FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Completing their leadership overhaul, the New York Jets hired Darren Mougey as their general manager Saturday.

Mougey, a longtime Denver Broncos scout and executive who became their assistant GM in 2022, will team with newly hired coach Aaron Glenn -- a brain trust with no previous experience in their new positions. It's a bold pairing by the Jets, who are trying to reboot after a turmoil filled season and a 14-year playoff drought.

At 39, Mougey is the third-youngest GM in the NFL and two years younger than quarterback Aaron Rodgers, whose future with the Jets will be determined in the coming weeks. Mougey is expected to have a traditional GM role, meaning he has final say on personnel decisions and control of the 53-man roster. Glenn, who was involved in the hiring, will have significant input.

"Darren is a trusted NFL executive who has experience working with an impressive collection of football leaders," Jets chairman Woody Johnson said in a news release. "He is a proven talent evaluator who impressed us with his vision for this team. His partnership with Coach Glenn will revitalize this organization. I am proud of the thorough search we undertook and that it led us to the two best individuals to lead our football team going forward."

Mougey replaces Joe Douglas, who was fired Nov. 19 after five-plus seasons on the job. Under Douglas' stewardship, the Jets were 30-64. Phil Savage served as the interim GM.

Mougey called his new job "one of the great honors and privileges of my life."

"I could not be more excited to work alongside Coach Glenn to build a championship team that will make Jets fans proud," he said in the release.

The Jets took an unconventional route by hiring their coach before the GM. A dual announcement was expected Wednesday, when Glenn's deal was finalized, but things changed.

Washington Commanders assistant GM Lance Newmark appeared to be the front-runner because he was the first candidate to receive a second interview. He and Glenn seemed to be a natural fit, considering they worked with the Detroit Lions from 2021 to 2023. Both interviewed Tuesday at the team facility, but the Jets met again with Mougey and Cincinnati Bengals senior personnel executive Trey Brown.

Mougey and Glenn, 52, have no previous working relationship, only an indirect connection -- Broncos coach Sean Payton. Glenn was on Payton's New Orleans Saints coaching staff, and they have remained close. Glenn participated in in-person interviews with Mougey and Brown on Thursday at the Jets' facility.

The Jets interviewed 15 candidates, including five with previous GM experience.

Ironically, one of their former GMs -- Mike Tannenbaum -- was involved in the search. Tannenbaum founded The 33rd Team, a media and technology company that was retained by the Jets to compile and vet candidates. Former Minnesota Vikings GM Rick Spielman also assisted. Spielman received a positive report about Mougey from his former assistant GM in Minnesota, George Paton, the Broncos' current GM.

Tannenbaum, now an ESPN analyst, was 36 when the Jets hired him in 2006. Mougey is their youngest GM since. The only current GMs younger than Mougey are the Cleveland Browns' Andrew Berry (37) and the Chicago Bears' Ryan Poles (39), according to ESPN Research.

Mougey played college football at San Diego State. He began as a quarterback, playing behind current Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell, but was switched to wide receiver. He had brief stops with the Atlanta Falcons and Arizona Cardinals, but he never made a regular-season roster.

Mougey got into scouting with the Broncos, working his way up from a scouting intern (2012). He was hired by Broncos legend John Elway and went from area scout (2015 to 2019) to assistant director of college scouting (2020) to director of player personnel (2021) to his most recent role as the assistant GM.

Mougey worked for three ownership groups and two general managers, experiencing the high of a Super Bowl championship after the 2015 season and the low of an eight-year playoff drought that ended this season under the Payton rebuild.

Mougey worked alongside Paton, who in 2022 made the ill-fated Russell Wilson trade -- regarded as one of the worst in recent NFL history. The Broncos surrendered a huge package of draft picks, including two first-rounders, for the fading star, who lasted only two seasons in Denver and left a massive cap hit.

On the positive side, Mougey was part of a front office that has drafted well in recent years. From 2021 to 2023, it selected four players on the current All-Pro team -- cornerback Pat Surtain II, guard Quinn Meinerz, kick returner Marvin Mims Jr. and edge rusher Nik Bonitto (second team). Quarterback Bo Nix, Denver's 2024 first-round pick, enjoyed a promising rookie year.

Mougey walks into a massive job, one that will require a culture overhaul. The Jets haven't produced a winning season since 2015, and their playoff slump is the longest in North American sports. Since 2015, they've gone through four coaches -- Todd Bowles, Adam Gase, Robert Saleh and interim Jeff Ulbrich, who replaced the fired Saleh on Oct. 8.

There are some building blocks on the roster, but Brown must decide on Rodgers and formulate a long-term plan at quarterback. Another pressing issue is the future of wide receiver Garrett Wilson, who is eligible for a contract extension and could request a trade.

The Jets own the No. 7 pick in the draft and have eight total picks, but they have only $25 million in cap room, according to Roster Management System. They have 23 unrestricted free agents, including six starters. It will take some creative cap management to improve the roster under these restrictions.

For all those complaining that Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes gets too many calls, relief soon could be on the way.

NFL replay assist is expected to expand this offseason into plays that could include the quarterback slide, league sources told ESPN on Saturday.

The NFL enacted replay assist in 2021 to allow replay officials and designated members of the officiating department to assist with on-field calls in limited game situations.

Replay assist has been used during games when there is clear and obvious video evidence, such as the spot of the ball or a foul, a complete or incomplete pass and touching of the ball or a line.

Beginning in 2024, the league expanded replay assist to add additional areas in which information could be provided when there was a penalty flag already on the field, including fouls for hits heading out of bounds, fouls for blows to the head of a quarterback and elements of intentional grounding.

Now, additional elements could be added this offseason. Replay assist came into question in the third quarter of last weekend's AFC divisional playoff game, when Mahomes scrambled out of the pocket, slid beneath two lunging Texans defenders and still drew a 15-yard penalty on Houston for unnecessary roughness.

"Oh come on," ESPN analyst Troy Aikman said during the telecast as the penalty was called on the play. "I mean, he's a runner and I could not disagree with that one more. He barely gets hit."

Aikman said the league has "got to address it in the offseason."

"You can't, as a quarterback, run around and play games with the defenders and then get called for a penalty," Aikman said.

The NFL's competition committee meets throughout the offseason before typically voting on rules changes in late March at the league's annual meeting, which this year will be held in Palm Beach, Florida. The competition committee will discuss expanding replay assist, and it is likely to include quarterback slides.

The belief around the league is that there's no reason not to bring further objectivity and clarity to a play that fans in the stadium or at home can see.

Texans star pass rusher Will Anderson Jr., who was flagged earlier in last Saturday's game for roughing the passer, said Houston "knew it was going to be us versus the refs going into this game."

Mahomes, however, pushed back on the idea that the Chiefs get favorable treatment from officials.

"I don't feel that way,'' Mahomes said Wednesday as the Chiefs began preparations for Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the Buffalo Bills. "At the end of the day, the referees are doing their best to call the game as fair and as proper as they possibly can.

"All you can do is go out there and play the game that you love as hard as you can and live with the results. ... I feel like I've just continued to play the game, and I just try to win, and whatever happens kind of happens.''

Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson, already ruled out of Saturday night's home game against the Toronto Raptors, will continue to be sidelined as he has further medical testing on his injured left shoulder, the team announced.

Johnson sustained the injury when he blocked a layup attempt by Toronto's Scottie Barnes in the second quarter of Atlanta's 122-110 road loss Thursday.

"[Johnson] will be listed as out as he undergoes further medical testing and evaluation," the Hawks said in a statement Saturday afternoon. "His injury and status will be updated as appropriate."

Johnson missed five games with a right shoulder problem and returned on Jan. 18.

He leads the Hawks with 10.0 rebounds per game. He is second in scoring average (18.9), assists per game (5.0) and minutes per game (35.7). All four averages are career bests.

Atlanta selected Johnson with the 20th pick of the 2021 NBA draft out of Duke. In his four-year career, he averages 11.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 23.6 minutes per game over 184 games (94 starts).

PARIS -- The desire to play with Victor Wembanyama may someday draw fellow stars to the San Antonio Spurs, but he's already attracting the next generation.

That was the message Saturday from A.J. Dybantsa, who is the nation's top-rated high school player and potential No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA draft. Dybantsa, who committed to BYU in December, traveled to Paris this week for the NBA's Global Games and to get an up-close look at Wembanyama, telling ESPN he would like the Spurs to draft him next year so they can pair up.

"I think Victor is just ridiculous; the things he does are just crazy," said Dybantsa, whose Utah Prep (Hurricane, Utah) high school team had the week off. "I just think we would've been a crazy duo. Now the odds of that happening are very slim. But I mean, it was just a thought that came up in my mind when he got drafted. But you never know."

The Spurs have nearly equaled their win total from last season already, and with Wembanyama improving, the odds of the Spurs being at the top of the 2026 draft when Dybantsa is projected to go do make the short-term chances of the pairing a little hard to see at the moment.

The 6-foot-9 Dybantsa, who turns 18 on Wednesday, coming to see these Paris games this week is a reminder of two years ago when a 19-year-old Wembanyama sat courtside at a Detroit Pistons-Chicago Bulls game. Wembanyama was the central attraction in Saturday's game against the Indiana Pacers, a progression Dybantsa would like to follow.

"That's the goal," Dybantsa said.

Last weekend, Dybantsa scored 25 points in a loss to Monteverde Academy in a showcase game in Springfield, Massachusetts, that was televised on ESPN2. He's soon to return to the U.S., where he is working on his game. It's a little unclear what position he might play at the next level, but Dybantsa has shown a talent for playing both on and off the ball.

"I'm working on improving my shot. I'm trying to shoot 40% from the 3-point line," he said. "Obviously I've got to extend my range because the farther up I go, the farther the [3-point] line gets."

MINNEAPOLIS -- Anthony Edwards scored 34 points and became the Minnesota Timberwolves' career leader in 3-pointers in a 133-104 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday.

Edwards made 14 of 23 shots from the floor and scored 23 points in the second half as Minnesota pulled away after leading by 11 at halftime.

His third 3-pointer was No. 976 of his career, passing Karl-Anthony Towns for the most in Timberwolves history.

Edwards was spectacular in the win:

Shot 9 of 10 for 20 points on uncontested field goal attempts

Attacked inside, shooting 10 of 13 inside the paint

Shot 9 of 9 for 20 points directly off a pass

Timberwolves shot 9 of 11 for 21 points off his pass

Nuggets shot 5 of 12 with Edwards as the primary defender

Julius Randle had 21 points, and Rudy Gobert had 14 points and 14 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who won their second straight.

Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 25 points. Nikola Jokic added 20 points and 11 assists for Denver, which had won four straight and eight of its past nine. Jokic grabbed just three rebounds, ending his streak of five straight triple-doubles.

Minnesota never trailed, scoring a season-high 40 points in the first quarter when it shot 69.2% (18 for 26) from the field.

Takeaways

Nuggets: Denver had won six straight on the road and its 14-8 road record was the third best in the Western Conference. Saturday's defeat began a five-game trip.

Timberwolves: Minnesota made a season-high 53 field goals and its 55.8% shooting from the field was the team's second-best mark of the season.

Key moment

With the Timberwolves leading 91-77 midway through the third quarter, Edwards missed a 3-pointer from the wing, but Gobert grabbed the rebound. Naz Reid then missed a short hook shot, but Gobert tipped the rebound to an open spot on the court and then ran it down. The ball eventually made it back to Edwards, who drained a 3 to give Minnesota its largest lead of the game at 17 points.

Up next

Both teams are back in action Monday. The Nuggets will visit Chicago and the Timberwolves are hosting Atlanta.

ESPN Research and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

PARIS -- The final tally for Victor Wembanyama's trip in Paris: two games, 50 points, 23 rebounds, eight assists, six blocked shots, two courts dedicated, one trip to the Eiffel Tower, a Fashion Week appearance, a Champions League match attended and about a million high-fives.

And one win. It wasn't the two he wanted during this homecoming. But there were other moments to make this trip back to Paris worth remembering.

"This week was amazing," Wembanyama said. "I was just seeing my family. I'm not trying to get emotional, but everybody did their job to making this week incredible."

Saturday's outcome wasn't what he wanted: Indiana beat San Antonio 136-98, with Tyrese Haliburton scoring 28 for the Pacers. But at least one thing was to Wembanyama's liking, sort of. He noted during the Olympics that the French are very passionate about their national anthem, and that when it's performed before sporting events, the fans tend to drown out the performer by singing it themselves.

That wasn't exactly the case Thursday, when the Spurs-Pacers series began. Wembanyama's appeal was evidently heard by the French over the next 48 hours; the voices from the stands were much louder Saturday. It still wasn't what he wanted, but it was better.

"I appreciate the effort," Wembanyama said.

He and the Spurs landed Monday, and he quickly took his team to a dinner and a shopping trip. Tuesday, he went back to his hometown of Le Chesnay and dedicated two outdoor courts before appearing at Fashion Week. He was at a Paris Saint-Germain soccer match against Manchester City on Wednesday. Game 1 was Thursday, the Eiffel Tower on Friday, Game 2 on Saturday, then flying back to San Antonio.

And there was a lot more on that itinerary.

"I can't imagine what it was like for Vic to come back home and play," Spurs guard Chris Paul said. "I know he was so excited. But it's a lot of responsibility that comes with that. Every media outlet, every event, trying to see your family that you don't get to see that often. And Vic is one of those guys who tries to sign every autograph."

Wembanyama dominated the opener Thursday, scoring 30 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in San Antonio's 30-point win. The Pacers made it a point of emphasis to do a better job against him Saturday, and Indiana coach Rick Carlisle believed his team did that.

He wasn't wrong. The Pacers were aggressive and didn't let Wembanyama get into a prolonged rhythm. But even Carlisle was a bit surprised when he looked at the stat sheet and saw that Wembanyama finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds.

"You don't stop that guy," Carlisle said. "He still had 20 and 12."

Wembanyama and the Spurs fought back from a 15-point halftime deficit, briefly took the lead in the third, then fell apart as the Pacers ran away.

"At some point, he'll look back on this and realize what a treat it was," Paul said. "We wish we could have won both games for him."

It's unknown when Wembanyama will play in France again. He'd love to be part of games in Paris every year, and though it would seem a safe bet the NBA will send the Spurs back one day, an annual occurrence might be unlikely.

He knows this, and that's one of the reasons he tried to cherish every second of this trip.

"I did my best to make this week special for my team, for my family, my friends," Wembanyama said. "But people still found ways to surprise me, to make things feel like it mattered for them, and I matter for them. So, it's priceless."

NEW YORK -- When Vince Carter's preferred Nos. 6, 12 or 23 were not available as a freshman basketball player at Florida's Mainland High School, he took some advice from his mother, Michelle.

"My mom told me: 'Find a number and make it famous,'" Carter said.

Carter and his much-celebrated No. 15 reached new heights again when the Brooklyn Nets retired it at halftime of their game Saturday against the Miami Heat.

Carter's family, his former Nets teammates, ex-coach Lawrence Frank, team president Rod Thorn and fellow Nets number retirees Julius Erving, Bill Melchionni and Buck Williams were on hand to see Carter become the seventh Nets player with his number retired.

"This is truly something my family and I will cherish forever," Carter said during the ceremony. "To be the seventh number to go up is insane. It is an honor to be up there with you gentlemen.

"No. 15 Carter is going up there, but we're going up there together."

Carter spent the game seated next to Erving, his boyhood idol. Former teammates Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson sent congratulatory messages, as did New York-area luminaries Eli Manning, Queen Latifah and rapper Fabolous.

Carter's number banner will reside directly next to Kidd's No. 5, which is fitting since they were drivers of one of the most successful eras in team history. Carter also credited Kidd for reinvigorating him after the Nets acquired Carter from the Toronto Raptors in December 2004.

"There was new life," Carter said of coming to New Jersey. "My role in Toronto was just give me the ball, and I'll get you a [basket]. But when I got here, they had a guy ... he made the game easier for me."

Though he played only 374 games over four-plus seasons with the Nets, Carter holds the team record for single-season points (2,070 in 2006-07) and is third in the team history in total points (8,834). He ranks fourth in 3-pointers made (638) and playoff points (701).

He helped the Nets reach the postseason three times, and they twice won a playoff series before falling to the eventual Eastern Conference champions (the Miami Heat in 2006 and the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2007).

"During that era, they never were able to get over the top, so they'll probably never be recognized the way they should have been," said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, who was a Miami assistant when it won the league title in 2006. "That was a damn good basketball team, and [Carter] was a massive part of it."

Carter, who is in his first season as a Nets television analyst, retired in 2020 after an NBA-record 22 seasons at age 43 and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024.

"I love seeing how his game evolved from when he first came in," Spoelstra said. "From just being a dunker to being an impossible [player to] guard ... and then he was able to be one of the very few in this league that could transition gracefully. That's really amazing. It speaks to the type of human being he is."

Despite playing 11 seasons after New Jersey traded him to the Orlando Magic in 2009 and spending time with eight NBA teams, Carter said some of his best days came with the Nets.

"We had fun, but we understood when it was time to lock in," Carter said. "We hung out and actually enjoyed each other and played for each other, and that's what made the game fun.

"I went out and did my job and had a darn good time doing it."

DENVER -- Yes, Charlie Blackmon has picked up a bat since retiring from Major League Baseball last fall. Not the wooden kind. One of those big, fat colorful ones his young kids play with.

"Sometimes Daddy needs an at-bat, can't play defense all the time," Blackmon cracked Saturday after the Colorado Rockies announced he has taken on a new role with the club as a special assistant to the general manager following 14 seasons as their sparkplug center fielder.

"It's really great to have the opportunity to continue to be involved with the organization and the game," Blackmon said. "I'm super excited, and I'm sure the Rockies are happy to have me around a little bit."

Blackmon, who spent his entire major league career in Colorado, said he's not the type to just turn baseball off. In his new role, he'll assist GM Bill Schmidt in all facets of baseball operations, but he'll start out on a part-time basis and work out of his Atlanta-area home.

Initially, he'll focus on scouting and player development, two areas that have long intrigued the former pitcher-turned-outfielder.

"All the players think they know what's best, we think we've got it all figured out," Blackmon said. "We always play GM on the bus and talk about players and personnel from other teams. You know, minor league players they saw or contracts that were signed. Players are interested in that. We have other interests, but we talk about baseball a whole lot."

Schmidt said Blackmon will visit spring training for a week, splitting his time between the major and minor league camps. "I think it's important to developing a relationship with the young kids down below," Schmidt said.

Blackmon retired last year after 14 seasons with the Rockies, for whom he batted .293 with 1,805 hits and 227 homers. A four-time All-Star, Blackmon ranks first in franchise history in triples (68), along with second in games played (1,624), doubles (334), runs scored (996) and extra-base hits (629).

Blackmon was selected by the Rockies in the second round of the 2008 amateur draft after playing at Georgia Tech. He won the 2017 NL batting crown with a .331 average. He also helped the team to back-to-back postseason appearances in 2017 and 2018.

"His leadership, deep understanding of the game and passion for this franchise make him the perfect fit to step into this new role," Schmidt said. "We're thrilled to have him bring his unique insight and experience back to the Rockies players and front office."

The Rockies sent Blackmon off in style in his final day at Coors Field as a player in September. His wife, Ashley, and two young kids, Josie and Wyatt, joined him on the field for a pregame ceremony, where he was presented with a plaque. He also received a Toyota truck that had been perched on top of a sign in left field. His kids each threw a pitch to him.

Blackmon said the best part of retirement is spending more time with his family, something he'll be able to continue doing this season as he figures out which direction he'll ultimately take in his post-playing days.

"I do think that this first year I'm going to spend a whole lot of time with my family and I'm just glad to be able to have that baseball outlet," Blackmon said. "I'll come to spring training, I'll be at instructs and hopefully I'll get to scout some. And I'll do a lot of things but it's not a full-time role and so I don't know what it'll look like in the future.

"But I do think this first year it'll be good to have a lot of different experiences around the big league side, the scouting side, some amateur players, some minor league players.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Carlos Correa has gone to great lengths to get his feet back to full strength.

After plantar fasciitis interrupted a second consecutive season with the Minnesota Twins, the three-time All-Star shortstop will be ready for spring training next month without restriction.

"I've been sprinting. I've been running around. I've been doing about everything," Correa said Saturday at the team's annual fan festival at Target Field. "I've been focused on not only just treatment but also strengthening, a lot of walking barefoot around the house now. All that's helping work on my toes and all that. So I'm in a really good spot."

Correa was enjoying his most productive season with the Twins, and by most accounts his best season since 2017 with the Houston Astros, until a three-game series on the artificial turf in Arizona triggered the pain around his right heel in late June. He played through it for a couple of weeks, but the All-Star break didn't provide the relief he was counting on.

Correa wound up missing more than two months, and the Twins ultimately collapsed while one of their most important players was sidelined. He rejoined the freefalling team for the final few weeks, but his presence wasn't nearly enough. The Twins finished a bitterly disappointing 82-80 after losing 27 of their last 39 games.

"It was tough, but you've got to just flush it down the drain and just focus on the next one. I feel like we have a great team," said Correa, who was limited by plantar fasciitis in his left foot in 2023. "We have a lot of young guys with so much potential, and if we put in the work we're going to be in a great spot."

After a visit to a specialist in California during his extended absence last year, Correa began shockwave treatments on the affected area of his foot designed to increase blood flow and regenerate damaged tissue. That'll be part of his regimen moving forward, along with extra arch support in his cleats to alleviate pressure on his heels. He was so desperate for a fix last year he started trimming his cleats and poking holes in his insoles.

"The one thing that everyone knows about Carlos: He's going to prepare himself about as well as anyone can to do all the things that are needed both on and off the field to manage it," team president Derek Falvey said. "I'm hopeful that we'll get there."

This season, the Twins will consider additional games at designated hitter to help keep Correa off his feet more. Their infield depth -- with Royce Lewis, Brooks Lee, Jose Miranda, Edouard Julien and Willi Castro -- should help with that goal. The question to be answered during spring training is who will play where. First base is the most obvious position there for the taking, following the departure of Carlos Santana.

With the club currently for sale and essentially in a spending freeze, the major league roster has not had any notable additions yet. The healthy return of Correa would go a long way toward making that status-quo strategy work for the Twins in 2025.

Though Correa's name was circulated through the major league rumor mill this winter, he said he didn't concern himself with such noise because of his no-trade clause.

"Let me tell you something: I love Minnesota, and I love the fishing here," Correa said.

NEW YORK -- The New York Mets held their first winter event for fans in five years at Citi Field on Saturday, and there was one notable absence. Pete Alonso wasn't in attendance because, for the first time since the 2016 draft, he isn't a member of the Mets' organization.

The homegrown star first baseman remains a free agent, and though a reunion remains possible, he might have played his last game as a Met.

Owner Steve Cohen bluntly said as much Saturday after taking the stage for a fireside chat with fans to chants of "We want Pete!"

"Personally, this has been an exhausting conversation and negotiation," Cohen explained. "I mean, [Juan Soto's negotiation] was tough. This is worse. A lot of it is, we've made a significant offer. I don't like the structures that are being presented back to us. I think it's highly asymmetric against us and I feel strongly about it."

Alonso, along with third baseman Alex Bregman, is one of the two best position players left in free agency. The first baseman, who is represented by Scott Boras, originally sought a long-term deal, but he is open to returning to the Mets on a three-year contract and the Mets have been open to such a deal, according to a source. The obstacle has been money.

"I will never say no," Cohen said. "There's always the possibility. But the reality is we're moving forward and we continue to bring in players. As we continue to bring in players, the reality is it becomes harder to fit Pete into what is a very expensive group of players that we already have and that's where we are.

"I'm being brutally honest. I don't like the negotiations. I don't like what's being presented to us. Maybe that changes. I'll always stay flexible. But if it stays this way, I think we're going to have to get used to the fact that we may have to go forward with the existing players that we have."

Boras, meanwhile, responded to Cohen's comments later Saturday.

"Pete's free agent contract structure request are identical to the standards and practices of other clubs who have signed similarly situated qualifying offer / All Star level players," Boras said. "Nothing different. Just established fairness standards."

The Mets recently re-signed outfielder/designated hitter Jesse Winker to a one-year, $7.5 million contract and added left-handed reliever A.J. Minter on a two-year, $22 million deal. They've also signed Soto (15 years, $765 million), Sean Manaea (three years, $75 million), Clay Holmes (three years, $38 million), and Frankie Montas (two years, $34 million), among other moves, this winter.

Preparing for life without Alonso, the Mets recently instructed third basemen Mark Vientos and Brett Baty to work out at first base. Vientos and Baty both confirmed the organization's request Saturday.

"We all love Pete, and we've said that many times," Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said. "And I think, as we've gone through this process, we've continued to express that. We also understand that this is a business and Pete, as a free agent, deserves the right and has the right and earned the privilege, really, to see what's out there. We also feel really good about the young players who are coming through our system who have the ability to play at the major-league level."

Vientos, 25, enjoyed a breakout season as one of the best hitters in the National League after solidifying himself as the Mets' every-day third baseman in May and helping fuel the team's run to the NL Championship Series. Baty, a former top prospect, was the club's opening day third baseman last season. He struggled after a hot start before he was demoted to Triple-A and didn't return to the majors.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza also named veterans Jared Young and Joey Meneses, both of whom signed this winter, as other options at first base if Alonso doesn't return.

"Pete's been here since I've been here," said Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor, who has starred for the franchise since 2021. "He was here before me. So, yeah, it would be different if he goes somewhere else. Yeah, it would be different. But I think he should take his time. I think he should make the best decision for himself and not feel that he's rushed."

Alonso, 30, became a fan favorite while becoming a franchise cornerstone over his six seasons in Queens. He's hit 226 home runs since making his major league debut -- the second-highest total in baseball behind only Aaron Judge. His 53 home runs in 2019 set a rookie record. He's been a reliable everyday presence; he's never missed more than nine games in a season and played in all 178 games, postseason included, in 2024. He's made four All-Star teams and won the Home Run Derby twice.

But he rates as a poor defender and baserunner whose offensive production has declined over the past three seasons, creating a free agent market that hasn't been as fruitful as projected when he declined a seven-year, $158 million contract extension in 2023.

Outfielder Brandon Nimmo, the longest-tenured player on the roster after debuting in 2016, signed an eight-year, $162 million contract to remain with the Mets two offseasons ago. Like Alonso, Boras is his agent. Unlike Alonso, he reached a resolution in December, not with spring training around the corner.