As fascinating and unexpected as the 2024 MLB offseason was, next year's break might be even more so. At the center of it once again will be superagent Scott Boras, the representative of several stars who are set to become free agents at the end of the season. Among them is New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso who could be staring at a crossroads in his baseball career.
Alonso is a fan favorite in New York and arguably the Mets' best offensive threat. His numbers through 35 games this season don’t reflect that, which may put a damper on his hopes of landing a long-term contract in the offseason.
Alonso has a .205 batting average with eight home runs, four doubles and a .710 OPS. After a hot start that saw him notch 10 multi-hit games across his first 23 appearances, the Mets slugger is in one of the worst slumps of his career. Alonso is 2-for-37 over his last 11 games and has one hit over his last nine.
Despite his looming contract situation, he insists his focus is to break out and return to form for an inconsistent Mets team. With New York possibly set to pursue the likes of Juan Soto and Corbin Burnes next offseason, Alonso was asked about the impact that could have on his free agency.
“I love the city I play in. I consider myself a New Yorker,” Alonso said on Friday, per Ken Rosenthal. “I have a great relationship with guys on the team obviously. And I think I have a great relationship with people in the front office and Steve as well. We’ll see what happens this winter. It’s a big question mark. For me, right now, I’m just focusing on doing what I can to help us win every day.”
Pete Alonso's future with Mets in limbo?
There is an importance that Alonso brings to the Mets clubhouse and lineup that would garner him a long-term deal with the club. Numbers matter though and his decline late last season, matched with his start this year, are things New York will consider when debating what to offer Alonso.
The Mets have not been shy to hand out monster contracts since Steve Cohen took ownership, both to retain its players and bring in new stars. With another crop of high-impact players set to hit the open market in November, New York will be well-positioned to make another splash or two.
Not including Alonso in that group would have been a shocking thing to do even before the 2023 season. 13 months later, it still might stun Mets fans to see the franchise walk away from an undeniable leader and fan favorite, but it's more of a possibility now than it ever has been.
Alonso is undoubtedly one of the sport's best power bats. He's averaged 41 home runs and 114 RBIs over the last three seasons. It's unclear if that will overvalue his below-par defense and declining batting average when it comes to negotiating his next contract.
The Mets have stood in mediocrity for much of the last three decades and don’t particularly have a franchise icon who played his entire career with New York (cue the Don La Greca Ed Kranepool rant). Alonso seems like a player who can become that, but there are no guarantees he even gets a second contract from the Mets.
From ‘Boras Four' to ‘Boras More'
MLB free agency last offseason was headlined by Shohei Ohtani, but as the 2024 season approached, several big-name players were still without contracts. Four of them – Cody Bellinger, Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery and Matt Chapman – were all Scott Boras clients.
All four eventually landed a deal but none were longer than three years, although Chapman's one-year contract can turn into four years with options. It was a surprising development and conclusion to an offseason filled with question marks about how MLB teams analyze the open market.
Boras has long been known for his ability to capture high average annual value and lengthy deals for his players, but many believe he was off his game last offseason and overshot the market values of his clients. Still, he was able to get some of his lesser-known players a high number on short-term contracts.
Boras will oversee Alonso, Soto and Burnes' negotiations this winter, among others. Soto will likely garner the biggest contract out of the three and could top $400 million in total value. That's a number few teams are willing to spend, but the Mets might be one of them.
Pete Alonso and the Mets had several chances to strike a deal before he hit free agency. That's unlikely to be the case now and could end up spelling the end of his time with the franchise.
Mets fans had a glimpse of hope for a bright future following the 2022 season. Less than two years later, the future of the franchise is uncertain and the roster could see significant changes with Pete Alonso's departure a possibility.
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