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The New York Mets made the biggest splash of the MLB offseason by signing Juan Soto. And they did not stop there, bringing back Sean Manaea and signing Frankie Montas. But one player is still available that could end up back in Queens. Pete Alonso has had a slow free agency period but his agent Scott Boras has offered a deal to the Mets, per Jim Duquette of MLB Network.
“According to league sources, Pete Alonso’s camp has offered the Mets a three-year deal with opt-outs,” Duquette reported. “This deal is only available to the Mets right now. No deal known to be close at the moment, and Alonso’s agent Scott Boras declined comment.”
There have been varying reports about the relationship between Alonso and the Mets. One stated that Boras was using Prince Fielder's nine-year, $214 million deal as a comparison. SNY's Andy Martino spoke with Boras, who denied that Bob Nightengale report on Friday morning.
“A 10-year-old contract …. [is] not relevant to the current Alonso negotiation,” Boras told Martino.
The Mets have an expensive roster without a first baseman but owner Steve Cohen is not stopping here. Bringing Alonso back would put them even higher on the list of contenders in the National League.
Do the Mets need Pete Alonso?
The Mets made the National League Championship Series in a year with no expectations. They built a pitching rotation on the fly that dominated the end of the regular season and playoffs. Now, with Soto in the fold, their expectations will be even higher. But their crosstown rivals showed last year that just adding Soto is not necessarily enough.
While Soto and Lindor are a great 1-2 punch, the Dodgers have a top three that challenges any team in the modern era. With Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and Mookie Betts across the country, the Mets need Pete Alonso. He won't elevate the Queens trio to the Hollywood level but would keep it closer than it was last year.
The Alonso contract negotiations have taken a long time, so long that most other teams are out of the running. While he was always likely to go to the Mets, the Astros, Diamondbacks, Yankees, and Guardians have filled first-base holes. The Angels have expressed interest and the Mariners could use a slugger in their lineup.
There is one marriage that makes sense in free agency and it's the Mets and Pete Alonso. Whether it is a three-year deal or longer, expect the first baseman back in Queens.
