COHEN'S CORNER SPORTS

 Now all of a sudden that Mets off-season looks a little bit better than it did as recently as 24 hours ago. A day after swinging a deal with the Chicago White Sox for Luis Robert, the Mets got busy on Wednesday, first signing veteran reliever Luis Garcia to a one-year deal, then working out a blockbuster deal with the Milwaukee Brewers that brings starting pitcher Freddy Peralta t o Queens.  Peralta, along with reliever Tobia Myers will come to New York in a package deal that required the Mets give up two of their top five prospects in pitcher Brandon Sprout, and outfielder Jett Williams. It's a tough pill to swallow of course, but the Mets are very deep in the minors; they were ranked No. 1 according to ESPN last summer for the best minor league system baseball has going right now.  They Mets didn't have to give up Jonah Tong. They didn't have to give up Noah McLean or Carson Benge, or Ryan Clifford. No, they kept the vast majority of their prospects. But in order to ge...

 After months of speculation, starts and stops, Cody Bellinger is back with the New York Yankees.  On Wednesday Bellinger signed a five year, $162.5 million deal to stay in the Bronx for the long term, although there are opt outs after the second and third years of the deal.  It's been a quiet off-season in the Bronx this year, deftly quiet. While the Mets, Dodgers and Blue Jays have made a lot of noise this winter, the Yankees have been very much under the radar. We have waited seemingly four months for the Yankees and Bellinger to get a deal done. Now with weeks to go before pitchers and catchers, both sides have agreed.  It makes the most sense for both sides to stick together.  Bellinger enjoyed a renaissance year in the Bronx in 2025, hitting .279 with 29 homers and 98 RBI. At times he was the Yankees most consistent hitter at the plate last year. His glove in right field was huge as well.  With Bellinger back in the fold, the heart of the Yankees orde...

 Well we have finally hit that point in the off-season where we have the one trade that has Mets fans fighting with one another.  New York acquired Luis Robert Jr. from the Chicago White Sox for infielder Luisangel Acuna and righty Truman Pauley in a polarizing move that has Mets fans either loving or hating the move.  Here are the facts: the Mets are taking a huge swing on a right-handed hitter who has a gold glove in center field, but has been madly inconsistent at the plate and consistently dealing with injuries. Those are the facts. Robert Jr. is also to make $20 million this season, with a club option for $20 million in 2027.  While some have praised the move as "low risk" and "high reward," to make such a claim is a bit of a stretch.   Yes, Robert is very good in the outfield; his range is exceptional, and his speed both in the field and on the base paths are noted.  In fact, of all the offensive numbers Robert has posted in his career, stolen ba...

 New York Mets legend Carlos Beltran has been elected to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame after receiving 84.2 percent of the vote from the baseball writers, as he will make his much deserved trip to Cooperstown this summer.  Beltran spent seven years in a Mets uniform after he signed with New York following a huge postseason with the Houston Astros in 2004.  From 2005 to 2011 Beltran solidified himself as one of the games all time great five-tool players.  He hit .280 for the Mets with 149 career home runs. His highlights include scaling the hill at Houston's Minute Maid Park to rob extra bases in an extra inning victory over the Stros in 2007.  He also hit huge game winning home runs agianst the Phillies and Cardinals during the Mets magical 2006 season.  Many cold-hearted fans have ripped Beltran for years over the fact he struck out against Adam Wainwright in Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS, but let's be fair it was a breaking ball by a fellow Hall of Fam...

John Harbaugh made his debut in Giants blue, Tuesday before a crowd of dignitaries, media and players both, former and current, as he lay out the groundwork to "attack each day with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind." It's a Harbaughism that has become a signature of the Harbaugh family for years, started by John and Jim's father Jack many years ago when the brothers were children, and their dad a football coach. If you have followed the NFL for many years, you probably are familiar with the story, and the many euphemisms that Jack Harbaugh lives by to this day; as do his sons.   John Harbaugh brought out those Harbaughism out in full force during an energetic introductory press conference. It's clear that a new era o f Giants football is finally here.  "Mom and dad taught us to attack each day with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind. That's what we are going to do every single day," Harbaugh said.  "One of the most iconic franchises in all of sp...

 What a wild 16 hours or so it has been for the New York Mets.  On Thursday night the Mets lost out on signing outfield free agent Kyle Tucker, who opted to take the Dodgers four-year $240 million deal which will pay him a record $60 million a year. The Mets had come in at a ridiculous $50 million, which was a lot for a guy who is a natural right fielder (the Mets already have a right fielder in Juan Soto). Tucker was also coming off of back-to-back injury plagued seasons.  It didn't help matters last night when owner Steve Cohen issued a cryptic tweet toward Mets fans asking them to let him know when they see "smoke" in reference to a Tucker signing. That Tweet didn't sit well with anyone.  Then on Friday morning the Mets finally struck some gold. Hey even a squirrel finds a nut. The Amazin's signed free agent infielder Bo Bichette to a three-year $126 million deal with opt outs after the first and second year's of the deal.  The deal sounds eerily similar to...