The Mets continue to be linked to Pirates outfielder Starling Marte.

According to SNY Insider Andy Martino, the team is still in on the 31-year-old, and they would likely need to trade a major league outfielder in any deal for him.

Brodie Van Wagenen admitted that the team currently has a surplus of outfielders, with Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo, JD Davis, Yoenis Cespedes, Jake Marisnick, and even Dom Smith, who can play both left field and first base.

The first day of Winter Meetings have come and gone in San Diego, and the Mets are still looking to do some business. Here are the latest rumors for today...

Dec. 10, 10:41 PM:

According to SNY Insider Andy Martino, the team is still in on Starling Marte, and they would likely need to trade a major league outfielder in any deal for him.

New Mets manager Carlos Beltran made an appearance at the Winter Meetings in San Diego Tuesday evening and discussed the upcoming season for his new ball club and what he's done in the first month since being named manager.

"It's been a lot of work trying to catch up with all the information, all the details, trying to reach out to all the players," Beltran said in his opening statement. "But it's been fun, it's been a learning experience, there is no doubt that, you know, being in the job a lot of times from the outside you think that being a manager is something that happens from one day to another, but really it takes time to catch up with all the information. The good thing is that I have a good group of guys around me that are being supportive and they've been guiding me through the process."

The Mets made additional changes to their coaching staff aside from Beltran this offseason, adding the likes of Hensley Meulens as their bench coach and Jeremy Hefner as the new pitching coach. 

Beltran noted that 'It was a team effort" in picking and finalizing this new coaching staff.

For the second straight day during the MLB Winter Meetings in San Diego, Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen met with the media.

Tuesday's topics included how the team will respond to other moves being made within the division, players have specific nutrition plans, and how the team may use their 26th spot on the active roster.

Here are four takeaways from Tuesday's availability:

Two Mets were named to the inaugural All-MLB First Team on Tuesday afternoon, with Pete Alonso taking the first baseman slot and Jacob deGrom grabbing one of the four spots available for starting pitchers.

Alonso was named the NL Rookie of the Year after setting the MLB rookie record for home runs in a season with 53--that effort was also good enough to lead the league in home runs in 2019.

The rookie held slashes of .260/.358/.583 for the season and was named to the NL All-Star team.

During the course of the day, I often text and talk with a variety of MLB insiders to better understand what is happening in the hot stove.

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

Adding to the bullpen...

My hunch is the Mets will sign at least one relief pitcher before the end of the Winter Meetings.

The Mets think "they have ability" to add pitching help this offseason, which could mean a free agent reliever such as Dellin Betances, perhaps another reliever in addition to a Betances-type, and a back of the rotation starting pitcher, reports SNY's Andy Martino.

Martino adds that Betances currently has multiyear and one-year opportunities.

Brodie Van Wagenen spent much of his media availability on Monday night at the Winter Meetings talking about the potential of adding depth to the roster, and was coy when it came to exactly what the Mets could or would allocate to each area of need.

The Winter Meetings are in full swing in San Diego, and the Mets still have a lot they need to accomplish if they hope to be one of the top contenders for the NL East title in 2020.

As Brodie Van Wagenen prepares to wheel and deal, MetsBlog's Matthew Cerrone dipped into his mailbag...

1) Gorman (via Twitter): Seeing a lot of people including top prospect Andres Gimenez in trade scenarios. Is it because he's blocked by Amed Rosario? Who has more trade value, Rosario or Gimenez? Is Gimenez good enough to consider using Rosario to acquire a superstar?

If the people you are referring to are our fellow fans, I wouldn't worry about it because being an Armchair GM is what we are supposed to do this time of year. It's part of the fun.

The general sense after the Mets traded for center fielder Jake Marisnick was that it would end any potential pursuit of Pirates center fielder Starling Marte. Maybe not.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported Monday that part of the reason why the Mets swung the deal for Marisnick when they did was because of a fear that they would be unable to land Marte. And Rosenthal suggested that Marte could still be in play.

Jon Heyman of the MLB Network reported Tuesday that the Mets have not ruled out Marte and that they would meet with the Pirates at the Winter Meetings, adding that the Pirates are seeking a "young, controllable" catcher.

MLB's Winter Meetings have officially begun in San Diego, and the Mets are looking to upgrade their 2020 roster. Here are the latest rumors for today...

Dec. 9, 11:55 PM:

Brodie Van Wagenen met with reporters at the MLB Winter Meetings in San Diego, and among the topics he discussed was whether or not the Mets expect to have outfielder Yoenis Cespedes back for the 2020 season. 

David Wright has been fairly quiet behind the scenes in his role as a special advisor with the Mets, but he was on hand Monday in San Diego for the start of the MLB Winter Meetings.

Among the topics that Wright discussed was the hiring of his former teammate Carlos Baltran as the team's new manager.

According to Wright, Beltran's outstanding baseball IQ sets him up very well for his new position. 

"Probably one of the smartest baseball men that I have been around," Wright said in San Diego. "His baseball IQ is off the charts. And I think in the latter part of his career he almost became like a player-coach on the field, so I am excited about what he can share with the younger players, certainly because I think every player strives to be a Carlos Beltran type of player, a five-tool guy."

John Harper, SNY.tv | Twitter |

Unless the Mets are pulling a heck of a misdirection play, all indications are they don't plan to spend significantly for the pitching help that they figure to need if they're serious about winning the NL East next season.

So how do they get creative, to use the strategy that Brodie Van Wagenen has referenced in speaking of this offseason?

Their most obvious trade chip is Dom Smith, mostly because he's blocked at first base by Pete Alonso and would be a liability in left field. Smith has value after proving last season that he can do damage with the bat, but the Mets almost certainly see J.D. Davis as a better fit, since he can play third base and left field. 

Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen helped kick off the MLB Winter Meetings on Monday, meeting with members of the media in San Diego.

Van Wagenen was asked about the team's priorities at this point in the preseason, how the team's rotation may look without Zack Wheeler, and much more. Here are five takeaways from Van Wagenen's media availability:

On Jake Marisnick

The Mets have already made one notable move this offseason, acquiring outfielder Jake Marisnick from the Houston Astros.

Van Wagenen wouldn't lock in Marisnick as the team's everyday starting center fielder, but he said the outfielder gives the Mets a lot of options moving forward.

After his new club officially announced the signing of former Met Zack Wheeler on Monday, Phillies manager Joe Girardi was on hand at the Winter Meetings in San Diego to give his thoughts on, among other things, the addition of the starting pitcher. 

In his mind, there's an awful lot to be excited about.

The Winter Meetings are in full swing in San Diego, and the Mets still have a lot they need to accomplish if they hope to be one of the top contenders for the NL East title in 2020.

As Brodie Van Wagenen prepares to wheel and deal, MetsBlog's Matthew Cerrone dipped into his mailbag...

Nicholas Giordano (via Twitter): Is there a realistic scenario where the Mets can dump Jed Lowrie's or Jeurys Familia's contracts and still improve the team? I don't want to attach J.D. Davis/Dominic Smith to a trade just so we can dump salary.

Sadly, I think the only way Van Wagenen can move Lowrie and/or Familia and their full contracts is to either bring back an equally risky and bad contract or do what you don't want and include Davis and/or Smith.

During this week of MLB's Winter Meetings, free agency is the main driver of rumors that swirl around. However, big time trades have also went down during this pivotal week in the offseason. 

The Mets did just that last season, when Brodie Van Wagenen burst onto the scene with a blockbuster trade for Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz. So would Van Wagenen be that guy again to make the big splash on the trade market instead of free agency? 

A big name out there is Indians SS Francisco Lindor, and while taking questions during SNY's "Winter Meetings Live" on Facebook Monday, Steve Gelbs and Andy Martino broke down a proposed trade proposal for the Mets and Lindor. 

The trade package was Lindor for SS Amed Rosario and RHP Noah Syndegaard, which both Gelbs and Martino were very intrigued by. But would it be worth it? They break it down...

Mets free agent target Dellin Betances is "likely" to sign a one-year deal in an effort to increase his value and hit the market again in 2020, reports Jack Curry of the YES Network.

Curry added that the Yankees have engaged with Betances, who he says attended a congratulatory dinner for Carlos Beltran after Beltran was named manager of the Mets.

Betances, who will turn 32 before Opening Day, pitched just 2/3 of an inning in 2019 after dealing with a lat injury. He returned toward the end of the season, but suffered an Achilles injury in his only appearance that ended his year. 

Stephen Strasburg has agreed to a seven-year deal with the Nationals worth $245 million, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. It is a record deal for a pitcher both in terms of total value and average annual value.

The deal includes a full no-trade clause and does not have any opt-outs, reports Tim Brown of Yahoo.

While the Nats have made a huge move by retaining Strasburg, his return almost certainly means the end of free agent Anthony Rendon as a National.

The Mets are in need of a starting pitcher to fill the empty slot in the rotation and also need bullpen help.

With that in mind, former big league executive Adam Fisher and SNY contributor John Harper each tossed out a trade idea on Sunday night...

Danny Abriano, SNY.tv | Twitter |

The Mets enter the Winter Meetings having re-signed Brad Brach to a one-year deal with a player option for 2021 that could turn out to be a steal if Brach performs in 2020 like he has during most of his career. 

But Brach isn't nearly enough.

On Monday, ESPN released its first chunk of Sunday Night Baseball games for the 2020 MLB season, and the Mets have a few of the primetime matchups. 

Here's where New York has been slated thus far...

What does Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen have up his sleeve as he gets set for the 2019 MLB Winter Meetings?

On the ground in San Diego from Sunday through Thursday, SNY's Jim Duquette and Andy Martino set the scene for the Mets.

Fielding questions from SNY's Steve Gelbs, the two kicked around the Mets' possibilities as free agency switches into another gear.

The Mets have made their coaching staff for the 2020 MLB season official on Sunday night. 

In a press release, the team announced who will be helping out Carlos Beltran in his first managerial season, including the return of hitting coach Chili Davis and the addition of pitching coach Jeremy Hefner. 

"We are excited to complete our coaching staff following a very thoughtful and extensive process," Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen said. "Carlos drove this search and prioritized talented coaches who share his player's first vision and complement his skill sets." 

John Harper, SNY.tv | Twitter |

The Winter Meetings have been a snooze-fest in recent years, as teams have become more cautious about long-term free-agent signings and less inclined to give up prospects in trades, producing offseason stalemates that last into February.

But there's hope it might be different this time, as a combination of factors offers the possibility for significant action in San Diego the next few days. 

Most notably, large-market teams such as the Yankees, Dodgers, and Angels are big-game hunters this offseason, which hasn't been the case in recent years. 

Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen heads down to San Diego on Sunday for his second stint at the Winter Meetings, and SNY's Andy Martino knows what he'll be looking to come back to Flushing with. 

Martino has the Mets looking to add a back end starter as well as bullpen help. Van Wagenen is looking to fill the void left by Jason Vargas, who was traded to the Phillies before the deadline last season. Zack Wheeler is also a Phillie now after signing his multi-year deal this past week. 

Rick Porcello is a man on their list, according to Martino. But if Van Wagenen can't add someone, there is the possibility that Seth Lugo or Robert Gsellman could be starting for the Mets instead of coming out of the bullpen. 

Mets OF Brandon Nimmo sat down with SNY's Steve Gelbs to discuss why the Mets clubhouse is so close, and how that can help the team going forward.

"The clubhouse was definitely different in a good way when I came back," Nimmo said. "Even to this offseason, the clubhouse has been different. With professional baseball, it just is the way it is. The past few years, everybody goes their seperate ways for the season and we'll meet back in spring training. Whoever's there is there, and we'll start from there."

"This offseason, that core young group of guys has really kept in touch really well. And that's been totally different than what I've experienced throughout pro ball. It's a little more of that commrodory, like you were saying, and that chemistry."

With Zack Wheeler heading to the Phillies on a five-year deal, the Mets find themselves with a spot open in their starting rotation.

Could Rick Porcello be the answer?

According to MLB Network's Jon Heyman, the Mets are talking to Porcello, who won the AL Cy Young Award in 2016.

Anthony McCarron, SNY.tv | Twitter |

Sure, you're hyped for some Mets free agent or trade action at the upcoming Winter Meetings. But unless the club pulls off a surprise blockbuster move, the most newsworthy Mets stuff coming out of San Diego might be the first public appearance by a club bigwig since the announcement of sale negotiations with billionaire Steve Cohen.

When Brodie Van Wagenen steps in front of cameras and reporters, there will be lots to discuss, far beyond how to fix that horrid bullpen.

With baseball's Winter Meetings just a few days away, the MLB hot stove continues to burn, and one of the Mets' divisional foes is reportedly set to pursue some of the biggest names on the market.

The Phillies have already signed Zack Wheeler away from the Mets, agreeing to a five-year, $118 million deal with the right-hander, and now they're reportedly pursuing both Anthony Rendon and Stephen Strasburg, perhaps the two biggest names on the market outside of Gerrit Cole. 

MLB.com's Jon Heyman has reported that the Phillies have shown interest in both Strasburg and Cole, though the team is "especially interested" in Strasburg.

Danny Abriano, SNY.tv | Twitter |

Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen will soon be in San Diego with his contingent and representatives from the 29 other clubs as the annual Winter Meetings begin.

The meetings officially start on Monday, Dec. 9 and conclude on Dec. 12. But things could start percolating as early as Sunday, when many of the most important movers and shakers start to arrive.

The Mets have agreed to sign reliever Brad Brach, SNY's Andy Martino confirmed. 

Brach's deal will be for one year and $850,000 and also contains a player option for 2021 that is worth $1.25 million, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

To make room on the 40-man roster for Brach, Chris Flexen was designated for assignment.

The Mets need and are looking to add more starting pitching. However, the team's path to the postseason in 2020 may rest more on what they get from Steven Matz and Marcus Stroman than what the Mets get from the hot stove market this winter.

Zack Wheeler is officially gone, having signed a five-year deal to join the Phillies. The pitcher replacing him will either be Seth Lugo or someone specifically acquired to be their fifth starter. In all likelihood, whomever it is will almost certainly not translate into 15-16 team wins like Wheeler did the past two seasons.

Sure, the Mets could score more and/or not allow as many runs late in games so they're more successful when Jacob deGrom is regularly brilliant. For instance, despite winning his second straight Cy Young Award with a 2.53 ERA, the Mets were 14-18 in games that he started in 2019. That stat is painful every time I see it.

Check out the view in the SNY Booth, with the camera on Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez, and Ron Darling for some big Mets moments of 2019!

The Phillies have yet to officially announce the addition of Zack Wheeler, though multiple reports have confirmed that the 29-year-old will join the Phillies on a five-year, $118 million deal.

New Phillies skipper Joe Girardi was asked about Wheeler on Thursday in Philadelphia, and while Girardi was only willing to speak in generalities, he did touch on what Wheeler brings to a pitching staff.

Danny Abriano, SNY.tv | Twitter |

With their trade for Jake Marisnick, the Mets have added an elite defensive center fielder who might not give them much in terms of offense. But the acquisition will likely have ripple effects throughout the roster.

GM Brodie Van Wagenen made it known earlier this offseason that he was seeking to improve the Mets' defense. He also made it clear he preferred to play Michael Conforto and Brandon Nimmo in the corner outfield spots.

With Wilson Ramos expected to return as the catcher and the infield defense up the middle set with Amed Rosario at shortstop and Robinson Cano at second base, center field seemed like the one spot where the Mets could seriously upgrade their defense. Now that they've done it, what will it mean for Conforto, Nimmo, and J.D. Davis? And what kind of impact will it have on Jeff McNeil?

The Mets have acquired Astros CF Jake Marisnick in exchange for prospects Blake Taylor and Kenedy Corona.

Marisnick, who is known for his defense, hit .233/.289/.411 in 120 games for the Astros in 2019. He is a career .227/.280/.380 hitter in seven seasons with the Marlins and Astros.

The 28-year-old Marisnick is projected to make $3 million via arbitration in 2020, after which he is eligible for free agency.

The Mets have signed outfielder Jarrett Parker and infielder Max Moroff to minor league deals that include invitations to big league spring training, the team announced Thursday.

Parker, 30, has played in parts of four major league seasons with the Angels and Giants, hitting.249/.330/.441 with 15 homers in 140 games.

He spent the majority of the 2019 season in Triple-A, where he hit.266/.394/.535 with 24 homers in 96 games. In eight minor league seasons, Parker has hit .261/.368/.464 with 127 homers.

Whether the Phillies doling out $118 million for five years of Zack Wheeler turns out to be an overpay or not, one thing that is certain is that Wheeler fleeing the Mets for a division rival that is trying to leapfrog them is bad for New York.

Shortly after Wheeler agreed to sign in Philly, Noah Syndergaard weighed in -- happy for his friend but conflicted as he posted on Twitter:

Earlier this week, SNY's Andy Martino reported that Jeff McNeil, J.D. Davis or Dominic Smith could be required in order to trade for Brewers closer Josh Hader.

This makes sense, but McNeil isn't going to be traded.

"He has significant value to the Mets, not just on field, but as it pertains to their budget," an NL East executive told me this past weekend. "I see no reason when push comes to shove that they'd deal him."

John Harper, SNY.tv | Twitter |

The Phillies are buying into the same obvious potential in Zack Wheeler that convinced me last winter he'd turned a corner in 2018 and blossomed into an elite starter, so I can understand why they gave him $118 million to upgrade their starting rotation. 

But here's the thing: Wheeler didn't turn that corner, as it turned out, and while brilliant at times in 2019, he was plagued by inconsistent command and mistake-pitch home runs that negated his dominant stuff too often, especially early as he pitched to a 4.96 ERA over the first 15 starts of the season.

J.D. Davis made his major league debut with the Houston Astros on August 5, 2017.

He hit eighth in the lineup that day, going 1-for-4 while playing third base.

Three spots ahead of him in the lineup that day was Carlos Beltran, the man who is now the Mets manager.

After ending his 2019 season strong, Brandon Nimmo is optimistic about the Mets as the calendar flips to the new year.

Nimmo, who turns 27 on March 27, returned Sept. 1 from his lengthy neck-injury rehab throughout the summer in time for the Mets' second-half surge into the playoff conversation.

He slashed .261/.430/.565 with five home runs and 15 RBI in 26 games down the stretch, and although the Mets were ultimately left out of the postseason, Nimmo drew inspiration from an NL East rival's successful run.

Sterling Partners and Cohen Private ventures released a statement on Wednesday regarding the future of the Mets:

"The Sterling Partners and Steve Cohen are negotiating an agreement in which Steve Cohen would increase his investment in the New York Mets, the statement reads. As part of that agreement, Fred Wilpon will remain in the role of the Control Person and CEO for five years and Jeff Wilpon will remain in his role of Chief Operating Officer for the 5 year period as well.Steve Cohen will continue as CEO and President of Point72 Asset Management and his stake in the Mets will continue to be managed by his family office, Cohen Private Ventures."

Cohen bought a four percent stake in the Mets in 2012 for $20 million. He was also part of a bid to purchase the Dodgers around the same time. 

In a nightmare outcome for the Mets, free agent Zack Wheeler has agreed to a five-year deal with the Phillies worth $118 million, SNY's Andy Martino confirmed.

Wheeler's camp circled back with the Mets before he agreed to sign with the Phillies, but the Mets did not make an offer, reports Mike Puma of the New York Post.

While Wheeler got paid handsomely, he actually turned down more money from the White Sox due in part to his desire to remain in close proximity to New Jersey -- where his wife is from -- reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

Before he started the second chapter of his MLB career with the Mets for the 2019 season, LF/3B J.D. Davis spent the previous two years in the Houston organization. 

With the Astros' sign-stealing scandal, which surfaced after the season and triggered an ongoing MLB investigation, questions remain about who knew what and when.

Asked about whether or not he knew of the Astros' alleged sign-stealing philosophy while with the team from 2017-18, Davis pointed directly to his numbers over those two seasons.

Brodie Van Wagenen has expressed a desire to add a true center fielder this offseason, shift Brandon Nimmo and Michael Conforto to corner outfield spots, and use Jeff McNeil primarily at third base. All of that could impact J.D. Davis in a big way.

Davis spent 585.1 innings in left field in 2019 and 220 innings at third base. He was below average in left field and close to unplayable at third base, where he was worth -9 DRS. 

Speaking at Citi Field on Wednesday during the Mets' kids holiday party, Davis said his preference was to play third base -- where McNeil is expected to be most of the time -- but that he would play anywhere the team needs him.

The Mets are open to a reunion with Zack Wheeler, who is an unrestricted free agent. Here's the latest...

Dec. 4, 2:21 PM:

SNY's Andy Martino has reported that Wheeler has reached an agreement with the Phillies. Many were getting the feeling that Wheeler's market was heating up to the highest degree before Winter Meetings, and that's exactly what happened as he joins the Mets' NL East rival. 

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, Wheeler's deal is five years and worth more than $100 million. 

There is mutual interest between the Mets and free-agent Rick Porcello, according to insiders aware of his offseason goals. This is good news because he's a perfect fit for the Mets.

As I wrote two weeks ago, the Phillies and Braves are among several teams that have been more aggressive than the Mets when it comes to signing Zack Wheeler. Insiders predicted to me weeks ago that Wheeler will get five years and $100 million, which at this point appears to be a foregone conclusion.

The same people also keep saying the Mets are more likely to let Wheeler walk in favor of a less expensive, more reliable, consistent, veteran starting pitcher to join the back of their rotation.

Doug Williams and Andy Martino are back with an all-new episode of the Shea Anything podcast! The guys dive into the upcoming Winter Meetings and what the Mets might target to bolster their roster. They also discuss why some "January guys" are being signed so early this offseason.

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