John From Albany - Breakfast Links 11/23/2019

NOW UPDATED WITH AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE RESULTS.

Tylor Bashlor was in action last night in the Winter Leagues, and there were a number of interesting baseball articles.  Let’s get to it.

Bill Madden of the NY Daily News continues to rail against Major League Baseball’s plan to eliminate Minor League Teams in 2021: MLB’s plan to destroy the minor leagues sells baseball’s soul for pennies on the dollar.  He calculates that “the total savings for MLB from top to bottom would be roughly a $20 million in an industry that grossed in between $11-12 billion in 2019 – or less than a fifth of 1%.”  A same savings for the grief Rob Manfred and MLB will incur.

MiLB.com had a great article with the Mets Minor league all-star team.  What I liked is that they included veterans that had a good year like Arismendy Alcantara.

Yahoo Sports reported at the very end of the Owners meetings last week, Rob Manfred announced that teams had “approved unanimously a revised interactive media rights agreement.”  “The MLB.tv package will likely remain unchanged. You still can’t use it to watch the Cubs in Iowa or the Yankees in New York. However, fans without cable subscriptions will hopefully soon be able to purchase digital access to the broadcasts of their local team a la carte.”  The MLB.TV package has frustrated a lot of fans over the years.  Maybe this will help.  FYI, I buy the MLB.com Radio package for $20 a year and that works for me as no radio station in Albany, NY carried the Mets last year.  If I bought the MLB.TV package, the Mets would be blacked out.

The NY Post is reporting that the Mets are looking at ex-Yankee Gil Patterson as pitching coach. Gil has spent the last four seasons coaching in the A’s organization.  Before that he was the Yankees’ minor league pitching coordinator. 

The NY Post also has a story about how the Yankees are trying to get out from paying the money owed to Jacob Ellsbury.  This could be a story to follow over the weeks.  This could one day impact other major league teams that have injured players with big contracts, for example…

Reflections on Baseball says Cespedes has gone off the reservation again.

ESPN ranks the Ellsbury contract as the worst Free Agent signing of all time.

The Yankees make history with the hire of Rachel Balkovec, “the first female full-time hitting coaches hired by a big league organization.”

The Reds are another team looking at Zack Wheeler.

Mets Daddy thinks the Mets should target Yasiel Puig.

The NY Daily New looks at the Mets catching options.

The Mets Police has how Jerry Koosman will be at the Queens Baseball Convention on January 18^th.

MLB.com has how Evan White has yet to play a game in Major League Baseball, but the 23-year-old first baseman is on the verge of signing a long-term contract that would secure his future with the Mariners for the next six years.

In Winter Ball Last night:

Tyler Bashlor made his second winter ball appearance throwing one inning giving up one hit with two strikeouts in a 9-1 Toros Del Este win (Box).  In two games and two innings, Tyler has not given up any runs on two hits total and 4 strikeouts. 

Jordany Valdespin played in that same game going 1 for 3, with a run scored and an RBI and is hitting .319 this winter.  After playing for the Long Island Ducks in 2018, Jordany played in the Twins system last year at AAA Rochester.  I am guessing he will be back in AAA someplace in 2020. 

Today in the Australian Baseball League two Mets Minor League players continue to see action.  

Jeremy Vasquez in three games is is 0 for 8 with two walks, and two strikeouts.

Hansel Moreno, is hitting .222 in three games, 2 hits in 9 at-bats, 1 double, 2 RBIs, 3 strikeouts, 1 stolen base, 1 strikeout.  

UltimateMets has this date in Mets History:

Born on this date:

• Tom Hall (1947)
• Rich Sauveur (1963)
• Ryan McGuire (1971)
• Justin Turner (1984)

Transactions:

New York Mets purchased Warren Spahn from the Milwaukee Braves on November 23, 1964.

Baltimore Orioles signed Frank Seminara of the New York Mets as a free agent on November 23, 1994.

Oakland Athletics signed Jeff Tam of the New York Mets as a free agent on November 23, 1999.

St. Louis Cardinals signed Raul Valdes of the New York Mets as a free agent on November 23, 2010.

Collins was introduced as Mets manager on November 23, 2010, signing a two-year deal.

November 23, 1961, The Mets made their debut at the Thanksgiving Day Parade in a float featuring Casey Stengel and Gil Hodges.

Mack’s Mets Blast from the Past from November 2010 looks at the Collins hire plus more.

Want more?  Check out https://sportspyder.com/mlb/new-york-mets/news. 

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