As stories continue to link free-agent first baseman Pete Alonso with a return to the New York Mets and a possible move to the New York Yankees following the Mets’ historic signing of All-Star outfielder Juan Soto, Alonso remains available amid reports claiming the offseason market for the slugger has thus far “been quiet.”
On Thursday, ESPN’s Jeff Passan shared an update on why no club has yet handed Alonso a contract to his liking.
“His profile frightens teams,” Passan said about Alonso. “A 30-year-old, right-handed-hitting and -throwing first baseman. Teams are hesitant to give him a long-term deal. At the same time, they see great value in adding him for the next few years. The Mets could still bring him back. The Yankees could enter the fray more aggressively.”
While SNY manager of editorial production Danny Abriano has routinely named the Mets the favorites to win Alonso’s signature, Jimmy Hascup of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com noted that popular sports-talk radio host Rich Eisen reported on Wednesday that the “Polar Bear” is “not on the Yankee radar screen” even though the Bronx Bombers have a need at the position.
“They’re not going to sign somebody for multiple, long-time years to stick at first base. That’s what I heard,” Eisen added. Eisen later revealed that he had “been told the Yankees have zero interest in Pete Alonso.”
It appears Eisen may have some inside information. For a piece published Thursday, Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com reported that “Alonso appears to be a longshot” for the Yankees.
If previous whispers that suggested Alonso wants to stay in the New York area since he’s played only for the Mets since he made his MLB debut in 2019 are accurate, he may ultimately have to give the Amazins somewhat of a discount in the form of a short-term agreement.
Alonso is a beloved Mets fan-favorite who is just 27 home runs shy of becoming the franchise’s all-time leader in that category. The fact that he pressed throughout last season has seemingly impacted his ability to land the type of contract he wanted back in March, and he may soon need to decide how much longer he’s willing to gamble that Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns won’t go in a different direction.
“Sometimes, markets just take time to build,” Passan said about Alonso’s free-agency journey, “but the risk in waiting is that they never do.”
