Where do the Mets and Pete Alonso stand in contract talks?

There are very few suitors left for Alonso as he remains a free agent

What’s up with the Mets? 🍎

• Pete Alonso and the Mets remain far apart in contract talks, and the Mets are considering alternatives in case they can’t retain Alonso (New York Post)

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Rumor Mill 💨

• The Marlins could be open to trading RHP Sandy Alcantara (Miami Herald)

• The Dodgers and Padres remain the favorites to sign Roki Sasaki (New York Post)

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2024 was only the start, not the end… ✍️

This is my last post of 2024, so I can’t help but look back on this memorable season.

In some ways, this does feel like an ending. OMG, Grimace, and all of the many quirks and memories of the 2024 season will probably never be replicated. They all happened organically over the course of a special season, and it is time to leave the 2024 season as a singular moment in time.

A forced sequel is never as good, and it dulls the shine of the original. The 2024 Mets will always hold a special place in my heart for the memories they gave a beleaguered fan base, but it is time to move on.

David Stearns has done a great job leaving the 2024 season in the past by bringing in new characters for the 2025 season. Juan Soto, Frankie Montas, Clay Holmes, and José Siri are a great group to add to the team that fell just short last season.

Now with the return of Sean Manaea, fans can easily envision this team as one that challenges for the World Series next year. Of course, there is still work to be done, namely, re-signing Pete Alonso, signing a lefty bench bat, and adding on to the bullpen, but a very good foundation is there.

And it is that foundation that makes 2025 a new beginning.

Whether the Mets reach their ultimate destination or not, they are not built to be one and done. Their signing of Soto signals a new era of Mets baseball. One that is built for sustained success. As Steve Cohen told his new star, he hopes to win multiple championships during Soto’s tenure with the Mets.

This next generation of Mets fans is going to grow up with a very different organization than the generations that preceded them. They have an owner who invests not only in the team, but the organization and its technology and innovation to make the Mets a cutting edge destination for players, executives and fans as well. The brightest stars in the game are attracted to signing with the team, they have a smart GM, and the area around the ballpark will be getting a facelift with a new soccer arena being built next door.

The 2024 season was a bit of a waypoint for the organization. A stopping point on the way to greater success. So cheers to 2025 and all the possibilities it brings.

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Around the League 🚩

• CC Sabathia would like to go into the Hall of Fame wearing a Yankees cap if he makes it to Cooperstown (CBS Sports)

• Former Met and 1969 World Champion Jack DiLauro passed away (Mets)