The Blue Jays made comparable offers to Pete Alonso, but Alonso chose the Mets for comfort and familiarity. Also, on-base machine Juan Soto’s presence didn’t hurt. Alonso has an .871 OPS with men on base vs. .838 with bases empty. 

The Mets weren’t willing to go long (say five years for $130M or so) but did provide an opt-out after 2025. This is purely speculation, but one has to wonder if they might have an eye on younger superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr. should he become a free agent after the year. Guerrero’s camp has set a negotiating deadline of Feb. 18 for a deal in Toronto, and Guerrero, 25, is shooting for more than $400M. 

Alonso was offered a heavily deferred $85M before he suggested he’d rather do a non-deferred deal and then opted for $54M over two years with an opt-out instead of $71M for three. The $30M 2025 salary was the key to his two-year call. 

The Mets bargained hard and did well, but the reality is Alonso still isn’t that cheap for 2025. The signing pushes them into Steve Cohen tax territory. Meantime, the removal of the qualifying offer gives Alonso a chance at a better free agency experience next winter.