Mets, Yankees cleared of any collusion against Aaron Judge

The league office found no wrongdoing in their dealings for the top free agent position player on the market

What’s Up with the Mets? 🍎

• The Mets and Yankees were cleared of any possible collusion against free agent OF Aaron Judge (Time)

• Dave Hillman, once the oldest living former Met, has died at age 95. He was an original Met in 1962, the final year of his eight-year major league career (Bristol Herald Courier)

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🦃 Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃

This year has zipped by, hasn’t it?

I feel like we just stepped out of the MLB lockout after that long and unnecessary standoff between the league and the players. It seems like yesterday fans around the country were complaining about Max Scherzer pulling up to the negotiations in Jupiter in his Porsche, and Rob Manfred was seen laughing and chuckling on the same premises as the two sides were seemingly at a stalemate during a part of the negotiating process.

It also seems like yesterday the Mets had signed Scherzer along with Eduardo Escobar, Mark Canha and Starling Marte.

But that was all literally a year ago, last November!

Here we are now, 101 wins later and the off-season has a different sound to the last one. We keep harping on how much work the Mets have to do, but it’s true. They have serious dollars committed to a fragmented roster and if they intend to take steps forward in 2023, they need to commit more mega dollars to the payroll while maintaining as much continuity culturally in that clubhouse as they can.

That’s not an easy task through free agency, as half of the process is out of their control, and there are arguments up and down the list of the free agents on the board for and against bringing them in.

It’s a winter where I don’t really envy the job of the GM, in this case Billy Eppler’s job. There’s so much pressure on him to not just reconstruct the starting rotation and bullpen, but to bring Jacob deGrom back and make him a Met for life. There are issues in their outfield and what to do if Brandon Nimmo leaves for another team. How will the Mets address their massive deficiency at designated hitter with both Darin Ruf and Daniel Vogelbach already on the roster and having already struggled for the club in that role? Is Francisco Álvarez their immediate answer to their catching issue?

Then there’s the challenge of keeping the top of the rotation fresh, healthy and productive for 162 games, and that’s with deGrom or perhaps Justin Verlander along with Max Scherzer.

It’s a winter where Eppler and his team must press all of the right buttons and get it right for the Mets to take those steps towards Steve Cohen’s goal of winning a world championship within five years of taking ownership of the club.

We are rapidly approaching year three.

Time will tell but if anything, this owner and front office has earned enough credibility and built enough confidence in the public for everyone to believe they will be at the top of the market for all of their needs. It’s safe to say that unless a unique opportunity presents itself this winter in the trade market, the club will primarily be focused on free agency for their major procurements, as they’ve remained steadfast in their desire to retain their best prospects for the foreseeable future.

The days and weeks following Thanksgiving will be telling for the Mets with the Winter Meetings in San Diego set to take place in early December.

For now, we hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving, thank you for reading and supporting our endeavor this year, and we look forward to what the Mets will be putting under the Festivus pole next month!

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Stories to read 📚

• Is there a runway for the Mets to sign both Jacob deGrom and Justin Verlander?

• A potential free agent bargain for the Mets starting rotation

• The Mets biggest free agent key this off-season

• Did the Mets already find a hidden bullpen gem for 2023?

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Hot Stove 🔥

• The Phillies have extended the contract of team president Dave Dombrowski through the 2027 season (NBC)

• The Angels acquired OF Hunter Renfroe from the Brewers for pitchers Janson Junk, Elvis Peguero, and Adam Seminaris (official release)

• The Astros are looking for a left-handed hitting corner outfielder this winter (Athletic)

• Aaron Judge is in San Francisco this week to meet with the Giants, his hometown team (MLB Network)