The Mets and first baseman Pete Alonso have prevented arbitration, stories Jeff Passan of ESPN. The Boras Company shopper will make a wage of $20.5M this yr.
Alonso, 29, is coming off yet one more potent yr on the plate. His 46 dwelling runs in 2023 had been a leap 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 opinions of his protection have been blended in his profession however he usually posted strong ends in 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 elevate to $22M however he’ll accept a determine simply beneath that.
Because of the Mets taking a form of step again in 2024, Alonso’s closing yr of arbitration earlier than he’s slated free of charge company, there was lots of hypothesis in regards to 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 said that he expects Alonso to be the membership’s beginning first baseman this yr and in addition spoke this week in regards to the difficulties of signing a participant to an extension when they’re this near free company.
Alonso’s destiny would seem like within the palms of the membership. If the Mets falter and are out of competition by the deadline, he shall be a prime commerce candidate in rumors this summer time. If they continue to be in competition, maybe he’ll persist with the membership by way of the yr and obtain a qualifying supply at season’s finish. The latter state of affairs wouldn’t be a assure that he could be destined to affix one other membership. The Mets re-signed Brandon Nimmo after he reached free company and in addition reached a brand new take care of Edwin Díaz simply as he was about to hit the open market.
