Insider: It'll Be Difficult for Blue Jays to Beat Mets' Pete Alonso Offer
![Oct 6, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets first base Pete Alonso (20) runs the bases after hitting run in the sixth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies during game two of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images Oct 6, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets first base Pete Alonso (20) runs the bases after hitting run in the sixth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies during game two of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3537,h_1989,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/inside_the_mets/01jjpsxh2ewq6pxpr4nr.jpg)
As spring training quickly approaches, it does not seem like New York Mets' free agent first baseman Pete Alonso is anywhere close to signing with a major league ballclub.
Despite reports swirling last week that the Toronto Blue Jays and Alonso were in "deep talks", it still seems pretty unlikely that any deal will get done for the 30-year-old first baseman anytime soon, especially since there were multiple conflicting reports on the matter.
While the Blue Jays appear to be the likely team for Alonso to sign with if the Mets decide to move on completely from him, SNY's Andy Martino believes Toronto's offer to the Polar Bear may not be as good as New York's previous offers. Speaking on Monday's episode of Baseball Night in New York, Martino said it could be "tough" for the Blue Jays to match what the Mets initially offered Alonso, especially after signing outfielder Anthony Santander to a five-year, $92.5 million contract.
"The final Mets offer that Alonso turned down -- that's gonna be tough for him to beat with the Blue Jays," Martino said. "That was the $70 million that we talked about for three years, additional deferred money. That could've been a real win probably in what the ultimate dollar figure would've looked like for Alonso. Given what the Blue Jays gave [Anthony] Santander-- it was in the 60s after the deferred money -- they're probably not gonna get as good an offer from Toronto as they've already gotten from the Mets, and turned down from the Mets."
"There's no reason for the Mets to rush. The final Mets offer that Alonso turned down, that's going to be tough for him to beat with the Blue Jays"@martinonyc discusses the latest on Pete Alonso on Baseball Night in New York https://t.co/63Y2X6i2pK
— SNY (@SNYtv) January 28, 2025
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Most notably in Santander's deal with the Blue Jays, there is $61.75 million in deferred money and a player opt-out after the 2027 season.
Martino also said that the ongoing Alonso contract negotiations could drag on for quite a while and could reach into the spring when the Mets are already in camp; this would likely result in a delayed start to Alonso's 2025 season, similarly to J.D. Martinez last year.
"I'm still getting an expectation that if he comes back it's gonna take a while," Martino said. "It seems like we could easily get to spring training where this is still a topic. And if Pete re-signs, it could be when the Mets are already in camp. There's no reason for the Mets to rush."
It is hard to believe that Alonso is still a free agent as February approaches, especially since his 226 career home runs since entering the league in 2019 are second behind Aaron Judge. But after turning down a seven-year, $158 million contract extension during the 2023 season, the first baseman slashed just .240/.329/.459 with 34 home runs, 88 RBI, and a career-worst .788 OPS across 162 regular season games in 2024.
With the Blue Jays seemingly unable to afford Alonso, a conclusion to the slugger's free agency doesn't appear to be in sight right now.