12/12/21

Mets History Links - 12/12/2021

 


Happy Birthday Former Syracuse Met Ervin Santana.

Though he didn't officially sign until December 15 - it was reported one year ago that the Mets had signed James McCann. It was also reported that they hired Jared Porter. Here were some of the related stories:

Mack's Mets: Mets Sign Catcher James McCann.

Deesha Thosar NY Daily News: Steve Cohen’s club has agreed to a four-year deal with James McCann, according to multiple reports. The deal is expected to be worth just over $40 million and is pending a physical. The Mets have not yet made the signing official.

Newsday: “McCann’s track record of success is brief. Entering his age-31 season, he has one good full season on his resume….2019, when he was an All-Star with the White Sox…He had a hot first half, hitting .316 with a .371 OBP and .502 slugging percentage. In the second half, though, he struggled with a .226/.281/.413 slash line…In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, he was good again — .289/.360/.536 — while sharing time with Yasmani Grandal.”

Brian Joura Mets360: “The big improvement with McCann offensively the past two years was his performance against RHP, particularly in slugging. In 361 PA the past two seasons against righties, McCann has a .262/.310/.449. From 2014-18 versus RHP, McCann had a .357 SLG in 1,013 Abs.”

Mike Puma NY Post: “Over the past two seasons, McCann was plus-nine in defensive runs saved, according to fangraphs. In his previous two seasons he was minus-nine. McCann also has a strong throwing arm and nailed 21-of-45 runners (46.6 percent) attempting to steal against him the past two seasons.”

Metstradamus had this quote from a “Chicago sports expert: Big fan. Has some pop in his bat. Great behind the plate, great clubhouse guy. They tried to move Grandal to catching Giolito beginning of this season, it didn’t work and McCann went back to catch him again..and things clicked, a couple starts later and Giolito got his no-no.”

Faith and Fear in Flushing: “McCann isn’t here to make us forget Piazza (fat chance). He’s here to make our pitchers comfortable and us confident. He’s here to get to more balls in the dirt than landed in Wilson Ramos’s sadly flailing grasp. He’s also here to continue riding the defensive and offensive trajectories that transformed him from somebody the Tigers didn’t see the need to keep a couple of years ago to the most attractive free agent catcher this winter this side of J.T. Realmuto.”

Yahoo Sports: Angels narrowly lose to Mets in trying to sign catcher James McCann. ”The Angels made a push to match the offer but maxed out at a three-year commitment, according to a person with knowledge who was not authorized to speak publicly about the deal.”

Mike’s Mets: The Mets Get Their Catcher. “As for me, I like the move — as long as it is followed by the Mets doing everything possible to sign George Springer and/or Trevor Bauer. Hot stove moves aren't made in a vacuum. Choosing McCann over Realmuto only makes sense because it allows the Mets to add more players, and at least one of them needs to be a real impact player like Springer. As long as that happens, I'm all in.”

Joel Sherman NY Post: “I still assume the Mets will sign one of the big free agents, probably George Springer, maybe Trevor Bauer, before this offseason is over. But what if May and McCann are not an appetizer, but a strategy? What if the Mets decided, in Year 1 of the Steve Cohen regime, the best way to not only contend instantly, but also to set themselves up long term, is to use the new owner’s deep pockets to build the roster and payroll with high-end depth?”

Mack’s Mets: Mets hiring former Diamondbacks exec Jared Porter as general manager.

NY Post: Mets hiring Jared Porter as next general manager: ‘Very aggressive’. “Porter, 41, spent the past four seasons with the Diamondbacks after working under Theo Epstein with the Red Sox and Cubs, where he was part of three World Series winners”

Justin Toscano NorthJersey.com: 3 things to know about new general manager Jared Porter. “He was a GM candidate elsewhere:; He's played a part in four World Series - three in Boston, the other in Chicago; Two-sport athlete – Baseball and Hockey.”

Ken Davidoff NY Post: Mets’ new GM Jared Porter has some Sandy Alderson in him. “The anonymous talent evaluator said that Porter — in, say, meetings to prepare for the amateur draft — didn’t speak for the sake of hearing his own voice: “He didn’t get involved a lot. When he did get involved, I knew he had done his research and had something to say. Sounds like Alderson.”

SNY.TV: 5 things on the to-do list for new Mets GM Jared Porter, including “extending Michael Conforto. Figure out the situation with the star free agents (and lower tier ones); Talk Noah Syndergaard about an extension of his own; Round out the coaching staff; Fill out the front office and other key positions;”

SNY.TV: Steve Cohen shows his appreciation to the Mets' faithful: 'Our fans are the best fans in baseball'. Cohen and his wife, Alex, helped distribute bobbleheads outside Citi Field.


Today in Mets History Per Ultimatemets.com:

Born on this date:

Died on this date:

Transactions:

New York Mets traded Jim Gosger and Bob Heise to the San Francisco Giants for Ray Sadecki and Dave Marshall on December 12, 1969.

New York Mets traded Rusty Staub and Bill Laxton to the Detroit Tigers for Mickey Lolich and Billy Baldwin on December 12, 1975.

New York Mets traded Gene Clines to the Texas Rangers for Joe Lovitto on December 12, 1975.

New York Mets traded Roy Lee Jackson to the Toronto Blue Jays for Bob Bailor on December 12, 1980.

New York Mets signed free agent Orlando Mercado of the Minnesota Twins on December 12, 1989.

New York Mets traded Alex Ochoa to the Minnesota Twins for Rich Becker on December 12, 1997.

New York Mets signed free agent Jose Valentin of the Los Angeles Dodgers on December 12, 2005.

New York Mets traded Scott Schoeneweis to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Connor Robertson on December 12, 2008.

Ambiorix Burgos granted free agency on December 12, 2008.

New York Mets claimed Jeremy Hefner on waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates on December 12, 2011.

Michael Cuddyer announced his retirement on December 12, 2015..

National Pastime.com:

1975

The Tigers trade pitcher Mickey Lolich and outfielder Billy Baldwin to the Mets in exchange for outfielder Rusty Staub and pitcher Bill Laxton. New York's new southpaw will post an 8-13 record, spending just one year in the Big Apple, while Detroit will enjoy a steady performance from their recently acquired flycatcher and DH, who will bat .275 during his three-plus seasons in the Motor City.

2007

Paul Lo Duca and the Nationals agree to a $5 million, one-year deal that puts the former Mets catcher behind Washington's home plate. The free-agent backstop became expendable and much-needed in the same instance when New York dealt Lastings Milledge to get the Nats starting catcher, Brian Schneider.

 

2008

The Mets, reeling from their second consecutive season-ending collapse, continue to overhaul their much-maligned bullpen, which had 29 blown saves in 72 chances (40%). Scott Schoeneweis joins Joe Smith and Aaron Heilman in becoming the latest New York reliever to be traded as the southpaw is dealt to the Diamondbacks for Connor Robertson, a right-hander acquired by Arizona in the Dan Haren deal.

 

Breakfast Links One year ago today - 12/12/2020.

BreakfastLinks One year ago today - 12/12/2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




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