Getty The New York Mets could sign Juan Soto and Pete Alonso in free agency.
After a disappointing New York Mets‘ 2023, the Mets did little in the offseason to indicate they were looking to win the World Series in 2024, adding no big-name free agents and failing to sign Pete Alonso to a long-term extension.
The 2024 offseason could be different, though, because the Mets will be able to sign Alonso and another big star, the New York Yankees’ Juan Soto, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.
“You say, ‘Well do you do [Alonso] instead of Soto?'” Rosenthal said in an April 30 BetMGM appearance. “If you’re [Mets owner] Steve Cohen, you probably can do both.”
Fair Territory!
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On Pete Alonso’s pending free agency:
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale also said the Mets are expected to “jump into the free agent market next winter.” However, Nightengale wrote in March 2024 that he did not expect the Mets to retain Alonso.
Mets’ Current Stance on Pete Alonso’s Contract
Before this season, Alonso signed a one-year, $20.5 million deal with the Mets, avoiding arbitration. Cohen has stated that the team wants to keep Alonso in New York but would likely have to do so after the season ends.
“We’re always open to conversation, but he’s earned the right to explore his value,” Cohen said on the February 26 episode of the “Meet at the Apple” podcast. “I’m highly supportive of all players doing that. Just like we ended up figuring it out with Edwin Díaz and Brandon Nimmo, it would be my hope that we do the same with Pete.”
Alonso said on April 20 he loves being part of the Mets but that he “can’t predict the future.”
“I definitely have envisioned myself being a lifelong Met, that’s something I’ve definitely thought about,” he said on “MLB on Fox.” “I welcome the idea, but I can’t predict the future.”
Cohen said that the team would not prioritize one player over the best internet of the entire organization. However, he said he hoped Alonso “hits 55 home runs and makes it so difficult on [him] in free agency.”
Juan Soto’s Free Agency
While Alonso will be one of the hottest free agents available, Soto will be the top target this winter. The 25-year-old outfielder is set up for a big payday. Soto has already won four Silver Slugger Awards and has been named an All-Star three times.
“The Mets payroll is going to become a lot more flexible after this season,” Rosenthal said. “I don’t know if it’s wise, necessarily, to have Soto at, say, $500 million, Lindor at $340 [million] and then Alonso at $200 plus [million] if that’s what it’s going to take. At the same time, the Mets certainly have not hesitated in their recent past, under Cohen, to spend big dollars.”
Signing Soto will certainly not come cheap. Soto signed a $31 million contract this offseason, setting the record for an arbitration-eligible player. Soto wants to sign a long-term deal and “just finish in that one spot,” according to ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez.
Whether it’s the Yankees or elsewhere, Soto does not want to test the market again. He mentioned his former teammates Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts and Manny Machado, who all signed long-term deals, when discussing his desires, according to Gonzalez.
“Long contracts,” Soto said, “because they know they’re going to finish their career right there. Anything can happen in the future. Maybe they get traded. But that’s going to be on them if they want to get traded, instead of going to free agency and trying the market again. They just know they’re going to be there for a long time.”