The New York Mets were viewed as one team that could pursue Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in next year’s free agency, to eventually replace Pete Alonso.
Of course, those dreams are now dead in the water, with Guerrero signing a 14-year, $500 million extension, making him the third highest paid player in MLB history and keeping him with Toronto through the 2039 season.
Now, the Mets are faced with a major decision on whether or not to bring Alonso back, who is currently under a two-year, $54 million contract, but could hit the open market after the season, considering his ability to opt out of the deal after the first year.
There’s no doubt that a player like Alonso deserves a large contract, because in his first six seasons in MLB, he’s accumulated 3,139 at-bats, 781 hits, 493 runs scored, 226 home runs, 586 RBI and an OPS of .854.
He’s also earned himself some impressive personal accolades, having won NL Rookie of the Year back in 2019 for the Mets and making four All-Star appearances.
Alonso also isn’t expected to make nearly the kind of money that Guerrero fetched, with analysts predicting that his market value will earn him a six-year, $174 million extension.
That certainly puts some ease on the Mets’ checkbook, as they already have an active payroll that already reaches $321.9 million, which is the second-highest of an MLB team.
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