Why Mets made right choice choosing Pete Alonso over Alex Bregman

At one point this offseason, the New York Mets showed interest in Alex Bregman. They made the right choice in re-signing Pete Alonso instead.

Troy Brock | Feb 13, 2025

Oct 2, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros third base Alex Bregman (2) warms up before game two of the Wildcard round for the 2024 MLB Playoffs against the Detroit Tigers at Minute Maid Park. / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

In this story:

The New York Mets have dodged a massive bullet with the announcement that Alex Bregman, a free agent the team had interest in earlier this offseason, signed with the Boston Red Sox.

After saying all winter that the reason he was still on the market was due to not receiving an offer with enough years, the soon-to-be 31-year-old opted to go with the shortest offer with the highest AAV.

Official offers to Alex Bregman:

Astros = 6 years / $156 million

Tigers = 6 years / $171.5 million

Cubs = 4 years / $120 million

Red Sox = 3 years / $120 million ✅
— Ben Verlander (@BenVerlander) February 13, 2025

For those of you keeping score at home, the Houston Astros, Bregman's former team, offered the infielder an AAV of $26 million over six years, the length he was reportedly looking for. The Detroit Tigers offered an AAV of $28.6 million, and the Chicago Cubs' was $30 million. Instead, Bregman's AAV sits at $40 million.

There is nothing wrong with players getting paid big money, and the Mets have shown no aversion to doing just that. After all, Juan Soto was signed to the largest contract in the history of professional sports, not just MLB.

But the issue lies in the way things were handled. The old adage "actions speak louder than words" comes to mind with the preceding, as it is now evident that the length of the deal was never the issue. It was always about money.

Reports out of Boston indicate that Bregman will be playing second base for the team, with Rafael Devers remaining at third base.

The expectation is Alex Bregman will play second base for Boston, sources tell ESPN. Even though the Red Sox have top prospect Kristian Campbell coming, they saw Bregman having enough of an impact that they offered $40 million a year — with deferrals — to make the deal happen.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 13, 2025

The Mets dodged a bullet

Whether Bregman stayed at the hot corner or moved to the keystone for the Mets, it would not have done enough to move the needle like bringing Pete Alonso back has, especially with a $40 million AAV.

Bregman's career started at a torrid pace, with a 144 OPS+ from the time he made his Major League debut in 2016 through an MVP-caliber 2019. Since, he has posted only a 122 OPS+ and has not come close to the levels of offensive production he showed in the early stages of his career (which may or may not have benefitted from the Astros' infamous sign-stealing scandal).

The infielder changed his approach at the plate in 2024, looking to hit for more power. He ironically found less of that with a .453 slugging percentage (below his career average of .483), and it saw his plate discipline take a massive hit. After walking more than striking out in four different seasons over his career, including leading MLB in walks in 2019 with 119, Bregman walked only 44 times last year to 86 strikeouts.

The lion's share of Bregman's home run power has been thanks to the Crawford Boxes in Houston. Only four of his 26 home runs in 2024 were hit to center or right field, which will play well for him at Fenway Park, though most of those home runs will now be reduced to doubles and triples.

Alonso offers the Mets much more power (to all fields as well), in the middle of their lineup, at a much cheaper price. It also allows Mark Vientos to remain at third base, a position where he showed tremendous growth in 2024.

The Mets dodged a major bullet by missing out on Alex Bregman. Their payroll, the offense, and the future outlook of the team are now far better for it.

The Mets dodged a bullet

Recommended Articles: