Pete Alonso, a free agent for the first time, is faced with a decision between his legacy with the New York Mets and maximizing his contract earnings. Despite six years of MLB service time, Alonso’s free agency has yielded lukewarm interest from other teams.
With other free-agent first basemen already committing to higher paydays, Alonso’s value in the market is dwindling. His current free agency exploration, which began three months ago, has not generated any offers worthy of comparison to Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s salary of $28.5 million in 2025, which is the current highest average annual value for a first baseman.
As he weighs his options, Alonso faces a critical reality check: the Mets, once eager to lock him up to a long-term deal, are now unwilling to meet his lofty expectations. An offer of around three years and $70 million, with opt-outs built-in, falls well short of the $158 million, seven-year extension Alonso was once said to have rejected in 2022.
If Alonso refuses to accept the current offer, the Mets are not obligated to pursue him further, leaving the window open for alternative suitors to step in. Meanwhile, it is reported that the team, under new President of Baseball Operations David Stearns, does not share ownership’s enthusiasm for Alonso’s signing. This perception may impact future negotiations.
Moreover, Steve Cohen, the owner of the Mets, recently stated that the contract negotiations with Alonso have been disappointing and expressed uncertainty about his prospects for staying in Queens. According to Cohen, the structure presented by Alonso’s agent, Scott Boras, is unfair, and he refuses to consider committing to Alonso before addressing his perceived issues with his marketability.
Cohen’s willingness to be upfront regarding his discontent presents a reality Alonso cannot ignore: the Mets cannot continue to waste resources on expensive contracts, regardless of the appeal of re-signing their former homegrown sensation. It now falls on Alonso to reconsider the importance he attributes to his on-field success as a slugger and whether loyalty to his favorite team can transcend the desire to maximize his monetary compensation. Ultimately, his ultimate decision could revolve around legacy, where commitment to his new team will secure his reputation while forgoing short-term gain to maintain the bonds he built on Citi Field.