Mets' Ronny Mauricio: Team not expected to add 3B help
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Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns indicated Monday that he expects the team's starting third baseman to come out of the group of Mauricio, Brett Baty and Mark Vientos, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.
Stearns also noted that he's not viewing any of the trio of players as a frontrunner for the gig, and it's possible no winner will be declared by Opening Day. The Mets have said Jeff McNeil will be confined mostly to second base, which would indicate that if Mauricio receives everyday at-bats then it would likely come at the hot corner. It's certainly a position battle to keep a close eye on during spring training.
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Mets' Jeff McNeil: Expected to see bulk of time at 2B
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The Mets plan for McNeil to see the bulk of his playing time at second base in 2024, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.
McNeil started 57 games in the outfield in 2023, but it sounds like that number probably won't be nearly as high in 2024. He missed the final weekend of the season after being diagnosed with a partial UCL tear in his right elbow, but Nimmo is healthy now and having a normal offseason, per Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily News. McNeil was going to be playing every day regardless, but the fact that it will come at second base could impact the playing time of Brett Baty and/or Ronny Mauricio.
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Mets' Edwin Diaz: Deemed fully healthy
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Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Monday that Diaz is "fully healthy" after completing his recovery from the patellar tendon surgery he required on his right knee last March, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.
Coming off a brilliant 2022 campaign in which he converted 32 of 35 save chances while posting a 1.31 ERA and striking out 118 over 62 innings, Diaz profiled as arguably the top closer in fantasy drafts heading into last spring, but his season was quickly torpedoed before it even started after he injured his knee while celebrating a win for Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic. Diaz didn't experience any setbacks while completing what had been expected to be a six-month recovery from surgery, and though he had hoped to pitch at some point in September, the Mets chose not to activate him as they played out the string on a non-contending season. Mendoza wasn't willing to fully commit to Diaz being in store for a normal spring training, but the right-hander is seemingly facing no restrictions in his throwing program so far this offseason and should settle back into the closer's role for the Mets by the time Opening Day arrives.
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Mets' Andre Scrubb: Signs minors deal with Mets
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Scrubb signed a minor-league contract with the Mets on Saturday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Scrubb holds a 3.32 ERA and 1.48 WHIP across 43.1 frames in his career from his time with the Astros in 2020-21. Injuries and a lack of interest in free agency have kept Scrubb out of action since then. Considering how long it's been since Scrubb has pitched in a game, he will likely slide into an organizational depth role with the Mets.
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Mets' Tyler Heineman: Nabbed off waivers by Mets
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The Mets claimed Heineman off waivers from the Blue Jays on Friday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Heineman is a career .218/.297/.282 hitter over parts of four big-league seasons. With Francisco Alvarez and Omar Narvaez back in 2024, the 32-year-old Heineman would appear pegged for Triple-A Syracuse to begin next season.
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Mets' Cooper Hummel: Claimed by Mets
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The Mets claimed Hummel off waivers from the Mariners on Friday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Hummel, 29, went 2-for-23 at the plate during his time with the Mariners in 2023 but slashed .262/.409/.435 with eight homers and 26 steals at Triple-A Tacoma. He offers unique versatility with an ability to catch and also play the outfield. New Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns was the Brewers' general manager when they drafted Hummel in 2016.
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Mets' Kyle Crick: Gets NRI from NYM
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Crick signed a minor-league contract with the Mets on Friday and received an invitation to major-league spring training, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
Although Crick hasn't pitched in a game since 2022, the Mets will invite him to major-league camp for an opportunity to make their Opening Day bullpen. Crick posted a 4.02 ERA and 1.34 WHIP through 15.2 innings with the White Sox two years ago, but an elbow injury ended his season early, and he remained a free agent for the entire 2023 campaign.
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Mets' Austin Adams: Heading to Queens
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Adams (ankle) signed a one-year contract with the Mets on Thursday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
Adams, 32, held a 5.71 ERA through 24 relief appearances this past year with the Diamondbacks before fracturing his right ankle in early August. He was then outrighted off Arizona's 40-man roster at the end of the season but has now found a new home in New York on what's being called a "major-league, non-guaranteed split contract," per Will Sammon of The Athletic. Nasty at times but often overly wild, Adams owns a career 4.17 ERA and 170:75 K:BB in 114.1 total big-league innings.
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Mets' Joey Wendle: Latches on with Mets
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Wendle signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the Mets on Wednesday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.
After two seasons with the Marlins, Wendle will remain in the NL East and presumably serve in a utility role with the Mets. The 33-year-old infielder had his worst season at the plate in 2023, slashing .212/.248/.306 across 318 plate appearances. While Wendle's defensive versatility may get him in the lineup fairly often next year, his poor bat puts a low ceiling on his fantasy value.
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Mets' Luis Severino: Heads to Mets on one-year pact
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Severino (oblique) agreed to a one-year, $13 million contract with the Mets on Wednesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
The 29-year-old right-hander will make the short move to Queens after a rollercoaster eight-year run with the crosstown Yankees. He arrived in the Bronx with loads of promise back in 2015 but has battled a range of injuries over the last handful of seasons. It was a high-grade oblique strain that cut short his 2023 campaign, and he stumbled to a 6.65 ERA in 89.1 innings when healthy. That said, Severino should be 100 percent by the beginning of spring training in 2024 and figures to have a spot in the Mets' Opening Day rotation if he gets through camp without any physical complications. His career ERA in the majors is 3.79.
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Mets' Carlos Guzman: Latches on with Mets
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Guzman signed a minor-league contract with the Mets on Nov. 20, Michael Mayer of MetsmerizedOnline.com reports.
Guzman, 25, spent time at three levels in the Cubs organization in 2023, collecting a 4.67 ERA and 93:48 K:BB over 86.2 innings. He was acquired from the Tigers in March in a trade that sent Zach McKinstry to Detroit.
Sulser signed a minor-league contract with the Mets on Monday, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.
The deal includes an invitation to the major-league side of spring training. Sulser held a 6.75 ERA over four appearances for the Diamondbacks in 2023 but spent most of the season in the minors. He has collected a 3.87 ERA and 143:62 K:BB over 132.2 career big-league innings.
Stewart signed a one-year, $1.38 million contract with the Mets on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.
Stewart had to settle for a minor-league contract last winter, but he made his way up to Queens in early July and went on to post an .840 OPS with 11 home runs across 58 major-league games. The 29-year-old corner outfielder looks poised to get regular starts against right-handers in 2024.
