Lots of Mets links including Seth Lugo with a broken toe,
more on the Sign Stealing Scandal including thoughts
from Michael
Conforto, other MLB News and Edgardo Alfonzo
signing in 1991 on this date in Mets History.
SNY.TV
posted videos from yesterday’s workouts including Pete Alonso,
Dominic
Smith, and Jeff McNeil
taking BP, infield drills and more.
Per
MLB.com: Seth Lugo
fractured his left pinkie toe of which Luis Rojas said: “No major concern…It’s
going to take like three days probably off throwing, and obviously, we’ll ramp
him up from there.” SNY.TV
had video of Luis talking about it.
Per
NY Post: Edwin Diaz’s
first live batting practice session brought rave reviews. “Just electric
stuff,” Rojas said. “I thought he was maybe falling off a little bit, but the
stuff was unbelievable, just ride and run and sail on his fastball.
SNY.TV
had video of Brandon Nimmo saying: "I don't really care too much where
I'm at in the lineup."
SNY.TV:
Brodie Van Wagenen details what's ailing Jed Lowrie,
says it's 'too early to tell' if he can play with brace on… "The left knee
injury that he had coming into spring training last year has just continued to
give him problems…The brace has allowed him to do his rehab, it's allowed him
to do strength work, it's allowed him to do baseball activities.” Also
Brodie talking about Yoenis
Cespedes and Edwin Diaz.
Faith And Fear
in Flushing says “Yo, Speak up.”
SNY.TV
posted a one on one with Dominic Smith who is excited about the upcoming season:
“So we're very excited especially the young guys because everybody is coming
into 2020 healthy and we're just excited to showcase our ability and talents
and show the league what we can do.”
Per
Newsday: Mets' top prospect Andres
Gimenez shares a bond with shortstop Amed Rosario. “He’s always been
someone I can lean on,” Gimenez, who is likely to begin the season with
Triple-A Syracuse, said through an interpreter. “Rosario has always given me
the confidence and the wisdom and encouragement to continue on going. The one
thing he does tell me to always do is remain positive, because that’s an
important thing.”
Brian Joura of Mets
360 had Comparing the offenses of the Mets, Nats & Braves. Brian, as always, had a detailed look at the
offenses of these teams and their off season changes. Looking at the data he found this surprise: “Perhaps
the most surprising thing to me is that after years of running a ‘health
deficit,’ the Mets actually lead the three teams in PA from their top nine
guys.”
213
Miles from Shea did a 2020 Mets Conglomerate Projections: Yoenis Cespedes –
222 Plate Appearances, 165.5 At Bats, 10 HR, .256 BA.
Ernest
Dove of Metsmerized.com had: “MMO 2020 Top 30 Mets Prospects: No. 15 Carlos
Cortes, 2B.” About Carlos Ernest says: “There is still a potential breakout
year in his bat. I would expect an assignment in Double-A Binghamton for 2020
with potential to move up to Syracuse. He has good power that is brought by
above average bat speed and a swing with an upward plane. In addition to his
power, he struck out only 16.8% of the time in 2019.”
Amazing
Avenue: Jeurys
Familia is looking to bounce back in 2020.
Lindsay
Moran in Metsmerized said: Rick
Porcello Hopes For Comeback Season.
Yehuda
Schwartz of Prime Time Sports talk interviewed Andrés Giménez. About the
Arizona Fall League Andres said: “For me, the fall league was a great
experience and was fun with all my teammates. I was mainly working on the
second base. The players were great guys, teammates, and great players.”
Per
Micheal Mayer in Mets Minors.net: Rich Donnelly will manager St. Lucie Mets
in 2020. “Donnelly, 73, was set to be the bench coach for Schneider in
Syracuse. He’s entering his sixth season in the Mets organization. The former
minor league catcher managed the rookie level Kingsport Mets in 2019.”
Syracuse.com
had details on the Syracuse Mets open house on March 7th, 9AM-1PM. The event is free. “The open house will give
fans the first opportunity to see the new renovations that the stadium has been
undergoing during the offseason. Also, fans can hit in the batting cages,
audition for the National Anthem, audition to be Mets mascot Scooch and grab
new gear at the team store.”
MiLB
continued to rank MLB’s Farm Systems for pitchers with numbers 20-11. Phillies were ranked #16, Yankees #12. The
Mets made the 30-21 grouping with a #25 ranking.
Sign Stealing:
Per
Yahoo Sports: “Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred apologized
Tuesday for calling the championship trophy a ‘piece of metal’ but defended his
decision not to strip the Houston Astros of their 2017 World Series crown.”
Also
per Yahoo Sports: “As players rage, Rob Manfred says union warded off
punishment for Astros.”
Yahoo
Sports: The MLBPA fired back later on Tuesday, releasing a statement saying
“Any suggestion that the Association failed to cooperate with the
Commissioner’s investigation, obstructed the investigation, or otherwise took
positions which led to a stalemate in the investigation is completely untrue.”
They added how they are working with MLB to change the current rules: “Over the
last two weeks, the Association and MLB have had regular dialogue on potential
rule changes affecting sign stealing…and enforcement – including the potential
for player discipline.”
12UP.com:
Rob Manfred Shifting Blame to MLBPA Proves He’s Not a Capable Commissioner.
12UP.com:
Astros Season Ticket Holders Sue Team Over 'Overvalued Tickets' Due to
Sign-Stealing Scheme.
Per NY Post: Michael
Conforto: Mets have too much integrity to cheat like Astros.
Yahoo
Sports: “Nick Markakis on cheating Astros: 'I feel like every single guy
over there needs a beating.'”
Aaron
Judge in the NY Post: “It’s tough to say when everyone’s going to move on
from this,” said Judge, who by the way is battling right shoulder soreness.
“But I think …Guys talking about it, getting it off, getting their frustration
out of the way, is a start. And all you can do is just go from there, I guess.”
Per
AP News: Lebron James weighed in on the controversy: “Listen here baseball
commissioner listen to your..... players speaking today about how disgusted,
mad, hurt, broken, etc etc about this. Literally the ball is in your court(or
should I say field) and you need to fix this for the sake of Sports!”
Craig
Calcaterra NBC Sports/Yahoo Sports: “I’m struck by the notion that for
seven years the Astros and their fans have insisted that the Astros do
everything better, earlier, faster, and more efficiently than the rest of the
league. Then, the moment they get busted for something that their better and
faster front office innovated — Codebreaker — they insist that they were merely
doing what everyone else was doing across the league.”
12UP.com:
MLB Sending Memo to Dissuade Teams From Beaning Players is Curious Timing With
Astros Scandal.
NJ.com:
“MLB commissioner Rob Manfred plans to take serious measures to ensure that
Fiers, a 15-game winner last season, stays safe. ‘We will take every possible
step to protect Mike Fiers wherever he’s playing, whether it’s in Houston or
somewhere else.’”
Per
the Washington Times: Nationals prospect Carter Kieboom to step into void
left by Rendon.
Per
the Philadelphia Inquirer: “How a Phillies pitcher with a 100 mph fastball
kept his career alive with a YouTube video. Robert Stock’s baseball dream
seemed to be over before he went viral.”
Per
MLB.com: Braves honored Hank Aaron with street dedication.
Tomahawk
Take: Braves add John Gibbons as a national scout.
Per
MLB.com: Marlins Righty Jordon Yamamoto will 'do whatever it takes' to
claim spot in rotation. Yamamoto takes
the mound for the Marlins in their Grapefruit League opener on Saturday against
the Mets.
Per
CBS Sports: Padres, Red Sox talking Wil Myers as prelude to blockbuster.
NBC
Sports Boston says the Red Sox getting Wil Myers makes sense because: “the
Red Sox would also receive a package of prospects likely built around
right-hander Cal Quantrill (son of former big leaguer Paul), as well as
slugging catcher Luis Campusano.”
Also
NBC Sports Boston: The Red Sox contacted "a bunch of social media
influencers" in the Boston area in the hopes they would promote the team.
Per
MLB.com New Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo
to don No. 99, in nod to Manny
Ramirez who wore 99 after he went from Boston to the Dodgers.
Mack’s Blast From the Past comes from February 19, 2012:
Mack looked at Zack Wheeler, Scott Kazmir, Daniel Murphy, and David Wright.
Born on this date:
- Tim Burke (1959)
- Alvaro Espinoza (1962)
- Miguel Batista (1971)
- Liam McCall (1999)
Died on this date:
- Dick Smith (2012)
Transactions:
New York Mets signed free agent Edgardo Alfonzo on February 19, 1991.
New York Mets signed free agent Edgardo Alfonzo on February 19, 1991.
New York Mets signed free agent Sandy Alomar on February 19, 2007.
Detroit Tigers signed Bobby Parnell of the New York
Mets as a free agent on February 19, 2016.
Atlanta Braves signed Carlos Torres of the New York
Mets as a free agent on February 19, 2016.
Want more?
Check out https://sportspyder.com/mlb/new-york-mets/news.
I have no problem with Lowrie wearing a brace in practice. As long as it helps him when he has to pinch hit. I need nothing more out of him in 2020.
ReplyDeleteMaybe he could also loan it out to place on Lugo's toe.