Steve Cohen Gets Brutally Honest About Pete Alonso: ‘Soto Was Tough, This Is Worse’

During Saturday's Amazin' Day fan fest at Citi Field, a “We Want Pete” chant broke out during a session featuring New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, president of baseball operations David Stearns, and owner Steve Cohen.

Cohen asked fans to hold their chants until the end before addressing the elephant in the room.

“We made a significant offer to Pete,” Cohen said, adding that Alonso is entitled to explore his market. “Personally, this has been an exhausting conversation and negotiation. I mean, Soto was tough, this is worse.”

Cohen expanded on the situation, explaining that he is not fond of the contract structures being proposed by Alonso’s camp, led by agent Scott Boras, who also negotiated Juan Soto’s historic 15-year, $765 million deal with the Mets earlier this winter. The Mets owner expressed frustration, calling the offers “highly asymmetric” against the team’s interests.

“I will never say no. There’s always the possibility,” Cohen added. “But the reality is, we’re moving forward…As we continue to bring in players, it becomes harder to fit Pete into what is a very expensive group of players that we already have. That’s where we are, and I’m being brutally honest.”

"I don't like the negotiations. I don't like what's been presented to us."

Steve Cohen talks about the Mets' negotiations with Pete Alonso and the possibility of the Mets moving forward without him:

➡️ Tri-State @Cadillac pic.twitter.com/wPqzE47YdL
— SNY (@SNYtv) January 25, 2025

Alonso, 30, has spent his entire six-year career in Queens. In 2024, the right-handed slugger posted a .240/.329/.459 slash line with 34 home runs and 88 RBI, playing all 162 regular-season games. He finished the season just 27 home runs shy of the Mets’ all-time record.

In October, Alonso posted a .999 OPS across 13 postseason games. He hit four home runs, including a pivotal three-run shot in Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series against then-Brewers, now-Yankees All-Star closer Devin Williams.

Despite this, Alonso has yet to find the market he likely expected this offseason, leaving him among the top unsigned free agents. While several teams entered the winter with first-base needs, many have already filled those roles: the Yankees signed Paul Goldschmidt, the Astros added Christian Walker, the Guardians traded Josh Naylor to the Diamondbacks and acquired Carlos Santana, and the Nationals traded for Nathaniel Lowe.

As a result, both Alonso and the Mets are facing limited options. As reported by Pat Ragazzo of Mets On SI, Alonso met with the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday and has also engaged in discussions with the Toronto Blue Jays, though no agreement was imminent as of Friday.

The Angels finished last in the AL West with a 63-99 record last season and currently own MLB’s longest active postseason drought at 10 years. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays, who have already bolstered their roster with three-time Gold Glove second baseman Andrés Giménez and All-Star slugger Anthony Santander this offseason, could push for at least a Wild Card spot in a wide-open American League.

In the meantime, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported that the Mets have asked third basemen Brett Baty and Mark Vientos to begin first-base drills as part of their offseason preparation. There are few starting-caliber first basemen still on the market, with 40-year-old Justin Turner and 35-year-old Anthony Rizzo among the top available free-agent options outside of Alonso.

“We all love Pete and we’ve said that many times,” Stearns said Saturday. “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. That’s not always the most popular opinion, but we saw that last year and we’re gonna need to see it again.”

"We all love Pete and we've said that many times."

David Stearns talks about Pete Alonso's free agency:

➡️ Tri-State @Cadillac pic.twitter.com/OFMCyKAJJm
— SNY (@SNYtv) January 25, 2025

FanGraphs currently estimates the Mets’ payroll to be $293,973,065 in 2025, putting them just shy of the newly-implemented fourth luxury tax threshold of $301 million. Exceeding this mark would trigger the most severe financial penalties under MLB’s tax system.

Although neither Cohen nor Stearns have completely ruled out a reunion with Alonso, the Mets seem determined not to be swayed into a deal that does not align with their long-term financial outlook.