If At First You Don't Succeed

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Some perspective: Game 7 of the World Series took place on November 1st. The first Met Spring Training game in 2026 is scheduled for February 21st. Between those two dates lies 111 days of offseason. Today is December 22nd, also known as Day #51. So, the halfway point of “hot stove” season will be this Saturday. 

All of that math being said, the clock is ticking for David Stearns and the Mets front office. And the ticking just got louder after yesterday’s signing and trade that brought two first basemen to two teams that are not the Mets. 

The Chicago White Sox managed to sign Munetaka Murakami to a two-year, $34 million contract. While Murakami technically also played some third base in addition to first, he’ll be playing first for the Pope’s Team. Murakami was courted by Stearns last August when he went to see the 25-year-old play in person in Japan. (Stearns even missed Pete Alonso’s franchise record breaking home run, which in retrospect was rather telling). Murakami’s representation keeps things to the vest, so we may never know how close the Mets actually were, but they were surely in the conversation. 

Last night, it was reported that the Red Sox acquired first baseman Willson Contreras from the St. Louis Cardinals for RHP Hunter Dobbins, RHP Yhoiker Fajardo, and RHP Blake Aita. Dobbins impressed in his brief time in the bigs last season, and Fajardo seems to be a highly-regarded prospect himself. Contreras was linked to the Mets for something like six weeks, so this is a fairly big blow. The irony is that the Red Sox went out and got a first baseman/designated hitter after they lost out on the Pete Alonso sweepstakes to the Orioles. I wouldn’t be surprised if we learn in a few days that the Cardinals asked the Mets for one of the young pitching triumvirate of Nolan McLean/Brandon Sproat/Jonah Tong and Stearns wouldn’t budge. 

It looks more like Jorge Polanco really will be the first baseman for the Mets come 2026. I know that’s exactly what Stearns and the Mets said would happen, but, you know, I didn’t fully believe them. I still don’t entirely believe them. 

The good news though is that Polanco, while he only played one inning of first base in his professional career, did in fact practice at first base for “over two months” last summer, according to a Will Sammon report published over the weekend. He worked with Mariners infield coach Perry Hill and old chum Manny Acta. While it isn’t actual real game action, it is definitely better than nothing. 

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The White Sox reportedly next want to move center fielder Luis Robert Jr. The Mets have tried to land LRJ - as nobody calls him - several times already. Apparently Chicago (AL) is looking for “pitching depth” and are talking to both the Mets and those bastard Reds. May we interest you in, I dunno, Will Watson? 

RHP Tatsuya Imai, whose posting window ends on January 2nd, was once again linked to the New York Yankees, but within the same article, Mark Feinsand wrote that while the Yanks and Chicago Cubs are considered the favorites to land him, the Mets and Red Sox have also been connected to the guy who refuses to join the Dodgers. That was kind of surprising. It was the first time I had seen Imai legitimately linked to the Mets, outside of the fact that if you google him the first picture that pops up is a photoshop of Imai in a Mets uniform. 

ICYMI, Yankee fans have been complaining - ironically or not it’s not entirely certain - that the Mets keep taking Yankees away from them (Juan Soto, Luke Weaver, et al.) Which makes it all the more humorous that on Saturday the Yankees reportedly signed old chum Paul Blackburn to a contract, then went ahead and brought in another old chum, Zach Short, into their fold. And let’s not forget they recently brought back Amed Rosario.

The Ringer argues that nothing about the Mets offseason makes sense. I wouldn’t go that far. Yet.

David Roth also wrote about the Mets, focusing on the losses of Nimmo, Edwin Díaz, and Alonso.

Juan Soto and Starling Marte were in Miami and attended the Jake Paul “fight.” 

Jonah Tong was a guest on the Pitching Ninja podcast, where he revealed his recipe for a peanut butter sandwich with maple syrup. In case you forgot his Canadianness. 

Remember when LHP Brandon Waddell was DFA’d to make room for Jorge Polanco? Well he cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Syracuse. 

The Phillies traded LHP Matt Strahm away to the Royals, and it turns out that had to do with “friction” in the Phillies’ clubhouse. Apparently, Strahm was outspoken in his opinions on how the bullpen and clubhouse were managed. Of course, the Philadelphia brain trust insisted it was just a move to get rid of a guy with one year of control left for someone with six. In any case, it’s nice to see that some other team supposedly has and/or had clubhouse problems. 

20 years ago today, the Mets signed Endy Chávez, to a one-year, $500,000 contract. It became worth every penny the following October on a chilly Shea Stadium night.

On this day in 1969, Tom Seaver was named Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year. He won the Cy Young and the World Series that year.