After mutually parting ways with Carlos Beltran, the Mets are searching for a new manager. Here's the latest...

Jan. 18, 11:00 AM:

In addition to being mentioned as a candidate for the Mets managerial job, Baker is also reportedly set to interview with the Astros on Monday, according to MLB.com's Jon Paul Morosi. The Astros have pegged Feb. 3 as their target to hire a new manager, at which point they will focus on hiring a new general manager.

On Friday's Baseball Night in New York, SNY's John Harper and Anthony McCarron, along with Newsday's David Lennon, revealed their 2020 ballots for the Baseball Hall of Fame.

While Derek Jeter appears on all three ballots -- as he awaits to find out if he will join teammate Mariano Rivera as the only unanimous Hall of Famers - there were some notable differences between the three ballots, mainly due to baseball's steroid era.

The Hall of Fame class of 2020 will be announced on Tuesday, January 21. Here is a look at the complete ballot.

After mutually parting ways with Carlos Beltran, the Mets are searching for a new manager. Here's the latest on candidate Luis Rojas ...

Jan. 17, 2020:

With the Mets now holding their second managerial search of the offseason, a couple of internal options have come up as possible replacements for Carlos Beltran.

The Mets are in upheaval roughly three weeks before spring training starts as they search for a new manager to replace Carlos Beltran.

In his latest mailbag, Matthew Cerrone answers questions about the Beltran situation and more...

The elephant in the room -- and the overwhelming question asked of me -- has been about who I want the Mets to hire to replace Carlos Beltran.

In the wake of the Phillies hiring Joe Girardi, who was my top choice at the start of the offseason, I advocated for Eduardo Perez -- not Beltran. I still like Perez, who I think has a unique mix of relatable player experience, knowledge of stats and feel for the game, media savvy, professionalism, in-game management skills and a commanding presence on and off the field. He signed a new deal with ESPN that can be broken if he is offered a gig to run a team or dugout.

Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter |

No baseball team wants to find itself searching for a manager in late January, but that's where the Mets find themselves, after baseball's massive electronic cheating scandal swallowed Carlos Beltran.

The team did at least conduct an exhaustive search last October. The Mets will now lean on that work -- which began as two sets of lists on a white board in their offices, and continued on to include many in-person interviews -- as they try to make a quick but thoughtful decision on who should lead the club this year.

GM Brodie Van Wagenen declined comment on the process. Other indications are that the Mets would like to have a new manager by the end of next week.

Speaking Thursday night during an appearance on ESPN, where he works as an analyst, Eduardo Perez spoke about the Carlos Beltran situation and said he had not yet heard from the Mets as they embark on their second manager search of the offseason.

"I have not heard from the New York Mets," Perez said. "I think they're gonna do their due diligence and move forward from this. And I can tell you this: from the interview process that I did go through in October through November, they did their due diligence. This just popped up and it looks like it did not work their way. But at least with me, they did do their due diligence."

The 50-year-old Perez, who was one of three finalists for the Mets manager job before it went to Beltran and could be a candidate again this time around, agreed with Beltran and the Mets parting ways.

As the dust settles after the Mets and manager Carlos Beltran mutually parted ways on Thursday, the team has started their second managerial search of the offseason, with GM Brodie Van Wagenen saying the team is considering internal and external candidates. 

Here are the odds for who the Mets will choose to replace Beltran, per betonline.ag.

Eduardo Perez: +300
Hensley Meulens: +350
Luis Rojas: +400
Tim Bogar: +400
Terry Collins: +700
Tony DeFrancesco: +700
Bruce Bochy: +900
Buck Showalter: +900
Dusty Baker: +900
John Gibbons: +1000
Kevin Long: +1200

The "sense among Brewers people" is that their current bench coach, Pat Murphy, would be an "ideal fit" for Mets manager, reports Robert Murray.

The 61-year-old Murphy's name first emerged when the Mets were beginning their third round of interviews that eventually led to the hiring of Carlos Beltran, with Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reporting at the time that Murphy had already had two interviews with the Mets for the job.

Since parting ways with Beltran on Thursday amidst the Astros sign-stealing scandal, Luis Rojas has come up as a potential candidate and Joe McEwing has thrown his hat in the ring. Other potential candidates could include bench coach Hensley Meulens.

Terry Collins is not expected to be in the mix, SNY's Andy Martino reported Thursday.

The Mets announced on Thursday afternoon that team and Carlos Beltran have mutually parted ways, following Beltran's including in Major League Baseball's report on the Astros sign-stealing scandal.

So now the question becomes where to the Mets turn to find their next manager?

According to SNY's Andy Martino, Mets quality control coach Luis Rojas has come up as an internal candidate while early indications are that former manager Terry Collins will not be a candidate for the job.

Other candidates could include Eduardo Perez, a finalist for the job this past November, while SNY's John Harper believes the Mets should hire Buck Showalter. 

On Thursday, the Mets and Carlos Beltran mutually agreed to part ways, just a few days after the recently named Mets manager was named in MLB's report on the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal.

After the news broke, some of the Mets players took to social media to weigh in.

One of those players was first baseman Pete Alonso, who at just 25 years old has already begun to establish himself as a leader within the team clubhouse.

Carlos Beltran, a superb hitter and gifted outfielder, becomes eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2023. Time may dim the current furor over his prominent role in the Astros' sign-stealing scandal, but it's hard to imagine his candidacy won't be impacted by it. 

Is it enough to keep him out of Cooperstown? That's unknowable now. 

Maybe it sinks what some believe is a borderline case, or at least gives undecided voters pause. Some longtime voting members of the Baseball Writers Association of America I spoke to Thursday say they now consider the scheme part of the data that they must evaluate in Beltran's case.

But perhaps Beltran, a nine-time All-Star, was so good that all will be overlooked. One voter said Thursday said he won't view the star's candidacy any differently in light of the sign-stealing.  

John Harper, SNY.tv | Twitter |

So the Josh Donaldson domino finally fell on Tuesday night, and by landing in Minnesota it didn't tilt the balance of power in the NL East, after all. Or my offseason grades, for that matter.

Either the Nationals or the Braves could have separated themselves by signing -- or re-signing -- the power-hitting third baseman. Instead, there's not much to separate the work the four contenders did this offseason, and even the Marlins at least warrant a grade this time for spending a little dough to upgrade their roster.

Last season, the division was the toughest in the majors, producing the 97-win Braves, the World Series-winning Nationals, a Mets team that went 46-26 in the second half (falling just short of a wild-card berth), and the dangerous-but-flawed Phillies who faded down the stretch but at least finished at .500.

Speaking Thursday after the Mets and manager Carlos Beltran mutually agreed to part ways, COO Jeff Wilpon and GM Brodie Van Wagenen went over the timeline of events and went into detail about the decision-making process that led to Beltran being out as manager.

Van Wagenen said the Mets were unaware of the sign-stealing situation with the Astros when Beltran was hired on Nov. 1 and that the organization first found out about the involvement of Beltran on Nov. 12 when the initial story in The Athletic was published.

At that time, the Mets deferred to MLB for them to lead the investigation.

Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter |

As he did his work on the field in Port St. Lucie on Wednesday, charming fantasy campers and huddling with staff, Carlos Beltran carried around a sadness perceptible to others. His friends in the organization felt it, too -- bummed, perhaps angry, and in disbelief that a promising career was about to end before it started.

There was a path forward for the Mets and Beltran. He could have held a news conference to apologize for his role in the historic Houston Astros cheating scandal. The team could have noted that Beltran was a player in 2017 -- not a team official like GM Jeff Luhnow, manager A.J. Hinch, and bench coach Alex Cora.

The only development that would have made it truly necessary to fire Beltran would have been if he lied to the team. But, according to the Mets' statement, " We believe that Carlos was honest and forthcoming with us. "

With the Mets and Carlos Beltran mutually parting ways amidst the fallout from the sign-stealing scandal that also claimed Astros manager A.J. Hinch and Red Sox manager Alex Cora, the question now becomes who his replacement will be.

Here are four potential candidates...

With the Mets and Carlos Beltran mutually agreeing to part ways on Thursday, they will immediately begin their search for his replacement. 

One candidate could be quality control coach Luis Rojas, who has come up internally, SNY's Andy Martino reported.

The 38-year-old Rojas is well-liked in the organization and was a candidate for the job that ultimately went to Beltran. He began his tenure with the Mets in 2006 and has worked his way through the ranks, managing at multiple levels of the minors and eventually becoming the Mets' quality control coach. 

Aside from Rojas, former manager Terry Collins (currently working as an advisor to GM Brodie Van Wagenen) and bench coach Hensley Meulens could also be among the candidates.

Carlos Beltran and the Mets have agreed to mutually part ways, sources tell SNY's Andy Martino. The Mets later confirmed the news.

The 42-year-old Beltran, who was hired in November, had been in Port St. Lucie preparing for the 2020 season as the Astros sign-stealing scandal investigation was wrapped up by MLB.

Beltran was the only player mentioned in MLB commissioner Rob Manfred's report that was released on Monday and focused on the Astros and Red Sox.

Speaking Thursday outside the Mets' spring training complex in Port St. Lucie after having a street named after him, Mets legend Mike Piazza spoke about the electronic sign-stealing scandal that has led to the firing of Astros manager A.J. Hinch and Red Sox manager Alex Cora.

The Mets have not yet officially determined the fate of manager Carlos Beltran, who was the only player named in MLB commissioner Rob Manfred's report on sign-stealing that was released Monday.

"We won't be using any cameras to steal signs," Mike Piazza said with a laugh about Team Italy, who he is manager of. "But we will have a lot of pasta and coffee in the dugout. No cameras, just pasta."

Mets legend and baseball Hall-of-Famer Mike Piazza was honored Thursday when the street outside the Mets' spring training home in Port St. Lucie, FL. was named "31 Piazza Drive."

While accepting the honor, Piazza became emotional when talking about his father, Vince, who Piazza said is not doing well health-wise.

Click below to watch...

The Mets are honoring Hall of Fame C Mike Piazza by renaming the address of the Mets Spring Training facility in Port St. Lucie to 31 Piazza Dr. on Thursday. 

"I am extremely excited that the Mets Spring Training home address and street name will be renamed in my honor," Piazza said in an official statement. "Port St. Lucie will always hold a special place in my career as the place where I prepared for some of my most memorable seasons, with teammates, staff and of course fans. Florida has been my home for the past thirty years so it's great tribute for my family and for future generations. I am truly touched and blessed."

While accepting the honor, Piazza was emotional as he explained how he would love for his father to see the ceremony, but he couldn't make it. He also learned that St. Lucie was from Sicily, which is where Piazza's family is from as well, so it was a full circle moment for him. 

With the Mets not having yet publicly disclosed how they plan to proceed with manager Carlos Beltran in the wake of the Astros sign-stealing scandal that has swallowed up two other managers, Houston has started its search to replace A.J. Hinch.

The Astros, who fired Hinch and GM Jeff Luhnow on Monday shortly after Rob Manfred suspended both of them for the 2020 season, have interviewed John Gibbons and Buck Showalter (per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal) as they look for a replacement. 

The Red Sox, who fired manager Alex Cora -- who was the Astros' bench coach in 2017 and helped devise the electronic sign-stealing operation) are also at the beginning of their managerial search, chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said on Tuesday.

Eighteen-year-old Mets prospect Francisco Alvarez has been named the No. 5 catching prospect in Major League Baseball by MLB Pipeline.

Alvarez, who had an explosive professional debut in 2019 as a 17-year-old after signing with the Mets in July of 2018 for $2.9 million as an international free agent, could be a consensus top 100 prospect in baseball by the middle of this season.

He made Baseball America's Top 100 prospects list in September.

On MLB Pipeline's new top 10 catching prospects list, Alvarez is behind only Adley Rutschman of the Orioles, Joey Bart of the Giants, Sean Murphy of the Athletics, and Luis Campusano of the Padres.

A day after the Red Sox parted ways with Alex Cora as their manager, Mets fans are still waiting to see how all of this fallout from the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal will affect Carlos Beltran.

As of Wednesday evening, the Mets have yet to address the situation. Beltran was the only Astros player named in the MLB report, though it was "a group of players, including Carlos Beltran" who discussed that the team could "improve on decoding opposing teams' signs," per the MLB report.

SNY's Andy Martino has reported that no decision on Beltran's future will come on Wednesday.

John Harper, SNY.tv | Twitter |

So the Josh Donaldson domino finally fell on Tuesday night, and by landing in Minnesota it didn't tilt the balance of power in the NL East, after all. Or my offseason grades, for that matter.

Either the Nationals or the Braves could have separated themselves by signing -- or re-signing -- the power-hitting third baseman. Instead, there's not much to separate the work the four contenders did this offseason, and even the Marlins at least warrant a grade this time for spending a little dough to upgrade their roster.

Last season, the division was the toughest in the majors, producing the 97-win Braves, the World Series-winning Nationals, a Mets team that went 46-26 in the second half (falling just short of a wild-card berth), and the dangerous-but-flawed Phillies who faded down the stretch but at least finished at .500.

On Wednesday, Steve Gelbs made his debut as a panelist on The Thread.

Gelbs, who joins Gary Cohen, Ron Darling, and Keith Hernandez for each Mets broadcast on SNY, was in the studio to relive some of his best moments from covering the team. 

The biggest name left on baseball's free agent market appears to have found a new home, and it's nowhere in the NL East.

Josh Donaldson, who had a resurgent 2019 season with the Braves, is heading to the Minnesota Twins on a four-year deal worth $92 million, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com broke the news that Donaldson had agreed with Minnesota.

Donaldson, 34, slashed .259/.379/.521 with 37 home runs and 94 RBI, finishing 11th in NL MVP voting. After an injury-riddled 2018 season with the Blue Jays and Indians, Donaldson signed a one-year "prove it" deal with the Braves, and it certainly paid off. 

On Monday, news of Major League Baseball's report on the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal sent shock waves throughout the game, as Astros manager AJ Hinch and GM Jeff Luhnow were suspended for a year, and then subsequently fired by team owner Jim Crane. The team also had to forfeit future first and second round picks, and $5 million.

On Tuesday night, the Boston Red Sox announced that they have parted ways with manager Alex Cora, due to his involvement with the situation.

All of this may have Met fans wondering if anything further will happen to Carlos Beltran, who was also named in the report, but as a player and not a coach.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said on Monday that no players had been suspended based on the league's findings, saying that while a "group of players, including Carlos Beltran, discussed that the team could improve on decoding opposing teams' signs and communicating the signs to the batter," the league would not "assess discipline on individual Astros players."

As the offseason winds down and spring training is just weeks away, Jeff McNeil has his sights set on the Mets making a big jump into the postseason in 2020.

McNeil, who had an extremely efficient season in 2019 with slashes of .318/.384/.531 that came with 23 home runs and 75 RBI, believes the team has the right personnel to make a run.

"I think we have really high expectations," McNeil said on SiriusXM's PGA Tour Radio with Michael Breed. "I expect to make the playoffs, you now, we came up a little short last year but I expect to make the playoffs. We got the pitching staff to do it. We got the best pitcher in baseball in [Jacob] deGrom. We got Pete [Alonso]. We've got a bunch of young guys, we've got a good mix of young guys and veterans, so I think we're just going to build off what we did last year. We had a good second half, I think we had one of the best records in baseball in the second half, so just kind of build on that and hopefully, you know, once we get in the playoffs anything can happen, especially with our pitching staff with deGrom, [Noah] Syndergaard, it's a pretty good top of the rotation. Basically we just have to get to the playoffs and go from there."

The following are insights, ideas and notes gathered from recent conversations with team sources, rival executives, reporters, front office assistants and talent evaluators...

Adding a reliever...

There seems to be a decent market for less-exciting, affordable relievers Pedro Strop and Collin McHugh. Other than that, no one I know seems to think there's much urgency in the market to sign relievers at any level until later in the month.

I still think the Mets need one more arm, even if just for depth.

Talks between the Rockies and Cardinals revolving around Nolan Arenado have "advanced beyond a preliminary stage," reports Jon Morosi of MLB.com.

According to Morosi, the Rockies are "insisting" on a package that includes both big league and minor league talent.

Specifically, Morosi says Colorado has interest in Cardinals starting pitcher Dakota Hudson and are expected to ask for at least one of the Cardinals' top four prospects.

With Red Sox manager Alex Cora embroiled in the Astros' sign-stealing scandal and facing potentially harsh discipline from commissioner Rob Manfred for his role helping Houston and Boston electronically steal signs, Mets right-hander Marcus Stroman is calling him out for his seeming hypocrisy. 

In May of this past season, Cora had harsh words for Stroman (then with the Blue Jays) for the methods he employed while he pitched and how he acted on the mound against the Red Sox.

"I was telling (the home plate umpire), if he's going to get on our guys, get on him," Cora said. "It's the same thing with him every day. He competes a certain way and people don't like it. It seems like whenever a team comes in, somebody screams at him. I don't know, that's the way he acts."

MLB came down hard on the now-fired duo of Astros manager A.J. Hinch and GM Jeff Luhnow on Monday, suspending both of them for one season as part of their involvement in Houston's sign-stealing scandal.

Despite being named in MLB's report, Mets manager Carlos Beltran -- who was a player with the Astros in 2017 when their scheme was ongoing -- will not be suspended.

SNY's Andy Martino reported on Jan. 7 that as Major League Baseball entered the final stages of its investigation, "all indications" were that Beltran would not be suspended.

Brandon Nimmo missed a large chunk of the 2019 season due to a neck injury, but that didn't stop him from being recognized as one of the best center fielders in baseball, according to MLB Network's rankings.

Nimmo, who checked in at No. 9 on the list, struggled early last season due in part to attempting to play through his neck injury. After returning in September, he hit .261/.430/.565 in 26 games.

The above numbers improved upon what Nimmo did in 2018, when he slashed 263/.404/.483 and was worth 4.5 fWAR during what was his first full season in the majors.

Tim Tebow's big league dream was already a wild long-shot before he stalled out in Triple-A in 2019, when he hit just .163/.240/.255 in 77 games.

Still, as has been the case since joining the Mets, Tebow will be at big league spring training.

Asked what kind of advice he would give Tebow as he continues to play baseball, Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun had the following to say to TMZ Sports.

The Mets, the City of Port St. Lucie, St. Lucie County, and Mike Piazza will be on hand for a "major announcement regarding an address change and street naming" on Thursday, it was announced by the team on Monday.

Specifically, the address of their spring training home in Port St. Lucie will be changed to honor Piazza.

Mets COO Jeff Wilpon will be attending along with Piazza and local elected officials.

Center fielder Kevin Pillar is still a free agent, and Mets right-hander Marcus Stroman made it clear over the weekend that he misses his former teammate and the prowess he possessed behind him in center field.

In exchanges Sunday on Twitter (that started with Pillar kind of recreating a workout Stroman carried out with a glass of wine on his back), the two went back and forth, including the below from Stroman:

"Haha my brother! Love that! Tell the family I said whatup. You've always been a beast in the weight room KP. Your better years are still ahead of you. Miss having you behind me catching everything!"

If the Mets want to make a trade for Nolan Arenado, they better act fast.

The St. Louis Cardinals have emerged as a suitor for the Colorado Rockies third baseman, according to a Sunday evening report from Jon Morosi of MLB Network and MLB.com.

Arenado has drawn interest from the Cardinals over recent days, and the Rockies have conducted "preliminary" negotiations on a trade with St. Louis for Colorado's five-time All-Star, according to Morosi.

Former Mets INF Todd Frazier will be heading to Texas, as Dallas News' Evan Grant reports he has agreed to terms with the Rangers. The deal, which is still pending a physical, is worth $5 million over one year, per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. 

Frazier was a free agent this summer after completing his two-year, $17 million contract with the Mets. Due to J.D. Davis' emergence last season and Jeff McNeil remaining consistent, bringing back Frazier in 2020 wasn't a necessity. And there's the obvious Pete Alonso presence at first base that wouldn't have Frazier shift across the offense anyway. 

The Rangers, on the other hand, were in desperate need of a third baseman -- and they still may be looking elsewhere for a more permanent option at the position given Frazier's age. Nolan Arenado has been someone they've been linked with, and there were rumors of a trade for Miguel Andujar with the Yankees as well.  

How do you top winning Rookie of the Year, setting the rookie record for home runs, winning the Home Run Derby, and becoming one of the most popular players in the league and doing it all in New York?

This is the question facing Pete Alonso as he prepares for his second big-league season.

In what was a historic season for him in 2019, Alonso hit .260 with a .358 OBP, 53 home runs and 120 RBI. He also exceeded expectations in the field, which was the main concern hanging over him in the minor leagues.

Former Yankees pitching prospect Yefry Ramirez has signed with the Mets, according to a report from MLB.com's Matt Kardos

Ramirez made his debut in 2018 for the Orioles and stayed in Baltimore until May of the 2019 season, when he was traded to the Pirates. The 26-year-old has a 1-10 record with a 6.32 ERA and 89 strikeouts.

It took quite some time for the RHP to make his way up the ranks after being signed by the Diamondbacks as an international free agent in 2011. 

Following his second full season as the Mets primary shortstop, Amed Rosario knows he still has some work to do on defense. Which is why, according to The Daily News, he's enlisted the help of defensive guru Perry Hill.

Rosario said he's spent the offseason with Hill -- currently serving as the Mariners' first base and infield coach -- in Tampa to see what he can do to become a more dependable infielder.

"I started working on different defensive points where I can improve my game," Rosario said. "I feel pretty comfortable with it."

On Friday, the Mets agreed to deals with all of their arbitration-eligible players, including starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard, who agreed to a $9.7 million deal.

At times, Syndergaard's long-term future with the Mets has seemingly been in question, but SNY's Andy Martino said on The Thread Friday, that the Mets have a lot of moving pieces right now, making it hard to predict what the future will hold for the right-hander.

Spring Training is just around the corner, but there are still lots of questions when it comes to the 2020 Mets...

The Mets bullpen is still riddled with 'what ifs.' Any chance they sign another major league reliever to fortify it a bit? ~ Vas Drimalitis on Twitter)

It's difficult to answer this not knowing their available budget. That said, if looking to spend as little money possible for the most experience, I can see them targeting someone like Alex Wood, Pedro Strop or Brandon Kintzler, all of whom can be had for one year and less than $8 million. Strop is the definition of the up-and-down reliever.

However, through it all, he's always had a good strikeout- and ground-ball rate. He'll be 34 and there's no reason based on his numbers and history to think he can't rebound in 2020 and become one helluva bargain. The same can essentially be said about Kintzler.

Friday is the deadline for teams and arbitration-eligible players to come to terms on a contract for the 2020 season.

For the Mets, Marcus Stroman, Noah Syndergaard, Michael Conforto, Edwin Diaz, Steven Matz, Seth Lugo, Brandon Nimmo, Robert Gsellman, and Jake Marisnick are the players eligible for arbitration. All were tendered contracts earlier this offseason.

If a player and team are unable to come to terms, their salary will be set during an arbitration hearing later this offseason.

The Mets announced Thursday that 15 non 40-man roster players will be invited to participate in big league spring training. Some of the players are new to the organization, such as 2011 Rays first round pick Jake Hager, and a few others with some big-league experience in RHP Pedro Payano and OF Ryan Cordell, who I believe will provide some necessary depth in Triple-A Syracuse.

The Mets also invited some prospects to spring training that I think you should keep an eye on since they have a good shot of contributing in the majors in 2020.

Five of the prospects to watch are highlighted below...

Robert Dominguez, the 18-year-old right-handed pitcher whose fastball already tops out at 99 mph, is ranked No. 17 on the Mets' Top 31 prospects list that was released by FanGraphs on Friday.

Dominguez, who was signed out of Venezuela this past July, also already has a plus curveball to go along with a developing changeup.

"He's only thrown a handful of times since the velo spike and not even all of the Mets upper level decision makers have seen him yet, but the talent level is on par with a compensation or second round pick," FanGraphs wrote in their scouting report. "There's just significantly more uncertainty and less track record than even later-developing players taken in that range, like Josh Wolf."

The St. Lucie Mets announced their field staff for the upcoming 2020 season, most notably adding Endy Chavez as their bench coach.

Chavez, who played 13 years in the MLB and three with the Mets, will become the first bench coach for St. Lucie. He most recently served as a coach with the Class A-short season Brooklyn Cyclones last season.

St. Lucie also added another newcomer to its staff in Royce Ring, who will be the team's new pitching coach.

A trade of Nolan Arenado by the Rockies is "starting to look inevitable," Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic wrote on Thursday. This is an escalation from Dec. 19, when Rosenthal wrote that a trade of Arenado was possible.

On Jan. 2, Rosenthal reported that in order to trade their franchise third baseman, the Rockies would "likely" need to receive a controllable first baseman or center fielder. 

We explained here on Dec. 20 why Arenado is a near-perfect Mets trade target. And if Brodie Van Wagenen hasn't already gotten on the phone with the Rockies to discuss it, he needs to.

The Mets have invited eight players to big league Spring Training, including two of their top prospects, a fast-rising bullpen arm, and Tim Tebow. 

The top prospects are left-handed starting pitchers David Peterson and Kevin Smith. 

The fast-rising bullpen arm is right-hander Ryley Gilliam.