New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso popped up in MLB trade rumors last summer with the club briefly shopping him around the league. A year later, MLB rumors in the lead-up to free agency cast further doubt on his future in New York.
Alonso, age 29, is a fan-favorite at Citi Field. The “Polar Bear” is on the verge of his sixth consecutive season with a .800-plus OPS and he has a shot at three consecutive seasons with 40-plus home runs.
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- Pete Alonso stats ( ESPN ): .243/.327/.473, .800 OPS, 30 home runs, 76 RBI, 29 doubles, 3 steals in 518 at-bats
However, Alonso has never come close to replicating his production from his historic rookie season, when he hit 53 home runs with a .941 OPS. In fact, Alonso’s OPS has progressively dropped year to year from 2021 to 2024, seemingly influencing how the Mets view him this winter.
Before Opening Day, the Mets front office made it very clear it wouldn’t sign Alonso to a contract extension. Months later, with the team near the bottom of the MLB standings and New York viewed as a seller, Alonso’s name popped up in MLB rumors as a trade candidate.
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He turned things around at the plate, entering MLB games today with a .250/.340/.483 slash line and .823 OPS from June 1 to August 1. During that 79-game stretch, the Mets posted a 48-31 record. Despite Alonso’s critical role in this midseason turnaround, the team’s thinking reportedly remains unchanged.
- Pete Alonso contract ( Spotrac ): $20.5 million salary, MLB free agent in 2025
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today , the Mets are still showing “no inclination” of a willingness to meet Alonso’s asking price ($200 million contract) this offseason. As a result, a departure is very much on the table.
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- New York Mets payroll 2025: $141.75 million
The Mets do have more than $100 million in payroll coming off the books this winter, giving them a significant advantage in MLB free agency. It’s also worth noting that the 2024 season was always viewed as a transition year for the franchise, with Mets owner Steve Cohen eyeing 2025 for a true turnaround.
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However, a majority of that money will likely be tied up in one player. The Mets will be in a heated bidding war with the New York Yankees for Juan Soto, with contract talks starting at $50 million per season. Given how long Scott Boras could make the Soto sweepstakes last this winter, the Mets’ money might be tied up too long for them to still keep Alonso.
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