Pete Alonso is an old-school kind of star: a big name with big power who has played in a big market. Since his rookie season in the majors in 2019, only Aaron Judge has hit more home runs -- and nobody has driven in more runs. He has been selected to four All-Star teams, won two Home Run Derby titles, played with great enthusiasm and energy and has rarely sat out a game.
But it's a new-school world and Alonso's free agency has been a slow grind as front offices focus on his age (he's entering his age-30 season), his relatively mediocre on-base percentages the past two seasons (.318 and .329), his career-low slugging percentage in 2024 (.459) and his lack of defensive and baserunning value.
It all has made Alonso the most fascinating free agent of this offseason. Do his consistent power numbers make him worth a nine-figure contract? Is he overrated? Has agent Scott Boras once again miscalculated the demand for one of his clients? Maybe a return to the New York Mets is inevitable, especially since the Alonso camp has proposed a three-year deal with opt-outs to the Mets -- a big difference from the seven-year, $158 million contract offer that Alonso reportedly turned down in 2023. (Though, just because Alonso might be willing to sign a shorter-term contract doesn't necessarily mean the AAV will also go down.)
Let's dig into Alonso's situation and see -- even with his eye-popping home run and RBI totals -- whether he's worth a huge deal and which teams might still be a potential fit.