It seems that Pete Alonso The era of Queens is coming to an end. SNY’s Andy Martino reported this afternoon that the Mets expect Alonso to sign elsewhere and have begun to turn their attention to other pursuits.
After initially facing a discrepancy over contract lengths, the parties have recently turned their attention to a shorter-term agreement. Will Sammon of The Athletic wrote this afternoon that Alonso and his representatives at the Boras Corporation offered the Mets a three-year contract with a high annual salary and one or more opt-out options. Sammon reports that the team responded with a three-year offer at a lower salary, which Alonso refused.
Joel Sherman and Dan Martin of the New York Post provide some details, reporting that the team’s offer came with an overall guarantee of between $68 million and $70 million and included opt-outs. Sammon writes that the Mets were willing to increase that guarantee slightly, although it appears there is still a large enough gap from Alonso’s asking price (which is not known) for the team to turn his attention elsewhere.
The Mets’ proposal clearly wasn’t to Alonso’s liking, which isn’t all that surprising. This is less than the initial guarantee of $80 million which Cody Bellinger landed when he returned to the Cubs in a loaded opt-out deal last winter. It now appears that Alonso will move on, even if the Mets have not yet invested all of their chips toward an alternate target. New York agreed to bring back Jesse Winker on a $7.5 million deal. He will act as a designated hitter and/or as a left-handed bench hitter. If Alonso actually works, New York will probably move Marc Vientos at first base and allow Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio And Luisangel Acuña battle for reps at third base.
The Post’s Jon Heyman writes that the Mets are now “heavily focused” on adding relievers. Sammon linked them to top free agent reliever Tanner Scott last week. Added a high leverage arm in front of the nearest star Edwin Diaz makes sense. A lefty would be an obvious choice given Danny Young is the only lefty in the bullpen at the moment. Scott is much more than a situational matchup option, but he has certainly shown himself capable of attacking the best left-handed hitters in the sport.
The Athletic reported this morning that the Blue Jays are among the teams still committed to Alonso’s camp. It is unclear whether these discussions also involve a short-term deal. Jim Duquette of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM first reported last week that Alonso’s camp was offering a three-year, opt-out-only term to the Mets with the goal of remaining in Queens. He may still be looking for a longer-term contract with other teams, although it’s unclear if that type of proposal will be on the table anywhere.
