Free agency is a chance for teams to drastically make over their rosters going into 2025.
Over $1 billion worth of contracts will be distributed this offseason, in large part because of what Juan Soto will sign for. However, several other players will also be signing nine-figure contracts.
Teams will have to determine which free agents fit best for their team and how they will age throughout their long-term contracts.
There are those who have already paid off, like Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, while others (see Anthony Rendon and Javier Báez) are just albatrosses that teams will have to eat.
It’s always an exciting time when your favorite team signs a high-priced free agent, but that shine can wear off quickly.
That’s why one MLB insider is wary of teams signing this power-hitting first baseman.
Related: Beloved New York Mets announcer has interesting ‘gut feeling’ prediction about Pete Alonso’s future
MLB insider says teams need to be wary of Pete Alonso
ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel believes teams should avoid Pete Alonso this offseason. The four-time New York Mets All-Star will be commanding a long-term deal which could turn sour sooner rather than later.
“Alonso turns 30 in December, is coming off the worst power season of his career and has essentially never been a clear positive on the basepaths or defensively while playing the least valuable position on the field. These are the basic first arguments that have been commonplace in the game since Moneyball started the analytics era: Never give top-of-the-market money to players like this,” McDaniel wrote.
His RBI total, slugging percentage, and OPS dropped in each of the last three seasons with the Mets, while his strikeouts rose. He also hit 34 home runs in 2024, his lowest full-season total in his career.
McDaniel predicts Alonso will sign a six-year, $159 million contract, but who will fork over that deal for him? His market could drastically shrink if the Mets sign Soto.
“Given his history of production, I could justify paying something in the $100 million to $110 million range if I stretched, but signs point to the back end of any nine-figure deal potentially looking very bad for the team that signs him,” McDaniel concluded. “If I were a GM, I just think I could spend my free agent dollars better than this kind of investment in Alonso alone — such as by getting Christian Walker for less than half of what Alonso will likely be guaranteed and spreading the rest of that money out on names from the section above.”
