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Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that Craig Kimbrel is returning to his roots in Georgia. He’s agreed to a minor-league deal with the Atlanta Braves, which Jeff Passan of ESPN later clarified will guarantee him $2 million if he makes the majors. Passan also reports that the right-handed reliever will likely take a few weeks to ramp up before likely immediately joining the Braves’ bullpen.
Kimbrel will aim to bounce back from a season in which he posted a 5.33 ERA, the second-worst of his career. The Orioles released him in September before things could get worse, as he had already blown six saves, and eventually, was demoted from the closer role.
Latest Mets News
Brandon Nimmo is the Mets’ nominee for this year’s Lou Gehrig Memorial Award. The award commemorates Gehrig by honoring a player who best exemplifies Gehrig’s selflessness. “Brandon’s dedication to making a difference and unwavering support for our community embody the values of the Mets and Amazin’ Mets Foundation,” the Amazin’ Mets Foundation wrote.
Young right-hander Hunter Brown is set to start the second game of the season against the Mets, manager Joe Espada said Tuesday. Brown, 26, has flashed ace-like potential, though he’s not quite at that level yet. Last season, he posted a 3.49 ERA with 179 strikeouts over 170 innings.
Latest MLB News
The Dodgers defeated the Cubs 4-1 in the first game of the MLB season. Yoshinobu Yamamoto earned the win after tossing five innings of one-run ball, while Shota Imanaga, on the other side, didn’t allow a hit over four innings of work. The two teams face off again today, with the game already underway. First pitch was set for 6:10 p.m. EST, and the game will be broadcast on Fox Sports.
Major League Baseball expects to earn around $35 million from this Tokyo Series, according to Evan Drellich of the New York Times, but the bigger picture is still coming together. The real goal is to expand the entire MLB brand in Japan, not just Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers. Long-term, they hope to eventually generate billions from the Japanese baseball market.
There will likely no longer be professional baseball in Eugene, Oregon, as the Eugene Emeralds announced they lack the funds to build a new stadium or renovate their current one. The team had called the Emerald Valley home for 70 years.
Patrick Corbin has agreed to a one-year, major-league deal with the Texas Rangers. Bob Nightengale of USA Today was first to report the deal. The 35-year-old hasn’t had an above-average season by ERA+ standards since 2019, but he’s been a workhorse. He’s pitched over 150 innings every year (outside for the pandemic-shortened 2020 season) since 2015.
Latest on MMO
Metsmerized’s writers and editors predicted the 2025 MLB season in the latest MMO Roundtable.
Patrick Glynn looked at shortstop Jett Williams, MMO’s No. 2 ranked prospect in the Mets’ farm system.
Dom Barone previewed New York’s corner infield.
Patrick Glynn and Mojo Hill debated who should fill the final spot in the starting rotation: Tylor Megill or Paul Blackburn.
On This Date in Mets History
1961: The Yankees denied the Mets permission to play at Yankee Stadium while Shea Stadium was under construction, forcing the Mets into a two-year stint at the Polo Grounds.
2023: DJ Stewart hits for the cycle in a spring training game against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Born on This Date: Richie Ashburn (1927), Don Rose (1947), Tim Corcoran (1953), José Buttó (1998).
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