just days before what would have been his 74th birthday. Staub had previously survived a severe heart attack in 2015, but as Madden notes, he’d been in the hospital for the past eight weeks battling a blood infection and kidney failure before experiencing multiple organ failure.

Staub spent nine of his 23 Major League seasons starring for the Mets, for whom he batted .276/.358/.419 in two separate stints, although his best seasons very arguably came with the Houston organization and the now-defunct Expos in his mid-20s. From 1967-71, Staub posted a terrific .302/.397/.472 slash with 94 homers — good for a 148 OPS+ and five consecutive trips to the Midsummer Classic.

In all, Staub’s outstanding career drew to a close with 2,716 hits, 292 homers, 499 doubles, 47 triples, 1189 runs scored, 1466 RBIs and more walks (1255) than strikeouts (888). He batted .279/.362/.431 in 11,229 plate appearances across 23 seasons split between the Mets, Astros/Colt 45s, Expos, Tigers and Rangers.

After his playing days, Staub set to work on helping those less fortunate than he’d been in life, establishing the Rusty Staub Foundation, whose mission to this day is to “give children the opportunity to live full, happy and productive lives and to give aid to the hungry.” Established in 1985, the RSF has established pantries around New York City and, to date, has raised more than $17MM for like-minded organizations, per the RSF’s web site. Staub also established the New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund, which, as Madden notes in his column, has raised more than $112MM in total contributions since the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Madden’s column provides a terrific, heartfelt look at Staub’s legacy both on and off the field and stands as an excellent tribute to a beloved baseball figure.

The Mets, for whom Staub suited up more than any team in his career, issued the following statement:

“The Mets family suffered another loss earlier today when Daniel “Rusty” Staub passed away in a West Palm Beach Hospital after an illness. He was almost as well known for his philanthropic work as he was for his career as a baseball player, which spanned 23 seasons. There wasn’t a cause he didn’t champion. Rusty helped children, the poor, the elderly and then there was his pride and joy The New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund. A six-time All-Star, he is the only player in major league history to have collected at least 500 hits with four different teams. The entire Mets organization sends its deepest sympathy to his brother, Chuck, and sisters Sue Tully and Sally Johnson. He will be missed by everyone.”

Bryce Brentz Clears Waivers

By Jeff Todd | March 28, 2018 at 2:25pm CDT

The Mets successfully ran outfielder Bryce Brentz through waivers, Matt Ehalt of The Record reports on Twitter. It seems that the out-of-options Brentz will be outrighted off of the New York 40-man roster, though he’ll have the right to decline an assignment to Triple-A.

Brentz has bounced from the Red Sox to the Pirates and then on to the Mets over the offseason. The former first-round pick turned in a strong showing last year at Triple-A, hitting .271/.334/.529 with 31 home runs in 494 plate appearances.

Now, though, Brentz will have to decide whether to stay with his new organization or instead set out onto the open market. The Mets do not appear to have a direct path up to the majors, though obviously the organization likes the player. Given that every other team has now passed on a chance to add Brentz to a 40-man roster, it seems unlikely he’ll earn an Opening Day job in the big leagues, though perhaps there are some more promising opportunities out there.

East Notes: Britton, Ngoepe, Tulo, Brentz, Fuld

By Mark Polishuk | March 27, 2018 at 10:44pm CDT

Zach Britton appears to be making good progress in his recovery from Achilles tendon surgery, and some in the Orioles organization think the closer could return to action by early June, MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko writes. An even quicker return isn’t out of the question, though Britton’s 60-day DL placement means that May 28 is the absolute earliest he can get back on the field, and the O’s might not want to rush him unless they’re absolutely certain Britton is ready to go.

Here are some more items from both the AL and NL East divisions…

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons told Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi (Twitter links) and other reporters that infielder Gift Ngoepe will break camp with the team. Veteran Danny Espinosa was recently signed to a minor league deal to provide some competition for the utility field job, though it appears Ngoepe will head north to begin the season. He’ll provide backup at shortstop behind Aledmys Diaz, who is himself filling in at the position for the injured Troy Tulowitzki. Gibbons also said that more roster moves will be in the works tomorrow, as the Jays need to clear 40-man roster spots for John Axford and Tyler Clippard.
One of those 40-man spots could be opened up if Tulowitzki is moved to the 60-day DL, as the Blue Jays veteran continues to be plagued by bone spurs in his right ankle. Davidi reports that Tulowitzki is visiting with an ankle specialist tomorrow to determine the next course of action, and surgery could be a possibility.
The Mets don’t have another trade in the works involving Bryce Brentz, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo reports, so it looks like they will try to keep the outfielder in the organization. Brentz was claimed off waivers from the Pirates on Monday and would have to pass through waivers again before the Mets could send him down to Triple-A, as Brentz is out of minor league options. New York already has a crowded outfield picture that includes Yoenis Cespedes, Jay Bruce, Juan Lagares, and Brandon Nimmo, plus Phillip Evans and Jose Reyes capable of corner outfield work and Michael Conforto expected back from the DL early in the season.
Sam Fuld’s status as a former player and a newly-minted member of the Phillies analytics department makes him an ideal conduit for bridging the gap between advances metrics and everyday baseball use, Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Daily News writes. “Players are told to do something from someone that doesn’t quite have playing experience at a high level and it can be frustrating when you’re told to do something that is really, really difficult,” Fuld said. “It’s taken for granted sometimes. Hopefully I can relate.” Rhys Hoskins, for one, has already taken to Fuld’s advice, such as using a “cheat sheet” to determine specific batter-by-batter positioning while in the outfield.

Mets Claim Bryce Brentz From Pirates

By Connor Byrne | March 26, 2018 at 2:48pm CDT

The Mets have claimed outfielder Bryce Brentz off waivers from the Pirates, Adam Berry of MLB.com was among those to report.

The 29-year-old Brentz joined the Pirates via trade with the Red Sox in February, but he didn’t last long in Pittsburgh. The club placed him on waivers this past weekend. Because Brentz is out of options, he’ll have to go through waivers again if the Mets attempt to send him to the minors. If that doesn’t happen immediately, it likely will when star outfielder Michael Conforto comes off the disabled list. Assuming the other New York outfielders stay healthy early in the season, Conforto would be part of a contingent that features other well-known names in Yoenis Cespedes, Jay Bruce, Brandon Nimmo and Juan Lagares.

Although Boston chose Brentz in the first round of the 2010 draft, he has barely played in the majors thus far. He collected just 90 plate appearances with the Red Sox, in fact. The righty-swinger spent all of last season at the Triple-A level and posted a healthy .271/.334/.529 line (138 wRC+) with 31 home runs in 494 plate appearances.

Offseason In Review: New York Mets

By Connor Byrne | March 26, 2018 at 8:12am CDT

This is the latest entry in MLBTR’s 2017-18 Offseason In Review series. Click here to read the other completed reviews from around the league.

After the Mets endured a Murphy’s Law season in 2017, general manager Sandy Alderson replaced their skipper and brought in several familiar names in free agency over the winter.

Major League Signings

Jay Bruce, OF: three years, $39MM
Todd Frazier, 3B: two years, $17MM
Jason Vargas, LHP: two years, $16MM
Anthony Swarzak, RP: two years, $14MM
Jose Reyes, INF: one year, $2MM
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B: one year, $545K
Total spend: $88.545MM

Options Exercised

Asdrubal Cabrera, IF: $8.5MM
Jerry Blevins, RP: $7MM

Trades and Claims

Acquired LHP Daniel Zamora and cash from the Pirates for RP Josh Smoker
Acquired cash from the Nationals for UTIL Matt Reynolds
Selected RHP Burch Smith in the Rule 5 draft (later traded to Kansas City for a player to be named later or cash)

Notable Minor League Signings

Fernando Abad, A.J. Griffin, Matt den Dekker, Jose Lobaton, Zach Borenstein, Matt Purke, Phillip Evans, Ty Kelly

Notable Losses

Chasen Bradford, Erik Goeddel, Josh Edgin, Nori Aoki, Tommy Milone

[Mets Depth Chart; Mets Payroll Information]

Needs Addressed

The Mets posted back-to-back playoff seasons from 2015-16 – the first of which included a National League pennant – and there was optimism they’d remain a formidable club last year. Instead, a spate of injuries to key players and disappointing performances from others sunk New York, which never recovered from a 10-14 April. Expectations throughout the Mets’ dismal season were that they’d replace manager Terry Collins afterward, and that’s exactly what happened. The 68-year-old Collins remains in the organization in a front office role, while the much younger Mickey Callaway, 42, is now overseeing the team’s dugout and clubhouse. Although Callaway never managed at any level before the Mets hired him, he did develop a sterling reputation in Cleveland, where he worked to great success as Terry Francona’s pitching coach from 2013-17.

Among the hurlers now at Callaway’s disposal are left-handed starter Jason Vargas and righty reliever Anthony Swarzak, two of the team’s free-agent pickups. The Mets guaranteed Vargas two years and $16MM with the hope that he’d deliver adequate innings as part of a starting staff that didn’t amass nearly enough of those a year ago. Vargas has a handful of high-inning, acceptable ERA seasons under his belt, including his 179 2/3-frame, 4.16 ERA showing with the Royals in 2017. That’s somewhat similar to the production Bartolo Colon offered the Mets from 2014-16, and they missed that during a horrid 2017 in which Jacob deGrom was their only starter to both escape the injury bug and perform to his potential. Unfortunately for the Mets, an injury has already come for Vargas, who suffered a fracture to his non-pitching hand in mid-March. He’s now set to begin 2018 on the disabled list, thereby creating a temporary starting spot for Seth Lugo.

Swarzak is healthy, meanwhile, and surely looking to replicate the age-31 season he enjoyed with the White Sox and Brewers in 2017. After a fairly up-and-down career from 2009-16, Swarzak broke out with a 2.33 ERA/2.74 FIP and 10.59 K/9 against 2.56 BB/9 last year. Only 11 other relievers outdid Swarzak’s 77 1/3 innings, and even fewer (seven) bettered his 2.2 fWAR. The latter figure placed him in similar company to Andrew Miller, Chad Green, Felipe Rivero and Archie Bradley, among other star relievers. That top-notch production led to a two-year, $14MM payday for Swarzak, who had to settle for a minor league contract the previous winter.

Along with Swarzak, the Mets’ bullpen will heavily feature lefty Jerry Blevins, whose $7MM option was an easy one for the Mets to pick up. Blevins was outstanding in New York from 2016-17, a 91-inning stretch in which he logged a 2.87 ERA/3.09 FIP with 11.97 K/9 and 3.86 BB/9. Although, it’s alarming that right-handed hitters crushed him to the tune of .288/.447/.545 in 2017 – an enormous departure from the .172/.266/.345 line they compiled against him the prior year. Historically, the 34-year-old has ended up somewhere in the middle of those lines versus righties, who’ve slashed .242/.343/.400 off Blevins since he debuted in 2007.

The rest of the Mets’ offseason attention went to its position player group, which actually wasn’t that bad last year (tied for ninth in wRC+, 11th in fWAR, 18th in runs). The most productive member of that faction was outfielder Michael Conforto, who was either elite or close to it before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in late August. Conforto, 25, had to undergo surgery as a result, which will lead to a DL stint to begin 2018.

The Mets now know Conforto is on track to return soon, but they had to plan for a worst-case scenario in the offseason. To help protect against a potential long-term Conforto absence, they brought back outfielder Jay Bruce – a Met for parts of the previous two seasons – on a three-year, $39MM pact. Bruce got the exact contract MLBTR predicted back in November, but it still feels as if he did extremely well when considering the odd way in which free agency unfolded.

The 30-year-old Bruce landed his payday after enjoying one of his best seasons in 2017, which he divided between New York and Cleveland and hit .254/.324/.508 with 36 home runs and 2.7 fWAR across 617 plate appearances. In his second stint with the Mets, Bruce will work in right field (where the long-scrutinized defender quietly earned solid marks last year) and maybe even at first base, depending on what the Mets get from the combination of Adrian Gonzalez, Wilmer Flores and Dominic Smith.

Gonzalez will play with the Mets on a minimum salary after getting his release from the Braves, who acquired him from the Dodgers in a financially motivated trade. Atlanta, one of the Mets’ division rivals, will pay the rest of the $21.5MM Gonzalez was owed on the megadeal he signed with the Red Sox back in 2011. Gonzalez was among the premier sluggers in the game then, but he’s now a soon-to-be 36-year-old coming off a terrible season in which back problems limited him to 71 games, 252 PAs and an unsightly .242/.287/.355 line (69 wRC+). The lefty-swinger has been particularly poor against southpaws in three of the past four seasons (2014, 2016 and 2017), which could set him up to platoon with the righty-hitting Flores. Smith, a top 100 prospect prior to his ugly debut with the Mets last year, has been battling a strained quad for weeks. It’s unclear when he’ll return to action, but between his injury and the presences of Gonzalez, Flores and even Bruce, Smith seems likely to see a lot more time at Triple-A than in the majors this season.

Elsewhere in the infield, the Mets made one of the most impressive-looking signings of the offseason when they reeled in New Jersey native and ex-Yankee Todd Frazier on a two-year, $17MM accord in early February. Frazier was long on the radar of the Mets, who ended up with him instead of fellow targets Eduardo Nunez and Neil Walker (an ex-Met), Jason Kipnis (Indians, who nearly sent him to the Mets) Ian Kinsler (a former Tiger who’s now an Angel) and Josh Harrison (Pirates). The Mets understandably balked at dealing young outfielder Brandon Nimmo for Harrison after the former recorded a .379 OBP over 215 PAs in 2017. That was the first extensive big league action for the 24-year-old Nimmo, a 2011 first-round pick. Now, because he took last season’s audition and ran with it, Nimmo may play an even more prominent role this year.

Back to Frazier, who, unlike Bruce, didn’t make out nearly as well as expected in free agency. The 32-year-old was unable to parlay a consistently above-average career into a contract commensurate to it. Also a former member of the Reds and White Sox, Frazier has been worth between 2.5 and 4.8 fWAR in every season since 2012 (including an even 3.0 last year). He looks grossly underpaid relative to what he brings to the table, then, and should give the Mets a credible third bagger as pessimism continues to increase over the status of franchise icon David Wright. Back, neck and spine injuries limited Wright to 75 games from 2015-16, and he wasn’t able to take the field at all last year. Unfortunately, that may be the case again this season for the 35-year-old.

The signing of Frazier will kick Asdrubal Cabrera to second, his preferred position. Months before the Mets brought in Frazier, they exercised Cabrera’s $8.5MM option in early November. The 32-year-old isn’t going to wow anyone, but he has provided decent offensive production in both of his seasons as a Met.

The re-signed Jose Reyes will offer depth behind Cabrera and elsewhere around the infield, where he played everywhere but first base last season. The switch-hitting Reyes, 34, was effective along the way in totaling 2.0 fWAR and batting .246/.315/.413 with 15 home runs and a team-high 24 steals over 561 PAs. For a meager $2MM, it’s tough to argue with retaining Reyes from a baseball standpoint, though a past domestic violence suspension will always hang over his head.

Questions Remaining

The questions for the Mets begin with their pitching staff, a notion that would’ve been impossible to believe during the franchise’s great run from 2015-16. The electrifying Noah Syndergaard is back after a partially torn lat muscle kept him off the field for all but 30 1/3 innings last season. When healthy, he and deGrom are about as good as a tandem gets. After that pairing, it’s anyone’s guess what the Mets will receive from the rest of their starters, including the now-injured Vargas, whose passable ERA in 2017 came with much less enticing peripherals.

Even if Vargas fares poorly as a Met, the 35-year-old’s contract isn’t going to turn into an albatross. Still, it does look a bit rich compared to the similar or lesser guarantees given to younger starters in Andrew Cashner (two years, $16MM), Jhoulys Chacin (two years, $15.5MM), Lance Lynn (one year, $12MM), Jaime Garcia (one year, $10MM; he did draw the Mets’ interest) and Doug Fister (one year, $4MM). Lynn would have looked especially good in the middle of the Mets’ rotation, as his history indicates he likely would have come close to replicating or bettering the aforementioned Colon’s output as a Met. Of course, signing the qualifying offer recipient would have cost the Mets their second-highest draft pick and $500K in international pool space.

Of greater importance than Vargas is ex-ace Matt Harvey, who has experienced a startling decline over the past couple years, no doubt thanks in part to thoracic outlet syndrome surgery in 2016. The Mets considered trading Harvey in the offseason before ultimately electing to keep him and his relatively cheap salary ($5.625MM). Harvey is still relatively young (Tuesday’s his 29th birthday) and capable of bringing mid-90s heat, which he has done this spring, leading to hope that he’s on the verge of a renaissance.

The Mets could also use rebirths from Steven Matz and Zack Wheeler, whom injuries have beset after they began their careers in promising fashion. Wheeler got off to an inauspicious start this spring, though, and will begin 2018 at the Triple-A level as a result.

Lugo and Robert Gsellman are also among Mets starters who took significant steps backward in 2017, which helps explain their rotation’s 27th-ranked ERA (5.70). Both might function as multi-inning relievers this year if they don’t force their way back into full-time starting spots. The out-of-options Rafael Montero also could have been starting depth had he made the team – he did amass 18 starts last year, after all – but he’s now done for the year after suffering a UCL tear.

There’s also cause for concern in the bullpen, which was among the least effective units of its kind last year (26th in fWAR, 29th in ERA). Those struggles came in spite of 49 terrific innings from Addison Reed, whom the Mets traded to the Red Sox in July. There was interest in reuniting with Reed in free agency over the winter, but he ended up with the Twins on an eminently reasonable contract (two years, $17MM). It’s hard to fault the Mets for missing out on Reed at that price, though, as he indicated he was more interested in playing in the Midwest than anywhere else.

Mike Minor, Joe Smith and Bryan Shaw (the latter two are familiar with Callaway from Cleveland) were also on the Mets’ list before they came away with Swarzak, who they hope continues to resemble last year’s version – not the Swarzak with the spotty track record before then. Regardless, they’ll need more from closer Jeurys Familia and setup man AJ Ramos. Familia, 28, was tremendous from 2014-16 before stumbling through a season marred by a domestic violence suspension, injuries and a serious decline in performance. The 31-year-old Ramos, a midseason acquisition from Miami, also went backward after enjoying a few far better seasons as the Marlins’ closer.

Meanwhile, the Mets’ position player group looks like a capable one, though a lot of that depends on Conforto bouncing back from surgery to perform the way he did last year. Likewise, fellow outfielder Yoenis Cespedes – either the Mets’ best or second-best hitter, depending on your opinion of Conforto – will hope for a more healthy season. Cespedes, in the first season of a four-year, $110MM contract, played only 81 games in 2017 and went on the DL multiple times because of hamstring problems. He already dealt with a sore wrist earlier this spring, but that proved to be a minor issue.

If any of the Mets’ outfielders land on the shelf this year, they do have an underrated piece behind them in defensive stalwart Juan Lagares. It’s unclear whether he’ll actually be in New York for much longer, however. The Mets reportedly could trade Lagares, who’s slated to count $6.5MM against their franchise-record $152MM-plus payroll this season. That’ll be a situation worth monitoring as the season progresses.

As opposed to Lagares, Gonzalez will barely make a dent in the Mets’ budget; whether it was prudent to sign him is up for debate, though, particularly given the affordable deals that younger, seemingly superior options signed in free agency. The Royals gave ex-Met Lucas Duda a $3.5MM guarantee, while Logan Morrison netted a surprisingly low $6.5MM from the Twins and Yonder Alonso got $16MM from the Indians. Also, Adam Lind is without a job despite enjoying a far more successful 2017 than Gonzalez. Even on a minimum salary, it’s difficult to argue in favor of Gonzalez over any of those players at their respective costs. Although, again, it’s possible Bruce will become part of the solution at first if Gonzalez’s descent continues.

The rest of the Mets’ notable position players are behind the plate (Travis d’Arnaud and Kevin Plawecki) and at shortstop (Amed Rosario). While d’arnaud and Plawecki haven’t lived up to the billing they had as prospects, the Mets haven’t shown much urgency in trying to improve over them (nor were there any obvious upgrades on the open market). And there was no chance they were going to look for a shortstop to supplant the 22-year-old Rosario, who was regarded as a top prospect before scuffling to a .248/.271/.394 line with three walks and 46 strikeouts during a 170-PA rookie campaign last season. The Mets are going to give him a long leash, as you’d expect.

Overview

With six free-agent signings and two options exercised, it was a productive winter for the Mets, but the vast majority of their success will depend on how many holdovers from last year’s team rebound. It’s imperative Syndergaard, Conforto and Cespedes end up available for either the extreme majority or entirety of 2018, as they and deGrom are the Mets’ premier players. Harvey, Matz and Familia have posted high-level production in the past, but even middling years from them would be welcome compared to the ugly 2017s they posted.

While just about everything went wrong for the Mets as a whole during last year’s 70-win train wreck, the team’s talented enough to return to playoff contention this season. Considering how strong the Nationals are, pushing for an NL East title may be unrealistic for New York. Challenging for a wild card should be within reach, however, given the dearth of so-called super teams in the NL behind the Nats, Dodgers and Cubs.

How’d the Mets do over the winter? (link for app users)

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Mets Sign Fernando Abad

By Connor Byrne | March 25, 2018 at 3:45pm CDT

3:45pm: Abad will earn a $1.25MM salary if he makes the Mets, and he’ll have a chance at another $650K in incentives, according to Jon Heyman of FanRag.

2:32pm: The Mets have signed left-handed reliever Fernando Abad to a minor league contract, Tim Healey of Newsday tweets. Abad came available when the NL East rival Phillies released him Wednesday. He’ll go to minor league camp with his new team, per Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News.

A veteran of the Astros, Nationals, Athletics, Twins and Red Sox, the 32-year-old Abad has logged a 3.65 ERA with 7.7 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 317 2/3 innings since debuting in 2010. He has held same-sided hitters to a .237/.287/.383 batting line along the way, including a .224/.288/.438 showing in Boston last season.

If he cracks the Mets’ bullpen this year, Abad could give the club a second effective southpaw behind Jerry Blevins. The 32-year-old Blevins is the lone lefty reliever on the Mets’ 40-man roster.

Quick Hits: Miller, Tribe, Conforto, Ubaldo, Cubs, Rangers

By Connor Byrne | March 25, 2018 at 9:08am CDT

Indians reliever Andrew Miller could be one of the faces of a star-studded class of free agents next winter, but he’d prefer to continue his career in Cleveland. “I’m focused on this season. But absolutely. If I have an opportunity to stay here, I would. I love it here. The city’s been great to us. I can’t imagine a better place to be,” Miller told Grant Segall of Cleveland.com. After combining for a 1.93 ERA with 14.7 K/9, 2.48 BB/9 and a 51 percent groundball rate from 2013-17, the 32-year-old Miller will attempt to turn in yet another elite campaign in 2018. He’ll earn $9MM in the process.

East Notes: Yanks, Bird, Mets, Nationals, Orioles

By Connor Byrne | March 24, 2018 at 6:41pm CDT

Yankees first baseman Greg Bird missed most of last season with a right ankle injury. The 25-year-old is now battling soreness in the same foot and will go for an MRI and a CT scan, per Randy Miller of NJ.com. Bird’s status concerns general manager Brian Cashman, who said Saturday: “I’m worried about it to be honest. I’m not sure what we’re dealing with, but when Greg can’t tee it up, it’s a problem for us because obviously he’s a vital member of our organization.” Cashman went on to indicate that the Yankees won’t attempt to replace Bird via trade if he lands on the shelf. The recently signed Neil Walker and Tyler Austin are among the Yankees’ in-house first base options, but it’s worth noting that they recently had Adam Lind in camp. The club signed Lind to a minor league pact in early March before releasing him midway through the month. Lind remains on the market and would make for a logical pickup on paper, but there’s no word on whether New York is interested in re-signing him in the event of another serious injury to Bird.

[Update: The Yankees announced that Bird is dealing with inflammation and will see a specialist Monday.]

Heyman’s Latest: Cobb, Padres, Orioles, McHugh, Dodgers, Ubaldo

By Mark Polishuk | March 23, 2018 at 8:41am CDT

Here’s the latest from FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman via his weekly notes column on all 30 teams…

Before Alex Cobb signed with the Orioles, “the Padres got involved late on” the free agent righty’s market. It would’ve been another eye-popping move for a team that surprised many by signing Eric Hosmer, though the Padres could’ve simply been doing some due diligence — Cobb likely drew interest from several seemingly-unlikely teams as he continued to languish on the open market. The Padres also had at least some interest in Jake Arrieta, another big-name free agent starter who was still unexpectedly available into March. Given A.J. Preller’s penchant for aggressive moves and the Padres’ prospect depth, I wouldn’t be surprised if San Diego made a big in-season trade to further kickstart its rebuilding process.
After Lance Lynn signed with the Twins for one year and $12MM, the Brewers offered Cobb a contract with the same terms. Cobb rejected the deal, as it was known that he was looking for multiple years and wasn’t willing to settle for a one-year pact. It should be noted that Lynn himself could’ve had at least one multi-year offer on the table, but opted instead to sign the one-year deal with Minnesota since he was excited about their potential as a contender.
Even with Cobb now in the fold, the Orioles may still look to add more starting pitching depth beyond their current starting five of Cobb, Kevin Gausman, Dylan Bundy, Andrew Cashner, and Chris Tillman. Heyman opines that Scott Feldman could be a possibility, as the righty “was beloved” by members of the Baltimore organization during his previous stint with the club in 2013.
Trade buzz continues to circle Astros right-hander Collin McHugh, as Heyman writes that McHugh “could be had in a trade,” as Houston has a surplus of rotation-worthy arms. The Twins and Orioles were both linked to McHugh in rumors earlier this winter, though those teams are probably no longer in the running due to their subsequent pitching additions. McHugh is owed $5MM this season and is under control through 2019 in his final arbitration-eligible season, making him a nice cost-effective addition for potential suitors.
While none of these teams were specifically cited as being interested in McHugh, Heyman listed the Reds, Brewers, Mariners, and Rangers as teams that are looking for pitching. All four of the clubs have dealt with some injury setbacks in Spring Training, so further additions could be more akin to fill-in options rather than major acquisitions. Texas, however, does seem to be at least considering making a higher-priced add, given how the Rangers showed some recent interest in Cobb and Greg Holland.
The Dodgers seem prepared to go with in-house options to replace Justin Turner while the star third baseman is sidelined with a fractured wrist. The New York Post’s Joel Sherman recently floated the idea of L.A. acquiring either Deven Marrero or Brock Holt from the Red Sox to help fill the third base void, though Heyman writes that the Dodgers haven’t been in touch with the Sox about either player. Holt and the out-of-options Marrero are both reportedly potential trade candidates due to a roster crunch.
The Mets haven’t seriously discussed the possibility of signing Ubaldo Jimenez, Heyman hears from a person connected with the team. The past relationship between Jimenez and Mets manager Mickey Callaway (Jimenez had a strong 2013 season with the Indians when Callaway was Cleveland’s pitching coach) led to some rumors that New York could consider adding the veteran right-hander as rotation depth. Jimenez is coming off rough seasons in both 2016 and 2017 with the Orioles, and as a result has drawn no known interest all winter as he tries to catch on with another club.

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