Mets Hot Stove Rumors: Pete Alonso's future in Flushing uncertain as team explores Alex Bregman, Christian Walker, and Rhys Hoskins options

The New York Mets have been one of the hottest teams to watch this offseason. The club sent the offseason into a frezy after handing out the richest contract in MLB history to Juan Soto. The two sides agreed to an historic 15-year, $765 million deal to bring the four-time All-Star to Queens.

Despite adding the big fish in free agency, the New York Mets still have plenty of questions that still need to be answered this offseason. One such question is that of the future of All-Star slugger Pete Alonso. The superstar first baseman remains one of the top names remaining on the market, yet there is no clarity on where he might end up for the 2025 campaign.

On the latest episode of MLB Network's Hot Stove, former New York Mets GM and baseball insider Steve Phillips spoke about the Pete Alonso situation.

The first baseman is looking to secure a massive payday this offseason, and while he will certainly get paid generational wealth, Phillips believes that Alonso may learn a harsh lesson about the free-agent market.

"I just don't think the market's there for first basemen. We see Matt Olson and Freddie Freeman, both at around $170 million and I think Pete Alonso is probably slotted in there. The Mets have decided to wait. Let him go to free agency, let him understand that what he thinks his market is, isn't really there," Phillips said of Alonso's free agency.

Even though New York would likely welcome Pete Alonso back into the fold, they have reportedly kept their options open. The club has been linked to a number of stars in both free agency and the trade market, including Alex Bregman and Christian Walker.

"In the meantime for the Mets, they're setting up alternatives. Would they go after Bregman? Would they go after Christian Walker? Would they go after Rhys Hoskins? So I think everybody is sort of building in alternatives," Phillips continued.

Pete Alonso has been a force at the plate during his tenure with the New York Mets

It comes as no surprise that Alonso is seeking the largest possible contract given his production with the New York Mets since 2019. Since his debut, Alonso sits behind only New York Yankees superstar and two-time AL MVP Aaron Judge in total home runs in that span.

That being said, despite clobbering 226 home runs in his 6 MLB seasons, first base is not a position that ordinarily gets paid record-breaking money. While Phillips suggests that Pete Alonso is probably seeking a deal of $200 million or more, he may need to settle for something in the $170 million range.

It's going to be interesting to see how the free-agent market plays out for a number of the big name infielders such as Alonso, Bregman, and Walker. There has been considerable interest from a number of clubs for each player, however, it may be a case of which domino will fall first.