As MLB free agency continues to progress, Pete Alonso is slowly being left alone as the most important figure who is still free. However, as time goes by, the situation is becoming dangerous for the player as he runs the risk of being left empty-handed, as he rejected an extension option from the New York Mets and this move has already put a very high price on his pretensions
Jim Duquette of MLB Network said last week that the rumors surrounding the Toronto Blue Jays had fallen apart, as the Canadian team signed a five-year, at least $92.5 million deal with outfielder Anthony Santander
While on SNY’s “Baseball Night in New York,” Andy Martino felt it was not feasible for the Blue Jays to match the offer made by the Mets for Pete Alonso, even though owner Steve Cohen called the negotiation a “grueling conversation and negotiation process.”
“The Mets’ final offer that Alonso rejected will be difficult for him to beat with the Blue Jays,” Martino explained
The expert argued his explanation: “Those were the $70 million that we talked about for three years, additional deferred money. That could have been a real win, probably, in terms of the final dollar figure for Alonso. Considering what the Blue Jays gave Santander, which was 60 million after the deferred money, [Alonso] is probably not going to get as good an offer from Toronto as they already got from the Mets and rejected.”
Cohen told fans at an event last Saturday that “he doesn’t like the structures that are being presented to us” in a rebuke to Alonso’s refusal to sign
Martino reported last week that the latest proposal exceeded $70 million in a three-year contract, including deferred money and other bonuses. However, he could not say whether the offer still stands for Alonso, should he change his mind
Where can Pete Alonso still go?
According to the specialized press, Alonso could go, in addition to the Blue Jays, to the San Francisco Giants or the Los Angeles Angels, although none of these teams has made the slightest hint to match the Mets’ offer
“I still have the expectation that if he does come back, it’s going to take a while,” Martino said of the possibility of Alonso deciding to stay in New York. “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 spring training. There’s no reason for the Mets to rush.”
Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns, along with Cohen, have agreed that there is still a market for the ‘Polar Bear’ to line up alongside Juan Soto, so the Mets still seem the most viable option, but negotiations could also extend at least until mid-February.
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