Let's Baseball
Morning Dose: Monday, February 9
☀️ Good Morning:
I don’t care how much snow has covered my driveway (or how much the plow and the wind keeps pushing it back after I finish shoveling).
I don’t care how cold it is.
I don’t care if we are technically still six weeks away from real games.
Baseball is back, baby!
You wouldn’t be reading this newsletter in the middle of February if you didn’t feel the same.
After a rollercoaster offseason, we can finally start to see what this 2026 Mets team has in store for us. Whatever feelings you might have about the departed stars, you have to admit it’s refreshing to have some new stories to talk about. I think that’s what will make this spring a little more interesting than some in the past.
📻 PODCAST: To get you ready for the opening gun, I sat down with Jeff Hysen on National League Town to give a broad preview of the upcoming season.
🍎 METS FIX: This will be our sixth season doing this. I know many of you have been with us from the beginning. Thanks for being a part of this wonderful community. I can’t wait to experience the upcoming season together.
📰 ABOVE THE FOLD
⇢ POWER SEARCH
The Mets made news on Super Bowl Sunday by signing slugger MJ Melendez to a one-year deal that will pay him a $1.5 million rate for his time in the majors, plus $500,000 in incentives, per Jon Heyman.
The 27-year-old from Daytona Beach is a former top prospect with raw power who has reinvented himself from a catcher into a versatile outfielder and hopes to find his way again in New York.
⚾️ MAJOR LEAGUE DEAL: People often get confused when these type of signings are reported as “major-league deals.” That doesn’t mean he is guaranteed a spot in the majors this season. It means he will find his way onto the 40-man roster (the Mets can eventually open up spots by moving players to the 60-day IL). Melendez will then be paid at a split rate, depending on if he is in the majors or the minors.
With one minor-league option year remaining, New York has flexibility on where he plays.
