With less than a month until pitchers and catchers report to work, Major League Baseball’s offseason is starting to wind down. This gives teams a few precious weeks to put the finishing touches on their squads. Below, CBS Sports has compiled all of Thursday’s most notable news, rumors and moves into one convenient landing spot.
Mets final offer on Alonso
The Mets and longtime first baseman Pete Alonso continued to negotiate a possible reunion for much of the offseason, but nothing has yet been done. On Thursday, the New York Post reported that the Mets made a “last resort” offer then, once rejected, “began their pivot away” from Alonso. The proposed deal was for three years and was between $68 million and $70 million.
Hours before the report was released, the Mets agreed to a one-year reunion with veteran Jesse Winker and would now focus on the bullpen, including free agent left-hander Tanner Scott.
The indication here is that the Mets have come to believe that Alonso’s time with the ballclub is over, barring something unforeseen.
Our own Mike Axisa recently dug in whether a short-term deal like the aforementioned offer would make sense for Alonso or the Mets (or another team).
Alonso, 30, has spent his entire career with the Mets. Over six seasons, he hit .249/.339/.514 (134 OPS+) with 226 home runs. His contributions are worth about 19.8 wins above replacement, according to Baseball Reference. Alonso is a four-time All-Star winner and two-time Home Run Derby champion.
CBS Sports ranked Alonso as the 11th best free agent available for the winter. At the time, we noted that he might receive a cold reception because “he’s also a right-handed first baseman approaching his 30th birthday.” Teams have shown they will make exceptions for generational talents, an Albert Pujols or a Miguel Cabrera, but Alonso is not up to that measure.”
It’s worth noting that The Athletic reports that other teams are still involved in Alonso’s bid, including the Blue Jays. If Toronto lands Alonso, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is expected to stay put.
Earlier this week, CBS Sports noted that the Blue Jays, coming off a miserable season, find themselves at a crossroads and could use some clarity on their short- and long-term direction:
The other option is to focus on their short-term competitiveness, regardless of the long-term consequences, by improving the roster around Guerrero and Bichette. Mind you, if the Blue Jays were going to take this kind of aggressive stance this offseason, they likely would have already done so by securing some of their previous targets. While Sasaki’s youth makes him the rare free agent who is a reasonable target regardless of which direction the Blue Jays take, a failure to court him could leave the Blue Jays without another opportunity this offseason to add talent of impact to their list. (“May” because there are still a few quality free agents remaining, like Alex Bregman and Jack Flaherty, and it’s possible the trade market offers a few splashes between now and Opening Day.)
The Blue Jays are also one of three finalists for Japanese ace Roki Sasaki. The Dodgers and Padres are also reportedly in the running.
Jays extension, Guerrero talk about ‘accelerating’
Speaking of Guerrero, The Athletic reports the following:
The Blue Jays have not spoken to Guerrero’s camp about an extension since before Christmas, according to a source with knowledge of the conversations. However, those discussions are expected to accelerate ahead of Guerrero’s self-imposed deadline of Feb. 17, the day before the Jays’ first full workout for pitchers and position players.
Remember, Guerrero, 25, is expected to enter free agency after the 2025 season. He is already a four-time All-Star and finished second in AL MVP in 2021 to two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani. Last season, Guerrero hit .323/.396/.544 (166 OPS+) with 44 doubles, 30 home runs, 103 RBIs, 98 runs and 6.2 WAR.
The Blue Jays will not only have to convince Guerrero to sign an extension with money, but also with franchise management, in all likelihood.
Padres grab relief catcher
The Padres have reached an agreement with free agent catcher MartÃn Maldonado, The Athletic reports.
Maldonado, 38, hit .119/.174/.230 with -1.3 WAR for the White Sox last season. It has long been known as a defense-focused backstop, with a cannon in place of an arm that works well with pitchers. The Astros swore by him for years and he won a ring with them in 2022.
Luis Campusano is the Padres’ starting catcher.
