What's up Doc?

Nothing much. The Mets signed my nephew.

Gary Sheffield, the nephew of former Mets pitching phenom Dwight Gooden, and a major league superstar himself, has signed with the Mets.

Sheffield, 40, leaves behind a checkered past with seven teams (most recently the Tigers), and joins the Mets as a DH in the National League. Though he's played plenty of outfield in the (somewhat more distant) past, Sheffield has played just 39 games in the outfield over the past 3 seasons.

Presumably, Sheffield would displace Ryan Church in right field for (at minimum) the games against left-handed starting pitching. Since Sheffield's signing, it has become apparent that Church may serve as understudy in left- and center-field in addition to whatever work he gets in right.

At the very least, this deal provides the Mets with an experienced right-handed bat who would be available for pinch-hitting duties.