Pete Alonso may have a four-word message for interested teams — “Prices just went up.”
The five-time MLB All-Star slugger Alonso has a significant ask in free agency, Sean McAdam and Chris Cotillo of MassLive reported on Tuesday. Alonso is “likely” seeking either a six-year or a seven-year deal on the open market.
MassLive’s report notes that Alonso’s asking price is likely to have gone up with Tuesday’s news about Kyle Schwarber, a fellow NL power hitter. Schwarber just agreed earlier in the day on Tuesday to an enormous $150 million contract in free agency.
The 31-year-old Alonso, who is represented by Scott Boras, has been with the New York Mets for his entire MLB career since 2019. But Mark Feinsand of MLB.com also reported Tuesday that the Mets may be reluctant to go beyond three years for Alonso, setting the stage for a potential breakup between the two sides.
Alonso played in all 162 games last season for a second consecutive year. He also did very well at the plate, batting .272 with 38 home runs and 126 RBIs to bring his free agent value close to a peak.
If the Mets are not willing to meet Alonso’s ask, it is possible that there are some outside suitors who are. We just heard earlier this week that Alonso was set to meet with a couple of notable AL teams during Winter Meetings in Orlando, Fla.
