"If Mets give Pete Alonso $100,000,000, they are out of their minds" - Sportscaster points Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera deals as cautionary tales

Free agent first baseman Pete Alonso and the New York Mets are facing a standoff in negotiations. While both would like to reunite, differences in contract details have kept their union at bay.

Talking about Alonso’s future with the Mets, sportscaster Michael Kay warned the club that committing $100 million to the 30-year-old first baseman would be a mistake. He argued that while Alonso has his fan base and occasional flashes of brilliance, the Mets shouldn't get caught up in sentimentality and make a decision that could hinder their long-term success.

"Where is Pete Alonso going? Why would you give him $30 million a year, other than the fact that it’s a gold watch, the extra $5 million you’re giving him because he’s a homegrown Met and the fans love him? That’s it," Kay said on his show (2:30 onwards).

"That’s the only reason I say that Pete Alonso should get anywhere from $24 to $25 million for three years. If the Mets give him $100 million for three years, they’re out of their minds."

Kay said that first baseman contracts tend not to age well, particularly as players reach their 30s. He pointed to the poor outcomes of contracts given to aging first basemen, citing Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera as examples.

“Check out Albert Pujols, check out Miguel Cabrera—those contracts aged awfully," Kay added.

"You want a contract that ages well? Look at Freddie Freeman, who is putting up the same WAR that he always has. But Pete Alonso, coming into this offseason, has a WAR of about two. That’s not worth the money he's demanding.”

He continued:

“Pete Alonso has to come way down in his expectations for himself, or he’s not going back to the Mets. He’s just not.”

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Michael Kay thinks Pete Alonso's agent Scott Boras misread his client's market

Player agent Scott Boras has a sterling reputation for getting his clients what they want. However, sometimes his read of the market backfires, like last year when his clients including Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery had to settle for short-term deals.

Michael Kay has said that the same could happen to Alonso this offseason.

“Scott Boras is great for the player, but sometimes he misreads the market. And right now, he’s misreading it with Pete Alonso,” Kay said.

Kay pointed out that many teams that might have been interested in Alonso have already addressed their first base needs or signed less expensive options. He argued that the Mets could easily move on from Alonso without sacrificing their competitiveness.

“The Mets have so many options at first base," Kay said. "They can move Vientos there, they could sign Bregman to play third and move Vientos there. There are so many things the Mets could do rather than pour all that money into Pete Alonso.”

Moreover, the Mets could also look to trade for first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. from the Toronto Blue Jays. Not only is Guerrero younger but he had a better 2024 season than Alonso.