NL East Notes: Mets, Conforto, Phillies, Marlins

The Mets are still engaged in extension discussions with Francisco lindor, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com tweets that the team waits to resolve issues with Lindor before continuing negotiations with their other major extension candidate, Michael Comfort. Lindor has made it clear that he wants to strike a new deal by opening day, while Conforto and agent Scott Boras have each expressed a little more flexibility to speak during the season, although Conforto has said that he would.ideally”Also prefer to have a potential new contract finalized before the start of matches.

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• the Phillies announced this afternoon that they had reassigned the outfielder Odubel herrera to the alternative training site. Adam haseley made the opening day list. Herrera and Haseley were part of the squad vying for the central Phils field job. The latter was delayed by a groin strain in early March, but has apparently recovered quickly enough to be ready for Thursday’s season opener.
• In other Phillies news, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told reporters (including Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer) this better perspective Spencer howard will operate primarily out of the reliever box in 2021. That’s not a permanent change, as Dombrowski pointed out that the organization views Howard as a long-term starting pitcher. The Phils are especially cautious in monitoring the young right-hander’s innings after working just 71 minor league executives in 2019 and limited to 24.1 MLB innings in last year’s shortened season.
• the Marlins sold the naming rights to their baseball stadium, reported Danilo J. Santos of the Fish Stripes blog (Twitter link). Mortgage company Loan Depot bought the rights, and so the former Marlins Park will now be known as Loan Depot Park, according to Fox Sports 640’s Andy Slater (via Twitter). Terms of the multi-year contract have not been announced, although, as the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson notes, the news ends the Marlins’ long search for a naming rights partner that has continued since the opening. of the stadium in 2012.