Trevor discusses signing with the May Mets

NEW YORK – Once Se Fison started and Trevor May became a free agent for the first time in his career, he revived conversations with his most influential pitching coach in Minnesota, Jeremy Hefner. Knowing Hefner could kill his old friend with questions about New York City

New York – Once upon a time Trevor May Becoming a free agent for the first time in his career, he reconnected with his influential Minnesota pitching coach Jeremy Hefner. Hefner spent years as a player and now coach, knowing his old friend could die with questions about New York City. The two chatted about places to stay. They talked about where I could fit in Maze’s bullpen.

One of the most notable reasons why Hefner’s presence on Thursday during the inaugural Zoom Conference, two years to come to the Mets, was to sign a .5 15.5 million deal. Another?

“Honestly, the biggest thing was just the buzz around Steve [Cohen] And the excitement of team buying and all the change that is happening, ”May said. “My immediate reaction was to be a part of something.”

And now … LFGM. pic.twitter.com/lxLh1uv6Y4

– Trevor “iTraverame” May (@ImaTraverame) December 3, 2020

In the bigger picture, the Mets are hopeful that the team’s purchase of Cohen will help them continue to lure free agents to Queens this winter. At a more grainy level, Manny moves closer to day-to-day orbit Hefner, whose 2021 position is not official, but who is expected to return as a pitching coach.

• Meets requirements and moves

The two met in spring training after the Twins hired Hefner as an Advanced Scout in 2017. When May could tear her ulnar collateral ligament, she tied the knot with Hefner, who twice underwent Tommy John’s surgery and prepared her new student who was to be expected. Two years later, when Hefner became the Twins’ assistant pitching coach and May was back in perfect health, that was the extent of their conversation.

During the long hours in the Twins’ bullpen, May and Hefner talked about how to improve. Tommy John could restore Hefner’s experience from surgery, hearing his coach discuss relief and softness as a way to speed up his fastball. The two talked about making more use of the May improvement heater in the strike zone. They dug into his pitch mix, which he established years ago as a starter, talking about what was successful and what wasn’t.

“He was like,‘ Hey, this doesn’t work. Why do you think it is? ‘”May be remembered.

On July 17, 2019, during a game against the Mets, when May allowed Dominic Smith to run home late at night on CurveBall, a very significant success. For a while, Manny’s turn disappointed him as he struggled to separate it from his slider.

Eventually Smith’s Homer convinced me to break the pitch completely, which he did the following week. Beyond that point, May focused on three of its other offerings, which improved from the remaining 1.33 ERA posts that season.

“It doesn’t live up to expectations that it was for itself,” Hefner said in a telephone interview Thursday morning. “So taking Curb Ball Lane away I think he’s lost his focus, and he can confidently get out of his three pitches and dominate.”

Over time, those experiences led to the development of May and what he defined as a friendship between himself and Hefner. So when he arrived at Free Agency for the first time in May, a year freshman in which he determined the career fastest position in the average fastball ball speed and strikeout rate, he knew who to call.

“I don’t consider myself a marketer, but I think it’s part of the job now,” Hefner said.

In fact, May was already sold on the Mets. An outgoing social media personality, May focused more on what Buzz Cohen created on Twitter by interacting with fans and generating excitement about the team. Maya’s agents spoke to the “half league” about free agency, but “there weren’t many teams ready to move.”

“According to the terms of [seriousness], I think the Mets really got serious very quickly, ”May said. “And then it was just kind of done.”

Now, May plans to get more dig deeper with Hefner next week, reconnecting about his throwing program and everything else as he prepares for a high-profit role together with Edwin Days, Jerrys Familia, Dalin Batness and others in the Mets. . Bullpen.

It’s a place that feels comfortable to have. When May was in New York for her body earlier this week, her driver recommended the Italian Daily, Banteri, at the nearby College Ledge Point, so May instructed the driver to get there. He bought a sandwich and posed for photos with employees who welcomed him to New York.

“I just kept a huge smile on my face for hours,” May said. “I was just like, ‘Here I am.’ I was so excited about it. Just the feeling and the atmosphere, it’s something I’m developing, and I think this fits it well. “