Edgy MD

I appreciate you spelling "shoo-in" correctly. Miriam-Webster's approves.

Ouch.

Please welcome Tsung-Che Cheng, the lefty-hitting Taiwan-born shortstop claimed off of waivers from Tampa Bay. Cheng is a slick-ish fielder with modest pop in his bat for a dude on the small side. He has had a solid minor-league career, with a good-ish power-speed combination that promises to make you forget Chin-lung Hu (unless the Mets lose him on waivers before spring training, which is a very real possibility). [FIMG=600]https://cdn.mlbtraderumors.com/files/2026/01/tsung-che-cheng-1024x683.jpg[/FIMG]

I had half a notion that the Mets might reach out to him as a firstbaseman/backup catcher, but that was pre-Bichette. The problem with moving catchers to first is that, by the time their defense or durability fade to the point where you want to take them from behind the plate, their offense has usually faded enough that it is only effective enough to justify by leaving them behind the plate.

I think the McNeil-plus-cash-for-Yordan Rodriguez deal is leaving them even more behind the eight ball, at least on paper.

Yeah, but, then, who's in left?

Well, I think he is going to be playing the field pretty often.

I think the reason that the Mets wanted Polanco is that it allows them to not necessarily have to pursue players based on position. They can fill in at one position and move Polanco to another.

Bellinger plays center. That's something. Something Tucker didn't do. Also, he brings that sexy nepo-baby mojo.

All eyes shift to Bellinger, who has to feel pretty good right now.

Transactions, 1/15/2026 [table][tr][th]Direction[/th][td90]GOING[/td90][td90]COMING[/td90][td90]COMING[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Transaction [/th][td90] Traded to CLE for $1.5 Million in International Bonus Tokens[/td90][td90]Signed as International Amateur Free Agent out of The Dominican Republic, Projected for Dominican Summer League[/td90][td90] Signed as International Amateur Free Agent out of Venezuela, Projected for Dominican Summer League[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Position Group [/th][th]Starting Pitchers[/th][th] Infielders[/th][th] Outfielders[/th][/tr] [tr][th][/th][td90][fimg=90]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-photos/image/upload/c_fill,g_auto/w_360/v1/people/800338/headshot/milb/current[/fimg][/td90][td90][fimg=90]https://metsrostercentral.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/asigen-wandy-2026.png[/fimg][/td90][td90][fimg=90]https://metsrostercentral.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/ramirez-cleiner-2026.png[/fimg][/td90][/tr] [tr][th]Name [/th][td90]Franklin Gomez [fimg=50]https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/venezuelan-flag-small.png[/fimg][/td90][td90]Wandy Asigen [fimg=50]https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/dominican-republic-flag-small.png[/fimg][/td90][td90]Cleiner Ramirez [fimg=50]https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/venezuelan-flag-small.png[/fimg][/td90][/tr] [tr][th]DoB[/th][td90]2005-06-05[/td90][td90]2009-08-21[/td90][td90]2008-12-01[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]B/T[/th][td90]L/L[/td90][td90]L/R[/td90][td90]R/R[/td90][/tr] [tr][th]High Level[/th][td90] A+ (2025)[/td90][td90] Academy (2025)[/td90][td90] Academy (2025)[/td90][/tr][/table] Frankin Gomez was signed on this day — the opening day of the winter international signing period — exactly four years ago today, so we guess what goes around comes around, or vice versa. He had been making a steady if unspectacular progress up the organizational ladder, and will still only be 20 next year, so he's still very much a big-league trajectory. His upside is described as "middle-of-the-rotation," but that can be quite the valuable thing in this era of heavy pitcher attrition. Plenty has been written about Wandy Asigen, generally considered the #2 prospect in the class, but shortstops always are. Cleiner Rodriguez, on the other hand is ranked #23 by MiLB.com, and he plays some infield also, but he is believed to project toward the outfield. He's got that short, stocky frame with a long torso and short limbs that always gets compared to Kirby Puckett. That probably won't come to pass, but I like those body types. Quick bats, fast acceleration. They make for versatile players that can go from centerfield to third base and back. Thems make for good baseball bodies, and you could do worse than a team of nine of them.

I do too, but when the report says Cleveland sent New York ... money, well, ambiguity reigns! Anyhow, they have indeed finalized the signing of Wandy Asigen along with outfielder Cleiner Ramirez.

Is it actually $1.5 money that teams such as The Guardians send in such deals, or is what the Mets get more like the right to spend $1.5 million of their own money beyond their previously established cap?

Man, is this still happening? I'm Tuckered out. (For what it's worth, it ain't taxes that would compel me to live in Canada.)

Breaking news out there reporting bettors fixing "dozens" of NCAA men's basketball and Chinese Basketball League games. The scandal is hitting in the home boroughs as at least one of the players implicated is or was a Fordham Ram. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6973903/2026/01/15/ncaa-college-basketball-gambling-investigation-charges/

The Jays and the Mets both going at it like they each need the win.

He left Bronxland 2019, but the recent Mets love of late-model interim Yankee closers also includes the mountainous Dellin Betances. I literally woke up in the middle of the night last night remembering Dellin Betances. Just, pow, right in the face.

That's amazing for a club that was known for (more like defined by) their offense. Urban Shocker and Waite Hoyt apparently were more than just a pair of cool names.

Age don't bother me on one-year deals. I'll take Bill Lee on a one-year deal.

And that is hard, because if you really are out to stockpile 12 good options, multiple members of that group of 12 are going to have guaranteed contracts. In that sense, the Mets — with four good options with less than a season of work — are in better shape than many or most. And still they could use another, and maybe another. One thing is that the Mets presumably have a much better picture of how good a bet Senga is. But if they are going to get one of these two Hall-of-famers and then go out and give them three- and four-inning starts, Imma be pissed.

Littel may have as many 2025 wins in his arm as Verlander or Scherzer, but I wouldn't bet on Cobb.

One year gambits certainly beat five-year gambits.

Maybe, but we are most of us better suited to first base, and only one guy can play there, so it behooves him to get whatever outfielding he can out of his body while he can.

The Athletic looks at The Class of 2020 — the 24 players who appeared in only one big-league season, and because it was 2020, no one was there to see it. [FIMG=600]https://static01.nyt.com/athletic/uploads/wp/2025/03/11211915/GettyImages-1227957065-1024x683.jpg?width=1248&quality=70&auto=webp[/FIMG]

One specific memory was his very last appearance. While there are a thousand reasons why the Mets didn't reach 2025 post-season glory, the final difference maker ultimately fell into his lap and onto his record. Carlos Mendoza — who, along with the other button-pushers in his braintrust, is the real culprit in my book — insanely chose to pull Sean Manaea after 1 2/3 innings of shutout ball, inexplicably turning the game over to his bullpen before some patrons had found their seats. So all hands were on deck, and it was a lot to ask everybody to be on top their games. Stanek relieved Brooks Raley with one out in the fourth and Connor Norby on first. When a double by Eric Wagaman three pitches later brought Norby home, that would effectively be the end of the season, as the Mets would end up being shut out. There was no knowing that at the time, of course, so Stanek gave up two more runs of his own to help seal the deal.