Report: Pete Alonso Rejected New York Mets' Counter Offer

Free agent first baseman Pete Alonso reportedly rejected the counter offer the New York Mets made to him and his camp.
Oct 16, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets first base Pete Alonso (20) reacts after striking out against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning during game three of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Oct 16, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets first base Pete Alonso (20) reacts after striking out against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning during game three of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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The likelihood that first baseman Pete Alonso will return to the New York Mets has all of a sudden plummeted.

Despite initial widespread belief throughout the industry that the sides would reunite, the Mets are now proceeding as if Alonso will not be back, per SNY insider Andy Martino.

According to The New York Post, the Mets recently let Alonso's camp know that they needed a decision soon as they remained engaged with other free agent targets.

On Thursday, the Mets re-signed outfielder/DH Jesse Winker to a one-year, $7.5 million that can reach $9 million with incentives. This signaled what would come out shortly after that the Mets expect Alonso to sign with another team.

So how did we get here?

Last week, MLB analyst and former Mets GM Jim Duquette reported that Alonso's camp, led by agent Scott Boras, made a three-year offer with high AAV and opt-outs that was exclusive to the Mets.

However, MLB insider Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic are reporting that the Mets made a counter offer of a three-year deal straight up with no opt-outs, which Alonso rejected.

According to Joel Sherman of The New York Post, the Mets' counter offer to Alonso was a three-year deal in the $68 million to $70 million range. Sherman set the record straight that the bid did include opt-outs and would have taken the deal slightly above $70 million if they weren't exercised. The team considered this to be a "last-ditch effort" to retain Alonso. Once it was rejected, the Mets began their pivot plan.

Alonso, 30, is coming off a bit of a down season offensively and teams have been reluctant to give him the long-term deal he has been seeking given his age and that he is a power-hitting first baseman.

Alonso turned down a seven-year, $158 million extension offer from the Mets during the 2023 season, which would have bought out his final year of arbitration where he made $20.5 million.

Per The Athletic, the Toronto Blue Jays are one of the teams in talks with Alonso, but they're currently hoping to extend Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on a massive long-term contract. If they were to bring in Alonso, Guerrero could go back to third base or both sluggers could split time between first base and DH.

The idea behind Alonso having opt-outs in a deal is that he could rebuild his value with a big year in 2025 before potentially retesting the market at 31-years-old next winter.

The Mets on the other hand are open to moving Mark Vientos to first base, which is seen as the most realistic Plan B option at this point if Alonso does indeed depart, as a source told Mets On SI. Should this come to fruition, Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio and Luisangel Acuna would compete for the third base job and receive reps at multiple infield positions.

Read More:

- Mets Re-Sign Jesse Winker, Pete Alonso Unlikely to Return; What's Plan B at 1B?

- Mets Top Prospect Ronny Mauricio Might Not Be Ready For Spring Training

- Pete Alonso Engaged in Talks With Blue Jays, Two Other Teams


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Pat Ragazzo
PAT RAGAZZO

Pat Ragazzo is the main publisher and reporter for the Mets and Yankees On SI sites. He has been covering the Mets since 2018 and Yankees since 2021. Pat was selected as The Top Reporter & Publisher of the Year 2024 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) for outstanding leadership, dedication, and commitment to the industry. He has appeared on several major TV Networks including: NBC4, CBS2, FOX5, PIX11 and NY1; and is a recurring guest on ESPN New York 880 AM and WFAN Sports Radio 101.9 FM. Pat is also the Mets insider for Barstool Sports personality Frank "The Tank" Fleming’s podcast. You can follow him on Twitter/X and Instagram: @ragazzoreport.