Morning Briefing: Josh Bell Signs With Twins
Good morning, Mets fans!
Several established veterans signed one-year deals with teams both trying to rebuild and compete for championships in 2026.
The first of these signings is Josh Bell, who is signing a one-year deal with the Minnesota Twins, as reported by Jeff Passan of ESPN. Bell, a switch-hitting 33-year-old, is coming off of a polarizing year. In 2025, Bell slashed .265/.349/.456 with 18 homers and 53 RBIs versus right-handed pitching, while only slashing .151/.250/.302 with four homers and 10 RBIs off lefties.
David Banks-Imagn Images
Francys Romero broke news that Adolis García and the Philadelphia Phillies are finalizing a one-year, $10 million contract. García is coming off of a second consecutive down offensive year since his All-Star 2023. However, he provides a championship pedigree to a team in Philadelphia that will be in the running for a World Series title in 2026.
The last veteran depth signing made on Monday was when Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic reported that SS Ha-Seong Kim is in agreement with Braves on a one-year contract worth $20M. Kim is coming off of the worst season of his career, only posting a 0.3 WAR and a 83 OPS+ across 48 games for both the Rays and the Braves. The Braves will hope that Kim’s gold glove defense and above average bat will return to form this season.
Latest Mets News
Pat Ragazzo of SI reported that the Mets and outfielder Cristian Pache are in agreement on a minor league deal with a non-roster invite to MLB spring training.
Will Sammon of The Athletic announced that the Mets’ Mark Vientos hired Scott Boras as his agent, league sources said. Vientos, 26, is arbitration-eligible for the first time after the 2026 season.
Latest MLB News
Marc Carig of the Athletic reported on an interesting story from Eno Sarris of The Athletic on a rule change about data and tech in the minors that will have wide-ranging effects.
Thomas Harding of MLB.com reported that the Rockies hired former Mets executive Ian Levin as assistant GM.
Jeff Passan of ESPN announced that the Boston Red Sox are acquiring left-hander Jake Bennett from the Washington Nationals for right-hander Luis Perales in a 1-for-1 deal.
MLB Pipeline reported that Japanese RHP Genei Sato reportedly plans to transfer to a United States school in February with the intent of declaring for the ’27 MLB Draft.
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A rumor roundup by Allison Waxman featured the latest free agency rumors and moves.
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On This Date in Mets History
1980: The Mets reunited with free agent Rusty Staub on a three-year, $1 million guaranteed contract. Staub last played for the Mets in 1975. Now in the twilight of his career at age 37, he came back for the next five seasons.
1982: The Mets reacquire Tom Seaver in a trade with the Reds. In his final season with New York, Seaver had a 3.55 ERA in 34 starts.
1998: The Rickey Henderson era in Flushing officially began on a one-year, $2.3 million deal with a team option for the 2000 season. The all-time leader in runs scored and stolen bases was a 40-year-old coming off a year where he led the league with 66 stolen bases. He wasn’t quite as speedy for the Mets but still did manage to swipe 37 bags for them.
2004: After ending the curse with the Boston Red Sox, Pedro Martinez signed a deal with the Mets worth four years, $53 million. The performance in 2005 was stellar. It included a record of 15-8 and a 2.82 ERA.
Born on This Date: Tom Gorman (1957), Chris Jelic (1963), Chris Jones (1965), and Héctor Santiago (1987).
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