The New York Mets 2023 season was a disappointment after a postseason appearance in 2022. The 2023 offseason for the Mets did not indicate the team was looking to win the World Series in 2024. The club added no big-name free agents and failed to sign Pete Alonso to a long-term extension. However, the Mets can sign Alonso as well as New York Yankees star Juan Soto, in free agency, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.
“You say, ‘Well do you do him instead of Soto?’” Rosenthal said regarding the Mets signing Alonso to a high-value contract. “If you’re Steve Cohen, you probably can do both.”
Soto and Alonso will both be free agents for the first time in their careers following the 2024 season. The Mets traded away Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, David Robertson and Mark Canha in 2023. The Mets are expected to reload in 2025 and “jump into the free-agent market next winter,” according to USA TODAY’s Bob Nightengale.
Mets Current Stance on Alonso’s Contract
Before this season, Alonso signed a one-year, $20.5 million deal with the Mets, avoiding arbitration. Mets owner, Cohen has stated that the team wants to keep Alonso in New York, but will likely have to do so after the season ends.
“We’re always open to conversation, but he’s earned the right to explore his value,” Cohen said on Meet at the Apple, according to The Athletic’s Hunter Patterson and Will Sammon. “I’m highly supportive of all players doing that. Just like we ended up figuring it out with Edwin Díaz and Brandon Nimmo, it would be my hope that we do the same with Pete.”
Alonso has stated he loves being part of the Mets, but that he “can’t predict the future.”
“I definitely have envisioned myself being a lifelong Met, that’s something I’ve definitely thought about. … I welcome the idea, but I can’t predict the future.”
Cohen noted that the team will not prioritize one player over the best internet of the entire organization. However, he hopes Alonso “hits 55 home runs and makes it so difficult on [him] in free agency.”
Soto’s Free Agency
While Alonso will be one of the hottest free agents available, Soto will be the top target this winter. The 25-year-old outfielder is set up for a big payday. Soto has already won four Silver Slugger Awards and has been named an All-Star three times.
“The Mets payroll is going to become a lot more flexible after this season,” said Rosenthal. “I don’t know if it’s wise, necessarily, to have Soto at, say, $500 million, Lindor at $340 [million] and then Alonso at $200 plus [million] if that’s what it’s going to take. At the same time, the Mets certainly have not hesitated in their recent past, under Cohen, to spend big dollars.”
Signing Soto will certainly not come cheap. Soto signed a $31 million contract this offseason, setting the record for an arbitration-eligible player. Soto wants to sign a long-term deal and “just finish in that one spot,” according to ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez.
Whether it’s the Yankees or elsewhere, Soto does not want to test the market again. He mentioned his former teammates Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts and Manny Machado, who all signed long-term deals, when discussing his desires, according to Gonzalez.
“Long contracts,” Soto said, “because they know they’re going to finish their career right there. Anything can happen in the future. Maybe they get traded. But that’s going to be on them if they want to get traded, instead of going to free agency and trying the market again. They just know they’re going to be there for a long time.”
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