As spring training draws near, Major League Baseball players are finalizing their preparations for the upcoming season. However, several high-profile free agents, including long-time Houston Astros star Alex Bregman and New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso, remain unsigned. Alonso, in particular, has expressed a strong desire to return to the Mets, but according to USA Today insider Bob Nightengale, he may need to accept the team’s three-year, $70 million offer if he wants to stay in New York. Nightengale also reported that Alonso’s free-agent market has not developed as he hoped, with the Toronto Blue Jays being the only other team showing interest.
The situation for Pete Alonso appears to hinge on how much the Mets are willing to pay him in the first year of the deal. The contract would include an opt-out after the 2025 season, giving Alonso the flexibility to test the market again if he wishes. Nightengale suggests that the Mets’ offer will be the deciding factor in whether Alonso re-signs with the team or moves elsewhere.
As Alonso’s free agency continues, predictions are starting to emerge about where he will end up. Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report has forecasted that Alonso will stay with the Mets, signing a three-year, $75 million deal. This would give Alonso an average annual value of $29 million, which is closer to a fair-market value than the six-year, $174 million deal he had initially hoped for. Miller believes that despite the Mets’ recent signing of Jesse Winker, which seemed to signal that they were moving on without Alonso, a reunion with the Mets remains the most likely outcome.
Alonso is coming off a difficult season, batting just .240 with 34 home runs and 88 RBIs, both of which are the second-lowest marks of his career. Despite this, his power potential still makes him an attractive option for the Mets. Until New York
Mets either add a new first baseman or third baseman, the possibility of Alonso returning to New York seems strong.