Your Wednesday morning dose of New York Mets and Major League Baseball news, notes, and links.
Meet the Mets
A report from Japan last night said that the Mets were close to bringing back starting pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka but the team refuted those reports, according to the team's beat writers.
In actual news, the seven arbitration eligible players on the Mets' roster all filed for arbitration yesterday.
Who should be the Mets' Opening Day starter? Anthony DiComo polls the internets for an answer. For my money, I'd go with Jon Niese again.
Toby Hyde reviewed John Sickels' Mets Top 20 prospects list.
This doesn't really constitute Mets news these days but Jordany Valdespindeserted his winter league team after being pinch hit for during a game.
Around the Majors
At Deadspin, Tim Marchman says that MLB's War On Drugs is "an immoral shitshow". Sounds about right. Meanwhile, commissioner Bud says he's 100% committed to retirement.
Jesse Spector tries to imagine what a new Hall of Fame would look like, going class by class.
In case you missed it, the Cubs introduced their first mascot, a bear named Clark. At Sports On Earth, Will Leitch says that the mascot is the latest proof of the Cubs losing their charm. Ted Berg, meanwhile, defended Clark. Grant Brisbee ran down the five creepiest mascots. I'd never seen the Diamondbacks bobcat before. Yikes.
The Padres are holding open auditions for their PA announcer job, so if you have a good voice and would like to live in sunny San Diego, get out there!
In the New Yorker, Dana Goodyear wrote about the growing menace of Valley Fever.
Yesterday At AA
Chris McShane profiled free agent starting pitchers Chris Capuano, Jeff Niemann, and Jeff Karstens. I think we all know who Keith Hernandez wants the Mets to sign.
If you read an article or find a link that you think would be a great addition to a future edition of Mets Morning News, please forward it to our tips email address tips@grission.com and we'll try to add it in.