Mets Open Season in Win Colum Once Again

 From my story on Fox Sports New Jersey! 

The New York Mets continue their run as baseball’s best team on Opening Day. Don’t believe me? It’s true. With the Mets 5-3 win over the Miami Marlins on Thursday, the Mets improved to 41-13 all time on Opening Day, the best win percentage of any Major League squad on baseball’s special day. 

 

And it was a special day, considering the day started with some sobering news when word came down that veteran pitcher Justin Verlander was diagnosed with a low grade muscle strain in his right shoulder, and was placed on the Injury List, (I know here we go again!)

On the field, Brandon Nimmo was the star of the day for the Metropolitans.

His sac fly to left in the top of the third inning drove in a svelte Daniel Voglebach to give the Mets a 1-0 lead.

Later, with the game tied at three in the seventh inning, Nimmo provided the keynote when he lined a two-run double to straight away center field that scored Eduardo Escobar and Omar Narvaez that gave the Mets a 5-3 lead. 

The Mets and Marlins keep the action going tomorrow night.  

And if it makes Mets fans feel any better, Jacob deGrom got shelled in his first outing with the Texas Rangers.

Volpe Makes Deubt while Yankees Bash San Fran

 YANKEES 5 - GIANTS 0 

Aaron Judge went deep for the first time this year; Gerrit Cole stymied the Giants over six brilliant innings, and New Jersey's very own Anthony Volpe was there to soak it all in as the newest member of the Bronx Bombers. 

Volpe, the Watchung, New Jersey native who grew up a Yankees fan as a kid, went to high school at Delbarton in Morristown, and enjoyed a meteoric rise through the Yankees farm system, made his debut on Thursday. 

While he was 0-for-2 with a walk, a stolen base and a strikeout, he gave Yankees fans a glimpse of the future with his patience at the plate. In his first plate appearance he worked a seven pitch walk, then stole a bag. 

"I thought he was terrific. I thought he was really good," Manager Aaron Boone said of Volpe. 

Volpe received a standing ovation from the Yankees faithful when he was introduced for the very first time, and received nothing but cheers anytime the ball came near him, especially when he turned a nifty 6-4-3 double-play in the sixth inning. 

 

And to think he's only 21 and it's all just starting to shower over him. 

As for the game itself, it was all Yankees. Judge picked up where he left off, cracking a homer in his first at bat, and carrying the Yankees with a pair of RBI. It was nice to see D.J. LeMahieu and Gleyber Torres get involved with a RBI single and a two-run bomb, respectively. 

Cole was dominant. Even though he tossed 95 pitches in six innings, he struck out 11 Giants, and gave up only three hits. 

The Yankees (1-0) and Giants (0-1) keep it going on Saturday.

Top 5 Storylines for the New York Yankees 2023 Season

 Who would have thought we would see a Yankee Opening Day where the anticipation was geared away from home run champion Aaron Judge? 

 

That is the situation we find as all the attention of fans and media alike is on rookie short stop Anthony Volpe, who was the Yankees top rated prospect. Volpe a Watchung, New Jersey native was a huge hit with the Yankees Double-A affiliate, the Somerset Patriots last season. Now after beating out Oswald Peraza and Isiah Kiner-Falefa in Spring Training, he will be the everyday short stop. 

It figures to be an incredible atmosphere on Thursday afternoon when the Yankees face the San Francisco Giants. 

Check out my full list of top Yankees storylines  on FOX SPORTS NEW JERSEY!

Top 5 Keys to the New York Mets Season

 The New York Mets begin a new season with great expectations and plenty of questions. 

 

Jacob deGrom is out. Justin Verlander is in. Max Scherzer is back for another go, and the Mets must find a replacement for the injured Edwin Diaz. 

Check out my piece on the Mets season with Fox Sports New Jersey! 

Saleh and Douglas Talk and Dance Around Aaron Rodgers Talk

When asked about Aaron Rodgers and his chances of coming to the New York Jets as New York and Green Bay continue to duke it out over a trade package, Head Coach Robert Saleh confirmed the Jets are "not hitting the panic button" and are in "no rush" to get the deal done. 

 

At the same time the Jets head coach sounded like a man who knows the future Hall of Famer is on his way to New York, echoing that the Jets are building an offense around him, and that it helps to have the quarterback and offensive coordinator on the same page. 

"I'm confident that things will go the way we're hoping. But at the same time, it's not going to eat at me," Saleh said. 

 Saleh also added that Zach Wilson will be the back-up quarterback regardless, once again echoing that Gang Green still believes that Wilson is in their future plans. 

At the same time word came down Monday that Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has demanded a trade from Baltimore. This isn't that shocking since anyone could go ahead and try to acquire him if it's willing to part with two first rounders and sign Jackson to a massive extension. Nobody has budged at this point. 

When asked about Jackson, Douglas shot down the idea calling it "disingenuous and negotiating in bad faith." 

 

The Jets are clearly all in on Rodgers no matter what. 

The rumors are the Packers want a first round pick. There was even a report that the two sides stopped talking for a week, but Douglas reiterated that the process is playing itself out. 

Mets DFA Darin Ruff, Promote Locastro

 It was really no surprise that the Mets designated outfielder Darin Ruff for assignment on Monday. Ever since the Mets acquired him from the San Francisco Giants for J.D. Davis and prospects, Ruff never got comfortable in New York. 

He hit only .152 in 29 games with no homers and seven RBI. In spring Training this year, things didn't get better for Ruf, who hit only .167. 

Brett Baty, Getty Images

The Mets had to cut him. Even General Manager Billy Eppler admitted it was a deal that just didn't work out. 

In response the Mets promoted Timothy Locastro to the Big League's. He did well in Spring Training, but make no mistake, this is not a power bat. Locastro has only seven homers in 247 games. 

The Mets decision making has made many wonder why the team won't promote Brett Baty or Matt Vientos to the Big League club. The Yankees already promoted their young phenom Anthony Volpe. What about the Mets? 

Look at the numbers and both Baty and Vientos deserve to be on the team. Vientos drove in 11 and hit .278 this spring with a pair of homers. Baty hit .375 with six RBI and a home run. 

Both are 23 years-old. Both deserve a shot. 

But the Mets under Buck Schowalter and Billy Eppler like going with the old guys. Eduardo Escobar struggled almost the entire season until he heated up in September and hit .340. The Mets are betting that the 34-year old Escobar can recapture that magic from September, but that could be asking a lot of an aging player. 

The corner outfield slots have questions, namely Starling Marte's heath, which has been a topic since the end of last season. Mark Canha is good, but unspectacular in left. Vientos would be a perfect guy in the corner outfield slots, but the Mets, again want to rely on the vets -- for now. 

It's not the worst strategy. At the very least Baty and Vientos get needed at bats in Triple A rather than being part time platoon players.  Plus the Mets have commitments in contracts they have to honor to its aging players. 

But the facts are this: the Mets have some young stars coming up, and it is long over due that they give them a shot. At somepoint this year, the Mets are going to be forced to turn the page and do so.

Yankees Promote Anthony Volpe to Major League Roster

 The New York Yankees have promoted short stop Anthony Volpe to the Majors. He will begin his long anticipated Major League career on Thursday when the Yankees open up the 2023 season in the Bronx against the San Francisco Giants. 

Anthony Volpe. Getty Images

 

Volpe earned his way to the Major League squad with an epic spring training and made things incredibly hard on the Yankees to keep him off the 26-man roster. He produced a .314/.417/.647 slash line with three home runs, 10 extra base hits in 17 games in Spring Training. He was clearly the best short stop on the field as well beating out incumbents Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Oswald Peraza. 

 https://twitter.com/Yankees/status/1640093807189323780?s=20

Peraza, who was ranked second behind Volpe on the Yankees top prospects list the past two years has been sent down to Triple-A Scranton. 

Volpe becomes the youngest Yankees short stop to make his debut on opening day since Derek Jeter did it in 1995. 

"I don't even know what lies ahead but Thursday I just want to go out and play, and have fun," an excited Volpe told reporters. 

The 22-year old from Somerset County is a lifelong Yankees fans, and got to live out his dream playing near home with the Somerset Patriots last season. After a slow start out of the gate, Volpe showed why he is considered one of the best prospects in the Yankees system. 

In 110 games, Volpe hit .251 with 18 homers and 60 RBI with the Patriots, becoming an instant star. He was promoted to Triple-A in August where he finished the season. 

Going into the winter, Volpe made a commitment to work as hard as he could to give himself a shot at the Yankees opening day roster. Considering the log-jam the Yankees had a shortstop, it was no easy feat, but the 22-year old got it done. 

Now, the rest of his career is right in front of him.

Edwin Diaz Out for the Season After WBC Injury

 If you are no fan of the World Baseball Classic, then what happened to Edwin Diaz on Wednesday night in Puerto Rico's 5-2 win over the Dominican Republic would serve as evidence of the tournament's malfeasance. 

Upon getting the final out, Diaz celebrated with his Puerto Rican teammates near the pitchers mound, before falling to the ground in a heap. Diaz had to be helped off the field in a wheelchair. His teammates both in shock and tears. It was revealed late Thursday that Diaz had torn the Patellar Tendon in his knee and would be lost for the season. 

While many have come out to defend the WBC because of its meaning to the players who play it, and there is no doubting there is a lot of national pride in playing in and having the tournament; the fact that it is played at such an intense level in the month of March when players should be with their Major League team preparing for a season is the further proof that things need to change. 

There was always the concern that one day a major injury would happen as a result of the WBC, and now it has. 

The Mets season has now been greatly altered because Diaz celebrated with his Puerto Rican teammates as if they had clinched a league championship. And it is only March. 

There is a reason why Max Scherzer and Brandon Nimmo decried playing in the tournament when asked by reporters. There is also a reason why Aaron Judge felt the Yankees wouldn't allow him to play in it. 

Any injury in this tournament is a catastrophic one. 

Baseball's owners need to step in and put a stop to this before someone else gets hurt. 

Diaz wasn't the only player injured in this year's WBC. Freedie Freeman of the Los Angeles Dodgers hurt his hamstring while playing for Team Canada, but is expected to be ready for Opening Day. 

The risk/reward is too great. Especially when there are players riding multi-million contracts like Diaz is. Teams shouldn't allow their major leaguers to play in this tournament. And baseball should move it to November, or just cancel it altogether. 

National pride is great, but at the cost of losing a valuable asset for the season just isn't worth it.

Aaron Rodgers: "Intends" to play for the New York Jets in 2023

 Aaron Rodgers made his appearance on the Pat McAfee show in order to "clear the air" on his future in the NFL, and confirmed in no uncertain terms that he "intends" to play for the New York Jets this season. 

Rodgers lay blame at the delay in the announcement of a deal at the feet of his current and soon-to-be former employers the Green Bay Packers for the hold-up, citing Green Bay's compensation in return in a trade with the Jets. 

Rodgers reiterated that he wants to play in New York, and that the process will have to play itself out. 

His appearance on McAfee accomplished three things: 1) It confirmed in the eyes of Jets fans, and in the eyes of the everyone around the league that Rodgers definitely intends to play this season; a theroy that was pretty obvious considering he was lobbying the Jets to sign a number of players such as Allen Lazard to a four-year deal. 

Lazard was Rodgers number one target in Green Bay last season. He wants to have guys he knows and is comfortable with on the Jets, and New York is willing to oblige.

2) It put the the Packers in a very tough spot where they lose all kinds of leverage to the Jets in the negotiation. Now the cat is out of the bag that it was Green Bay not Rodgers who has held things up. That could affect what the Jets end up giving up to Green Bay. 

3) Rodgers made no bones about how he views the national media, attacking some of the NFL's top reporters for spreading some false narratives. Even saying Adam Schefter should "lose" his number. 

So as we sit here in the middle of March, with March Madness about to begin, and just two weeks before the start of the baseball season, Aaron Rodgers has made this all about him, and it looks very likely he is coming to the Jets. 

Get ready Jets fans for a wild and crazy ride. It's gonna be fun. 

Jets in Hot Pursuit of Aaron Rodgers

 After watching Derek Carr sign with the New Orleans Saints on Monday, the Jets turned their attention to the man Woody Johnson has coveted this entire off-season so far: Aaron Rodgers. 

 According to reports the Jets and Rodgers did speak this week, a permission granted by the Green Bay Packers. And reports Tuesday afternoon indicated that Johnson and the Jets were flying out to California to meet with Rodgers. 

 

All indications are is that this could indeed happen, although nothing is ever certain, especially with Rodgers. Rodgers to date has given no indication one way or the other what he will do. He could still retire. He could also tell the Packers he wants to return, even though Green Bay appears done with him, and would rather move on to Jordan Love. Or he could force a trade elsewhere. His old back-up Kurt Benkert speculated that Rodgers could end up in Miami. 

Who knows at this point. Bottom line is this is all on Woody Johnson, who reportedly covets Rodgers. There was even a report on Monday that there were other members of the Jets front office that preferred the Jets sign Derek Carr, but Johnson wants 'his' man. 

Rodgers in New York would certainly be entertaining, if not bizarre. The pressure on Gang Green to win would ratchet up, and I don't know if this is a team that is built to contend with the likes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals right now. A 39-year old Aaron Rodgers is not enough, and after the Jets failures with Rodgers predecessor 15-years ago in Brett Favre, this could blow up in the Jets faces royally, but I am not the one signing the checks.

Giants and Jones Agree to Long Term Deal

 The New York Giants and quarterback Daniel Jones have agreed to a long-term deal, four years at $160 million that will keep their signal caller in New York. 

 Over the last couple weeks, reports indicated that Jones was seeking a deal north of $45 million per year. New York and Jones' representation agreed to a deal that would pay him $82 million guaranteed according to Albert Breer. Tom Pelissaro of NFL Network also Tweeted out that Jones' contract contained $35 million in incentives.

 

In addition the Giants slapped the franchise tag on running back Saquon Barkley at $10 million for this season. 

The deals got done just before the 4 p.m. Franchise Tag deadline, an excellent job by General Manager Joe Schoen, the Giants and representation for both Jones and Barkley.

Both players were immensely valuable to the Giants success in 2022. Jones had the best year of his career tossing for 3,205 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also proved to be even deadlier on the run, rushing for 708 yards and seven scores. 

As for Barkely, he had a renaissance year in 2022, rushing for 1,312 yards, a 4.4. yards per carry clip, and 10 touchdowns. 

The Giants had to bring this duo back, and were able to do so.