Pete Alonso continues as a free agent after failing to sign with any team after several obstacles in the way, and the New York Mets are getting further and further away from keeping him in their ranks, and now the Toronto Blue Jays seem to be the strongest team to sign him.
As the offseason draws to a close, it is incredible that a player of Alonso’s quality is still without a team, and even more so that the Mets have not taken him.
The offers Alonso rejected from the Mets
In 2023, Alonso rejected a six-year, $158 million offer, and also turned down an offer from the New Yorkers for three years and around $70 million, which led the Queens team to turn the page with Alonso, leaving a gap at first base.
The slugger is looking for a deal that will pay him around $200 million, an amount that not all teams are willing to pay for a player who is about to turn 31 years old, and especially with the enormous uncertainty of his level that declined last season.
His agent, Scott Boras, believes that his player is worth more than what has been offered, and this is the same feeling among fans, especially those of the Mets, but stubbornness could lead Alonso to a more uncomfortable situation than he might have imagined.
Mets owner Steve Cohen also does not agree with the negotiations, but is confident that Alonso can be a little more flexible and re-sign him.
The Mets are in no rush to sign Alonso
Andy Martino, an analyst specializing in MLB, said that: “There is no reason for the Mets to rush. The Mets’ final offer that Alonso turned down will be difficult for him to beat with the Blue Jays,” according to essentiallysports.com.
He added that it is difficult for Alonso to receive a better offer than the one made by the Mets, especially considering that the Toronto team already spent a good amount on the signing of Anthony Santander.
With spring training just around the corner, Pete Alonso will have to make a decision soon.
Negotiations between the Mets and Alonso appear to be at a standstill, and now another big-spending team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, has entered the fray. Along the way, another problem has just emerged for the slugger, as the New Yorkers have expressed interest in signing pitching star Max Scherzer.
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