The Mets and first baseman Pete Alonso have averted arbitration, studies Jeff Passan of ESPN. The Boras Company consumer will make a wage of $20.5M this yr.
Alonso, 29, is coming off yet one more potent yr on the plate. His 46 house runs in 2023 had been a soar from his 40 lengthy balls a yr prior. He has completed every full season of his profession with between 37 and 53 homers. His batting line of .217/.318/.504 from final yr translated to a wRC+ of 121, indicating he was 21% above league common on the plate. The critiques of his protection have been combined in his profession however he typically posted strong leads to 2023. He additionally managed to steal 4 bases on the yr.
Since Alonso cracked the Opening Day roster in 2019, he now has precisely 5 years of main league service time. He first certified for arbitration going into the 2022 season and agreed to a $7.4M wage that yr, adopted by a $14.5M determine final yr. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected Alonso for a increase to $22M however he’ll accept a determine simply beneath that.
As a result of Mets taking a kind of step again in 2024, Alonso’s remaining yr of arbitration earlier than he’s slated without cost company, there was a number of hypothesis concerning the membership both buying and selling him or signing him to a contract extension. Thus far, neither has occurred. New president of baseball operations David Stearns has repeatedly acknowledged that he expects Alonso to be the membership’s beginning first baseman this yr and likewise spoke this week concerning the difficulties of signing a participant to an extension when they’re this near free company.
Alonso’s destiny would look like within the palms of the membership. If the Mets falter and are out of competition by the deadline, he will likely be a prime commerce candidate in rumors this summer time. If they continue to be in competition, maybe he’ll keep on with the membership by the yr and obtain a qualifying supply at season’s finish. The latter situation wouldn’t be a assure that he could be destined to hitch one other membership. The Mets re-signed Brandon Nimmo after he reached free company and likewise reached a brand new cope with Edwin Díaz simply as he was about to hit the open market.
