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Good signing by Baltimore. The Mets are going to miss his middle of the order production.
I'm surprised he got more money/year average than Schwarber which seemed like a real sweetheart deal for the Phillies.Comment -
Love Alonso but glad they didn't pay him. He strikes out way too much instead of putting the ball in play. Take away that amazing start he had and the rest of the season was quite mediocre. His defense is quite a liability as well. For a guy who will be just a DH soon he isn't worth what he is asking but I guess you can't fault a guy for money grabbing while he can.Comment -
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Yeah, he'll be Chris Davis all over again for Balty, with a slightly better average than Davis.Comment -
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That seems like a real stretch, nasher...We shall see, I think he will be a very good run producer in the middle of the lineup as he was with the Mets.
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Maybe my Davis comp was a tad harsh.
It all depends on Gunnar; if Henderson can stay healthy, then Polar Bear and Gunnar could do some serious damage in the middle of that Oriole lineup. That kid Holiday (straight out of HS) is legit at the top of that order, but the bottom half of the lineup is weak, and I hope Petey likes 12-8 games. That Oriole starting rotation is a train wreck waiting to happen. The thumpers in New York, Boston, Toronto, hell, the entire AL East will waylay the Orioles' pitching.Comment -
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Call me crazy but give me 5 Pete Alonso types instead of 1 Soto....Comment -
^Originally posted by JAKEPEAVY21
Yeah, I'll take a baby diaper full of bad Thai food over Soto.
Who are the Metropolises going to replace that bat with?
Schwarber is back with Philly for life, Bregman's playing the FA game, but the Red Sox have a blank check waiting when Bregman's done doing the FA dance.
JJ Piccolo (KC) says he's getting calls about Vinny Pas, but JJ says he's not moving Vinny, and you can't afford him anyway.
I love JJ. There's no way KC is breaking Vinny and Bobby Witt up, not with Sal Perez around for another three years.Comment -
Mets also lost closer Diaz and traded Nimmo for Semien(do not like from Mets perspective). They have a lot of work to do to fill out the roster.Originally posted by stevenashComment -
With Alonso most can't see from the outside because you look at his numbers and say well he is producing. The problem with that is a large number of that production comes when games are already won. If you look at what his numbers were when Mets needed a huge hit, especially down the stretch, it was beyond pathetic. He was same last year, all season, except he hit that one home run against Brewers and then people let him off the hook. I couldn't even count the amount of times in the last month of the season he came up with bases loaded or 2 men on when Mets needed a hit and he not only couldn't even put the ball in play he struck out looking bad.Originally posted by JAKEPEAVY21
Add to that he basically changed Mets season when he hurt Senga on another, what is a routine, shit throw to first base. Senga never recovered from that injury and at the time he had the best ERA in baseball. After that Mets went into a tail spin. I love Alonso, he was great for the organization, but the guy is not even close to what he was when he came up. He should have just taken the money the Mets were offering and then he would have cemented himself in Mets history for homers. Now he leaves and his record will be erased and he will end up with nothing to show for it.Comment -
I don't get some of these guys. The guy has already made enough money to live 10 lives. When you already have hundreds of millions, what is taking a 20 or 30 million less to be in history for the rest of eternity? I will never get when players choose more money over records. That is literally what kids dream of to be in the record books not oh I could have made an extra 30m when I already had 300m.Comment -
unde, I do not follow the Mets closely but it seems to me that Alonso had a lot of clutch hits for you guys over the years? anyways, i think he will do well in Baltimore although he might tail off at the end of the contract. I read that the Mets would not give him more than 3 years which I suppose is reasonable at his age and weight. You guys have a lot of holes to fill still just like my Padres and both have a few bad contracts on the books. The big difference is that our big bucks owner died...is Cohen going to put a winning team on the field this year?Comment -
I am not saying Alonso didnt produce. I am saying his numbers look a lot better than they are. I watch every game. You probably could have filled Citified 10 times over again with men he left on base in key moments during the last two seasons. Did I want Alonso to be a Met? Of course I did, he is a great dude and was a great ambassador for the Mets. But he is not worth a long term contract.Originally posted by JAKEPEAVY21
As far as the rest, I am not a fan of our GM. All the guys moves have backfired but I know Cohen will spend to get more top players in the coming months. I don't get the Siemen trade. Was dumb as shit if you ask me. We already have an elite young talent in Acuna. I don't understand why they don't give him a chance. When they first called him up and he got playing time he hit and he is a golden glove talent on defense. Acuna and Batt deserve to start. We have many young players that deserve playing time. Trading nimmo really pissed me off for a over the hill guy who couldn't hit his way out of a wet paper sack. If you ask me Mets were in good shape they just need to add Skrubal or another top pitcher. This GM is fucking everything up. All he wants to do is sign ex Brewers that blow ass. Apparently he thinks he is still in Milwaukee. Acuna and Baty need to be in the lineup everyday.
Mets have a lot of young pitchers that have high potential like back in 2015. We will be good in the bullpen as the 3 shutdown pitchers we had that went out for the season will be back. We just need another ace pitcher. Cohen needs to just give Skrubal an offer he can't refuse.
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I agree about the Semien trade, it did not seem to make much sense from the Mets perspective with him coming of an awful year and his contract is around 33% more than Nimmos. Nimmo was a solid player with a high OBP, I'm not sure if Semien still has it or not.
Also agree that you have to infuse young talent into the lineup as you were saying with Acuna and Baty. I wish the Padres would do that more instead of trading 99% of their farm system for rentals.Comment -
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I love Semien, but that bat speed has really slowed down.
He is what he is, though. A valuable utility player that can play three infield positions, plus corner OF if needed.
Thing is, he won't sniff .300 again, he'll still hit .260-.270 for the Mets, with up to 20 HR power (more like mid-teens now)
The Mets severely overpaid for a decent player, but clearly Semien is OTH.Comment -
You can get Joe Ryan for less than half of what Skubal would get on the open market.Originally posted by unde0087
Cohen needs to just give Skrubal an offer he can't refuse.
The Twins are in full-scale, fire-sale mode; they'd take three kids for Ryan, who isn't Skubal, but the next tier down. Ryan's shit is filthy too; he's just not as consistent as Skeenes or Skubal.
You can get Framber Valdez or Michael King right now on the open market; your front office has deep pockets, they really should sign Valdez, and trade prospects to the Twins for Joe Ryan. But what do I know, right?
KC has an embarrassment of wealth when it comes to pitching, and the farm is stocked.
KC's need is one more big outfield stick to go with the kid Caglione.
The KC lineup is stacked 1-5 now that the Royals locked up Garcia; all they need is that one missing bat, and they will pay pitching for that.
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I got an update today while on my route that the Mets and Padres were in trade talksOriginally posted by JAKEPEAVY21, for who I don't know but we might have quite a bit to talk about here soon
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They didn't need a 2nd baseman. They have Acuna. That trade just shows have fucking stupid this clown GM is.Originally posted by stevenashComment -
I'm going to change the thread title to 2026 Hot Stove Talk (or something similar)Originally posted by unde0087
One thread for all things hot stove MLB news.
Jake, Unde, (and anybody else who wants to weigh in), input?Comment -
Sounds goodComment -
Yeah, I’m with you. Ryan isn’t Skubal but at that price he’s a smart get if Minnesota is selling. The stuff is real even if the consistency comes and goes.Originally posted by stevenash
If the money is there, signing Valdez and trading prospects for Ryan just makes sense. KC is in a great spot too. Tons of pitching, lineup coming together, and one more legit outfield bat could push them over the top.Comment -
I was just reading some stuff about that and Mason Miller, Pivetta, Morejon, Estrada, Laureano names all mentioned and the Padres are interested in a slew of Mets young players and prospects.Originally posted by unde0087
I got an update today while on my route that the Mets and Padres were in trade talks, for who I don't know but we might have quite a bit to talk about here soonComment -
This just in from (The G.O.A.T) Ken RosenthalOriginally posted by JAKEPEAVY21
By Ken Rosenthal, Dennis Lin, Will Sammon
Dec. 13, 2025
Updated 12:29 pm EST
-The Athletic
If ever two teams needed each other in trade discussions, it’s the New York Mets and San Diego Padres.
The Mets are under pressure to fortify their roster after losing closer Edwin Diaz and first baseman Pete Alonso to free agency this week. The Padres are trying to save money while replenishing their rotation with controllable starting pitchers.
The teams are engaging, according to people briefed on their conversations. Neither of their rumored superstars, Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor nor Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr., are part of the talks. Padres infielder Jake Cronenworth was not a Mets target even before New York reached an agreement Saturday on a two-year, $40 million contract with Jorge Polanco, who could help replace Alonso.
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I like Polanco, but 20 mil per is too steep.
Under pressure, can Mets, Padres line up on a trade that could help both clubs? - The AthleticComment -
He's a good reporter but seemingly a POS...what is your take on that incident that happened during the playoffs when Rosenthal knocked over a cameraman and not only did not apologize but stood over him and gave him a death stare. Rosenthal gave some pathetic excuse but I do not believe it.Originally posted by stevenash
As far as the Padres/Mets rumors, if those names are being talked about on the Padres side the Mets better be giving up a massive package of young players and prospects.Comment -
Agreed, he is solid but not worth that much. At least it was only a 2 year contract.Originally posted by stevenashComment -
Best writer/reporter in the business, I've gotten to know KR a little via 'X', my take on the incident is he treated it like a joke, it wasn't a joke, KR wound up with egg on his face, and that's not a good look for him (or anybody else)
Any-hoo, KR comes across as an arrogant man, but a good family man.
I guess when you reach GOAT status, it's easy to become big-headed. I wouldn't really want to hang out with Rosenthal, but when it comes to the most reliable baseball source for information, I trust Ken Rosenthal first, and everybody else second.
Not for nothing, IMO, Mike Lupica is the biggest asshole in the business, considering how many assholes are in sports journalism, that's a dubious honor.Comment -
Every time I get an update on a trade with this clown GM 99% of the time the article starts with "Mets trade for ex Brewers", this guy needs to be fired
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Royals come out ahead in Brewers swap, netting Isaac Collins, Nick Mears for Angel Zerpa
The Milwaukee Brewers and Kansas City Royals lined up for a trade Saturday night, with Kansas City sending left-handed reliever Angel Zerpa to Milwaukee for outfielder Isaac Collins and right-handed reliever Nick Mears. The teams have yet to announce the deal officially, but it has been confirmed by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. I can see the logic of the deal for the Royals right away, but I’m struggling to understand it for the Crew.
Zerpa kills left-handed batters but has had a platoon split his whole career, even after a reasonably successful move to the bullpen in 2023. Over his career, he has allowed a .282/.340/.470 line to righties, and his line versus righties was a little worse (.303/.356/.483) in 2025. He’s a sinker/slider guy who had one of the best groundball rates in the game last year at 63.7 percent, and since he moved to the bullpen, he’s been enough of a strike thrower to make that formula work even without a swing-and-miss pitch.
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I haven't heard JJ's name in a long time. He's a couple years older than me, but we overlapped briefly playing baseball when growing up in Cherry Hill. Thanks for the memory!Originally posted by stevenashComment -
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Love on-base artists at the top of the order.
Collins is a perfect fit for KC at leadoff.
Collins, followed by Bobby Witt Jr., Vinny Pas, Maikel Garcia, and Sal Perez (whose bat has yet to dwindle), is lethal.
One more stick in the outfield will put KC over the top.
Piccolo flipping Zerpa for Mears was also a win-win.
JJ's trying to pry Duran from Boston, Boston wants more pitching, and KC has the arms.
Breslow is also extremely sharp; he's going to demand premium plus for Duran.
The thought of Duran in that lineup, with that glove in the KC outfield, gives me a woody.Comment -
I grew up in Cranford, played ball there, then at Union.Originally posted by magpie878
Cherry Hill is Mike Trout country.
Breslow lives in Trumbull, the next town over from me now.
Breslow is uber below the radar; he's a nice guy with a nice family that wants to live life low key.
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After missing out on slugger Pete Alonso, the Boston Red Sox will now try to get creative in acquiring two bats to bolster their offense, a league source told The Athletic.
A reunion with Alex Bregman figures to be the main objective at this point, but the Red Sox could also target free agent Eugenio Suarez, who clubbed 49 homers in 159 games last season. At the trade deadline, the Red Sox pursued a trade for Suarez, a league source said, with the intent of having him play first base. The Red Sox are also exploring the trade market with interest in Houston’s Isaac Paredes and Arizona’s Ketel Marte.
Twice this week at Winter Meetings, Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow left little room for interpretation that the Red Sox need to add power to their lineup. Then they watched two of the top sluggers on the market in Alonso and Kyle Schwarber sign elsewhere on successive days.
Alonso, in a surprise move, agreed to a five-year, $155 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles, further bolstering an already behemoth of an American League East.
Despite the need for a big bat, Boston’s offer to Alonso was lower in both years and money than the Orioles, a person familiar with the negotiations confirmed.
Breslow, in meeting with the media on Wednesday afternoon, wouldn’t get into details on Boston’s pursuit of Alonso.
“The profile that I’ve talked about wanting to add, is certainly one that he would fit, but these things don’t always line up,” he said. “We’ve got to make the best decisions that we can for the organization. And players have to make the best decisions for themselves and their families and now we’ve got to figure out another way to improve our roster.”
That other way could include two bats.
Though Schwarber and Alonso were viewed as the premier bats on the free-agent market, adding two hitters could offer the Red Sox a similar boost in offense with more lineup flexibility.
“I think a lot of that will depend on who the players are, what the offensive profile is,” Breslow said. “I think we could use somebody that hits in the middle of the lineup. We’ve also talked a ton about driving in runs when we have runners in scoring position and less than two out, cutting down on whiff and kind of getting back to doing some of the simple things that score runs. Whether that’s two players, whether that’s one who can do both. I think we’ll have to see how that plays out.”
Last season, the Red Sox finished 15th in the majors in homers with 186. Trevor Story led the team with 25 homers. Injuries to Roman Anthony, Wilyer Abreu and Triston Casas along with the trade of Rafael Devers suppressed the team’s home run output, but it nevertheless remains an area of need.
Though not known for his power – he hasn’t hit more than 26 homers since 2019 – Bregman remains a target because of his solid overall offense, strong defense and leadership in the clubhouse.
“He’s still out there,” Breslow said when asked about the team’s pursuit of Bregman, “and he’s a guy that could fit our roster particularly well.”
As the Red Sox exit Winter Meetings, their payroll sits at $224 million, for luxury tax purposes, which is $20 million below the $244 million first competitive balance tax threshold. To accomplish what they need, they are likely to spend beyond $244 million. It remains less likely, particularly after watching Schwarber and Alonso sign elsewhere, that the club will spend beyond the second tier of $264 million, which would be an additional $40 million.
Nevertheless, the Red Sox are certainly feeling the pressure with an increasingly competitive division. The Orioles not only added Alonso, but slugger Taylor Ward and reliever Ryan Helsley. The Toronto Blue Jays signed top free-agent starter Dylan Cease and reliever Cody Ponce. The New York Yankees have yet to add much, but are not expected to remain quiet.
As Breslow heads back to Boston, he remains intent on adding to the roster despite a disappointing week.
“We came in committed to doing what we can to improve our roster, the timing didn’t work out such that we were able to do that during these three days here in Orlando,” he said. “But we’re going to head back to Boston and continue to work at putting the best team on the field that we can in 2026.
“We recognize that we’ve got some needs to fill in terms of the position players on a roster right now.”
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