Edgy MD

For what it's worth, any Hall-of-Famer rendered with a New York Giants insignia on his cap is effectively wearing a Mets hat as well. [FIMG=350]https://baseballhall.org/sites/default/files/styles/fullscreen_image_popup/public/Irvin%20Monte%20Plaque_NBL.jpg.jpeg?itok=OKhxiSYe[/FIMG] [FIMG=350]https://baseballhall.org/sites/default/files/Terry%20Bill%20Plaque%20280_NBL.png[/FIMG] [FIMG=350]https://baseballhall.org/sites/default/files/Jackson%20Travis%20Plaque%20258__0.png[/FIMG] [FIMG=350]https://baseballhall.org/sites/default/files/Youngs%20Ross%20Plaque_NBL.png[/FIMG] [FIMG=350]https://baseballhall.org/sites/default/files/Mathewson%20Christy%20Plaque_N_0.png[/FIMG] OK, maybe not Ross Youngs.

Hey man, if you want Jerry Blevins hung out to dry by himself, it's your funeral. And Jerry's.

The thing they have to figure out is how to use the alternatives. Because, while neither Todd Zeile nor Jerry Blevins qualify as morons (I reserve judgement on Anthony Recker, it kind of stinks that the only times they work is when they are the only analyst in the booth, which is like coming up with two strikes against them. I DEMAND a three-person booth every night. A pitcher, a hitter, and a civilian.

Strange that he had two tenures with Houston, and in one he had the most magnificent post-season that can be imagined, and then in the second, he sort of had the most disgraceful.

I guess he and Ronny have in recent years each been signed up for about 2/3 (108) of the games?

My only objection is that he played in an era of some uggo Mets hats ... [fimg=300]https://images.pristineauction.com/60/606554/main_1-Carlos-Beltran-New-York-Mets-Collage-8x10-MLB-Auth-PristineAuction.com.jpg[/fimg] ... and I hope they have a good sense to instead plaque him up in a Kasey Klassic. [fimg=300]https://carlosbeltranbaseballacademy.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/carlosb2.jpg[/fimg]

Catching up with some other minor-league contributors who have moved on. Transactions, 1/22/2025 [table][tr][th]Direction[/th][td90]GOING[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Transaction [/th][td90]Signed away by Durango (Mexican League)[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Position Group [/th][th] Catchers[/th][/tr] [tr][th][/th][td90][fimg=90]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-photos/image/upload/d_people:generic:headshot:67:current.png/w_213,q_auto:best/v1/people/664119/headshot/67/current[/fimg][/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Name [/th][td90]Austin Allen [fimg=50]https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/usa_m.png[/fimg][/td90][/tr] [tr][th]DoB[/th][td90]1994-05-27[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]B/T[/th][td90]L/R[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]High Level[/th][td90] MLB (2022)[/td90][/tr][/table] Austin Allen, veteran of parts of four MLB seasons, took his journey to get back to the show down south of the border. He never took the field with Oaxaca, but caught on again mid-season with Durango. Sadly, that did not take him very far. Transactions, 2/4/2025 [table][tr][th]Direction[/th][td90]GOING[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Transaction [/th][td90]Signed Away by LAA to Minor-League Contract[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Position Group [/th][th] Infielders[/th][/tr] [tr][th][/th][td90][fimg=90]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-photos/image/upload/d_people:generic:headshot:67:current.png/w_213,q_auto:best/v1/people/570560/headshot/67/current[/fimg][/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Name [/th][td90]Yolmer Sanchez [fimg=50]https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/venezuelan-flag-small.png[/fimg][/fimg][/td90][/tr] [tr][th]DoB[/th][td90]1992-06-29[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]B/T[/th][td90]S/R[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]High Level[/th][td90] MLB (2022)[/td90][/tr][/table] This actually ended Yolmer Sanchez's second tenure with the organization. During his first, he made three appearances with the big-league team while never coming to the plate. He continues on with Los Angeles this season. He has an MLB Gold Glove award (CHW, 2019) in his back pocket and that is a hell of a calling card as he tries to again find enough batsmanship to return to the show. Transactions, 5/1/2025 [table][tr][th]Direction[/th][td90]GOING[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Transaction [/th][td90]Enlisted in South Korean Military[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Position Group [/th][th] Infielder[/th][/tr] [tr][th][/th][td90][fimg=90]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-photos/image/upload/d_people:generic:headshot:67:current.png/w_213,q_auto:best/v1/people/596847/headshot/67/current[/fimg][/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Name [/th][td90]Ji-Man Choi [fimg=50]https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2024/02/flag-south-korea.jpg[/fimg][/td90][/tr] [tr][th]DoB[/th][td90]1991-05-19[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]B/T[/th][td90]L/R[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]High Level[/th][td90] MLB (2022)[/td90][/tr][/table] Having no stateside offers, Ji-Man Choi for a time considered signing with a Japanese or Korean team to kick his military service obligation further down the road. He instead elected to get the obligation out of the way while he is still young enough to hack it. I believe his obligation is for two years and he still hopes to return to baseball after. He has forced Mets Roster Central to add "Korean Military Service" to our database, and that is no small thing.

Reports on guys who have long since left the system, but contemporary updates as well!! Transactions, 4/2/2024 [table][tr][th]Direction[/th][td90]GOING[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Transaction [/th][td90]Announced Retirement[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Position Group [/th][th]Relief Pitcher[/th][/tr] [tr][th][/th][td90][fimg=90]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-photos/image/upload/d_people:generic:headshot:67:current.png/w_213,q_auto:best/v1/people/682016/headshot/67/current[/fimg][/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Name [/th][td90]William Woods [fimg=50]https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/usa_m.png[/fimg][/td90][/tr] [tr][th]DoB[/th][td90]1998-12-29[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]B/T[/th][td90]R/R[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]High Level[/th][td90] MLB (2022)[/td90][/tr][/table] Most guys who find themselves without an employer at 24 don't go announcing a retirement. If it was Mets Roster Central, we would still be waiting for a callback from our agency well into our seventies. But from a clean-roster maintenance point of view, it is very helpful to provide official word to bring a curtain on one's theoretical free agency which can otherwise theoretically continue for the rest of one's natural life. William's MLB career amounted to two scoreless innings for the Braves in 2022, and there are worse ways to leave behind a permanent record. Transactions, 7/23/2024 [table][tr][th]Direction[/th][td90]GOING[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Transaction [/th][td90]Signed away by Tijuana (Mexican League)[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Position Group [/th][th]Relief Pitcher[/th][/tr] [tr][th][/th][td90][fimg=90]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-photos/image/upload/c_fill,g_auto/w_180/v1/people/674810/headshot/milb/current[/fimg][/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Name [/th][td90]Victor Castaneda [fimg=30]https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/mexican-flag-small.png[/fimg][/td90][/tr] [tr][th]DoB[/th][td90]1998-08-27[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]B/T[/th][td90]R/R[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]High Level[/th][td90] AAA (2024)[/td90][/tr][/table] The dashing Victor Castaneda began his pro career pitching for Tijana at 18, and resigned with them at 26 after flaming out in AAA for the Mets. He never appeared with them during his second tenure, however, pitched in the (more competitive) Mexican Pacific Winter League last year and is technically still active as far as we can tell. He was one of the earlier examples of criticism of David Stearns for disproportionately (or so it might seem) signing guys out of the Milwaukee system. Transactions, 2/8/2025 [table][tr][th]Direction[/th][td90]GOING[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Transaction [/th][td90]Signed away by ATL to Minor-League Contract[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Position Group [/th][th]Relief Pitchers[/th][/tr] [tr][th][/th][td90][fimg=90]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-photos/image/upload/d_people:generic:headshot:67:current.png/w_213,q_auto:best/v1/people/592229/headshot/67/current[/fimg][/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Name [/th][td90]Dylan Covey [fimg=50]https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/usa_m.png[/fimg][/td90][/tr] [tr][th]DoB[/th][td90]1991-08-14[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]B/T[/th][td90]R/R[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]High Level[/th][td90] MLB (2023)[/td90][/tr][/table] Dylan Covey, veteran of five MLB seasons never took the mound competitively at any level for the Mets, and even after the Braves grabbed him 2024, shortly after his Mets release, he sat out all of that season and all but 7 1/3 AAA innings in 2025. He should be ready to go in 2026, and we hope has something left, because he doesn't look like a guy who would do well with unemployment. Transactions, 1/24/2026 [table][tr][th]Direction[/th][td90]GOING[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Transaction[/th][td90]Released[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Position Group [/th][th]Relief Pitchers[/th][/tr] [tr][th][/th][td90][fimg=90]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-photos/image/upload/d_people:generic:headshot:67:current.png/w_213,q_auto:best/v1/people/656814/headshot/67/current[/fimg][/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Name [/th][td90]Luís Ortíz [fimg=50]https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/usa_m.png[/fimg][/td90][/tr] [tr][th]DoB[/th][td90]1995-09-22[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]B/T[/th][td90]R/R[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]High Level[/th][td90] MLB (2024)[/td90][/tr][/table] Back to modern times, Luis Ortiz is another MLB vet who has worked some time to return from injury, but even if now healthy, he had slid so far down the depth chart that he was projected for Brooklyn. That was a hole that would take him another year to climb out of. Best to pursue other opportunities. Transactions, 1/29/2026 [table][tr][th]Direction[/th][td90]GOING[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Transaction [/th][td90]Released[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Position Group [/th][th]Relief Pitcher[/th][/tr] [tr][th][/th][td90][fimg=90]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-photos/image/upload/c_fill,g_auto/w_360/v1/people/805076/headshot/milb/current[/fimg][/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Name [/th][td90]Estarlin Escalante [fimg=50]https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/dominican-republic-flag-small.png[/fimg][/td90][/tr] [tr][th]DoB[/th][td90]2003-08-22[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]B/T[/th][td90]R/R[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]High Level[/th][td90] FCL (2025)[/td90][/tr][/table] One should never get so over-excited that they trade for a cool name like Estarlin Escalante, but neither should one be a hurry to release such a name once one has it in the system. This sweet-monikered Dominican, however, got badly lit in up A-ball last year, walking 22 guys in 25 innings, and one imagines he reported to camp in 2026 and the organization was surprised to see him before realizing that the paperwork on a release they meant to execute at the end of 2025 never went through. Transactions, 1/30/2026 [table][tr][th]Direction[/th][td90]GOING[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Transaction[/th][td90]Released[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Position Group [/th][th]Starting Pitcher[/th][/tr] [tr][th][/th][td90][fimg=90]https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/silhouette-2003.png[/fimg][/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Name [/th][td90]Jorge Rodriguez [fimg=50]https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/dominican-republic-flag-small.png[/fimg][/td90][/tr] [tr][th]DoB[/th][td90]2001-12-18[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]B/T[/th][td90]R/R[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]High Level[/th][td90] FCL (2025)[/td90][/tr][/table] Say what you want about Estarlin Escalante, but Jorge Rodriguez pitched with the Mets from 2021 to 2025 and still never managed to be assigned a face. He put up some big-ish strikeout numbers but had been off the field most of the last two seasons, and probably didn't look too hot at his reporting exam this spring.

At a AA game, I was in row 2, behind the dugout, pre-netting. Josh Barfield — on a rehab assignment from the bigs, I think — drove one heading right between my eyes. I was certain the last thing I would ever see was the autograph of the Eastern League Commissioner. Somehow, I was able to elude this untimely death, but the crack of the ball against the back of the seat behind me reverberated through the whole all ballpark, which fell into a hushed silence. I wondered what the hell I ever did to Josh Barfield, who was perhaps one half as strong as his father, but you wouldn't know it from the violence he directed at me. He didn't even offer me an apologetic nod from the batter's box. For the rest of the game, in my seats or wandering around the concourse, anybody I crossed paths with in the ballpark looked at me with a sort of awe — not like I was cool, but like I was undead. They would stare at me but not speak. "I don't know how you avoided that ball," one guy finally said to me, with a tone of suspicion, like I was meant to be dead, and they all knew it, and that my continuing to be walking about the ballpark was evidence of foul allegiances. "I don't know either," I honestly replied, and then a third man, less intimidated by witchcraft, but still kind of whispering, joined in with, "I think you dove underneath your wife's shirt." Funny-ish, but still no eye contact from the guy. Be you heperson or sheperson, the game suddenly happening right in your face can be a pretty unsettling thing.

[MetsBlue]LOT 81022[/MetsBlue] 1990's Tom Seaver Personal Mementos Lot of 4 from The Tom Seaver Collection. These mementos were in Tom Seaver's personal collection. Included are: Ted Williams Retrospective Museum And Library medallion (88/100), Bob Feller Act of Valor Award Foundation medallion, Seaver's 1989 All-Star Game press pin and 1988 Sports(man?) of The Year Award from the Marine Scholarship dog tag. Letter of provenance from Nancy Seaver. Bidding currently at a buck. And heck, I'd pay a buck just to get a letter from Nancy.

Wow, 325 career dingers for this guy. Has he been around that long? I feel old Did it all in a little over 10 years. He may not be a superstar, but he has been consistent and he stays healthy. Total bro, too.

Some of those guys shed their defensive and baserunning pluses over the second half of their careers also. Carew moved to first, Gwynn grew that belly, and both of them stopped putting up big basestealing numbers, while Boggs, of course was never fast. He became a good fielder in his peak, but it took him a few years to get there. And somewhat like Ichiro, he kind of had a long tail of averageness. The key to such players is kind of believing they don't necessarily have to have those extras to have value. That just being high-average/high-contact guys is worth having. And seemingly, that is a minority opinion. Certainly, though, the problem with any one-key-skill guy is that there is nothing to fall back on if and when that one key skill regresses to the mean. For what its worth, I like Arraez. In today's pitch-count-critical game, it is always fascinating to see him turn a game on its ear simply by clocking in a 10-pitch trip to the plate, no matter what its outcome. And while I get that his game is trending toward averageness, my impression of his performance against the Mets has been Hall-of-Fame-worthy. (Checking his numbers against the Mets and OH! YES! he's gone a ballcrushing .417 / .462 / .524 // .986 in 94 plate appearances.)

Well, as noted above in the Athletic article — apart from Polanco at first being a downshift on the defensive spectrum, as he is sliding from middle infield to first — if the does not adapt to first, they can slip him to DH and use the more-experienced-at-first Vientos or the more-in-his-athletic-prime Baty over there with some regularity. They can even make the swapout before opening day. The presence of a DH makes defense at first even less of a worry than it had previously been through history. The only time you need to worry about first base defense is when the guy's defense is so bad but his offense is so key to the lineup that you can't take him out, but your DH is also a key lineup cog with worse defense. Then you are behind the eight ball. I am most curious about the guy on the corners who isn't out of position — Soto.

Jefferson was an outfielder. As far as I can recollect, and I feel confident the record would back me up, he did not play first, unless there was a cameo here or there. The point of trying to hang onto your young players who have not peaked yet, of course, is not that they will all blossom into stars, but that the ones who do so blossom more than (far more than, if your intentions bear fruit) make up for the investment in the ones who do not. As Mitchell did. And you remain confident in your payoff far exceeding the investment, because you are smart and assembled the best scouting and development staff. "Anybody can go out and chase after last year's MVP," you say to yourself. "Even fools know he's terrific because he's last year's MVP." "But that just puts you in an insanely escalating bidding war with 29 fools to see who can be most foolish with your money," you continue. "The wise one sees and develops the excellence that the other 29 teams do not see, and cannot develop."

One good reminder there that I had somehow left in the mental shredder was that the seemingly one-sided deal for McNeil was partially the result of him having undergone thoracic outlet surgery following the season.

Minor league free-agent starters who peaked at AAA, but took one more try to get back on track in Indy ball before (perhaps) moving on to their next career adventures. Transactions, 6/28/2024 [table][tr][th]Direction[/th][td90]GOING[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Transaction [/th][td90]Signed away by Milwaukee (American Association)[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Position Group [/th][th]Starting Pitcher[/th][/tr] [tr][th][/th][td90][fimg=90]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-photos/image/upload/w_180,g_auto,c_fill/v1/people/666658/headshot/milb/current[/fimg][/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Name [/th][td90]José Chacin [fimg=50]https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/venezuelan-flag-small.png[/fimg][/td90][/tr] [tr][th]DoB[/th][td90]1997-03-25[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]B/T[/th][td90]R/R[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]High Level[/th][td90] AAA (2023)[/td90][/tr][/table] Who would pass on the chance at being a Milwaukee Milkman? For one, you get to play for a rare indy ball team that shares its home city with an MLB franchise. For two, you get to call yourself a Milkman. For Jose Chacin, though, there were few thrills beyond that, as his dream can crashing down hard in the form of a 7.00 ERA over 18 innings. Transactions, 4/23/2025 [table][tr][th]Direction[/th][td90]GOING[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Transaction [/th][td90]Signed away by Gastonia (Atlantic League)[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Position Group [/th][th]Starting Pitcher[/th][/tr] [tr][th][/th][td90][fimg=90]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-photos/image/upload/w_180,g_auto,c_fill/v1/people/670119/headshot/milb/current[/fimg][/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Name [/th][td90]Connor Grey [fimg=30]https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/usa_m.png[/fimg][/td90][/tr] [tr][th]DoB[/th][td90]1994-05-06[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]B/T[/th][td90]L/R[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]High Level[/th][td90] AAA (2022)[/td90][/tr][/table] Mets Roster Central would call Gastonia, North Carolina the most out-there location in the mostly northeast-gravitating Atlantic League, if the league hadn't inexplicably added The Sugar Land Skeeters a dozen years ago. Gastonia is right in the middle of ACC territory, though, and tends to get a lot of players trying to recapture some of their collegiate glory. Connor Grey isn't that, though, as he came out of St. Bonny's. Anyhow, please bid farewell to these guys years after they left, and years more since you forgot they existed.

[fimg=600]https://metsrostercentral.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/ueck.jpg[/fimg] Bob Uecker and Bob Gibson held hands in the Cardinals 1964 team photo, leading the team to fine them both and take the photo again. [YOUTUBE]aHFClLGqz8w[/YOUTUBE]

Mets Roster Central doesn't see him as sticking around long if he doesn't somehow make the squad. Ten seasons of big-league ball make it hard to go back to the sticks at 36. He's from Riverside, CA, and got to spend his entire big-league career with the home team. No knock on Syracuse, but I don't know if that is the hill he wants to die on. On the other hand, there's your sweet fold-out couch.

I had Nimmo down as meh on defensive runs saved. He continued to wax and wane on the health of his feet, but most days he wasn't falling down out there. Defensive Bible had him as +4 in Defensive Runs Saved, and that's at least above water. I think Torrens led the team with 11 DRS.

Transactions, 1/29/2026 [table][tr][th]Direction[/th][td90]COMING[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Transaction [/th][td90]Signed away from SFG to Minor-League Contracrt and Invited to Camp[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Position Group [/th][th] Catchers[/th][/tr] [tr][th][/th][td90][fimg=90]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-photos/image/upload/d_people:generic:headshot:67:current.png/w_426,q_auto:best/v1/people/605131/headshot/67/current[/fimg][/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Name [/th][td90]Austin Barnes [fimg=50]https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/usa_m.png[/fimg][/td90][/tr] [tr][th]DoB[/th][td90]1989-12-28[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]B/T[/th][td90]R/R[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]High Level[/th][td90] MLB (2025)[/td90][/tr][/table] Austin Barnes is the last of his breed — a true Ron Hodges — spending the best part of 10 seasons as a catcher with the same team, while never even approaching enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title. I kind of don't want him to make the team, as it would mess up his record if he appeared for a non-Dodger squad at the end. Don't pull a Cleon Jones, Austin! Like Craig Kimbrell before him, however, there is little chance of him sticking around very long if he doesn't make the team. If Francisco Alvarez and Luis Torrens stay healthy through spring, Austin will soon be either retiring or asking for a release so he can catch on with a team whose catchers didn't stay healthy. In the meantime, it's always good to have another catcher in camp. The Mets haven't done the usual stock up on catchers from out of the system this spring. Also Invited to Camp [table][tr][th]Position Group[/th][th][PTEXT=8]Starting Pitchers[/PTEXT][/th][th][PTEXT=8]Relief Pitchers[/PTEXT][/th][th][PTEXT=8]Relief Pitchers[/PTEXT][/th][th][PTEXT=8]Relief Pitchers[/PTEXT][/th][th][PTEXT=8]Relief Pitchers[/PTEXT][/th][th][PTEXT=8]Relief Pitchers[/PTEXT][/th][th][PTEXT=8]Relief Pitchers[/PTEXT][/th][th][PTEXT=8]Relief Pitchers[/PTEXT][/th][th][PTEXT=8]Relief Pitchers[/PTEXT][/th][th][PTEXT=8]Relief Pitchers[/PTEXT][/th][/tr] [tr][th][/th][td60][fimg=60]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-photos/image/upload/d_people:generic:headshot:67:current.png/w_213,q_auto:best/v1/people/476594/headshot/67/current[/fimg][/td60][td60][fimg=60]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-photos/image/upload/d_people:generic:headshot:67:current.png/w_426,q_auto:best/v1/people/657508/headshot/67/current[/fimg][/td60][td60][fimg=60]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-photos/image/upload/d_people:generic:headshot:67:current.png/w_213,q_auto:best/v1/people/595897/headshot/67/current[/fimg][/td60][td60][fimg=60]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-photos/image/upload/d_people:generic:headshot:67:current.png/w_426,q_auto:best/v1/people/650960/headshot/67/current[/fimg][/td60][td60][fimg=60]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-photos/image/upload/d_people:generic:headshot:67:current.png/w_426,q_auto:best/v1/people/605218/headshot/67/current[/fimg][/td60][td60][fimg=60]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-photos/image/upload/d_people:generic:headshot:67:current.png/w_213,q_auto:best/v1/people/643361/headshot/67/current[/fimg][/td60][td60][fimg=60]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-photos/image/upload/d_people:generic:headshot:67:current.png/w_213,q_auto:best/v1/people/682175/headshot/67/current[/fimg][/td60][td60][fimg=60]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-photos/image/upload/d_people:generic:headshot:67:current.png/w_426,q_auto:best/v1/people/518886/headshot/67/current[/fimg][/td60][td60][fimg=60]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-photos/image/upload/d_people:generic:headshot:67:current.png/w_426,q_auto:best/v1/people/690736/headshot/67/current[/fimg][/td60][td60][fimg=60]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-photos/image/upload/d_people:generic:headshot:67:current.png/w_213,q_auto:best/v1/people/644429/headshot/67/current[/fimg][/td60][/tr] [tr][th]Name [/th][td60][PTEXT=8]Robert Stock [fimg=30]https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/usa_m.png[/fimg][/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=8]Mike Baumann [fimg=30]https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/usa_m.png[/fimg][/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=8]Nick Burdi [fimg=30]https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/usa_m.png[/fimg][/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=8]Daniel Duarte [fimg=30]https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/mexican-flag-small.png[/fimg][/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=8]Carl Edwards, Jr. [fimg=30]https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/usa_m.png[/fimg][/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=8]Kevin Herget [fimg=30]https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/usa_m.png[/fimg][/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=8]Joe Jacques [fimg=30]https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/usa_m.png[/fimg][/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=8]Craig Kimbrel [fimg=30]https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/usa_m.png[/fimg][/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=8]Trey McGough [fimg=30]https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/usa_m.png[/fimg][/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=8]Anderson Severino [fimg=30] https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/dominican-republic-flag-small.png[/fimg][/PTEXT][/td60][/tr] [tr][th]DoB[/th][td60][PTEXT=7]1989-11-21[/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=7]1995-09-10[/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=7]1993-01-19[/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=7]1996-12-04[/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=7]1991-09-03[/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=7]1991-04-03[/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=7]1995-03-11[/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=7]1988-05-28[/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=7]1998-03-29[/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=7]1994-09-17[/PTEXT][/td60][/tr] [tr][th]B/T[/th][td60][PTEXT=7]L/R[/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=7]R/R[/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=7]R/R[/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=7]R/R[/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=7]R/R[/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=7]L/R[/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=7]L/L[/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=7]R/R[/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=7]L/L[/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=7]L/L[/PTEXT][/td60][/tr] [tr][th]Primary Position[/th][th][PTEXT=8] Catchers[/PTEXT][/th][th][PTEXT=8] Infielders[/PTEXT][/th][th][PTEXT=8] Infielders[/PTEXT][/th][th][PTEXT=8] Infielders[/PTEXT][/th][th][PTEXT=8] Infielders[/PTEXT][/th][th][PTEXT=8] Outfielders[/PTEXT][/th][th][PTEXT=8] Outfielders[/PTEXT][/th][/tr] [tr][th][/th][td60][fimg=60]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-photos/image/upload/d_people:generic:headshot:67:current.png/w_426,q_auto:best/v1/people/605131/headshot/67/current[/fimg][/td60][td60][fimg=60]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-photos/image/upload/d_people:generic:headshot:67:current.png/w_426,q_auto:best/v1/people/624414/headshot/67/current[/fimg][/td60][td60][fimg=60]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-photos/image/upload/d_people:generic:headshot:67:current.png/w_213,q_auto:best/v1/people/687714/headshot/67/current[/fimg][/td60][td60][fimg=60]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-photos/image/upload/d_people:generic:headshot:67:current.png/w_426,q_auto:best/v1/people/666197/headshot/67/current[/fimg][/td60][td60][fimg=60]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-photos/image/upload/d_people:generic:headshot:67:current.png/w_426,q_auto:best/v1/people/670351/headshot/67/current[/fimg][/td60][td60][fimg=60]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-photos/image/upload/d_people:generic:headshot:67:current.png/w_426,q_auto:best/v1/people/665506/headshot/67/current[/fimg][/td60][td60][fimg=60]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-photos/image/upload/d_people:generic:headshot:67:current.png/w_213,q_auto:best/v1/people/682947/headshot/67/current[/fimg][/td60][/tr] [tr][th]Originally Acquired[/th][td60][PTEXT=8]Austin Barnes [fimg=30]https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/usa_m.png[/fimg][/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=8]Christian Arroyo [fimg=30]https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/usa_m.png[/fimg][/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=8]Jackson Cluff [fimg=30]https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/usa_m.png[/fimg][/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=8]Grae Kessinger [fimg=30]https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/usa_m.png[/fimg][/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=8]José Rojas [fimg=30]https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/puerto_rico.png[/fimg][/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=8]Cristian Pache [fimg=30] https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/dominican-republic-flag-small.png[/fimg][/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=8]José Ramos [fimg=30]https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2019/07/panamanian-flag-small.jpg[/fimg][/PTEXT][/td60][/tr] [tr][th]DoB[/th][td60][PTEXT=7]1989-12-28[/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=7]1995-05-30[/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=7]1996-12-03[/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=7]1997-08-25[/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=7]1993-02-24[/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=7]1998-11-19[/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=7]2001-01-01[/PTEXT][/td60][/tr] [tr][th]B/T[/th][td60][PTEXT=7]R/R[/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=7]R/R[/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=7]L/R[/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=7]R/R[/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=7]L/R[/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=7]R/R[/PTEXT][/td60][td60][PTEXT=7]R/R[/PTEXT][/td60][/tr][/table]

Like ... it's a four-way tie?!

I love everything about that logo. Now I love that they have names I never knew. Young me would stare at Rod Carew's hat insignia on his card, totally stumped by an interweaving T and C that could not be made to stand for "Minneapolis" or "Minnesota," and only partially for "Twins." I probably only figured out the full abbreviation after Ed Asner said it on The Mary Tyler Moore show.

The two guys in the shaking hands in the Twin's logo are named Minnie and Paul.

That's bad.

Transactions, 1/28/2026 [table][tr][th]Direction[/th][td90]GOING[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Transaction [/th][td90]Claimed off Waivers by WAS[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Position Group [/th][th] Infielders[/th][/tr] [tr][th][/th][td90][fimg=90]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-photos/image/upload/d_people:generic:headshot:67:current.png/w_426,q_auto:best/v1/people/691907/headshot/67/current[/fimg][/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Name [/th][td90]Tsung-Che Cheng [fimg=50]https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/flag-of-taiwan.png[/fimg][/td90][/tr] [tr][th]DoB[/th][td90]2001-07-26[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]B/T[/th][td90]L/R[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]High Level[/th][td90] MLB (2025)[/td90][/tr][/table] Sadly, people who get claimed off waivers ... tend to get claimed off waivers. And an offseason like this for the likes of Tsung-Che Cheng can be pretty jarring. For Grae Kessinger, well, it only took him one cold January hour in the Mets system to move up a notch on the depth chart. As for the next destiny of Dicky Lovelady, we will perhaps have to wait until tomorrow.