Mets’ Pete Alonso sheds more light on opt out, team’s potential future direction
Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) practices during a spring training workout at Clover Park. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
The New York Mets and Pete Alonso came together on a two-year, $54 million contract with an opt-out after year one. But recent comments from the slugger have made the future much clearer.
The Polar Bear came out of hibernation earlier this month with just a few days to spare before pitchers and catchers reported for duty. It was a long and arduous winter, but returning to the Mets was widely believed to be the course of action for Alonso, and so it was.
It may not be a long-term relationship, however, with the opt-out built into the contract after 2025. The slugger even spoke about his deal earlier this week, calling it “a bridge thing just to get to the next contract.”
With the way Alonso’s free agency played out this offseason, giving it another go next winter could prove to be more of the same for the first baseman. It could also turn out to be far worse.
The slugger believes it was the qualifying offer that hurt his market in free agency, though it could be something else hurting it in his next attempt. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will also be a free agent, serving as the biggest prize on the market, while playing the same position as Alonso.
Read more: New York Mets listed as a favorite to land upcoming Blue Jays free agent
If Alonso does, in fact, opt-out, as his quote from earlier this week may indicate, it is highly likely the Mets will pivot to Guerrero, who is much more than just a home run hitter. Alonso’s best ability is his power stroke, while Guerrero has as much power as Alonso while adding a better average and on-base ability.
It would take a much larger deal than the Mets gave Alonso to land Guerrero, but spending and spending big has been the name of the game in Queens since Steve Cohen arrived and opened up the purse strings.
The Mets have proven to be major players in any big-name free agent of late, even signing Juan Soto to a 15-year, $765 million contract, the largest in the history of professional sports. Guerrero’s contract would not be at the same level as Soto’s, though it will not be too far off.
2025 looks to be an interesting year in Queens, to say the least. Alonso is in the fold now, but if his intentions are to exercise his opt-out at the end of the year, the Polar Bear may need to find a new igloo to call home for 2026 and beyond.
