The deep freeze enveloping New York is symbolic of what’s occurring between the Mets and Scott Boras over Pete Alonso, and it actually is kind of superb how the euphoria over their $765 million Juan Soto deal has dissipated a lot in simply six weeks: Boras is scrambling mightily to seek out offers remotely near his preliminary asking costs for Alonso — and his different excessive profile consumer Alex Bregman — and the Mets don’t look like noticeably improved over final 12 months regardless of the addition of Soto.
By now it’s important to marvel if Alonso is having critical misgivings about hiring Boras as his agent again in October 2023. He ought to’ve identified even then that, come the tip of the 2024 season, Boras’ prime precedence was going to be Soto and reaping the best contract in baseball historical past. However within the case of Soto, Boras had the right storm for any agent — a 25-year-old expertise with 4 of the richest groups in baseball all bidding for him proper to the tip. The important thing to getting a multi-year megabucks deal for an agent is to have two or extra suitors participating in a bidding battle, and within the case of the 30-year-old Alonso — who Boras initially opined was a worthy first base comp to Freddie Freeman’s six-years, $162 million with the Dodgers — that hasn’t occurred.
The Mets’ three-year supply within the $70 million vary to Alonso has been on the market for a few weeks now and no person has stepped as much as prime it — or at the very least definitely not considerably sufficient to Alonso’s satisfaction. Alonso has made it fairly clear he needs to stay a Met however by steadfastly holding agency on their three-year supply, Mets GM David Stearns has likewise made it clear they’re prepared to maneuver on with out him. Boras could also be driving excessive on his Soto deal, however he has to date failed Alonso and Bregman, who he promised a $200 million deal and rejected a seemingly very reasonable six-year, $156 million supply from the Astros, who don’t normally interact within the excessive stakes free agent market to retain their gamers.
Not too long ago, Boras floated to his media acolytes the Blue Jays as a late entry for Alonso. A excessive positioned supply with the Blue Jays confirmed to me there’s curiosity there in Alonso however that their prime precedence stays locking up Vlad Guerrero Jr. long run, which they hope will occur earlier than the beginning of spring coaching. The supply was additionally skeptical concerning the Blue Jays going past three years for Alonso.
What’s considerably perplexing in all that is that after signing Soto, the Mets have performed little to enhance the roster round him — particularly in the event that they half methods with Alonso. With the Yankees, Soto loved certainly one of his finest seasons final 12 months, but additionally had Aaron Decide hitting behind him. If not Alonso, who’s going to hit behind him with the Mets? Was that topic introduced up by him with Steve Cohen?
Apparently, the plan is to maneuver Mark Vientos to first base, opening one other gap at third base to be full of any mixture of Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio or Luisangel Acuna. However what about Jose Iglesias, who was arguably one of many three most useful gamers on the Mets final 12 months together with Francisco Lindor and Brandon Nimmo, each for his versatility and clubhouse management?
Considerably surprisingly the Mets appear content material to additionally half methods with the favored 35-year-old Iglesias who, regardless of hitting .337 in the course of the common season, wore down within the playoffs, prompting the Mets mind belief to conclude he doesn’t have a lot left. Nonetheless, there’s no underestimating the worth of clubhouse chemistry, which he was an enormous a part of final 12 months.
In the meantime, after the 15-year, $765 million spurge on Soto, Stearns has been content material to dole out solely quick time period contracts to fill the Mets wants: Jose Quintana and Luis Severino have been changed within the beginning rotation by Clay Holmes and Frankie Montas — on the floor hardly an improve. Harrison Bader was changed in middle area with the commerce for Jose Siri from Tampa Bay and whereas Siri has extra energy (43 homers within the final two years), it was accompanied by 170 strikeouts final season and 130 the season earlier than. There are additionally questions on Siri’s make-up, which was an element within the Rays unloading him.
Stearns additionally has taken a really conservative strategy to upgrading the Mets bullpen — taking a move or being out-bid for all the highest flight free agent relievers — Jeff Hoffman, Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates — regardless of their main want being a excessive leverage set-up man for Edwin Diaz. He did fill a long-time Mets void for a high quality lefty reliever with the signing of A.J. Minter, who’s coming off hip surgical procedure, for 2 years, $22 million final week, however as of now it’s wanting like several actual upgrades to the Mets bullpen could must be a shock from inside.
For a workforce that final month was taking bows for touchdown the premier free agent of the offseason, the Mets nonetheless look to be the third finest workforce in their very own division.
Initially Printed: January 25, 2025 at 10:30 AM EST
