Frank Viola has vivid memories of what he calls “the get-together in Homestead” back in 1995. It was his chance to show teams that he was healthy coming back from Tommy John surgery.
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With more than 90 unsigned free agents still looking for teams, including some of the biggest names on the market, the union has partnered with the IMG Academy, a 500-plus acre facility in Bradenton, Fla., to offer a spring training of sorts for unsigned players.
Former Astros manager Bo Porter will run the workouts, which begin Tuesday, and will end some time in March.
“It’s a way for those guys to get together and do something in a group,” says Viola, who will be busy at Mets’ camp – he’s the pitching coach for the Mets’ Double-A Binghamton club. “There’s a lot of free agents out there. You have to have a place to work out if you’re unsigned. In a group, they can push each other and be ready when a team calls.
Source: Anthony McCarron, MetsBlog.com