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PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. When the Giants released him in the early stages of the pandemic last April, Jerry Blevins didn’t take much time to reflect on a career that seemed potentially complete “chasing around two kids in diapers,” he said, “you don’t really have time to do much else.” Blevins wasn’t retired, but he wasn’t quite looking for a job, either. So when the Mets came calling early in the offseason, he didn’t initially say yes.
Instead, Blevins began working out in earnest, trying to determine if his 37-year-old body could still handle the rigors of professional baseball. When his arm responded better than he had even hoped, Blevins agreed to come to camp on a Minor League deal with a spring invite.
Mets Morning News: Reported
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Around the National League East
In the final days of the offseason, Jake Lamb has found a home with the Braves in the confines of Cobb County, Georgia.
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Way back at the start of the offseason in November, the Mets signed eleven players to minor league deals, one of whom was right-handed relief pitcher Arodys Vizcaíno. Best known for his time with the Braves, Vizcaino is attempting to come back from shoulder surgery very early in 2019 season and has yet to pitch in a game since then.
Signed by the Yankees as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic, Vizcaínowas traded to the Braves alongside Melky Cabrera in a deal that sent Boone Logan and Javier Vasquez to the Yankees following the 2009 season. That winter, Vizcaínomade his first appearances on the Baseball Prospectus top 101 and Baseball America top 100 prospect lists, and he appeared on both of those lists in each of the three seasons that followed.
Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Icon SMI/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Welcome to the relaunched This Day in Yankees History. With the offseason well underway, the Pinstripe Alley team is continuing this revived program. These daily posts will highlight two or three key moments in Yankees history on a given date, as well as recognize players born on the day. Hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane with us!
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38 Years Ago
The Yankees trade Lee Mazzilli to the Pirates for Tim Burke and three minor leaguers. This marked the third time in 1982 that Mazzilli was traded, as he had originally been sent by the Mets to the Rangers on April 1, then from the Rangers to the Yankees in August for Bucky Dent. Mazzilli would never play for the Yankees again, but he did return to the team as Joe Torre’s first base for four seasons, earning a World Series ring in 2000.