Pete Alonso is staying with the Mets, but it’s not quite the deal anyone expected. The first baseman has agreed to a two-year, $54 million contract with an opt-out after 2024 – a far cry from the long-term security both sides seemed to want.
Here’s where it gets interesting: Alonso actually turned down a seven-year, $158 million extension from the Mets in 2023, as reported by the New York Post. That’s a decision that might keep him up at night.
The timing made sense then. Alonso led MLB in homers over the previous five seasons and looked like he was heading toward an even bigger payday. But baseball has a way of humbling even its biggest stars.
Last season wasn’t what anyone had in mind. Alonso hit 34 home runs – still good enough to rank 12th in the majors, but his lowest total in a full season. His overall offensive numbers dipped for the second straight year. That $200 million contract he might’ve been dreaming of? It vanished pretty quickly.
“While Alonso’s decision might appear foolish in retrospect, he was, at the time, the major-league leader in home runs the previous five seasons, and by a considerable margin,” wrote Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
This new deal feels like another bet on himself. If Alonso can recapture his form hitting alongside Juan Soto in the Mets’ lineup, he could opt out after 2024 and try free agency again. The math isn’t exactly in his favor though – he’d need to land a five-year deal worth more than $107.5 million just to beat what he turned down last year.
At 30 years old, Alonso’s facing an uphill battle. Power hitters typically don’t age like fine wine, and his recent numbers aren’t trending in the right direction. But maybe that’s exactly what will fuel him in 2024. Sometimes a little disappointment can be one hell of a motivator.
