5 reasons why the New York Mets are making a huge mistake not re-signing Pete Alonso

The New York Mets have had an eventful offseason, and there may still be dominoes left to fall before Opening Day. However, it’s looking like the team has shifted their attention away from bringing back beloved first baseman Pete Alonso. There are five main reasons why this strategy may backfire heading into 2025. All statistics are sourced from Baseball Reference.

Of course, the Mets made one of the biggest splashes in baseball history by signing Juan Soto to a 15-year, $765 million deal in December. Soto is undoubtedly one of the best hitters in the sport, but New York’s lineup would look a whole lot thinner without Alonso in it. It would be a mistake to assume that Soto’s bat alone can carry the team through the year.

New York’s lineup would appear to be pretty stacked at the top, with Francisco Lindor, Soto, Vientos and Brandon Nimmo comprising it in some order. After that, there are a bunch of question marks. Danny Abriano of Yahoo Sports wrote that the “Mets need serious reinforcements for their roster right now regardless of what the Los Angeles Dodgers have done.”

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Jeff McNeil hasn’t shown the same consistency at the plate in recent years, while catcher Francisco Alvarez hasn’t yet proven he can be a force for an entire year. The Mets have a lot of faith in youngsters Ronny Mauricio and Luisangel Acuna, but it’s anyone’s guess as to how they’ll perform with the spotlight squarely on them in 2025.

The narrative surrounding Pete Alonso’s defense at first base is that he is a liability at the position. While that may have been the case when he first came to the big leagues, Alonso has improved immensely with his glove. Tim Boyle of Rising Apple wrote that “the Polar Bear has learned to play first base beyond major criticism.”

Zachary Rotman of FanSided pointed out that “Alonso is a better defender than people give him credit for.” While it’s unlikely Alonso will ever be good enough to win a Gold Glove, his play at first base coupled with his production at the plate still makes him an attractive option. The Mets may have the ability to trot out a strong defensive infield anyway, which would mitigate Alonso’s shortcomings, real or perceived.

Alonso has put everything into his defensive improvement throughout his MLB career, and it’s shown. Will Sammon of The Athletic talked to Alonso in 2023, and the MLB star said that he worked to drop his weight as the years have gone on, which has allowed him to play more nimbly on his feet.

The fact of the matter is that both Alonso and agent Scott Boras had unrealistic expectations for what a new contract would look like heading into the offseason. It’s an unfortunate reality that Alonso and Boras have to digest, but it puts the Mets in the driver’s seat when it comes to negotiations. New York probably never thought Alonso’s market would be this cold.

According to MLB’s website, Alonso reportedly turned down a seven-year, $158 million extension during the 2023 season. To demonstrate how much things have changed, the New York Post reported that Alonso turned down a three-year contract worth $68-70 million in January 2025. The dollars have dropped considerably, but maybe the Mets can still do right by the Polar Bear.

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It would be bad business for the Mets to revisit giving Alonso $158 million again, but it seems like giving him $100 million for the next three to five years would be a happy middle ground. Alonso and Boras might continue to play hardball, but their options have dwindled down with spring training drawing ever closer.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that Alonso has been a tremendous Met from day one. He’s set home run records for MLB and for the team throughout the course of his six-year career. He’s played nearly every single day, improved his defense, and has been a valued teammate throughout his time in the Big Apple.

Not counting the abridged 2020 campaign, Alonso has hit at least 34 home runs in every single season. While naysayers of his would point out that 2024 was a down year for the slugger, he still bounced back from a batting average perspective, hitting 23 points higher than he did in 2023. Betting on Alonso for 10 years might be risky, but for five years or less, it’s reasonable to believe he continues to match that production.

Alonso was very vocal during the 2024 season about his desire to “pop bottles” with the Mets, which refers to his wish to lead the franchise to the promised land. ESPN wrote about Alonso’s playoff pumpkin, which he proudly displayed as New York went on a surprise run in October 2024. It’s hard to find players more committed than Alonso, and his departure would leave a huge void in the lineup and the locker room.

As previously touched on, the Mets are riding a bit of a high these days. No one expected them to make the NLCS in 2024, but a clutch band of brothers continued to defy the odds. Alonso was literally and figuratively right in the middle of that, and saying goodbye to a central figure during one of the most magical rides in recent baseball history would be a shame.

New York seemingly moved Heaven and Earth to bring Juan Soto to Queens. While Mets fans are happy that owner Steve Cohen was able to reel in the big fish, it would be hard to comprehend losing a franchise cornerstone for what will seemingly be a greatly reduced price tag for Alonso. Fans spend their teams’ money all the time, and it might be hard for Mets supporters to wrap their heads around this concept in a sport that doesn’t have a salary cap.

It doesn’t look like Alonso will end up back with the Mets, but the New York Post’s Mike Puma wrote in late January, “it still makes so much sense for Mets and Pete Alonso to reunite.” The Mets might believe they’re doing the right thing, but will have to deal with a likely scenario involving Alonso reclaiming his place as one of MLB’s best power threats in another uniform.