What it will take to keep Pete Alonso with the Mets

The New York Mets have already done exactly what they planned to do in the 2024 offseason, signing Juan Soto to a truly absurd $765 million contract. But New York’s NL team is far from finished. Still hanging in the balance is their home-grown, four-time All-Star Pete Alonso, who remains a free agent.

The first baseman is likely to receive a new deal worth anywhere between $25 and $29 million a year. With Soto ($51 million) and Francisco Lindor ($34.1 million) both due major paydays next year, it’d be natural to assume the Mets are comfortable letting Alonso walk. But the Mets aren’t your typical team. Owner Steve Cohen has no issue raising payroll and paying whatever luxury tax penalties come with it.

Signing Soto gives the Mets some leeway if they are not successful in retaining Alonso. Soto represents a massive offensive upgrade and is four years younger. That doesn’t mean the Mets should be fine letting the Polar Bear go. He’s a fan favorite and two-time Home Run Derby champ who could be positively electrifying.

The Mets will have to show Alonso how much they value him. Here’s how they can do just that.

The Mets must show Pete Alonso that he is not an afterthought

In any other offseason, it would be an absurd notion that the Mets would consider Alonso an afterthought. Soto made this offseason different.

As is always the case, money talks, and the Mets need to offer Alonso a big payday. That’s not news. But in the aftermath of Soto’s deal, fans have gotten to see what else Cohen can offer. Soto is getting a suite for his own use during Mets home games. Cohen also smoothed out concerns the slugger had over his chef/driver and family members accessing the clubhouse in his New York Yankees days.

Additionally, Soto has a full no-trade clause, a hotel suite to use on road trips, four tickets behind home plate to each game, and personal security for him and his family. Then there’s his $75 million signing bonus and performance bonuses for such accolades as MVP awards, All-Star nods, Gold Gloves and Silver Sluggers.

It doesn’t matter that Alonso isn’t as good as Soto. The Mets need to show him how important he is to the organization. It would be absurd to offer him all the bells and whistles listed above, but there needs to be some sort of special treatment for someone who has become synonymous with the Mets over the last five years.

The Mets are hesitant to offer Alonso a long contract

With Soto on the books for the next 15 years and Lindor for the next seven, it’s understandable that the Mets wouldn’t want to lock Alonso into a deal that will run into his late 30s. As it stands, the 30-year-old could earn a five- or six-year deal in free agency. If the Mets can’t match the length, they’ll have to make up for it in dollars.

The good news there is that the Mets are in extreme win-now mode. They reached the NLCS in 2024, and with Soto in tow and Kodai Senga poised for a healthy return, the Mets are going to begin 2025 on the short list of World Series favorites. How they shape the rest of their rotation will determine the exact nature of their frontrunner status.

The contract that could keep Pete Alonso in Queens

Perhaps there’s a happy medium between a short-term deal and the type of contract that could look rough on the back end. Alonso will still be 30 on Opening Day, so a four-year deal with a mutual option for a fifth year could do the trick. Throw in a hefty buyout in case the Mets aren’t interested in a fifth year just to give Alonso some extra assurance.

Most expect Alonso to get somewhere around $25-27 million, so the Mets will need to top that to make up for the shorter-term deal. They won’t need to go crazy given how much Alonso loves New York, but they’ll need to do something. A contract worth $150 million over four guaranteed years with a mutual option for a fifth could suffice. That will give his deal an AAV of $30 million per year.