REPORT: Pete Alonso rejects Mets’ 3 year, $68M offer. What’s next for both?
Major news broke for Mets fans yesterday regarding the free agency status of first baseman Pete Alonso. The homegrown Met was a big part of October's deep NLCS playoff run for the Mets. Although he had a clutch postseason, he is coming off a season that would be considered subpar for Alonso. Even for a player like Pete, a subpar season is an all-star season. He posted a .240 BA with 34 HRs and 88 RBIs in 162 games in 2024. It is a career low in home runs and RBIs for Alonso in a season where he was healthy. It was also a career-high in games played for Alonso. With all this being said, his market initially was slow during the first phases of free agency. Some teams wouldn't touch him with a pole, and those interested lowballed him. One of those teams lowballing him was the one that drafted him, the New York Mets.
After the signing of Juan Soto, the Mets hadn't made any big-name splash signings. Which fits the mold of talent acquisition that Mets GM David Stearns is trying to establish. However, with the gaudy contract given to Juan Soto, many thought this offseason would be an exception due to the fact that Mets Owner Steven Cohen is one of the wealthiest owners in sports. That would not be the case at all.
After losing out on a potential suitor, the New York Yankees, it seemed like a Mets reunion would be inevitable. The only questions being for how much and how long? The Mets reportedly offered Alonso a three-year deal worth about $68M-$70M, which would be about $22M annually. Alonso's market was not expected to be this small and low. Many experts predicted a five or more-year deal worth north of $25M per year. Alonso has declined the Mets' offer, and both sides are set to depart. The Mets have touched base with Toronto Blue Jays regarding the availability of 1B/3B Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who is set to enter free agency after this upcoming season. The current plan for the Mets is to move Mark Vientos to first base and have Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio, and Luisangel Acuña compete for third base, per Andy Martino. I'd expect the Mets to land Vlad Jr. either this offseason or the following. It would make for a perfect pairing and add much-needed star power to the lineup. The question for the Mets this offseason (after signing Soto) seemed to be: Should they sign Pete to a big deal or pursue Vlad Jr.? It appears as if the question has been answered. With Vlad Jr. striking out less and being younger immediately, he is the better candidate.
What's next for Pete? That's a good question. Although the Mets were lowballing him and not willing to commit to a long-term future with him, it's hard for me to see his current market getting any better. With Scott Boras being his agent, it is clear the price won't be cheap. Every year, a free agent like this hits the market where their home team won't pay up and then proceeds to get a massive contract with a random team nobody expected. Usually, that player doesn't play up to the expectations of the contract, but someone always coughs it up, and for a player of the caliber of Pete Alonso, you must expect somebody to cough it up. The Blue Jays and Giants are two teams that have been mentioned on the rumor mill for Alonso's services.
The Mets are home for Pete, and he was the face of that franchise for years. With the addition of Soto, they'd try to retain all their talent. It's a divorce that many Mets fans feared would happen. After the NL Wild Card game-winning home run to send the Mets to the NLDS, many people, including myself, expected a massive pursuit of his services this offseason. That was certainly far from the case. Alonso's decision to decline a seven-year, $158M extension before last season was a costly mistake. It would've been the same annual salary but with a long-term future. Although this story broke, it doesn't mean relationships can't be amended. As of now, Alonso isn't a Met, but that can certainly change.
