An injured Mets player, Beltrán's return, and Scherzer talks opt-out

Carlos Beltrán prepares to speak to the media for the first time since returning to the Mets. Plus, how Max Scherzer is all-in on 2023.

What’s Up with the Mets? 🌴

• RHP Max Scherzer isn’t thinking about his third year opt-out right now, and believes the Mets have done everything to put themselves in a position as contenders

• 1B/DH Darin Ruf received a cortisone injection in his wrist to fend off arthritis – he will be limited for the next 2-3 days

• Special Assistant to the GM Carlos Beltrán arrived in camp on Tuesday and will meet with the media later this morning

• Former Mets OF Tyler Naquin is signing a minor league deal with the Brewers (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal)

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For Max Scherzer, nothing matters after 2023… ✍🏻

As far as Max Scherzer is concerned, there is no life after 2023.

Okay, that’s not exactly what the Mets ace said to SNY’s Andy Martino on Tuesday in Port St. Lucie, but the sentiment is there.

Speaking about the third-year player option for the first time since joining the club, Scherzer revealed that he isn’t thinking past this season – and that’s a good thing for New York.

“I wanted to pursue a championship in that third year and that’s where an opt-out, to me, made sense,” Scherzer said. “But obviously, Steve [Cohen] has demonstrated that we're going to be trying to win the World Series. We're gonna do whatever it takes to win.”

Scherzer also got into the fact that he was keenly aware that Jacob deGrom had an opt-out of his own following the 2022 season, and was keeping on eye on what the club would do to replace him if he did not ultimately re-sign.

“I got an answer,” Scherzer joked, referencing the Mets signing the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander to replace the exiting deGrom this offseason. For good measure, New York also signed starters Kodai Senga and José Quintana to round out the rest of their starting rotation.

“I’m not even thinking about opting out or opting in. I’m just thinking about playing baseball,” Scherzer added. “You’ve got to see the proof in the pudding, and we have now seen what Steve has done.”

It really is remarkable to see how far this organization has come in certain respects. At the start of the 2021-22 offseason, few people would have ever dreamed that the New York Mets would have been able to convince Max Scherzer — one of the best pitchers of his generation — to leave the Dodgers and sign with them. Now, not only is Scherzer here, but he is speaking confidently about this team’s ownership and the overall direction of the franchise.

At the end of the day, Scherzer’s endorsements of this team will only matter as far as his actions take him following the 2023 season. But it is so incredibly refreshing that, for once, things with the Mets are not about looking into the future. This is a win-now team with a win-now attitude from the top down. It was clear that would be the case based by this front office’s flurry of activity over the winter, and now it is being embodied by each and every one of their players now that camp has started.

Scherzer came here to win a championship in New York and right now, that is the one and only thing he’s focused on. For Mad Max and the Mets, it’s 2023 or bust right now. Until this season comes to an end, that’s all there is that matters.

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Around the League 🚩

• The Twins are in agreement to sign INF Donovan Solano to a one-year, major league contract (Rosenthal)

• The Brewers have signed 1B/DH Luke Voit to a minor league contract (MLB.com)

• The Nationals and Angels are showing interest in free agent C Gary Sánchez (Gómez)