This MLB off-season has brought about a surprising development, but it’s not the Juan Soto trade everyone anticipated.
Instead, the ongoing saga of Pete Alonso’s contract negotiations has left many fans and analysts scratching their heads. Despite being one of the premier power hitters in baseball, sitting right alongside Aaron Judge, Alonso has yet to secure a long-term deal.
His agent, Scott Boras, is once again playing his signature waiting game-a strategy that hasn’t worked out too well for his clients in recent off-seasons, as evidenced by last year’s market.
For the New York Mets, Alonso’s status has been a source of confusion. Many had hoped that Alonso would form a lethal duo with Juan Soto, boosting the Mets’ chances of contending for a championship.
However, reports suggest there’s a significant gap between the Mets’ offer and Alonso’s expectations. While the Mets have reportedly offered $90 million, Alonso is holding firm at $200 million. Although there’s still work to do, recent updates show that negotiations between the Mets and Alonso are far from over.
For a while, it seemed like Alonso’s future with the Mets was all but decided-until the free-agent market began to dry up. With many notable free agents, including Christian Walker, already signing with other teams, the Mets may be taking advantage of the situation by waiting for Alonso to reconsider his demands.
According to Jon Heyman of PIX11 Sports, the Mets and Alonso are still in contact, with both sides hoping to close the gap. While the negotiation process remains tough, Heyman stated, “I think there is hope now to hopefully get something done… there is certainly still a gap in the negotiations. I think they’ve bridged a few things. They’ve compromised a bit.” For now, the Mets remain Alonso’s best option, and vice versa.
Scott Boras presents a new offer to the Mets
In a recent twist, Scott Boras has submitted a new proposal to the Mets. According to The Athletic, Boras has offered a three-year deal worth $93.3 million, including deferrals to lower the contract’s present-day value. The major highlight of this offer is the $31.1 million average annual value (AAV), which would set a new record for first basemen, surpassing Miguel Cabrera’s $31 million AAV from his eight-year, $248 million extension with the Detroit Tigers.
The deal also includes opt-out clauses, offering Alonso flexibility to pursue a better deal in the future if he chooses. While this offer is currently exclusive to the Mets, the possibility of Alonso joining another team-such as the San Francisco Giants-still looms. However, a reunion with the Mets appears to be the most logical conclusion to the saga.
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