Mets Predicted to Retain Pete Alonso on Team-Friendly Contract

Will Pete Alonso and Mets agree on a shorter and more team-friendly deal?

Oct 18, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) celebrates his three run home run during the first 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

Despite the New York Mets making a ton of big splashes this offseason, with the biggest one being signing superstar slugger Juan Soto to a record-breaking, 15-year, $765 million deal, one move remains to be seen. That one move is, in fact, the uncertain future surrounding Pete Alonso.

After spending the first six seasons of his major league career with the Mets, the power-hitting first baseman is a free agent for the first time; no reported talks or negotiations between the two sides have been made public yet. And with many other teams across the league starting to fill their needs at the first base position, this prediction has Alonso ultimately caving on a team-friendly deal to return to Flushing, Queens.

Laura Albanese of Newsday is predicting that before this offseason comes to an end, both Alonso and the Mets will come together and agree on a "franchise-friendly deal."

"The other remaining first base options aren’t all that tantalizing unless the Mets decide to go for third baseman Alex Bregman and move Mark Vientos to first," Albanese wrote. "Sometimes, though, the easiest solution is also the best one, and it’s entirely possible Steve Cohen and Co. are waiting it out to barter a more franchise-friendly deal."

This latest prediction shouldn't come as much of a surprise, especially with the 30-year-old's market beginning to shrink and after having a down offensive season by his standards.

The Polar Bear slashed just .240/.329/.459 with a career-worst .788 OPS; his 34 home runs and 88 RBI are also his lowest totals in a full 162 game season (not counting the COVID-shortened season in 2020).

Despite his down year in 2024, Alonso has still proven to be one of the league's most prolific power hitters, as his 226 career home runs rank third all-time in franchise history and are the second-most in all of baseball since 2019 (over that span, Alonso is only six homers behind Aaron Judge).

With the New York Yankees signing veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, Christian Walker signing with the Houston Astros, Carlos Santana reuniting with the Cleveland Guardians, Josh Naylor being traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks, and Nathaniel Lowe being shipped off to the Washington Nationals, it is only a matter of time until Alonso and the Mets eventually come to an agreement.