Mets news and rumors: Tracking the first winter of Steve Cohen

The 2020-2021 offseason should be a lot of fun for New York Mets fans with Steve Cohen in as the owner of the team. This winter, we’re tracking all of the news and gossip.

Steve Cohen’s arrival as the owner of the New York Mets highlighted 2020 for just about every fan of the team. His presence changes how the organization will approach everything. Excitement is in the air and this winter, Rising Apple is going to attempt to track all of the news and rumors from Cohen’s first winter as the owner.

The Mets are one of Major League Baseball’s few teams capable of adding anyone on the free agent market. The possibility of some big trades also loom.

So you don’t miss a thing, we’ll update this page regularly with the latest information to keep you fully up-to-date with everything Mets.

Last Update: 12/13/2020

Mets rumors for the 2020-2021 offseason

• In their search for a new catcher, the club has reportedly considered famed Mets-killer Yadier Molina as an option behind the plate in 2021. (Nov. 3)
• The Cleveland Indians have made it known that they have a goal to trade Francisco Lindor before Opening Day 2021. This is the first clear sign that the star shortstop should be available to any team willing to pay the price. (Nov. 6)
• The Cleveland Indians are reportedly very interested in making a Francisco Lindor trade, specifically with the Mets. (Nov. 10)
• Sandy Alderson says Brad Hand would have been an option for the Mets if his placement on waivers lined up better with the sale of the team. Still, it’s possible Hand and the Mets do reach an agreement this winter. (Nov. 12)
• A one-year deal with veteran free agent Charlie Morton could make sense for the Mets. In mid-November, it is reported that the club has spoken with his agent. (Nov. 15)
• The Mets are rumored to have interest in former New York Yankees starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka. Is he a realistic option for the ball club? (Nov. 16)
• ESPN’s Buster Olney reports there are four teams showing an early interest in free agent pitcher Jake Odorizzi. The Mets are one of those teams. (Nov. 17)
• Ken Davidoff of the New York Post reports the Mets have shown interest in free agent slugger Marcell Ozuna. How can the reigning NL home run champion fit in with the club in 2021? (Nov. 17)
• Free agent catcher James McCann has the undivided attention of the orange and blue. It’s beginning to look like we’ll see Jacob deGrom throw to him on Opening Day 2021. (Dec. 1)
• The competition for starting pitching help includes several smaller market squads, but also a few familiar teams that often get involved in making big moves. (Dec. 3)
• The Mets are reportedly interested in signing former Cy Young winner Corey Kluber. Their biggest competition: the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. (Dec. 3)
• After landing Trevor May, the Mets turn their heads toward signing yet another ex-Minnesota Twins pitcher. Rumors about their interest in Jake Odorizzi begin to circulate yet again. (Dec. 4)
• Catcher James McCann is in active talks with the team. However, with a few other franchises interested, no deal looks imminent until at least the Winter Meetings. (Dec. 4)
• In their search for a new general manager, the team has remained interested in hiring former Oakland Athletics executive Billy Owens for the job. (Dec. 7)
• ESPN’s Buster Olney says he’s willing to “bet the family farm” in regards to George Springer and his future in Flushing. (Dec. 8)
• The offseason hasn’t produced much excitement yet but the Mets are reportedly still hoping to sign Trevor Bauer and/or George Springer. (Dec. 9)
• Free agent reliever Liam Hendriks has entered the chat as a potential bullpen piece for the team in 2021. (Dec. 10)
• Offseason rumors continue for the Mets with Jon Heyman reporting the team remains the favorite to snag outfielder George Springer. (Dec. 13)

Mets news for the 2020-2021 offseason

• On MLB Trade Rumors’ 2020-2021 offseason free agent prediction list, the Mets are thought to have a chance to sign two of the top 50. Those players are J.T. Realmuto and Charlie Morton. They also predict starting pitcher Marcus Stroman will sign with the Los Angeles Angels. (Nov. 3)
• Steve Cohen officially takes over as the majority owner of the Mets. As a result, there is major turnover in the front office including the resignation of Brodie Van Wagenen. (Nov. 6)
• Buster Olney tweets that it’s a “safe bet” we’ll see the DH back in the National League in 2021. This is good news for the Mets and even better news for Dominic Smith. (Nov. 8)
• Steve Cohen addresses the fans for the first time via video call and immediately builds trust through his plans for the organization and how eager he is to build a winner. (Nov. 10)
• Marcus Stroman accepts the qualifying offer and will return to Flushing in 2021. The team now has one more chance to salvage the trade that first brought him to New York. Rising Apple’s Matt Cacace believes this is best for the team, even above a deal with Trevor Bauer. (Nov. 11)
• Per Jon Heyman, the Mets had other ideas before hiring Carlos Beltran as their manager last offseason. They actually had an interview with Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa before ultimately hiring Beltran. (Nov. 12)
• Shortstop Amed Rosario removes all Mets-related images from his Instagram leading many to speculate about what it could possibly mean for his future in Flushing. (Nov. 13)
• Trevor Bauer and Sandy Alderson share some kind words about one-another making this look like a potential match made in heaven. (Nov. 15)
• MLB.com shared their idea of what different trade scenarios involving Francisco Lindor would look like. The trade with the Mets would include Jeff McNeil, a player many fans feel is untouchable. (Nov. 17)
• Robinson Cano is suspended for 162 games after testing positive for PEDs. This is Cano’s second suspension which will cost him all of 2021. Rising Apple takes a look at how this may affect the offseason plans. Additionally, James Richards profiles a few internal and external options for the Mets to explore at second base. (Nov. 18)
• On SNY, former General Manager Jim Duquette shared three trade ideas for the team to explore. The trades involve stars Kris Bryant, Nolan Arenado, and Francisco Lindor. (Nov. 21)
• Luis Rojas will indeed return as the team’s skipper for the 2021 season. Rising Apple’s Michael Griffin looks into whether this is the right decision for the ball club. (Nov. 23)
• Marcus Stroman and Francisco Lindor get friendly on social media. Could Stroman, who only recently accepted a qualifying offer, help bring Lindor to the Mets? (Nov. 24)
• Former MLB pitcher Chris Young is reportedly a candidate to take over as general manager of the Mets following an interview for the job. (Nov. 25)
• Steve Cohen went on SNY the day before Thanksgiving to discuss more about his offseason plans for turning his team into one of the best in the league. (Nov. 25)
• Bartolo Colon is hoping to return to Flushing and finish his MLB career. Should the Mets take a chance on the nearly 50-year-old pitcher that hasn’t thrown in a big league game in two years? (Nov. 27)
• Sandy Alderson talked about his offseason plans. The biggest news to come out of it was that the team will focus more on free agents than trades. The farm system looks safe for now. (Nov. 29)
• The non-tender deadline comes and goes with the Mets holding onto potential non-tender candidates, Steven Matz and Robert Gsellman. Unfortunately, the team did part ways with several other players, including Chasen Shreve. On the plus side, there are plenty of new free agent options for the team to consider. (Dec. 2)
• Mets Twitter seems to have calmed down after a report over the weekend claiming the Philadelphia Phillies are actively listening to trade offers for Zack Wheeler. After all, the cost of doing business with Philadelphia would have cost the team a lot to reunite with Wheeler. (Dec. 8)
• At the Rule 5 Draft, the Mets lose five players. The most notable among them is Dedniel Nunez who was taken by the San Francisco Giants. They also pick up Luis Oviedo from the Cleveland Indians but ship him off to the Pittsburgh Pirates for cash. (Dec. 10)
• The Mets narrow down their search for a general manager to four names. Fortunately, none are ex-agents with zero experience. (Dec. 11)
• In perhaps their most important move of the winter, the Mets hire Jared Porter to become the general manager. (Dec. 12)
• The coaching staff for 2021 comes together a little more with the hiring of Dave Jauss. He will take over as the club’s bench coach next season. (Dec. 13)

Mets free agent signings for the 2020-2021 offseason

• New York claims Nick Tropeano and Jacob Barnes off waivers. Rising Apple’s Will Wetzel calls the addition of Tropeano a “savvy bullpen move.” (Oct. 30)
• The Mets add 11 players to minor league deals including some familiar names such as Mallex Smith and Arodys Vizcaino. (Nov. 4)
• Despite not having any major league experience, free agent reliever Sam McWilliams agrees to a one-year deal with the Amazins on a big league contract. (Nov. 20)
• In their first big move of the offseason, the team signs free agent reliever Trevor May to a two-year contract. The bullpen is suddenly a little bit deeper. (Dec. 2)
• The Mets add another Trevor not named Bauer to the organization. This time it’s former Minnesota Twins starter Trevor Hildenberger on a minor league deal. (Dec. 8)
• Noted lefty-specialist Jerry Blevins returns to the orange and blue on a minor league contract. (Dec. 11)
• After plenty of speculation and a short delay in getting it done, the Mets and free agent catcher James McCann agree to a four-year deal. (Dec. 12)

Mets trades for the 2020-2021 offseason

• Very shortly after being selected by the Mets in the Rule 5 Draft, Luis Oviedo is traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates for some hard-earned cash. (Dec. 10)

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