New York Mets

New York Mets star Francisco Lindor is doing his part to keep Juan Soto in the Big Apple, albeit in a different borough.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported the Mets and New York Yankees are the two favorites to land the decorated slugger and have meetings with him set up.

"The Mets' pursuit has gotten a hand from shortstop Francisco Lindor, who would love another star in Queens and has taken a role in recruiting Soto, while the Yankees can point to Soto's excellence in the Bronx this season as a precursor for more," per Passan.

Soto is by far the best hitter on the market this offseason.

The 26-year-old put together some of his best work in 2024 with the Yankees. He led the American League in runs scored (128) while posting 41 home runs, 109 RBI and a .288/.419/.569 slash line. His 178 OPS+ was his highest ever over a full 162-game season, per Baseball Reference.

Given Soto's expected price tag, his list of realistic suitors is pretty small. ESPN's Kiley McDaniel projected him to get $611 million over 13 years.

The Mets are among those with the financial resources to match a valuation that large. Since 2021, Steve Cohen's full season as team owner, they haven't had an Opening Day payroll that ranked lower than third.

New York has some flexibility this winter, too, thanks to the money coming off its books. Pete Alonso, Sean Manaea, Jose Quintana, Luis Severino, J.D. Martinez and Harrison Bader combined to have an average salary of $83 million.

In an August interview with Passan, Lindor entertained the possibility of joining forces with Soto.

"When it comes to the outfielder from across our borough, he's having a fantastic year and I hope he goes out there and breaks every record out there when it comes to getting paid," he said. "If it's with us, it'll be fantastic. He'll help us a lot."

Lindor can make a compelling sales pitch on the Mets' behalf. Beyond the fact the team reached the NLCS this year, the star shortstop has only seen his profile grow in Queens while asserting his status as one of the top talents on the Senior Circuit.

The New York Mets are discussing a potential contract extension with starting pitcher Sean Manaea, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

The Mets extended a $21.05 million qualifying offer to Manaea after he posted a 3.47 ERA in 32 starts this season.

"He will decline the qualifying offer... But he loves New York, and he and the Mets are talking," Heyman wrote.

Heyman has previously reported that both the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles have expressed interest in Manaea.

Spotrac projects that Manaea will net a four-year, $64 million contract in free agency, while Heyman predicts his value will be slightly higher at $72 million.

After adding a sweeper and leaning on his sinker helped improve his game ahead of the 2024 season, Manaea enjoyed a strong second half of the campaign after he started lowering his arm slot in imitation of Atlanta Braves ace Chris Sale (h/t Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.)

After making the change Manaea recorded a 3.09 ERA over the final 12 starts of the season. He earned the nod for four postseason starts, including a Game 2 NLCS victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

After he recorded the loss in the Mets' Game 6 elimination from the championship series, Manaea expressed fondness toward the organization but stopped short of saying he planned to re-sign.

"I don't really have control over that right now, or not even thinking about it," Manaea said after the elimination loss (h/t MLB.com's Christina De Nicola.) "I love my time here. I love New York. I love the organization. I love all the people here. Definitely give it a couple of days, let the body rest and then we'll go from there."

Manaea spent his first six seasons with the Oakland Athletics. He was traded to the San Diego Padres in 2022 and signed with the San Francisco Giants in 2023 before joining the Mets on a two-year, $28 million deal with a second-year option last offseason.

The Mets are also facing uncertainty regarding starter Luis Severino, who like Manaea was extended a qualifying offer and could decline in order to test free agency. New York is "interested" in keeping both pitchers, per Heyman.

After spending the 2024 season with the New York Yankees, superstar outfielder Juan Soto reportedly has a meeting with the New York Mets planned as he enters free agency.

According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, Mets owner Steve Cohen plans to travel to Southern California "next week" to meet with Soto as well as Scott Boras, his agent.

Puma noted that it's uncertain if the Yankees have a meeting scheduled with the four-time All-Star, but general manager Brian Cashman explained that the team is open to congregating with Soto and his representatives "as many times" as he wants.

Despite the questions surrounding a potential conversation between both sides, Cashman revealed that he already spoke with Boras regarding Soto's free agency on Monday (via Ronald Blum of the Associated Press).

While the Mets maintained a hefty $338 million payroll for the 2024 season, they'll have some financial flexibility to be active on the free agent market with large contracts belonging to former players such as Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander set to expire.

Tim Britton of The Athletic reported that Cohen's team has more than $180 million coming off the books.

It's easy to see why the Mets are interested in Soto, potentially inserting him into a lineup that already features players such as star shortstop Francisco Lindor and breakout third baseman Mark Vientos.

The 26-year-old thrived with the Bronx Bombers in 2024, hitting .288 with 41 home runs and 109 RBIs to go along with a .989 OPS. He continued to succeed in the postseason as New York won its first American League pennant since 2009, racking up four homers in 14 games while recording a .327/.469/.633 slash line.

Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns confirmed that he'll be taking an aggressive approach in free agency, explaining that "pretty much the entirety of the player universe is potentially accessible to us" after the Mets' 2024 postseason run came to an end in the National League Championship Series (via Puma).

As the Mets attempt to sway Soto's decision, Cohen is already expected to meet with him as well as Boras.

The New York Yankees could be one of the teams pursuing New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso if he declines his qualifying offer and hits free agency, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post.

Alonso was named a Silver Slugger Award finalist after batting .240 with 34 home runs and 88 RBI in 162 games of the 2024 season. He then played a key role in the Mets' run to the NLCS.

The Mets made Alonso a one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer he is expected to decline. Should Alonso sign elsewhere, the Mets would receive a draft pick in compensation.

Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said after his team was eliminated by the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers that the Mets hope to have Alonso back next season.

"He's a great Met. I hope we have him back," Stearns said. "I think we both understand this is a process, and everyone's got their own interest. And Pete deserves to go out into the free agent market and see what's out there, and then ultimately make the best choice for him and his family."

Joel Sherman previously reported for the New York Post that the Mets offered Alonso a seven-year, $158 million deal that he declined in June 2023. According to Sherman, the team and Alonso's representatives "never got close to a deal."

That October, Alonso signed with player agent Scott Boras, who also represents Yankees pending free agent Juan Soto, sparking rumors that he would be hitting free agency after his contract expired.

The first baseman then agreed to a one-year, $20.5 million deal to avoid arbitration ahead of the 2024 season, setting him on track to hit free agency this winter.

The Yankees make sense as a potential suitor for Alonso given their decision to decline the $17 million contract option to keep veteran first baseman Anthony Rizzo on the roster. Heyman recently described him as a "prime backup plan to Plan A" of keeping Soto on the roster.

The Mets are meanwhile potentially going to be one of the clubs pursuing Soto, as the New York Post's Mike Puma reported they are one of the dozen or so teams that have "checked in" on the right fielder following the Yankees' Game 5 elimination from the World Series.

Soto, who turned 26 last month, is believed to be in pursuit of a contract worth around $700 million, according to Heyman. Alonso, who is heading into his age-30 season, could pursuing something upwards of the $158 contract he reportedly declined last year. Both could now be pursued by these two New York clubs with the deepest pockets in the MLB.

The New York Mets engineered an incredible run to the 2024 National League Championship Series, and now a version of one the season's iconic symbols—the OMG sign—is heading to Cooperstown.

Tim Healey of Newsday provided the details Tuesday.

"As the Mets turned their season around in June and July, Jerome McCroy, a Mets fan and local artist, created and gave to the club the original orange and blue 'OMG' sign, which they posed with in the dugout after home runs.

"The sign headed to the Hall is the second version, meant for the starting pitchers and made in September. Museumgoers will be able to see it in the Mets portion of the 'Your Team Today' exhibit, which includes a locker display for each major-league team, featuring artifacts that tell the team's story over the past decade or so."

The original OMG sign version will be in the team's Hall of Fame, located in center field at Citi Field.

OMG refers to the hit single from Mets infielder José Iglesias, also known as Candelita. The song played after home runs and wins, and the team frequently carried an OMG sign in celebration in the dugout.

The Mets were 11 games below .500 on June 2 after a 5-4 home loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks, but they proceeded to go 27 games over .500 for the remainder of the regular season, clinching a wild card spot on the season's last day. It was a dramatic four-month stretch to say the least, including a 5-0 record in extra-inning games.

The Mets then defeated the NL East-winning Philadelphia Phillies in four NLDS games before falling in six to the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

Iglesias played a big part in the team's resurgence. He hit .337 with an .830 OPS in 85 games, amassing 39 runs, four homers and 26 RBI. Off the field, he was a key contributor to the team's fantastic chemistry and immaculate vibes, which helped turn an almost-certain lost season into one of the most memorable campaigns in franchise history.

The OMG sign, of course, stands as a symbol for the year, as does Grimace and Alonso's playoff pumpkin. And the Hall of Fame deems it worthy enough for its hallowed grounds, as the 2024 Mets get immortalized in Cooperstown.

As veteran first baseman Pete Alonso hits free agency for the first time in his career, it sounds like the New York Mets are going to face some stiff competition if they hope to retain the star slugger.

According to ESPN's Kiley McDaniel, there are "plenty of other teams that like Alonso as a player in the $100 million to $125 million range."

McDaniel pointed out that those teams eyeing Alonso are unlikely to "give him the deals that first basemen Paul Goldschmidt (five years, $130 million) and Freddie Freeman (six years, $162 million) signed recently."

Alonso was among the players to receive a qualifying offer from the Mets on Monday that would pay him $21.05 million for the 2025 season. He is likely to decline the offer and test the open market. If he signs elsewhere, New York would receive draft pick compensation. The team also extended qualifying offers to pitchers Sean Manaea and Luis Severino.

Alonso has been one of the faces of the Mets since he made his MLB debut in 2019. The four-time All-Star hit over 30 home runs in five out of his six years in New York, including a career-high 53 as a rookie.

After helping to lead the Mets on a surprising run to the NLCS where they lost to the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, Alonso expressed his love for the team but didn't indicate what his mindset was as he approached free agency.

"Honestly, I haven't really thought of anything [beyond that]," he said. "I love this team. I love this organization. This fan base has treated not just myself, but my family so, so well. Right now, I'm just thinking of the group. We'll see what happens. We'll cross that bridge when we get there. But I love New York. I love this team. I love playing in Queens. This group is really special, and the memories that we've created together are just -- wow. This is why we play baseball."

Sean Manaea intends to opt out of his $13.5 million option with the Mets and test free agency this off-season, MLB's Anthony DiComo reported.

It was to be expected based on the second-half he had in 2024, where he was among the best pitchers in the big leagues and a key piece in the Mets' run to the NLCS.

He had the lowest ERA of his career, outside of a 2019 season in which he played just five games, and pitched the most innings of his career at 181.2. He was reliable, tallied 2.9 strikeouts-per-walk, and had a WAR of 3.0.

What he did on the mound for the Mets, by getting out of jams and going deep into games, allowed the team to preserve its bullpen rather than exhausting them.

He was the organization's best pitcher in the second-half and as important to its success as Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, and any of the other stars that fueled the run to the postseason. Manaea created an electric atmosphere while on the mound and earned the respect of a notoriously tough fan base.

Up next for the team will be extending Manaea a qualifying offer. If they do and he still signs elsewhere, there will be draft compensation in return. That compensation, though, will not make up for all that the lefty accomplished in Queens in 2024.

There will be other pitchers available for New York, such as free agents Corbin Burns, Blake Snell, and Max Fried, but they will likely come at a lofty price that could hurt the Mets' chances of bringing in their biggest free agent want, Juan Soto.

The team does not know what it has in any of those free agents but does with Manaea.

The question is whether he could replicate his 2024 performance next season.

If there is one negative about the veteran, it is that he has a history of inconsistency. Would the team get the Manaea of this past season or the player with a .496 ERA in San Diego?

It is a question worth finding out the answer.

New York Mets starting pitcher Sean Manaea intends to decline his $13.5 million player option for 2025 and become a free agent, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.

Manaea, who turns 33 in February, went 12-6 with a 3.47 ERA (1.08 WHIP) in 32 starts last year, striking out 184 in 181.2 innings.

It's no surprise that the 6'5", 245-pound southpaw will become a free agent. He's coming off the best season of his nine-year career, one that helped the Mets reach the National League Championship Series for the first time since 2015. And he got even better in the second half of the year, as Christina De Nicola of MLB.com wrote:

"Manaea posted a 3.09 ERA and a .170 average against in 12 regular-season starts after debuting the new delivery on July 30. He took on the duty of ace and proved to be one of the Majors' best pitchers. From July until the end of the regular season, he ranked second in the Majors in quality starts (12), first in innings (105 1/3), sixth in strikeouts (108) and sixth in WHIP (0.93)."

Now's the time for Manaea to cash in on a great year.

But there's some logistics to get out of the way first. DiComo explained:

"His opt-out decision will likely prompt the Mets to extend him a qualifying offer, which is a one-year contract worth $21.05 million," DiComo wrote. "If Manaea rejects that, which is likely, the Mets would receive Draft pick compensation in the event he signs elsewhere."

The Mets, of course, could still bring him back into the mix. It wouldn't be a surprise to see them do so given how well he performed in Queens. The Mets Pod discussed that possibility recently.

Manaea has enjoyed his time in New York, saying after the season: "I love my time here. I love New York. I love the organization. I love all the people here."

But New York has big decisions to make on its starting rotation, with Manaea, Luis Severino and Jose Quintana all heading to free agency now. That trio combined to make 94 starts last year.

We'll soon find out what direction the Mets want to go, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see Manaea head back to Queens. Regardless, he's set to cash in big wherever he goes after a fantastic 2024 finish.

Teams did not waste any time touching base with Juan Soto in the aftermath of the New York Yankees' season-ending loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 of the World Series.

Per Mike Puma of the New York Post, the New York Mets are believed to be among roughly a dozen teams that checked in on the four-time All-Star after MLB free agency began on Thursday.

The Mets have been connected to Soto since before the start of the 2024 season. USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported in February they were "expected to strongly pursue" him as a free agent.

Soto, who is hitting free agency for the first time, sounds like he is going to enjoy this process. He said after Game 5 of the World Series on Wednesday that he will be open to all 30 teams.

Even though Soto would be a perfect fit for all 30 clubs, we know there are only going to be so many teams that are going to make a realistic contract offer that will get him to the negotiating table.

Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Soto is seeking a deal of at least $700 million that would tie Shohei Ohtani for the richest in MLB history. Ohtani's deal with the Dodgers is structured so that he only makes $20 million over the next 10 years before getting $68 million annually from 2034 to '43 to reduce the present-day value and give the team more financial flexibility under the competitive balance tax.

According to Heyman, Soto's camp is not looking for those types of deferrals in his contract.

MLB.com analysts predicted in September that the top suitors for Soto would likely be the Mets, Yankees, San Francisco Giants and Washington Nationals.

The Giants have been trying to sign a superstar for years with no success, including Aaron Judge when he was a free agent two years ago. The Nationals have an intriguing young core of talent with CJ Abrams, Dylan Crews and James Wood, but they already had Soto and traded him after he turned down a 15-year, $440 million extension in the summer of 2022.

It would seem like the two New York teams are the favorites for Soto at this point, but it's still too early to know anything that's going to happen.

The Yankees potentially losing the 26-year-old superstar after reaching the World Series, especially to the team that plays in the same city, would be great theater. His teammates made it clear they hope he comes back, but owner Hal Steinbrenner did suggest earlier this year that he could look to cut payroll.

Mets owner Steve Cohen isn't shy about spending money to add talent. He might be even more incentivized to do so after the club surged in the second half of the season and advanced to the NLCS before losing to the Dodgers in six games.

Players of Soto's ability don't hit the market very often, so every team should be falling all over themselves to add him. He hit .288/.419/.569 with a career-high 41 homers in 157 starts for the Yankees this season.

Four days after their 2024 season came to an end with a loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS, New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns already has a plan for what he wants to accomplish this offseason.

Speaking to reporters during his end-of-season press conference, Stearns noted the Mets will look to add "multiple" starting pitchers to their roster either via free agency or trades:

"This isn't new to us. We faced a similar task last offseason. We're going to have to replace innings. Certainly part of that could potentially be from some of those guys returning, or we may look elsewhere. But we're going to have to add starting pitching. We're going to have to add multiple starters. We understand that. We went into last offseason with the same need and I think we'll be able to do it."

It's not a surprise that Stearns is admitting publicly the Mets will need rotation help. Luis Severino and José Quintana are set to become free agents. Sean Manaea can hit free agency by declining his $13.5 million player option.

Those three players combined for 534 innings and 94 starts in 2024. David Peterson was the only other Mets pitcher with at least 20 starts and 100 innings.

The Mets will get some relief in the rotation with a fully healthy season from Kodai Senga. He only made one start during the regular season due to a shoulder capsule strain and calf strain.

Senga was the anchor of the 2023 rotation with a 2.98 ERA and 202 strikeouts in 166.1 innings.

Coming off a season in which the Mets made a surprise run to the NLCS, owner Steve Cohen could be a huge wild card in everything that happens this offseason.

Corbin Burnes is the best available starter on the market. There have also been rumblings that Nippon Professional Baseball star Roki Sasaki is looking to pitch in MLB, but it's unclear if the Chiba Lotte Marines will post him this winter.

Gerrit Cole could become a free agent because his deal with the New York Yankees has an opt-out. Doing so would be leaving four years and $144 million on the table, but there's a catch because the Yankees could add an extra year to his deal that would pay him $36 million in 2029.

Other notable free-agent starters available this offseason include Max Fried and Jack Flaherty. Blake Snell could hit the market by declining his $38.5 million player option with the San Francisco Giants.

Even though Cohen and the Mets expressed a desire to take a patient approach by building up their farm system after things fell apart during the 2023 season following an offseason spending spree, their success this season may have altered those plans a bit.

The Mets can still focus on strengthening their farm system, but it would be stunning if they didn't try to make at least one or two major free-agent additions to bolster their chances of getting past the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2025.