Inside The Mets

Mets' Pete Alonso reflects on free agency experience, motivation for 2025

Mets' slugger Pete Alonso addressed his lengthy free-agent process and whether he is extra motivated because of it.

John Sparaco

Feb 17, 2025; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) practices during a spring training workout at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Feb 17, 2025; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) practices during a spring training workout at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
In this story:

First baseman Pete Alonso made his long-awaited arrival at spring training in Port St. Lucie on Monday. For the first time since agreeing to return to the New York Mets, the four-time All-Star fielded questions about his lengthy free-agent process.

Coming off a down offensive year by his standards, Alonso did not find the market he likely expected this offseason, leaving him among the last top free agents and first basemen to come off the board.

Ultimately, he settled on a two-year, $54 million deal (with an opt-out) to return to the Mets in early February—giving him a chance to reset his market. When asked if he felt extra motivated to perform this year, Alonso emphasized that his drive stems more from a desire for team success than personal achievements.

“Making a run like that in ‘24, you realize how much has to go into getting there but then also getting over that hump and into the World Series,” Alonso said. “That playoff feeling, playing that high-leverage baseball, that’s what it’s all about. That is the most addicting feel I’ve ever had on a baseball field, and it’s just motivation to get back, get better, and finish the job.”

Alonso: "You bet on yourself every single year."

Alonso, 30, appeared in all 162 regular-season games in 2024, finishing with 34 home runs, 88 RBIs, and a .240/.329/.459 slash line. He elevated his performance in the postseason, posting a .999 OPS with four home runs over 13 games to help propel his team to the NLCS.

Alonso’s 226 home runs since his 2019 debut are the second-most in MLB, behind only Aaron Judge’s 232 during that span. Despite being consistently regarded as one of the game’s top sluggers, his poor defensive metrics and declining OPS in recent years seemingly led some teams to hesitate in offering him a long-term deal in free agency.

In the summer of 2023, Alonso turned down a seven-year, $158 million extension offer before hiring agent Scott Boras, aiming to secure a larger payday on the open market. His bet on himself did not pay off this winter, but in hindsight, the Mets’ slugger says he wouldn't change a thing.

Read More: Pete Alonso on Mets return: 'For me this was it'

“I don’t really regret it because for me, every single step of the way, whether it’s high school, college, minor leagues, even through my six years [in MLB], you bet on yourself every single year,” Alonso said. He added that it would be “fantastic” to eventually sign a long-term deal with the Mets.

For at least one year, the homegrown star will protect prized free-agent addition Juan Soto at the heart of a Mets lineup that teammate Francisco Álvarez believes could be the best in the league.

Recommended Articles:

Published
John Sparaco
JOHN SPARACO

John Sparaco is a contributing writer for the Mets website On SI. He has previously written for Cold Front Report, Times Union and JKR Baseball, where he profiled some of the top recruits, college players and draft prospects in baseball. You can follow him on Twitter/X: @JohnSparaco

Home/News