LAS VEGAS — The Mets won’t be the only high-spending club interested in Pete Alonso this winter. Just ask super agent Scott Boras, who represents the slugging first baseman and held one of his annual media sessions at the General Managers Meetings on Wednesday in Las Vegas.
“There’s no doubt that Pete’s pursuers are prime to pay the power piper,” Boras said. “Pete picked the perfect period to play preeminently at really a primary position. A playoff parched plethora will pounce to participate in the Polar Plunge.”
If Alonso picks a peck of pickled peppers later this offseason, Boras will clearly be all over it.
All kidding and alliteration aside, Alonso’s prodigious power will play a pivotal part in the Mets’ offseason plans. The Mets’ lineup needs his presence to protect Juan Soto. He’s one of the faces of the franchise, a fan favorite and can handle the pressures of playing in New York.
But what about Alonso’s penetrable defense at first base? Metrics suggest Alonso is a poor defender with putrid range and as much as he can pick the ball and dig out throws from his teammates, he doesn’t fit the run prevention narrative that president of baseball operations David Stearns is pursuing this offseason.
Boras indicated on Wednesday that Alonso is amenable to playing designated hitter more beginning in 2026.
“I think Pete, at this point in his career, he’s about winning, no doubt,” Boras said.
That’s good news for the Mets if Alonso is open to that scenario as they consider the risks of signing a player at his age to a long-term contract.
Stearns was asked later on Wednesday afternoon about Boras’ comments and if Alonso being willing to slot in at DH changes the way he fits the Mets’ plans.
“Pete’s clearly a really good offensive player and I think for any team, the ability to get his bat in the lineup in multiple ways is helpful,” Stearns said. “It’s great to know that Pete is open to stuff like that.”
Boras is always going to hype up his clients. That’s his job. But he had every right to sound off on Alonso’s value on Wednesday. Alonso has, after all, been one of the best, most durable and most consistent power hitters in the sport since his career began with the Mets. He’s also coming off another impressive campaign at the plate. To use another pun from Boras, the agent called Alonso’s durability a “pachydermian-like perseverance.” Other first basemen across the league are platooning, “except for Pete.”
“Don’t get me wrong,” Boras said, “power, production, punishing pitchers, they’re fully aware of his skill, but what I think they most pay attention to is the core element of what he can do to provide a team that consistency of 40 home runs, power and production because they’re just not finding it.”
Boras continued: “He’s in so many ways, from a production, middle of the lineup, an ideal franchise player. He plays every day and it’s clear that the New York fans relate to somebody who is workman like, who is what Pete is.”
Still, the Mets and Alonso’s camp will need to match up on dollars and contract length if the first baseman is going to return again this winter.
Whether Alonso will have another opportunity in a different market to play first base remains to be seen. Perhaps that could tip the scales in his highly anticipated decision if another contender offers to play him at first base every day and the Mets don’t. At least for now, it sounds like positioning isn’t a dealbreaker in his sweepstakes.
What we do know for certain is that Stearns doesn’t have a “set philosophy” when it comes to designated hitters and how much money they should be making.
Right now, with Alonso in free agency, the Mets don’t have a clear-cut DH. Bring Alonso back and he can be used there often. If he walks and wears another uniform on Opening Day next spring, other internal and external options are available.
“We have multiple players who could take at-bats at DH, but we don’t have someone who is going to live there right now so that opportunity is open,” Stearns said. “And if that’s how we worked through the offseason, that works out great. If we get to Opening Day and we don’t have that set position, I also think that provides [manager Carlos Mendoza] with some flexibility to rotate some guys through there. So I don’t think there is one right or wrong way to do that.”
Stearns hasn’t hidden the Mets’ interest in a reunion with Alonso this week either. Same goes for closer Edwin Díaz, who also opted out this offseason.
“We love both Pete and Edwin,” Stearns said on Tuesday. “They’ve been great representatives of the organization. We’d love to have them both back. At this stage of the offseason, it’s really tough to predict any outcomes, but certainly we’d love to have both these guys back.”
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