Steve Cohen: Pete Alonso, Mets Haven’t Had Contract Talks Ahead of Looming MLB FA
Ahead of the start of the MLB season, New York Mets owner Steve Cohen said he doesn’t expect to sign first baseman Pete Alonso before the end of the season.
Alonso, 29, is set to play out the final year of his contract in 2024, which features a salary of $20.5 million. Despite Alonso’s looming free agency, Cohen said the best approach is to wait until after the season.
“We haven’t had any discussion and I think at this point, for Pete, it’s best for him to go and have a great year and not be distracted,” Cohen said. “I think it’s best for the ball club.”
Cohen has experience signing players to long-term deals in free agency. He signed closer Edwin Diaz to a five-year, $102 million deal in November 2022 before signing outfielder Brandon Nimmo to an eight-year, $162 million contract one month later.
“We know how to do this,” Cohen said. “We did it with Edwin. We did it with Brandon after the season, and so we’ll figure it out when we get there.”
Alonso hit at a .217 average and had 123 hits, 46 home runs and 118 RBI in 2023. His home runs were good for the third-most across the majors and he had the second-most RBI. The 2019 NL Rookie of the Year has spent his entire career in New York, and Cohen is hoping to keep him around for longer.
Last fall, Alonso hired a new agent, Scott Boras, who typically pushes clients to exercise their free-agent rights to maximize value. Cohen reportedly believes that he has a good standing with Boras that will play well as he tries to re-sign Alonso.
Yahoo Sports MLB writers Jake Mintz & Jordan Shusterman discuss the infielder’s contract situation and the expectations surrounding the Mets revamped front office. Hear the full conversation on “Baseball Bar-B-Cast” podcast – and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.
Video Transcript
JORDAN SHUSTERMAN: Pete Alonso, obviously, it’s not that complicated. You’ll hear this on every other Mets podcast. But–
JAKE MINTZ: Free agent at the end of the year.
JORDAN SHUSTERMAN: Yeah. Again, I don’t expect them to– unless this is happening in the next week, which I doubt, I don’t think they’re going to extend him. So–
JAKE MINTZ: We’ve heard very little extension buzz relatively around Pete. And I am skeptical that he will get an extension just because he’s Boras now. So Scott Boras hates extensions.
JORDAN SHUSTERMAN: Yes, but as Steve Cohen fairly pointed out, he’s like, I’m not worried. We brought back Nimmo. We brought back Díaz.
JAKE MINTZ: If they want Pete, they’ll pay for Pete.
JORDAN SHUSTERMAN: Yeah, exactly. And I’ve been pretty consistent saying they should. And maybe that– I don’t even think this is a question. I just think that replacing what he is capable of is so hard. And if you are– to me, it’s as simple as if you are willing to pay that much to keep Nimmo, Pete shouldn’t even be a question.
JAKE MINTZ: Yeah.
JORDAN SHUSTERMAN: He absolutely should be the guy you keep.
JAKE MINTZ: Is there a scenario in which they suck hard, and they trade Pete, and then they just sign him this winter?
JORDAN SHUSTERMAN: Yeah. Or try to pull that off, right?
JAKE MINTZ: You know, I think that’s definitely in play if this team is bad. Because holding on to Pete for the second half of this year if they’re bad– think about what a team would pay to have him in the middle of their lineup, a contender.
JORDAN SHUSTERMAN: No, I know I know.
JAKE MINTZ: Oh, my God. Down the stretch.
JORDAN SHUSTERMAN: And that’s why, obviously, I’m sure teams tried this winter. And they were not willing to because– and the fact that they didn’t is not just the fact that I’m sure they do want to keep him long term. But that’s my other big question. It’s just like, I just– it’s frustrating that they do these half measures. Because I just look at this offensive core, and I’m like, why are we wasting a year of Pete, Lindor, Nimmo–
JAKE MINTZ: No.
JORDAN SHUSTERMAN: –and McNeil?
JAKE MINTZ: Not McNeil.
JORDAN SHUSTERMAN: I don’t understand it. I still– I mean, he’s still at least something. Clearly, he’s still going to play 150 games. I have no idea how good he is, but there’s a version of him where he hits .300 again. And I just don’t know how many more of those seasons you’re going to get, let alone whatever you’re getting from Marte at this point.
JAKE MINTZ: The window doesn’t line up.
JORDAN SHUSTERMAN: Yeah.
JAKE MINTZ: That’s what’s confusing about the Mets.
JORDAN SHUSTERMAN: To have that many really good players, and just kind of half-ass it, that’s what bothers me, I guess.
JAKE MINTZ: I don’t know if it’s half-assing it.
JORDAN SHUSTERMAN: I don’t care how much they’re– I don’t care how much–
JAKE MINTZ: It is half-assing it–
JORDAN SHUSTERMAN: –money they’re making.
JAKE MINTZ: –or is it David Stearns trying to David Stearns-ify the Mets?
JORDAN SHUSTERMAN: Yeah, and I’m not saying– that’s the thing. I don’t know. I’m not saying they should have– of course, they can’t decide whether to sign Ohtani. They clearly tried to sign Yamamoto, and they just didn’t. So maybe they were trying harder, and it just didn’t work out. So I’m not– I don’t think they did a terrible job. It just looks a little strange.
JAKE MINTZ: But it also creates a very weird energy this season where–
JORDAN SHUSTERMAN: For expectations.
JAKE MINTZ: –the expectations around this team from the fanbase are lower. However, there is more confidence in the organization than there has been–
JORDAN SHUSTERMAN: Definitely.
JAKE MINTZ: –in a long time.
JORDAN SHUSTERMAN: Steve Cohen, he talked to the media recently– or I think over the weekend. He was basically like, yeah, I’m feeling good. Our farm system looks great. You know, I finally feel like we’re really building it. And it’s like, that is very reasonable and smart and good. This is kind of– again, we knew he wanted to do it that way, which is great. I can’t say he’s doing it wrong. It’s just such an incredible tone shift from a year ago.