Centerfield

I listened to the clip. It's available on the Audacy app. Search WFAN and then Boomer and Gio. He definitely says this belief is based upon conversations he had. He said he's confident, and the information is solid.

Speaking of Boomer Esiason, he tweeted that Pete and the Mets should reach a deal today. Sounds like he got some intel.

That's right. I forgot that it was a fan email he was reacting to. In any case, to anyone listening, it was clear that this was speculation for fun. Roberts was laughing throughout the segment. As an aside, I think Evan Roberts is the one person I enjoy listening to on WFAN. I've heard his podcast, and I think Mets fans would think it's worth the listen. WFAN is unlistenable 90% of the time. I've listened to Boomer and Gio a few times. I can't stand Boomer. He's a know-it-all blowhard. The ego is insufferable. Picture Francesa without the talent. Gio comes across as smarter than your average host, but his frat boy humor just doesn't do it for me. Sal Licata and Brandon Tierney are a waste of time. They are the epitome of dumb guys shouting dumb things into a microphone for engagement. The exception, at least for me, are Evan and Tiki. I think both are smarter than any of the other guys, both of them give interesting takes, and although it does devolve at times into some frat house stuff, this is the one show I find I don't immediately turn away from.

Evan Roberts is a talk radio host for WFAN. He does not hold himself out to be a reporter in any sense. I heard the clip that's being referenced. In the audio, it's clear that it's his speculation, and that he's painting this scenario for fun. He's not claiming that this is what actually happened, and certainly not blaming Nimmo in any real sense.

From they Heyman article (it's behind a paywall): So if you assume Heyman is getting everything from Boras, what could Boras possibly gain by leaking this? It certainly doesn't help him with his negotiations with the Mets to say Pete is desperate to go back. I don't think he's saying this to leverage the Blue Jays. Because why would the Blue Jays' up their offer if Pete only wants to be in NY. I wonder if Boras is leaking this to protect Boras. "Yes, I'm a great agent, and I could have gotten him a great deal, but Pete went around telling everyone and their mother that all he wanted to do was go back to the Mets. I did the best I could given I had no leverage." In other words, maybe it's inevitable that Pete winds up back with the Mets on their own terms, and Boras is pre-emptively laying ground for his excuses.

Per Jon Heyman, the Mets and Alonso have reengaged in discussions. It’s in his latest article in the Post. I don’t see how leaking these discussions helps Boras. Except that maybe he felt embarrassed after Saturday and wants to make it seem like Cohen came back to them.

I’m kinda surprised there’s been no movement after the public statements on Saturday. I was expecting something to break today. I guess not. Since like mid-December I’ve checked this board and Twitter hoping and expecting to see some movement on Alonso. I’m now thinking it’s not going to get resolved until Spring Training begins. Ben Grimm called it in October.

So after Cohen's adamant rejection of the structure of the Alonso deal, Boras fired back yesterday through Will Sammon. Speculation is that the deal presented by Boras to the Mets is similar to that of Cody Bellinger. In addition to having opt-outs after every year, that contract provides that the club is responsible for buyouts if the player elects to leave. Bellinger's deal contained a provision that if he opted out after 2024, the club owed him an additional $2.5M. If Bellinger opts out after 2025, the player is owed an additional $5M. It's not hard to see why Cohen would have an issue with that kind of structure. It's mind-boggling to have to pay a buyout when the player elects to leave. And not surprisingly, the Cubs found themselves having to unload that contract this winter. Again, this is just speculation, but if that's true, I can see the Mets holding firm and refusing to accept that. On the other hand, if Boras removes that "pay to leave" feature, I can see public pressure swinging back to Pete's side to give in more on the AAV. Maybe I'm an idiot, but I'm still optimistic. I think Cohen's visible frustration yesterday shows how much he wants Pete back. And I think Boras' immediate response suggests that Cohen's words had the intended effect. I think they're still each other's best option.

Ichiro is a Hall of Famer. Anyone who doesn’t recognize that doesn’t deserve to vote. I disagree with so much of the HOF process/voting that I try not to lose any sleep over it. But some things are just dumb. I remember a few years ago some idiot writer tried defending his non vote. I think it was Rickey? The stupid logic applied made me regret giving him the attention.

Right? This is why I think all of the info that's come out these last few weeks is straight from the Boras camp. If anything came from the Mets, they would have leaked the Boras demands that are outrageous (or at least, what they view as outrageous) and then all public sentiment would have swung back to the Mets. Here's what I think happened. The Mets don't leak. They don't comment on ongoing negotiations other than giving the stock response they've decided was appropriate. "We love Pete. We made a fair offer. We haven't moved away from him. We hope he comes back to us." This is what he said at the MLB event on Wednesday, and this is the answer David Stearns gave when asked today. But Cohen seemed agitated when he sat down for the panel and the crowd was chanting "we want Pete". Then, when asked, David Stearns gave the stock answer, and the crowd booed him. And I think Cohen got pissed. I think he looked at the crowd, and he thought "You know, maybe that Boras propaganda is working more than I thought". So he decided to go off script and counterpunch. His answer was much more honest and confrontational and provided a lot more info than Stearns' answer, which preceded his answer by just seconds. He basically said yes, we want Pete back. But his offer sucks and it's unfair. And I'm not doing it. I love that he said this was his personal feeling, and didn't use the royal "we". I think this was intentional so that everyone who's been saying "Cohen is going to have to step in" got the message loud and clear. And I think he left no doubt that if Pete wants to come back, he's going to have to change the structure of the offer. He did say he would be flexible. And he did leave the door open, but it was clear he's not doing the deal on the terms presented to him. Then he added the piece about the expenses. He said he's adding players to this very expensive team. And as time goes by, there may be no room to bring back Pete. It's the first time he's ever said anything along those lines. Stearns have obviously never said anything like this. And I think that was his message to Pete and Boras. The offer's not going to be there forever. So go ahead and look. But he's done being patient. And then the crowd cheered. I wonder if Boras heart dropped when he heard that. For the record, I don't believe Cohen when he says that there may not be room in the budget for Pete later on. But I think he had had enough, and decided it was time to send a message.

Wow. Steve Cohen just eviscerated the structure of the demand from Alonso/Boras. Called it asymmetric against the team. I have no idea what he’s objecting to but he made it clear he’s not bending on that. Sounds like he feels he made a fair offer to Pete and Pete will have to accept it if he wants to come back.

I just saw a clip of a panel at Amazin Day hosted by Gary Cohen. It had Stearns and Cohen sitting at it. The crowd was chanting “We want Pete”.

The Blue Jays rumors were flying yesterday. Tim Healey from Newsday and Andy Martino both reporting various degrees of progress. Martino going as far as to say talks were on the "10 yard line". That pretty much got shut down with the Jays' beat writers Shi Davidi and Ben Nicholson-Smith shutting it down by saying there was no momentum and nothing was close. Today, Pat Ragazzo from SI says that Pete Alonso met with the LA Angels. I wonder if the Angels rumor suggests that the Blue Jays leak is a dead end. Again, I go back to the real money breakdown of the Santander contract. Will Toronto really offer significantly more money to Alonso than they did to Santander?

It's tough to know what Toronto will do. It's said they are desperate, and desperate teams do crazy things. And that's why they remain a threat. But let's assume for the sake of discussion that they are logical. They just gave Anthony Santander a 5 year, $92.5M deal. Per Ken Rosenthal, that deal has $61.75M deferred! For CBT purposes, the union views the present value at $68.6M ($13.7 AAV). One would think that the Blue Jays would not be willing to spend more than this on Pete, given that Santander is a switch hitter, coming off a better season, plays OF (better positional fit), and is about 20 lbs lighter. And, of course, discussions with Pete are taking place after the Jays have already secured Santander. So logically, Toronto would not sign a player, then offer a similar, but lesser, player significantly more money. $68.6M is obviously less than the 3 year/$70M offer the Mets were rumored to extend to Pete (no deferrals in the Mets offer). Also, Toronto has higher taxes. So Pete would take a hit there as well. So as of now, even if Toronto extended the same offer to Pete as they extended to Santander, Pete would have to take less money to leave the Mets. So really, there are only a few scenarios where Pete leaves to play for the Blue Jays. Scenario One: This is what I led with. Toronto does something crazy and offers Pete a significantly better deal than they just gave Santander. Five year deal, no deferrals, higher AAV. If that happens, then Pete is gone. Scenario Two: The Blue Jays offer Pete a similar deal to Santander (with deferrals). But Pete/Boras accept it because it's five years and has a higher gross number. It allows Pete/Boras to save face and say that Pete beat the Mets offer both in length, and in total money, even if it means less in actual money to Pete. I don't really see Scenario Two as realistic. So basically, it all comes down to whether Toronto goes a little crazy or not. Fingers crossed.

Alonso signs with Jays. "SEE I WAS RIGHT" Alonso doesn't sign with the Jays. "SEE I WAS RIGHT"

He didn’t offer much. Said he’d love to have Pete back. Hopes it will happen. Someone said “so we’re not out on Alonso?” He smiled. Kinda chuckled? Said don’t believe everything you hear in the media.

I didn't say there was a fuss over it. I said the information was leaked. Yes, parties can divulge information. If they do it publicly, it's a disclosure. If they do it anonymously it's a leak. I'm of the belief that parties leak information with intent. When I wrote about the "fuss" over these disclosures, I was writing about you. I thought you were making a big fuss over these disclosures. Which is fine. That's what makes these boards interesting. But to me, these leaks or disclosures or whatever are one big nothing-burger as far as I'm concerned. I don't think there was any strategy or chess game being played by the release of that info. I think that it's somebody privy to the negotiations deciding to disclose some of that info to the press anonymously and nothing more. I never thought the disclosures were going to cause the Mets to crumble or fold or to weaken their bargaining position. And more importantly, I never thought that the Boras/Alonso camp ever thought that, either. It's just info being released. Any reasonably sentient fan knows that without knowing Boras's demands, the info is practically useless anyway. Me personally, I don't think these talks are dead and there's a very good chance that Alonso and the Mets finally come to an agreement. I say this because Alonso wants very badly to remain a Met and everybody knows this. Alonso has made no attempt to hide this. If the Mets offer was unreasonably low, some other team would've topped it by now. Yeah, I was trying to communicate (clearly not effectively) that I thought all the disclosed info was a bunch of nothing. Basically that neither side had budged. As you put it, I agree it's all a big nothing burger. I disagree that the Boras camp released it with no intent. I think Boras figured let's roll the dice and see what happens. There are plenty of owners that would cave to public pressure. And as recently as a year ago, Cohen might have been one of them. I also think Boras wanted to signal to other teams that the Mets were out. If there is a perception that whatever bid is offered would just be taken back to the Mets, I think Boras was trying to get out in front of that. I'm also in the camp that the Mets and Alonso eventually come to an agreement. My only real concern is that the Blue Jays do something crazy and the Mets decline to match.

A guy who deserves to have his vote rescinded.

From my viewpoint, there are three scenarios. Scenario A The Mets pulled the walkaway move. They pulled their offer to Pete. But, the reporting is different, and couches a reunion as "less likely", without mentioning that the offer was pulled. If this happened, I think the reporting would be "Mets out on Alonso". Scenario B The Mets did not pull the walkaway move. But they wanted to create some heat, so Stearns calls Sherman, Heyman and Martino and says "Hey, I want you to report that we are discouraged with negotiations and that we are pivoting to plan B". At the same time, they leave the offer on the table. Could this be what happened? Possibly. But how much credibility do the Mets have if these negative reports are out there, while the offer sits waiting to be accepted? Scenario C The Mets have had their three year $70M offer on the table for some time. Pete and Boras were to bring back any competitor's offer but have been unable to secure any. Without a need to bid against himself, Stearns stands pat. Boras leaks to the press that Pete is willing to accept a short term deal, but only with the Mets. Because Pete loves the Mets. Boras leaks to the press that the Mets and Pete remain far apart on AAV, even after the concession by Pete to take three years. Suggests "Steve Cohen may have to get involved" Boras leaks to the press that the Mets have imposed a deadline. Boras leaks the terms of the Mets offer to the press. 3 years, $70M. An offer that is $20M less than the $90M rumor floated around previously. Boras leaks that the Mets have pivoted away from Pete. And that a deal is now less likely. During that time, David Stearns stands pat with his offer. For my money. I think it's C. And I think Stearns is confident that eventually all this bluster will blow over, and eventually Pete will have to sign the offer that's on the table. Unless, as I mentioned before, Toronto does something nutty and offers Pete terms similar to Santander. And if they do that, I guess Pete might be gone.

Exactly this. Walking away is an effective tactic. But it only needs to be communicated to the adverse party. There's very little advantage, if any, to going public with the move. And if the Mets wanted to walk away, they need to actually walk away. That means pull the offer and pivot. If the offer remains on the table, no one believes anyone has pivoted. Regardless of whatever has been disclosed. So let's start there. Did the Mets pull the walk away move? No. Not if you believe the reports from last week. Andy Martino: Joel Sherman: Jon Heyman: These reporters came out with nearly identical takes, all at the same time. None of them mention that the Mets pulled their offer. Only that they are discouraged, or have started their pivot. If anything, all of them imply that the Mets offer remains on the table. So, what do we think happened? Did the Mets leave their offer on the table and publicly disclose that they are pivoting? What's the sense in that. You have no credibility so long as the offer remains. The only thing that makes sense is that the Mets have done nothing but leave that offer on the table, and that Boras is feeding this narrative to the press. And when you look at the info that's come out, in the order it's come out, and who has reported it, it's very clear who's leaking this info.

I mean logically. Why would the Mets publicly state they are pivoting to other options. That's the dumbest thing they can do. The effects are: 1. Other teams are encouraged to bid on Alonso, thinking that maybe the Mets are out and won't match it. 2. Public outcry from angry Mets fans 3. Negatively impacts the Mets leverage with plan B options None of these things may end up making a difference. But ultimately, only Boras/Pete would want this kind of buzz out there.

I didn't say there was a fuss over it. I said the information was leaked. Yes, parties can divulge information. If they do it publicly, it's a disclosure. If they do it anonymously it's a leak. I'm of the belief that parties leak information with intent. Which side is more inclined to leak this "info" to Martino. Stearns? Not a chance. The Mets front office doesn't leak info. Also, they have nothing to gain by publicly stating that they are moving on from Alonso. If they wanted to move on, they'd simply tell Boras and pull their offer. They don't need the public to know. They certainly don't want their plan B options thinking that they now have the upper hand. It makes no sense for the Mets to release this info. Boras on the other hand, is hoping to create a public frenzy. The calls into WFAN like you describe. Outrage on twitter. He's hoping that it will spur Steve Cohen to get involved (hence the Jim Duquette line "Steve Cohen may have to get involved"). Would David Stearns leak that to the press? "Hey Jim, go on SNY and say 'Steve Cohen may have to get involved'." We all know what's happening. We all know where Duquette is getting his info. And no, I said before that I don't think it will work. I think Cohen hired Stearns to stop himself from paying more than market value. And I don't see any of this having an effect on Stearns. But I think Boras is pulling out all the stops to get as much money from the Mets as he can. In the end, I think (or maybe I just want to believe) that Alonso told Boras he wants to go back to the Mets, and that Boras job was to get as much money as possible. I think Boras is doing whatever he can in a tough situation. I agree with all of this. Which is why ultimately I think he will come back. My only real concern is Toronto. I think they can be a wild card in this. They're so desperate to get players and spend money I can see them beating the Mets offer. If they do, the Mets would have to match or else Pete is gone. I agree too. But let's say, for argument's sake, that the Blue Jays offer Alonso a contract similar to what they offered Santander. 5 years. $90-$100M. Does Stearns match? I don't think he does. And then if you're Pete, do you take a 3 year deal for $70M, or a five year deal for $95M? I don't know.

What leaks? "Pete Alonso is willing to compromise with a three year deal! And despite lots of interest, it's only open to the Mets! What a guy!" "Can you believe it? Even after Pete came to the Mets with a three year deal structure, they still refuse to compromise on money. Steve Cohen is gonna have to get involved." "Did you guys hear that the Mets are forcing a deadline on Pete's negotiations?" "WTF. Check out this low-ball offer the Mets made. After everything Pete has done." "The Mets have moved on from Alonso. Their plan B is Brett Baty. Get ready for life without Pete Mets fans."

Boras is starting to lose his cool. Yesterday at the Corbin Burnes conference, he complained openly that MLB teams are making money but not spending. https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/scott-boras-shames-mlb-teams-for-sitting-out-free-agency-theyre-making-more-but-theyre-not-spending/ He's clearly frustrated at the Bregman and Alonso situations and the inability to create a market. Meanwhile, his mouthpiece Jon Heyman has an article that the slow moving free agency market is frustrating players: https://nypost.com/2025/01/16/sports/slow-moving-mlb-free-agency-frustrating-players-insane/ This peak into Boras' mindset starts to give you the context for the leaks they've issued this past week.

It's been bad for me as well.