On November 3, 2025, both closer Edwin Díaz and first baseman Pete Alonso opted out of their contracts, officially becoming free agents. The decisions came after a disappointing year in which the Mets, under owner Steve Cohen, missed the playoffs in Juan Soto’s first season with the club.

The announcements were confirmed within hours of each other. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that “Edwin Díaz has opted out of his deal with the Mets,” followed by Jon Heyman of the New York Post, who confirmed, “Pete Alonso has opted out.”

Díaz Turns Down $38 Million for Free Agency Opportunity

Díaz declined the final two years and $38 million of his deal, becoming a free agent for the first time. Acquired from the Seattle Mariners in a December 2018 trade, he has been one of the Mets’ most dominant relievers. After a rough debut season, he rebounded with elite performances in 2020 and 2022, leading to a five-year, $102 million contract before 2023, the largest ever signed by a relief pitcher.

That deal began poorly when Díaz tore the patellar tendon in his right knee during the 2023 World Baseball Classic, costing him the entire season. He returned in 2024 and excelled in 2025 with 28 saves, a 1.63 ERA, and 62 appearances, raising his Mets totals to 144 saves and a 2.93 ERA over 332 games. At 31 years old, Díaz is expected to command a contract exceeding Tanner Scott’s four-year, $72 million deal with the Dodgers last offseason.

The Mets want him back, but may face a bidding war. “The Mets want to keep Díaz,” Heyman reported, “but that doesn’t mean they’ll be the highest bidder.” Under MLB’s qualifying offer system, the team can offer him $22.02 million for one year. If he declines, any signing team must forfeit a draft pick, a deterrent that could favor the Mets in negotiations.

Betting Markets Reflect Stability Despite Opt-Outs

In the days following Díaz’s and Alonso’s opt-outs, sportsbooks maintained steady confidence in the Mets’ potential for 2026. FanDuel lists the Mets at +1100, keeping them within the top six betting favorites. BetMGM posts odds at +1400, while Caesars and DraftKings both opened the Mets at +1500.

These odds, posted between November 2–4 immediately after the World Series, remain unchanged since the announcements. Analysts from Action Network and Covers note that bookmakers expect owner Steve Cohen to spend aggressively, while the qualifying offer draft-pick penalty may discourage other teams from outbidding the Mets for Díaz.

No “next team” player markets exist for Díaz or Alonso on regulated U.S. books, but betting volume on Mets futures has stayed consistent. Caesars and DraftKings’ +1500 lines represent the best available value, while FanDuel’s +1100 reflects continued market confidence in the Mets’ financial power and roster depth.

Alonso Declines Final Year After Record Season

Pete Alonso also opted out of his contract, declining the final year and $24 million owed to him. His choice was expected since he said during spring training that he wanted a longer contract after the season.

Alonso’s 2025 campaign was among the best of his career. Batting behind Juan Soto, he drove in 126 runs, a career high, and set the Mets’ all-time home run record. His production and durability continued to define his role as a lineup anchor and clubhouse leader. After the final game of the season, Alonso confirmed his decision to test the market, saying, “I’ve grown up here. This team means everything to me. But I want stability — a contract that reflects what I’ve given the game.”

The Mets are expected to pursue Alonso aggressively, but payroll limits will guide the discussions. The organization already carries significant financial commitments for 2026, largely driven by Soto’s contract and the team’s existing high-value deals.

Cohen’s Next Steps and the Mets’ Offseason Outlook

As the Mets head into the winter, their finances remain among the biggest in baseball. Owner Steve Cohen, the wealthiest in Major League Baseball, has consistently shown a willingness to spend, but the 2026 payroll is already among the league’s highest.

The club has made several early moves: A.J. Minter exercised his $11 million option after recovering from a torn left lat muscle; Brooks Raley’s $4.75 million option was picked up; Drew Smith’s $2 million option was declined; and Frankie Montas exercised his $17 million player option while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.

The bullpen remains a concern after the Ryan Helsley trade failed to improve results. If Díaz signs elsewhere, replacements could include Robert Suarez, Kenley Jansen, or Emilio Pagán, though none match his consistency or strikeout dominance.

When the New York Yankees signed Max Fried in December 2024 to an eight-year, $218 million contract, the largest deal ever given to a left-handed pitcher, they expected a complete performer on the mound. In 2025, he met that expectation by excelling as both a pitcher and defender.

Fried, 31, earned the 2025 American League Rawlings Gold Glove Award for pitchers. It is his fourth career Gold Glove and his first as a Yankee, following three straight wins with the Atlanta Braves from 2020 through 2022. He joined Ron Guidry (1982–86), Mike Mussina (2001, ’03, ’08), and Bobby Shantz (1957–60) as Yankees pitchers to win the award.

Defensive Precision and On-Field Command

Fried led all Major League pitchers with 10 defensive runs saved, finishing three ahead of every other pitcher, and recorded seven pickoffs, second in the Majors behind Matthew Boyd’s 11. He also posted 39 putouts and 39 assists while allowing only six stolen bases. His fielding percentage was .925. Although he committed a career-high four errors, his defensive performance earned him the 2025 Sports Info Fielding Bible Award for best defensive pitcher before the Gold Glove announcement.

Fried’s command extended to the running game, where he consistently controlled baserunners with an effective pickoff move. He routinely handled comebackers and bunt attempts and displayed consistent awareness on the mound throughout the season.

Performance and Market Outlook

Fried led MLB with 19 wins and finished 19-5 with a .792 winning percentage. Over 195.1 innings in 32 starts, he recorded a 2.86 ERA and a career-high 189 strikeouts. His fielding and pitching output reinforced the Yankees’ expectation when they signed him to the richest left-handed pitcher contract in MLB history.

This level of performance also affected early betting markets for 2026. After the Dodgers won the 2025 World Series, sportsbooks, including DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and Caesars,  opened Los Angeles as the top favorite for 2026. The Yankees opened second. Book listings placed the Dodgers around +350 to +375 and New York between +700 and +800, depending on the sportsbook.

Fried also appeared in Cy Young discussions during stretches of 2025. At one point during the season, he was listed around +750 in betting markets. By late September, he remained listed with betting interest before odds moved as other pitchers closed the season strong. A late-season board snapshot showed Fried at +10000 among award listings as ballots awaited announcement. He was not among the finalists for the award, which were Garrett Crochet, Tarik Skubal, and Hunter Brown. Books are expected to repost Cy Young odds later this winter.

Rotation Stability and Midseason Challenge

The season was not without challenges. Fried entered the All-Star break with a dominant 1.92 ERA but missed the Midsummer Classic due to a blister. After returning, he endured a seven-start stretch with a 6.00 ERA, stirring questions about durability before regaining form down the stretch. He finished 19–5 with a .792 winning percentage, the highest in MLB, and remained a consistent presence in a pitching staff missing Gerrit Cole all season due to elbow surgery.

Team Chemistry And Growing Leadership

The Yankees also saw Fried’s leadership expand. After acquiring third baseman Ryan McMahon at the trade deadline, Fried praised his defensive hunger and intensity.

“He wants the ball,” Fried said in September. “He tells me every day, ‘Get me the ball. Get me as much as you can today.’ When you have someone over there, that’s really excited about fielding the ball and being a part of it, the plays he makes take a lot of pressure off of you. I am really happy that he’s over there.”

McMahon was a 2025 Gold Glove finalist but was edged out by Cincinnati’s Ke’Bryan Hayes. Still, his defensive presence was a meaningful addition for Fried and the pitching staff.

New York Knicks forward Josh Hart has confirmed that the hand issue he has been fighting is far more serious than he first believed, revealing nerve damage throughout his entire right shooting hand, not just in a single finger. The problem affects his fourth finger the most, but also causes his middle and pinky fingers to lose feeling throughout games and even in daily tasks like typing or picking things up.

“My nerve hasn’t fully gotten back to what it was before,” Hart said. “There’s a little bit of tingling, a little bit of numbness in part of my hand. Hopefully, at some point, that nerve will get back, hopefully sooner rather than later. Right now, it’s a process.”

Injury Timeline and Delayed Surgery Decision

Hart originally injured the hand during last season’s playoff run. He had surgery in July after the Knicks’ postseason ended and spent the summer recovering, only to reinjure the hand during a pickup session before training camp. He reached for the ball on defense, felt sharp pain, and doctors again recommended surgery that would sideline him for two to three months. With high team expectations, Hart decided to delay the procedure.

“It’ll probably be a process until I get full feeling back,” he said. “The hand will be what it is. I’m working (on shooting) all the time. That’ll come along. I’m not getting surgery.”

Betting Markets React to Injury and Early Season Results

The Knicks opened the season following an Eastern Conference Finals appearance, and sportsbooks positioned them among the league’s top contenders. As Hart played through the injury, betting markets adjusted his player props while maintaining strong futures pricing for the team.

FanDuel listed the Knicks at +1100 to win the NBA title. Across major operators tracked on a Vegas-based odds screen, New York ranged between +850 and +1300. On ESPN’s futures board, the Knicks were +330 to win the Eastern Conference. New York was also posted as the -180 favorite to win the Atlantic Division and +1600 to win the NBA In-Season Tournament.

Sportsbooks lowered expectations for Hart’s individual offensive output. Recent player-prop closing lines placed his points total between 7.5 and 9.5 and his points-plus-assists line between 10.5 and 13.5, reflecting measured scoring and playmaking projections as he plays through numbness and adjusting usage.

Game markets indicated continued confidence in the Knicks overall. For the Nov. 3 matchup against Washington, New York closed as a -12.5 favorite with a 234.5 total. For the Nov. 5 home game against Minnesota at Madison Square Garden, odds boards listed the matchup ahead of posting final pricing.

Performance Timeline and Role Adjustment

After appearing briefly in New York’s preseason opener in Abu Dhabi, Josh Hart was sidelined for the rest of exhibition play due to a back problem, and the same issue forced him to miss the Knicks’ first regular-season game. Once he returned, his opening stretch produced 11 total points on 4-of-19 shooting, including 1-for-10 from beyond the arc across his first four outings.

Hart delivered a stronger showing on October 31, 2025, when New York defeated the Chicago Bulls 128-116 at the United Center to halt a three-game losing skid. In that matchup, he finished with 14 points and nine rebounds.

“For me, I’m going through some adversity myself, physically and mentally, so my biggest thing today was going out there and playing with energy,” he said. “Just getting back to being myself.”

Jalen Brunson, who led New York with 31 points, acknowledged the performance.

“I saw Josh Hart,” Brunson said. “The one we know and love.”

Despite shooting 1-for-4 from three in that contest, Hart delivered his most productive outing of the season to that point.

Role Adjustment Under Mike Brown

Now playing under new head coach Mike Brown, Hart has moved into a full-time bench role after previously starting under Tom Thibodeau. Rather than expressing frustration, he has embraced the change and the uncertainty that comes with it.

“I’m cool with not starting,” Hart said. “That’s what I want to do for the season. For me, there’s a different way to approach it mentally. Obviously, when you have guys who are questionable and a game-time decision, then my role might be different and I might not know what my role is until there’s an hour on the clock or 35 minutes on the clock.”

Brown praised Hart’s effort and ability to fight through discomfort, while saying that he wasn’t initially aware of the full extent of the nerve issue.

“That’s news to me,” Brown said. “[VP of Sports Medicine] Casey [Smith] has handled as best he can, and Josh has, too. He had 14 and 9 tonight, so if he’s healthy, ‘Oh my gosh. Look out.’ He’s playing fine. Again, he’s missed a lot of time, so he’s playing catch-up, and he’s doing a heck of a job playing catch-up for us.”

Tiger Woods was born on December 30, 1975, in Cypress, California. He is the son of an African American father and a Thai mother. He began playing golf at a very young age. At two years old, he appeared on television swinging a golf club. At three, he shot 48 for nine holes and putted on The Mike Douglas Show against Bob Hope.

In 1991, at age 15, Woods became the youngest U.S. Junior Amateur champion. He then won three straight U.S. Amateur Championships from 1994 to 1996, coming from six holes behind to win his first title. He enrolled at Stanford University in 1994, won the 1996 collegiate title, and turned professional on August 29, 1996, after earning his third U.S. Amateur win.

Breakthrough Professional Debut in 1996

In 1996, Woods played eight PGA Tour events, won 2, and earned the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year award. His long drives routinely traveled more than 300 yards, and his short game and mental toughness quickly elevated him among professionals. Nike positioned him as the face of a golf marketing shift, and their partnership lasted 27 years until 2024.

In 1997, Woods won the Masters in historic fashion. At Augusta National, he shot 270 across 72 holes and won by 12 strokes, the largest margin in tournament history at the time. He became the first golfer of African American or Asian descent to win the Masters.

Peak Dominance and the Tiger Slam (1999–2002)

In 1999, Woods won eight PGA tournaments, becoming the first golfer in more than 20 years to reach that total. His six consecutive PGA Tour wins from 1999 to 2000 tied Ben Hogan’s 1948 run and trailed only Byron Nelson’s record of 11.

At the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, Woods won by 15 strokes, shooting 65-69-71-67 (272, −12), the largest margin in a major. On July 23, 2000, at St Andrews, he became the youngest player to complete the career Grand Slam, winning by eight strokes at −19 (269).

He defended the Masters title in 2002, becoming only the third golfer to do so. This run included the 2001 Masters, where he completed the Tiger Slam—holding the Masters, U.S. Open, Open Championship, and PGA Championship titles simultaneously.

Full Breakdown of Tiger Woods’ 15 Major Championship Victories

Below is a full list of Tiger Woods’ 15 major championships: five Masters titles, four PGA Championships, three U.S. Open wins, and three Open Championship wins.

Masters Tournament Wins (5)

• 1997 – 270, won by 12, youngest champion, first non-white winner
• 2001 – 70-66-68-68 (−16), won by 2 over David Duval; completed Tiger Slam
• 2002 – −12, won by 3; tied-7 after round one, tied-4 entering the weekend
• 2005 – Won in a playoff over Chris DiMarco after tying at 276
• 2019 – 70-68-67-70 (−13), won by 1 at age 43, first major since 2008

PGA Championship Wins (4)

• 1999, Medinah – −11, won by 1 over Sergio García
• 2000, Valhalla – −18, beat Bob May in a playoff
• 2006, Medinah – −18, won by 5 over Shaun Micheel
• 2007, Southern Hills – −8, won by 2, included a 63 in round two

U.S. Open Wins (3)

• 2000, Pebble Beach – 272 (−12), won by 15
• 2002, Bethpage Black – 277 (−3), only player under par, won by 3 over Phil Mickelson
• 2008, Torrey Pines – Won after 18-hole playoff and sudden-death vs Rocco Mediate

Open Championship Wins (3)

• 2000, St Andrews – 269 (−19), won by 8
• 2005, St Andrews – 274 (−14), wire-to-wire, won by 5 over Colin Montgomerie
• 2006, Royal Liverpool – −18, won after rounds of 67-65-71-67

Setbacks, Scandal, and Injury Years

In November 2009, after reports of an affair and a car collision near his Florida home, Woods stepped away from golf. In February 2010, he publicly said, “I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated.” After this, several sponsors ended their partnerships with him, and he later divorced Elin Nordegren.

Not long after, he, unfortunately, faced serious injuries — Woods went through multiple back surgeries, including spinal fusion, and faced pain so severe that at one point he could not get out of bed or play with his children. His world ranking fell outside the top 1,100. In 2017, he was arrested for DUI linked to pain medications and later received professional help for his condition.

Return to Competition and Historic Comeback

Woods returned to play full-time in 2018. At the 2018 Tour Championship, he won by two strokes, ending a more than five-year PGA Tour win drought from 2013 to 2018.

In April 2019, he won the Masters again at 43, becoming the second-oldest champion behind Jack Nicklaus. Later that year, he won the Zozo Championship in Japan—his 82nd PGA Tour victory, tying Sam Snead’s all-time record.

Crash, Surgeries, and Attempts to Compete Again

In February 2021, at about 7 a.m. PT in Rancho Palos Verdes near Los Angeles, Woods’ SUV crossed a median, rolled through two lanes, hit a curb and a tree, and came to rest in brush. Deputies said he was calm, wearing a seatbelt, and able to tell them his name. First responders used a pry bar and an ax to free him, then sent him to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where he had leg surgery for serious injuries.

Woods returned to competition at the 2022 Masters, where he made the cut. He later withdrew from the 2022 PGA Championship after the third round and missed the cut at the 2022 Open. In 2023, he withdrew during the Masters due to injury.

In 2024, Woods made a record 24th straight cut at the Masters, though he struggled afterward. That year, he had his sixth back surgery in September 2024, and six months later, he ruptured his left Achilles tendon while training.