If the New York Mets wanted to keep Pete Alonso around long-term, the front office and Steve Cohen would’ve made the right decision a year ago and signed him to a long-term contract.
The reality of the situation is that it was easy; the Mets failed to keep Alonso happy and instead took him back on a short-term deal.
Looking ahead to this winter, not only is Alonso continuing to swing the bat at a ridiculous level, but some believe that the Mets' past moves could have an impact on what he wants to do.
Is Pete Alonso leaving the Mets?
If Alonso didn't feel loved by the Mets last free agency, who's to say they'll give him any love this time around? When predicting where players might end up in the National League East, Christopher Kline of FanSided predicted that Alonso would leave in free agency, noting last year's blunder.
“If there was any market at all last winter, Alonso probably would've found a new home. After another excellent regular season, it feels like Alonso should enter a healthier marketplace this go-around. He has a $24 million player option, but he should be willing to sacrifice a little bit of 2026 compensation if it means more security in the years come.
“That puts the Mets in a tough spot. There isn't a clear internal replacement, certainly not one on Alonso's level. He has .268/.346/.521 splits with 33 home runs and 112 RBI so far this season, giving New York the perfect slugger behind [Francisco Lindor] and Juan Soto at the top of the lineup. But this is the Mets we are talking about, so Steve Cohen should gladly spend money on a more youthful replacement, perhaps with a bit more defensive value,” he wrote.
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First basemen are tough to gauge on the open market, considering many don't believe they deserve to get paid handsomely.
For Alonso, the all-time leading home run hitter in Mets history, that might be different.
It's something Cohen has to consider, as many fans would love him back.