How could the Mets possibly follow up on Sunday night’s blockbuster signing of Juan Soto? Perhaps by bringing back Pete Alonso and securing him for the next six or seven years.
The slugging first baseman is one of the largest free agents left on the market, which should shift into overdrive at the Winter Meetings this week after Soto’s signing. The 30-year-old is a Scott Boras client and already turned down a seven-year, $158 million contract extension from the Mets last summer; speculation suggested they were looking for a $200 million deal.
But Alonso is coming off his worst statistical season ever in the majors, which was still a solid one by most standards: 34 home runs, 88 RBI, and a .788 OPS, which all but eliminated hopes of such an exorbitant contract.
Regardless, he is going to get somewhere between the $160 million and $180 million mark, which is a contract that would put further financial stress on the Mets’ books. While they had a ton of money come off their ledger this winter, Soto’s $51 million annual value has put New York past MLB’s competitive balance tax threshold, with their payroll now sitting at approximately $242 million.
A potential Alonso contract could add another $25 million (give or take) per season with president of baseball operations David Stearns still needing to sign one more pitcher, whether it be a reunion with Sean Manaea or looking elsewhere at the likes of Walker Buehler or Nathan Eovaldi.
The allure of keeping a homegrown product like Alonso in the middle of the lineup, however, might be too prominent to pass up. Keeping the Polar Bear in blue and orange would create a relentless carousel of bats at the top of the Mets lineup, which is expected to have NL MVP Francisco Lindor leading off, Soto batting second, and breakout star Mark Vientos batting third.
Alonso, who possesses a career 162-game average of 43 home runs, would bat fourth.
That is quite a sales pitch that Stearns can include in his presentation to Alonso and Boras, which will also include the concept of spending his entire career with one team, shattering every franchise power-hitting record, and being a foundational piece of a Mets team that could win their first World Series title since 1986.
