Mets Rumors

Notable Roster Decisions: Orioles, Park, Wheeler, Severino, Judge

By Jeff Todd | March 30, 2017 at 4:47pm CDT

With Spring Training beginning to wrap up, details on teams’ Opening Day rosters are beginning to surface. Here are some notable decisions from around the league (decisions that directly impact the 40-man roster more directly are being kept track of in a separate post). Here’s the latest from around the league…

The Orioles will place left-hander Wade Miley on the 10-day disabled list to open the season, but he’s not actually expected to miss a start, according to Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun. Miley’s DL stint will be backdated, and his first start wasn’t expected to come until April 9 anyhow. Also on the DL will be right-hander Chris Tillman, as has been previously reported, and Rule 5 outfielder Anthony Santander, who is dealing with elbow and shoulder issues.
First baseman/outfielder Trey Mancini has made the Orioles’ Opening Day roster, as has outfielder Joey Rickard, per Meoli’s colleague, Eduardo A. Encina. It sounds as if veteran outfielder Craig Gentry will be making the roster as well, though Encina suggests that Gentry’s fate is ultimately tied to that of Rule 5 pick Aneury Tavarez, whom Meoli reported to be on waivers yesterday. If and when Tavarez clears or is claimed by another club, a 40-man spot for Gentry will be opened. Meanwhile, slugger Pedro Alvarez and second baseman Johnny Giavotella are Triple-A-bound to open the season, as are right-handers Alec Asher and Logan Verrett, per a club announcement.

Earlier Decisions

The Twins have decided against adding Byung Ho Park to the Opening Day roster, leaving him destined for Triple-A, as LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune reports on Twitter. Adding Park would have required the clearance of a 40-man spot since he was outrighted last year. Lefty Adalberto Mejia — picked up in last summer’s Eduardo Nunez deal — has earned the club’s fifth starter job, Neal further tweets, seemingly bumping Tyler Duffey back to the pen.
Right-handers Zack Wheeler and Robert Gsellman will fill out the Mets’ rotation to to open the year, Marc Carig of Newsday was among those to report on Twitter. It wasn’t clear for much of the spring whether Wheeler would be ready to go at the start of the year, but he showed well late in camp and will now attempt to regain the form that once made him one of the organization’s core players. That leaves Seth Lugo and Rafael Montero fighting for the final bullpen spot, with the other likely to report to Triple-A to stay stretched out in case a need arises.
Yankees righty Luis Severino will take the club’s final open starting job, as Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports tweets. He will look to regain the momentum he had as a rookie and leave a disappointing sophomore campaign in the rearview mirror. Meanwhile, the club has decided to option Rob Refsnyder, leaving Aaron Judge in line to make the roster and receive regular playing time in right, as Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com reports on Twitter.
The Red Sox announced today that lefty Drew Pomeranz will open the season on the 10-day DL due to a flexor strain in his left forearm. That does not appear to be a new injury, though; instead, the club is lining him up to pitch as scheduled while opening the door to carrying an extra player to open the year.

Steven Matz To Open Season On DL

By Jeff Todd | March 30, 2017 at 10:36am CDT

TODAY: Matz has undergone a PRP injection and will not throw for at least three weeks, Marc Carig of Newsday reports (Twitter links). While there’s still no apparent structural concern, that course of treatment seems likely to portend a fairly lengthy absence. Once Matz is able to resume throwing, he’ll still need to build back his arm strength and perhaps progress through a rehab stint.

YESTERDAY: Mets lefty Steven Matz isn’t likely to be ready for the Opening Day roster, skipper Terry Collins told reporters including MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo (Twitter links). The southpaw has been dealing with elbow soreness and is headed for an examination — likely an MRI, per the manager — to further determine the root of the problem. At last check, reports on Matz indicated that there’s no ligament damage in his elbow. Regardless of the upcoming test’s outcome, Matz is a candidate to require at least a short stint on the DL to begin the season.

While New York certainly doesn’t lack for depth options, it is obviously concerning to see Matz again dealing with health issues. Elbow and shoulder problems have limited him of late, with both being addressed (bone spur surgery for the former; a PRP injection for the latter) over the offseason. The talented 25-year-old also wasn’t quite himself this spring, as he recorded only seven strikeouts over 12 2/3 innings, with six earned runs crossing the plate on 16 hits and four walks.

It’s still unclear just what the Mets will do to fill in the immediate void, but Seth Lugo would seem to be a solid bet to step into the starting mix in the absence of Matz. Right-handers Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey and Robert Gsellman all appear to be penciled into the New York rotation at this time. In addition to Lugo, who shined in a strong rookie campaign last season, right-handers Zack Wheeler and Rafael Montero are in the mix for a rotation spot, tweets Newsday’s Marc Carig. Much has been made of the desire to limit Wheeler’s innings this spring after 2015 Tommy John surgery wiped out his last two seasons, though it stands to reason that Wheeler could occupy a starting slot for a brief time early in the year before transitioning to the ’pen.

Jeurys Familia Receives 15-Game Suspension

By Jeff Todd | March 29, 2017 at 11:36am CDT

Mets reliever Jeurys Familia will receive a 15-game suspension under the league’s domestic violence policy, as Billy Witz of the New York Times first reported (links to Twitter). Familia has agreed to accept those terms, per the league’s announcement.

The decision comes after months of speculation. Familia was arrested last fall on charges of assaulting his wife, but the charges were dropped upon his wife’s request. That did not preclude action under the domestic violence policy, however, which oes not require arrest, charges, or a conviction for the commissioner to impose a suspension.

In addition to the lost time, Familia has agreed to make a charitable donation and speak with league rookies. He already completed a dozen counseling sessions over the offseason. The suspension will cost Familia at least $730K, per Witz, based upon his $7.425MM arbitration salary.

Familia’s 15-game suspension is half that received last year by Aroldis Chapman after his charges were dismissed. In this case, commissioner Rob Manfred found that the evidence “does not support a determination that Mr. Familia physically assaulted his wife, or threatened her or others with physical force or harm.” While “inappropriate” action was still found, evidently it did not rise to the level present in Chapman’s case (in which he brandished a firearm). Manfred’s statement also stresses Familia’s actions in the wake of the incident, noting that he “received a favorable evaluation from the counselor regarding his willingness to take concrete steps to ensure that he is not involved in another incident of this type.”

In his own statement, Familia emphasized that he “never physically touched, harmed or threatened my wife” on the night in question. But he also acknowledged that he acted in an “unacceptable manner” and took full responsibility. “I am alone to blame for the problems of that evening,” he stated, adding that he has “taken meaningful steps to assure that nothing like this will ever happen again.”

East Notes: Mets, Yanks, Marlins, Orioles, Nats

By Connor Byrne | March 28, 2017 at 4:37pm CDT

Major League Baseball could suspend Mets closer Jeurys Familia as early as Tuesday for an alleged domestic violence incident last October, report Kristie Ackert and Christian Red of the New York Daily News. The Mets are only expecting the league to ban Familia for approximately 15 games, per Ackert and Red, who note that the 27-year-old’s wife, Bianca Rivas, has said during MLB’s investigation that he didn’t hit her. Familia was alleged to have caused bodily injury to Rivas, which led to an arrest on a charge of simple assault. That charge was dropped and expunged from Familia’s record in December, though, after Rivas told a New Jersey judge she wasn’t interested in pursuing the case.

NL Notes: Diamondbacks, Braves, Mets, Stubbs

By charliewilmoth | March 27, 2017 at 9:53am CDT

The Diamondbacks drafted both Paul Goldschmidt and A.J. Pollock in 2009 and the two have been teammates for years, but they might not remain in the same organization for long, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic writes. If the Snakes don’t contend this season — and that doesn’t appear particularly likely after a disappointing 2016 — the team could begin considering dealing Goldschmidt, Pollock or Zack Greinke. Dealing Goldschmidt or Pollock would give the Diamondbacks a head start in a rebuild, an organizational route of which new GM Mike Hazen seems to see the benefits. “Picking first is a lot better than picking fifth,” Hazen said earlier this month. “From a long-term building standpoint, there are clear advantages to being in those positions over a period of time. The majority of your superstars, by and large, are going to come in those areas of the draft and the international market.” Here’s more from the National League.

Much of the Braves’ Opening Day roster is set, but there are still jobs available on the bench and in the bullpen, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman writes. Chaz Roe, who is out of of options, has the inside track on one of the remaining bullpen jobs, although fellow righty David Hernandez (who the Braves recently added on a minor-league deal) is another possibility. Paco Rodriguez and Kevin Chapman are competing to join the ’pen as lefties, while veteran hitters Matt Tuiasosopo and Mel Rojas Jr. could also have shots at making the team, particularly, it would seem, if the Braves opt to go with five bench players instead of four. The Braves will also keep an eye on the trade and free-agent markets.
The Mets are hoping for fourth outfielder Juan Lagares to soon recover from the oblique strain he suffered this weekend, and therefore do not seem overly interested in Drew Stubbs, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo tweets. The veteran Stubbs opted out of his minor-league deal with the Twins yesterday. Assuming he’s healthy, Lagares seems set to back up a Mets outfield of Yoenis Cespedes, Curtis Granderson and Jay Bruce.

NL Notes: Mets, Reds, Giants, Dodgers

By Connor Byrne | March 26, 2017 at 4:56pm CDT

Mets right-hander Matt Harvey continued to allay concerns regarding his early spring velocity dip on Sunday. For the second straight outing, Harvey’s fastball sat in the 92 to 94 mph range and topped out at 97 mph, per Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News. “I couldn’t be happier than where I am now and ready to start the season,” Harvey said after throwing six innings against the Braves and allowing two runs on five hits (via MetsBlog). Harvey’s progress is obviously a positive development for the Mets, who found out Sunday that they could begin the season without the injured Steven Matz. If they do, either Seth Lugo or Zack Wheeler will open the year as their fifth starter. The club has already decided that Robert Gsellman will get a rotation spot, reports FanRag’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link).

East Notes: Mets, Yankees, Red Sox, Nationals

By Connor Byrne | March 26, 2017 at 9:40am CDT

In unwelcome news for the Mets, left-hander Steven Matz is dealing with elbow irritation and won’t make his scheduled start Monday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com was among those to report (Twitter links here). Doctors have assured Matz that he doesn’t have ligament damage, per DiComo, and the 25-year-old insists he’s fine and will throw off flat ground Monday. However, general manager Sandy Alderson is concerned about Matz. “It’s worrisome that he continues to be injured,” said Alderson. Matz’s stellar rookie campaign last year ended in August because of a “massive” bone spur in his elbow, which led to October surgery. Before that, he logged a 3.40 ERA, 8.77 K/9, 2.11 BB/9 and 51.1 percent ground-ball rate in 132 1/3 innings. Fortunately for the Mets, they do have enviable rotation depth to fill in for Matz if he should miss regular-season time. “This is why we have (Robert) Gsellman and (Seth) Lugo,” a team source told Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News (Twitter link).

Injury Notes: Lagares, Rodon, Gray, Morse

By Mark Polishuk | March 25, 2017 at 2:11pm CDT

Here are some updates on some injury situations throughout baseball…

Juan Lagares left today’s Spring Training game with a left oblique strain, according to Newsday’s Marc Carig and other reporters. The former Gold Glove winner is slated is slated to play a valuable reserve role for the Mets this season, particularly since Curtis Granderson is a defensive question mark in center field. While the severity of his strain isn’t yet known, oblique issues can tend to linger, putting his Opening Day status in jeopardy. If Lagares has to miss time, the Mets would be left with inexperienced center field options like Michael Conforto and Jose Reyes backing up Granderson.
White Sox lefty Carlos Rodon, suffering from bicep tightness, got some good news when an MRI revealed no structural damage, CSN Chicago’s Dan Hayes tweets. Rodon will still visit Dr. Neal ElAttrache to get a second opinion and hopefully confirm that the injury isn’t serious. Sox GM Rick Hahn said yesterday that Rodon will likely begin the season on the DL since the team wants to be as cautious as possible with their young southpaw.
An MRI on Jon Gray’s toe didn’t reveal any bad news, and the Rockies right-hander tells media (including Nick Groke of the Denver Post) that the injury that forced him to leave Friday’s game is a minor one. Gray said he expects to make his Opening Day start.
Michael Morse isn’t yet planning to retire, as the veteran tells The San Francisco Chronicle’s Henry Schulman and other reporters that he’ll stay in camp to rehab his hamstring injury and then report to the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate. Morse had stated earlier this winter that he’d hang up his spikes if he didn’t break camp with the Giants, and he indeed seemed likely to make the roster before getting hurt. “I’m going to get healthy. I’m going to play games with the mentality of getting ready for the big leagues,” Morse said. “At that point, if the team is 20-0, I know I probably won’t get called up and then it’s see ya’. If they need me, great.”

NL East Notes: Szczur, Johnson, Coghlan, Nava, Phillies

By Mark Polishuk | March 21, 2017 at 7:34pm CDT

Here’s the latest from around the NL East…

The Braves have Cubs outfielder Matt Szczur on their list of possible trade candidates, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports (via Twitter). Szczur is out of options and the Cubs intend to keep him, though a 25-man roster spot could be hard to manage given Chicago’s multitude of depth options. Szczur has a career .245/.297/.376 slash line over 346 PA since debuting with the Cubs in 2014, and he is a right-handed hitter who can play all three outfield positions, which fits Atlanta’s known need. MLB.com’s Mark Bowman recently opined that since the Braves have several out-of-options players, they could deal one such player for another on a rival team.
Though Kelly Johnson remains unsigned, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo doesn’t feel there’s any chance of another reunion between he and the Mets, especially not as long as Johnson is still looking for an MLB contract. The Mets are satisfied with their current backup infield mix, and likely wouldn’t check in on Johnson (either via signing or a midseason trade if he signs elsewhere) unless he’s willing to take a minor league deal or if New York develops a need later in the year.
Sunday is the deadline for the Phillies to either release Chris Coghlan upon request, or place him on their 25-man roster within 48 hours, MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki reports. In other Phils opt-out news, Daniel Nava can request his release if he isn’t on the Phillies’ Major League roster by June 15. Coghlan and Nava both signed minor league deals with Philadelphia this winter, though as Zolecki explains, the two veterans are in a tight battle for the Phillies’ two remaining bench spots.
Koda Glover is a contender to win the Nationals’ closer job, though as Fangraphs’ Dave Cameron notes, the Nats’ decision to use Glover in the ninth inning of spring games is making it difficult to properly evaluate the hard-throwing righty. Spring Training performances should be taken with a grain of salt anyway, and in Glover’s case, he has faced very few hitters who actually project to be on MLB rosters this season.

NL East Notes: Harvey, Nationals Bullpen, Conley

By Jeff Todd | March 21, 2017 at 10:51am CDT

With the level of concern increasing throughout the spring, Mets righty Matt Harvey turned around the narrative with his most recent outing, as Marc Carig of Newsday reports. While the results weren’t stellar, Harvey was sitting at 93 to 94 mph with his fastball and reached as high as 96, putting him back in his normal range. Plus, manager Terry Collins said, there were improvements to the veteran righty’s mechanics and command. That appearance has at least temporarily halted any clear need to consider keeping the 27-year-old in extend spring training to open the season, though Carig notes that approach could still end up as an option given the presence of three intriguing alternatives in Robert Gsellman, Seth Lugo, and Zack Wheeler.

Here are some more arms-related updates from the NL East:

The division-rival Nationals, meanwhile, are sorting through their own pitching decisions. As Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com writes, skipper Dusty Baker would like to carry a long reliever, though it’s unclear just who’d take that role. Minor-league signee Jeremy Guthrie has shown life with his fastball, and he’s joined in camp by fellow non-roster invitees Vance Worley, Matt Albers, and Jacob Turner as well as former top prospect A.J. Cole. Of course, carrying a multi-inning reliever would mean leaving behind someone else. 42-year-old Joe Nathan might be one of the top alternatives; as Zuckerman further writes, the team seems to be weighing his possible inclusion, having given him nine innings of action. Nathan has allowed just three earned runs, though he has only four strikeouts to go with three walks. Unless the Nats go with an eight-man pen, keeping any of the above-mentioned pitchers would likely mean parting with either veteran Oliver Perez (who’s guaranteed $4MM) or out-of-options newcomer Enny Romero, both of whom are currently projected by Jason Martinez of MLBTR and RosterResource.com to make the active roster.
Then, there’s the question of the closer spot for the Nationals. As MLB.com’s Jamal Collier tweets, Baker has trotted out Koda Glover for five-straight ninth-inning appearances, perhaps suggesting he’s testing him for the job. The veteran manager says he believes that the 23-year-old Glover has the arsenal needed to close, with the team assessing whether he’s ready to handle that spot at this stage. His top competitor appears to be Blake Treinen, who has been dominant in three spring frames (six strikeouts, no walks or hits). Glover has received a much more substantial showcase thus far, and has also impressed by allowing just one earned run on four hits and a single walk with 11 strikeouts over eight innings.
For the Marlins, there’s increasing unease with the showing thus far from lefty Adam Conley, as manager Don Mattingly said yesterday. (Video via the Sun-Sentinel.) The long-framed southpaw has struggled to “sync everything up” thus far, says Mattingly, leaving the club with at least a “little bit” of concern at this stage. Noting that the club is still considering the form of its Opening Day rotation, the skipper says that one major concern is Conley’s inefficiency, which has been a problem in the past. Last year, he managed only 133 1/3 innings over 25 starts.

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