GM touts Mets as NL East favorites as N.Y. introduces another All-Star acquisition
Wilson Ramos had a grip on the New York Mets from the moment he walked into their winter meetings suite in Las Vegas last week.
"It was his handshake," new general manager Brodie Van Wagenen recalled Tuesday at the catcher's introductory news conference. "As some of you may get to know, this guy has really big, strong, strong mitts here for hands."
Ramos agreed to a $19 million, two-year contract, becoming the fourth All-Star to join the Mets since Van Wagenen was hired in late October. New York acquired second baseman Robinson Cano and closer Edwin Diaz from Seattle and brought back former closer Jeurys Familia as a setup man.nfl nike jerseys cheap china
Ramos commanded the room, according to Van Wagenen, when he met with the GM, manager Mickey Callaway and other New York executives. Ramos looked at home during the Citi Field news conference, wearing a sports shirt and sneakers as he slipped on a Mets jersey with his No. 40 -- pitcher Jason Vargas agreed to switch to No. 44. Ramos maintained he has completely recovered from a torn right ACL in September 2016, which delayed his first game of the following season until late June.
"Right now I feel 100 percent," he said. "I've been working really hard, training really good in Florida. That made me feel confident to work in every part of my body, not only my knee."
Ramos has a lengthy injury history. His 2012 season ended May 12 when he tore the medial meniscus in his right knee while running after a passed ball. He went on the disabled list twice the following year after straining his left hamstring while running out a grounder. He broke the hamate bone in his left hand when hit by a foul tip on Opening Day in 2014, an injury that sidelined him until May 7, 2014, then missed two weeks that June due to a strained right hamstring.
He tore his right ACL in 2016 when he landed awkwardly while catching a throw. He missed another month last summer after straining his right hamstring while running on a grounder.cheap nike nfl jerseys from china
"We did a lot of research on his medical file," Van Wagenen said. "We obviously did a physical examination of him, and we were able to get really good detailed video of some of his workouts that he was doing this offseason."
