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The New York Mets haven't made any definite moves to bring back Pete Alonso, even though fans are clamoring for his Citi Field return. Meanwhile, Scott Boras, the four-time All-Star slugger's agent, has put the player up for a short-term contract with a high annual salary after failing to land a suitable offer for him this offseason.
MLB insider Buster Olney believes Pete Alonso will demand a contract with an average annual value of over $30 million from the New York Mets. Olney feels any deal with a lower AAV would make no sense for the first baseman, as he had turned down a seven-year, $158 million extension from the Mets in 2023.
Buster Olney, a sports journalist for ESPN, offered his thoughts on The Michael Kay Show on Thursday.
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"I don't know exactly what the Mets are comfortable with or what he's asking for, because it's got to be north of $30 million, considering the deal in 2003 and what the total value was," Olney said.
Pete Alonso was picked up by the Mets in the second round of the 2016 MLB Draft. He made his major league debut in 2019 and was named the National League Rookie of the Year after hitting 53 home runs in the regular season.
"They're pretty far apart": Buster Olney on Pete Alonso coming to an agreement with the Mets
Although Pete Alonso was regarded as one of the top free agents at the start of the offseason, he hasn't generated the predicted interest in the market despite being one of the premier power hitters in the game.
Under the current market conditions, free agent first basemen don't generate much value, so teams have refrained from forking out a long-term deal of around $200 million for him.
The New York Mets are the only team that seriously considered signing Pete Alonso this winter. Nevertheless, Olney feels the two parties aren't close to reaching an agreement at the moment.
"From what I understand, they're pretty far apart in terms of what the player is looking for and what the team is looking to pay," Olney said.
Alonso has batted .229/.324/.480 with 80 home runs, 206 RBI, and an OPS+ of 123 over the past two seasons.
