Pete Alonso, the highest free-agent first baseman out there this offseason, has signed an settlement to stay with the New York Mets, in keeping with ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
It is a two-year deal for Alonso that’s price $54 million assured, per Passan. He’ll earn $30 million within the first 12 months and the settlement contains an opt-out after that first season. The opt-out signifies that Alonso must decide whether or not he desires to return for the 2026 season on a $24 million deal or re-enter the free-agent marketplace for a second straight offseason.
Alonso, 29, has spent his complete profession with the Mets. He made 4 All-Star Video games in six seasons and gained a pair of Dwelling Run Derbies.
General, Alonso has hit .249/.339/.514 (134 OPS+) with 226 residence runs and 586 runs batted in. His contributions had been price an estimated 19.8 Wins Above Substitute, in keeping with Baseball Reference’s calculations. This previous season, Alonso’s outputs slipped beneath profession norms, as he put up an OPS+ of 123 for a second straight season.
CBS Sports activities lately ranked Alonso because the winter’s Eleventh-best free agent. This is what we wrote:
Keep in mind, these rankings are assembled utilizing anticipated annual common worth as a guidepost — which means that gamers with profiles oftentimes disregarded by entrance workplaces shall be positioned decrease than you may’ve anticipated to seek out them based mostly on their expertise alone. Alonso is an affable slugger who has by no means did not homer 30-plus occasions over a full season. Alas, he is additionally a righty-hitting first baseman nearing his thirtieth birthday. Groups have proven they’re going to make exceptions for generational abilities, an Albert Pujols or a Miguel Cabrera, however Alonso falls in need of that measuring stick. It will not assist his case that he is seen his strikeout price enhance two years operating, even whereas (oddly sufficient) posting one of the best in-zone contact price of his profession. Our guess is that the best-case state of affairs right here is touchdown the Paul Goldschmidt deal plus inflation.
Just one free-agent first baseman has acquired greater than three years previously 5 offseasons: Freddie Freeman with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
That development continues in mild of Alonso’s deal.
Alonso joins Juan Soto in loaded Mets lineup
As famous above, there are some reddish flags in Alonso’s profile, and such issues had been little question mirrored by what’s a surprisingly modest contract for a embellished slugger who’s nonetheless not 30 years of age.
Wanting ahead, Alonso returns to a Mets lineup that now contains an elite offensive drive in Juan Soto, who earlier this offseason inked a document $765 million free-agent contract with New York. Maybe supervisor Carlos Mendoza will bump Alonso up from his common cleanup spot to bat third behind Soto within the two gap. Doing so would give the Mets a potent lefty-righty energy risk close to the highest of the lineup. It is not Soto-Aaron Decide, which the crosstown Yankees loved final season, however it’s nonetheless one thing of a nightmare for opposing pitchers.
Elsewhere, Alonso’s return to first base presumably signifies that the defensively restricted Mark Vientos will stay at third base as an alternative of shifting throughout the diamond.
Regardless of protracted negotiations and what from Alonso’s standpoint must be a disappointing market, each side will little question be happy that the fan-favorite slugger is again in Queens for not less than one other season. Talking of which, Alonso will enter the upcoming season in third place on the Mets’ all-time franchise residence run listing with 226. He trails simply Darryl Strawberry (252) and David Wright (242), so so long as Alonso stays wholesome this 12 months he ought to make a powerful push to set the Mets’ homer document.
