Another week of the offseason in the books means another week closer to real baseball.
Despite the fact that pitchers and catchers begin reporting to camp in less than two weeks — the Chicago Cubs are calling in their players the earliest, on Feb. 9 — a number of the biggest stars remain available on the free agent and trade markets.
This is a round up of everything happening in the baseball world as the calendar threatens to flip to February.
Pete Alonso, Scott Boras & New York Mets caught in limbo
Once Juan Soto signed with the Mets in early December, most figured that Pete Alonso was effectively being pushed out the door.
The decorated slugger remains one of the best power hitters in baseball, but coming off arguably the worst full season of his career has naturally limited the 30-year-old's market. Throughout the winter, his camp, headlined by super agent Scott Boras, has remained in contact with the Mets, but recent comments from owner Steve Cohen might suggest that a reunion is all but off the table.
“We made a significant offer to Pete,” Cohen told fans and media, including The Athletic’s Will Sammon. However, Coehn believes the negotations are "highly asymmetric against us, and I feel strongly about it. I will never say no, you know, there’s always the possibility [of an agreement. But the reality is we’re moving forward, and as we continue to bring in players, the reality is it becomes harder to fit Pete into what is a very expensive group of players that we already have.”
It's known that both sides have made offers in the neighborhood of three years to each other, but Alonso's camp is asking for significantly more money (and flexibility) than what the Mets have been willing to give to this point.
Alonso's market has been pretty limited this offseason — the Toronto Blue Jays appear to be his other top suitor — so his situation is worth keeping an eye on. As spring training nears, he may have to settle for a one-year pillow contract to shake the qualifying offer with an eye on hitting free agency again next year. Most of Boras's clients had to settle for that structure last winter.
Chicago Cubs finally land Ryan Pressly after overcoming no-trade clause
Editor's Note: Before we could hit publish on this story, Pressly was traded to the Cubs in a deal involving 20-year-old righty Juan Bello. The following analysis was written before the trade was finalized, but the analysis remains prevalent, so we've left it in for you to peruse.
The Cubs have been running into a problem in recent weeks that the rest of baseball is all too familiar with: the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Cubs apparently finished second for both Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates last week, and they were known to be one of the finalists for Roki Sasaki before he too picked the West Coast Evil Empire.
Now, with a reliever market that's quickly dwindling in terms of top talent, Chicago has turned its attention back to Houston, with whom the completed the blockbuster Kyle Tucker trade earlier this offseason.
It was rumored for a while that the Cubs and Detroit Tigers were the finalists for Astros set-up man Ryan Pressly, but the latter has since backed out of the race. Throughout the week, various reports have come in suggesting the Cubs had acquired Pressly, only for them to quickly be shot down by other sources.
The Chicago Cubs on verge of acquiring closer Ryan Pressly from the Astros
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 23, 2025
Houston Astros setup man Ryan Pressly has not waived his no-trade clause, source tells @TheAthletic. Teams have checked in, but he has NOT waived his no-trade clause. He is a member of the Astros.
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) January 23, 2025
Pressly's no-trade clause remains the sticking point in conversations, but the Cubs have assuredly positioned themselves to be his future team, should he be willing to leave Houston.
MLB Rumors Lightning Round
Alex Bregman unsure of future
Alex Bregman continues to seek out long-term deals, and he appears to have the most interested teams of any free agent still available. It's known that franchises like the Cubs and Red Sox want to sign Bregman on a short-term contract, but his best hope for a deal that stretches beyond four seasons may reside back in Houston.
St. Louis Cardinals ready for a rebuild
The Cardinals have been reluctant to make long-term commitments to players this winter, and that's all but due to the fact that they are preparing for their first true rebuild since Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina were in their prime. Nolan Arenado is a known asset on the trade block, but Sonny Gray could fetch the highest price of anyone on the roster.
Jack Flaherty has frozen market
The starting pitcher who helped pilot the Dodgers to a World Series title last year certainly isn't going to get a reunion in Los Angeles, but he remains hopeful that the Tigers will re-up with him after the right-hander had a successful first half in Detroit last season. If he's willing to settle for a short-term deal, Flaherty could find that his market will start heating up as the snow on the ground thaws.