Category: Sports News

The Mets are looking for a right-handed bat in the wake of Pete Alonso departing for Baltimore, and they've reportedly talked to one National League team about potentially doing just that.

According to multiple reports, the Mets and Cardinals have had discussions involving a trade for Willson Contreras. 

The Cardinals are looking to move their veteran pieces like Nolan Arenado, Brendan Donovan and Contreras, but president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom has yet to make a deal. MLB.com's John Denton reports that the Cardinals have fielded several calls already for Donovan and LHP JoJo Romero, with the Mets showing interest in Contreras.

Denton added that Contreras is expected to waive his no-trade clause to play in New York.

Contreras, who is entering his age-34 season, has two guaranteed years left worth $36.5 million, according to Spotrac. There is also a club option for the 2028 season, which is worth $17.5 million. 

The three-time All-Star is coming off his third season in St. Louis, where he slashed .257/.344/.447 with an OPS of .791 to go along with 20 home runs and 80 RBI in 135 games. 

He also offers versatility in the field. Contreras played 120 games at first base with the Cardinals last year, but has been the Cardinals' catcher in past seasons, as recent as starting behind the plate 50 times in 2024. He also has 39 games of experience in the outfield in his career, his last being during the 2021 season, but that's not expected to be a part of any plan involving Contreras. 

On an emergency episode of The Mets Pod presented by Tri-State Cadillac, Connor Rogers and Joe DeMayo break down the facts and emotions surrounding the news that Pete Alonso is no longer with the New York Mets. 

Connor and Joe look at what happened, why it happened, and what could possibly come next for the Mets as the Polar Bear agrees to a 5-year, $155 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles. 

The guys hope to see a plan come together from David Stearns and Steve Cohen to make the Mets contenders, as right now for the fans, it’s one of the “bad times.”

Be sure to subscribe to The Mets Pod at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

It’s been a rough start to the offseason for Mets fans.

They’ve now seen three of their favorites leave town after last season’s ugly collapse that ended with the club falling short of the playoffs for the second time in three years. 

The first blow came when Brandon Nimmo was dealt to the Rangers. 

Edwin Diaz then decided to depart for the two-time defending champion Dodgers, and just one day later, Pete Alonso left for Baltimore on a big-money five-year pact. 

As expected, the moves have drawn emotional reactions from fans all over social media. 

Mets owner Steve Cohen is empathetic, but he stressed in a text to Jon Heyman of the NY Post that the winter is just getting started. 

“I totally understand the fans’ reaction,” Cohen wrote. “There is lots of offseason left to put a playoff team on the field.”

Cohen is right, it is early, and there’s plenty of talent remaining in both the trade and free agent markets, but this team has holes to fill over the next few months. 

New York still needs a top-tier starting pitching after injuries and underperformance came back to bite them during their devastating second-half collapse last season. 

Devin Williams, the team's biggest free agent signing so far, adds a legit bullpen arm, but without Diaz, president of baseball operations David Stearns will need to find another reliever or two.

And now with Alonso joining the Orioles, they’ll need someone to reciprocate that production in the middle of this lineup at first base or elsewhere. 

Certainly a tall task for Cohen and co. as they look to make their way back to the postseason.