NEW YORK -- Until the ink dries on a Pete Alonso contract elsewhere, there will always be a chance he returns to the Mets. Owner Steve Cohen acknowledged that much during a panel discussion at the team¡¯s Amazin¡¯ Day fanfest event at Citi Field, sounding very much like a person convinced Alonso won¡¯t be coming back.

¡°This has been an exhausting conversation in negotiations,¡± Cohen said, comparing the Alonso talks to the Juan Soto negotiation earlier this offseason. ¡°Soto was tough. This is worse.

¡°A lot of it is, we¡¯ve made a significant offer. I don¡¯t like the structures that are presented back to us. I think it¡¯s highly asymmetric against us, and I feel strongly about it.¡±

Earlier this week, significant rumors surfaced connecting Alonso to the Blue Jays. The Angels and Giants are among a group of other teams that have either reportedly or speculatively been linked to Alonso. And, of course, the Mets.

¡°I will never say no,¡± Cohen said. ¡°There¡¯s always the possibility. But the reality is we¡¯re moving forward, and we continue to bring in players. As we continue to bring in players, the reality is it becomes harder to fit Pete into what is a very expensive group of players that we already have. And that¡¯s where we are.

¡°I¡¯m being brutally honest. I don¡¯t like the negotiations. I don¡¯t like what¡¯s been presented to us. Listen, maybe that changes. Certainly, I¡¯ll always stay flexible. If it stays this way, I think we¡¯ll have to get used to the fact that we may have to go forward with the existing players that we have.¡±

At that point, an assembled group of fans -- many of whom had begun the session by changing ¡°We want Pete!¡± directly at Cohen -- burst into applause.

How the rest of the offseason unfolds remains to be seen. More than two weeks remain before the official start of Spring Training, and Alonso¡¯s agent, Scott Boras, is infamous for continuing to negotiate well beyond that point. Six years ago, Boras struck a late agreement with Manny Machado and the Padres after camp had opened. Cohen and the Mets gained personal experience with the tactic last year, when they signed J.D. Martinez in late March.

The Alonso situation is different, however, largely because it involves a player who has been a lifelong Met. When it comes to Alonso, emotions run high. Drafted by the organization in 2016, Alonso ranks third on the Mets¡¯ all-time home run list with 226 and has been a fan favorite throughout his career.

Still, Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns appear to have drawn a clear line in terms of their interest in retaining Alonso. Two years ago, when Billy Eppler was general manager, Alonso reportedly rejected a seven-year, $158 million extension offer. His market has since cratered, due in part to a lack of league-wide interest in allocating significant dollars on first basemen, and in part to Alonso¡¯s own regression. Now 30 years old, Alonso has seen his slugging percentage dip in three consecutive seasons and his OPS diminish in two straight. He did not receive an MVP vote last season for the first time in three seasons.

A New York Post report recently pegged the Mets¡¯ offer to Alonso at three years and around $70 million.

¡°Look, I think we all love Pete,¡± Stearns said. ¡°We¡¯ve said that many times. And I think as we¡¯ve gone through this process, we¡¯ve continued to express that. We also understand that this is a business, and Pete as a free agent deserves the right, and has the right and earned the privilege, really, to see what¡¯s out there. We also feel really good about the young players who are coming through our system who have the ability to play at the Major League level.¡±

At that point in Stearns¡¯ speech, the crowd responded to him with a mixture of cheers and boos.

¡°We saw that last year,¡± the president of baseball operations continued. ¡°And that¡¯s not always the most popular opinion. But we saw that last year, and we¡¯re going to need to see it again.¡±

If Alonso does not return, the Mets will most likely shift Mark Vientos over to first base -- a move that Vientos said he¡¯s amenable to making. Both he and Brett Baty have been working out at first in recent weeks, while free-agent addition Jesse Winker has also expressed interest in doing so. If Vientos moves to that position on a full-time basis, the Mets could fill in third base with any combination of Baty, Luisangel Acu?a, Ronny Mauricio, Jared Young and Luis De Los Santos.

Much will become clear in the coming weeks, as Alonso draws closer to a decision.

¡°We¡¯ve made a significant offer to Pete, and what David said is correct -- he¡¯s entitled to go out and explore his market,¡± Cohen said. ¡°And that¡¯s what he¡¯s doing.¡±