Mets Morning News: Closed until further notice

Meet the Mets

Team officials held a meeting at their spring training complex early yesterday morning, which 20 players attended. Up to that point, some players were continuing to work out at the facilities.

Most of the players who remained at the facilities were pitchers. Among them were Noah Syndergaard, Robert Gsellman, Walker Lockett, Jacob Rhame, and Franklyn Kilome.

Meanwhile, prospect Matt Mullenbach found his heaven during his coronavirus escape.

Pete Alonso vowed to download MLB The Show 20 and challenge teammates and players around the league if this tweet got 50,000 retweets. You all know what to do.

These five stats could make or break the team’s 2020 season.

MLB Trade Rumors analyzed the Mets’ offseason.

On SNY’s 14th birthday, the site took a look back at Gary, Keith, and Ron’s first broadcast. GKR forever.

Tim Britton examines how delaying the regular season could shift the balance in the National League East. (Paywall Alert)

Former Mets’ GM Sandy Alderson is calling for a total coronavirus shutdown.

Around the National League East

Do the Nationals still have the best starting pitching trio in baseball?

The Phillies have closed their Citizens Bank Park offices.

Around Major League Baseball

Commissioner Rob Manfred conducted a conference call with all 30 teams. Following the call, he released a statement to announce that the start of the season will be pushed back to meet the CDC’s guidelines of avoiding gatherings of 50 or more people for at least eight more weeks. This will push Opening Day back to mid-May at the earliest.

The league will not attempt to set a date on when baseball count return, and will continue to monitor events and listen to experts.

There is no further information on whether the league will cancel the MLB Draft on June 10-12 or the All Star Game in Los Angeles on July 14.

Major League Baseball and the Players Association released a joint statement that they will donate $1 million to Emergency Food Services.

Fangraphs looks at how many games the league can reasonably play given the amount of games that will be missed with the season suspension.

MLB and the MLBPA have been in constant negotiations since Friday on issues including player pay and service time. MLBPA sent a counterproposal to the league yesterday.

MLB will prohibit all scouting activity, effective immediately.

MLB players, executives, and others are facing the uncertainty that the coronavirus outbreak has brought.

With the help of a strong union, MLB players have received constant updates. MiLB players have not, and are unsure of when their next paycheck will come.

Baseball photographers also face peril with the coronavirus shutdown. (Paywall alert)

The Baseball Hall of Fame announced that the 2020 Hall of Fame Classic Weekend has been canceled.

The Yankees started heading home on Sunday after learning of MLB’s newest rules.

One Yankee minor leaguer under quarantine said the team is “supplying them with to-go boxes and waters”.

The league must be more fan-friendly once this shutdown is over.

Some non-roster players, along with minor leaguers not on the 40-man roster, will not receive the $1,100 per week that the league is giving players returning home or to the team’s city.

The Rays will give every minor leaguer $800 to help during the spring training shutdown.

Meanwhile, Eric Sim is sending minor leaguers gift cards to help where Major League Baseball has not.

In non-coronavirus news, the Blue Jays added former Met Joe Panik to their roster.

Ben Clemens devised a method to estimate how valuable a player’s walks, strikeouts, and HBPs are.

Baseball Reference has released some updates on WAR. The modifications will cause some player’s WARs to go up, while causing some to drop.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

Episode 51 of From Complex to Queens features former Mets farmhand Jeremy Wolf.

This Date in Mets History

The Mets signed outfielder Timo Perez on this date in 2000.