John From Albany – Mets Breakfast Links 2/15/2020

Happy Birthday today to Brooklyn Cyclones 2^nd Baseman Luke Ritter, Bartolo Colon will join Rajai Davis in the Mexican league, and Alex Rodriquez may try to buy the Mets.

Per the NY Post: Alex Rodriguez emerges as potential Mets buyer. “No chance A-Rod pulls that off, especially with Steve Cohen still out there playing safety on this thing,” said one banker familiar with Cohen and the deal. “This auction will not get close to $3 billion, and it will be lucky to get over $2 billion. Steve knows that, he’s talking to people and he’s waiting for the Wilpons to come back begging for $2.6 billion and no five-year window.”

Per The Sports Daily: He and J. Lo really could make it happen, as she’s a part owner of the Miami Dolphins, so it wouldn’t be all that much of a stretch…Still, it looks more like A-Rod is just posturing here.

From sun-sentinel.com: “Could Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter face off as owners?”

From CBSSports.com: “David Samson says he (Alex Rodriguez) won't be able to do it…‘A-Rod can put in a sum of money, but he will never be able to be control person,’ Samson said. ‘To be a control person in Major League Baseball for a franchise that is $2.6 billion, he'll have to put in a minimum of $400-500 million of his own money.’” 

At SNY.TV John Harper talked to scouts about Edwin Diaz.  One scout said: 'They'll win 90-95 games easy if Diaz figures it out again'. The article had scouts making the point that it was more about Diaz gaining his confidence than tweaking his mechanics.

From Deesha Thosar in the NY Daily News: “Zack Wheeler, Brodie Van Wagenen trade punches over right-hander’s Mets departure…One day after Wheeler claimed he didn’t hear from the Mets…Van Wagenen fired back "…coaches helped him parlay his two great half-seasons over the last five years into $118 million.”

SNY.TV had Luis Rojas talking about Outfield depth. “The Mets currently have five outfielders on their roster: Yoenis Cespedes, Michael Conforto, Jake Marisnick, Jeff McNeil, and Brandon Nimmo.”

Mets posted video of Jacob deGrom’s first bullpen of 2020.

This is pretty cool – video of a Kevin Smith bullpen session from Rene Rivera’s perpective.

From Fan Fest, video of new Mets pitchers being interviewed: Michael Wacha, Rick Porcello, Dellin Betances.

SNY.TV had this video: “Mets' J.D. Davis 'ashamed' to be a part of Astros sign-stealing: 'It's terrible for baseball'”

SNY.TV also had this video: “Mets' Jake Marisnick remorseful for role in Astros scandal: 'I'm a person in there that could've spoken up'”

12UP.com had Rob Manfred saying: “Let me say this,” Manfred told the New York Daily News. “It is important for me to have the Astros players and the entire organization make sure the fans of Houston and the fans all over the country know that they did something wrong and they apologize for it.”

Also per 12UP.com: Southern California Little Leagues Ban Use of 'Astros' as Team Name Amid Sign-Stealing Scandal.

Joel Sherman in the NY Post said: “Cheating Astros don’t deserve any vigilante justice.”

Per Mike Puma in the NY Post: “Mets’ Robert Gsellman seeking bounce-back year now that he’s healthy.”

Also this video from SNY.TV: “Tim Tebow gets in on drills at Mets spring training.”

Brian Joura of Mets 360.com had: The Yoenis Cespedes-J.D. Davis LF dilemma for the Mets.  Brain wondered about what the Mets would decide given the recent injuries of Cespedes and JD Davis being able to repeat his 2019 performance.

213 Miles from Shea had a get to know Non-Roster invitee David Peterson. “Peterson will most likely open the season in Syracuse. He’s a deep back up plan right now for Queens. But if the Mets end up Mets-ing up the rotation in someway, then Peterson could get the call to Queens this year. He’s a pitcher I expect we’ll see a lot of in Spring Training.”

Matt Musico of Metsmerized.com had Three Keys For Jacob DeGrom in Pursuing Another Cy Young.  Matt had the three area Jacob needed to continue to do well in: Take Charge of At-Bats, Tough With Runners on Base, Cranking Up the Slider and Changeup Usage.

One thing Jake and Mets pitchers need to do a better job of holding runners on base.  As I said here: I went and looked at who the bases were stolen against.  Noah Syndergaard – 42; Jacob deGrom – 24; Jason Vargas – 9; Steven Matz – 9; Marcus Stroman – 3…Zack Wheeler – 6!

Steve Contursi in Reflections on Baseball asked: Matt Harvey: Not even an invite to Spring Training – How can that be?

Steve also had in Reflections on Baseball: “Luis Rojas understands the difference between pontificating and teaching”

Elite Sports NY looked at top depth options this spring training: Kyle Newman suggested the Mets look at Collin McHugh, Brock Holt and others.

Tim Boyle of Rising Apple asked: Mets Extension Candidate Noah Syndergaard: Is Thor sticking around?

MLB.com posted the current projected starting lineup, pitching rotation, and closer for every major league team.

MiLB.com posted their top 10 farm systems for position players.  White Sox were #1. MiLB previously listed the Mets at #17.

Marlin Maniac.com previewing teams the other teams in the Marlins division talked about the Mets going over the team’s roster.  About Wilson Ramos they said: “Former long-time Nationals veteran Ramos is coming off his most-utilized season. He appeared in a career-high 141 contests, and slashed .288/.351/.416 with 14 long-balls and 73 RBI. A two-time former All Star, he grades out as a below-average fielding catcher, with a single-season -13 DRS in 2019. He’s not an elite CS-threat either, with a 15 percent rate last year.”

Last Word on Baseball previewed the 2020 Braves: About the lineup they said – “newly signed Marcell Ozuna. Considering that Ozuna will bat cleanup behind Acuna, Albies, and Freeman, he should have an abundance of chances to hit with runners on base.”

Per the morning call: “Andy MacPhail says Phillies expect to pay luxury tax this season.”

12UP.com had three teams that should take a flyer on Russell Martin: The Pirates, Rays, Red Sox.

12Up.com says: “The Cubs' Front Office is Truly Lost if They're Actually Considering Trading for Nolan Arenado.”

One more from 12UP.com: VIDEO: Michigan's Jimmy Obertop Tossed for Swiping Home Plate Dirt With Bat in All-Time Ump Show Moment. “The MLB season hasn't even started yet, and we have our worst ump show of 2020. Shockingly enough, this is NOT Angel Hernandez. In Michigan's game against Vanderbilt on Friday night, shown here on MLB Network, Wolverines slugger Jimmy Obertop was tossed for swiping his bat near home plate. To make matters worse, his back was turned, as Obertop didn't even have the opportunity to explain himself.”

Fangraphs had part 3 of their 3 part series on minor league contraction issue.  In this part they looked at teams to be contracted league by league.  About the Binghamton Rumble Ponies they said: “Binghamton looks to be the victim of the Mets wishing to own their Double-A club by elevating the Brooklyn Cyclones. Binghamton is in the middle-north of the league geographically, and although it isn’t particularly close to any other team, the club just received more than $5 million in public funds for stadium renovations.”

In case you missed it, here was Fangraph’s part 2 of the series and part 1.

Per AP News: MLB raises salaries for minor leaguers in 2021. Two years after successfully lobbying Congress to exempt minor leaguers from federal minimum wage laws, MLB opted to give those players a wage increase between 38% and 72%.

Per Yahoo Sports: “Raising minor league pay is a start, but wins MLB little goodwill… And so, unfortunately for Major League Baseball, by raising minor league salaries today, mostly what they’ve done is draw attention to how little they paid and still pay their minor league players.”

Last Word on Baseball discussed: Major League Baseball: The Forgettable Offseason.

Fangraphs said: “Some of the new Roster rules are garbage.”

Axios.com said: “The MLB's problems extend far beyond Houston's cheating scandal.” They listed all of the current problems from juiced balls to minor league contraction with this conclusion: “This is going to be a pivotal decade for baseball, and it's hard to imagine the 2020s getting off to a worse start.”

Per MLB Trade Rumors:

Bartolo Colon, Rajai Davis To Play In Mexican League

Rays Sign Brooks Pounders, Deck McGuire

Jeremy Hellickson Retires

Brewers Defeat Josh Hader In Arbitration

Mike Clevinger To Undergo Knee Surgery

Marlins Sign Brad Boxberger

Indians Complete Deal With Domingo Santana

Justin Nicolino Signs With Taiwanese Club

Rizzo Downplays Nationals’ Interest In Trade For Third Baseman

The Astros’ Apologies Did Little To Repair Their Image

Mack’s Blast From the Past comes from February 15, 2013 – Mack discussed his approach to the draft suggesting the Mets take the same approach as the Boston Red Sox.  Instead of trying to save money in the early rounds, take better players in the early rounds and players under slot in the later rounds.  I think that’s what they did with the 2019 draft.

One of the players that rejected the Mets contract offer that draft, Teddy Stankiewicz, per trifectanetworksports, just signed with Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican League.

That same article had that Jenrry Mejia signed a deal with Algodoneros Union Laguna in the Mexican League.

Per Ultimatemets.com:

Born on this date:

• Chuck Estrada (1938)
• Barry Jones (1963)
• Luke Ritter (1997)

Died on this date:

• Joe Frazier (2011)

Transactions:
San Diego Padres signed Bobby Jones of the New York Mets as a free agent on February 15, 2001.

Detroit Tigers signed Vic Darensbourg of the New York Mets as a free agent on February 15, 2005.

New York Mets signed free agent Brady Clark on February 15, 2008.

New York Mets signed free agent Jason Isringhausen on February 15, 2011.

Cleveland Indians signed Aaron Harang of the New York Mets as a free agent on February 15, 2014.

From National Pastime.com:

1961	Donald M. Grant, chairman and a minority owner of the Mets, offers Branch Rickey a contract to become the general manager of the new National League expansion team. After the former GM of the Browns, Cardinals, Dodgers, and Pirates turns down the job, George Weiss, who filled the same role with the Yankees from 1947 to 1960, accepts the position.
2001	After turning down the Mets' offer of salary arbitration that at the very least would have been worth $2 to $3 million, Bobby Jones signs a one-year free-agent deal with the Padres for only $625,000. The 31 year-old right-hander, 11-6 last year with New York, will lose 19 games for the Padres this season.

2016

"Baseball is known as our national pastime, but the game has deep roots and a rich history here in New York State. From the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in storied Cooperstown to the Mets and Yankees — the pinnacles of Major League Baseball, to our recently crowned Little League World Series champions from Maine-Endwell, New York State is clearly the epicenter of baseball greatness. It is time that we formally recognize baseball as our official state sport." - JAMES SEWARD, New York state senator. New York State Sen. James Seward (R-Milford), thanks to a suggestion from a group of fourth-graders at Cooperstown Elementary School, announces he has introduced legislation (S.4288) to designate baseball as New York’s official state sport. In a press release, Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson says he "enthusiastically supports” the proposed bill, citing Cooperstown serves as the spiritual home of baseball.

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

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