Pete Alonso’s prospects heading into free agency are much better than last winter. Maybe that’s why he was so hasty to tell the world that he was opting out of the final year of his contract, worth $24 million, just minutes after the New York Mets’ spectacular collapse and postseason miss was complete on Sunday.
The 30-year-old slugging first baseman batted a career-best .272 with 38 home runs and 126 RBI, a significant bump from last year, in which he posted a career-low .788 OPS with 34 round-trippers and 88 RBI.
That’s why his market was bare. Only the Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, and San Francisco Giants were linked to him, and they didn’t offer the long-term, big-money deal — just like the Mets — that Alonso and his agent, Scott Boras, were looking for.
The majority of those teams could be back in the mix, minus the Blue Jays, who extended Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with a 14-year, $500 million extension.
The Arizona Diamondbacks could be in the mix, the Washington Nationals could re-enter the fray as they did last winter, and even the New York Yankees could make a run at luring the Polar Bear across town.
But would they be willing to dole out the six or seven years and the nearly $200 million that Alonso was looking for last year?
The need for a slugging first baseman who does not field his position well has subsided. Partly because versatility has taken precedent, partly because the universal designated hitter has offered a spot in the lineup to power-first bats.
Alonso is adamant that he is a first baseman, and he wants to play there every day, which he nearly did this season. Of his full 162-game slate, he played 160 at first base and DH’d for only two. The problem was that his -9 outs above average was in MLB’s second percentile.
There might be clubs that offer him more than the $24 million he was due in 2026, but the term will likely not be there. That plays into the Mets’ favor, even with Alonso’s quick announcement of opting out, considering both Alonso and president of baseball operations David Stearns have continuously expressed mutual interest about the franchise’s home run king staying in Queens.
