Social media is a fun medium for MLB fodder to get generated, and the Pete Alonso sweepstakes have been second-to-none in terms of unverified and potentially unsubstantiated reports flying around Twitter/X/Bluesky. The New York sports media landscape sure seems like it is made up of plenty of experts with insight, but it becomes incredibly difficult to believe them when national reporters do not corroborate their many claims. New York media personalities and outlets have reported on the contract negotiations between Alonso and the Mets, Blue Jays, and Angels, but it's hard to know what to believe.
Let's break some rumors down. Let's start with where Alonso stands with the Mets and Blue Jays.
On Baseball Night in New York, @martinonyc discusses the latest with the Mets and Pete Alonso, as well as the latest negotiations with the Blue Jays:
— SNY (@SNYtv) January 23, 2025
"I'm hearing they're at the 10-yard line. I know from experience those last 10 yards can have a lot of obstacles" pic.twitter.com/iaYlGkUCRk
Nobody is fully ruling out the Mets keeping Alonso. However, the pundits are reading the tea leaves and some seem to be leaning toward Alonso departing Queens. For one, NYM can easily slot Mark Vientos and/or Brett Baty over to first base in his absence. More importantly, the Mets' president of baseball operations, David Stearns, comes from the shrewdly-run Brewers. Stearns does not historically give aging players, especially first basemen, large contract extensions. Steve Cohen, unlike Arte Moreno, does not interfere with his front office, but empowers and trusts them to make the right call. Sure, Cohen can outspend anybody, but Stearns runs the show and it appears he will not go past a certain number with Alonso.
The Blue Jays are more desperate than the Mets, and could add Alonso on a deal reminiscent of their Anthony Santander agreement. As a reminder, the Jays gave Santander a five-year deal worth $92.5 million. The slugger can opt out after the third year (per Ken Rosenthal). The Blue Jays have a club option for a sixth year and can also negate his opt out by guaraneeing that sixth year. There were tens of millions deferred as well. The Jays being on the 10-yard line means they are likely parsing over every little detail with Alonso's camp on what the deal would look like, and this whole process is so drawn out due to there being so much minutiae. Many have reported, including the ever-trustworthy Jeff Passan of ESPN, that Alonso's deal will be shorter and including opt outs. So, a Blue Jays deal in the Santander-mold has to be intriguing for the Polar Bear.
It appears that Alonso would want to get as close to $200 million as he can in a deal that would include opt-outs, deferrals, and whatever else it takes to get there. He is haggling over years, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post. That could potentially mean he is negotiating how many guaranteed years before there is an opt out. There is a lot to be fleshed out here. He is not just meeting with the supposed front-running Mets and Blue Jays, Alonso is also staying engaged with the Angels apparently.
There was this potentially groundbreaking report from SI's Pat Ragazzo that the Angels met with Alonso:
Sources: Pete Alonso met with the Los Angeles Angels yesterday
— Pat Ragazzo (@ragazzoreport) January 24, 2025
Still hearing nothing is close between the Blue Jays and Alonso as of this afternoon
FanSided's MLB insider, Robert Murray, discussed Ragazzo's report on his Baseball Insiders podcast:
"As far as the reports today about the Angels meeting, I have not been able to confirm those. I sent, I'm not kidding, probably a dozen texts before the podcast here, and I've gotten one response but that person didn't know. The other people have not gotten back to me. So, I don't know what that means. We'll see. The Alonso market as we've seen is Mets, Blue Jays, Angels, and we'll see if there are any other teams that are involved here...I don't think anything is imminent here at this point. "Robert Murray
Ragazzo is not the first to report that the sides have met, but the timing of his report is significant if it is true. The two sides meeting comes at the heels of him maybe getting closer to a deal with the Blue Jays, so the Angels either have leverage over the Blue Jays or Alonso is using the Angels as leverage (the latter is probably more accurate). Dan Bartels of the New York Post previously reported that there was "a conversation" of a two-year, $50 million contract between the Angels and Alonso that one side declined. This was an unverified claim as well, no national reporter confirmed that.
Angels fans are panicked by the Alonso talks, as it feels like half the fanbase wants him and the other half does not. The Alonso deal will not be reminiscent of the Albert Pujols deal because it will have exit options and likely deferred payouts. The negotiations with Alonso are complex, but for the Angels it is quite simple -- the team desperately needs guys who can slug, and Alonso is the best remaining slugger in free agency.