Your Saturday morning dose of Mets and MLB news, notes, and links.
Meet the Mets
Over at Fangraphs, Jeff Sullivan regresses Juan Lagares's defensive numbers from last year to paint a more realistic picture of what to expect from the outfielder this year.
Perhaps the best quotation of spring training thus far: David Wright has a "BS detector" and believes in Sandy Alderson and Terry Collins.
Matt Harvey will throw a baseball today for the first time since his Tommy John surgery four months ago. To be exact, he'll throw 20 times from 60 feet.
Bobby Parnell was sidelined yesterday because of a tight quad.
The Mets are moving along on the major refinancing we first learned about a few weeks ago.
Dave Cameron ranks the worst deals of the offseason and puts the Mets' deal with Curtis Granderson at number five. Let's hope he's wrong.
Mets catchers won't block the plate this year, whether or not Major League Baseball makes the play illegal.
As of yesterday, all of the 64 Mets players in big league camp have reported in time for today, the team's first day of full workouts.
Anthony DiComo writes upJeff Walters, who had a breakout season in Double-A Binghamton last year and hopes to crack the Mets' Opening Day bullpen. And DiComo has a good story on Matt den Dekker's attempt to get back into the Mets' outfield mix.
If the Mets are to succeed this year, they'll need production at the plate from a quintet of players, says Ken Davidoff: Travis d'Arnaud, Ike Davis, Lucas Duda, Ruben Tejada, and Chris Young.
Davidoff also talks to Mets minor league pitching coach Frank Viola.
Around the NL East
Ben Wetzler, who the Phillies turned in to the NCAA for using an agent after they failed to sign him, has been suspended 11 games.
Talking Chop celebrates the Braves' recent binge of extensions. If Justin Upton and Jason Heyward hit free agency in a couple of years, I can live with the rest of those signings.
Federal Baseball takes a look at Mike Rizzo's trades as Nationals general manager.
Fish Stripes reviews the Marlins' positional battles in spring training.
Around MLB
The Orioles are close to signing Nelson Cruz. With a hitter's haven as a home ballpark and no obvious everyday designated hitter, Baltimore seems like a good fit for Cruz.
Marc Normandin recalls the time when the Mets almost traded Chris Capuano to a Red Sox team sorely in need of starting pitching near the end of the season.
R.A. Dickey is among the American League East players who should have a better season this year than last.
Bud Selig's retiring in less than a year. Not so fast, says Rex Sox president and CEO Larry Lucchino.
Sandy Koufax was hit in the head by a foul ball at Dodgers spring training. Luckily, he's okay.
Speaking of the Dodgers, they have reached a deal with Cuban shortstop Erisbel Arruebarruena, says Ken Rosenthal. And Eno Sarris looks at their problem—but maybe not a problem—at second base.
Jesus Montero is decidedly not in the best shape of his life.
Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal asks whether or not baseball should become a winter olympic sport.
Yesterday at Amazin' Avenue
Steve Sypa previewed Vic Black's season.
Rob Castellano revealed that Travis d'Arnaud is Amazin' Avenue's second-best Mets prospect this year. Bet you can't guess who will come in at number one!
