Pete Alonso’s free agency situation has finally come to an end.
After going several months of negotiating with multiple teams and trying to figure out a deal, Alonso has decided to return to the Mets on a short-term contract.
The contract is for two years with a player option after the first year. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Alonso will make $54 million guaranteed as part of the deal, including $30 million in the first year.
Alonso seemed to be frustrated that he was not getting the type of contract he was seeking in free agency, and it seemed like he wanted to return to the Mets. The Mets had been frustrated with the negotiations and dug in, refusing to give Alonso the type of long-term deal he was seeking. Apparently the rest of the market did not materialize the way Alonso had hoped, which led him to circle back to the Mets and make with them.
What’s interesting is the timing of the move. This happened two weeks held a fan event during which team owner Steve Cohen was blunt with Mets fans regarding the Alonso situation.
“This has been an exhausting conversation and negotiation. Soto was tough, this is worse,” Cohen said, referring to Juan Soto’s negotiations.
Cohen saying that to the fans was a good move, because it gave them an understanding of why a deal hadn’t happened. It also allowed Cohen to speak to Alonso without agent Scott Boras as a go-between.
Steve Cohen’s handling of the Pete Alonso issue at Amazin’ Day was genius because he gave the fans a reasonable explanation for the impasse while at the same time speaking directly to Alonso, without Boras as the go-between.
— Kelley Franco (@threeinningfan) January 28, 2025
Alonso returning to the Mets just feels right. The 30-year-old was a second-round pick by the Mets in 2016 and made it to the majors in 2019. That season, he bashed a league-high 53 home runs and won NL Rookie of the Year.
Alonso has been an All-Star for three seasons running and four overall during his career. He has a career .249 average with an .854 OPS. Alonso also is durable and played in 162 games during the regular season last year.
The only team for which Alonso has played is the Mets. That will remain the case — at least to begin the 2025 season.
