Ex-Mets 1B Mo Vaughn offers advice to free agent first basemen

Former All-Star slugger Mo Vaughn discusses his record-setting contract in 1998, the current first base market, Pete Alonso, and more.

Apr 15, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Former Boston Red Sox player Mo Vaughn (42) waves to the crowd at Fenway Park. Every player is wearing number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images / Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

Three years before he was traded to the New York Mets in December 2001, the Anaheim Angels made power-hitting first baseman Mo Vaughn the highest-paid player in baseball. 

Nicknamed the "Hit Dog" for his prowess at the plate and imposing frame, Vaughn was one of MLB’s most feared sluggers throughout the 1990s. From 1995 to 1998, the left-handed hitter accumulated 19.4 bWAR, hit 35 or more home runs in four consecutive seasons, and drove in 480 RBIs—60 more than Shohei Ohtani has amassed over the past four seasons, despite playing 10 fewer games.

He also earned three All-Star selections and won an AL MVP Award with the Boston Red Sox.

Vaughn entered the 1998-99 free-agent class following a standout 5.6 bWAR season, where he batted .337/.402/.591 (.993 OPS) with 40 home runs and 115 RBIs in 154 games. Although Boston’s 1998 postseason run ended after just four games, Vaughn still shined, going 7-for-17 (.412) with two homers, two doubles, seven RBIs, and three runs scored in the divisional series.

For a player who had grown up in the New England region, developed with the Red Sox, and was seemingly getting better each year, a reunion seemed to make sense for both sides. However, Boston’s offer to Vaughn was far below what the Angels were prepared to provide.

Vaughn made his case to Boston, hoping to secure a better offer, and felt he presented strong arguments. However, the team refused to budge, which left him in personal turmoil.

Just missing the Mo Vaughn era with the Red Sox will always bother me.

The nostalgia and appreciation fans have for him hasn’t gone away after all these years. Says it all.pic.twitter.com/iKrleFgZYY

— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) December 15, 2022

A similar scenario unfolded this offseason with Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, who had deep family ties to New York and had spent his entire career with the organization. Outside of Aaron Judge, Alonso has hit more home runs (226) than anyone since his MLB debut in 2019. But free-agent talks stalled into February, with both sides growing increasingly frustrated throughout the process.

"I think I would tell all players this—it would make life easier for them to understand that this is a business... we are commodities and we can be moved as ships," Vaughn told Mets On SI. "For me, I was taking a personal connection to the Red Sox when the Red Sox were making a business decision on my behalf. If I were understanding that more, it would have helped my time."

Unlike Alonso, Vaughn’s free agency was resolved quickly. Just over a month after the season ended, he signed a six-year, $80 million contract with Anaheim, which would equate to roughly $155 million in 2025 inflation-adjusted money.

His $13.3 million average annual value at the time surpassed Mets catcher Mike Piazza, making him baseball’s highest-paid player. Vaughn held that title for only 17 days, however, before the Los Angeles Dodgers gave right-handed pitcher Kevin Brown MLB’s first $100 million contract.

Vaughn’s tenure with the Angels got off to a rough start when he suffered a severe ankle injury after tumbling down the visitor’s dugout steps in the first inning of his first game. Despite that, he still managed to hit more than 30 home runs and drive in 100 RBIs in his first two seasons in Anaheim. 

But after missing the entire 2001 season due to a ruptured biceps tendon, he requested a trade—right at the midway point of his contract.

His decision had nothing to do with his feelings about the organization. He loved playing for manager Mike Scioscia and felt truly wanted on a team loaded with talent, but reasons beyond baseball motivated his desire to return closer to home.

"My family’s a big part of my life. My mom and dad retired when I got into pro ball to come watch me," Vaughn said. "Even though I had to fly, I hated flying… when 9/11 hit, the flight that left Boston was the flight I usually get on to come to L.A., and that just spooked the hell out of me."

At the time, the Angels were in the middle of a home series against the Seattle Mariners. Since Vaughn was out for the season, he was frequently traveling between Columbus, New York City, and Boston. Friends and family kept calling him to make sure he had not been on the Boston flight that crashed, which only added to his anxiety.

"I never told L.A. this. It kind of was like a perfect storm. Mike Scioscia was talking to me and said, ‘we want to DH you,’ and I probably should have said yes, but that gave me the ability to be like, ‘nah, I want to get traded,’" Vaughn recalled. "It wasn’t anything wrong with the Anaheim Angels, it was just my anxiety. I wanted to get back to the East Coast and I wanted my family to stop flying at the time."

Vaughn got his wish when he was traded to the Mets in December of that year. The left-handed slugger played 166 more games before injuries forced him to retire after the 2003 season.

State of First Base Market

Up until the mid-2010s, first basemen continued to raise the bar set by Vaughn in free agency. Stars like Mark Teixeira, Prince Fielder, Albert Pujols, Joey Votto, and Miguel Cabrera all landed contracts ranging from eight to 10 years, with the latter five surpassing the $200 million mark.

But recently, teams have been less eager to hand out long-term deals at the position.

During the 2017-2018 offseason, Eric Hosmer’s market appeared to be limited to just the Kansas City Royals and San Diego Padres. The former All-Star had earned his fourth Gold Glove Award, set a career-high OPS (.882), and played a key role in helping Kansas City reach back-to-back World Series appearances in 2014-15, winning one of them. Despite these accomplishments, he did not sign until Feb. 19 of that year.

Similarly, after Freddie Freeman led the Atlanta Braves to a World Series title in 2021, the longtime face of the franchise went unsigned until mid-March, partially because of MLB’s 99-day lockout. Freeman and his agent insisted on a sixth year, but the Braves were unwilling to offer more than five to the 32-year-old.

Freeman’s agent presented an ultimatum, offering two proposals and giving the Braves one hour to accept one. The Braves declined both and pulled their offer from the table.

The next day, the Braves acquired first baseman Matt Olson from the Oakland Athletics and signed him to an eight-year, $168 million extension, effectively ending Freeman’s time in Atlanta. Five days later, Freeman joined the Los Angeles Dodgers on a six-year, $162 million deal, with $57 million of the contract deferred.

Most recently, Pete Alonso did not find the market he had expected. Several teams entered the 2024-25 offseason with a need at first base but opted to address the position by either trading for players nearing free agency or signing older veterans to short-term deals. Alonso also had the qualifying offer attached, which meant a new team would have to send a compensatory draft pick to the Mets if they signed the "Polar Bear."

The four-time All-Star had previously turned down a seven-year, $158 million extension offer from the Mets' previous regime in the summer of 2023. After signing superstar outfielder Juan Soto to a historic 15-year, $765 million deal in December, the Mets were hesitant to make any other long-term commitments that could jeopardize future roster flexibility due to the “Cohen Tax.” 

Play No. 5 of 2024: Pete Alonso with the most memorable home run of his career!

Pete Alonso's heroic, go-ahead 3-run HR sends the Mets on to the NLDS! pic.twitter.com/4wfGo3qDgz

— MLB (@MLB) December 13, 2024

New York repeatedly insisted they were comfortable moving forward with their internal depth options in 2025, even if it meant shifting natural third baseman Mark Vientos to the position. Still, chants of 'We Want Pete' rang out from fans during the Mets' Amazin' Day fan fest, and a reunion continued to make sense for both sides.

Team owner Steve Cohen acknowledged his dissatisfaction with the deal structures on the table, calling the negotiations “exhausting.” However, just before the start of spring training, a face-to-face meeting helped the two sides agree on a two-year, $54 million deal (which includes a player opt-out after 2025).

Read More: Details on How The Mets, Pete Alonso Gained Steam Towards Agreement

Vaughn believes a few factors impacted Alonso’s market. For one, his regular-season numbers in 2024 did not align with his postseason success—and players are evaluated on both during negotiations. Additionally, Alonso’s strong loyalty to the Mets may have influenced the situation.

He speculated that other teams knew he would choose the Mets if offers were close, and with their owner’s ability to outbid anyone, those rival clubs did not want to waste time negotiating against themselves.

While the Royals and Braves may not have had the same spending power as Cohen, Vaughn believes that when a player’s original team recognizes that loyalty—like Hosmer, Freeman, and Alonso demonstrated—they feel they can afford to wait out the process for months without compromising in contract talks.

“That hurt them, and it hurt me. I played in Boston. I stayed in Boston. My home is in Boston. I don’t think that helped me when it came to negotiating time,” Vaughn said. “I wish I would have done a few things differently that maybe would’ve created more value for myself.”

One major reason why Vaughn’s process unfolded much more quickly than those of others was that his agents “drew a line in the sand” for when his decision would be made. The three-time All-Star believes agents are necessary, but looking back, he wonders if he should have done more to drive the process at his own pace.

Vaughn also noted that during his era, first base was the premier position. In addition to himself, players like Rafael Palmeiro, Frank Thomas, Mark McGwire, Fred McGriff, and Jim Thome were among the stars dominating the game. 

He feels there are fewer generational first-base talents driving team success today, which is why front offices are placing more value on other traits, such as defense, baserunning, and positional versatility.

“I just think it’s that time and era where first base is a little bit down, but it will come back up like any other position,” Vaughn said. “Remember, when I first started it was Griffey, Bonds, and the outfield. Then it was Nomar Garciaparra, Derek Jeter, and A-Rod. Sometimes it becomes the outfield, then it was the shortstops, then it was the first basemen. Now, it’s something else. I think it’s just the way the wind is blowing, the trend that’s happening, and who’s playing well at those spots.”

Life After Baseball

Like Alonso, Vaughn was counted on to be a key catalyst at the heart of the Mets' lineup. He batted .259/.349/.456 with 26 home runs and 72 RBIs during his first season in Queens, but played less than a month in 2003 before knee problems ended his season—and ultimately, his career.

“I wish I could’ve played better,” Vaughn said, reflecting on his time with the Mets. 

Growing up in Norwalk, Connecticut—just 39 miles from Shea Stadium—he often attended Mets games, sitting in the second deck to watch players like Willie Montañez and Lee Mazzilli. It meant the world to him to step onto that same field, especially after sharing so many great memories with his godfather in the stands.

5️⃣0️⃣5️⃣ feet. 😳

This @MoVaughn_42 homer was an absolute NUKE. 💪 pic.twitter.com/Ccch6kDczK

— MLB Vault (@MLBVault) December 15, 2020

The abrupt end to Vaughn’s career left him bitter towards baseball for a long time. It took over a decade before he reconnected with the game—focusing instead on a successful career in real estate and his clothing line, MVP Collections.

But now that he is back in the game, he is as inspired as ever.

Vaughn, 57, coaches kids ages 8 to 18—a journey that began several years ago when he became involved with his son’s Little League team. He decided to step in after noticing the players were being taught the wrong fundamentals.

During one stretch while coaching his son's travel team in Florida, it rained on 29 of the 31 days that month. Determined to prevent this from happening again, he opened Vaughn Sports Academy in 2018—a 20,000-square-foot facility in Boca Raton where his team could practice indoors, rain or shine.

The facility is split into two areas: 15,000 square feet for baseball training and the remainder dedicated to a performance center focused on strength, conditioning, and recovery. Today, Vaughn’s academy boasts around 2,000 active members, with over 100 teams using the space.

As Vaughn became more involved in travel tournaments, he formed a close relationship with Rick Thurman, chairman of Perfect Game—the world’s largest youth baseball and softball scouting service. Vaughn was impressed by the opportunities PG provided for kids to showcase their talents at various levels, against teams outside their local area, with some of the game’s best instructors guiding them. That led him to invest in the platform.

Last March, he was named Special Assistant to Ownership. He regularly attends PG events and stays in frequent contact with Thurman and CEO Rob Ponger, offering suggestions on how to help improve the youth baseball experience.

“My greatest attribute in life is that I’m a coach,” Vaughn said. “I’m here to make young boys, young softball girls, pros, whatever it is, better at what they do. I’m very happy that Perfect Game and all the other things that I’m involved with have given me that opportunity and platform to do that consistently. I’m in a great place.”

Vaughn emphasizes teaching young players sound fundamentals and improving situational awareness. He pointed to the Dodgers' scouting report for the New York Yankees in the 2024 World Series as an example of a mistake that should never happen. To Vaughn, baseball is more than just hitting and throwing the ball hard; it is about understanding where to be at all times.

This year, Vaughn took over the JV and varsity teams in his local community. He was surprised by how many kids had never been taught a simple bunt play or PFP (pitcher fielding practice) drill.

Although his players were not born yet when Vaughn played his last big-league game, they have seen his stats online and know what he accomplished. Vaughn uses that recognition to help make his lessons more relatable.

“Do you think I just became a good player? Look at my stats in ‘91 and ‘92… not very good,” Vaughn tells them. “Whatever I’m trying to tell you to help you as a player is only from things that I’ve gone through.”

Whether his players go on to play college ball, pro ball, or pursue a different path, Vaughn’s ultimate message is one of hard work. He believes that anything worth achieving in life is difficult to attain, and if his players carry that attitude into everything they do, they will become better people for it.

The same goes for first basemen. As players grow more athletic and analytics play an increasing role in the game, Vaughn believes it is becoming harder for players with his large build to stand out. That is why he stresses the importance of excelling at the little things.

“All the guys that are too tall or get too big that are in the middle and have the footwork, those are the guys that are going to third and first base,” Vaughn said. “So you have to really work on your speed, your agility, your quickness, and your strength to keep up on the baseball field now because everybody can do a lot of different things, and that’s what I try to preach to my kids.”

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