Less than 24 hours after New York Giants icon Tiki Barber publicly advised free-agent first baseman Pete Alonso to give the New York Mets a “hometown discount” to return to what’s been the only MLB home of Alonso’s career last week, MLB Network analyst Jim Duquette reported that Alonso’s camp offered the Mets a three-year deal that included multiple opt-outs.
During Tuesday’s episode of the “Foul Territory TV” program, Duquette explained why the two sides haven’t yet put pen to paper on an agreement.
“It has been a staredown…with the Mets and Pete,” Duquette said, as shared by Grant Young of Sports Illustrated. “Because there’s some uncertainty that there are a lot of suitors for him right now. A lot of the first base options are closed.”
Duquette was referencing how numerous teams previously linked with Alonso have already addressed first base via other transactions, leaving the 30-year-old without a plethora of realistic landing spots. Whatever agent Scott Boras did and/or didn’t expect Alonso would receive this winter, it’s now clear the two have altered their asking price amid negotiations with the Mets.
“I’d be really surprised if Pete wasn’t back with [the Mets],” Duquette added. “But when you start to see the market go in that direction, I think David Stearns is one of the bright[est] presidents of baseball operations in the game, and he realizes he doesn’t have to bid against himself right now. There aren’t a lot of suitors that it would seem Pete wants to play for. I think Steve Cohen may have to eventually jump in on this one. I think that’s why it has been held up at this point still, and until, I think Steve Cohen may have to jump in on this.”
As Sports Illustrated’s Pat Ragazzo noted, it was Cohen who closed the deal that resulted in the Mets acquiring All-Star outfielder Juan Soto earlier in the offseason. SNY’s Andy Martino reported Tuesday evening that “there remains a gap that’s fairly significant between the Mets and Pete Alonso,” so Duquette may be right about Cohen having to be the person who closes that gap before spring training begins.
“While people have been bending over backward to try to find a landing spot for Pete Alonso that isn’t the Mets, they remain by far the most logical landing spot,” SNY’s Danny Abriano wrote for a piece published Monday.
That’s all well and good, but there’s no sign the “Polar Bear” is all that close to receiving a short-term contract from the Mets that includes the average annual value he wants.
