Morning Briefing: Lindor Named NL MVP Runner-Up

Good morning, Mets fans!

Francisco Lindor was officially named the runner-up to Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, who was a unanimous winner after taking home all 30 first place votes, in the race for National League MVP. The Mets shortstop received 23 second place and seven third place votes.

Lindor has finished inside the top-10 in MVP voting over each of the past three seasons. The Mets remain one of only three organizations to never have a player win the award, joining the two newest franchises in the Tampa Bay Rays and Arizona Diamondbacks.

Now onto the morning briefing!

Latest Mets News

The Mets tweeted that John Franco, joined by Mr. and Mrs. Met, rang the opening bell at the Nasdaq Exchange to kick off MetsGiving celebrations.

Chris Cotillo of MassLive reports that Corey Wimberly, who has been with the Red Sox organization since 2017, is joining the Mets as an upper-level outfield and baserunning coordinator. Wimberly held a similar role with the Red Sox starting in 2022 and previously served as a manager for their affiliates in Portland, Salem and Lowell.

The Mets made a few moves to bolster their organizational depth. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that the Mets signed former Washington Nationals first baseman Joey Meneses to a minor league contract, which includes an invitation to spring training. Additionally, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com notes that right-hander Hobie Harris has also joined the Mets on a minor league deal. Harris, recognized for his splitter, debuted with the Nationals in 2023 and posted a 10.3 K/9 in Triple-A this year while playing in the Minnesota Twins organization. For more, check out our piece on the news.

Latest MLB News

As reported by Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, Ohtani spoke about impending free agent Roki Sasaki, saying, “I haven’t really been recruiting him in any way. … Obviously, we’ll stay in contact. I consider him a friend.” Ohtani emphasized that he won’t actively recruit Sasaki to the Dodgers and will respect whatever decision he makes.

Mark Feinsand of MLB.com shows the full votes for the NL and AL MVP awards. Much like Ohtani, New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge was a unanimous winner after earning all 30 first place votes.

According to Evan Drellich of The Athletic, Major League Baseball has decided to forgo hosting games in Mexico City and San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 2025 as originally planned. Instead, Tokyo will be the league’s sole international location for regular-season games next year.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network notes on Twitter that Rich Hill, at 44-years-old, would like to pitch in the majors in 2025. Morosi also notes that utility man Nate Eaton signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox, including an invite to major league camp.

As Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported, the St. Louis Cardinals have engaged in discussions with several teams over the past week to gauge trade interest in third baseman Nolan Arenado. Sources indicate that the team is considering such moves as part of their shift toward youth and a roster “reset.”

According to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, the St. Petersburg City Council has approved a plan, in a narrow 4-3 vote, to allocate approximately $23 million for initial work on replacing the roof of Tropicana Field.

Latest on MMO

John Molnar highlights free agent first baseman Pete Alonso.

Christian De Block analyzes Jesse Winker’s performance with the Mets.

On This Date In Mets History

1972: Jon Matlack wins the National League Rookie of the Year Award. The left-hander won 15 games and had a 2.32 ERA in his first full season with the Mets.

Born On This Date: Adam Ottavino (1985), Ricky Ledee (1973), Jay Payton (1972), Gene Walter (1960), Lee Guetterman (1958), Rich Chiles (1949).

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