By now, it’s pretty clear that the New York Mets have plenty of money. They are the wealthiest team in baseball and it might not be close. That, however, doesn’t mean they will go out and hand nine-figure contracts to every player they are interested in. It doesn’t work like that, and it might not be financially sustainable.
Pete Alonso is struggling to get a new deal
They do like Pete Alonso, who has hit 226 home runs as a member of the Mets since 2019 and has had more than his fair share of clutch, dramatic moments in recent franchise history. Alonso, evidently, wants to return. The team, or the league for that matter, is not willing to pay him what he and his agent think he’s worth, though.
That’s why he still hasn’t signed and fellow first basemen like Christian Walker, Paul Goldschmidt, and Carlos Santana have. Many teams have already solved their first base situation, with the Mets being one of the few exceptions. The Mets – Alonso marriage makes sense, but it might have to be in the former’s terms, not the latter.
The Mets are willing to be patient to get the best deal
“The longer Alonso goes unsigned, the more nervous Mets fans are getting. The homegrown talent has made no secret of the fact that he wants to continue his career in Flushing, but there are factors standing in the way — most notably, he had something of a down year last season and will command the sort of long, nine-figure deal that might just make David Stearns balk, especially considering they just committed 15 years and $765 million to Juan Soto,” Laura Albanese of Newsday wrote.
Albanese says that the Mets have the alternative of pursuing third baseman Alex Bregman and moving Mark Vientos across the diamond to first, but also said that sometimes “the easiest solution is also the best one, and it’s entirely possible Steve Cohen and Co. are waiting it out to barter a more franchise-friendly deal.”
Alonso’s .788 OPS in 2024 represented the first time he has posted a sub-.800 mark. In the postseason, however, he was a monster and hit four homers in 13 games, many of them in high-leverage spots.
The Mets are now playing the waiting game. As we get closer to spring training, Alonso’s price will likely keep dropping. It might seem cold, but it’s a valid approach.
