NL East

Pete Alonso could be the San Francisco Giants long-term answer at first base.

Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reported that the Giants "remain in the market" for a first baseman or designated hitter and that Alonso is "on their radar."

This comes after pitcher Corbin Burnes, who San Francisco was considered a major contender for, signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday.

Alonso hit .240/.329/.459 with 34 home runs and 88 RBIs in 162 games in 2024. He helped the New York Mets go 89-73 and reach the NLCS.

He has received interest from the Mets, Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post. He reportedly turned down a three-year, $90 million deal from the Mets.

If the Giants pursue him, he could help a Giants team that went 80-82 and missed the postseason for the third consecutive season. He could fit into the lineup as a power option with third baseman Matt Chapman and help San Francisco navigate a loaded NL West division.

The New York Mets and free-agent slugger Pete Alonso are reportedly far apart in negotiations regarding a return to the team.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, there is a "sizable gap" in talks between the Mets and Alonso "at the moment."

Heyman noted that it "doesn't mean he's gone," but "no quick deal appears at hand."

Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns previously said that the team would "love" to bring Alonso back in free agency.

Despite free-agent activity across the majors to begin the offseason, Alonso still hasn't been signed. ESPN's Jeff Passan reported on Dec. 19 that teams are "hesitant to give him a long-term deal."

Since making his MLB debut with the Mets in 2019, Alonso has established himself as one of the best power hitters in the sport. He's exceeded 30 home runs in each of the past four years and has also remained relatively healthy, missing just 20 total regular-season games over that span.

Pete Alonso has RAKED since joining the league in 2019:
226 HR (2nd in MLB)
586 RBI (1st)

Where does the Polar Bear call home next season? pic.twitter.com/SJB0B18Wlo

— MLB (@MLB) December 15, 2024

Concerns may lie with his age, as New York could be hesitant to hand Alonso a long-term deal after he just turned 30 years old on Dec. 7. His OPS has also declined in three consecutive years, including a career-low .788 mark in 2024.

Alonso's postseason performance could provide some optimism that he'd be able to live up to a new contract, as he hit four home runs and 10 RBIs in 13 games to go along with a .273/.431/.568 slash line.

PETE ALONSO!!!!!!!!!!!!! #POSTSEASON pic.twitter.com/LzgpxTWUzN

— MLB (@MLB) October 4, 2024

The Mets have already experienced an eventful offseason, handing star outfielder Juan Soto a massive 15-year deal that could exceed $800 million. New York also reached an agreement to bring back left-handed starter Sean Manaea on a new three-year, $75 million contract.

A reunion between Alonso and the Mets doesn't appear to be out of the question, but there are still multiple hurdles to clear before a resolution is reached.

Sean Manaea is returning to the New York Mets for another three years.

Manaea and the Mets have agreed on a three-year, $75 million deal in free agency, Jeff Passan reported for ESPN.

He had previously declined a $13.5 million player option and $21.05 million qualifying offer and will now rejoin Kodai Senga at the top of the Mets' rotation.

Here's a look at what the Mets' starting pitching depth looks like after the trade.

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Mets projected 2025 starting rotation

1. Kodai Senga
   
2. Sean Manaea
3. David Peterson
4. Frankie Montas
5. Clay Holmes
6. Paul Blackburn/Tylor Megill/Griffin Canning

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The Mets had $211 million currently allocated toward the 2025 payroll and a projected payroll of $239 million prior to the signing, according to Spotrac.

Depending on how Manaea's salary is distributed, the Mets' latest addition could move them to challenge the Los Angeles Dodgers ($227 million in current payroll allocations) for the third-highest payroll in the MLB next season.

Per Will Sammon of The Athletic, Manaea's deal includes $23.25 million in deferrals:

The deferred amount is $23.25 million, per league source. It’s a 10-year deferral (equal payments) starting in 2035 (to ‘44). https://t.co/Jbd685HwD3

— Will Sammon (@WillSammon) December 23, 2024

The Mets are bringing back Senga, who missed almost the entirety of the 2024 season with shoulder and calf injuries, to lead the rotation alongside Manaea.

The team has already bolstered the rotation with the additions of Clay Holmes, a career bullpen pitcher who is expected to transition into the rotation in Queens, and Frankie Montas, who is hoping for a bounce-back campaign after his numbers dipped last season following a missed 2023 campaign.

The Mets also added Griffin Canning on a one-year deal to complete with Blackburn and Megill at the bottom of the rotation.

The franchise might not be done working on building this starting pitching depth after losing Luis Severino, who signed with the Athletics in free agency. Jose Quintana also could be set to sign elsewhere in free agency.

The New York Yankees and Mets both met with Japanese star free agent Rōki Sasaki last Friday, according to Jon Heyman and Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post.

Sasaki is expected to slot in as a starter in the MLB after posting a 2.10 career ERA in four seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball. He is also subject to international free agent restrictions that will keep his max potential offer to around $12 million, making him a highly-sought after target this offseason.

If the Mets are able to win Sasaki over, he could potentially slot in with Senga at the top of the order, with Manaea at No. 3 and Peterson, Montas and Holmes rounding out the rotation.

Should Sasaki head to Queens, the Mets could continue spoiling their cross-town rivals' offseason plans after also flipping star outfielder Juan Soto from the Yankees to the Mets in free agency.

Starting pitcher Sean Manaea is returning for a second season with the New York Mets.

Manaea agreed to a three-year, $75 million contract to rejoin the Mets, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Will Sammon of The Athletic reported the deal includes $23.25 million in deferrals:

The deferred amount is $23.25 million, per league source. It’s a 10-year deferral (equal payments) starting in 2035 (to ‘44). https://t.co/Jbd685HwD3

— Will Sammon (@WillSammon) December 23, 2024

Manaea joined the Mets last winter on a two-year, $28 million pact that included an option for 2025. After opting out, he declined a $21.05 million qualifying offer in order to test free agency after recording a 3.47 ERA through 32 starts in New York.

His best stretch of the season started in late July, when Manaea worked on lowering his arm slot in an effort to imitate the style of Atlanta Braves ace Chris Sale, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.

Over his final 12 starts of the season since adjusting his arm angle, Manaea recorded a 3.09 ERA while marking 83 strikeouts to 18 walks.

That improvement helped Manaea earn four postseason starts, including a Game 3 NLDS win over the Philadelphia Phillies and Game 2 NLCS victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was also the pitcher of record in the Mets' Game 6 elimination by the eventual World Series champion Dodgers.

This will mark the third time Manaea has changed teams in the three seasons since he was traded from the Oakland Athletics to the San Diego Padres in 2022.

The starter signed with the San Francisco Giants ahead of the 2023 season, then opted out of the second year of his contract to join the Mets in 2024.

Re-signing him gives the Mets some certainty in their rotation after they watched Luis Severino head to the West Coast and sign with the Athletics. Manaea is now set to slot back in the top of the Mets' rotation alongside Kodai Senga.

The signing also ensures that Manaea doesn't go to a cross-city rival, as the New York Yankees reportedly checked in on the southpaw, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Between retaining Manaea and poaching Juan Soto, it has been a great offseason for the Mets in terms of getting one over on the Bronx Bombers.

The Philadelphia Phillies have reportedly added to their already strong rotation.

Per The Athletic's Matt Gelb, the Phillies traded 19-year-old shortstop Starlyn Caba to the Miami Marlins in return for starting pitcher Jesús Luzardo. Per MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, Philadelphia will also receive catcher prospect Paul McIntosh in the deal.

Per Spotrac, Luzardo has an estimated salary of $8.6 million for the 2025 season, bringing the Phillies estimated payroll to $243.407 million. Caba was on a one-year, $3 million deal a season ago but doesn't have a new contract for the 2025 season yet. The Marlins currently have $31.550 million in payroll allocations, per Spotrac.

Here's a look at the Phillies and Marlins' rotations after the trade.

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Projected 2025 Phillies Rotation

1. Zack Wheeler
2. Aaron Nola
3. Cristopher Sánchez
4. Ranger Suárez
5. Jesús Luzardo

Projected 2025 Marlins Rotation

1. Sandy Alcántara
2. Ryan Weathers
3. Braxton Garrett
4. Edward Cabrera 
5. Max Meyer

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Luzardo, 27, is coming off a year in which he recorded a 5.00 ERA and 1.25 WHIP across 12 starts for the Marlins. He landed on the injured list with an elbow injury in April before missing time later in the summer due to a back injury.

He told MLB.com's Christina De Nicola last week that he's "been able to go through my normal offseason progression" and is "feeling really good" in his back and elbow.

In his last healthy season in 2023, he had a 3.58 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP, picking up a career-high 208 strikeouts in 32 starts. The seven-year veteran has a 4.31 career ERA.

The Phillies posted the 11th-best ERA in the majors last year at 3.85 but seem dedicated to having one of the best rotations in baseball next season. Star ace Zack Wheeler had a career year a season ago, posting a 2.57 and 0.96 WHIP in his 32 starts. Aaron Nola had a 3.57 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in 2024.

Philadelphia has talented pitchers behind Wheeler and Nola with Cristopher Sánchez and Ranger Suárez, and the Phillies bolstered the rotation even further by adding Luzardo.

For the Marlins, they added another young piece as they continue their rebuild this offseason. Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter lists Caba as the No. 65 prospect and he could end up playing a big role for Miami in the near future.

The trade market for Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm has been colder than expected.

Buster Olney of ESPN reported it's believed that the lack of interest in Bohm can likely be attributed to his poor defense.

"So far, the Phillies' expected makeover hasn't happened," Olney wrote. "They signed Jason Romano for the bullpen, but it still needs more help, and the trade market has not been jumping at third baseman Alec Bohm; some evaluators speculate that this is because of concerns about his defense."

Bohm hit .280/.332/.448 with 15 home runs and 97 RBIs in 2024. This production earned him his first All-Star nod and he was a key piece of a Phillies team that went 95-67 and won the NL East. His defense was not elite as he did make 15 total errors to go with a fielding percentage of .960.

If Bohm stays with the Phils, he will undoubtedly remain a productive bat in the heart of the order under team control for two more seasons.

Should Dave Dombrowski and the front office choose to move him, it may have to come at something of a loss—at least in the near term.

Japanese ace Rōki Sasaki met with the New York Mets on Thursday as he navigates through free agency, according to SNY's Andy Martino.

Sasaki is joining the majors as an international amateur free agent following a stellar overseas career with Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball.

The Los Angeles Dodgers' interest in signing the pitcher has been widely reported, and New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman confirmed on Dec. 11 that his team has been preparing for a meeting with the 23-year-old.

San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt also expressed optimism surrounding the team's ability to sign Sasaki.

Due to his age, the cost of his future contract will only consist of international bonus pool money since he falls under MLB's amateur rules for free agency. Whichever team signs Sasaki would have him under control for six years of service time before he would be eligible for unrestricted free agency (h/t MLB.com's Bryan Hoch).

Sasaki was posted by the Chiba Lotte Marines at the start of winter meetings on Dec. 9, meaning that his signing window will expire on Jan. 23 at 5 p.m. ET.

He was a two-time All-Star during his four seasons in NPB, finishing with a 29-15 record to go along with a 2.10 ERA and 0.894 WHIP. Sasaki is known for his fastball and splitter, striking out 505 batters while allowing 88 walks in 394.2 innings of work.

This overlay of Rōki Sasaki's fastball/splitter 🤮

(h/t @PitchingNinja)pic.twitter.com/xmj3P8EUJy

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) December 16, 2023

In addition to signing superstar Juan Soto, the Mets have focused on their rotation in free agency. New York signed right-hander Frankie Montas on Dec. 1 and agreed to terms with reliever Clay Holmes, announcing plans for him to transition into a starting role.

The Mets are also reportedly interested in a free agency reunion with former starter Sean Manaea.

As New York looks to build its rotation behind All-Star Kodai Senga, Sasaki would provide a major boost to the team following a National League Championship Series appearance.

The outfielder trade market appears to be hot.

Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that several players, including New York Mets outfielder Starling Marte and San Francisco Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski.

"For teams in search of an outfield bat, the Mets' Starling Marte, Cleveland's Lane Thomas, San Francisco's Mike Yastrzemski and the Los Angeles Angels' Taylor Ward are there to be had," Passan said. "Other options include Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor -- whose availability, along with that of San Francisco's LaMonte Wade Jr. and Texas' Nathaniel Lowe, further muddies a crowded first-base free agent market -- Angels utilityman Luis Rengifo and Minnesota catcher Christian Vazquez."

Marte hit .269/.327/.388 with seven home runs and 40 RBIs in 94 games in 2024. The addition of Juan Soto to the outfield does make Marte more expendable and he could be an intriguing bat to add to several teams in search of some right-handed hitters.

Yastrzemski hit .231/.302/.437 with 18 home runs and 57 RBIs in 140 games in 2024. The 34-year-old is a strong left-handed hitter option and has played all three outfield positions for the Giants.

Other options like Guardians outfielder Lane Thomas and Angels outfielder Taylor Ward could be solid trade options as well for team's looking to add a bat without paying a premium on the open market.

While the Philadelphia Phillies could look to make some notable moves this offseason, one of those reportedly won't be trading third baseman Alec Bohm.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Thursday that "Philadelphia is steadfast in its contention that third baseman Alec Bohm isn't going anywhere, despite the Phillies' desire to reshape their roster."

This comes after Bohm's name has been included in trade rumors this offseason.

On Saturday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported the Athletics asked about Bohm only to stop discussions when the Phillies asked for star relief pitcher Mason Miller. What's more, Adam Jude of the Seattle Times reported earlier this month that the Seattle Mariners asked about the third baseman.

However, those discussions slowed when the Phillies "asked for one of the Mariners' top pitchers—Logan Gilbert or George Kirby."

At first glance, it makes sense why Philadelphia wouldn't want to trade Bohm. The 28-year-old was an All-Star last season and is under team control through 2026.

However, he was also benched during the playoffs and slashed .077/.143/.077 without a home run or RBI as the Phillies lost to the New York Mets in the Divisional Series.

It was a continuation of the struggles to end the season, as Bohm was a drastically different player after the All-Star break. According to FanGraphs, he slashed .295/.348/.482 with 11 home runs and 70 RBI in the first half of the season but saw those numbers drop to .251/.299/.382 with four home runs and 27 RBI in the second half.

Philadelphia surely believes the first-half player will return for the 2025 campaign if it is adamant about not trading Bohm. If that turns out to be the case, the team will be far better positioned to compete with the Mets and Atlanta Braves in the National League East.

Star slugger Pete Alonso is one of the best power hitters remaining on the open market, but teams across MLB aren't in a rush to sign him.

ESPN's Jeff Passan explained the delay in Alonso's free agency, reporting, "Teams are hesitant to give him a long-term deal."

After starring at first base for the New York Mets for the past six years, Alonso established himself as one of the most consistent long-ball hitters in the majors with an average of 42 home runs and 110 RBIs in his five full big league seasons, per Passan.

However, Passan also noted that Alonso's profile as a 30-year-old, right-handed-hitting and -throwing first baseman "frightens teams." Still, there are some who "see great value in adding him for the next few years."

While the New York Yankees were named as a team that could "enter the fray more aggressively," a reunion with the Mets also wasn't ruled out by Passan.

The love affair between Pete Alonso and Mets fans is undeniable 🐻‍❄️ pic.twitter.com/ysfWFMUswf

— MLB (@MLB) December 17, 2024

The Mets already made the biggest move of the offseason by signing star outfielder Juan Soto to a historic 15-year deal that could exceed $800 million. Bringing Alonso back would add another power bat to the lineup and make the Mets even more dangerous as they chase a World Series title in 2025.