Mets first baseman Pete Alonso just went on the injured list for only the second time in his big-league career. He’s been a consistent presence in New York’s lineup since debuting in 2019. While he should be back on the field in a few weeks, what about his long-term future in New York?
Alonso and the Mets avoided arbitration this past winter by coming to terms on a one-year, $14.5 million contract. But at the end of last season, we were hoping that both he and Jeff McNeil would be signed to multi-year deals. MLB’s reigning batting champ got his deal, but the Polar Bear is still waiting for his.
He’s under team control through 2024 before he can test the free-agent market. There’s no way the Mets let him walk, right? It’s clear how important he is to this offense. Plus, New York has never developed this kind of premier power from their minor-league system before.
We know money shouldn’t be an issue with Steve Cohen in the ownership box. And with each homer Alonso hits, his eventual price goes up. It certainly seems like Alonso doesn’t want to go anywhere. Before Barstool’s Frank Fleming ragged on Daniel Vogelbach at Pete’s comedy event on Monday night, the slugger was asked about eventually testing the free-agent market. Here’s what he said:
I’ve been here, as a New York Met in the organization, since 2016 and they believed in me first and it’s really special. I love New York and right now, New York is home. I can’t predict the future but right now I love where I’m at and (the fans) are phenomenal and it’s such a great place to play. It’s really special.
And here’s the clip of him talking about it:
Pete Alonso was asked if he’s gonna test the open market in free agency: pic.twitter.com/ZHYtri0lpz
— The 7 Line (@The7Line) June 12, 2023
This is your typical baseball player response. Alonso did a lot of talking here and successfully danced around actually answering the question. That’s not a surprise. When asked about his long-term future over the winter (and on the heels of agreeing to his $14.5 million deal), he explicitly said he didn’t want to talk about it.
I’m not going to believe that Alonso won’t be a lifetime Met until I actually see it with my own two eyes. He loves New York, he loves playing for the Mets, and it’s hard to see a scenario where the organization doesn’t offer the kind of money that’d convince him to stick around. At least, that’s what I’m hoping for right now.
I’m once again asking for this man to be a lifetime Met, immediately. #Mets #LGM pic.twitter.com/hj63eNp9Mp
— Matt Musico (@mmusico8) April 24, 2023
You can reach Matt Musico at matt.musico@xlmedia.com. You can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
