Your Friday morning dose of New York Mets and Major League Baseball news, notes, and links.
Meet the Mets
Keith Law features six Mets in his recently released top 100 prospects list. And that's without counting Dilson Herrera or Steven Matz, who are highly touted by most but left out by Law.
The Binghamton Mets announced that Pedro Lopez will be returning to manage the Double-A team. Former big league assistant hitting coach Luis Natera will join him on the coaching staff.
Someone who won't be returning is Bobby Ojeda. The former pitcher is leaving SNY and won't be analyzing the Mets in 2015. Former major league journeyman Nelson Figueroa is expected to fill Ojeda's shoes for the coming season.
In advance of their upcoming book release, In Pursuit of Pennants, Mark Armour and Dan Levitt have named Sandy Alderson as the 12th best general manager of all time.
Around Citi comparesDaniel Murphy to the other second baseman in the division.
CBS Sports relives some of the best and worst moments in Mets history.
This date in Mets history: World champion manager Davey Johnson turns 72 years old today. Some other guy is celebrating his 29th birthday.
Around the National League East
The Phillies have signed former Dodgers right-hander Chad Billingsley to a one-year deal.
Michael Jong looks at the differences between the Marlins team that traded Miguel Cabrera and the one that extended Giancarlo Stanton.
The rebuilding Braves also have six prospects in Keith Law's top 100. The club also just added left-handed pitcher Eric Stults.
Jayson Werth will spend five days in jail after pleading guilty to driving like a 13-year-old playing Grand Theft Auto III for the first time.
Around the Majors
Grant Brisbee has five surprising revelations based on the recently released PECOTA projections.
Omar Minaya is leaving the Padres front office and taking a job with the MLBPA.
The Athletics are finally installing a modern scoreboard. I'm not sure if this is good or bad news for Oakland fans.
Meanwhile, renovations at Wrigley Field are unearthing a bunch of rats.
Cincinnati manager Bryan Price wants to give stud catcher Devin Mesoraco the Scott Ricetreatment.
In case you're still figuring out who you should root for in this Sunday's Super Bowl, it turns out that Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll goes way back with super agent Scott Boras.
The Astros failed to give away a baseball because they didn't get enough retweets. This was probably supposed to happen to the Mets.
Yesterday at Amazin' Avenue
Colby Conetta reminds us of the time that fourth outfielder extraordinaire Jason Pridie spent with the Mets in 2011.