Getty Mets called perfect fit for Pete Alonso.
The New York Mets are expected to be aggressive in free agency, but one prediction has the team re-signing Pete Alonso.
Alonso is a star first baseman for the Mets, and several suitors are interested in him in free agency. But, in Tim Kelly’s Perfect Fits article for Bleacher Report, he says the Mets are the perfect fit for a reunion with Alonso.
“There may be a hesitancy from teams to commit to power-hitting first basemen into their 30s, but because of that, you’re no longer seeing the contractual lengths players such as Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder and Adrián González once got at the position…,” Kelly wrote. “Pete Alonso has hit 40-plus home runs on three occasions. Last season was seen as a down year, and he still hit 34 home runs with 88 RBI and a .788 OPS.
“He’s entering his age-30 season, and we’ve projected a five-year, $135 million deal. Is that really that much of a risk for one of the elite power hitters in the sport? The four-time All-Star returning to the Mets might be depedent upon whether they sign Soto. But if he signs elsewhere, Alonso would be one hell of a fallback option,” Kelly added.
If the Mets don’t sign Soto, re-signing Alonso does seem like a priority. The star first baseman is a middle-of-the-order bat for the Mets who adds some much-needed pop to the lineup. Defensively, Alonso is also a solid first baseman who can save some hits and runs.
Alonso Wants to Remain With Mets
Alonso has spent his entire with the Mets and his goal is to remain in New York.
The first baseman is one of the top free agents available and after the Mets were eliminated from the playoffs, he made it clear he wanted to remain in New York.
“Honestly, I haven’t really thought of anything [beyond that],” Alonso said. “I love this team. I love this organization. This fan base has treated not just myself, but my family so, so well. Right now, I’m just thinking of the group.
“We’ll see what happens. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” Alonso added. “But I love New York. I love this team. I love playing in Queens. This group is really special, and the memories that we’ve created together are just, wow. This is why we play baseball.”
Alonso was selected in the 2016 MLB draft by the Mets. He’s a four-time All-Star and former Rookie of the Year.
Mets GM Comments on Alonso’s Free Agency
New York is one of the top teams in the MLB and the goal for the Mets in 2025 is a World Series.
The Mets were eliminated by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS. After they were eliminated, general manager David Stearns was asked about Alonso’s free agency and he said it would be emotional if Alonso left.
“We’re all emotional, so yes,” Stearns said. “There are emotional parts to me as well. We all want to do really well. It’s really difficult to strip away all emotion as you do these things. Certainly, we try to implement processes that help us with that. But Steve grew up a Met fan. I grew up a Met fan. That’s always going to be a part of us.”
The Mets did make their first big move of free agency signing starting pitcher Frankie Montas.
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