After the Mets’ record-setting spending did not convey them even a successful document heading into late July of final season, the crew as a substitute generated headlines by promoting as a substitute of shopping for. They moved Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander and several other others in quite a lot of offers previous to the commerce deadline. Because the Mets had been reportedly open to contemplating all choices on shorter-term expertise, the membership even had some discussions about shifting Pete Alonso, who’s a free agent this coming offseason. The Brewers and Cubs had been among the many groups that at the very least checked in on Alonso’s standing, however clearly no deal was struck, and the Polar Bear stays in a Mets uniform to this very day.
The commerce explorations got here after, nevertheless, the Mets made an try and lock Alonso up for the rest of the last decade. Joel Sherman of the New York Put up reviews that the Mets provided Alonso a seven-year, $158M extension final June, which might’ve saved him in Queens by his age 29-35 seasons. Based on Sherman, “the perimeters by no means obtained near a deal,” which is why the Mets then shifted to at the very least testing the waters to see what Alonso would possibly web on the commerce market.
The size and quantity of the Mets’ provide precisely matches the ultimate seven years of Matt Olson’s extension with the Braves, signed again in March 2022. Olson was two years away from free company on the time of that long-term deal, and the ultimate greenback determine was an eight-year pact value $168M in assured cash, plus the Braves maintain a $20M membership possibility for the 2030 season. New York’s provide to Alonso apparently didn’t contain a membership possibility, however it in any other case mirrored Olson’s deal minus the $15M Olson earned in 2022 (the primary yr of the extension). Freddie Freeman’s six-year, $162M contract with the Dodgers was one other comp, because the Mets’ provide gave Alonso extra precise cash than Freeman as a result of deferrals concerned within the L.A. first baseman’s contract.
Olson and Freeman had been apparent benchmarks for Alonso as fellow star first basemen, and reviews from final November instructed that Alonso desires a “a lot greater” contract than both of these two offers. Within the least stunning information attainable, Alonso’s agent Scott Boras feels the identical means, as Boras advised Sherman that Alonso’s market stands aside from different latest main first baseman contracts resulting from Alonso’s age (he’ll be 30 on Opening Day 2025) and since the dynamics of extensions and free agent offers differ.
“The marketplace for constant 40-homer, sturdy, infield-capable, true middle-of-the-lineup sluggers is the query,” Boras mentioned. “Word there are none out there in free company and none coming [in the next few years]. Plus, he’s New York confirmed, which is an unanswered query for a lot of others — not Pete. It’s elite-level sturdiness and manufacturing at a chief age, which is solely one thing most MLB groups don’t possess. They’ll covet the chance to have free-agent entry to such expertise.”
It’s value noting that Alonso was a consumer of Apex Sports activities when he and the Mets had been negotiating that extension, and Alonso then modified illustration to the Boras Company after the season. With a number of notable exceptions over time, Boras purchasers usually find yourself heading to the open market slightly than signing a contract extension, so it will depend as an enormous shock if Alonso and the Mets agreed to a brand new deal this near Alonso’s arrival on the open market.
Alonso burst onto the scene with a 53-homer season in 2019, incomes each NL Rookie of the 12 months honors and the primary of three profession All-Star berths (and the primary of two Residence Run Derby crowns throughout All-Star festivities). Naturally, this made Alonso an prompt star in New York, and he has saved up the facility by hitting 202 homers and slashing .249/.340/.524 over his profession. These 202 homers is essentially the most of any participant for the reason that begin of the 2019 marketing campaign.
This season has largely been extra of the identical, as Alonso has hit .226/.307/.458 with 10 homers in his first 189 plate appearances of 2024. Nevertheless, Alonso is now in his second consecutive season with a below-average hard-hit ball fee, even when his barrel fee stays excellent. General, Alonso continues to be mashing the ball when he makes premium contact, however is having bother with something lower than a barrel, giving how his batting averages have declined — a .261 common in his first 4 seasons however solely .219 since. Past these numbers, groups may even have the standard considerations hooked up to giving any first-base-only participant an enormous assured deal into his 30s, and past the bat, Alonso’s protection is taken into account common at finest.
Leaving $158M on the desk may loom giant for Alonso ought to he hit an prolonged stoop that drags down his total manufacturing, or if he will get injured. (Though Alonso has been very sturdy over his profession, with solely two minimal journeys to the injured record.) There’s additionally the likelihood that this winter’s free-agent market may considerably resemble the staid proceedings of this previous offseason, when a number of prime free brokers — together with a number of Boras purchasers — needed to accept smaller offers than anticipated. If any of Alonso’s pink flags turn into extra evident over the course of the 2024 marketing campaign, groups would possibly first try and see if they’ll wait out the market to see if Alonso may very well be had for the form of short-term, opt-out heavy contracts signed by the “Boras 4” this previous winter.
Then again, an ordinary Alonso sort of season ought to present a really good platform, and the Polar Bear was slotted fourth in MLB’s most up-to-date Energy Rankings of the 2024-25 free-agent class. The primary baseman’s probabilities of scoring a deal nearer to $200M than $158M are additionally helped by the truth that Mets proprietor Steve Cohen has expressed his hope that Alonso will stay with the crew over the long run. Cohen hasn’t been shy about spending huge to acquire his most well-liked targets. President of baseball operations David Stearns will clearly have a means in no matter route the Mets take with pursuing Alonso, but when Cohen is keen to outbid the marketplace for a selected fan favourite, Alonso might need a selected edge that different free brokers don’t, relying on how aggressive the Mets can be on gamers past Alonso.
