For a second consecutive winter, Pete Alonso’s future with the New York Mets will be up in the air as the slugging first baseman announced after Sunday’s season-ending loss to the Miami Marlins that he will opt out of the remaining year of his contract and become a free agent.
“Nothing’s guaranteed, but we’ll see what happens,” Alonso said. “I’ve loved being a Met. Hopefully, they’ve appreciated me the same.”
The 30-year-old’s future with the Mets appeared as though it would be decided by a coin flip after his worst statistical full season resulted in a depleted market with president of baseball operations, David Stearns, unwilling to give Alonso and his agent, Scott Boras, the long-term, $200 million-plus pact they were looking for.
Instead, they settled on a two-year, $54 million deal that awarded him $30 million in 2025 with an opt-out.
His bet on himself worked. Alonso had a monster season despite the Mets’ historic collapse that saw them miss the postseason with a 4-0 loss to the Miami Marlins. Playing 162 games for the second straight season — the first Met ever to do that — he batted .272 with an .871 OPS, 38 home runs, and 126 RBI. He also broke the Mets’ all-time home run record when he hit his 253rd career blast on Aug. 12 against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Alonso has constantly expressed his love for the organization, but his being one of the only consistent contributors for a team that nosedived so dramatically during the second half of the season is only going to increase his value this winter — and the market should be far more active for his services.
“I want to win,” Alonso said when asked about his priorities this winter. “I know we didn’t this year, but we had the right pieces, I think. We just didn’t do it… I want to be on top of the mountain and win a World Series.”
Still, he continues to hope that Stearns and owner Steve Cohen will offer the money and term they were so hesitant to table last winter.
“I’ve grown up in this organization,” Alonso said. “What I’ve done here, I’m really proud of the mark I’ve left. I want to be the best teammate and the best player I can possibly be. Not just for the people here, but for the franchise and the fans. It’d be great, but we’ll see what happens.”
