The Mets and first baseman Pete Alonso have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $14.5MM deal for the 2023, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Alonso, 28, had a stellar year in 2022, slashing .271/.352/.518 and hitting 40 home runs in a campaign that saw him lead the NL in RBI while tying Aaron Judge for the MLB lead. Alonso’s 143 wRC+ was 12th-best among all major league hitters this season.
Alonso has been a member of the Mets organization for his entire career to this point, exploded onto the major league scene in 2019, slugging a league-leading 53 home runs during a season that saw him win Rookie of the Year and place 7th in NL MVP voting. While he hasn’t returned to the heights of his rookie season to this point in his career, he’s been remarkable nonetheless thanks to his consistency.
His wRC+ in 2022 nearly matched that of his 2019 debut season (144 wRC+), and both seasons are only slightly above his career his career mark of 138, with his only season below a 130 wRC+ being the shortened 2020 campaign. As the best offensive performer on a 101-win Mets team in 2022, Alonso figures to once again be a key player on a team with World Series aspirations headed into the 2023 season.
The $14.5MM agreement, despite being the largest agreement ever for a first baseman in arbitration (though it was promptly matched by Vladimir Guerrero Jr.), actually comes in significantly below his $15.9MM projection from MLBTR contributor Matt Schwartz. Alonso will be eligible for arbitration once more in 2024, and is set to become a free agent during the 2024-2025 offseason.
I remember a dispute between him and the Mets a while ago over him not getting much of a raise in his second season due to his good rookie year. I wonder if he still remembers it and hasn’t extended due to that situation.
He will be paid and paid handsomely when the time comes. Of course, that assumes the same level or higher of production next year
An arbitrator comes up with numbers. The team submits numbers, and the player submits numbers. Then an arbitrator decides. The team doesn’t just decide what to pay him.
Referring to his pre-arb seasons
Ahhh, yes. The Covid shortened season? When the Coupons…I mean Wilpons owned the team? I think that’s probably a long forgotten memory.
Few players get that raise after their year. I can only remember the Angels giving Trout $1M and they didn’t have to do it. It’s not personal, it’s business.
^first
Of course; I am not saying he deserved a raise in any way or that the Mets had any obligation to overpay him. They had every right to renew his contract. I think they can even cut his pay by up to 20%, down to minimum wage. @Jdt I am talking about his pre-arb years when they can renew his contract for the league minimum. This was after just 1 season.
Besides that was during the Wilpon regime. It’ll be pretty silly to hold a grudge over that anyway when he’s looking forward to a $300M+ deal in two years.
I know what you’re talking about. in year 2 he got a $97,000 raise. In the Covid shortened year, he got a $24,000 raise. Last year he got a $6.8 mil raise., and he just more than doubled that. I think Pete is fine with how the Mets are treating him.
Why should the Mets wait two years when dude hits FA. If I’m the Mets I don’t want a core piece of this team to hit Free Agency where others teams could bid up the price. Imo the Mets should use that money they were giving Correa and extend Alonso before he hits FA. People act like money doesn’t matter to the Mets. It may not now but it may matter later.
Cohen very well may do exactly that if Alonso continues his consistency on the field this season. SC is not a stupid man. If I recall correctly, Cohen during his first full year as owner, reached out to a player mid-season about extending him, but the player felt as though negotiating then would interfere with his concentration on finishing out the rest of the season on the field. So, we’ll see what happens.
@YankeeBleacherCreature
$300m???
He’s a 4-win 1Bman whose defense is going to push him to DH by the time an extension or FA deal kicks in.
Call him a 3-win DH at that point, and he strikes no one as the second coming of Edgar Martinez. Pete doesn’t seem particularly bright, either, giving off none of the vibes and making none of the comments of a guy making constant adjustments to stay ahead of pitchers.
When the reflexes and bat speed are gone, probably by age 33, Pete’s going to finish out his career with as many Joey Gallo 2022 seasons remain on his contract.
Aka, why do you think there have been no extension talks? The gap between what Alonso will want and what he projects to be worth is a canyon.
Mookie Betts held a grudge over his prearb handling for the rest of his stay in boston… some say it’s where his wanting to test the market and go for all the dollars began.
Whiny children
You are whining about people whining Ranger. You make no sense
I remember them putting him on the opening day roster his rookie year instead of holding him back in AAA for a few weeks to get an extra year of service time. I wonder if he still remembers it and plans on signing an extension due to that situation.
I’m not criticizing that at all. It’s just that players are overprivileged and self-entitled, especially due to Boras, so guys like that may get offended by it.
Every employer is going to try to squeeze out max performance for minimum pay. I think Alonso understands that and from everything I’ve read and interviews I’ve seen, those traits don’t apply to him.
Shut up man.
Whinny children
Next statement
I’m not criticizing
Lol sure….
Wonder if Cohen is gonna buy out his free agent years before he tests the market or would rather pay him later? What 8-10 years 280-330 million?
Our Strawberry of the 2020’s. He will be a career Met and that’s good.
Like Straw was a lifelong Met?
Yea yes
Keith Hernandez would be more appropriate. I hope Alonso sticks around. Solid due on top of being an awesome player
How is Hernandez more appropriate? They both play 1b? Completely different players besides their position.
More like David Wright than Hernandez
It’s not the same situation. Hernandez was an established star when the Mets traded for him. The potential similarity is where Pete signs for a long term contract he could continue to have a relationship with the team well into his sixties. Speaking of which, SNY, which is still owned by the Wilpons, hasn’t yet re-signed Keith Hernandez to my knowledge. That would be a travesty. They have to keep Gary, Keith, and Ron together.
More like Dave Winfield!
Grandmaster Flash “White Lines”
I was born in the early 80s and I used to love watching Strawberry in the day swinging that bat with violent intentions. He made a nice career for himself but we can only imagine how much better he would have been had he stayed healthy and stayed out of trouble.
The Strawberry who fell off a cliff at age 30, the same age as Alonso will be as a FA?
Why do you hate us?
From what BobbyV wrote, it suggested that Alonso would be a Met for life. Strawberry wasn’t one. Hernandez was and also played 1B.
Hernandez was not a lifetime Met.
You’re right. I was thinking of David Wright. (Too much wine tonight!)
How do I mute myself?
Hernandez was not a Met for life. He spent the early part of his career with the Cardinals and was an All-Star for them. He finished his career in Cleveland. He rejoined the Mets as a broadcaster after retirement. He’s in both the Mets’ and Cardinals’ Halls of Fame, but not in Cooperstown, which is a shame.
Hernandez is not a hall of famer for a reason. His per 162/ of 13 homers and 83 ribbies less than a 100 runs screams Hall of decent.
But what about the Seinfeld factor?
Hernandez was one of the best defensive 1b’s to ever play the game. If you don’t count defense, we should remove Ozzie Smith.
Jdt, He is Rey Ordonez playing 1b.
You need to go back and compare him to his peers, not the players of today. He’s nothing like Ordonez at the plate. And if you think that, you never watched him play. You can only glean so much from numbers, bro. You gotta see it in person.
Jdt, the good Ole eye test.
Keith Hernandez is Yonder Alonso with a better glove.
“Never argue with and idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.” – Mark Twain
Well played!
Jdt, keep on living in the past bud. Hernandez is not and will not be in the Hall of Fame. He is Eric Hosmer lite.
Dude. No. Keith Hernández is not on Ozzie smith level. Keep your Homer in your pants.
@jdt8312. I imagine its pretty embarrassing to use that quote when everyone thinks you’re the idiot, but I admire your confidence.
Do you also start arguments with “Webster Dictionary defines…”?
Keith Hernandez is Daric Barton with more skins on the wall
@phenomalajs Indeed it is. He’s an easy pick. Barely in, but definitely in.
This guy is like Harmon Killebrew
@JayRyder Killer had a weird start to his career. Brought up at 18 and was given all of 280 PA total over his first five years in the majors. If the Senators had brought him up at 20 and left him at 1B for 600 PA / season he might have threatened Ruth’s record.
I wonder if having Cohen as an owner makes players ask for more come extension time.
That’s what teams like the Braves are worried about. Because if Mets players are asking for it, you better believe other teams players are gonna ask for it. For anyone who has a problem with it I say…Live, suffer, die….life sucks, get a helmet.
I don’t think the Braves are worried lol. Some of the fan base is tho.
I don’t think that’s necessarily true. The impact may be limited to Cohen.
@pheno agreed. Hernandez should get renewed. He’s pretty good. The long-term relationship with the team seems like grasping at straws (not a Darryl pun).
I hope the Mets sign Alonso to a long term deal. First, because another homegrown met would be cool for the game. Second, I’m a Braves fan and want them to them to sign him as a 30 year old 1b to a 10 year deal and I want to see his bat speed drop like a lead balloon in year 3 of the contract.
I’ll never understand the cynicism. If the Yankees were facing the Braves in the WS in 2026, I would want a prime Olson, Acuna, etc. in their lineup bc I want my team to beat the best competition. What fun is it to defeat a diminished squad? The same goes for any Yankees opponent including the Astros.
Now let’s say that scenario happens, but in 2029. Yankees win in 7, but the talk is how Olson batted .150 and was 0-15 with risp. Would you be upset? Or would you just think “good thing olson gave us that break” or would you have cheered in hopes he drove in runners every time he was at bat with risp???
I don’t get your reasoning. Do you root for every player to have their best day ever every game? Nobody is in their prime at the same time. That’s an aspect of team building. Why wouldn’t I hope a rival team fails in building a sustainable winner?
Mr. Schwartz kind of having a rough go of it this offseason.
Love the casual fan demands that the Mets sign Alonso to a Matt Olson-like 8 year deal, even for up to $200m.
Anyone care to point to several players in this century who, like Alonso, were 4-win 1Bmen during their peak-age seasons, who were worth signing to big deals for their age 30-37 seasons—particularly guys who like Alonso were already well below average on defense, to the point where even in their mid20s they were probably better off DH’ing?