The New York Mets are watching their competition melt away, and it has to feel fantastic.
Signing Juan Soto to a record-breaking deal was undoubtedly a positive for the Mets, but one of the possible side effects could have been the loss of another superstar. However, recent market developments are pointing to a highly anticipated reunion.
First baseman Pete Alonso is still a free agent, and signing Soto could have put the Mets in a difficult position if other teams had stepped up and been aggressive to sign him. Instead, every other team searching for a first baseman has done the opposite.
The Houston Astros signed Christian Walker. The New York Yankees snagged Paul Goldschmidt. The Arizona Diamondbacks traded for Josh Naylor. The Cleveland Guardians settled for Carlos Santana. And finally, the Washington Nationals traded for Nathaniel Lowe.
According to Zach Pressnell of Newsweek, things are all lining up for a Mets-Alonso reunion. Pressnell predicted Sunday that the four-time All-Star would return to Queens on a six-year, $148 million deal.
“At this point, it’s inevitable for Alonso to return to Queens,” Pressnell said. “The Mets have been the favorites for quite a while in the Alonso sweepstakes, but now the rest of the suitors have effectively taken themselves out of the race.”
“Owner Steve Cohen has the money to bring back Alonso and with the market so depleted, he could do it for cheap. No other team in the league is going to offer the Polar Bear $150 million in free agency, so I expect him to return to the Mets on a six-year deal worth just under the $150 million mark.”
It’s hard to see where the competition for Alonso would come from at this point. The Seattle Mariners? They never open up their wallets like that. The Boston Red Sox? They already have a first baseman, and they haven’t proven they’ll spend big yet either.
The fun part of free agency is that a mystery team is always lurking around the corner. But at this point, it’s hard to see any result but the Mets and Alonso working things out.