The Pete Alonso Conundrum

[Fman99]

Pete's turn ?

I feel like the Soto signing has one of two effects on Pete's scenario:

1. He's likely to go to the MFYs, now, who need a power bat to replace Soto and have the very toast-ish Anthony Rizzo manning 1B currently, and can entice him with the short porch, or

2. He's maybe equally likely to resign with the Mets, because he wants to be a part of a championship team in this borough and the Soto deal pushes the needle in the right direction

I suppose that some dark horse candidate comes along and offers him stupid money and he takes it to go play somewhere else but I feel it's most likely going to be 1 or 2 above.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Just me but we should keep him

[metsmarathon]

this may be a lot of wishful thinking, but the more i think about it, pete might not be a great fit for the yanks.

he gives them, essentially, a right-handed giancarlo stanton that stays healthy. which is a good thing, of course, but not what their lineup really needs, which is a more well-rounded hitter and on-base threat. i'm hoping they realize it too. i'm also hoping that neither they nor pete realize that, if he were to try to take more advantage of the cozy right field fence out there, he'd probably become a much better overall hitter and therefore less of what the yankees don't need.

pete needs to stay a met. for so many reasons. not the least of which is that i do fear that he'll never be another franchise's beloved icon, which he can be here. dude was born to be a met, it feels like, and should stay one.

not to mention... good lord, what our lineup could be with his bat back in the lineup, batting behind soto.

[Benjamin Grimm]

not to mention... good lord, what our lineup could be with his bat back in the lineup, batting behind soto.

Yeah, this. Cohen is obviously in spending mode, and he's not likely to be under the luxury threshold any time in the next decade or more. I'm slightly on the optimistic side that Pete will be back.

[Centerfield]

I think Pete's situation is kinda disconnected from Soto and more about his projections.

I think Stearns has a number in mind and won't go beyond that. I don't know what his number is, but for me I'd be good with 5 years. $130-135M. If he gets an offer beyond that he's likely gone.

I just hope he makes up his mind quickly before the Mets go with another option.

[MFS62]

His production needs to be replaced. But I'm not sure if I would spend the money all in one place or add a platoon DH like Joc Pederson and another first baseman (Walker?) and then go for pitching. The numbers 4-9 on the pitching staff (starters and relievers) leave me between uneasy and queasy.

Later

[metirish]

This isn't Fred Wilpon Mets , Steve isn't stopping now

[Benjamin Grimm]

“We’d love to bring Pete back,” Stearns said. “Pete’s been a great Met. He had enormous hits for us, and we’ll see where that goes.”

Ultimately, Stearns won’t make definitive comments about any pending free agent, though he wants the world to know that the Mets can continue to add to the payroll. His comments do seem like a hint that if the Mets decide Alonso is the best option at first base, they can offer him a competitive deal to return. Though that might not happen anytime soon.

“We’ve got a long way before we have to make the decision as to who our starting first baseman is going to be,” Stearns concluded.

[TransMonk]

It does not seem like the Yanks are interested...at all.

Who else are we even competing against? It seems like his list of suitors would be small, hopefully giving NYM advantages.

[metirish]

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

I thought I remembered stories that the Cubs were hot for Pete.

[metirish]

Right? Certainly last season that seemed to be the case , seems to have cooled

[bmfc1]

Mark Feinsand was a guest on today's "Tony Kornheiser Show" podcast and he thinks Pete will return to the Mets for 5 years with a player opt-out after two years. This makes sense given that Pete is a FA after a down-season.

[Frayed Knot]

Mark Feinsand was a guest on today's "Tony Kornheiser Show" podcast and he thinks Pete will return to the Mets for 5 years with a player opt-out after two years. This makes sense given that Pete is a FA after a down-season.

That kind of structure has appeal for both sides.
Pete gets the security of a five year deal plus if he puts together a couple good seasons he has the option to go FA again when he'll still be young enough at 32 y/o to get a multi-year offer.
And the Mets get to keep their power guy without having to commit to the back half of his 30s

As I said earlier on this thread, I thought the Mets w/should play it as if they were willing to let Pete walk if someone else was going to go north of five years.
It's starting to sound like, unless someone is hiding in the weeds waiting for their moment, that teams are reluctant to go there.

[MFS62]

I read a few days ago that Pete says he will give the Mets the chance to match the best offer he receives.
Sounds like he wants to stay.

Later

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

Mark Feinsand was a guest on today's "Tony Kornheiser Show" podcast and he thinks Pete will return to the Mets for 5 years with a player opt-out after two years. This makes sense given that Pete is a FA after a down-season.

That kind of structure has appeal for both sides.
Pete gets the security of a five year deal plus if he puts together a couple good seasons he has the option to go FA again when he'll still be young enough at 32 y/o to get a multi-year offer.
And the Mets get to keep their power guy without having to commit to the back half of his 30s

As I said earlier on this thread, I thought the Mets w/should play it as if they were willing to let Pete walk if someone else was going to go north of five years.
It's starting to sound like, unless someone is hiding in the weeds waiting for their moment, that teams are reluctant to go there.

I like this plan. I think it works for Pete, too.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

You just wonder if Boras won't slow-walk it if the interest doesn't immediately materialize

[Frayed Knot]

I read a few days ago that Pete says he will give the Mets the chance to match the best offer he receives.
Sounds like he wants to stay.

Well it's not like he's ever denied it. He's said it into microphones, written it out over social media posts, and said as much amid drunken Irishmen in a pub.
But there's wanting to stay here vs possibly giving up something to do so, and he certainly should be well aware that this could be his last contract in baseball.

If someone offers him six years is he going to stay here for five? ... Probably not IMO.
How about if someone else goes to seven? ... Oh Fuck No! is my guess.

He's going to get a dump truck full of money in any case. But if offered a dump truck full of money vs 1.28 dump trucks full of money* which are you taking?
* essentially the difference between a five year and seven year deal at similar per year terms

Now, if someone does go to six years will the Mets chase that number? ... Maybe.
Will they match it if things go to seven? I highly doubt it, and I'm not sure I'd want them to.


So that's basically where we stand at this point, with the always relevant 'WhatthefuckdoIknow' corollary in effect.

[Benjamin Grimm]

You just wonder if Boras won't slow-walk it if the interest doesn't immediately materialize

That's very possible. I'd like to think that if Pete says, "get it done!" his agent will do what his client wants. But with Boras you never know.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Sounds like he wants to stay.

Ya think so? He's practically on his hands and knees, openly begging the Mets to sign him.

[soupcan]

I'd be good with 5 years. $130-135M. If he gets an offer beyond that he's likely gone.

I'd offer this and be surprised if he didn't snap it up.

[kcmets]

Holy soup sighting, Batman!

[Frayed Knot]

I'd be good with 5 years. $130-135M. If he gets an offer beyond that he's likely gone.

I'd offer this and be surprised if he didn't snap it up.

I didn't know you had $130-$135 million to offer.
Mazel Tov!

[roger_that]

And needless to add (to the 5-year offer with a player opt-out after 2), heavily frontload the deal, so you're overpaying for those first two years, making them more attractive to Pete while offering the remainder (10 Mil per year?) as a motivation for him to walk if Year Two shows some serious decline. If some team wants to gamble that the declining Year Two was an aberration, then let them, and call 2025 and 2026 a necessary expense.

[Edgy MD]

I'd be good with 5 years. $130-135M. If he gets an offer beyond that he's likely gone.

I'd offer this and be surprised if he didn't snap it up.

I didn't know you had $130-$135 million to offer.
Mazel Tov!

Soup is big business!