Ex-Mets GM gives verdict on Pete Alonso’s status among first basemen after $54,000,000 New York Mets move

All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso's free agency saga concluded on Wednesday after the former Rookie of the Year signed a two-year deal with the New York Mets to return to Citi Field.

Alonso has only played for the Mets since being drafted by them in 2016 and has been a fan favorite since making his MLB debut in 2019, earning four All-Star nods in his first stints with the team.

The two-year deal, worth $54 million, has a $30 million salary (including $10 million signing fee) and an opt-out option after the first year. If he stays with the team for a second year, Alonso will earn $24 million in 2026, taking the AAV to $27 million.

Former Mets general manager Jim Duquette gave his verdict on the deal that sees Alonso become one the highest-paid first basemans (in terms of AAV) in recent MLB history.

He said in a conversation with SNY (5:10) onwards:

"It is kind of interesting that it's $27 million for the next two years if Pete Alonso stays on for two years and that's in line with the average annual value. The value that Freddie Freeman got a couple of years ago, was six years, $162 million which comes out to $27 million. So there is a pecking order, there is an amount that puts your name in an elite class of first baseman and Pete at $27 million is among the top in the sport."

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Alonso also had the option of a three-year deal but agreed on the two-year contract with the higher AAV. Duquette reflected on that saying:

"It is a shorter-term deal, yes, but he's also gonna have a chance to go bet on himself if he has a big year in 2025."

Pete Alonso expected to test free agency after a strong 2025 season

Although Pete Alonso had a down year in 2024 with a career-low (full season) 34 home runs and a .788 OPS, the four-time All-Star was expected to be one of the most coveted free agents on the block this season.

However, Alonso and his agent, Scott Boras, were holding out for a lucrative deal, which sent teams looking the other way. The Mets were one of the strongest contenders for Alonso, but owner Steve Cohen and Alonso's camp were seemingly in a standoff after the slugger rejected a reported three-year deal of around $70 million in January.

With the inclusion of an opt-out option after the first year, the general expectation is that the former Rookie of the Year will be testing free agency again if he has a strong 2025 season in pursuit of a lucrative multi-year deal.

He wouldn't be the first Boras client to do so as two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell used a similar route to sign a massive five-year contract for $182 million with the Dodgers this offseason. He opted out of his two-year $62 million deal signed with the Giants in March 2024.