The New York Mets may need to up the ante if they want to bring back first baseman Pete Alonso. Retaining him has been a priority for the Mets this winter, but they are currently far apart in contract talks, meaning that a reunion could be dead.
Mets’ Pete Alonso wants a Prince Fielder-type of contract
His agent, Scott Boras, has now set a price for the type of deal Alonso is seeking. According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, Boras used the nine-year, $214 million deal that former slugger Prince Fielder signed with the Tigers in 2012 as a means for comparison to what Alonso wants:
“While they’d like a reunion with the four-time All-Star who has hit 226 home runs, they simply aren’t willing to give him a long-term deal for at least $200 million, not after his career-worst .788 OPS last season. Then again, no one else is either. Teams are reluctant to eclipse Freddie Freeman’s six-year, $162 million contract and Matt Olson’s eight-year, $168 million deal while Alonso’s agent, Scott Boras, uses Prince Fielder’s nine-year, $214 million contract with Detroit Tigers in 2012 as a comparison,” Nightengale wrote.
For reference, Fielder only made it halfway through that contract before he was forced to retire due to injury. That’s the risk that comes with handing any player a massive deal, and it would appear that teams would like to avoid reaching that territory with Alonso.
The Mets should avoid handing Alonso that large of a contract
Giving Alonso that type of contract would take him to his age-39 season, which would make such a huge financial commitment a big risk for New York. The slugger hit 34 home runs with a 122 wRC+ last season, but given the lack of versatility in the field along with the volatility at the plate, a massive long-term deal may hurt them more than benefit.
The Mets have already signed a player to a mega contract this offseason, as they gave Juan Soto the most lucrative contract in sports history in early December. Additionally, they have Francisco Lindor’s 10-year, $341 million contract on the books, so they would have well over a billion dollars attached to three players.
Alonso is one of the game’s best power-hitting first basemen and is entering his prime as a player. However, a long-term deal may not be appealing to the Mets, and they may try to ink him on a short-term deal to protect their finances down the road.
Ultimately, the Mets and Alonso want a reunion, but if they’re not willing to agree on contract terms, the hefty asking price could end up having the star first baseman in a different uniform next season and beyond.
