Pete Alonso is remaining a Met, at least for 2025, as he reportedly agreed to a two-year, $54 million deal with an opt-out after this season on Thursday night.
Sal was worried that a reunion was no longer good for either side after months of publicly tense negotiations, but with this deal, he believes Alonso has to be happy, which means there are now no excuses.
“My biggest issue was that it would be a mistake for both sides at this point because I wanted Pete back, but a happy Pete back,” Sal said. “Well, in this scenario, the Mets figured out a way to make Pete Alonso happy, at least for one year.
“He gets the highest salary this year for a first baseman...That is a significant overpay. Significant overpay, which means Alonso is not gonna come in with his head down and his tail between his legs. He can come in proud as a peacock because he can say ‘Hey, I’m the highest paid first baseman in baseball this year.’ plus the signing bonus, that’s [$30] million.”
Sal says with that pride and happiness should come some real production in the middle of the lineup, and there is no reason why Alonso can’t get back to his 2022 production now that he got paid and has real protection in the lineup.
“Now, it’s on the big boy to go out there and produce,” Sal said. “I don’t want to see .217 or a paltry 34 home runs with 80 RBI. You got that signing bonus, Juan Soto and Vientos gonna be around you in that lineup, Francisco Lindor as well, no more excuses. You’ve had two down years, you got paid like a star, go produce like a star. If he does, then the sky is the limit for this ballclub.”