Mets history meets present with Piazza, Mookie in camp

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Nearly every year over the past decade or so, Mike Piazza has rolled into Mets camp for a few days as a guest instructor. Piazza enjoys the feeling of standing on the field, back in uniform. More than anything, he misses the camaraderie of being around other players united with a common goal.

So Piazza particularly relished his trip this year, which came in conjunction with that of another Mets legend, Mookie Wilson. Later this spring, Al Leiter and David Wright will travel to Port St. Lucie to serve as instructors, as well.

In other words, Piazza is no longer alone in this role. For the past few years, and even more so since Steve Cohen purchased the team, the Mets have worked fastidiously to connect with their alumni. That has taken the form of long-overdue number retirements and inductions into the Mets Hall of Fame. It has also taken the form of team officials more regularly reaching out to folks like Piazza and Wilson in the hopes of connecting generations.

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“We’re excited that Steve really is committed to the history of the team, and the fans love it, too,” Piazza said. “Overwhelmingly, they love it. They love the ’86 guys, obviously the ’69 guys. We’re losing them very slowly. But that’s what the history of the organization is about. We celebrate the guys today. They’re the real studs. They’re the real stars. But, ultimately, Mets fans love the history of this club. So I’m happy that Steve is really enthusiastic about the heritage.”

One initiative this year is the return of Old-Timers’ Day, which is scheduled to take place on Aug. 27. Piazza admitted to “sneaking into the cage” to prepare himself, though he cautioned not to expect too much now that he’s 53 years old. The 66-year-old Wilson, who ranks second on the Mets’ all-time stolen base list, laughed out loud when a reporter suggested he might try to swipe a bag.

“Are you crazy?” Wilson chuckled. “I’m just trying to figure out how I’m going to survive.”

At Mets camp on Tuesday, Piazza spent time chatting with various pitchers, including Jacob deGrom, while Wilson worked with the outfielders. Both said they appreciated the opportunity to help in whatever ways they could.

“This being a ballfield, you get excited,” Wilson said. “I’m so joyful being on the field again, sharing whatever information I have, whatever insight. It ain’t a whole lot, but I’m willing to share what I do have.”

Money matters
Tuesday was the deadline for players eligible for salary arbitration (those with between three and six years of service time) to exchange salary figures with their clubs. For the Mets, who had 14 arbitration-eligible players, that meant a flurry of deals throughout the day. Among the new one-year contracts, according to various sources and reports:

Edwin Díaz, $10.2 million
Pete Alonso, $7.4 million
Brandon Nimmo, $7 million
Dominic Smith, $3.95 million
Seth Lugo, $3.925 million
Trevor Williams, $3.9 million
Jeff McNeil, $3 million
J.D. Davis, $2.76 million
Miguel Castro, $2.62 million
Joey Lucchesi, $1.15 million
Luis Guillorme, $875,000

Tomás Nido and Drew Smith also came to agreements, which left starting pitcher Chris Bassitt as the lone unsigned arb-eligible player. If the Mets cannot agree to a deal with Bassitt, they will go to hearing with an independent arbiter, who will choose either the player’s salary request or the team’s.

But why wasn’t it a sugar cookie?
The Mets held a birthday celebration for Díaz and Carlos Carrasco, who turned 28 and 35, respectively, this week. A clubhouse worker brought in a blue-and-orange cake for two men with distinctly dessert-themed nicknames: “Sugar” and “Cookie.”

Up next
Following a camp day on Wednesday, the Mets will return to Grapefruit League play on Thursday, with Bassitt and Carrasco scheduled to pitch. But the Mets are closely monitoring rain in the forecast, with plans to pitch those two earlier in the day on the back fields if a postponement seems likely.