2/28/21

John From Albany – Mets News and Breakfast Links 2/28/2021

 



Good Morning.  Happy Birthday Brian Bannister. Pete Crow-Armstrong, Carlos Carrasco, and Kevin Pillar speak to the media, Steve Cohen energizes Mets camp, and Harol Gonzalez will start the Spring opener for the Mets on Monday.

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

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SNY.TV: Mets announce Harol Gonzalez and Jordan Yamamoto will start first two spring training games. “Harol Gonzalez will start…on Monday against the Marlins, while former Marlin Jordan Yamamoto will get the ball for the team’s home opener against the Astros on Tuesday…Tuesday’s game is one of 11 spring training games that will air on either SNY or PIX11 this year.

SNY.TV: Mets' first-rounder Pete Crow-Armstrong 'soaking it in,' getting advice from outfield veterans.






Mike Puma NY Post: Mets’ Carlos Carrasco glad he received vaccine while in remission. “The Mets right-hander, who is in remission from leukemia, said he missed the first week of workouts on the advice of his doctors, who suggested additional measures. ‘They just want to make sure my heart is fine, my leukemia is fine, so that is why the delay a little bit,’ Carrasco said Saturday, a day after his first workout with the team.”

SNY.TV: Mets' Carlos Carrasco is healthy and hopes to throw 180 to 200 innings this season.







Bill Madden NY Daily News: Aaron Boone, Luis Rojas among the managers on the hot seat heading into 2021 MLB season. “We do not know yet about Cohen’s patience level, but even though the three-peat NL East champion Braves also spent a ton of money on improvements this winter, one suspects the new owner is going to be extremely unsatisfied if the Mets don’t at least get into the postseason — no easy task playing in the toughest division in baseball.”

Mets.com: Cohen's presence energizes Mets at camp. “Rojas credited Cohen for increasing the energy around the complex, given both his enthusiasm for baseball and the changes he has made to the roster…’He was going to every other field just to see the guys doing fundamentals and then taking BP,’ Mets manager Luis Rojas said. ‘It’s great to have him around. … I’m looking forward to his presence more and more in camp.’”

NY Post: Mets’ Francisco Lindor crushes homer during BP session.  “Francisco Lindor has arrived with some pop. The Mets star shortstop crushed a home run to deep center field off Taijuan Walker during a live batting practice session on a back field.”


213 Miles from Shea: Get To Know A Non-Roster Invitee: Arodys Vizcaino. 

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MLB and SportSpyder NL East and MLB Links:

Joel Sherman NY Post: MLB must stop punishing top prospects. “So in the next collective-bargaining agreement, those incentives [teams delaying Major League Service time to extend player control] must be eliminated. You know why? Because this is not just a player issue. This is a baseball issue.”

NY Post: MLB adding plexiglass to help limit COVID-19 spread. “…a large piece of plexiglass behind the netting...The protocols call for a “buffer zone” between the field of play and fans in attendance. The zone around the dugout must be at least 12 feet, measured from the front of the dugout roof closest to the field.”

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Today in Mets History Per Ultimatemets.com: 

Born on this date:

Died on this date:

Transactions:
New York Mets purchased Dave Kingman from the San Francisco Giants on February 28, 1975.

New York Mets traded Steve Henderson to the Chicago Cubs for Dave Kingman on February 28, 1981.

New York Mets signed free agent Pedro Feliciano on February 28, 2006.

Cleveland Indians signed Juan Uribe of the New York Mets as a free agent on February 28, 2016.

From National Pastime.com:

1975

The Mets purchase slugger Dave Kingman from the Giants. The 26 year-old first baseman/outfielder was drafted by San Francisco as the team's first pick in the initial round of the secondary phase of the 1970 amateur draft.

Centerfield Maz:


Click here for the full list of Mack's MLB Draft Scouting Reports.     

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6 comments:

Tom Brennan said...

Harol Gonzalez gets the first start - a big opportunity, and Yamamoto in the 2nd game too.

Pete Crow A says he has learned more in a week than in a year - the top prospects ought to be around these elite pros a lot - they could really accelerate their development.

The other Pete - Alonso - seems ready and raring to go - nice.

Sam McDowell err, I mean McWilliams, flashing elite stuff. Nice.

Carrasco heathy and ready - nice.

Pillar saying "my CF D hasn't slipped" - nice.

Everything is nice right now.

February 28, 2021 at 6:17 AM
John From Albany said...

Tom, It seems like every Spring, I think the Mets are going to win the WS. Heck - last Spring I thought Wacha and Porcello were great pick-ups. But then reality sets in and we end up with another 3rd place or 4th place finish. Are the Mets better this year, yes. But, even with the improvements, they could still finish 3rd or 4th in a very tough Eastern Division. I just hope they stay healthy so we can enjoy the ride.

Glad Harol Gonzalez is finally getting a chance. Good for him.

February 28, 2021 at 6:56 AM
Anonymous said...

On Pete, I didn't come away at all impressed with his comments. One thing is clear: He sure doesn't want to DH. That will be a problem down the road. I wish he showed more awareness of the things he did wrong, the things he needs to work on, versus just embracing the idea that the numbers would be there across 162-game season. Maybe he's wrong. But he was really bad for just about all of 2020. There's room for improvement. He gave away so many ABs, just carved up and spit out. Not the brightest guy on the team.

The hype on McWilliams is ridiculous. Never pitched an inning in MLB. He's 25. We'll see. Getting real batters out in tight situations is a far cry from dazzling the computer at an indoor facility. We do know that at AAA in 2019 he got demoted after giving up 72 hits and 40 ER in 44 innings with a WHIP of 2.023. But, hey, Durham is tough. Maybe this guy has put it all together during the pandemic. It's possible. This is the vaunted "depth" everyone keeps raving about. Would be nice to see him consistently pitch well in AAA for half a season.

Glad to see Carrasco in camp. As great as he's been, I find the medical past a little concerning. The delayed arrival wasn't the most encouraging thing in the world.

Read an article about Betances, just some guy's opinion (bloggers tend to be either retired or 16 years old with no memory of John Olerud) that he'll be PERFECTLY FINE pitching at lower velocity. Well, okay, sure. So long as the other stuff is sharp and crisp. But the lower velocity signals an arm that is not at full strength -- seems likely that the slider might also lose a little bite. And 98 MPH high heat is a tough weapon to lose in your arsenal. I think he's experienced, professional, talented and can "get by" on diminished stuff. He's gotten a lot of big outs over the years. Not at all confident that he'll be a quality guy. I'll be hoping. Expectations low.

Enjoyed "meeting" Pete Crow-Armstrong. Let's hope he learns how to hit over the next couple of years. Would be awesome to have a plus defender in CF.

Jimmy





February 28, 2021 at 9:42 AM
John From Albany said...

Amazing as always Jimmy.

Agree on Betances. I don't see him thriving at a lower velocity. I think one difference this year is that if he is awful in April - he will be released by May.

McWilliams is 100% hype at this point. A major league $1M contract for a guy that has never established himself as a Major League relief pitcher? Seems like a stretch move from Sandy to try and prove how smart he is. At the same time they let Chasen Shreve go who did have success in MLB.

February 28, 2021 at 9:59 AM
bill metsiac said...

Last Spring, you made your estimate based on (among other things) a rotation that included Stro and Thor.

Had they pitched all season, ypur feeling would have become reality, or close to it.

February 28, 2021 at 4:43 PM
bill metsiac said...

Whatever happened to Intrasquad games on the 2 days before the 1st pre-season game? I looked forward to them, but they've been gone for a few years.
Why?

February 28, 2021 at 4:47 PM

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