Key Takeaways
- • Mets owner Steve Cohen said the team has "made a significant offer" to Pete Alonso but finds the structures presented "highly asymmetric against us," and acknowledged the Alonso negotiations have been "worse" than the Juan Soto talks this offseason.
- • Cohen said the Mets are "moving forward" and that adding players makes it harder to fit Alonso into an already expensive roster, though he said he will "never say no" to a return.
- • A New York Post report pegged the Mets' offer at three years and around $70 million, according to MLB.com.
- • If Alonso departs, the Mets are expected to shift Mark Vientos to first base, with Brett Baty, Jesse Winker and others as alternatives.
- • Scott Boras, Alonso's agent, is known for negotiating late into spring training, and more than two weeks remain before camp opens.
Summary
Mets owner Steve Cohen acknowledged during a panel at the team's Amazin' Day fanfest at Citi Field that a return by Pete Alonso remains possible until he signs elsewhere, but his remarks suggested the club has largely moved on. Cohen described the negotiations as "an exhausting conversation," comparing them unfavorably with the Juan Soto negotiation earlier this offseason, and said he does not like the contract structures the team has been presented with. "I'm being brutally honest," Cohen said, adding that the club may have to proceed with its existing roster if the situation does not change.
Cohen said the Mets are "moving forward" and continuing to add players, and that each addition makes it harder to fit Alonso into what he described as a very expensive group. He noted that rumors linking Alonso to the Blue Jays surfaced earlier in the week, and that the Angels and Giants are among other teams linked to him. Cohen also said the club has "made a significant offer" and that Alonso is entitled to explore his market.
President of baseball operations David Stearns echoed that the club loves Alonso but views the decision as a business matter, saying Alonso has earned the right to see what is available. Stearns said the organization feels good about young players in its system. Per a New York Post report cited by MLB.com, the Mets' offer is around three years and $70 million. Alonso reportedly rejected a seven-year, $158 million extension offered two years ago under former general manager Billy Eppler, and his market has since weakened amid limited league-wide interest in first basemen and a recent statistical decline.
If Alonso does not return, the Mets would likely move Mark Vientos to first base, a shift Vientos has said he is open to. Brett Baty has also worked out at first, and free-agent addition Jesse Winker has expressed interest. Agent Scott Boras has a history of late agreements, including Manny Machado's deal with San Diego after camp opened, so the timing of a resolution remains uncertain.
Cohen said the Mets are "moving forward" and continuing to add players, and that each addition makes it harder to fit Alonso into what he described as a very expensive group. He noted that rumors linking Alonso to the Blue Jays surfaced earlier in the week, and that the Angels and Giants are among other teams linked to him. Cohen also said the club has "made a significant offer" and that Alonso is entitled to explore his market.
President of baseball operations David Stearns echoed that the club loves Alonso but views the decision as a business matter, saying Alonso has earned the right to see what is available. Stearns said the organization feels good about young players in its system. Per a New York Post report cited by MLB.com, the Mets' offer is around three years and $70 million. Alonso reportedly rejected a seven-year, $158 million extension offered two years ago under former general manager Billy Eppler, and his market has since weakened amid limited league-wide interest in first basemen and a recent statistical decline.
If Alonso does not return, the Mets would likely move Mark Vientos to first base, a shift Vientos has said he is open to. Brett Baty has also worked out at first, and free-agent addition Jesse Winker has expressed interest. Agent Scott Boras has a history of late agreements, including Manny Machado's deal with San Diego after camp opened, so the timing of a resolution remains uncertain.
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