Major League Baseball is only a few weeks away from seeing camps open across Florida and Arizona in preparation for the exhibition season. This, then, is the opportune time for teams to add the finishing touches to their rosters as they prepare for the year ahead. With that in mind, CBS Sports has gathered all of Wednesday’s most notable news, moves, and rumors in one convenient spot for your consuming pleasure.
Mets resume Alonso talks
Over the weekend, Mets owner Steve Cohen fussed about how “exhausting” the negotiations with longtime first baseman and free agent Pete Alonso had become. Just days later, Cohen is again in touch with Alonso and agent Scott Boras, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
It’s unclear if the odds of the Mets bringing back Alonso have improved, declined, or remained the same since Cohen went public with his frustrations.
“I don’t like the structures that are being presented back to us,” Cohen said at the team’s fan fest event. “I think it’s highly asymmetric against us. I feel strongly about it. I will never say ‘no,’ there’s always a possibility but the reality is we’re moving forward as we continue to bring in players, it’s hard to bring Pete into what is a very expensive group of players that we already have. That’s where we are. I’m being brutally honest.”
Cohen divulged that the Mets had made Alonso a “significant” offer. Media reports from earlier this month indicated New York had put forth a three-year pact worth around $70 million, or a slightly sweeter version of the three-year, $60 million deal that Christian Walker signed with the Astros.
The Mets have already asked young infielders Mark Vientos and Brett Baty to prepare to play first base during spring training. Of course, it’s not unusual for teams to request such things of their players regardless of their intentions elsewhere — at minimum, it would improve their optionality in case of injury or underperformance.
Mets ink Stanek
Speaking of the Mets and reunions, they have reached an agreement to bring back a different member of their 2024 roster: reliever Ryne Stanek. Per MLB’s Anthony DiComo, Stanek will rejoin the Mets on a one-year deal.
Stanek, 33, is an eight-year veteran who posted a 6.06 ERA (66 ERA+) in 16 ⅓ regular-season innings with the Mets. The playoffs went much better, allowing three earned runs over eight innings. For his career, he’s amassed a 114 ERA+ in more than 400 big-league appearances.
