Pete Alonso is slated to become a free agent after the 2024 season, and the first baseman told reporters (including Andrew Battifarano of the New York Post) that there hadn’t yet been any talks with the Mets about a long-term extension. The only discussions between the two sides centered around the one-year, $20.5MM pact Alonso signed in January to avoid salary arbitration.
Alonso said that he would “welcome the idea” of remaining with the Mets for the rest of his career, saying “I definitely have envisioned myself being a lifelong Met, that’s something I’ve definitely thought about. I love New York, it’s a really special place for my family….but I can’t predict the future. And for me, I just want to focus on this season.”
Interestingly, Alonso said he is open to negotiating after Opening Day, which is something of a departure from most players’ stances on contract talks. The majority of players set the opener as an unofficial deadline to complete negotiations so they can get into the season without any financial concerns weighing on their minds as they start play. This deadline often isn’t absolute, of course, as it is common to see extensions announced a few days or even weeks into April, if the two sides are close enough to a deal by Opening Day that there’s willingness on both sides to finalize matters.
It also isn’t too unusual to see players sign extensions with their current teams with just a year remaining until free agency, though Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns spoke about the difficulties of such deals (without naming Alonso specifically) during an interview back in January. Alonso is also represented by Scott Boras, whose clients tend to test free agency rather than sign extensions, though Jose Altuve’s recent extension with the Astros is one of a few high-profile examples of Boras Corporation clients opting to stay put with just a season to go before the open market.
If anything, there has been a lot more trade speculation about Alonso than extension buzz, though Stearns stated even in January that he was “pretty darn confident” Alonso would still be in New York’s lineup on Opening Day. A late deal could obviously still emerge in Spring Training if another team meets what is surely a big asking price, but if Alonso is dealt at all, a trade might be likelier closer to the trade deadline. Or, if the Mets are in contention at the deadline, a trade might simply not come at all, and the team will retain Alonso through at least a pennant race.
Alonso drew interest back at last year’s trade deadline, when the Mets responded to their subpar season by moving a lot of veteran players in an effort to cut some salary and (more importantly) add some younger talent to the organization. Alonso stayed put despite reported interest from teams such as the Cubs and Brewers, and Chicago has also reportedly inquired about Alonso’s services in trade talks this winter. The Cubs have since addressed first base by acquiring Michael Busch from the Dodgers, though that doesn’t necessarily close on the door on an Alonso deal, considering the DH slot or the possibility that Busch could be flipped to the Mets or perhaps to another team to create room.
Owner Steve Cohen would ultimately be calling the shots when it entails the type of mega-contract it would take to retain a top-tier slugger like Alonso. However, given how Cohen has finally landed Stearns to run the front office, it stands to reason that Cohen might not immediately overrule his PBO if Stearns doesn’t feel it would prudent to extend Alonso at the kind of price tag that Boras will naturally demand. Such contracts are also somewhat uncharted territory for Stearns, since apart from Christian Yelich’s extension, Stearns didn’t have the financial resources in his past job with the Brewers to consider locking up star players as they approached free agency.
