If you would have told me that Pete Alonso, who has hit 226 home runs and has 586 RBI in his 6 year career, has yet to sign a contract as of January 9th, I would not believe you. But yet it is true. Pete Alonso has yet to sign a contract with another team or return to the New York Mets.
When the Mets signed Juan Soto in early December, fans were sure that Alonso would return to the Mets due to them forming a competitive win-now team. But that seems to not be the case. Alonso has shown the baseball world that he cares more about money than loyalty, and it’s really sad to see. Pete is the best homegrown player the Mets have and is arguably a top 3 player on the team. If he leaves to another team that gives him more money, that’s on him.
As a Mets fan, I’m biased when I say that I hope Alonso decides to come to his senses and rejoin the best team in New York. But I’m starting to sense it comes down to how much money he is given. Because Free Agency is coming to an end soon, Alonso will sign soon, but I still can’t predict where he’s going to go. Because his stock is declining, I can predict him getting around 3 or 4 years in the 90-110 million dollar range.
The other big free agent who has yet to sign, Anthony Santander. The former Oriole had a breakout season this year batting a measly .235, but made up for it by hitting 44 home runs and 102 RBI which helped send the Orioles to the playoffs. Ever since 2021, Santander has been a consistent producer in an overly talented lineup.
Because of his talents being the main reason Baltimore has been a playoff talent as of recently, they are definitely going to be in the bidding war to get Santander. I believe they are the top suitors, but it is worth noting that the Orioles do not have a history of paying their players, as they let superstar Manny Machado walk in free agency because they didn’t want to pay him a huge contract. Will that happen again with Santander? Who knows.
Ever since Juan Soto signed, it’s no doubt that this offseason has been a bit of a drag. But once Alonso or Santander signs, others signings will be sure to follow, like a domino effect.
