The New York Mets entered the 2025 season with the highest-paid player in baseball history and a chance to add a runner up in short order.
After landing Juan Soto on a historic $765 million contract, the Mets seemed like a leading landing spot for Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. if he was unable to reach an extension agreement with his current team. But the two sides have reportedly reached that agreement, with Guerrero set to earn $500 million over 14 years, per MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson.
Had Guerrero reached free agency, the Mets would have considered him as their first baseman for the future. Now, the near- and long-term pictures at the position are a little more complicated.
Over the winter, the team agreed to bring back homegrown slugger Pete Alonso on a two-year, $54 million contract that includes a player option after this season. Now that Guerrero has set a new ceiling for first base contracts, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal noted that the price for retaining Alonso beyond 2025 is growing.
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“The price for the Mets to retain their own first baseman, Pete Alonso, probably just went up as well,” Rosenthal wrote. “The two-year, $54 million contract he signed with the Mets includes an opt-out after this season, one Alonso is certain to exercise if his hot start is the prelude to a monster year. True, Alonso will continue to face questions about his defense and athleticism. But Guerrero and Soto faced those questions, too, and at younger ages. Have at it, Steve Cohen.”
Alonso has opened this season with a .290/.421/.645 slash line and three homers and 11 RBI in 31 at-bats. If that continues, the four-time All-Star is surely in line for a significant new deal, largely thanks to Guerrero and the Blue Jays.
And at that point, the Mets will have a tough decision to make.
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