The New York Mets opted not to pursue a Pete Alonso contract extension this offseason, making it very clear early in the winter that it wasn’t a realistic option. With the All-Star first baseman now popping up in MLB trade rumors, it’s becoming more evident why the two sides couldn’t agree to terms.
New York did make an attempt to extend Alonso’s contract. As previously reported, the Mets offered Alonso a seven-year deal worth north of $150 million. While the deal wouldn’t have made him one of the highest-paid MLB players, it would’ve provided him with one of the highest average annual salaries among first basemen. Ultimately, the offer was rejected and Alonso’s name popped up in MLB rumors months later.
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- Pete Alonso stats (FanGraphs): .240/.321/.476, .797 OPS, 129 wRC+, 14 home runs, 32 RBI, 1.0 Wins Above Replacement, 20.2 percent strikeout rate in 277 plate appearances
The Mets could never agree to terms on a trade for Alonso, though, there were substantial talks with the Milwaukee Brewers. A year later, New York is floating Alonso’s name in MLB trade rumors once more and there’s a legitimate chance he’s moved with an extension seemingly off the table.
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According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Alonso is expected to want a contract worth at least $200 million from whatever team he chooses to sign with in MLB free agency this winter.
- Pete Alonso contract: $20.5 million salary in 2024, MLB free agent in 2025
Why Pete Alonso’s contract demands might not be met
As of the 2024 season, per Spotrac, no first baseman in MLB is signed to a contract worth more than $182 million per season. Outside of Kris Bryant’s deal with the Colorado Rockies, one of the worst MLB contracts right now, only two first basemen (Matt Olson and Freddie Freeman) are signed to deals worth $160-plus million.
Alonso also doesn’t have the defensive ability at first base to boost his value. Entering MLB games today, Alonso ranks in the 12th percentile for Baseball Savant’s Fielding Run Value (-3) and he is in the 6th percentile for Outs Above Average (4).
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If Alonso’s agent is going to sell him to teams as a designated hitter, only one player at that position (Nick Castellanos, $100 million) outside of Shohei Ohtani is signed to a deal worth $100-plus million per season.
Furthermore, over the last two years, Alonso only ranks 8th among qualified first basemen in OPS (.814) and he would rank ninth among designated hitters over that span. Repped by agent Scott Boras, Alonso could quickly find out this winter that his asking price won’t be met. As some of Boras’s clients learned last offseason, it can be a very long winter if the contract demand isn’t lowered considerably.
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