John From Albany – Mets News and Breakfast Links 11/8/2020

 

Good Morning. Happy Birthday Ed Kranepool and Edgardo Alfonzo. Lots of names floated in Mets GM choice and Joel Sherman suggests Jeff McNeil to the Yankees? 

Section Links: Mets Links, MLB Links, and This Day in Mets History.

Mets Links:

Mike Puma NY Post: Mets’ front-office search is starting to heat up. “Multiple sources Saturday said Bobby Heck is among the candidates receiving strong consideration to replace Van Wagenen as the head of baseball operations. The 54-year-old Heck has spent the past eight seasons as a special assistant with the Rays, contributing to a front office that is perennially considered among baseball’s best and brightest… Heck’s name arose with the Mets two years ago in their GM search — he was recommended to former team COO Jeff Wilpon by Steve Cohen, then a minority partner.”

Mets.com: 15 names of interest for Mets' GM search. John Ricco, Bobby Heck, J.P. Ricciardi, Paul DePodesta, Chris Antonetti, Mike Chernoff, Theo Epstein, David Stearns, Billy Owens, Matt Arnold, Amiel Sawdaye, Jared Porter, Scott Sharp, Zack Scott, and Zack Rosenthal.

Tim Healey Newsday: Also suggests Erik Neander (Rays GM), Michael Hill (Former Marlins Exec.)

Bill Madden NY Daily News: Pump the brakes on idea of Mets, Yankees as outrageous spenders this winter.  On the trade market, Lindor — both in the cost of talent in a trade and a megabucks $300 million longterm contract extension for a shortstop neither of them really needs — makes little sense for the Yankees or the Mets… The Yankees and Mets lost close to $200 million each this year… As the source close to Cohen said: ‘Steve made his billions on Wall Street finding value...Plus, in Sandy Alderson, he’s got a guy who’s also made a career of finding value and who hates big spending on free agents.’”

CBS Sports: “The Mets went into 2020 with a projected $174.1 million full season payroll, so it stands to reason they will at least return to that level. With so many teams expected to cut payroll in 2021, simply getting back to 2020 levels is a win... If Cohen is willing to spend up to the $210 million luxury tax threshold, then gosh, the Mets have a ton of payroll room to play with this offseason.”

Forbes.com: New York Baseball Bizarro World: As Yankees Cry Poor, Mets Suddenly Flush With Cash And Possibilities.

Mike Vaccaro NY Post: Mets Need to make things right with Carlos Beltran. Beltran was no innocent in the Astros’ plot against fair play, but it is he who now bears almost all of the burden and is serving most of the punishment.

SNY You Tube Channel: Where do things stand for manager Luis Rojas under the new Mets regime? 

NY Post: Mets’ Jacob deGrom leaves Brodie Van Wagenen’s old agency. Jacob deGrom has left CAA and is now represented by the VC Sports Group, which also represents Mookie Betts, among others.

NY Post: Noah Syndergaard ready to ‘win’ after drastic Mets changes. “Let’s win this thing,” read a GIF of Bobby Axelrod tweeted by Noah Syndergaard, referencing the character based on Cohen in the Showtime series “Billions.”

MLB.com: Predicting Mets' 2021 Opening Day roster. More of a laundry list of players currently on the roster than a prediction on who the Mets will acquire/jettison. MLB.com has had a similar article for every other team.

MetsJunkies.com: Mets Trade Target Ramon Laureano. A great fielder and a right handed bat but… “According to the research of Corné Hogeveen and BaseballTradeValues.com, a trade for the talented centerfielder would cost Brandon Nimmo, Ronny Mauricio, as well as Brett Baty…Yikes!!!”  Also, while hitting .288 in 2018 and 2019, Laureano hit just .213 in 2020.

MetsJunkies.com: Free Agent Target Jackie Bradley Jr. “Overall in 2020, the outfielder hit .283/.364/.450/.814 with 11 doubles, seven home runs, 22 RBI’s to go alongside five stolen bases in seven attempts. Not to also mention that Bradley is a top caliber defensive centerfielder.”

MetsJunkies looks at Trade Target Nolan Arenado saying: “According to BaseballTradeValues.com, Arenado has a negative value off 43.7, which shows Arenado can be had without adding any big name players”

Joel Sherman NY Post looks at two Mets deals that can help the Yankees replace DJ LeMahieu. Jeff McNeil for Deivi Garcia or Luis Cessa for Luis Guillorme.

Mets360: Dominic Smith has arrived. In 2020 “Smith lead the team in Doubles, OPS, SLG and RBI. He finished the season tied for sixth in the National League in RBI, second in Doubles, seventh in Batting Average, third in SLG, and third in OPS.”

Metsmerized Online: 2020 MMO Report Card: Rick Porcello, RHP. Primary Stats: 12 G, 12 GS, 1-7, 59 IP, 5.64 ERA, 8.24 K/9, 2.29 BB/9, 1.508 WHIP.

Metsmerized Online: J.D. Davis and Andres Gimenez Could Headline Lindor Deal.

Rising Apple: Mets should make a serious run to sign Masahiro Tanaka.

Rising Apple: Mets cannot ignore their need for a top-level reliever this offseason.

ICYMI Yesterday at Mack’s Mets:

Reese Kaplan -- NOW the New Mets World Begins.

Mack - Scouting Report - RHP - Christian Little.

Mack - Scouting Report - RHP - Chase Perry.

MLB Links:

Yahoo Sports: Nationals invite Joe Biden to throw first pitch on opening day, something Donald Trump never did.

AP Sports: Baseball Digest picks Cronenworth, Lewis as rookies of year.

MLB Trade Rumors: Blue Jays Re-Sign Robbie Ray, one-year contract worth $8MM.

MLB.com: Building a super bullpen? 8 arms to consider. Liam Hendriks leads the list followed by Trevor Rosenthal, Brad Hand, Darren O'Day, Blake Treinen, Jeremy Jeffress, Joakim Soria, and Alex Colomé.

ESPN.com: One great moment of the 2020 MLB season for all 30 teams. For the Mets it was the Doubleheader sweep of the Yankees on Aug. 28.

David Adler MLB.com made out an All-MLB team with only the surprise candidates.  Yep, no surprise, no Mets picked.

MLB Trade Rumors: Tigers Make Three Hires To Coaching Staff. Former Mets coach Chip Hale among the hires.

MLB Trade Rumors: Vlad Guerrero Jr. Hopes To Play Third Base in 2021.

Ballpark Digest: Thunder owner Plumeri: We were betrayed by Yankees. The Yankees decided “to sever its affiliation with the Class AA Eastern League team in favor of a new relationship with the Somerset Patriots”.           

Today in Mets History Per Ultimatemets.com:

Born on this date:

• Ed Kranepool (1944)
• Jose Offerman (1968)
• Shane Halter (1969)
• Edgardo Alfonzo (1973)

Transactions:

New York Mets traded Bob Johnson to the Cincinnati Reds for Art Shamsky on November 8, 1967.

John Stearns granted free agency on November 8, 1984.

Los Angeles Dodgers signed Darryl Strawberry of the New York Mets as a free agent on November 8, 1990.

Anaheim Angels signed David Lamb of the New York Mets as a free agent on November 8, 2000.

New York Mets released Jose Parra on November 8, 2004.

St. Louis Cardinals signed Prentice Redman of the New York Mets as a free agent on November 8, 2005.

 National Pastime.com:

1967	The Mets obtain Art Shamsky from the Reds in exchange for infielder Bob Johnson, who will play only 16 games for his new team before being traded to Atlanta. New York's newest outfielder will hit 42 home runs playing in a part-time role during his four seasons with the team.
1983	Mets reliever Jesse Orosco garners four votes for the National League Most Valuable Player Award, ending a six-year drought in which not one player on the team received a single vote for the honor. The last time a writer cast an MVP vote for a New York National Leaguer was on the 1976 ballot when the writers gave Tom Seaver was given consideration.

 

1990	Darryl Strawberry, the Mets all-time home run leader (252), ends his eight-year turbulent tenure with New York. The slugging right fielder signs a five-year free-agent deal with his hometown Dodgers.
2008	The Brewers hire Willie Randolph as bench coach to work with the team's new manager Ken Macha. The 54 year-old former Mets manager compiled a 302-253 record during his 3+ years tenure in New York before being dismissed in June.

 Baseball Reference:

1979: New York Mets president Lorinda de Roulet announces the team is for sale, beginning a two-month bidding war.

1998: The New York Mets announce general manager Steve Phillips will take a paid leave of absence while a threatened sexual harassment lawsuit against him is resolved. Phillips acknowledges having had an extramarital affair with a woman, but denies having harassed her. Frank Cashen will replace Phillips on an interim basis.

11/8/2006 José Reyes hits a walk-off two run home run in the bottom of the tenth to beat Japan in the final game of the MLB Japan All-Star Series.@lamelaza_7 pic.twitter.com/1icR7r4tIF

— This Day in Mets History (@NYMhistory) November 8, 2020

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