Is Pete Alonso, the free-agent first baseman, on the verge of joining the Blue Jays in the AL East?
SNY’s Andy Martino reported Thursday that Alonso and Toronto are making progress in contract discussions, although no deal has been finalized or guaranteed yet.
After weeks of stalled negotiations, the Mets appear to have moved on from retaining Alonso. Last week, they shifted their focus after the slugger rejected their latest offer. Since then, the Mets have re-signed outfielder Jesse Winker and added reliever A.J. Minter.
According to Joel Sherman of *The New York Post*, the Mets made a final attempt to retain Alonso, offering a three-year deal worth $68–70 million. When Alonso declined, they pivoted away from their star first baseman.
This aligns with the offseason market dynamics. Most top first basemen have already found teams, often on shorter-term deals, leaving Alonso in limbo with less than three weeks until spring training. Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns seems unwilling to overspend on a player seen as one-dimensional and declining. Even if Alonso secures a deal with the Blue Jays (or the Mets), it likely won’t approach the seven-year, $158 million offer he previously turned down.
Alonso, a four-time All-Star and 2019 NL Rookie of the Year, has spent his entire career with the Mets since being drafted in 2016. Over six seasons, he has become one of MLB’s top sluggers, ranking second in home runs (226) since his debut and holding third place in Mets franchise history. He also leads MLB in RBIs (586) during that period.
- Despite these accolades, Alonso’s profile as a 30-year-old first baseman with declining exit velocities, limited defensive range, and poor speed makes him a risky long-term investment. In 2024, he posted a .240 average, a .788 OPS, 34 home runs, and 88 RBIs—solid numbers but reflective of his one-dimensional power-hitting style.
