Good morning, Mets fans!
I’m not one to start the day with poor news, but the Mets revealed infielder Ronny Mauricio has a torn right ACL that will require surgery.
Mauricio, 22, left a Dominican Winter League game on Sunday with a non-contact injury. His return-to-play timeline will be determined following the procedure. At the very least, he’ll miss most of the 2024 season, leaving the Mets’ infield plan in a further state of uncertainty. With the market heating up since the Shohei Ohtani signing, the Mets may be on the hunt for a more secure fixture at third base.
Here is the Ronny Mauricio injury from Sunday night.
Original video by @JohnFromAlbany pic.twitter.com/z1550ynTmH
— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) December 11, 2023
Mauricio, the Mets’ top prospect, made his highly anticipated arrival to Queens in 2023. Playing mostly second and third base, Mauricio appeared in 26 games, ending the season with two home runs, nine RBIs and an OPS of .667.
Mauricio was 13-for-30 in the LIDOM prior to his injury. For more on this news, click here.
John Jones-USA TODAY Sports
The Mets showed interest in a reunion with pitcher Seth Lugo, according to Metsmerized’s Mike Mayer. However, Lugo opted to sign a three-year, $45 million deal with the Kansas City Royals. Anne Rogers and Mark Feinsand of MLB.com were first to report the deal.
Japanese pitcher Shoto Imanaga is drawing interest from a number of MLB teams, including the Mets, and could receive a deal with an annual average of more than $20 million, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network.
The Mets are among the teams showing interest in outfielder Michael A. Taylor, per Mike Puma of the New York Post.
Jett Williams, the Mets’ minor league player of the year, has hired VaynerSports to represent him, the agency announced.
The San Francisco Giants agreed to a six-year, $113-million contract with Jong Hoo Lee, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. More on the deal and the Mets’ interest here.
The Los Angeles Dodgers met with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Tuesday, according to Russell Dorsey of Bally Sports. Updates on the Yamamoto sweepstakes can be found here.
The Cleveland Guardians have signed pitcher Ben Lively to a major league contract, the team announced.
The police investigation into Dodgers pitcher Julio Urias’ arrest on suspicion of felony domestic violence in September, according to the LA Times. The county DA’s office will decide whether or not to charge him.
The Royals agreed to a deal with Chris Stratton to a one-year deal with a player option for 2025, according to Feinsand.
Juan Soto said playing on an expiring contract is not going to be difficult because he has one of the best agents in the sport during his press conference.
The Washington Nationals agreed to a deal with pitcher Dylan Floro to a one-year deal, the team announced.
The Pittsburgh Pirates agreed to a deal with first baseman Rowdy Tellez, according to Robert Murray of Fansided.
Farhan Zaidi, the Giants’ president of baseball operations, said the Giants agreed to everything Shohei Ohtani did in his historic contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Billy Heller laments on the disappointment of being a Mets fan this offseason.
Patrick Glynn asks how Steve Cohen can use deferrals to his advantage.
1999: Seattle Mariners star Ken Griffey Jr. vetoes a trade to the Mets. Imagine that swing in Queens…. Here’s a fun piece on how Griffey’s decision altered the league.
Birthdays: Doug Saunders (54), Ron Taylor (76), J.C. Martin (77), Joe Christopher (78)
The post Morning Briefing: Mets’ Infield Depth Takes a Hit first appeared on Metsmerized Online.
