Pete Alonso’s first step into free agency waters may not have ended as he would have hoped, but unfortunately for the New York Mets, he could be taking another dive into it very soon.
A rather lengthy negotiation ended shortly before spring training opened, with Alonso signing a two-year, $54 million contract on February 12 with a player opt-out after this season. Reports suggested that the process was littered with contention, but Alonso refuted those claims.
“I knew everything that was going on the entire time,” Alonso said about his free-agency journey. “There was no point where I was in the dark or wondering. For other people that didn’t have a look behind the curtain, that’s where they say, ‘Oh, it was a crazy offseason.’ No, it wasn’t. For me, I got to see the whole process — I had everything in front of me.”
And while he had hoped for a longer deal, Alonso instead chose to view it as an opportunity to prove his worth.
Pete Alonso Welcomes Chance to Prove His Long-Term Worth
With 226 home runs and 586 RBIs over his first six seasons, the 30-year-old slugger had a well-earned reputation for hitting the long ball, but his .251 career average, dragged down by seasons of .217 in 2023 and .240 in 2024, proved to be a hindrance in his hopes of gaining long-term security. So Alonso knew this season represented the chance to overcome that stigma.
“Contractually, I think that this is going to be the best opportunity for me to jump into the next market,” Alonso said. “So it is a win-win, not just for not just for myself but I think for the organization as well.”
Now that the season has reached Memorial Day, the contract is looking like a win for Alonso, but not so much for the Mets.
On Sunday, Alonso hit his 10th home run of the season, driving in RBIs 39 and 40 to power the team to a 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Alonso now boasts a slash line of .291/.391/.536 and an OPS of .927, boosting his case to opt-out of the contract after this season in search of an even bigger payday.
Pete Alonso’s Success Likely Has Mets Regretting Short-Term Deal
In a recent article for Bleacher Report examining “1 MLB Offseason Mulligan Every Team Wishes It Had,” Kerry Miller stated that the Mets are likely already regretting “not locking up Pete Alonso for longer.”
“In the end, New York won its game of chicken with the Polar Bear. After looking elsewhere for a few months and just not getting the type of lucrative long-term deal he was expecting, Pete Alonso ended up re-signing with the Mets on a one-year, $30M contract with a $24M player option for next season,” Miller wrote.
“He was promptly named the NL Player of the Month in April for an incredible start that surely has the Mets wishing they had been willing to go a bit more long term on their 2024 wild card series hero.”
And that decision could cost the Mets more than just a longer, more expensive contract for the player who, barring injury, will likely surpass Darryl Strawberry to become the franchise record holder for home runs. Alonso’s successful 2025 season will certainly spur other teams to bid on his services, and in fact, Jim Bowden of the Athletic suggests that the Phillies, Cubs, Rangers and Mariners would be good fits for him.
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