As Pete Alonso’s uncertain future continues on into the end of January, Tiki Barber says the homegrown Met has become a casualty of an epic “ego match” between his agent and potentially former general manager.
Tiki believes David Stearns carries a quiet ruthlessness to him, and will not be budged beyond what he believes Alonso is worth, while superagent Scott Boras carries a similar demeanor, and so the two sides remained at a standstill that could end with Alonso signing elsewhere.
“It has everything to do with your general manager. David Stearns, who looks meek, like he’s not one to be aggressive…but the reality is, David Stearns is a killer,” Tiki said. “The dude does not care how you think you should be treated. We know this because of what he did in Milwaukee…he endorsed Craig Counsell to be their manager and fired half the staff. The same thing is happening here in New York. He didn’t fire half the staff, but he took a very critical look at what this team was about.
“David Stearns, while he knew Juan Soto was going to take every dime Steve Cohen has, was not willing to let Scott Boras do that for anyone else. So what we have is an ego match. It’s an aggressive one…trust me, he’s winning it. Pete Alonso, as much as it sucks for him, is a victim of the ego match between David Stearns and Scott Boras.”
Stearns and the Mets have reportedly balked at going beyond the three-year deal that they already offered, while Alonso’s side seems set on getting a contract that the Mets or any other teams feel comfortable paying. In the end, Tiki says Alonso and New York fans suffer the consequences of the continued grudge match between Stearns and Boras.
“It sucks,” Tiki said. “It sucks for the fans, for Pete Alonso, and his short and long-term future. But that is the reality.”