Pete Alonso has the making of any MLB team cornerstone, and this is why some New York Mets fans were surprised to hear that the team and the first baseman are currently not in discussion for a new contract.
The 29-year-old became a free agent in November last year and is still playing in his $20.5 million contract.
What he and the Mets are going through is not an impasse but only a move to prevent distraction while the team looks to improve their disastrous campaign in 2023.
"We haven't had any discussion and I think at this point, for Pete, it's best for him to go and have a great year and not be distracted," Mets owner Steve Cohen said on Sunday during the team's spring training.
Fans have every reason to feel worried about Pete Alonso's contract extension.
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He instantly turned heads when he came to Major League Baseball in 2019. He was drafted in 2016 as a 64th overall pick and worked his way up through the Brooklyn Cyclones.
He has been to three All-Stars, two straight from 2022.
Alonso was also named National League Rookie of the Year and All MLB First Team member in the same year.
He is set to get paid in his next contract, and former Mets manager Buck Showalter believes the organization should do everything it can to keep him in New York.
"Whatever they decide there, believe me someone will love to have Pete on their club," Showalter said last month.
"I hope he's one of those guys that plays their whole career in one place because it would be great for the fans, but somebody else will make those decisions. He's gonna be able to pay the bills."
Scott Boras and his magnificent work as agent
Getting paid is what will happen next for Alonso. Whether it will be with the Mets or not remains to be seen.
He recently signed up with a new agent in Scott Boras last fall, and the latter always gets the best deal for his clients.
Cody Bellinger, Juan Soto, Masataka Yoshida, Matt Chapman, Gerrit Cole, and Jordan Montgomery are active high-profile figures in Boras's portfolio.
His style includes seeing out the free agency for players under his company to get the best deal.
Cohen said he and Boras already have an established professional connection and a "good conversation."
Mets do not hesitate to spend
The good thing about the Mets' situation with Alonso is that the team is not afraid to spend big on the market.
They had the most expensive roster in 2023 at $353 million and could repeat it this year.
Currently, their state rivals, the New York Yankees, have the highest payroll at $290 million, and the Mets have already spent $283 million.
Cohen believes they have what it takes to become a playoff team right now, having missed that stage last season.
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