Pete Alonso agreed to a one-year, $20.5 million contract with the New York Mets in a move to avoid arbitration on Thursday.
The Mets were not able to come to terms on a contract extension with their superstar slugger, leaving his status up in the air after the 2024 MLB season commences.
Mets Prevent Arbitration, Give Pete Alonso $20.5M Contract
Anthony DiComo of MLB.com shared insights into Alonso’s long-term outlook with the Mets:
“Although both sides have expressed interest in having Alonso remain a Met for years to come, no indications exist that the sides are close on an extension,” Dicomo said.
Alonso has been the backbone of the Mets’ offense since joining the team back in 2019. The three-time Silver Slugger Award winner helped the Mets win 101 games in 2022 and establish themselves as World Series threats that year.
His 192 home runs are the third-most by a player through their first five MLB seasons, trailing only Hall-of-Famer Ralph Kiner (215) and future HOF’er Albert Pujols (201).
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What are the Implications of Alonso’s 1-Year Deal With the Mets?
Extension talks were rampant even throughout November of 2023, though such fell through. Mets general manager David Stearns pushed back on the thoughts of dealing Alonso at the time, as rumors tied his name to the Chicago Cubs alongside other interested teams.
Alonso’s $20.5M annual salary now ranks No. 2 among all Mets players in 2024, trailing Francisco Lindor’s ($34.1M) and on par with Edwin Diaz ($20.4M) and Brandon Nimmo ($20.2M).
With the gargantuan multi-year deals that several superstars have signed this offseason including Los Angeles Dodgers reigning MVP Shohei Ohtani, New York Yankees LF Juan Soto, and Japanese Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Alonso has that to wield to his advantage when negotiating a deal next time around.
