Last June, the Mets tried again to sign Pete Alonso to a long-term contract.
Through his agency at the time, Apex Baseball, he received a seven-year offer worth $158 million. At the time, the Mets’ baseball operations department, led by general manager Billy Eppler, was trying to sign Alonso to a multi-year deal that would include a final arbitration season in 2024 and six more years after that.
The bid was influenced by fellow first baseman Matt Olson, who signed an eight-year, $168 million extension with the Braves before the 2022 season. The difference is that Olson was signed two years before he became a free agent. Alonso has just one year left until he becomes a free agent. So the Mets’ offer reflects the final seven seasons of Olson’s $153 million contract, which includes Olson’s 29-year-old walk year of $21 million and six years of free agency for $132 million. It was equivalent to
Alonso will turn 29 that year, so he will surpass Olsson’s total from that age onwards. The offer was also designed to be more attractive because it was worth more in “present value” than Freddie Freeman’s six-year, $162 million free agent contract with the Dodgers. The players association calculated the current value of the contract to be approximately $148 million due to the extensive delays.
Adam Caron, who was Alonso’s lead agent at the time, had a policy of not discussing details of negotiations with reporters when he represented the Mets first baseman, and when contacted, he did not comment. refused. But he heard the two sides never came close to an agreement. And without that extension, and with the Mets not reaching non-contest status, the club discussed Alonso in trade talks in July, specifically with the Cubs.
When David Stearns took over as president of baseball operations after last season, he immediately removed Alonso from trade talks. At the winter meeting, I asked executives from two teams who thought they should be in the market why they felt the market wasn’t open. They pretty much imitated each other: 1. Stearns didn’t want to start his tenure by infuriating the fans by trading such a popular player… 2. He didn’t want to start his tenure by infuriating the fans by trading such a popular player… I knew it was only one year, not one year plus. The previous July, the Eppler administration was overwhelmed with July proposals. 3. Speculation that even if the Mets were out of the race this July and tried to trade Alonso like they did during the offseason, the return wouldn’t be much different.
Steve Cohen also didn’t seem overly enamored with the fan negativity that would result from trading Alonso.
“I have nothing to add to this other than what I have said publicly,” Stearns said in a text message. Both Stearns and Cohen have said they want to sign Alonso to a long-term contract.
In addition to Eppler to Stearns, the other big change in this story was Alonso’s decision to hire Scott Boras as his representative late last season.
Boras is at the center of a major storyline surrounding New York’s team this season. Alonso may not have been available at the last Winter Meetings, but an elite hitter was offered — Juan Soto to the Yankees. And Soto is also on a walk year and is being represented by Boras, who has a history of usually letting his best players become free agents.
Speaking on Jack Curry’s Yankees News & Views podcast, manager Hal Steinbrenner said he would discuss extending Soto’s contract during the season. “Hal and I are always happy to talk,” Boras wrote in a text message. But it’s hard to imagine a situation where, say, what the Yankees offer in July won’t get Soto Boras this far, and we don’t know how much money he’ll get in an open bid.
Soto rejected a 15-year, $440 million contract extension from the Nationals before being traded to the Padres during the 2022 season. In the two seasons since, he’s earned $54 million, including $31 million this year from the Yankees. That was why he was able to reject Washington. Soto knew he could make life-changing money in his remaining two arbitration seasons.
Shohei Ohtani’s 10-year, $700 million contract, the richest in history, is worth $46.08 million annually, including a huge deferral for luxury tax purposes. If the Yankees were to offer Soto a flat fee of $47 million for 12 seasons, for a total of $564 million, would that happen? By the way, I’ve never offered Boras a contract that’s too low an idea, and why would Soto need to be signed until his age-37 season when Aaron Judge turns 39, etc. I think that’s what I’m saying here. On the contrary, it’s $564 million, which even Steinbrenner might think is crazy. And you wonder how many teams as special and young as Soto play in that area?
One possibility is the Mets, led by Cohen, who would likely do both with Cohen’s generosity, especially if Alonso goes elsewhere.
In a phone conversation, Boras didn’t need to oversell Soto, who has integrated well with the Yankees. Boras simply said, “Just use the word ‘special.'” ”
Boras had more words to say about Alonso. He knows he’s going to fight the industry’s rejection of big contracts worth more than $200 million for aging first basemen like Miguel Cabrera, Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder. ing. It is a refusal of players in their 30s (Alonso will turn 30 in December) to play the corner position.
Boras was given contract extensions for Olsson and Paul Goldschmidt (5 years, $130 million), and for Freeman because Freeman is two years older than Alonso when he becomes a free agent. Therefore, the reward was refused.
“The market for a true mid-major slugger who consistently hits 40 home runs, is durable and can play as an infielder is what matters,” Boras said. “Please note that there are no players available in free agency and no players coming.” [in the next few years]. Additionally, he is proven to be from New York, which is an unanswered question for many other than Pete as well.Elite-level durability and productivity at its peak [29], which is something most MLB teams simply don’t have. They will covet the opportunity to have access to such talent in free agency. ”
Alonso has hit at least 40 home runs three times, tying him with Nolan Arenado for the most by any active player. Of the eight other active players who have done it at least twice, six are in the midst of long-term deals, the others being J.D. Martinez and Joey Gallo, who turn 37 in August. Since joining the team in 2019, Alonso leads the majors in home runs with 202 (as of the weekend), followed by Aaron Judge (185), Kyle Schwarber (183) and Olson (182). During that time, he played the third-most games (727) behind Marcus Semien (745) and Freeman (743).
Will Alonso reach 40 home runs for the fourth time, one more than any other player in Mets history combined? Can Soto match Judge and win MVP in a year of walks? This is part of a season within the New York season, a storyline that unfolds over the course of a year.
