Across the majors, most clubs in need of a first baseman have found their match in free agency. The New York Yankees signed Paul Goldschmidt, the Houston Astros agreed to terms with Christian Walker, the Arizona Diamondbacks traded for Josh Naylor, and the Cleveland Guardians reunited with Carlos Santana.
Meanwhile, the New York Mets have remained at a stalemate with first baseman Pete Alonso.
Alonso has spent his entire career with the Mets, who drafted him in 2016. The four-time All-Star and 2019 NL Rookie of the Year has become a fan favorite — and for good reason. Alonso’s 226 home runs through six seasons are third-most in Mets history and trail only New York Yankees star Aaron Judge since 2016. He has also led the majors with 586 RBIs, which are sixth all-time in Mets history.
Mets aren’t close to matching Pete Alonso’s asking price
Despite their history together, neither the Mets nor Alonso seem willing to give each other any preferential treatment. There is a “sizable gap” between the Mets’ offer and Alonso’s asking price, according to Jon Heyman of The New York Post.
Former Mets infielder Carlos Baerga revealed details about the negotiations in a social media post on Thursday night. According to Baerga, the club offered Alonso a three-year, $90 million contract with annual opt-out options. Alonso’s goal, however, has been $200 million. The industry expectations are that the outcome will be a short-term deal with a high average annual value.
Despite Alonso’s success with the Mets, the reality is that he’s viewed as a declining player. The 30-year-old’s average exit velocity has dipped below the 90th percentile over the past three seasons, per MLB Savant. That decline is particularly worrisome for a player who is already one-dimensional. Alonso has limited defensive range, and his sprint speed is in the 26th percentile.
Heyman also reported that the Mets are considering other options at first base. One alternative would include moving third baseman Mark Vientos to first base and giving young players like Brett Baty or Ronny Mauricio an opportunity at third base.
Still, working things out with their homegrown first baseman would likely be the best path forward for New York. In 2024, Alonso hit .240 with a .788 OPS, 34 home runs and 88 RBIs.
