John From Albany – Mets Breakfast Links 2/16/2020

It was 8 years ago today that Cary Carter passed away.  We have two Mack’s Mets posts from that day in the Blast From the Past section below.

Per MLB Trade Rumors: Late last night, Ex-Met Tony Fernandez passed away.  RIP.

Now let’s hit the links:

Steve Serby of the NY Post sat down to interview Jeff Wilpon.  He is asked about everything from Bernie Madoff to the Steve Cohen sale of which Jeff said: “Have to refer to the following from the statement released earlier. As spring training begins, on behalf of ownership, we would like to share more information explaining why the proposed transaction has ended, however due to confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements, we are unable to do so at this time.”  Article provides a nice video of the Bartolo Colon home run. 

Mike Lupica of the NY Daily News said: “Not crazy to think these Mets are good” Mike Lupica goes on to add – “The best season around here is one in which both the Yankees and Mets are in play. It’s really the only way to root, especially at this time of year. But is it crazy to think that the Mets can start this season the way they finished last season, when they were 46-26 after being 40-50? It’s not. Maybe the crazy for the Mets can be on the field this time.”

Per Franchise Sports.co.uk: “New York Mets could be the pleasant surprise of National League in 2020.”

SNY.TV had video of Pete Alonso’s Press conference.  The two big quotes you are seeing everywhere: “There's one goal, and that's to win a World Series. Like I want to be celebrating on a parade float, drunk as hell, celebrating with my boys.” And “Winning a Gold Glove would probably mean the most to me, outside of winning a World Series, because for me that's the ultimate. I think everyone wants to be a champion, but for me winning a Gold Glove would be really special.”

SNY.TV also had video of Pete arriving at Spring Training.

Per SNY.TV: “Mets manager Luis Rojas says Pete Alonso isn't going to set numerical goals this season.” “He's just going to go out there and give it his best every day."

Joel Sherman in the NY Post had: Noah Syndergaard is battling to reach his Gerrit Cole level.  Comparing the two pitchers for the five seasons from ages 22-26: “Pitcher A (Syndergaard) with a 3.31 career ERA and 9.7 strikeouts per nine innings. He also identified Pitcher B (Cole), who had a 3.50 ERA and 8.4 strikeouts per nine innings.” 

From MLB.com: "Mets Prank Thor by going shirtless for workout."

Per Amazing Avenue: J.D. Davis looks to build off his breakout season.

Regarding the war of words between Brodie Van Wagenen and Zack Wheeler, Jack Hendon in Metsmerized had this to say: “Brodie Van Wagenen trashing the second-best starting pitcher the Mets have had the past two seasons not once, but once more after being called out for not doing due diligence, is a reckless and self-indulgent attempt at saving face. It serves little to no benefit for the organization in the public eye, but more importantly, it is yet another deterrent for players that may be considering coming to an otherwise exciting, young team.”

To this MetsPolice added: “The Wags thing really got me thinking – if you were a Free Agent, why would you ever want to come to Queens...where they bash you on the way out and even if you’re one of the all- time greats they wait to honor you until you’re either dead or too old to appreciate it?”

Per Yahoo Sports, on Saturday Phillies' Wheeler downplays dispute with Mets' GM. ''I don't want to make this go on any further. I don't think it's meant to go on any further. We're two grown-ups here, and we're battling like little kids, you know what I mean?'' Wheeler said. ''I'm happy to be here with this group of guys.''

MLB.Com had one bold Spring Training prediction for every MLB team.  For the Mets: Edwin Díaz wins back the closer's job.

CBS Sports had every team's most interesting Non-Roster invitee.  For the Mets it was David Peterson.

Dalton Allison of Mets 360.com talked about The Mets and Projections especially how PECOTA projected the Mets to win the NL East.

213 Miles from Shea had Get to know Non-Roster Invitee Erasmo Ramirez. “Last season he only got into one game and allowed 4 runs over 3.0 innings while posting a 4.74 ERA over 24 starts and 125.1 innings in Pawtucket. This included a 1.340 WHIP, 6.8 K/9 and a 2.21 K/BB which were all worse than his major league averages.”

213 Miles From Shea also had the 2019 review of top 10 prospect Thomas Szapucki.

Tim Ryder in Metsmerized said: “Luis Guillorme Unconcerned With Role, Simply “Fighting For A Spot”.

Per Elite Sports NY: “MLB’s attempts at incentivizing teams to win with a new postseason format will actually have the opposite effect…The proposal is supposed to make baseball more exciting. But stripping all the suspense out of September pennant races doesn’t seem exciting at all. Rather, the proposal takes baseball at its best and most exciting, and turns it into a month of coasting aimlessly towards a bloated, meaningless postseason.”

Matt Mancuso of Metsmerized looked at Mets Players Most Affected By 2019’s Juiced Ball: Edwin Diaz, Pete Alonso, JD Davis.

Lohud.com had: “Five thoughts on the NY Mets to this point in spring training.”  These include Pete Alonso pushing himself and everyone likes Luis Rojas.

Per Newsday: Blocked at first base, Mets' Matt Adams will give leftfield a shot.

Tim Boyle of Rising Apple had: Mets outfielder Jake Marisnick is going to save the pitchers a lot of aggravation. “Although Marisnick lacks the offensive production we prefer from our big leaguer players, he has routinely shown off some superb defense. He has a lifetime 8.5 Defensive WAR. The 7.5 total he posted as a member of the Houston Astros alone would place him sixth all-time in Mets franchise history.”

Josh Finklestein of Metsmerized.com had “Pictures From Mets Spring Training.”  Lots of great shots.

Ray Butler of Prospects 365 continued to run down MLB’s top 200 prospects with Numbers 81-100.  His #90, Andrés Giménez.  The Other Mets on his list so far were all in the 141-200 section: #200, Thomas Szapucki; #149, Mark Vientos; #148, Brett Baty; #144, Francisco Alvarez.

Per AP News: MiLB, Minor Legue Baseball, responded to MLB’s decision to increase the pay for minor leaguers. “MiLB said in a statement Saturday it ‘fully supports MLB’s decision to raise the pay rates for players in affiliated Minor League Baseball’ but added it ‘believes MLB can afford these salary increases without reducing the number of players by 25 percent.’”

On MLB.com Ken Rosenthal interviewed Carlos Correa about criticism of Astros.

Per Ken Davidoff of the NY Post talked more about the sign stealing scandal with these: “Astros manager Dusty Baker, who on Saturday urged Major League Baseball to protect his players from beanballs, dangerous slides into second base and any other tactics the other 29 clubs have in mind to punish Houston for the sign-stealing scandal that has shaken this sport like nothing else in modern times.” Plus, From the Carlos Correa interview with Ken Rosenthal: “a partial reason why Altuve didn’t want to remove his shirt after he cracked a pennant-winning homer off the Yankees’ Aroldis Chapman last October — which launched the conspiracy theories that he was wearing a buzzer alerting him to Chapman’s slider — was … an ugly, unfinished tattoo on his collarbone.”

12UP.com got into the Jose Altuve don’t rip off my shirt because I have an ugly tattoo controversy with photo evidence from twitter.  One shot debunked the claim, and another possibly gave it credence.

SportsMockery.com says: Rob Manfred Needs To Adjust His Priorities Immediately.  They add: “Manfred needs to step up and sanction additional punishments on the Astros organization and its players. This is the worst collective cheating scandal for baseball since the “1919 Black Sox scandal”, which tarnished baseball for over a decade. Progressive rules and new formats mean little if the integrity of the game is not maintained. Unfortunately, Manfred has very little interest in preserving that integrity.”

Per Yahoo Sports: “A new rule intended to help speed up the game also could thwart attempts to steal signs in college baseball. The NCAA will allow a pitcher to wear a wristband with a signal card when the season opens Friday, allowing him and the catcher to look into the dugout to get pitch calls and eliminating the need for the catcher to relay the call with hand signs.”

Per 12UP.com: Red Sox Suggest Chris Sale Could Miss Opening Day Due to Pneumonia

Per Larry Brown Sports: Nationals thinking about moving Victor Robles to top of order

From the NY Times: “The Nationals Beat the Astros. They Still Feel Overshadowed.”

Per 12UP.com: Alex Verdugo, who Red Sox obtained for Mookie Betts, Has a Stress Fracture in His Back so It's Clear Brusdar Graterol Fuss Was One Big Joke. 

Per MLB Trade Rumors:

Mariners Nearing Deals With Cody Anderson, Ex-Met Collin Cowgill.

Yankees To Sign former Rockies pitcher Chad Bettis to a minor league deal.

The A’s have acquired reliever Burch Smith from the Giants for cash considerations.

The Phillies and Dodgers have agreed to a trade that will send outfielder Kyle Garlick to the Phillies. In return, the Dodgers will receive minor league left-hander Tyler Gilbert.

Per Ultimatemets.com:

Transactions:
New York Mets signed free agent Clem Labine on February 16, 1962.

Born on this date:

• Barry Foote (1952)
• Bill Pecota (1960)
• Tommy Milone (1987)
• Blake Tiberi (1995)

Died on this date:

• Gary Carter (2012)

Mack’s Blast From the Past comes from February 16, 2012 – RIP Gary Carter.

Also from February 16, 2012 a Mack’s Blast from the Past with Dave Rubin saying: “So Hard to Say Goodbye.”

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

Want something else tracked here each day?  Please leave a comment below.