Pete Alonso Reports to Port St. Lucie
Pete Alonso is officially back with the New York Mets. After an offseason that felt like it would never end, the Mets’ first baseman arrived in Port St. Lucie today, reporting to spring training after a dramatic winter of free agency limbo.
“There it is!” pic.twitter.com/BEre5qD8Ck
— SNY (@SNYtv) February 17, 2025
For months, Alonso’s future in Queens seemed like anything but a sure thing. The Mets and his camp—led by agent Scott Boras—played a game of financial chicken, and there were real concerns that Alonso, the face of the franchise for years, might be playing elsewhere in 2025. That was until Steve Cohen, the billionaire with a knack for making things happen, stepped in.
“Meet at the Apple” with Howie Rose and Steve Cohen
On the Mets’ official podcast, “Meet at the Apple,” Cohen pulled back the curtain on how the deal finally got done. “Well, it was my idea,” Cohen said about the in-person sit-down that ultimately kept Alonso in New York on a two-year, $54 million deal.
Steve Cohen talks to @HowieRose about re-signing Pete Alonso and much more on today’s Meet at the Apple! 🐻❄️
🍎👉 https://t.co/zc9PLGPaJ1
🟢👉 https://t.co/yLWiCZWsKe
🎥👉 https://t.co/gwD8KW3gxu pic.twitter.com/nRGrMJLJai— New York Mets (@Mets) February 17, 2025
“I just felt that the negotiation had gone on so long; I just wanted to make sure that he heard from us how we felt about him. I just felt like he deserved that respect. He has been a great Met for a long time, he’s a fan favorite, and I thought there was a real opportunity to sit down with him and kind of hash it out.”
Cohen and Mets’ President of Baseball Operations David Stearns flew down to Tampa, met with Alonso in person, and, in Cohen’s words, “Pete did all the talking.”
“Scott Boras was there, and Scott didn’t say a freaking word the whole time! And it was like, I turned to him, I go, ‘I just want to make sure… you’re still breathing over there!'”
Especially after Cohen’s transparency at Amazin’ Day, where he seemingly directed the conversation to the first baseman himself, Alonso didn’t look to his super-agent to make the final call when push came to shove. He took over the last stages of negotiations, knowing fully well what staying in New York would mean.
“I don’t like the negotiations. I don’t like what’s been presented to us.”
Steve Cohen talks about the Mets’ negotiations with Pete Alonso and the possibility of the Mets moving forward without him:
➡️ Tri-State @Cadillac pic.twitter.com/wPqzE47YdL
— SNY (@SNYtv) January 25, 2025
Career-Year Underway
Alonso isn’t just back—he’s coming for history. Sitting at 226 career home runs, he’s eyeing Darryl Strawberry’s franchise record of 252, and if he stays hot, that number could fall sooner rather than later. A monster contract year looms, and if he delivers another 40+ homer season, the Mets may have no choice but to finally commit to their homegrown slugger for the long haul. Queens is where he wants to be, and now it’s on him to prove why he should stay for good.
Read More: Juan Soto makes Spring Training Debut
Mets’ Spring Training Game Schedule | February 2025
- Houston Astros @ New York Mets
- Saturday, February 22nd | 1:10 pm | SS
- Clover Park, Port St. Lucie, FL*
- Saturday, February 22nd | 1:10 pm | SS
- New York Mets @ Washington Nationals
- Sunday, February 23rd | 1:05 pm | SS
- Cacti Park of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach, FL
- Sunday, February 23rd | 1:05 pm | SS
- Miami Marlins @ New York Mets
- Sunday, February 23rd | 1:10 pm | SS
- Clover Park, Port St. Lucie, FL*
- Sunday, February 23rd | 1:10 pm | SS
