Juan Soto reveals how he 'knew' Pete Alonso was leaving Mets

New York Mets slugger Juan Soto got honest about Pete Alonso leaving the team in free agency.

May 26, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto (22) reacts after striking out during the fourth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

When Juan Soto signed a historic 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets last December, he quickly made it clear that he wanted his new team to re-sign slugger Pete Alonso, who has become an unrestricted free agent.

The reason for Soto's request was simple. He just finished a 2024 campaign with the New York Yankees, where he hit in front of Aaron Judge, who would go on to win the AL MVP that year. With arguably the greatest right-handed hitter of all time hitting behind him in the lineup, Soto didn't have to worry that opposing teams would pitch around him because there was no serious threat after his plate appearance.

Read more: Ex-MLB star asserts Pete Alonso was not pleased with Mets

Soto sought the same thing with the Mets, which is why he urged New York to re-sign Alonso. The front office obliged, and both Soto and Alonso produced fantastic 2025 offensive seasons. While New York didn't have the season result they were hoping for, nobody can blame the production at the plate from these two sluggers.

Alonso exercised his player option to become a free agent after the 2025 campaign ended. And rather than re-join the Mets as many expected, he signed a five-year, $155 million deal to join the Baltimore Orioles, thus leaving Juan Soto without that intimidating presence behind him in the lineup.

Jun 8, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; New York Mets outfielder Starling Marte (6) and right fielder Juan Soto (22) and first baseman Pete Alonso (20) celebrate in the dugout in the eighth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Juan Soto Speaks on Pete Alonso Leaving Mets for Orioles

One would imagine that Soto isn't stoked about no longer having Alonso on the Mets' roster. However, it appears that he wasn't surprised when news of the Polar Bear's signing broke, which Soto conveyed when speaking with the media on December 14.

“Before the news came out, we already knew what was going to happen. Like I said, I always keep in contact with the team," Soto said in translated Spanish when asked how he heard about the Alonso news, per an Instagram post from @nym_news.

When speaking about his relationship with Alonso, Soto then added, “We got along well, Pete is a tremendous player, tremendous person, a person that cares about his team and wants the best for his team.”

The Mets are expected to at least be in play to sign both Cody Bellinger and Kyle Tucker, who are the two top free agent hitters available (along with Alex Bregman). If they don't manage to acquire one of these guys, Soto might be subject to a staggering amount of walks in 2026 because there's no clear protection behind him in the lineup.

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