Red Sox icon claims Bryce Harper's Phillies contract negatively impacts Pete Alonso's free agency

As Pete Alonso continues to look for a lucrative long-term contract with a new team, one analyst claimed that Bryce Harper's contract negatively impacts his free agency.

The former New York Mets slugger is looking for a deal which is of significantly higher value than Harper's while entering free agency at an older age. On MLB Tonight, Red Sox icon Mike Lowell believes that Alonso isn't likely to get the contract he wants because of the precedent set by Bryce Harper with the Phillies:

"I think that's the leverage that clubs will use against Pete Alonso and his agent because the numbers do speak. It's hard to justify, hey I'm going to give you more than Bryce Harper who is the elite free agent at his time and much younger when he hit the free agent market. So, it's going to be interesting.

"I heard the Reds, and I said, what kind of numbers could Pete Alonso put up in Cincinnati? Like, I would have put away 45-50 home runs for a team that's young, maybe seeking some power. So there are teams where I believe he's a much better fit and brings more value. I just don't think you can go to the table and be like, hey we want 6 years at $150 million, doesn't matter who we're talking to. I does differ from team to team."

Bryce Harper is an elite first baseman who entered free agency in 2018 as the biggest name on the market and a former NL MVP winner. He went on sign a 13-year, $330 million, deal with the Philadelphia Phillies, which amounts to $25.4 million in average annual value.

Pete Alonso is also an elite first baseman whose output is similar to Harper, even though his numbers fall a little short. He's looking for a contract of significantly higher AAV while he's a lot older than Harper was when he entered free agency. As a result, it's unlikely that teams will be willing to pay him more than what Harper is now making with the Phillies.

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MLB insider believes a reunion between Pete Alonso and the New York Mets still remains a possibility

Pete Alonso has declined two offers made by the New York Mets, once in 2023 and again in January this year, which led the New York front office to pivot and focus on other signings.

However, as Alonso still remains a free agent, SNY's Andy Martino believes that a reunion is very much possible:

"It’s hard to see anything that would prevent a warm reunion. If the Mets are willing to stretch their budget, and Alonso is willing to return for much less than what he turned down in 2023, why not do it?"

The Mets' latest signings suggest that there's still room in their budget to sign Pete Alonso before the start of Spring Training. However, it's clear that they aren't willing to offer the long-term contract he wants, which means one side will have to change their stance to make it possible.