Your Sunday morning dose of New York Mets and MLB news, notes, and links.
Meet the Mets
As expected, news broke yesterday that Sean Manaea intends to opt out of the $13.5 million option on his contract with the Mets. Manaea is likely to receive a multi-year deal on the open market and there is mutual interest in a reunion with the Mets. It is now likely that the Mets will at least give Manaea a qualifying offer.
On Friday, the Mets announced the hiring of Laiky Uribe as their assistant director of international scouting. Uribe made a post on Twitter bidding farewell to the Dodgers organization, where he spent eight years, and looking to his next chapter with the Mets.
Harrison Bader made an emotional Instagram post reflecting on his time with the Mets in 2024.
Danny Abriano of SNY went through the Mets’ arbitration-eligible players and pointed out the likely non-tender candidates.
Around the National League East
The Braves renegotiated Reynaldo López’s contract. The new deal includes $8 million in 2025, $14 million in 2026, and $8 million in 2027, which is now guaranteed.
The Braves also agreed to a two-year, $13 million contract with left-hander Aaron Bummer yesterday.
Around Major League Baseball
Yankees ace Gerrit Cole also opted out of his contract yesterday. But the Yankees can void that opt-out by adding one year and $36 million to the four years and $144 million that Cole had remaining on his deal. They must make that decision sometime today or Cole will become a free agent.
The Yankees declined Anthony Rizzo’s $17 million option and will pay him a $6 million buyout instead.
Robbie Ray decided not to opt out of his contract with the Giants. He has two years and $50 million remaining on the contract. Wilmer Flores chose to exercise his $3.5 million 2025 player option with the Giants.
Cody Bellinger picked up his $27.5 million player option with the Cubs and thus will not be a free agent this winter. The Cubs, meanwhile, declined Drew Smyly’s $10 million team option.
Joc Pederson declined his end of a mutual option with the Diamondbacks and will now be a free agent. But Arizona picked up Merrill Kelly’s $7 million option.
The Brewers picked up Freddy Peralta’s $8 million option. They also declined Gary Sánchez’s mutual option and traded Owen Miller to the Rockies for cash considerations.
Ha-Seong Kim, who underwent labrum surgery and may miss part of the 2025 season, nonetheless declined his end of a mutual option with the Padres and is now a free agent. Meanwhile, lefty Wandy Peralta chose to opt in to the remaining three years of his contract with the Padres.
A Major League Baseball investigation recently found a top teenage prospect in the Dominican Republic who had verbally agreed to sign with the San Diego Padres falsified his paperwork and is five years older than previously believed, resulting in the agreement being withdrawn, ESPN reported yesterday.
This Date in Mets History
On this date in 1973 both Bud Harrelson and Pete Rose received letters indicating they had been fined $250 for their fight in Game 3 of the NLCS a month earlier. Both men passed away this year.