Mets bring back Manaea (source); is Alonso next?
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Dec. 23: Mets bring back Manaea (source); is Alonso next?
The Mets have reached an agreement on a three-year, $75 million deal with Sean Manaea (per a source), reuniting with one of their key free agents. Manaea opted out of his previous deal with the Mets in November, joining Luis Severino and Jos¨¦ Quintana in free agency and giving the club three rotation vacancies to address. The Mets have done just that and then some, adding Frankie Montas, Clay Holmes and Griffin Canning before re-signing Manaea.
The Mets also checked off the top item on their to-do list when they signed superstar outfielder Juan Soto earlier this month. That potentially leaves just one major item on their offseason agenda: first base.
As long as Pete Alonso is still available and the position remains unsettled for the Mets, the two sides will likely continue to be linked.
There¡¯s been a lot of activity in the first-base market over the past week, with the Astros (Christian Walker), Yankees (Paul Goldschmidt), D-backs (Josh Naylor), Guardians (Carlos Santana) and Nationals (Nathaniel Lowe) all making moves at the position.
A number of those clubs were once seen as potential fits for Alonso. This could bode well for the Mets' chances of re-signing their star slugger, as the shrinking pool of suitors may pave the way for a reunion.
Dec. 21: Mets continue to show interest in Bregman (report)
The Mets continue to have interest in signing third baseman Alex Bregman, and the team is seen as "a legitimate potential landing spot" for him, according to Mike Mayer of Metsmerized Online.
The Mets currently have Mark Vientos at third base, but they could decide to move him to first base in order to make room for Bregman. If the Mets do add Bregman and put Vientos at first, would that mean the club is moving on from first baseman Pete Alonso?
"My understanding is no," Mayer wrote.
MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reported earlier this week that the Mets are among a handful of clubs that are in on Bregman "to varying degrees." That group of teams includes the Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers and Blue Jays.
A two-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion, Bregman has spent his entire nine-year career with the Astros. But after he turned down a six-year offer from Houston and the team made multiple moves to address its corner-infield spots, it appears very likely that Bregman's career will continue elsewhere.
Dec. 20: Mets meet with Sasaki (report)
Eight days after they landed this offseason's biggest free-agent prize by signing Juan Soto to a record 15-year, $765 million contract, the Mets met with star Japanese right-hander Roki Sasaki on Thursday, according to SNY's Andy Martino. The meeting came on the same day that Sasaki met with the Yankees, according to the New York Post.
Sasaki, 23, is the latest Japanese star pitcher to seek to make the jump to MLB, following Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shota Imanaga last year. Sasaki posted a 2.02 ERA and struck out 32% of the batters he faced as a member of the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball from 2021-24.
The Mets entered the offseason with three members of their 2024 starting rotation hitting free agency -- Sean Manaea, Luis Severino and Jose Quintana. The club has made some moves to address that area of need, signing Clay Holmes with the intent of converting him into a starter and also adding Frankie Montas and Griffin Canning.
Landing Sasaki to pair with Kodai Senga atop the rotation would create a formidable 1-2 punch for the Mets as they continue to seek their first World Series championship since 1986, falling just shy of reaching the Fall Classic in a six-game loss to the Dodgers in last fall's NL Championship Series.
You can read more about the latest rumors surrounding Sasaki here.
Dec. 12: Mets remain 'engaged' with Alonso
On the day that the Mets introduced their $765 million man, Juan Soto, after landing the superstar on a record deal, owner Steve Cohen suggested that another slugger -- this one already beloved in Queens -- could return. According to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo, Cohen said that the club is "still engaged" with free-agent first baseman Pete Alonso, and that "hopefully, we'll get there."
Alonso, who turned 30 on Dec. 7, posted an .854 OPS with 226 home runs over six seasons with the Mets. He delivered a huge go-ahead, three-run homer with the Mets trailing in the ninth inning of Game 3 of last fall's Wild Card Series against the Brewers -- New York went on to win that series and make it all the way to the NL Championship Series against the Dodgers.
Ordinarily, the signing of a player to a record contract might preclude a club from offering another star free agent a large deal. But in the case of Cohen and the Mets, that may not be the case given the owner's willingness to spend big to build a winner.
Dec. 11: Mets reportedly open to trading OF/DH Marte
The Mets' starting outfield looks set for 2025. It should have Brandon Nimmo and Juan Soto in the corners and Jose Siri manning center field. That leaves Starling Marte as an option to serve as New York's primary designated hitter. But the club is also receptive to trading him this offseason and has had conversations with multiple clubs about potential deals, according to Sports Illustrated's Pat Ragazzo.
According to Ragazzo, the Mets would prefer to trade Marte for relief help. New York's bullpen features a glut of free agents, including Ryne Stanek, Phil Maton, Brooks Raley, Drew Smith and Adam Ottavino. In order to make a deal work, the Mets are reportedly willing to pick up a portion of the $20.75 million that the 36-year-old Marte is set to cost this season. He is entering the final year of a four-year, $78 million contract.
Marte was serviceable when healthy in 2024 as he batted .269 with a .715 OPS. He also had a few big performances during the Mets' postseason run. Yet injuries have limited him to fewer than 100 games in each of the past two seasons.