BILLY EPPLER

New York Mets owner Steve Cohen was on the line. That conversation led to an $86.7 million, two-year contract on Dec. 5, a deal that was finalized two days later. Entering their third season under Cohen, the Mets have committed $476.7 million to seven free agents. He also got his first win in nine career World Series starts in Game 5 as Houston beat Philadelphia in six games, earning his second World Series ring. Verlander is guaranteed $43,333,333 in each of the next two seasons, matching Scherzer's annual salary in a $130 million, three-year deal through 2024.

Brandon Nimmo said the promise of attempting to contend every year with the Mets is how owner Steve Cohen persuaded him to re-sign with New York.

Steve Cohen's New York Mets are on track to shatter spending records in his third season as owner, boosting payroll to about $350 million for purposes of the luxury tax and poised to pay a penalty of about $80 million. New York added veteran starters Justin Verlander and Jose Quintana plus reliever David Robertson and Japanese pitcher Kodai Senga while re-signing center fielder Brandon Nimmo.

After the news broke — reportedly, deGrom did not give the Mets a chance to match the Rangers' five-year, $185 million offer — Eppler texted him. The Mets will pair Verlander with Max Scherzer, acquired last offseason, to replicate their tantalizing co-ace formula of 2021. Verlander and Scherzer both are outliers on the aging curve, remarkable anomalies defined by their defiance of the decline expected of athletes entering midlife. The point is not that Verlander, or Scherzer for that matter, won’t each be worth the co-AAV record $43.33 million the Mets will pay them next year. Rather, in order for these “impact” pitchers to be at their most impactful in the important moments, the Mets might need to ration their innings.

The 2022 New York Mets have more free agents than any other MLB team, Jacob deGrom and Brandon Nimmo among them. What will they do, and how much could they spend?

NEW YORK — (AP) — All-Star closer Edwin Díaz and the New York Mets finalized their $102 million, five-year contract Wednesday — the largest for a reliever in baseball history. Díaz can opt out after three seasons, and the deal includes a team option for 2028. The 28-year-old right-hander became a free agent Sunday following a sensational season with the Mets. Needing to rebuild most of their pitching staff, they started at the back end of the bullpen and quickly locked up Díaz with a record deal before other teams were permitted to negotiate with him. Edwin Diaz deal is done," Mets owner Steve Cohen tweeted Wednesday after Díaz passed his physical.

All-Star closer Edwin Díaz and the New York Mets have finalized their $102 million, five-year contract — the largest for a reliever in baseball history.

Baseball’s biggest spenders looked spent.

Arte Moreno, who bought the Los Angeles Angels in 2003, is exploring a sale of the team.

New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom struck out five of the six batters he faced and threw 18 of 24 pitches for strikes Sunday night in his first minor league rehab start for Class A St. Lucie.

The order was signed Friday, and authorities visited an upscale neighborhood in the north coastal town of Dorado where the singer lives to try to serve the order, police spokesman Axel Valencia said. It was not immediately known who requested the restraining order.

New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom is finally ready to begin a minor league rehab assignment.

New York Mets outfielder Starling Marte has been placed on the bereavement list following the death of his grandmother, which came nearly two years to the day after his wife died of a heart attack.

Robinson Canó has been cut by the New York Mets with nearly $45 million remaining on his contract, ending an ill-fated marriage and possibly signaling the end of his decorated major league career.

Mets deGrom Baseball FILE - New York Mets pitcher Jacob DeGrom smiles after the team's baseball game against the Washington Nationals on Aug. 29, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Corey Sipkin, File) (Corey Sipkin)SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — (AP) — The New York Mets will be without one of the sport's most dominant pitchers to start the season. Jacob deGrom will miss significant time because of inflammation in his shoulder area, a huge blow to a team that heavily invested in making a deep run this season. The Mets said an MRI earlier in the day showed a stress reaction on his scapula that caused inflammation. We are dealing with a bone issue and when you are dealing with bone, they calcify.

With opening day less than a week away, every team in Major League Baseball is hoping to finish spring training without any significant injuries.

Mets deGrom Baseball FILE - New York Mets pitcher Jacob DeGrom smiles after the team's baseball game against the Washington Nationals on Aug. 29, 2021, in New York. The two-time Cy Young Award winner won't throw for up to four weeks and there is no timetable for his return, the Mets announced Friday. The Mets had considered their rotation a major strong suit this season after signing three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer and trading for All-Star Chris Bassitt. Carlos Carrasco and Taijuan Walker comprise the remainder of the Mets rotation. Right-hander Tylor Megill or left-hander David Peterson are the most likely options to join the Mets rotation.

Mets deGrom Baseball FILE - New York Mets pitcher Jacob DeGrom smiles after the team's baseball game against the Washington Nationals on Aug. 29, 2021, in New York. The Mets had considered their rotation a major strong suit this season after signing three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer and trading for All-Star Chris Bassitt. After getting off to a sensational start last year, deGrom didn’t pitch after July 7 because of a sprained elbow. Carlos Carrasco and Taijuan Walker comprise the remainder of the Mets rotation. Right-hander Tylor Megill or left-hander David Peterson are the most likely options to join the Mets rotation.

New York Mets ace Jacob DeGrom will miss major time because of inflammation in his shoulder area, a huge blow to a team that heavily invested in making a deep run this season.

Mets general manager Billy Eppler said he spoke to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman well before hiring away Eric Chávez as the team's hitting coach and that both sides had an understanding that Chávez may end up in Queens. The 44-year-old Chávez was hired by the Yankees in November as one of two assistants to new hitting coach Dillon Lawson — and projected to take on a role beyond his title. A few weeks later, the Mets hired the 17-year big leaguer to be their primary hitting coach.

NEW YORK — (AP) — Buck Showalter has been hired as the New York Mets manager, bringing him back to the Big Apple to take over his fifth major league team. New York has been searching for solid leadership ever since — in the dugout and the front office. The Yankees (1996) and Diamondbacks (2001) both won the World Series in the first season after Showalter left. He led Arizona to 100 wins in 1999 before losing a playoff series to the Mets. Showalter becomes the fifth for the Mets in just more than four years.

Buck Showalter has been hired as manager of the New York Mets, bringing him back to the Big Apple to take over his fifth major league team.

The New York Mets have bolstered their lineup with three free-agent deals, adding speedy center fielder Starling Marte to go along with Mark Canha and All-Star infielder Eduardo Escobar.

Billy Eppler embraced the bright lights of the big city, promising on his first day as Mets general manager to pursue pricey free agents and create a perennial World Series contender.

The New York Mets have hired Billy Eppler as their general manager, giving him a four-year contract.

NEW YORK — (AP) — The New York Mets were close to completing a deal Wednesday night to hire Billy Eppler as general manager, according to a person familiar with the negotiations. Eppler and the Mets were nearing a four-year contract, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement was not finalized. But it appears the Mets have finally found their GM following a ridiculed search that had dragged on for more than six weeks since the 2021 season ended. Eppler is expected to be introduced by the team Friday, and he would become the Mets' fifth head of baseball operations in 13 months. The 46-year-old Eppler was GM of the Angels from 2015-20, overseeing five straight losing seasons.

The New York Mets are close to completing a deal to hire Billy Eppler as general manager, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.

FILE - Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the third inning of the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the Houston Astros in Anaheim, Calif., in this Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020, file photo. Mike Trout is back in spring training with the Angels to chase his first playoff victory. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)ANAHEIM, Calif. – Mike Trout is beginning a new season with the same old question. How long will the Los Angeles Angels' three-time AL MVP have to wait for his first playoff victory? Not even the expanded 2020 postseason helped Los Angeles, which finished 26-34 for its fifth straight losing campaign — the franchise's worst stretch since the 1970s.

Minnesota has a couple of ailing hitters in third baseman Josh Donaldson (right calf) and center fielder Byron Buxton (mild concussion symptoms). Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said Buxton is improving and the team hopes he’ll be ready for the postseason opener. Brett Phillips exited Sunday’s game with right hamstring tightness, and fellow outfielder Manuel Margot (sore foot) was scratched from the lineup. Acuña was scratched Sunday with renewed irritation in his left wrist. Because of the reworked schedule caused by the virus outbreak, the Yankees didn’t play in Cleveland this year.

Members of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrate after defeating the Milwaukee Brewers in a baseball game to earn a playoff birth Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in St. Louis. That’s when the Brewers, at 29-31, open their series against Los Angeles ace Walker Buehler at Dodger Stadium. In a win-and-you’re-in game, St. Louis clinched by beating Milwaukee 5-2. That’s how you see it,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. St. Louis played a total of 58 games — it was prepared for a doubleheader in Detroit on Monday if needed to settle the playoff picture.

ANAHEIM, Calif. – The Los Angeles Angels fired general manager Billy Eppler on Sunday after the team finished its fifth consecutive losing season under his watch. The Angels finished 26-34 in the pandemic-shortened season with a star-studded roster including three-time AL MVP Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon, three-time NL MVP Albert Pujols and Shohei Ohtani. Eppler rebuilt a farm system that was left barren by former GM Jerry Dipoto, and he both signed Trout to a massive contract extension and persuaded Ohtani to bring his two-way talents to the Angels. Yet Eppler never managed to sign enough quality pitchers to prevent Trout's Angels from being a perennial also-ran. Eppler repeatedly guessed wrong in his signings from Matt Harvey to Julio Teheran, leaving the Angels with one of the majors' worst starting rotations for much of his tenure.

Los Angeles Angels shortstop Andrelton Simmons throws to first to get Texas Rangers' Rougned Odor out on a ground ball during the sixth inning of a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)

Los Angeles Angels shortstop Andrelton Simmons throws to first to get Texas Rangers' Rougned Odor out on a ground ball during the sixth inning of a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)ANAHEIM, Calif. – Shortstop Andrelton Simmons has opted out of the remainder of the Los Angeles Angels' season. But the Angels haven't publicly closed the door on Simmons' return, and he could be given a qualifying offer. The Angels haven't had a winning season during Simmons' five years in Anaheim, although Simmons said last week he wasn't discouraged by the lack of team success. Simmons also said he hadn't been involved in any recent contract talks with the Angels, but he had enjoyed playing for the club.

Ohtani is traveling with the Angels to Seattle, where they open a six-game road trip Tuesday night. The Angels also use Ohtani as their primary designated hitter between his mound starts, and he is day-to-day as a hitter, the team said. Ohtani said afterward he was reluctant to throw at his full velocity, but believed he would be capable with time. He went 4-2 with a 3.31 ERA and 63 strikeouts during 10 largely successful starts, and he batted .285 with 22 homers as a designated hitter. He spent 2019 solely as the Angels' designated hitter while patiently rehabbing his pitching arm, hitting steadily but not spectacularly.

Trout and his wife, Jessica, are expecting the couple's first child in August. Honestly, I still dont feel that comfortable," he said. The three-time AL MVP continues to have discussions with general manager Billy Eppler and manager Joe Maddon. Trout did leave open the possibility of possibly not playing until the baby arrives. I'm appealing to our guys to be as informed as they can and then arrive at their own truth.

ANAHEIM, Calif. Shohei Ohtani will resume his two-way career with the Los Angeles Angels when baseball returns. Angels general manager Billy Eppler confirmed Tuesday that his Japanese star will pitch and hit in the majors this season. He wasn't expected to pitch in 2020 until at least May, and Eppler confirmed that the coronavirus pandemic hasn't altered the Angels' plans. Eppler said none of the Angels' players are currently intending to opt out of playing in the shortened season. Eppler confirmed that first-round pick Reid Detmers will be on the Angels' summer roster as the 56th player, although the left-handed starter hasn't officially yet been added.

The league announced Thursday it will starting testing for opioids and cocaine, but has removed marijuana from its list of banned substances. The new program calls for treatment, rather than suspension, for players who test positive for banned substances, MLB and the player's association said. Under the new changes, MLB will test for opioids, Fentanyl, cocaine and synthetic Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The changes come months after the July death of Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs. Like alcohol, those who test positive will face mandatory evaluation, voluntary treatment and the possibility of discipline.

The league announced Thursday it will starting testing for opioids and cocaine, but has removed marijuana from its list of banned substances. The new program calls for treatment, rather than suspension, for players who test positive for banned substances, MLB and the player's association said. Under the new changes, MLB will test for opioids, Fentanyl, cocaine and synthetic Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The changes come months after the July death of Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs. Like alcohol, those who test positive will face mandatory evaluation, voluntary treatment and the possibility of discipline.