First baseman Pete Alonso is still in the thick of free agency as we inch closer toward Spring Training. As a beloved homegrown-New York Met and postseason hero, the 30-year-old slugger opted to test the market this offseason with sights set on a long-term/high value deal.
A Beeline to Boras
Alonso reportedly turned down a seven-year, $158 million extension from the Mets in 2023 after he hired MLB super-agent Scott Boras in anticipation of hitting the market for the 2025 season. Boras famously represents some of the biggest names in baseball, and Alonso’s hiring him and prior turning-down of the extension speaks to a “betting on yourself” approach favored by many of Boras’s clients. His top client, Juan Soto, just signed the largest contract in professional sports history; A whopping $765 million 15-year deal with the New York Mets. He also represents Bryce Harper, Blake Snell, Gerrit Cole, and Max Scherzer.
Of the other free agents that have already signed with teams in need of a first baseman; Paul Goldschmidt to the New York Yankees for one-year/$12.5 million, Christian Walker to the Houston Astros for three-years/$60 million, and Carlos Santana is returning to the Cleveland Guardians on a one-year $12 million deal, it’s looking like the potential AAV for Alonso could fall between $12-20 million based on the market. If the Mets are keen on bringing Alonso back – Perhaps a sweetener in money or time could tip the scale in their favor.
Best Interests at Heart?
There’s no denying that Boras has made a sizable impact on Major League Baseball – But there is something to be said about his mishandling of second-tier players when it comes to free agency. We’re already heading into January with the league’s biggest names off the market, and there still isn’t much traction with Alonso beyond a rumored three-year/$90 million declined from the Mets, as reported by Carlos Baerga.
Considering past free-agent handlings of Scott Boras, starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery’s 2024 offseason sticks out. Montgomery famously fired Boras last offseason. He was projecting a five-year/$100 million+ and settled on a one-year $25 million with the Arizona Diamondbacks just ahead of Opening Day. Sure, it’s an advantage for the Mets’ front-office t0 sweat the market as it’s a strategic financial approach – Especially considering the prospective values for which Goldschmidt/Walker/Santana went for. It’s allowed for those signings to create a perimeter around what the Mets could offer Alonso in his slot. However, the “Polar Bear” has established himself as a power-hitter who has remained healthy and consistently shows up in the postseason – Making him certainly worthy of a generous offer.
“Who’s on First, What’s on Second, And I Don’t Know’s on Third”
While this “sizable gap” in negotiations on both ends has halted a definitive infield-projection for the Mets, there are a couple things to consider when it comes to the existing roster and who is available. David Stearns has already stated that Mark Vientos is their third baseman for the upcoming 2025 season. As for the prospective first baseman, Alonso has posted a .249/.339/.514 slash line, .853 OPS with 226 home runs and 586 RBI since his 2019 rookie season. The Mets have also been in talks with highly sought-after [free agent] third baseman Alex Bregman. At 30-years-old, Bregman has put up a .272/.366/.483, .849 OPS, with 191 home runs and 663 RBI since his 2016 debut. When it comes to fielding, Fox Sports has Alonso at a .992 Fielding Percentage and Bregman at .972 in 2024. If the Mets were out on Alonso and/or signed Bregman – They’d likely move Vientos to first, and you could expect to see Jeff McNeil [Brett Baty/Luisangel Acuña] at second with Bregman at third.
What’s the Deciding Factor?
Bregman (unless willing to play second) would not necessarily be a “cost effective” alternative. Both are 30 years old with relatively similar stats – Alonso was initially projecting a contract floor five-years/$160 million, and Bregman is projecting a contract of $200 million for six. The infielder-demand is showing AAV range of $12-20 million for one-to-three-years respectively. It’s hard to imagine Cohen/Stearns would sign only Bregman, especially at an inflated value for which he’s seeking. In a perfect world the Mets would add both, but if there is only one option – Bringing Alonso back makes the most sense.
