BREAKING: Pete Alonso, Mets Agree to Two-Year Deal

The Polar Bear is here to stay.

First baseman Pete Alonso and the Mets have agreed to a contract, according to Jeff Passan. Jon Heyman reports the deal is for two years and $54 million with a $10 million signing bonus. The second year is a player option, so this amounts to a one-year, $30 million deal should Pete opt out after this season, per Andy Martino.

It was a long and unexpectedly public negotiation, but the Mets and Alonso found their way back to each other. After reportedly turning down a seven-year, $158 million extension during the 2023 season, Alonso bet on himself in free agency, taking on Scott Boras as his agent. However, the negotiations were, well, messy at times.

It felt like the deal wouldn’t come together, and Pete was long gone, especially when owner Steve Cohen publicly voiced his frustrations at the Mets’ Amazin’ Day. Cohen went as far as to say, “I don’t like the negotiations. I don’t like what’s been presented to us… This has been an exhausting conversation… I mean [Juan] Soto was tough — this is worse.” 

However, the two sides resumed negotiations less than 48 hours after Cohen’s remarks. Francisco Lindor even told the front office, saying he wanted Alonso back in Queens. Reports even emerged that the Polar Bear “desperately” wanted to return. 

The Blue Jays and Angels were known to make goes at the slugger, but in the end, all roads led back to Queens for Alonso.

While he’s coming off a couple of down years, he hit .217/.318/.504/.821 in 2023 and .240/.329/.459/.788 in 2024, Alonso still smashed 46 and 34 homers, respectively. In addition, he’s clubbed at least 30 home runs in each season since his debut (not counting the shortened 2020 campaign). Until late in the 2024 season, Alonso had the most home runs in baseball since his debut (226). Aaron Judge topped him in 2024 with 232.

While Alonso’s contract doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be a Met for life, he’ll etch his name in numerous categories. His 226 home runs are third-most in franchise history, behind David Wright (242) and Darryl Strawberry (252). Alonso will likely set a new franchise home run record in the 2025 season. He’s also currently fourth in slugging percentage (.514), sixth all-time in RBIs (586), eighth in OPS (.853) and 12th in runs scored (493).

Over his Mets tenure, Alonso has produced a .249/.339/.514/.854 line through six years with 781 hits, 226 home runs, 142 doubles and 586 RBIs. The Polar Bear owns a career 19.8 bWAR and 134 OPS+. An NL Rookie of the Year recipient, Alonso is a four-time All-Star and has finished in the top 10 of MVP voting twice in his career. He broke the rookie home run record with his 53rd moonshot in his debut season.

Plenty of questions remain over his glove; he ranked in the third percentile in outs above average in 2024 (negative nine OAA). However, he made 93% of first base scoops in 2024, the best in baseball. According to Inside Edge, he made 39 regular-season diving plays at first base since 2023, once again the most in MLB. (OAA doesn’t take these two metrics into consideration).

A fan-favorite, Alonso enshrined himself into Mets lore with his go-ahead three-run home run in Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series against Milwaukee. His homer sent the Mets on a run nobody expected, and while it didn’t end the way many hoped, it was just the beginning.

Alongside Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor and Mark Vientos, the Mets now have one of the nastiest top-of-the-lineups in baseball. Alonso’s return gives the Mets the missing bat needed to put this team over the edge in the batter’s box.

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