After a stellar debut season that saw him hit 53 home runs and win the Rookie of the Year title, New York Mets slugger Pete “The Polar Bear” Alonso is set to become a free agent at the end of the 2024 season.
Alonso was selected by the Mets with the 64th overall pick in the second round of the 2016 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft and broke into the big leagues in 2019. Alonso burst onto the scene in his rookie year, hitting .260 with 53 home runs, 120 RBIs, 103 runs scored, and a .941 OPS in 161 games, winning the Rookie of the Year title along with the home run title.
Alonso’s “power” may have been a little less sophisticated, but it was there. Alonso hit 16 home runs in 57 games in the shortened 2020 season, and then followed that up the next year with 147 hits, 37 home runs, 94 RBIs, 81 runs scored, and a .262 OPS of .863 in 152 games, proving that his rookie impact wasn’t just a flash in the pan.
Alonso also had a breakout year last year. He played in 160 games and finished with 162 hits, 40 home runs, 131 RBIs, 95 runs scored, and a .271 OPS of 0.870. While he didn’t top the 53 home runs he hit in his rookie season, he did improve on most of his hitting metrics, including hits, RBIs, and slugging percentage, making it a virtual “career-high” season.
He’s a little less polished this year, but the power is still there. Alonso, who will be a free agent after the 2024 season, is hitting just .219 in 125 games, but he’s made himself valuable with 100 doubles, 39 home runs, 96 RBI, 73 runs scored, and an OPS of .838. The Mets recently offered Alonso a contract extension, but the two sides were unable to reach an agreement on an extension, raising the possibility of a trade.
“Pete Alonso has been one of the Mets’ signature players since his debut in 2019,” MLB.com reported on Aug. 31 (KST). But will the slugger still be in New York when the 2024 season opens?” “Alonso is expected to make tens of millions of dollars in salary at the end of next season. According to sources, the Mets have had discussions with Alonso’s camp about an extension, but the two sides appear to have different ideas about the type of deal.”
With 31 games to go, it’s hard to say what Alonso, who has 185 arches in 655 games over five major league seasons, will be worth at this point. However, MLB.com estimates that Alonso, who is set to hit free agency, will command around $21 million for the 2024 season. With that in mind, Alonso will likely be looking for a contract worth $30 million per year. However, it’s clear that the Mets’ offer didn’t appeal to Alonso. 메이저놀이터
‘MLB.com’ quoted a source as saying, “The Mets made an offer that was not insulting, but not enough to convince Alonso to waive free agency. But the offseason is still a long one. There’s no rush to finalize anything right away,” but added that “the Mets could explore trade possibilities in the coming months.” The main reason for this is that we don’t know what the Mets will have in 2024.
The Mets spent an astronomical amount of money before this season to build a “winning team,” including a Cy Young one-two punch. However, after taking the lid off, the results were very disappointing, and the Mets parted ways with Max Scherzer (now with the Texas Rangers) and Justin Verlander (now with the Houston Astros) ahead of the August 2 trade deadline, as they waived their no-trade rights and walked away after being told that the Mets were not looking to win a championship in 2024.
“If the Mets don’t build a closer relationship with Alonso this offseason, they could let him walk rather than risk losing him for draft compensation picks,” MLB.com reported. “The Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs were among the clubs that talked to Alonso before this year’s trade deadline. Given the shortage of first basemen in free agency this year, more teams could be in on Alonso.” Hinting at a possible trade, one team executive added, “Absolutely,” when asked if Alonso could be traded.