Mets Predicted to Sign Projected $174 Million Slugger – Under 1 Condition
The New York Mets will have to make some tough decisions when building their 2025 roster. One of the biggest will be whether first baseman Pete Alonso remains with the club by signing a long-term deal.Bleacher Report’s Erik Beaston predicts Alonso will stay in Queens despite heading for free agency this winter. He also thinks the Polar Bear’s future with the Mets will be impacted by what happens with outfielder Juan Soto.“The 2019 NL Rookie of the Year and two-time Home Run Derby champ has repeatedly expressed his desire to stay in New York, calling it “home” ahead of this summer’s All-Star Game,” he said. “Alonso is seeking a deal in the neighborhood of $200 million. If the Mets sign Soto, the likelihood that they bring Alonso back greatly diminishes.”Alonso didn’t have the type of platform year he hoped for in 2024. While he played in all 162 regular-season games for the first time, it was accompanied by a career-low .788 OPS. He still slugged 34 home runs, 31 doubles, 88 RBI and 91 runs scored in 695 plate appearances.Spotrac has pegged his market value at six years and just shy of $175 million.What Pete Alonso Means to the Mets’ LineupAlonso’s 2024 season wasn’t just his least productive when using OPS as the barometer. The same could be said when using FanGraphs’ WAR metric. Between 2019 and 2022, his performance was worth at least 3.5 WAR on three occasions. That number dropped to 2.8 in 2023 before dropping again to 2.1 this past season.However, it’s hard to overlook the impact he’s had since debuting in 2019. His 53 homers as a rookie are the most in franchise history. He’s also New York’s single-season RBI record holder after driving in 131 in 2022.Alonso has slugged 226 homers since 2019. Only David Wright (242 homers) and Darryl Strawberry (252) have hit more in a Mets uniform. His durability and consistent power numbers have been crucial to New York’s overall offensive production. The right-handed hitter has never finished a full season with fewer than 152 games played, 34 homers or 88 RBI.Could the Mets Sign Both Pete Alonso & Juan Soto?The Mets have been connected to Soto many times over the past few months. It seems as if they’re the biggest threat to the New York Yankees keeping the outfielder in the Bronx for the foreseeable future.If the Mets reel in Soto because they give him an offer he can’t refuse, is the Polar Bear destined to play elsewhere in 2025 and beyond? It’s possible, especially since signing Soto and Alonso could cost more than $700 million. But this could still be something Mets owner Steve Cohen ultimately decides to pursue.“I bet he goes for both,” one league executive who knows Cohen (but doesn’t work for the team) told SNY’s Andy Martino on February 18.The evidence is also there that Cohen is willing to push the envelope if it’s presented to him as being necessary. Ahead of the 2023 season, New York dropped nearly $500 million in free agency. And if the Carlos Correa deal went through, it could’ve added another $200-300 million to that number.
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