Your Sunday morning dose of New York Mets and MLB news, notes, and links.
Meet the Mets
The Mets’ bullpen is beginning to take shape as we approach Opening Day. Danny Young will make the roster, along with Reed Garrett and José Buttó. A.J. Minter threw a perfect inning yesterday and will throw once more tomorrow. If all is well after that outing, Minter, who is recovering from hip surgery, will be on the Opening Day roster as well. This would leave the last bullpen spot between Dedniel Núñez and Max Kranick and that decision will likely depend on if the former is ready to begin the season on time.
Brett Baty is proving himself this spring as he gets the chance to fill in for the injured Jeff McNeil. “Hopefully,” Carlos Mendoza said, “a guy gets an opportunity and runs with it.”
“I think he plays bored in Spring Training,” Francisco Lindor said of Luisangel Acuña, who had success in his brief stint in the big leagues last season despite a mediocre performance in the minors. “If the lights come on, then he’s good. [Last year in the Minors], he was bored, probably. He doesn’t get amped up for it.” Unless the Mets make a move outside of the organization, Acuña is on track to make the Opening Day roster with Donovan Walton having been cut.
Kodai Senga will be on a pitch count to start the season, reports Tim Healey of Newsday.
For so many Mets fans, our identity as a fan is tied up in the Mets and lovable losers. In The New York Times, Devin Gordon asks the question so many of us are asking: What happens if the Mets start winning? Who am I if the Mets are good?
Throughout franchise history, especially in the recent past, the Mets have had rapid turnover of coaches, managers, and executives. Now that is no longer the case, writes Abbey Mastracco of The New York Daily News. Abbey also previews the Mets’ 2025 season: the beginning of the Juan Soto era.
The Mets made a minor league trade yesterday, sending RHP Michael Hobbs to the Mariners for cash. The Mets had selected Hobbs from the Dodgers in the minor-league phase of the 2024 Rule 5 draft.
Around the National League East
The Phillies also made one of their final rounds of roster cuts yesterday, leaving the final bench role between Kody Clemens and Buddy Kennedy, who are both out of options. Ranger Suárez (back stiffness) and Matt Strahm (left shoulder impingement) are both questionable for the Opening Day roster the last pitching spot on the roster will be filled by who is healthier between them.
Braves catchers Sean Murphy (oblique) has been cleared for limited baseball activities and could return in three weeks.
Veteran lefty Colin Poche will make the Nationals’ Opening Day bullpen.
WTOP covered the new amenities fans can enjoy at Nationals Park this season.
Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews is among the preseason favorites for National League rookie of the year honors. Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post wrote about how he’s come into his own and learned to be himself.
Around Major League Baseball
Jake Mintz of Yahoo Sports looks back at how Hideo Nomo—pioneer and the first Japanese-born player to play Major League Baseball in 30 years—agent Dom Nomura, and lawyer Jean Afterman (now Yankees assistant GM) changed the game forever.
Bradford Doolittle of ESPN wrote about what the rest of the league can learn from the Royals’ old school rotation.
Clarke Schmidt will start the season on the injured list for the Yankees and Carlos Carrasco will be added to the major league roster.
The Guardians have signed Tanner Bibee to a five-year, $48 million extension with a club option for 2030.
The Guardians also made a trade yesterday, sending infielder Tyler Freeman to the Colorado Rockies in exchange for outfielder Nolan Jones. The Rockies will use Freeman to replace the injured Thairo Estrada.
Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue
Chris McShane took a look at how the Mets’ outfield is shaping up for 2025.
Steve Sypa continued his preview of the Mets’ minor league system in 2025, focusing in on the Syracuse Mets.
This Date in Mets History
The Mets traded the late Bud Harrelson on this date in 1978, thus ending Harrelson’s 13-year Mets career.