The Pete Alonso market might be coming down to a short-term deal, people briefed on the matter said.
League sources confirmed a report from SiriusXM analyst Jim Duquette, a former New York Mets general manager, saying Alonso’s camp offered the Mets a three-year deal with opt-outs. Duquette reported the offer was only available to the Mets. The former exec added that Alonso’s agent Scott Boras declined to comment.
A willingness from Alonso’s camp to go short-term on a deal marks an important development. But even if such a contract length may be closer to the Mets’ comfort zone, it’s hard to say whether negotiations have improved without knowing the dollar figures. It’s also possible that other teams are interested in Alonso.
The Athletic reported on Dec. 16 that after committing to a record contract length (15 years) for Juan Soto, the Mets eyed more additions but preferred short-term pacts.
Since that date, the market for first basemen saw a flurry of activity with Alonso being a notable exception. Alonso, 30, entered the offseason as the best available first baseman and the No. 8 player on The Athletic’s Free Agent Big Board.
A reunion between the Mets and Alonso remains a logical outcome. Alonso is a homegrown star and fan favorite. However, based on conversations with people familiar with the situation, it’s likely that contract length became a sticking point.
At the offseason’s outset, The Athletic’s Tim Britton projected Alonso to receive $140 million over five years. Alonso’s camp could argue he deserves as much because of his high-end power and track record for durability. Through his age-29 season (3,607 plate appearances), Alonso has 226 homers. He has missed just 24 games over six seasons. Last season, he played in all 162 regular-season games, plus 13 more in the postseason.
Still, while some scouts and executives across the league see Alonso continuing to hit home runs at a strong pace, they wonder how the rest of his game will age. He does not walk at a particularly high rate and doesn’t play above-average defense.
If the Mets don’t re-sign Alonso, they could acquire someone else for first base or bring in someone new to play third base and move Mark Vientos to first. However, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Mets liked their alternative internal options for third base (Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio, etc.) enough to give them a try.
(Top photo of Pete Alonso: Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images)
