Hour 1: Mets Out on Alonso?

Summary

Podcast Summary: Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 1: Mets Out on Alonso?

Podcast Information:

• Title: Don, Hahn & Rosenberg
• Hosts: Don LaGreca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg
• Episode: Hour 1: Mets Out on Alonso?
• Release Date: January 16, 2025

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1. Host Updates and Personal News

The episode opens with heartfelt updates from the hosts. Don LaGreca welcomes back Alan Hahn after a challenging period marked by the loss of his sister, expressing deep condolences and support.

Peter Rosenberg shares joyous news about the birth of his daughter:

[02:08] Peter Rosenberg: "I just want to thank everybody... it's time to now start celebrating life."

Don LaGreca congratulates Peter:

[02:50] Don LaGreca: "Congratulations to Natalie and Peter, and we'll get the official announcement from Peter himself tomorrow."

The hosts reflect on the significance of becoming fathers and the emotional impact it has on their lives and perspectives.

2. Main Discussion: Pete Alonso and the Mets' Future Plans

The central focus of the episode revolves around Pete Alonso and his potential departure from the New York Mets. Peter Rosenberg introduces the topic with recent reports indicating that the Mets may not re-sign Alonso, citing Andy Martino's analysis:

[06:16] Peter Rosenberg: "The Pete Alonso era with the Mets is over."

Don LaGreca delves into the Mets' handling of Alonso's contract negotiations:

[07:23] Don LaGreca: "I can't say that I'm overly surprised that this is happening because you didn't see the Mets falling over themselves to bring Alonzo back."

They discuss the Mets' strategy, emphasizing David Stearns' (Mets' General Manager) cold-blooded decision-making:

[08:07] Don LaGreca: "Stearns can be cold-blooded because that's a good general manager is supposed to do."

The hosts compare Alonso's situation to other Mets players' departures, highlighting a pattern of not retaining "Forever" players:

[10:38] Peter Rosenberg: "And the other one, David Wright." [10:57] Don LaGreca: "David Wright's career ended in the worst way possible..."

3. Comparison with Other "Forever" Players

Don LaGreca laments the Mets' inability to cultivate long-term franchise players, contrasting with legends like Tom Seaver and David Wright:

[12:10] Don LaGreca: "But what gets you through is the day in day out of falling in love with players and what happens in the regular season."

Peter Rosenberg and Don discuss the importance of players being "Forever Mets," staying with the team throughout their careers:

[20:05] Don LaGreca: "All you did was. No, you're right." [20:33] Peter Rosenberg: "It doesn't count."

4. Listener Call-ins and Opinions

Throughout the episode, listeners share their perspectives on Alonso's potential departure:

• Jay from Queens supports the Mets' decision:

  [23:25] Jay: "Listen, thanks, Pete, but it's time to turn the page."

• Brian from Long Island echoes similar sentiments, questioning the Mets' ability to retain beloved players:

  [25:03] Brian: "Do you really want Pete Alonso to clog up first base?"

• Mike from Manasquan emphasizes the business side, highlighting the Mets' budget constraints:

  [42:00] Mike: "Do you really want Pete Alonso to clog up first base?"

These interactions underscore the tension between fan loyalty and organizational strategy.

5. Concluding Thoughts

In their final discussion, Don LaGreca and Peter Rosenberg weigh the future of the Mets without Alonso, considering potential replacements like Vladimir Guerrero Jr.:

[36:28] Peter Rosenberg: "There you go."

Don LaGreca remains hopeful yet realistic about the Mets' plans:

[39:57] Don LaGreca: "I think Stearns knows what he's doing."

The episode wraps up with light-hearted banter about classic rock bands and upcoming promotions, maintaining the engaging and personable dynamic of the hosts.

Notable Quotes

• Peter Rosenberg on personal gratitude:

  [01:17] "I just want to thank everybody... it means the world."

• Don LaGreca on general management:

  [27:03] "Where does it stop? And who do you decide to stop with?"

• Listener Brian on team decisions:

  [25:03] "Is it really that much of a crime to be able to just a guy that we love... so I just want to give credit to them."

Conclusion

In Hour 1: Mets Out on Alonso?, Don LaGreca, Alan Hahn, and Peter Rosenberg navigate the emotional and strategic complexities surrounding the New York Mets' potential release of Pete Alonso. Balancing personal anecdotes with in-depth sports analysis, the hosts and listeners explore the implications for the team's future, the concept of "Forever" players, and the broader challenges of managing a beloved sports franchise. The episode provides a nuanced perspective for both Mets fans and baseball enthusiasts, offering insight into the intersection of passion and pragmatism in professional sports.

Transcript

[Don LaGreca]

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[Peter Rosenberg]

Han, huge no, but big, yeah. And Rosenberg, I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Don LaGreca]

This isn't North Dakota. This is New York.

[Peter Rosenberg]

This is Don, Han, and Rosenberg on 880 ESPN and the ESPN New York app.

[Don LaGreca]

It's 3:00 in the big city. It's Don Hahn in rosenberg here on 880 ESPN. And it is a pleasure to welcome back Alan. Han, I know you went through a really very difficult time, and our condolences go out to you and your family for the loss of your sister. But it's really happy to have you back. So hope you're feeling better. And again, the family's thinking about you. We've been thinking about you for a long time. So welcome back, sir.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Thank you. First thing I want to do is thank everybody who has reached out just for the messages of support and love and everything through what has been a very difficult time for my family and for myself personally, but mostly for my mother and my sister, who did all the work in doing all they could to keep my oldest sister, you know, as comfortable as she possibly could. So, again, I just want to thank everybody. It means the world. It definitely shows just how much people do care, whether we agree or disagree on sports takes or anything else that goes on in the world. We all know when someone's hurting, the first thing you want to do is reach out to them. So I got all your messages. I wish I could respond to every single one. I have tried to at least hit like, when I can, but I've tried to stay off social media. So thank you, everybody. It's good to be back. It's time to now start celebrating life.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah. And on that note, we celebrate a new life in the world. And that, of course, is Peter Rosenberg's new daughter, who was born a little bit after 5:00 last night. And we got wind of it. And heard about it after the show had already been over. Peter will be on tomorrow to give us all of the details because that's really up to him with the name and all the thing and the story that I'm sure is behind what was a obnoxiously long labor. I think she kind of went into labor sometime in the middle of the afternoon on Tuesday, right? Was it Tuesday or Wednesday? Yeah, it was Wednesday. And then born late Thursday.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, it was Thursday.

[Don LaGreca]

No, it was Tuesday. Bob Washuzen was on and Bob's got five kids. So I said, bob, you're the perfect person to ask. Looks like Natalie went into labor around 1:30 today. When can we expect the baby? He's like, well, it could be now or it could be 6:00 the next morning. And it ended up being almost 6 o'clock the next night. But, yeah, certainly a long. But everybody's baby's healthy, mom's healthy, Peter's healthy because he was there for the whole thing. So he'll give you all of the details. But it wasn't lost on me, Alan, you know, we're starting this new show and I gotta say what I love about Alan is the work ethic. Like, you were, like, legitimately concerned about not being here in the start of the show. And we're like, dude, you got a family to worry about. Don't worry about that stuff. But just the juxtaposition between the reason you were out and the reason Peter was out. Like two polar opposites. But we will get this thing together at some point. Obviously, Peter's gonna be with his wife and daughter for the foreseeable future. But it's nice to have Alan back. And at some point, Don Hahn and Rosenberg will be. But sometimes life certainly gets in the way. Awful news for Alan, but what an amazing day. Peter's a dad. And if you know Peter, that's something.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, it is something. And he's a girl dad, which is even more something.

[Don LaGreca]

And I guess it was you sent. Oh, no. John Winthrop because he has a daughter.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You have a daughter too.

[Don LaGreca]

But it was John that sent the text. I 100% agree with. There is a bond that a daughter has with dad. Now, that might change as they get older, but I do feel like I have a special connection with my daughter. So he's going to have that, which is really cool.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I think it gets stronger.

[Don LaGreca]

Okay, good.

[Peter Rosenberg]

As they get older. And that's something that I'm experiencing now at three different levels. I have a daughter in her 20s, a daughter in her teens and a daughter who is nine. And so each one of them, it's a special, different one, and it's going to be exciting. So I can't wait to talk to Peter about this. And I definitely look, certainly forward to that. And again, just to put a bow on it, this is the circle of life. That's kind of what this show has kind of gone through here. And, you know, there is sadness. And I will say there's relief for me because I saw what my sister was going through. But then I, too, though, was caught up in the anticipation of the news of the birth and making sure Natalie was good. And it was. To me, the timing couldn't have been better, the on, because it. It kind of gives you that. That sort of new emotion that you desperately need. It's needed, and it's something that I'll never forget. And I did say to him, I can't wait till she comes home from College when she's 20 for our 20th anniversary show. Yeah, that'll be a lot of fun. That's great.

[Don LaGreca]

It is. It is. It is crazy. It hits it a little different once you have kids. You know, I, I had kids older, so you go through a lot of your friends have kids, and my brother had a kid. And it's important you understand the significance of it. But once you've had children and then you see somebody else have a kid, you're like, now you can really. You can really understand the level of what Peter is going through. So congratulations to Natalie and Peter, and we'll get the official announcement from Peter himself tomorrow. He's a little busy today, as you can understand. Natalie, of course, still in the hospital. Still a lot of things they got to do. His parents are in town, that whole stuff. So a lot to have. Peter's got to do. So we get started. At least we're back together.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We are. It's good to see. So we have Don Hahn here for a little while.

[Don LaGreca]

We do. And we got a lot to talk about.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yes, certainly do. The latest has to do with some baseball. And this is from Andy Martino just right before the show. So they've pivoted to plan B post Alonzo. They now consider it most likely outcome that Alonzo will sign elsewhere. They added, of course, Jesse Winkler was earlier in the day. They will add a reliever, possibly a top one. Martino saying, but the. The Pete Alonso era with the Mets is over. I always felt, Don, that he was never going to get the seven year, eight year, whatever it is. You know, the Monster deal. I always thought he was going to be a short term guy just because it's first base, it's who he is and all that stuff. And this has played out as where I think they were trying to get him to take something small and he wasn't willing to do it. He's probably getting offers from some other teams, I guess. Reports said Toronto. And so I don't know how you're a Mets fan, how do you feel about the fact that a guy like him who is, you know, like he went through the worst of times, he's had some big game, big moments, big seasons as a Met that they are going to just easily move on from him.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah. And I guess that's what makes it interesting. Like so easily move on feels easy. So Winker is going to play the outfield. Vientos is going to move over to first. Now the Mets can go out and get a third baseman or some available, you know, give Beatty, Mauricio or Acuna the opportunity next year to win that job at third. So I can't say that I'm overly surprised that this is happening because you didn't see the Mets falling over themselves to bring Alonzo back. They're sitting on a mountain of cash, but they were kind of waiting for the price to come down because I don't think they were really in love with him.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Didn't Stearns make you feel like he never, like he rarely used his name when he talked about him? There was no emotion with Stearns when he talked about, talked about Alonzo.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah, because I think that's what's happening. You see it with Shane, with the Giants. It's cold blooded to be a general manager. You can't start getting into the Forever Med and the rookie home run record and the home run against the Brewers. When you're a general manager, you just got to think, what is this player worth? And they didn't think he was worth the money that it seems like he may get from the Toronto Blue Jays. I felt like they liked Alonso. They wanted to bring him back, but at their price. And as of yesterday, it felt like there were really no suitors. Some teams were kicking the tires. San Francisco looked like they were interested for a bit, but now the Blue Jays looks like they're a team that's really interested. And here's why I think they are. They keep losing out on free agents and they're not in love with Guerrero. I don't think Guerrero's in love with them. So Vlad Jr. Is probably going to Leave, they may trade him during the season. So Alonso is their guy.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, if you sign an Alonzo, you're probably trading him before the season.

[Don LaGreca]

You might, you might, you might very well.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You don't need two first placements, so.

[Don LaGreca]

And it doesn't look like Guerrero wants to stay there. Looks like they don't want to pay him big money. So rather than lose him in free agency next year, get something for him now. And like you said, if you trade him now, you'll get a lot more for him than if you wait till the deadline to trade him. So the Blue Jays keep losing out on free agents. Nobody seems to want to play there. Well, if they can get Pete Alonso, he's not a monster name, but he's not nobody either. So I think that's why the Blue Jays, I think ultimately will be the team he goes to. How do I feel about it?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I think they're giving him multiple years. Before you get into how you feel about it, you think Toronto's giving him more than what the years wise, what the Mets would give?

[Don LaGreca]

No, I think it's going to probably be a three year deal again though.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So what's the, what's the issue? Weren't the Mets like thinking, trying to get him to do two, three, kind of three deal less?

[Don LaGreca]

I saw the Boris, you know, three year, only the Met kind of deal. Yeah, but I guess the money that they were negotiating was just too high. I think they want to go north at 25.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I think it's a mistake.

[Don LaGreca]

I agree.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Pete Alonso, this is a mistake.

[Don LaGreca]

Well, here's my heart talking. All right? Because you know what? Stearns can be cold blooded because that's a good general manager is supposed to do. But from a Met fan, you said it. They don't have a Forever guy. I mean, this was the reason I did the Ed Crane pool rant is that it seems like all of the Forever Mets came from someplace else or finished their career someplace else, with the exception of two guys, Ed Cranel who was a nice player. I love him, God rest his soul.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, he was good in his time.

[Don LaGreca]

He wasn't a great player, but he was a Met. Came up in 62 as a 17 year old, retired in 79. Had a lot of the Mets hitting records because he was there forever. Won a championship in 69 and 73. So he meant a lot to me, meant a lot to my dad.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And the other one, David Wright.

[Don LaGreca]

But David Wright's career ended in the worst way possible, you know, in the midst of a contract. He still had so much more. I mean, I look at David Wright and as happy as he made me as a Met fan, we had him on last week and we talked about the home run he hit in the 15 World Series and all that. And his numbers are going to be retired in July when the Reds come to town. But you still feel empty because the way it ended, that guy should have been still playing. Maybe. I mean, it's really a shame that it ended the way.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yes, spinal stenosis.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah, right. That's what he had. And he fought through and he did the best that he could and he did have closure that last game and everybody got a chance to be a part of that. And he talked about how important it was for him to be a Met and only a Met. Kind of a message to Pete Alonso, like, think about what that can mean if he stayed with the Mets. But my entire Met fandom is littered with Tom Seaver having to win his 300th game as a White Sox to pitch his no hitter with the Reds, to see Darryl Strawberry and Doc Gooden win World Series with the New York Yankees.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But at least they won one with the Mets.

[Don LaGreca]

I mean, at least you had no. I get it, but it just seems.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Like all Tom Seaver got a ring. At least you have that David Wright.

[Don LaGreca]

All you did was. No, you're right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You could play in a. Play in a World Series.

[Don LaGreca]

But listen, World Series, it's hard to win. But most of what makes us a fan. Yeah, maybe for a younger generation that only cares about the championships. But I didn't become a Giant fan because they won Super Bowls. I didn't become a Met fan because they won World Series. I inherited them from my dad. And so what gets you through is the day in day out of falling in love with players and what happens in the regular season. And I see Jose Reyes win a batting title and the next thing I know, he's a Miami Marlin.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don LaGreca]

You know, you got Gary Carter from someplace else, you got Keith Hernandez from someplace else. Jacob deGrom is supposed to be the next Tom Seaver. Now he's gone, you know, he's out the door. To be able to see Nolan ryan go pitch 7, no hitters for everybody but the Mets, you know, it just. It just piles up.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That one's mind boggling.

[Don LaGreca]

I never looked it up.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The Nolan Ryan. Now he was on the 69 team, right?

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What, like what happened there? Was he just not that good?

[Don LaGreca]

He was having issues. He was getting blisters on his fingers. He could remember they had a great rotation. He was kind of stuck between being a fourth or fifth starter coming out of the bullpen. They needed a third baseman. They needed a third baseman. The joke with the Mets, early on, it seemed like every year they had a different third baseman and Jim Fergosi was available. Of course, you look back at it now and it's a joke. You vomit in your mouth. But at the time, I guess I was a little too young to remember that. That looked like a deal that they wanted to make. Who knew Nolan Ryan was from a Hall of Fame?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Obviously it was. Seaver was a Kooseman in front of him.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah, yeah, Gentry, but it's Nolan Ryan. No, but. Yeah, but.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So he wasn't Nolan Ryan.

[Don LaGreca]

No, he was Nolan Ryan.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Somebody should have known.

[Don LaGreca]

Exactly. Exactly is my point. Somebody should know. But, you know, and again, even. Even the guys, they got, like Carter, Hernandez, they got from someplace else. And even those guys, you know, Keith finished his career in Cleveland. Gary finished his career in San Francisco.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I gotta stop you there. That doesn't count.

[Don LaGreca]

I know it doesn't count.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I always. You know what? DiPietro told me something a long time ago that always stuck with me. And the more I got to know athletes as they had after their careers, especially I'm seeing it now with the Knicks, is I start to realize that what DiPietro said is very profound. He said that every athlete needs a home. And what he's. What he doesn't mean during their career, he means after. So I always say that about players, like when they retire, what's their home? Remember it used to be the. What hat is he wearing into a Hall of Fame? Remember that? That was the whole thing. But never mind that. Everyone, the ones that aren't going to the hall of Fame, they all still have to have that home base. That when there's a reunion, when there's a big game, they're invited and everybody sees them and loves them. So I think for the Mets, they.

[Don LaGreca]

Have a lot of guys that their.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Home is when they played for the Mets, their best of times were when they were Mets. Doesn't that matter more than where they finish their career?

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah, but when you.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Nobody does start to finish. Nobody bookends careers at all.

[Don LaGreca]

I know, but you're right. Listen, if. Does it taint Martin Brodeur's legacy that he played a handful of games in St. Louis at the end of his career? No, it doesn't. And you're right. Keith Hernandez is a Met.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He's a Met. He's not A Cardinal.

[Don LaGreca]

Ron Darling is a Met. You know Doc and Daryl. Doc talks about the Met, but they're met.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They're met in New York. If you ask New Yorkers, Doc and Darryl, they will tell you. My first memory, the biggest memory is as Mets.

[Don LaGreca]

They're Mets.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Even though with the Yankees it was great, but they weren't the main characters in that play. Their Mets, they were supporting characters in that play.

[Don LaGreca]

But with the Mets, no, they have that. But. But just to be able to have a guy, okay. That you drafted that spent his entire career with you. That's what I really was hoping Pete Alonso would be when it was over. Donnie, they're over, but they don't have to be.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They are now with free agency and.

[Don LaGreca]

The way Judge gonna play for somebody else. I mean I get. Listen when you're a big market team now, see, we went through it. The Mets were always a big market team and then the Wil Ponds and they got in the whole Ponzi scheme made off and all of a sudden they became a small market team.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right.

[Don LaGreca]

But you know, the Yankees, they didn't have to worry about selling off players. Yeah, Canoe left, but I think they kind of were happy left. All right, but you know, you've got your Jeters and you've got your Pettit. Pettit did leave for Houston, so I accept him. But. And there were some extenuating circumstances with that. But still, you know, you got Bernie Williams, you've got tons of gu.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Bernie was another guy though, that it.

[Don LaGreca]

Was almost went to the. But. But George said, no, you're not going to Boston, you're going to stay here.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And Hal said the same thing about Judge. We're not letting you go.

[Don LaGreca]

We're not going to let you. Let you go. Pete Alonzo Judge. No, that's the call. But he's our judge.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Now you're getting to where that. Now you're getting to where I was going to ask you next. And we'll get to the calls. 800-919-3776 that's coming. But I wanted to ask you one more, one more question about this whole situation because that's where now we get to Pete Alonso because again, I'm not a Mets fan. My whole family, they are Mets fans. They all love Pete Alonso. But you love him for what he is. He is. First of all, I've interviewed him a couple of times. He's one of the sweetest human beings you'll ever meet. Like a really genuinely nice guy. He is not a leader of Men, he is not somebody that galvanizes a clubhouse. He's not really a force multiplier. He's a guy that can hit a home run a long way. He put on a show at a couple of home run derbies. He gets it when it comes to what fans want, the entertainment value of the game. He's very good at that. Great personality, all those things. And he's not a great defensive first baseman. But I'll tell you what, he's a vacuum when it comes to, you know, if the shortstop's got to make a quick throw, he does a pretty good job on the stretch, making sure that he gets the catch. Like, I think he's, he's underrated when it comes to that, but he's not a forever player. That's why I never thought he was getting a seven year deal. He was always going to be short term because everything about him, you like him, but for your franchise, you name so many names. All due respect to him, he doesn't belong in that pantheon. When you're like, you say, Ed Crane pool, he doesn't belong in that category.

[Don LaGreca]

Not even Ed Crane pool.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So that's the emotional part that I wanted to ask you about. Is it just because of, it's a right now feeling like 10 years from you be like, oh, man, remember Pete Alonso? I love that guy. You're like, you're really going to like be heartbroken about the loss of Pete Alonso.

[Don LaGreca]

Well, you could be. He broke the rookie home run record.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yes.

[Don LaGreca]

Hit one of the most famous home runs in Mets history five minutes ago. All right. I mean, yeah, all right. He's not judged, but like I said, he's our judge. There's certain guys like, he's not your judge. Well, he was.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Francisco Lindor is your judge.

[Don LaGreca]

Maybe embrace him. No, that's your guy who's not embracing. Like I said, Keith Hernandez is forever. Gary Carter is forever. But this organization, the whole topic of conversation with the Ed Crane pool thing is, where is our forever guy? They've always gotten somebody from someplace else. Mike Pianta came from someplace else and then left again. Finished his career in San Diego and Oakland.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right.

[Don LaGreca]

It just seems like that's kind of how the Mets have always been. They're forever guys. You know, whether even, you know, Koozman didn't finish with the Mets, his number retired. Right. Like, it was just, it would have been nice. I'm just saying. And maybe, maybe it all works out and they end up winning a ton of championships and we forget all about Pete Alonso. But I'm just saying, as a Met fan, I think it kind of stinks that he's not staying here. And you could start throwing at me war and his, his ops and his defense and all the analytic numbers that how this was the right decision for the New York Mets. I'm just saying, as a fan, I'm going to miss him. And I don't love a world where these guys just become so expendable. But, yeah, if I go out there and win a championship, great.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Now you'll have your right, you'll have your guys that you'll remember.

[Don LaGreca]

It was like the same with Saquon. Saquon made sense that they let him go, but it still sucked that this great player that you drafted that was a great Giant is now in Philadelphia, maybe winning a Super Bowl. Like, I like to hold on to guys. I would love when I say maybe forever is the wrong word because they do have forever players, obviously. Tom, you mean you're going home? I would just like. There's got to be a better name to come up with.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But no, I like it. I like it because of what it represents. When you say a forever Met, it means. I'm not going to say. It means they were forever on the team and didn't play anywhere else. I'm going to say is they're forever remembered as a Met. That's how I'm going to put it. Forever Met, like a forever Yankee. It means you'll be forever remembered as that. It goes back to the DPA rule, Right?

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Every athlete needs a home. What's his home? And his career's over. Where's the place that he knows? When I need love, I'll go back here and the fans will always shower me with love. Right. And that's a forever Met is. Represents that. In my opinion, you'll be forever known as that.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah. It just becomes so transient now.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's just.

[Don LaGreca]

I would like a Tony Gwynn. You know, I would.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I would love a George Rare. I I right now. And. Well, I mean, Judge will be it. Because he started his.

[Don LaGreca]

Judge is going to be it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Trade him.

[Don LaGreca]

I, I guess Altuve in Houston will. Yep.

[Peter Rosenberg]

There aren't many, though.

[Don LaGreca]

I mean, you did see it recently with the, you know, Buster Posey. Was that in San Francisco? I'm just trying to think of the. There's. There's a few.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's not that, I guess, Mike Trout.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah. We'll see how it ends up. Mike Trout could turn out to be that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. But that doesn't Nobody in love with him for that.

[Don LaGreca]

But it is true. One of the best players in baseball right now is Juan Soto, who is going to embark on his fourth team. And he's 25 or whatever, you know, so he's LeBron James, but it would be nice to just have that guy, right? I mean, listen, if Brunson wins a championship with the Knicks, I mean, nobody's gonna care where he was before. He'll be a forever Knick, and he's.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Got blood in the ground because of his dad, you know, and his relationship with the best team.

[Don LaGreca]

So it's that. And you're right, Lindor, when that contract is up, if he continues to ball out the way he's bowling out, he is going to be a forever Matt. He'll be right there with Keith and Gary and Doc and Daryl and Piazza and all those guys. But I just thought Pete was maybe going to be that one guy. And I met with Cohen and they may pay extra, so I'm sad now. Can I be cheered up? Sure. Go out there and win.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Or if they trade for Vlad Guerrero to replace him at first base.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah. So how about I give you a third? Whatever.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Can I give you a name of a potential future? Forever met Elian Pena.

[Don LaGreca]

Okay.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He's a shortstop. He's 17 years old. They just gave him 5 million bucks. I mean, you got to be pretty good if you're going to get 5 million bucks at 17 years old, right?

[Don LaGreca]

That's true.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So just keep that, you know, tuck that one.

[Don LaGreca]

Oh, I really like where the Mets are right now. I do. And I know they've got a lot of work to do for this season, but you got an owner that's willing to spend money. He's built up the farm system. You just went out and got one of the best available players ever. Maybe so. No, you got to be happy. But you asked me how I feel.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Okay.

[Don LaGreca]

And I don't feel great today.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, let's see how the people feel. 800. Now we're 93776. Jay in Queens. How you feeling today about this?

[C]

Hey, what's up, guys? First of all, Allen, my condolences, man. I know it sucks, but we missed you. We're here for you.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Thank you.

[Don LaGreca]

Greatly appreciate.

[C]

Hey, look, way, way, way back in the day, when I was in the military, I wanted to. I wanted to switch jobs within the military. And back then, my first class, which is pretty much the equivalent of a supervisor, found out about it, and he told me, listen, if you don't want to be Here, we don't want you here. And that's pretty much the sentiment that I'm taking right now with Pete Alonzo. Listen, thanks, Pete, for all that you did, for all the excitement that you gave us. But listen, if it comes down to the money and you don't want to be here because of the money, then all right, we don't want you here. And listen, I give the Mets and Sterns and Cohen a lot of credit for not giving in to the Mets fans and saying, hey, listen, let's just pay him because the Mets, because the fans want him here. So I just want to give credit to them. Like I said, listen, thanks, Pete, but it's time to turn the page.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Time to turn the page.

[Don LaGreca]

I can't argue with that. I really think David Stearns knows what he's doing and Alonzo is a bit of a flawed player, but. And then let's see what ends up happening at the end of the day. But. But if you have Beatty at third and Vientos at first, I don't love that. You can't tell me that in the immediate you're better off.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, I don't love that because I do think offense wise at those positions, you didn't get better. Yeah.

[Don LaGreca]

And it. And sometimes you fall as the polar bear, you know, it's just.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I get it. Yeah. You, the novelty of him and what he was and he's such a nice guy. He was easy to root for and all that stuff. I completely understand it. Brian in Long Island. Brian.

[C]

Gentlemen, good afternoon. Alan, again, I'll repeat. I'm really sorry for your loss, brother. May your sister rest in paradise. I'm very sorry to hear the news, but I'm really glad that you came back to us. Thank you, gentlemen. I'll be. I'll be honest with you, Don. I feel the same emotions as you. I'm really upset. My whole question is, why is it so hard? Like, what is preventing the Mets, besides the luxury tax, to be able to give them three years and 30 million a year? Because we. I was listening to the Michael K and they were talking about how Stern won't go after an older pitcher. As you saw, he didn't go after Burn Smell. None of the old pitchers that were available. And the young core is still under a young contract. So under the rookie contract, which I believe they still have control for another three years for Francisco Alvarez. So my question is, like, is it really that much of a crime to be able to just a guy that we love, a guy that we root For a guy that gave us an incredible run, like, I don't know, like, I feel like they're dying on this hill where if you look at it, how is it truly, besides the luxury tax, of course, and you being able to spend money overseas and losing draft picks, of course, but besides that, when you're, when you're talking about collecting and building another team, how is the next year, I don't know, 5, 7 million preventing you from being able to do that? You just signed Jesse Winker to 8 million.

[Don LaGreca]

So here's what David Stearns would say to you is that I don't believe he's worth it. I mean, you gotta be cold blooded as a general manager. You pay what you believe somebody is worth, not a penny more. Now, our heart tells us, yeah, give him a few extra million dollars and Steve Cohen's got it and it wouldn't hurt them that much. But I kind of admire Steve Cohen letting his baseball people do their baseball stuff. I mean, you can't start thinking with your heart, Alan, because that's when you start getting yourself in a little bit of trouble. And you also don't do things in a vacuum because if you're gonna pay an extra few million dollars for Alonzo, then somebody else is like, well, you gave Alonzo a few more million. What about me?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Look at this.

[Don LaGreca]

Where does it stop?

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's what I was gonna say is, and where does it stop? And then who do you decide to stop with? And what kind of trouble can that cause? What you have to do running an organization is have a standard. This is what we do. It doesn't matter who you are, this is what we do. And everybody remember Sterns is a Mets fan. He grew up a Mets fan. He knows all about it. The pain that Don is feeling right now, the emotion he's feeling. Stern's lived through this, so he gets that this is not just a guy who came in and is cold blooded. I don't know you. You're not my player. He absolutely knows everything about it. But he understands that while I do have an owner with a ton of money and I could just throw money around, we know that's not how you do business. It's not the right way to do business. And he clearly has a better plan in place for what they want to do at first base to get the same kind of production, but maybe better defense, whatever it is, like Don said, and I agree with him. Let's see where it all. Well, the dust settles before we overreact. But the emotion, it's certainly there. We certainly see it from you. This episode is brought to you by Amazon. Sometimes the most painful part of getting.

[Don LaGreca]

Sick is the getting better part.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Waiting on hold for an appointment, sitting in crowded waiting rooms, standing in line at the pharmacy. That's painful. Amazon One Medical and Amazon Pharmacy remove.

[Don LaGreca]

Those painful parts of getting better with.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Things like 247 virtual visits and prescriptions.

[Don LaGreca]

Delivered to your door.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Thanks to Amazon Pharmacy and Amazon One Medical Health care just got less painful. Thanks for listening to the Don Han and Rosenberg podcast.

[Don LaGreca]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. So Pete Alonzo and his Mets era is pretty much over. At least that's according to the reporting, as they will the Mets will move on from negotiating with him and there's other options that are coming up. That's the reporting now being done. And so Don Don Lagreca, you feel a certain way about that, a little emotion about seeing a guy like that he was homegrown, who had become a star, an All Star, had a big moment in the playoffs, obviously last year or this past year, and now they just almost unceremoniously move on from it.

[Don LaGreca]

Now is this just a ploy negotiating ploy that if it doesn't happen with another teams, like, hey, we've moved on already, so you better blank or get off the pot here because first base is still open. Jesse Winker doesn't play first phase, you know, so get the playing out. Like, hey, we've moved on. And it's like in a relationship, like, hey, I'm ready to move on. Oh, you're really going to walk out the door? Oh, well then let's reconcile here. So. Well, it's not 100%, but it doesn't feel like it's going to happen here. But it's, it's amazing how eerily similar it is to Saquon, where it made sense for the organization to part ways. But at the same time the fan base is like, yeah, but you know.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What, it'll only feel like Saquon if he ends up in like with the Phillies or with the, you know, the Braves.

[Don LaGreca]

That was the mistake. Right. You know, on Hard Knocks, when Shane thought, oh, he's not going to Philadelphia.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don LaGreca]

Then he did and the Blue Jays are not any kind of rival or whatever. But it's still like very similar where, you know, his value to the organization he played for wasn't there. Maybe there's value someplace else. Again, it's not apples to apples, but it's a very close comparison. And the fan base feels way about it. Even if you understand it like we had a caller who understood and said, hey, I get it. It doesn't mean it makes it any easier because he was a good player for you. He did a lot of great things here, and he.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And you thought he could be part of something going forward. It's almost like tomorrow night at the garden, Dante DiVincenzo will be back with the Timberwolves. And there's still a lot of Nick fans that miss what he. How important he could be. There's always the guy that you have to move on from for whatever reason when you're in the midst of climbing into becoming a contender that you're like, oh, I want you to be part.

[Don LaGreca]

Of this winning, though, you know, it's very similar. If Peter were here, you know what he would say it was when the Celtics traded Marcus Smart. Yeah, it was like, all right, it makes sense. But, God, I'm gonna miss that guy, you know, so that. So it's part of that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, that's a good one. That's actually a good one. Let's get the calls. 800-919-3776. Luca and Soho. Luca.

[C]

Hey. Hey, what's up, guys?

[Don LaGreca]

First of all, love your show.

[C]

Loving you, the team. And Alan, my. My biggest condolences. But, you know, repeat Alonzo, it kind of feels similar. I know they're completely different players, but.

[Don LaGreca]

It kind of feels like similar to.

[C]

The 2015 run where, you know, he gave you great moments and he did go on a tear. And although he's not a forever met, as Don would probably call out, it kind of feels a similar situation. But I'm glad the Mets are kind of keeping their ground. Like, they're not pivoting off their conviction, and, you know, they have all the leverage.

[Don LaGreca]

So I'm kind of glad they're not.

[C]

Falling into that same trap they may have like they did with Cespitus. You know, they're the same age. Regardless of what we may think about cesspit, but it kind of feels similar. I just hope that's. Again, they share their convictions and they.

[Don LaGreca]

Don'T give in, but, you know, the cesspit is thing, you know, he's running with wild boars. I mean, there was a lot of things there that made them want to get out of the cesspit.

[Peter Rosenberg]

His business.

[Don LaGreca]

I guess where the analogy fall short with Saquon is that the Giants had to make a decision because you got a cap. Baseball doesn't really have a cap now there are restrictions to having too high of a payroll but at the end of the day it's not as restrictive as a cap a hard cap in the NFL. So could the Mets have gone a little bit deeper? All right, maybe you lose a little international money, maybe you get robbed of a draft picked out but you know, it's not the same as other, other NFL or NBA or NHL analogies where sometimes you have to make difficult decisions because the cap dictates it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Let's take Dave and Elizabeth again. There's always the way that you know, okay, this hurts but if this happens, I'll feel better. So Dave, what do you got?

[C]

What's going on, fellas? Solo, don't you? No problem. This is my thing.

[Don LaGreca]

I love Pete, I love for him.

[C]

To stay a match but business is business and I would love if we got glad but I do see where Dom's coming from. It'd be nice to have a forever match. You know I mess such as David Wright, you know there's things in that nature but you know, I appreciate it. I hope that the jets will be as smart as Stern. Thank you.

[Don LaGreca]

Well, listen, I, I think Stearns knows what he's doing.

[Peter Rosenberg]

A lot going on in the back.

[Don LaGreca]

But again circling back to who are they losing out on Allen if they brought Alonzo back, are they going to say, well listen, because the Giants sold you on Saquon is listen, we're signing two offensive linemen. We've got to fit Burns into our salary cap. What are the Mets going to lose if they brought back Pete Alonso for a little bit more money than he was worth? Are they going to have to tell anybody down the road, hey, listen, I know you wanted that pitcher but we couldn't afford them because we signed Alonzo. That's really not the case with the Mets.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Is there a first baseman they got their eye on? Like whether it's now whether it's sign him to a three year deal like that's the question.

[Don LaGreca]

Are they doing their work where they. Because remember they didn't, they didn't go deep into free agency last year because they knew they were going to go after Juan Soto.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yep.

[Don LaGreca]

So is it like, hey, we won't bring back Alonzo, we're not going to get landlocked there. Viento's place, first base. And then when, when Vlad becomes a free agent, we'll gobble him up.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Here's Buster, only he was on with Michael K earlier and talked about the Mets and maybe some Vlad Guerrero interests.

[C]

Did you a free agent after next year. And there are other teams kind of circling around the Blue Jays wondering if at some point the Blue Jays would consider trading him. Because the conversations about a multi year deal have gone nowhere to this point. They're far apart. And goodness, I mean, when you think about it, it all kind of makes sense because the Blue Jays now, you know, reportedly are in conversations with Alonso. They could pivot and, you know, pay a Pete Alonso or an Alex Bregman to be the signature star. And then at that point, maybe they move on past Laddie and they're willing to trade him. And the mess, from what I'm told, really wants Laddie. Can you imagine Soto and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Both in their mid-20s, those two guys going back to back as two great power hitters who don't strike out very much. It would be dynamic.

[Don LaGreca]

Now, according. Now according to Bob Nightingale, the Blue Jays have no interest in trading.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, come on. I have covered professional sports for 20 years and I was a beat writer for a long time as well. This is the exact thing a team does is right away it's like, well, no, no, no. We have no. And why do you say we have no interest in trading?

[Don LaGreca]

Well, then you might give a little extra to try to convince you otherwise.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Exactly. Because that's the first thing that you'll have happen is everybody now will assume, oh, you're gonna have to trade him. So I don't have to give up a lot because you want to sign this guy, but you can't sign him until you trade this guy. So I don't have to give up a lot. So that's a whole leverage play. I'm not buying it right now.

[Don LaGreca]

I think that's probably the Mets plan, because if you sign Alonzo, then you're landlocked. Unless you're going to. Now, I know Guerrero's played third in the past, but I think he wants to be a first baseman. So that's probably the plan. And you know what, Don Legreca, a year from now, if we've just there's an introductory press conference of just signing Vlad Guerrero, then I'm probably going to be less sad about Pete Alonso.

[Peter Rosenberg]

There you go.

[Don LaGreca]

But, but hey, listen, I was completely on board with the Giants moving on from Saquon. Didn't make it any easier to see him go. But you understand the business and I understand the business here. But you know what? From a Giants perspective, I got plenty of Forever Giants, right?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yes, absolutely.

[Don LaGreca]

So, I mean, I got Eli, I got Lawrence Taylor, I've got Homegrown too, you know, so I was good there. But with the Mets, it hits a little bit different. But that, it feels like that might be the plan with Vlad.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Dave in the car. What's up, Dave?

[C]

Hey, what's up? Condolences, company strength to you and your family at this time.

[Don LaGreca]

Thank you.

[C]

You know, you have had you in my. My thoughts.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I appreciate saying I want to.

[C]

I not. You're more than welcome. I grew up behind Yankee Stadium. I'm a Yankees fan. I don't despise the Mets, but I'm a Yankees fan and I want to throw this out to you guys. I don't think that the totality of the Mets fans realize that they, they're about to lose a lot of the nostalgia of having homegrown players make it through and to have an owner kind of cater to their emotions. The Mets are on the hot seat. The way the Yankees have been on the hot seat for many years now. They need to sign top flight young talent and they need to start winning championships. The Dodgers couldn't have been more lucky or winning the championship with, with all the injuries they had. Because if they don't, if they start catering to the fans and start making those type of decisions and don't go after star after star to put around their big star, they're gonna, they're gonna end up being a laughingstock because I'm sticking to my guns. Do you not feel that this organization has to win multiple World Series to justify the Soto deal? And to do that, you get, you got to say goodbye to guys like, like Pete Alonso. You have to. You can't cater to the emotions.

[Don LaGreca]

Well, but, but, but what I would say is what will they not get if they sign Pete Alonso? Now, if you're telling me the guy they wouldn't get is Vladimir Guerrero, well, then I say, you know what, I get it. But if their plan moving forward is that they'll go get a third baseman, maybe it's Bregman, maybe it's Beatty, maybe, you know, it's Acuna.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Can it be. It can't be Beatty.

[Don LaGreca]

And Viento is your first baseman.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Can't be.

[Don LaGreca]

Be it. And then I'm not going to be as on board. But if you're telling me in 2026 Vlad Guerrero is going to be their starting first baseman, that's a different story.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And you're buying a year. Is that what you're saying? You're just trying to bridge, bridge to the point where you can either trade for him at the deadline or just sign.

[Don LaGreca]

I do. Right. I think. I do think there's pressure to win, but I don't know if there's pressure to win now.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Immediately. No.

[Don LaGreca]

Immediately. No, no. It's been. Hey, this is just. This is. This is our plan for right now.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don LaGreca]

And maybe they'll trade for Guerrero, maybe they'll sign him as a free agent next off season. But, yeah, you want to win a bunch of championships, but it doesn't all have to be in 2025 to come at the expense of what you might be able to do down the road. One thing I will feel good about is that Stearns has a plan. Now, whether that plan comes to fruition is another story, but I do believe he's got a plan. And I don't think his plan, Alan, is Vientos at first, Beatty at third. Long term, can't be, you know, kids at the corners. I don't think that's the overall plan.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No. This has to be a team with vets everywhere. Like, it has to be that because that's the only way you're going to win a championship. Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Don LaGreca]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.

[Don LaGreca]

I'm signing this at the Beach Bash. I remember it is my go to karaoke because I think I listen. I don't sound as good as Jim Morrison, but I think I have that. You got the punch.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You have to do it. This was just Jim Morrison. The Doors. When I was in high school, the Doors were one of my go to. Like, you know, when you walk in the hallway, just want to belt out lyrics. Like, you just feel like acting up always. You know, like, that's literally what I would do.

[Don LaGreca]

The Doors are one of those bands that I always knew existed, and I was a fan of the songs that you heard on the radio. Light My Fire.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don LaGreca]

Roadhouse Blues.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Sure. You know, Come on, come on, come on, come on now Touch.

[Don LaGreca]

I don't know, like a decade ago, I just, I. I downloaded their greatest hits. And like, dude, you don't realize the. The catalog of just amazing songs. And also just off the, like, it will never get played on the radio because the song's like 11 minutes long.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But, you know, Riders on the Storm.

[Don LaGreca]

No, the end. Oh, yeah. It is so good.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Did you like the movie? Did you think Kilmer did a good job?

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah, I thought it was good.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I thought, I thought. Was it Meg Ryan who was in it with him? Yes, right. She was in it, right?

[Don LaGreca]

Yes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Which was for her. That was a risky role for her. Normally she's like the cutesy happy.

[Don LaGreca]

It's a great story.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But I thought Kilmer was fantastic.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah, he was good. He was very good. But I'm a big doors guy.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I love it. Check the catalog out, 800-93776. Check the phone lines out. I'm gonna let you take a look here. You want to throw a dart at the screen right now.

[Don LaGreca]

How about Mike and Mass in Manasquan?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Manasquan, Mike, what's up?

[C]

Hey, Alan. Hey, Dom. Hey, Alan. Sorry for your loss.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Thank you very much.

[C]

Hey, listen, guys, I think you made some really interesting and entertaining points about Pete, but you really got to focus down to the decision point. I'd be curious to hear, Razor Sharp, what your answer is to this. Okay. Took me about 40 minutes to get there, Dom, but this is the issue.

[Don LaGreca]

It's dumb, by the way, but it's all right.

[C]

You really want. Yeah, I know, I did that on purpose.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah, I wasn't sure I wanted to get more information.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He was just trying to get. Get a rise out.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's all. Go ahead, Mike.

[C]

Yeah, I don't know, you guys joke about it all the time, so I figured maybe I get some more air time. But anyway, listen, here's the key. Do you really want Pete Alonso to clog up first base? If you want to sign him for 100 zillion dollars for 6 months year, be my guest, go ahead. But when you look at the Mets minor league system, when you look around the major leagues and you see what could be available, there's no guarantees, right? Ask yourself the question. You want Pete? You want Pete there for three years? I'd love to hear your answer.

[Don LaGreca]

Well, it depends on what the money is. Now, you said kazillion dollars. Like, I don't know how much would I give him 40? No. Would I give him 35?

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, but what is he taking though?

[Don LaGreca]

But I don't know.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I hit 30 home runs, you're not going to give me.

[Don LaGreca]

But let's say he signs a three year, $90 million deal with Toronto Mets. Couldn't do that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You would.

[Don LaGreca]

You wouldn't. You wouldn't take. You wouldn't take.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That good with you go with him at 30.

[C]

You're getting sidetracked by the money. This is Steve Cohen. It doesn't matter.

[Don LaGreca]

I know that's right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It doesn't Matter, I don't think this is about money.

[C]

Matter.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, I think you're right.

[C]

Mike.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Mike. I'll take it from here, Mike. You're right. I'm gonna leave it there. I think Stearns had a budget for him specifically. This is what we think your value is to us. Not. Well, you got all you guys print money. You should just throw. No, we're not going to do business like that. This guy with this skill set and his numbers, we think his value is this. At this many years, this is the term and this is the highest we'll go. And they said, no, we can get more. All right, God bless.

[Don LaGreca]

And I think that's what it came down to. But, you know, he said, I'm fixated on the money. Well, if he was willing to take a 3 year, $75 million contract, I think he stays a met now, 30 was probably too rich for that. Blank.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, I think you're right. I think you're right.

[Don LaGreca]

I think good general managers look at it and say, this is what I think this guy's worth. I'm not paying a penny more. But if you pay him $25 million a year, Allen, for the next three years, you're still landlocking first base.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yes, that's the other problem.

[Don LaGreca]

It wasn't like the Mets were like, no, we're good, see ya. No, they would have brought him back for the right money. So I don't think it has anything to do with being landlocked. It says, hey, I don't think this guy's worth $30 million a year. Certainly not worth more than $30 million a year. Go. Now, this isn't done yet. Now, we're hearing reports from Sportsnet that right now Toronto's in negotiations. Will flat. I'll believe it when I see it. All right, Cap, now. But let's say they signed him and now the Blue Jays are like, ah, you know, where I was before we got into bed with Vlad, we were willing to give you 30, but now I don't know if we can give you 30. We'll give you 25 and maybe he comes back to the Mets. So it's still not over yet, Allen. But you know, when you talk about landlocking. All right, well, what, what were they willing to give him that could still landlock them for the next three, four years? And what's the plan, Alan? What's the plan? Is it Vlad next year? What are they doing? Are they calling somebody up from the minor leagues because you say there's no guarantees? Well, you know what? I kind of know what I'm going to get. This was a garbage year for Alonzo looking at the back of his baseball card, and yet he hit one of the biggest home runs in the history.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Of the Oregon State when it mattered most.

[Don LaGreca]

And they went to game six of the league championship series.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don LaGreca]

So he's not nothing, guys.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He made 20 mil last year. So he's not taking. He's not taking 25 and 30 almost feels like an insult.

[Don LaGreca]

But. But if that's all that's out there, they're not falling all over themselves to sign Alonzo.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He had a meh year, and he hit 34 home runs. He had a meh. Right? He had a meh. But it feels like you're not getting excited. Think about it. The guy had 40. He had 46. He had 37. Before that, like 30. He had. What do you have? Again, my eyes are all over the screen. 34. And it's like, that's. Like, that's not a great year. But for a lot of guys, that's a great year.

[Don LaGreca]

In the analytic world, he's not valued as high.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Exactly.

[Don LaGreca]

All right. He's not looked upon as an A plus defender. And where are all the suitors?

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, we're going to find out.

[Don LaGreca]

We're going to find out.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We're going to find out. We'll see what the value is. All right, we'll continue with your calls. 800-919-3776. Also, so again, I was told by somebody that last night's Knicks win in overtime in Philadelphia was like a loss because they didn't steamroll what has been a bad team with the Sixers. Do you agree or disagree? We will discuss that and more coming up. ESPN New York, along with our friends at Yinling, are giving away a pair of devil's tickets. Don Lagreca. Yeah.

[Don LaGreca]

This is on the road.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. When they face off against the Flyers in Philadelphia. You'll love that. January 27th, it's Yinling Night out. Head to the contest tile on ESPN New York app for your chance to win. You must be 21 years of age to enter. It's brought to you by Flyte by Yinling, the next generation of light beer. It's for those who don't follow trends, but craft them. Flyte by Yuenling is 12 ounces of uncompromised refreshment from the oldest brewery in America. With only 2.6 grams of carbs and 95 calories, this is premium refreshment. Six generations in the making. So don't just raise a glass, raise a flight by Yin Link thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast. I don't want to know how the sausage is made, but I just want to know it's good. Hear more of Don Allen and Peter weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app, and your smart speakers.