Category Archives: Free Agency

Mets Sign Pitcher with 7.24 ERA Last Year . . . I’m Not Excited

2 Feb

Shintaro Fujinami
MLB.com:

The Mets edged closer to filling out their bullpen with two additional arms on Friday, agreeing to terms on one-year contracts with right-hander Shintaro Fujinami and lefty Jake Diekman, according to sources. The Mets have not confirmed either deal because they are not yet official.

Once completed, the moves will give the Mets, who entered the offseason with only one reliever on a guaranteed contract, a full complement of options from which to choose. In addition to Fujinami and Diekman, the Mets will feature Edwin Díaz, Brooks Raley, Adam Ottavino, Jorge López and Drew Smith in their bullpen, with room for one or two more.

Fujinami signed for $3.35 million plus up to $850,000 in incentives, according to a source, making him one of the four highest-paid arms in New York’s bullpen. The faith in Fujinami is based largely on the quality of his stuff; he was one of the hardest-throwing pitchers in baseball last season, topping out at 102.6 mph and throwing more triple-digit fastballs than all but eight pitchers.

From Sean Manaca to Harrison Bader to this guy, this team has “mediocre” written all over it what with these pedestrian signings by the new GM David Stearns. Granted the season hasn’t started yet, but from the looks of things so far we’ll be lucky to win 70 games this year.

Mets Will Only Pursue a Big Bat DH if Price Comes Down

2 Feb

J.D. Martinez

SI.com:

Temper your expectations if you are in the crowd that is hoping the New York Mets will sign a designated hitter prior to the 2024 season.

According to SNY insider Andy Martino, the Mets are “unlikely” to add a DH unless the price goes way down.

This should come as no surprise given the Mets’ approach this offseason, which is making minor moves, and looking ahead to 2025 as their next window to go for it.

After all the money Steve Cohen was willing to shell out for that Japanese pitcher, if this news is true, then it sucks for 2024.

RELATED: Mets owe it to Pete Alonso to sign slugger like J.D. Martinez or Jorge Soler

Mets Make $360M Offer To Star Japanese Pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto

16 Dec

Unless its about the money, Yamamoto should want to be a Met. Kodai Senga is already here, had a great rookie season and loves NY. He’d immediately become the ace of the pitching staff and the Asian fanbase in NY would gravitate towards him just like Jeremy Lin when he was a Knick. In other words, as long as he stayed healthy and did well, his star would rise even more.

RELATED: Yoshinobu Yamamoto Receives $300 Million-Plus Offer From Two Teams, per Report

After Yankees Sign Juan Soto, Mets Counter with 1-Year, $2 Million Deal for Reliever Jorge Lopez

9 Dec

Jorge Lopez
ESPN.COM:

Right-hander Jorge Lopez and the New York Mets agreed on a one-year, $2 million contract Thursday, sources told ESPN, adding another reliever to a team that has spent the past week bolstering its organization depth.

Lopez, 30, struggled with three teams this year after a career-best 2022 in which he looked the part of a front-line reliever. With a velocity bump from his move from the rotation to the bullpen, Lopez rode a 98 mph fastball and heavy curveball to a 2.54 ERA. The regression he showed after his midseason trade from Baltimore to Minnesota continued into 2023, when the Twins traded him to Miami and he later went back to the Orioles without similar success.

Slowly we’re heading back to the days of the totally inept Wilpon’s. Pete Alonso still hasn’t gotten a new contract. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is still out there. No news on possibly bringing David Robertson back or even free agent. Seth Lugo (as a starter). But yeah, we got some subpar reliever named Jorge Lopez…how exciting.