New York Mets DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the New York Mets are re-signing first baseman Pete Alonso to a two-year deal worth $54 million. The contract contains an opt-out after the first season. Alonso has been in discussions with several teams during the offseason but will return to the Mets. The Blue Jays and Angels were among the teams that showed interest. During the offseason, the Mets signed superstar outfield Juan Soto to a record-breaking contract and will now bring back their first baseman as they pursue a championship. Alonso broke out at the MLB level during his first season and led the National League in home runs (53) en route to winning NL Rookie of the Year. This past season, Alonso had a down year by his standards and hit just 34 home runs with a .240/.329/.459 slash line. However, he generated a strong .461 xSLG, 13.2 percent barrel rate, and a 46.4 percent hard-hit rate, which suggests he should be poised to bounce back. Batting behind Francisco Lindor, Soto, and Brandon Nimmo should provide Alonso with elite RBI opportunities all season. He should be viewed as a top first baseman when looking for power and RBI upside.

New York Mets right-hander Christian Scott (elbow) said on Wednesday that he plans on starting to throw around a month from now. "Feel like my arm's in a good spot... I'll start throwing in about a month from now," Scott said. The 25-year-old had a hybrid Tommy John and internal-brace surgery on his right elbow last year but is almost five months removed from the procedure and should start ramping up in spring training. It's good to hear that he's progressing, but the full expectation is that Scott will miss all of the 2025 season, so he's off the fantasy radar in redraft leagues. The former fifth-round pick by the Mets in 2021 out of the University of Florida was inconsistent in his MLB debut in 2024 before being shut down, going 0-3 with a 4.56 ERA (4.60 FIP) and 1.20 WHIP with 39 strikeouts and 12 walks in 47 1/3 innings over his first nine starts.

The New York Post's Jon Heyman reports that free-agent outfielder Harrison Bader has signed with the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday on an undisclosed one-year deal that includes a mutual option for the 2026 season. Bader will essentially head to spring training this year as Minnesota's fourth outfielder but also as a much-needed insurance policy for oft-injured center fielder Byron Buxton. The 30-year-old Bader spent all of 2024 with the New York Mets, slashing .236/.284/.373 with a below-average .657 OPS, 12 home runs, 51 RBI, 17 stolen bases and 57 runs scored in 437 plate appearances over 143 regular-season games. Don't expect him to see as much playing time in Minnesota if Buxton stays healthy, but he'll be a nice option against left-handed pitchers with a career .776 OPS versus southpaws. He has an elite glove and will be a modest power/speed contributor in deeper fantasy formats.

According to Jon Heyman, the Cincinnati Reds could make a run at free-agent first baseman Pete Alonso. Heyman noted that it is a "long shot" for the small market club to sign first baseman, but they could provide Alonso a short-term deal with opt-outs that could reward him, playing in a favorable hitters park. Throughout the offseason, the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Angels have been in contact with Alonso. The Mets have also been in discussions with the 30-year-old in an attempt to bring him back to Queens. Last season, Alonso held a .240/.329/.459 slash line with 34 home runs. However, Alonso generated an impressive 13.2% barrel rate and a 46.4% hard-hit rate, which suggests that he could see some positive regression in 2025. Alonso hit at least 40 long balls during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Fantasy managers should continue monitoring where Alonso signs but should draft him confidently, expecting a high home run output this season.

According to Bruce Levine of 670 The Score, the Chicago Cubs have been interested in acquiring another veteran infielder and have been linked to Jose Iglesias and Jorge Polanco. While the team agreed to a contract with infielder Jon Berti earlier this week, the team is still targeting another option as Nico Hoerner (elbow) could be in danger of missing Opening Day. Iglesias enjoyed a career season with the Mets at age 35, posting a .337/.381/.448 line. Polanco played through a knee injury last season but underwent surgery in October and is expected to be a full go for spring training. Across 118 contests with Seattle last summer, Polanco held an underwhelming .213/.296/.355 line. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor Hoerner's status during spring training as the Cubs may continue to target one of these options for a short-term solution.