When the Mets host Amazin’ Day at Citi Field on Saturday, there will be plenty of big appearances and events to please the fans.
Newcomer Juan Soto, Mets legend Mike Piazza and MVP runner-up Francisco Lindor will all be in attendance in some capacity.
One familiar face will be noticeably absent.
Pete Alonso, who has spent all six of his professional seasons playing for Mets fans, is still without a contract in his first shot at free agency. And whether or not those fans will have another opportunity to cheer on the four-time All-Star first baseman is still very much up in the air.
On Thursday afternoon, SNY’s Andy Martino reported Alonso and the Blue Jays were advancing in talks on a deal, although nothing was imminent. Suddenly, the Mets faithful were staring at a more reasonable reality that the Mets would be moving forward into the 2025 season without Alonso.
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Throughout the free agent period, the Mets front office has walked a tight rope in the negotiations to try and bring back Alonso, who turned 30 years old in December and is coming off one of his worst offensive seasons of his career, at the right cost and terms.
After inking Soto to a record $765 million deal, fortifying the starting rotation by bringing back Sean Manaea and adding Clay Holmes and Frankie Montas in late December, the market for Alonso had still yet to be defined.
Some clarity in the first base market came before the holiday when Paul Goldschmidt received $12.5 million for one season from the Yankees. Then, Carlos Santana signed a one-year deal worth $12 million with the Guardians and Christian Walker got the biggest deal at the position this offseason: $60 million over three years.
Talks between the Mets and Alonso, along with his agent Scott Boras, reportedly broke down after the first baseman was offered between $68 and 70 million over three seasons with potential opt-outs and deferred money last week.
The Mets began to spread their resources around elsewhere when they brought Jesse Winker back on a one-year, $7 million deal, and made a big investment in the bullpen by prying A.J. Minter away from the Braves on a two-year, $22 million contract.
Alonso’s value has taken a big hit after he was reportedly offered a seven-year, $158 million deal during the 2023 season. Despite tagging 46 home runs and driving in 118 runs that campaign, Alonso batted a career low .217. Last season, Alonso set new career lows over a full season in home runs (34), RBI (88) and OPS (.788).
Pete Alonso’s highlights with NY Mets
Alonso provided some of the season’s most clutch moments, including a critical go-ahead three-run home run in the ninth inning in Game 3 of the Mets’ National League Wild Card Series-clinching win over the Brewers and 10 RBI in the postseason. He also became only the second Met to play in all 162 regular-season games.
And he’s a homegrown Met, playing within the organization since he was drafted in the second round of the 2016 MLB Draft. He’s provided joy to the Mets’ fans with a pair of Home Run Derby crowns and a scintillating rookie campaign with 53 home runs to take home the NL Rookie of the Year crown.
NY Mets face free-agent decision on Pete Alonso
But the Mets front office’s job, despite David Stearns and Steve Cohen being fans of the team, is to separate emotion from reason.
With the Blue Jays now sweeping in, the Mets must decide whether it is worth drawing a hard line in the sand on money and length of contract or if they can afford to extend to bring back a homegrown fan favorite and one of the best power bats in franchise history.
