Good morning, Mets fans!
The Mets are planning to introduce Juan Soto back in New York after the Winter Meetings conclude. Soto’s contract includes a full no-trade clause.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that Steve Cohen held a last-second meeting with Soto in Boca Raton, FL, and thought the star free agent would end up back with the Yankees. Heyman mentioned that the Mets’ offer included a $75 million signing bonus, compared to $60 million from the Yankees, and a suite for Soto’s family. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said the Yankees went “above and beyond our comfort level” in the bidding for Soto. Cashman adds that his team will be aggressive, but not spend like “drunken sailors.”
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Latest Mets News
Andy Martino of SNY reported Monday that there is increasing optimism the Mets will be able to re-sign Sean Manaea. Martino added that the Mets have been in contact with Manaea since the season ended and may be willing to increase their offer to keep him.
David Stearns told reporters that the team would love to have Pete Alonso back in 2025. Stearns also mentioned that there won’t be financial restrictions on a contract for Alonso.
Carlos Mendoza praised the work Luisangel Acuña has done in the Venezuelan Winter League, saying it’s been great for him to perform in meaningful games in front of big crowds. Mendoza added that it will be up to Acuña as to when he will stop playing to get ready for the 2025 season.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic writes that the Mets and Yankees are among the teams interested in White Sox lefty Garrett Crochet. Rosenthal mentions that the Mets have an edge over the Yankees because of the young talent they could offer. No deal is close at the moment.
The Mets made the signing of Clay Holmes official on Monday. David Stearns said the organization is excited to work with Holmes on his transition to being a starter.
The Mets have signed right-hander Yuhi Sako to a minor league contract. The Japanese-born hurler spent the season in the Frontier League, posting a 3.23 ERA with 92 strikeouts in 103 innings.
Fans can now bid to watch a Mets game with Steve and Alex Cohen in their suite. Bidding is available on the MLB Charities website.
Latest MLB News
Astros general manager Dana Brown said Monday that the team is willing to listen to trade offers for anyone on their roster, including All-Stars Framber Valdez and Kyle Tucker. Both players are entering their final year of arbitration. Houston is coming off their seventh straight full-season AL West title, though they suffered their earliest playoff exit since 2015 when they were swept by the Tigers in the Wild Card round.
The Phillies have agreed to a contract with former Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano. A two-time All-Star, Romano struggled badly in 2024 and missed most of the season due to an impingement in his throwing elbow.
The Tigers have agreed to a one-year contract with former All-Star Alex Cobb. The 37-year-old only made three starts for the Guardians in the regular season, though he turned in a solid 2.76 ERA and only allowed one home run over 16 1/3 innings.
Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said his team is preparing to have Mookie Betts play shortstop in 2025. Betts played 65 games at the position in 2024, recording 3 DRS but negative-4 OAA.
Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said he will try to trade Nolan Arenado this offseason. Arenado posted just a 1-2 wRC+ in 2024 and is owed $32 million in 2025, $27 million in 2026, and $15 million in 2027. Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports that the Yankees are among the teams interested in the eight-time All-Star.
The Tigers are interested in 2022 NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt. The 37-year-old is coming off the worst season of his career, batting .245/.302/.414 with 22 homers over 654 plate appearances.
The White Sox have agreed to a deal with outfielder Mike Tauchman. In 350 plate appearances for the Cubs this past season, Tauchman batted .248/.357/.366 with seven homers.
Latest on MMO
Nick Kalantzopoulos takes a deep dive into what to expect from Juan Soto.
David Melendi looks at what the Mets’ lineup will look like with Juan Soto in it.
Allison Waxman breaks down what signing Juan Soto means for the Mets franchise.
On This Date in Mets History
1984: The Mets trade Hubie Brooks, Mike Fitzgerald, Herm Winningham, and Floyd Youmans to the Expos for seven-time All-Star catcher Gary Carter. The power-hitting, slick-fielding Carter finished sixth in NL MVP voting in 1984, batting .294/.366/.487 with 27 homers and an NL-best 106 RBIs in 669 plate appearances.
2008: On a busy day for the Mets, the team signs three-time All-Star closer Francisco Rodríguez to a three-year deal worth $37 million. “K-Rod” is coming off a year in which set the single-season save record with 62 and finished third in AL Cy Young voting. New York also acquires J.J. Putz, Jeremy Reed, and Sean Green from the Mariners in a three-team deal, sending Endy Chávez, Aaron Heilman, Jason Vargas, Mike Carp, Ezequiel Carrera, and Maikel Cleto to Seattle, and Joe Smith to Cleveland.
2022: The Mets win the bidding for Japanese hurler Kodai Senga, signing him to a five-year contract worth $75 million. Senga posted a 1.94 ERA with 156 strikeouts in 144 innings for the SoftBank Hawks in 2022.
Born On This Date: Ted Martínez (1947), Doug Henry (1963), Mel Rojas (1966), Dan Wheeler (1977), Victor Díaz (1981).
