Inside The Mets

Did This Pair of Signings Signal Mets Pivoting Back to Pete Alonso?

The New York Mets may have showed their intention to re-sign Pete Alonso with these two free agency decisions.

Grant Young

Oct 18, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets pitcher Ryne Stanek (55) walks towards the dugout following a strikeout to end the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game five of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Oct 18, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets pitcher Ryne Stanek (55) walks towards the dugout following a strikeout to end the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game five of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
In this story:

Another day has passed and it's still uncertain whether free agent slugger Pete Alonso will be re-signing with the New York Mets or another MLB team.

What's for sure is that the Mets have been busy adding other pieces to their roster since contract negotiations with Alonso seemed to stall in the middle of January. Since then, two of the notable additions New York has made are re-signing right-handed reliever Ryne Stanek to a one-year, $4.5 million deal on January 29 and then acquiring former Chicago Cubs infielder Nick Madrigal on January 31.

While the initial sentiment may be that these signings make it less likely that Alonso is returning to the Mets, SNY MLB insider Andy Martino explained why he believes the opposite is true in a February 3 article.

"Of all things, it was the Ryne Stanek signing that first signaled to me that this path remained somewhat open," Martino wrote regarding Alonso's free agency negotiations.

He later added, "When the Mets reached a deal with Stanek on Jan. 30 for $4.5 million, it signaled to me that they were leaving room for the possibility of a pivot back to Alonso."

Martino's reasoning with this is how the Mets were in conversations with one tier of relievers (such as Kenley Jansen) that would likely cost approximately $10 million per year. Stanek, however, cost them half of that — which was a money-saving maneuver on the Mets' end.

"That same thought occurred when the team likely filled its utility infielder vacancy by signing Nick Madrigal to a split contract that maxes out at $1.35 million," he added. "That is significantly less than a reunion with Jose Iglesias would have cost."

In other words, the Mets have made a concerted effort to spend a good deal less on their two most recent signings than they could have. Does this mean they're more likely to come to terms with Alonso? Fans surely hope so.

Recommended Articles:

Published |Modified
Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Mets and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

Home/News