Nobody in the New York Mets‘ clubhouse or front office wants to turn their attention to the upcoming offseason, but they may have no choice unless they turn things around.
The Mets are 2-8 in their last 10 games and 15-26 since August 1. They’ve left the door open for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cincinnati Reds, and San Francisco Giants to fight for the National League’s third and final Wild Card spot, which the Mets currently hold.
One of the Mets’ cornerstone players, first baseman Pete Alonso, will play a pivotal role down the stretch of the regular season. Will this year be Alonso’s last in Queens?
Mets’ Pete Alonso Predicted to Negotiate New Contract
Since 2018, only four players have hit more home runs than Pete Alonso’s 260. Aaron Judge (307), Kyle Schwarber (291), Shohei Ohtani (274), and Matt Olson (261). He became the Mets’ franchise leader in homers on August 12, surpassing Darryl Strawberry’s previous record of 252.
But just last offseason, there was no guarantee Alonso would have that opportunity. The Mets and Alonso were reportedly far apart in contract negotiations throughout the winter, eventually re-signing him to a two-year, $54 million deal with a player option for the 2026 season.
Jackson Roberts of Fastball on SI predicts Alonso will opt out of the second year of his contract with the Mets and seek a longer-term deal.
“There’s little doubt that Alonso will decline his $24 million player option, but now that there’s no qualifying offer attached to him, there could be more suitors than there were last winter,” Roberts wrote Sunday. “It’s very tempting to pick the Seattle Mariners or even a rogue option like the Los Angeles Angels, but Alonso wants to be in New York, so all the Mets have to do is match bids.”
Mets owner Steve Cohen has shown he’s not afraid to spend money in the free agency market to improve his club, signing outfielder Juan Soto to the largest deal in professional sports history in December 2024. Other teams will need a first baseman, but New York could be adamant on retaining Alonso.
Other Teams Who May Show Interest in Pete Alonso
As Roberts mentioned, the Mariners and Angels are two AL clubs that could offer Alonso a contract this winter. Spotrac predicts Alonso’s upcoming market value is somewhere in the neighborhood of a six-year, $174 million contract.
The Mariners made a mid-season trade to acquire Josh Naylor from the Diamondbacks, but he will reach free agency at season’s end. The largest contract ever awarded by the Mariners was to second baseman Robinson Cano in 2014, a 10-year, $240 million deal.
One of the more promising young talents on the Angels’ roster is primary first baseman Nolan Schanuel, but at just 23, it would be a vast decision for Los Angeles to move on from him so quickly if they were to sign Alonso.
The Mets appear to be the best landing spot for Alonso, especially with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. signing a long-term extension with the Toronto Blue Jays. The Blue Jays reportedly pursued the slugger last offseason.
If contract negotiations between New York and Alonso work smoothly, he should be able to spend the rest of his career extending the Mets’ all-time home run lead with a competitive team seeking its first World Series title since 1986.