Mets Morning News: Safety measures come into focus

Meet the Mets

The Citi Field COVID-19 vaccination site will officially open tomorrow at 10:00am Eastern Time. The site will cater specifically to eligible Queens residents and to taxi drivers and food industry workers. Appointments can be made at this link or by calling 877-VAX-4NYC.

The Mets are betting that James McCann will be one of the catchers who peak in their 30s, but will they get lucky?

Carlos Carrasco, who battled chronic myeloid leukemia in 2019, will not let cancer define him.

The Mets inexplicably continue to be linked to pitcher Jake Arrieta.

Andy Martino examined what Mets fans can expect for the rest of the offseason.

Around the National League East

Mark Bowman listed the best Braves Opening Day moments.

Similarly, Jessica Camerato discussed the best Nationals Opening Day moments.

The Nationals paid tribute to Sean Doolittle, who officially signed with the Reds.

The Phillies signed Chase Anderson to a one-year deal worth $4 million.

The Phillies’ biggest problem in 2021 could end up being a loaded NL East.

Around Major League Baseball

It looks like MLB will be making adjustments to the baseball in 2021 in the form of deadening it. Ken Rosenthal and Eno Sarris explore the changes. (Paywall Alert)

MLB and the MLBPA have reached an agreement on safety procedures for the 2021 regular season and spring training. The agreement will attempt to combine last year’s best practices with lessons learned from other leagues. The latter includes NBA-type tracing technology that allows for better discovery of close contacts.

The agreement includes 7-inning double headers and a runner on second to start extra innings. The universal DH was not included.

According to Andy Martino, the universal DH is not impacted by this agreement, and is an issue for a future negotiation.

Teams will also have a 26-man roster for the 2021 season, with rosters expanding to 28 players during September.

With spring training right around the corner, it looks like the league is close to finalizing its Grapefruit League schedule, according to Ken Rosenthal. Teams will be in separate “pods” on the east and west coasts of Florida. West coast teams will play 28 games, while east coast teams play 24.

MLB.com’s Matt Kelly looked at which pitchers have the deepest arsenal.

The Cardinals are close to bringing back catcher and 2006 postseason villain Yadier Molina on a one-year deal.

The Angels agreed to a two-year, $8.5 million contract with Shohei Ohtani.

The Angels also acquired pitcher Aaron Slegers from the Rays for a player to be named later or cash. To make room on the roster, the team DFA’ed Dillon Peters.

The Rays reportedly signed former Met reliever Met Hunter Strickland.

Pitcher Andrew Albers, who spent the last three years with the Orix Buffaloes, has signed a minor league deal with the Twins that will be worth $750,000 if he makes the roster.

About a half-dozen teams are interested in Marwin Gonzalez. That list includes the Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Phillies. The Mets were previously linked to the utility player.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

Thomas Henderson expertly explained why extending Michael Conforto is especially important, but won’t be easy.

Episode 100 of From Complex to Queens is here!

This Date in Mets History

Happy Birthday to Mookie Wilson, who turns 65 years old today!