Day
three of the Winter Meetings started strong, with another big free agent signing dominating the early news. It quieted down a little from there, as the Rule 5 draft took place and more rumors continued to swirl around other players on the market.
- The Rule 5 Draft took place this afternoon. The Brewers did not select any players or have any players selected in the major-league portion of the draft. In the minor-league portion, they selected Cole Phillips from the Mariners’ organization. Six of their minor-league players were selected by other teams in that phase as well.
- The big signing of the day came from the Orioles. Jeff Passan of ESPN reports that they signed Pete Alonso to a five-year, $155 million contract. He was the next big name of the free agent market after Kyle Schwarber re-signed with the Phillies. Alonso returned to the Mets on a two-year contract in 2025 after a down year in 2024, but had an opt-out that he exercised after the season. The short-term deal worked out for him, with his wRC+ jumping from 121 in 2024 to 141 in 2025.
- In the daily Freddy Peralta rumors, Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of the Athletic report that six teams have reached out to the Brewers. Those teams include the Astros, Giants, Mets, Orioles, Red Sox, and Yankees.
- Another player on the Brewers’ roster gaining interest is Nick Mears. Rosenthal and Sammon report that Mears is gaining trade interest, though don’t name any teams specifically. The Brewers have control of Mears for two more seasons and he is projected for a modest $1.6 million salary. However, Steve Adams also notes that Mears is out of options, which may make it easier for the Brewers to move him over other bullpen players with options.
- Manager Pat Murphy spoke with reporters at the Winter Meetings today. In regards to the rumors around Peralta and Trevor Megill, he talked about how hard it is to see players being traded from the team. In the same article, Adam McCalvy also notes that the Brewers are still working on their coaching staff for 2025, and they interviewed at least one candidate for a hitting coach opening.
- The Phillies acquired RHP Yoniel Curet from the Rays for RHP Tommy McCollum. Curet was designated for assignment after the Rays signed Cedric Mullins. Curet is a 23-year old pitcher who has reached Triple-A, though posted a 6.03 ERA in 31 1/3 innings last season. Similarly, McCollum has also reached Triple-A, but spent most of 2024 in Double-A where he had a 3.20 ERA in 45 innings.
- The Orioles claimed LHP Josh Walker off waivers from the Braves and designated catcher Drew Romo for assignment. Walker pitched for the Blue Jays in 2025 and allowed four runs in five innings. Romo appeared in just three games for the Rockies.
- The Red Sox acquired RHP Ryan Watson from the Athletics for minor league utility player Justin Riemer.
