Last week, with the New York Mets refusing to accept Pete Alonso’s demands of a short deal with a high average annual value (AAV) and multiple opt-outs, it was reported that the most likely scenario involved player and team going in separate ways.
However, multiple reports this week suggest that the Alonso-Mets saga is not over. The two sides have been communicating, and there is a chance that he will wind up in Queens after all.
“NEWS: The Mets aren’t actually done courting Pete Alonso, per @ByRobertMurray. The reality is that Alonso returning to the Mets is still on the table. The two sides have talked recently and it’s clear that each side is the best fit for each other,” Mets Batflip wrote on X.
On Monday, Anthony Santander signed a five-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, which is not good for Alonso’s market because the Jays were one of his top suitors. Now that they have their big bat in the former Oriole, they are much less likely to pursue the longtime Met, although it is not impossible.
The Mets make the most sense for Alonso and vice versa
In the end, New York is probably the most logical landing spot for the slugger, who hit 226 home runs as a team member from 2019 to 2024.
Alonso’s playing position hasn’t helped his free agency case because he has little defensive value, but there are worse things than having a slugger capable of sending 40 balls over every year in the middle of the lineup. He also boasts a .854 career OPS, so his game is more than just power.
The Mets aren’t opposed to bringing back Alonso, but it will have to be on their terms if recent developments are any indication.