Breaking News - Mets and Lindor agree to Deal.

 

According to Jon Heyman, the Mets and Francisco Lindor have agreed to a contract. 

 

Breaking: Francisco Lindor and Mets have a deal

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) April 1, 2021

Mets and Lindor done deal: 10 years and $341 million, source confirms.

— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) April 1, 2021

Sources: Francisco Lindor and Mets in agreement on deal that is approximatlely 10 years, $340 million as @JonHeyman reported. There is a limited no trade and no opt outs per source

— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) April 1, 2021

Lindor 10-year deal for about $340M begins in 2022. So he has $362.3 coming to him for 11.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) April 1, 2021

Lindor's deal, unlike the Mets' previous $325 million offer, does include deferrals that reduce its real-world value.

It begins in 2022, meaning Lindor's previous contract still exists. Thus, the total value is $363.3 million over 11 seasons, bringing Lindor up to his 38th bday.

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) April 1, 2021

Highest-paid MLB players (total value)

1.) Mike Trout - $426.5M
2.) Mookie Betts - $365M
3.) Francisco Lindor - $341M
4.) Fernando Tatis Jr. - $340M
5.) Bryce Harper - $330M pic.twitter.com/79BR4HvDSD

— Danny Vietti (@DannyVietti) April 1, 2021

And to think that when the ownership changed in 1980 the big news was signing Craig Swan and Joel Youngblood to multi year extensions.

— Howie Rose (@HowieRose) April 1, 2021

"I think it's a total tone-changer for the Mets" - @martinonyc on how Francisco Lindor's extension saved the Mets from a massive distraction if a deal wasn't done pic.twitter.com/JblH140xCk

— SNY (@SNYtv) April 1, 2021

Mack's Mock Pick #59 - RHP - Jack Perkins

 

Jack Perkins

Mack's spin - 

I was a big fan of Perkins in high school and was a first round draft pick in 2018.

Tommy John Surgery in 2019 slowed him

He's back to being a relief pitcher this season and, as of 3-29, he has pitched in seven outings to a 5.06-ERA. Control continues to be a problem, walking 12 in 10.2 innings.

I'm not giving up on him though and I still think he will be a quality reliever in the majors.

 

 RHP        6-1        200         Louisville

 

 1-14-21  -  Baseball America

 

Jack Perkins

 

Louisville RHP

 

Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 200 | B-T: R-R

Commit/Drafted: Braves 2018 (39)

Age At Draft: 21.6

 

Perkins was a standout football and baseball player in high school, at Kokomo (Ind.) High, who ranked No. 394 in the 2018 draft class thanks to a hard fastball and slider. Perkins was solid in a mostly reliever role for Louisville in 2019, posting a 4.18 ERA in 32.1 innings while striking out 37 batters (10.3 per nine) and walking 18 (5.0 per nine). Perkins missed the shortened 2020 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in June of 2019 but returned to the mound this summer at Grand Park. He pitched well in 18.1 innings, posting a 2.45 ERA with 23 strikeouts and 14 walks. Perkins is an athletic righthander with plenty of arm speed and a fastball that he throws in the 92-95 mph range. He also still has a hard slider that could become a plus pitch in the future, but scouts have seen spotty control and inconsistent strikes when he’s on the mound so far. No one doubts the stuff, but until he proves he can handle an extended starting role at a high level, more teams will be convinced he’s a reliever at the next level.

 

 12-3-20  -  Perfect Game combined their picks for the first two rounds in this mock draft  -

 

17. Cincinnati Reds| Ryan Cusick, RHP, Wake Forest University | (2/46) Jack Perkins, RHP, University of Louisville

 

With a good crop of potential impact position players already in their system, the pitching centric Reds expand upon their new developmental mindset in landing both Cusick and Perkins with their first two picks. Cusick has continued to raise his stock in the same manner as the velocity on his fastball has. The 6-foot-6 right-hander has steadily improved each year and took it to a new level in the shortened 2020 season. With more focus on the use of his lower half, Cusick has been able to hold the mid-90s deep into starts and even touched 99 mph a few times. Cusick is a high upside prospect with a power fastball that will need to refine his secondary offerings to stick as a starter long term. Seemingly recovered from Tommy John after the 2019 season, the reports on Perkins have been intriguing as he hopes to be part of another Louisville CWS run in 2021. Perkins has the high spin rate fastball that Kyle Boddy and the Reds pitching development staff crave. The strongly built right-hander has seen his velocity creep back towards the range it was prior to surgery and has continued to develop his secondary offerings, highlighted by a true swing-and-miss curveball. -John McAdams

 

Sakowski’s Take: In this hypothetical, we see the Reds put all their eggs in the “stuff” basket, something that’s always risky but also comes with a bigger payout if the bets hit. Cusick is a monster right-hander who flirts with triple digits as a starter with huge projection traits, while Perkins, a former PG All-American, has had some trouble with strikes in his career but when he’s in the zone he’s nearly unhittable, with mid-90s heat and a hammer breaking ball.

 

Mike's Mets - Building Better Pitching

 

By Mike Steffanos

Tim Britton had an outstanding piece in The Athletic today about the Mets organization's efforts to create a state-of-the-art pitching development program. Under the Wilpons, the team had been notoriously reluctant to buy into the latest trends in player development. This likely reflected some skepticism towards new technologies on their part and a certain cheapness towards investing in something that didn't pay obvious and immediate benefits. That's probably a good reason why the Mets have historically lagged behind the top organizations in developing talent. Fortunately, new Mets owner Steve Cohen sees the benefits of investing in the future. That should pay dividends for the club and its fans going forward.

Britton quotes Mets pitching coach Jeremy Hefner on the ultimate goal:

"World-class, industry standard — that's what we're after. We've been tasked to develop a pitching powerhouse."

Even as baseball continues to evolve away from the game it was in my youth, pitching still is the most important aspect of the game. Teams that have the ability to create their own pitching depth have a tremendous competitive advantage. Just look at the Rays and Dodgers, the two teams that competed in last year's World Series.

Yet, for a team that has such a rich history of pitching, from Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, Jon Matlack, and Dwight Gooden, up to Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, and Jacob deGrom more recently, the Mets have been very much hit and miss when it comes to developing young pitchers. From Generation K to Rafael Montero, there is a history of highly-regarded arms that the Mets couldn't convert into effective Major League pitchers. David Peterson was a nice surprise last year. Still, the best pitching prospects currently in the organization are Matt Allan and J.T. Ginn, both of whom have quite a few minor league innings to accumulate before they're ready to pitch in Citi Field.

Many pundits are still picking the Braves to finish ahead of the Mets this season. One of the arguments in Atlanta's favor is the young and talented pitching prospects that the club possesses close to Major League ready. The Mets had to trade this winter for Joey Lucchesi and Jordan Yamamoto to build some starting pitching depth. Much needs to be accomplished for the goal of the Mets becoming a "pitching powerhouse" to be a reality.

For all of his shortcomings as a Major League GM, Brodie Van Wagenen did a good job in bringing in some people who had an understanding of the new technologies and methods being used by the more advanced MLB clubs. One of them was Ricky Meinhold, who was hired as a minor-league pitching coordinator. He retains that position while also being named as an assistant pitching coach at the Major League level. Meinhold understands and embraces the latest technology and methods. He's also very effective at communicating with the young pitchers.

The Mets have done a good job in hiring some good people, and they seem to be heading in the right direction in implementing the processes to ensure that their young prospects get consistent and coherent instruction throughout their development time with the club that takes advantage of the technology the Mets are investing in.

Brian DeLunas was hired by the club in January after he pitched them on a state-of-the-art pitching lab of the type used by teams like the Yankees. Young pitchers will be able to get immediate feedback on the things they're working on:

"For me, the job really entails helping coach the coaches, making sure the information that we’re using and the systems we’re using are heading in the right direction," DeLunas said. "The second biggest thing is going to be the actual hands-on work with our pitchers in a lab-setting scenario, where we can collect data, talk about player plans and help those guys really get headed in the right direction."

DeLunas envisioned a lab decked out with mounds that provide ground-force feedback, portable Trackman and/or Rapsodo cameras for pitch-tracking data like vertical and horizontal break, and Edgertronic cameras that show in super slow-motion the way a ball comes off a pitcher’s hand. DeLunas mentioned spring 2022 as the goal, with the possibility of the lab being partially ready for the instructional league this fall.

 Continue reading by clicking here.

Lunch Time Links 3/31/2021

Here are some of the News and Headlines around Major League Baseball courtesy from our friends at SportSpyder .

The Sports Daily - 2021 New York Mets' Season Preview

By Mike Phillips | March 30, 2021 9:51 am

Spring training is over and the Major League Baseball season is finally set to begin. There will still be coronavirus related changes as the world gets back to normal, including the return of the extra-inning rule and seven-inning doubleheaders, but the 2021 campaign marks a return to the traditional 162 game schedule with regular travel, a welcome change from last year’s 60-game sprint to the finish.

The 2021 season is also a big one for the New York Mets, who have big goals and ambitions as they try to return to the postseason for the first time since 2016. New owner Steve Cohen has empowered Sandy Alderson and the front office to make bold moves that have put together a roster capable of challenging for the National League East crown and beyond. With the season set to begin Thursday night in Washington let’s look at the 10 questions that will define the 2021 Mets.

1. How will Francisco Lindor impact the Mets?

Contract negotiations notwithstanding, the biggest story surrounding the Mets is the addition of Lindor, one of the top five players in the sport. Lindor tore the cover off the ball in spring training, hitting .370 with four home runs and 14 RBI’s, and made jaw-dropping plays in the field to boot.

The adjustment period to New York isn’t easy for most athletes but Lindor looks like the kind of player who can thrive under the bright lights of the city that never sleeps. If Lindor can become a dynamic star from the minute the bell rings it will mean a lot for the Mets.

2. Is Pete Alonso back?

Most fans will argue that Alonso experienced a sophomore slump in 2020 but it’s important to remember that he only got to play the equivalent of two months in the midst of a pandemic. Alonso still slugged very well, hitting 16 homers in 2020, but his overall batting approach was a bit off.

Spring training was very encouraging for Alonso, who looked much more confident at the plate than he ever did last season. Seeing a bounceback campaign from Alonso significantly raises the ceiling of the Mets’ offense.

3. How much has the defense improved?

The Mets have undervalued defense for a while now but this team is significantly improved in the field. Lindor’s addition is a massive upgrade over Amed Rosario at shortstop while getting James McCann behind the plate and Jeff McNeil’s return to his natural position of second base should help bolster the Mets up the middle.

There are still significant questions at third base, where J.D. Davis is more of a hit-first player, and the outfield, where Dominic Smith is out in left and Brandon Nimmo is still in center. Expect to see plenty of late-inning defensive substitutions to help the Mets close out games.

4. When will the injured pitchers come back?

The pitching staff is significantly improved for the Mets but they are missing three key players in Carlos Carrasco, Noah Syndergaard and Seth Lugo. All three should be out for at least the first month of the season with a return towards the end of May a best-case scenario for most of them.

Getting Carrasco and Syndergaard in the rotation will help but Lugo’s return might actually be the most important since the bullpen is weaker than the rotation. If the Mets can get everyone back by June they could really take off.

To continue reading, click here. 

Tom Brennan - LUIS GUILLORME'S BODY OF WORK

A draft-timeframe pic of a then 5'10", 170 Luis Guillorme from a 2013 Macks Mets picture.

The former 10th rounder has defied the experts so far, and plans to keep it up.

Anyone that has followed Luis Guillorme over the years in the minors and after he made it to the big leagues knows he's got a glove.  A darned good one.

Those who have followed him more closely know that he is also a relentless worker.  Diligent work usually pays off.

Speaking of diligent work, I recall training for my one and only marathon in 1981. 

Five months before it, before I ramped up my training, I ran a 40:15 10 kilometer race.  I finally broke 41 minutes, but man, did I want to break that 40 minute time so badly.

But try as I might, I couldn't quite pull it off.  Not enough diligent work.

Roll forward to the NYC Marathon in late October, after averaging for the 8 weeks pre-race about 30 fast miles of training per week (I had neither the patience, nor the time, to run a slow 50 mile week more suited to marathon training, so I'd run 7 minute miles in training).  

I ran a 3:25.  Considering I'd only run a distance once above 13 miles (a 17 mile training run), I was pretty happy with 3:25. 

My wife was just happy I lived to tell about it.

A few weeks later, after giving the body a bit of a break, I ran in a 10 K race in Rockville Center.  

The 40 minute barrier toppled.  I crushed it actually, with a 37:28 time, or 2 minutes, 47 seconds better than my previous best, nearly a half minute per mile faster.

A week later, I ran in a Thanksgiving Turkey Trot.  Very crowded, hundreds of little kids, so I wanted to get out fast, since I was determined to take down my previous 5 mile best of around 32:00.  It was about as crowded as border retention facilities are these days.  

Anyway, I wanted to set a personal best in the 5 miler, and I did: 29:47, or 5:57 a mile.  

What I did not know, and much to my delight, is they would also have people at the mile markers calling out times.  Intent to stay far ahead of any and all kiddies, I hit the first mile marker in 5:08, and was not even winded.  Made me wonder if I could have done a 4:40 mile if I had set out to only do an all out one miler.

I didn't know how much the marathon training would improve my shorter race personal best times, but the diligent, hard training had clearly paid dividends.

So, back to diligent, hard-working Luis.  

Has the Guillorme hard work regimen provided strong results?

What is his recent body of work, I might ask you, and does that make you feel good about his future?  

Here are the details - you decide:

This spring: 10 for 32, 6 walks, .313 average, .421 OBP.

Last season: 19 for 57, 10 walks, .333 average, .426 OBP.

Combine the 2 and in a little over 100 plate appearances, .325, .424 OBP.

Go further back to his last 29 at bats of 2019, and he was 10 for 29, which is about .340

Have you decided yet?

I have.  

The hard work has most clearly and definitely paid off.

Luis is not a power hitter.  Never will be.

But he sure has hit well and gotten on base when given the opportunity.

Good for him.  I wonder how many talented players lacked his diligence, and never made it.  Luis not only made it to the big leagues - he is (dare I say it) excelling in his God-given talents.

By the way, I still run - several times a day, to the fridge.

I get there fast.  

Love my peanut butter - it is my "personal best".  

Love Luis Guillorme the player as well.

May the hard work continue to pay big dividends in 2021.

Anyone that really watches spring training knows one thing:

It is HARD to make that 26 man roster.

The ultimate success for Luis is making the fine 2021 Mets.

You have to actually be In the big leagues to succeed there.

I expect success.

Open Thread: Does Lindor Sign Before The Opener?

 

The Mets have offered Francisco Lindor 10 years and $325 million with no deferrals.  He countered with 12 years and $365 million.  Does a deal get done before the opener?

Reese Kaplan -- Suppose Opening Day Comes With No Lindor Deal?

The Mets wouldn’t be the Mets if there wasn’t some potentially embarrassing situation threatening to descend upon them.  It could be front office personnel communicating inappropriately with others, it could be domestic violence episodes from the players or it could be something new entirely.  In this case it happens to be the price paid to obtain one year of service from superstar Francisco Lindor who may or may not sign a long term deal with his new team in Queens.

As a refresher, the Mets gave up shortstops Andres Gimenez and Amed Rosario, pitcher Josh Wolf and outfielder Isaiah Greene.  In return, not only did the Mets get Lindor, but also a high quality starting pitcher at moderate salary in Carlos Carrasco.  

The headlines across all of baseball media were effusive in the praise for the Mets, for new owner Steve Cohen and for the fleecing job the front office had done on Cleveland.  Obviously if the Mets received an All Star shortstop in Lindor, there was no need for Rosario (who’d fallen out of favor) or Gimenez who would have no place to play in New York.  

At the time I was my usual pessimistic self in pointing out to anyone who would listen that the Mets needed to secure Lindor with a pre-free agency deal that would keep him in New York for most of the rest of his career.  At just age 27 it would be relatively easy to do functionally by offering up a ten-year deal for major money that would keep him a part of the team pretty much until he would be ready to consider retirement.  

In addition, the previously ill Carlos Carrasco filled a great need, but there were some questions about his potential durability as he made his way back from his 2019 diagnosis of leukemia.  He fought back from it successfully and made his next start in 2020.  Although he only went 3-4 last season, he pitched to a season-long 2.91 ERA and made everyone from Luis Rojas to Jeremy Hefner to the full roster smile upon learning of his arrival.  Of course, no one could have anticipated the hamstring injury that would sideline Carrasco from the start of the 2021 season, but the word is that he’s responding well and hopefully it means a return in late May or early June if they want to be cautious with his recovery.  

The issue right now is not Carrasco, but the stories hitting the media that the Mets and their would-be shortstop are still pretty far apart in their negotiations.  The Mets allegedly have gone as high as ten years and $325 million but Lindor and his agent are asking for 12 years and $385 million.  While the average annual salary is slightly lower in the player’s proposed deal, it does add two more years of financial obligation that the Mets may not be ready to swallow.  

If the Mets decide to take a hard line and abide by Lindor’s deadline of Opening Day for contract negotiation then they are putting themselves into a potentially giant black eye for the deal they made.  It would mean the four players they sacrificed netted them Carlos Carrasco and a compensation pick assuming they would extend the Qualifying Offer to Lindor before he waves goodbye.  That doesn’t seem like much for what was sent packing to Cleveland.  

As I’ve stated before, it’s not the first time the Mets were in this type of situation.  They faced it with pitcher Mike Hampton helping them get to the World Series then hightailing it to Denver for a mediocre career in the pitching hell of Coors Field.  After going 15-10 with a 3.14 ERA for the pennant bound Mets, the remainder of his career between Colorado, Atlanta and Houston was 63-62 with a 4.84 ERA.  The Mets gave up reliever Octavio Dotel, outfielder Roger Cedeno and minor leaguer Kyle Kessel for that one year of service.  Oh yeah, the Mets got Derek Bell, too.  

If indeed they fail to square things with Lindor, there are ample shortstop opportunities in the free agent pool of 2021/2022 beyond him.  Set to hit free agency as well are Javier Baez, Corey Seager and Trevor Story.  Carlos Correa is out there, too, but the Astros are making strong efforts to sign him (though the initial 6 year/$120 million deal was hardly worthy of a star with his talent).  Any of these players will hit the same salary range Lindor wants, so there’s no money to be saved.

Top prospect Ronny Mauricio is thought to be a potential major league star, but right now he’s just 19 years old and has several more seasons of development to go along with his newly muscular physique.  In fact, many were suggesting he would move off shortstop to third base to be more commensurate with the projected power hitting and because the assumption was the Mets would have shortstop filled by Lindor for many years to come.

So if the Mets do not secure Lindor, who is the shortstop of the future?  They could go defense-first with someone like Luis Guillorme to hold down the fort for Mauricio, but that’s quite a dropoff in both power and baserunning speed from Lindor.  They could make a trade for someone on another club or they could just dig deeper into their pockets for the available free agent options.  If they’re going to have to make that move, wouldn’t it be more sensible to keep the star shortstop who’s already here?

Mets News and Breakfast Links 3/31/2021

 

Good Morning.  Happy Birthday Ryan Cordell.  Steve Cohen says no Brainstorming on  Francisco Lindor contract plus Pete Alonso loves the Black Jerseys and thinks Lindor should get $400M.  

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

Mets Links: 

I don’t see a lot of brainstorming going on over here

— Steven Cohen (@StevenACohen2) March 30, 2021

Lindor is a heckuva player and a great guy . I hope he decides to sign

— Steven Cohen (@StevenACohen2) March 30, 2021

Mets $325M, 10-year offer to Lindor contains no deferrals, meaning it’s actually worth more in terms of net present value than Betts’ $365M, 12-year, heavily-deferred ($120M deferred) Dodgers deal. Lindor said to still be seeking $385M with no deferrals.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 31, 2021

On BNNY presented by Tri-State @Cadillac, @martinonyc gives the latest on Francisco Lindor's contract negotiations and @sal_licata weighs in that the Mets should stand firm https://t.co/tPQsahygOJ pic.twitter.com/y8cfews8Eo

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 31, 2021

CARTON & ROBERTS...EXTENSION WATCH! The hours are ticking down for Frankie Lindor, and Craig & Evan are all over it.

Listen to @CartonRoberts now: https://t.co/zph0v4iEkw pic.twitter.com/gYhrsbvYqe

— WFAN Sports Radio (@WFAN660) March 30, 2021

Luis Rojas isn't sure how Mets fans will receive Francisco Lindor at Citi Field if he doesn't sign a contract extension, but Rojas spoke highly of what Lindor has brought to the Mets early on:

"He brings the word 'win' every day into the room" pic.twitter.com/ESslJexAeT

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 30, 2021

Pete Alonso on Francisco Lindor:

"I hope they pay him $400 million, he's worth every penny" pic.twitter.com/scrtOySs4S

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 30, 2021

The Mets' players reaction to the black jerseys according to Pete Alonso?

"Let's f--king go" pic.twitter.com/qWr82lgfEw

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 30, 2021

@Mets are #backinblack this season! @StevenACohen2 is bringing back the Black Jersey ! #lgm #LFGM #mets #art #painting #rocknRoll #metal #baseball pic.twitter.com/iGT2mUhLXO

— Joe Petruccio (@Joey_Paints) March 31, 2021

Did it take him four hours to deliver that tweet?

— Keith B (@Mediagoon) March 30, 2021

"I've said it before, every time I'm able to put this uniform on, I'm honored"

Jacob deGrom talks about starting on Opening Day pic.twitter.com/afvicGFYRE

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 31, 2021

"I enjoy games like this"

Jacob deGrom talks about facing Max Scherzer on Opening Day pic.twitter.com/33G8sbwkdq

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 31, 2021

"A goal of mine also is to try to make it to the Hall of Fame"

Jacob deGrom is very aware of what class winning a 3rd Cy Young Award would put him in pic.twitter.com/KnsKv1Gg0Z

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 31, 2021

Full Mets rotation order for their first road trip of the season. Jacob deGrom will come back on regular rest:

@ Nationals:

Thurs: Jacob deGrom
Sat: Marcus Stroman
Sun: David Peterson

@ Phillies

4/5: Taijuan Walker
4/6: Jacob deGrom
4/7: Joey Lucchesi (or opener)

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) March 30, 2021

The Mets have re-signed veteran reliever Tommy Hunter, whom they released last week, to a minor league contract.

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) March 31, 2021

In addition to their 26-man roster, the Mets are carrying a five-man taxi squad for their first road trip:

-RHP Trevor Hildenberger
-LHP Stephen Tarpley
-SS Jose Peraza
-OF Mallex Smith
-C Caleb Joseph

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) March 30, 2021

HITTERS
Brandon Drury
Johneshwy Fargas
Drew Ferguson
Jake Hager
Drew Jackson
Caleb Joseph
Bruce Maxwell
José Peraza
Dan Rizzie
Mallex Smith
David Thompson
Wilfredo Tovar

This is all in addition to the 40-man players that have been optioned to the minors.

— Jacob Resnick (@Jacob_Resnick) March 31, 2021

Regarding Michael Conforto, the Mets are waiting on a Lindor resolution before moving forward, as sources have maintained throughout this process. Conforto has not given the Mets a hard Opening Day deadline, like Lindor did.

For the next day and a half, it's all about Lindor.

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) March 30, 2021

Like Story, Baez and Correa, Corey Seager will enter the season without an extension. Dodgers made an effort on Seager, who they’d like to extend. But like the others, he will remain free agent eligible. Lindor remains the lone superstar SS in serious negotiation.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 30, 2021

It's National Doctors Day, so we're here to prescribe you a dose of strikeouts from Dr. K, Doc Gooden

(via @PitchingNinja)pic.twitter.com/KqLzoqRtyE

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 31, 2021

John Harper SNY.TV: Top moments in Mets Opening Day history.  John's Top 3 - #1 Gary Carter's HR Debut 1985; #2 The Franchise Returns 1983 and #3 Darryl Strawberry's Roof Shot 1988. 

Tim Healey Newsday: 3 Mets prospects to know in 2021. Francisco Alvarez, Matthew Allan; and Jaylen Palmer, 20.  “Note that we did not list a position. That’s because Palmer, a New York City native and graduate of Holy Cross High, ‘plays everywhere,’ [Mets director of player development Kevin] Howard said. ‘The bat speed and power is something else…The athleticism, it’s really interesting. That’s a guy that’s got a really high ceiling.’" 

Brooklyn Trolley Blogger: N.Y. Mets: The Confounding Michael Conforto Contract Crisis.

SportSpyder Mets Links: 

MLB and SportSpyder NL East and MLB Links:

Some of yesterday's Spring Training Highlights:

RBI double for Cristian Pache.

Check out where the @Braves' No. 1 prospect ranks on our Rookie Power Rankings: https://t.co/9zjZfLARM6 pic.twitter.com/ezdW3QgiLO

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 30, 2021

Cristian Pache doesn't have an 80-grade field tool for nothing. pic.twitter.com/SHtGjCvJ0J

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 30, 2021

On the last day of Spring Training, @RedSox No. 4 prospect Jarren Duran decided to launch another homer, his 3rd of camp. pic.twitter.com/A1APJ06qfD

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 30, 2021

Of course @Pirates top prospect Ke'Bryan Hayes hit one more homer before the end of Spring Training. pic.twitter.com/pV1WnYUla4

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 30, 2021

Here is yesterday's Spring Training Scoreboard.

Forbes.com: Baseball’s Most Valuable Teams: New York Yankees On Top At $5.25 Billion. Mets are ranked $6 worth $2.45 Billion.

Wisconsin State Journal: Bill Madden: New MLB season set to begin and already half the teams are irrelevant.

MLB.com:

• 2021 Power Rankings ahead of Opening Day
• Opening Day Pick 'Em: Compete for $200K!
• Cohen on Lindor: 'I hope he decides to sign'
• Experts pick 2021 MVP, Cy Young winners
• Ranking every Opening Day matchup
• The most improved teams headed into '21
• Prospects among spring Statcast standouts
• Major career milestones to watch for in 2021
• Ranking the 10 best lineups entering 2021

MLB Trade Rumors:

• White Sox To Select Andrew Vaughn
• Central Notes: Tigers, Cabrera, Nunez, Cubs, Pirates, Ponce
• Mets “Brainstorming” As Talks With Lindor Hit Impasse
• Astros Notes: Odorizzi, Valdez, Baez, Scrubb, James
• Red Sox To Sign Hector Rondon
• NL East Notes: Mets, Conforto, Phillies, Marlins

Yahoo Sports:

• Dodgers-Padres battle may go beyond division
• Dodgers hit four homers, beat Angels in Freeway Series finale
• Latest buzz on Francisco Lindor's extension talks with Mets: $325 million offer contains no deferrals
• No. 5 Texas blanked on the road by Texas A
• Chris Rodriguez's spring performances cried out for spot on Angels roster
• Washington Nationals announce new concessions options for 2021 MLB season
• Betting: Will the Yankees win on Opening Day?
• New York Rangers vs. Washington Capitals - Game Highlights
• Cubs’ Ian Happ connecting to fans through podcast for one year
• White Sox roster: The Opening Day 26 for 2021 World Series chase

ESPN:

• Get ready for Opening Day! Bold predictions, power rankings and names to know
• Trout AL MVP fave, but books exposed on Ohtani
• Braves' Soroka goes 2 innings in 1st spring action

FOX Sports:

• Tyler Glasnow takes a trip down memory lane about his high school days with Trevor Bauer
• Tyler Glasnow re-lives the glory of the first time he touched 100 mph on the radar gun
• Tyler Glasnow shares his thoughts on the Universal DH

CBS Sports:

• Mets' Pete Alonso on Francisco Lindor extension: 'I hope they pay him $400 million'
• White Sox's Andrew Vaughn, No. 3 pick in 2019 draft, makes Opening Day roster as left fielder
• Baseball fans return for 2021 MLB season: Every team's Opening Day attendance plan

SportsSpyder:

Today in Mets History Per Ultimatemets.com: 

Born on this date:

• Bill Denehy (1946)
• Tom Hausman (1953)
• Ryan Cordell (1992)

Transactions:
New York Mets traded Ron Swoboda and Rich Hacker to the Montreal Expos for Don Hahn on March 31, 1971.

New York Mets signed free agent Ray Sadecki on March 31, 1977.

New York Mets traded Juan Berenguer to the Kansas City Royals for Marvell Wynne and John Skinner on March 31, 1981.

New York Mets traded Rusty Tillman to the San Diego Padres for Rick Lancellotti on March 31, 1985.

New York Mets traded Alan Zinter to the Detroit Tigers for Rico Brogna on March 31, 1994.

New York Mets traded Ryan Thompson and Reid Cornelius to the Cleveland Indians for Mark Clark on March 31, 1996.

New York Mets traded Tim Bogar to the Houston Astros for Luis Lopez on March 31, 1997.

New York Mets claimed Yorkis Perez on waivers from the Atlanta Braves on March 31, 1997.

New York Mets signed free agent Mike DiFelice on March 31, 2005.

New York Mets signed free agent Ricky Ledee on March 31, 2007.

New York Mets released Tony Armas on March 31, 2009.

New York Mets signed free agent Bobby Abreu on March 31, 2014.

National Pastime.com:

1994	The Mets trade hard-luck right-hander Anthony Young to the Cubs for shortstop Jose Vizcaino. A-Yo holds the major league record for the most consecutive losses by a pitcher.
1998	In the longest scoreless opener in National League history, pinch-hitter Alberto Castillo's single with two outs and the bases loaded gives the Mets a 1-0, 14-inning victory over the Phillies. The most extended Opening Day game in major league history occurred in 1926 when the Senators blanked the Philadelphia A's in 15 innings, 1-0.

2003	At Shea Stadium, the Mets Opening Day lineup includes the first regular starting double-play combination in major league history featuring natives from Puerto Rico. Second baseman Roberto Alomar and shortstop Rey Sanchez combine to make two twin killings as the Cubs drub New York, 15-2.

 

 Baseball Reference:

2001 - After 31 years in Three Rivers Stadium, the Pittsburgh Pirates move into their new $262 million home at PNC Park, losing to the New York Mets, 4 - 3, in an exhibition game. The 38,000 seat stadium is nestled at the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers with a spectacular view of the city.

2010: With spring training coming to an end, the disabled list is getting crowded. Among those who will miss the beginning of the season are Mets SS Jose Reyes, who missed most of 2009 with injuries and joins teammates Daniel Murphy, Carlos Beltran and Kelvim Escobar on the list;

Centerfield Maz:

• Rusty Staub: The Eighties Mets Years (1980-1985) & Beyond
• Remembering Mets History (1973): World Series Game #4 -Rusty Staub HRs With Five RBIs To Even Series
• Daniel Murphy- The Mets Years (2008-2015)
• New York Mets Team Hall of Famer: Rusty Staub (The Pre & Post Mets Years)

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