The New York Mets’ season is officially over after falling just one game short of making the playoffs. Once the best team in baseball, the Mets now finish the year on the outside looking in. This collapse will go down as one of the worst in baseball history. Now, all eyes are on Pete Alonso and whether he will return to Queens.
If the Mets want to keep him, they’ll need to be prepared to pay. According to Spotrac.com, Alonso is projected to command a $176 million contract. He has delivered countless memorable moments for the franchise and is now set to hit free agency in search of a major deal.
After the Mets’ final game of the season against the Marlins, Alonso declined to commit to returning:
“Playing for this organization, this city - they've continued to believe in me. I love playing here. There's some great guys in this clubhouse, some great people on the staff. Every single day, it's been a pleasure coming to work and putting on the orange and blue. I've really appreciated it and have been nothing but full of gratitude every single day. Nothing is guaranteed, but we'll see what happens - I've loved being a Met. Hopefully, they've appreciated me the same,” Alonso told the media.
One potential twist in free agency? Alonso joining the crosstown rival New York Yankees—a move rarely seen in the city's baseball history.
“It's whether Alonso would be willing to do this to Mets fans. It wouldn't be quite as much of a Benedict Arnold situation as if he signed with the Braves or Phillies. However, with the exception of Dwight Gooden going from the Mets in 1994 to the Yankees in 1996—with a year off in between for a failed drug test—examples of key NYM FAs signing with NYY have been basically nonexistent. The Yankees do kind of owe the Mets one, though, for outbidding them on Juan Soto this past winter,” Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller wrote.
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
If Alonso were to land in the Bronx, it would be one of the most dramatic outcomes of the offseason. His power bat in the Yankees’ lineup—and the inviting short porch at Yankee Stadium—would be a nightmare for opposing pitchers.
Alonso is reportedly seeking a six-year deal, and the Yankees are expected to be aggressive. If they outbid the Mets, it would be the ultimate punch in the gut for Mets fans.