Why Pete Alonso is a Massive Winner Despite Losing Mets Negotiation

Many believe that Pete Alonso lost out in contract negotiations this offseason when the seemingly never-ending saga finally ended Wednesday night.

Alonso agreed to a two-year, $54 million deal that has a player opt-out after the 2025 season. It's $30 million for 2025 and $24 million for 2026, if he does not opt out.

In reality, this ended up being a massive victory for Alonso after his long negotiation.

The 30-year-old first baseman heads into the 2025 season as the highest-paid player at first base for the year. This comes after he had the worst season of his career in 2024. The fact he will be getting paid more than the likes of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bryce Harper, Freddie Freeman and Matt Olson and gets to remain in a Mets uniform, should have Alonso in celebration mode.

While Alonso did not get the long-term deal he was seeking, it was hard to figure the Polar Bear would sniff a deal in the five-to-seven year range after having career-lows in home runs and RBI. Those two stats have made Alonso the All-Star player he's been throughout his career. This came after having career-lows in average and on-base percentage in 2023.

Alonso, who has been a fantastic Met, is a fan favorite and can now break the Mets' home-run record. He's 27 home runs away from passing Darryl Strawberry as the franchise's home run king, so if he stays healthy, he should break it later in the season. To get paid more than players regarded higher at his position like Vladdy, Harper and Freeman this year, after being at his worst, makes this a huge victory for Alonso and agent Scott Boras.

That second-year option also takes so much pressure off Alonso like what he faced going into the 2024 campaign. If he has another down season, he can get $24 million for 2026 and still be one of the five highest-paid players at his position.

Pete Alonso's reported 2025 salary of $30 million makes him the highest-paid first baseman in MLB this year. Trailing him:

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., $28.5 M
Bryce Harper, $27.5 M
Freddie Freeman, $27 M
Matt Olson, $22 M
Christian Walker, $20 M
— Deesha (@DeeshaThosar) February 6, 2025

It's a win for the Mets too because if he returns to the Alonso that made fans fall in love with him, he will likely opt-out and then the team can potentially enter the Vladimir Guerrero Jr. sweepstakes next winter. But that of course depends on whether the Blue Jays are able to reach an extension with Guerrero. The Mets could also wind up opting to go in another direction at first base, whether it's Josh Naylor in free agency, Yandy Diaz or Cody Bellinger if they opt-out, or potentially another player that might become available in a trade.

This contract could also make Alonso the bridge first baseman for the Mets if they decide to develop a candidate internally. If Ryan Clifford ends up improving this year and is ready to roll in the big leagues by 2026, he can possibly fill that void. They could also move Mark Vientos to first and have Luisangel Acuña, Brett Baty or Ronny Mauricio compete for the third base job. Those would be the more cost-effective options if Stearns chooses to go with this blueprint.

The short-term flexibility is a triumph for both the Mets and for Alonso. Alonso hit the jackpot with this short-term deal. The slugging first baseman now has a chance to redeem himself after a rough 2024 regular season. Alonso has performed well in the past in clutch years and saw it in Milwaukee in October, but with $30 million in his pocket for 2025 and another shot at a bigger contract staring him in the face, this could be the redemption story for a player with the opportunity to set all kinds of Mets records.

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