MLB Roundup 12/17: Mets sign Wilson Ramos

Mets sign Wilson Ramos

The Mets have arguably been the most interesting team of the offseason thus far, making a few big splashes under new General Manager Brodie Van Wagenen. Their latest came on Sunday as NL’s New York team inked catcher Wilson Ramos to an incredibly reasonable two-year deal worth around $19 million. This is a very favorable deal for the Mets, as they get a very good catcher on a cheap contract to put behind the plate and lengthen the lineup. It’s been clear that they’d be looking for help at this position as they were among the teams most connected to Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto. With Ramos in tow, it seems that trade possibility has gone out the window. Fortunately for Red Sox fans, the absurd trade rumors that involved Realmuto going to the Mets and Noah Syndergaard inexplicably going to the Yankees in a three-team deal can hopefully be laid to rest. This also doesn’t take the Mets out of the trade market for Boston’s backstops. They do have Kevin Plawecki to back up, but Ramos doesn’t have the greatest health track record so they may be looking for another catching option. The one fact that could hold things back is that Plawecki, like Boston’s three catchers, is out of options. It’s something to watch for, at least.

Nationals sign Matt Adams

The biggest bit of news for the Nationals offseason is that they are (likely) losing Bryce Harper, but they’ve been pretty active as they are not ready to throw in the towel after losing just one player. Over the weekend they made a minor move to boost the lineup, bringing back first baseman Matt Adams on a one-year, $4 million deal. This is the second consecutive winter in which these two sides have agreed on this same contract. This deal doesn’t really have much of an effect on the Red Sox other than Adams maybe being a potential Yankee target, but it’s a quiet part of the offseason. Anyway, the left-handed hitting first baseman will give Washington some pop off the bench, an occasional platoon partner with Ryan Zimmerman as well as insurance for Zimmerman, who has some injury history.

Carlos Asuaje to play in Korea

Here’s a bit of a deep cut for some Red Sox fans, but a name that should sound somewhat familiar. Carlos Asuaje was designated for assignment by the Padres earlier in the winter when they signed Garrett Richards. The Rangers claimed him off waivers, but now he’s decided he wants to play elsewhere. Asuaje is in the process of agreeing to a buyout with the Rangers so he can take a deal to play in the KBO. Asuaje, of course, was part of the trade that brought Craig Kimbrel to Boston and he’s spent parts of each of the last three seasons in San Diego. Things never worked out to great success, but he could revitalize his career in Korea. I was always a big Asuaje fan, and he came at a time where the Red Sox had a few high-contact middle infielders in the system along with Mauricio Dubon and Marco Hernandez, among others. It was a wonderful time for me, with those being my favorite kind of players. Unfortunately for me, the game is moving away from that type.