Good morning, Mets fans!
Luisangel Acuña had another big night in winter ball, going 2-for-3 with three steals and two runs scored. Acuña is now batting .375 with a .955 OPS and 12 steals this winter.
Luisangel Acuña. Photo by Fernando Oduber @fernandoioduber
MMO’s Mike Mayer reports that 13 teams have expressed interest in left-hander Kyle Hart. A 19th-round pick in 2016, Hart was tagged for 19 earned runs in 11 major league innings with the Red Sox in 2020, but dominated in the KBO this season, pitching to a 2.69 ERA with 182 strikeouts in 157 innings. He received the Choi Dong-won Award, which is the KBO’s version of the Cy Young Award. FanGraphs ranks Hart as the 48th-best available free agent and projects him to receive a two-year, $15 million contract.
The Mets have agreed to a two-year deal worth $34 million with right-hander Frankie Montas. The deal includes an opt-out after the first season. Montas split time between the Reds and Brewers in 2024, posting a 4.84 ERA with 148 strikeouts in 150 2/3 innings. Montas posted a 28.7% strikeout rate after getting traded to Milwaukee, a sharp increase from the 19% he had in Cincinnati.
In MLB Pipeline‘s updated top-100 prospect rankings, Carson Benge debuted at No. 99 on the list. Benge joins Brandon Sproat (40), Jett Williams (52), Drew Gilbert (74), and Ryan Clifford (87) in the rankings.
Newly minted Marlins manager Clayton McCullough told MLB Network Radio that Sandy Alcantara is on track to return to the Marlins’ rotation at the beginning of the 2025 season. The 2022 Cy Young winner missed all of the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery late in the 2023 season.
The White Sox have agreed to a minor-league contract with outfielder Cal Mitchell. A second-round pick by the Pirates in 2017, Mitchell owns a .626 OPS over 237 plate appearances in the majors, all with Pittsburgh. He spent the 2024 season in the Padres organization, posting a .277/.351/.512 batting line with 22 homers in 469 plate appearances for Triple-A El Paso.
Jorge Eckardt profiles free agent outfielder Tyler O’Neill.
James Villani looks at a couple of cost-effective right-handed relievers for the Mets to consider.
David Melendi profiles free agent righty Trevor Williams.
1991: The Mets sign four-time All-Star outfielder Bobby Bonilla to a five-year contract worth $29 million. Bonilla is coming off another strong season for the Pirates, batting .302/.391/.492 with 18 homers and a league-leading 44 doubles, and finishing third in NL MVP voting.
Born On This Date: Jay Kleven (1949), Gary Sánchez (1992).
The post Morning Briefing: Luisangel Acuña Stays Hot in Winter Ball appeared first on Metsmerized Online.
