The ongoing Pete Alonso free agency saga continues, with the New York Mets seemingly growing tired of the back-and-forth.
The four-time All-Star seems dead-set on setting the market in some way for first base contracts, while the Mets are wary of paying a power hitter in his early thirties at a non-premium defensive position.
On Wednesday, Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that the Mets had asked Alonso’s camp to make a decision “soon” on whether or not the two sides could come to an agreement, leaving themselves time to pivot if Alonso does walk.
That doesn’t sound like a team and a player that see a reunion as a foregone conclusion, as some may have at one point believed it was in this case. Could Alonso really wear another uniform in 2025?
Noah Camras of Newsweek recently predicted that exact scenario would come to pass. In a Wednesday article, Camras declared that Alonso would sign with the Los Angeles Angels, terming it a “bold prediction.”
“Angels owner Arte Moreno loves making big splashes in the lineup, and Alonso would be just that,” Camras wrote.
“Alonso would provide the exact power bat the Angels are looking for, and will take some pressure off Mike Trout as one of the only run producers in the Halos lineup.”
The Angels are, to put things lightly, a mess. Their transcendent superstar Trout has been injured for the majority of the last three years, and the entire roster around him is shaky and ever-changing, especially the dismal Los Angeles pitching staff.
There’s no doubt that Alonso would help win a few more games for the Angels with his bat, but how much of a difference would that really make? Fangraphs projects them to win 76 games next season, which would be an improvement over their last-place 2024 finish.
It might feel embarrassing to lose Alonso to a lowly team like the Angels, but making sound financial decisions is important even for a team with a sky-high payroll. The Mets are holding firm on Alonso’s worth, and it’s up to the slugger to try and find the long-term deal he seeks elsewhere if he chooses.
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