Back with Mets, Alonso soaking up special, 'happy' vibes
Anthony DiComo
@AnthonyDiComoPORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Over the past nine years, Pete Alonso has developed relationships with hundreds of players and dozens of coaches in the Mets organization. He has come to know trainers, public relations staffers and front office members. He¡¯s as much a part of the fabric of the current organization as anyone.
In another universe, much of that might already be in the past tense. Asked upon his arrival to Mets camp on Monday whether he came close to signing elsewhere this winter, Alonso offered a genial reply that didn¡¯t actually answer the question. He also spent the better part of a half hour espousing his happiness to be back on a two-year, $54 million deal.
¡°I think that the most fulfilling part is just the story continuing,¡± Alonso said.
In many ways, it was as if Alonso never left. Technically, he didn¡¯t. Now one of the longest-tenured Mets, Alonso hasn¡¯t played for another team -- it¡¯s possible he never will.
But this winter, Mets officials didn¡¯t always talk as if they expected Alonso to return. At one point deep in the offseason, owner Steve Cohen called the negotiations with Alonso and his agent, Scott Boras, ¡°exhausting.¡± Cohen stated clearly that the Mets were in the process of ¡°moving forward¡± without him. Even manager Carlos Mendoza noted that ¡°it wasn¡¯t easy¡± and the Mets ¡°didn¡¯t know which way it was going to go.¡±
Yet to hear Alonso speak, it¡¯s almost as if the entire episode never happened. From the jump, Alonso credited Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns with their idea to fly to Tampa in early February to talk things out in person. Alonso used the word ¡°happy¡± 11 times to describe everything from that meeting to his swing mechanics to the arrival of Juan Soto. At one point, when asked about Cohen¡¯s comments, Alonso responded: ¡°Oh. ¡ I mean, I¡¯m just happy.¡±
On the field, Alonso grinned and smiled, bantering with teammates and reuniting with staffers. At one point, a prominent Mets official glanced over and remarked: ¡°It just looks right, doesn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°I told him, ¡®Man, that uniform looks good on you,¡¯¡± Mendoza said.
Call it a happy reunion, if not quite a happy marriage. Early in his comments on Monday afternoon, Alonso spoke openly about his opt-out, calling this deal ¡°kind of like a bridge thing just to get to the next contract.¡± He believes having a qualifying offer attached to him hurt his market value.
Alonso also said he likes the idea of signing a long-term deal with the Mets, even though one didn¡¯t materialize this winter.
¡°I didn¡¯t have my best year last year,¡± Alonso said. ¡°But I definitely feel like I pushed the market forward a little bit -- for me, making $30 million as a first baseman this year, it¡¯s definitely an accomplishment for sure.¡±
A year and a half ago, Alonso reportedly turned down a $158 million extension offer from the Mets. Asked if he regrets not signing a long-term deal earlier in his career, Alonso replied: ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t really regret it because for me, every single step of the way of my career -- whether it¡¯s high school, college, Minor Leagues, even through my six years [in the Majors] -- you bet on yourself every single year.¡±
How that gamble plays out over the next 12 months remains to be seen. Even if Alonso has another season like he did in 2024, batting .240/.329/.459 with 34 home runs, he will probably be incentivized to opt out of the final year of his contract.
At that point, the Mets could draw the same sort of hard line that they did this offseason, welcoming Alonso back only on their terms. He could accept such an offer and become a Met for life, allowing the story to continue again. Or he could sign elsewhere and enter the unknown for the first time in his career.
In that sense, the reunion that occurred Monday was only a temporary patch.
¡°I hope at the end of the year,¡± Alonso said, ¡°it feels just as special as it does now.¡±