The New York Mets came into the season with big expectations after adding Juan Soto and other top free agents last winter. But the Mets fell flat on their faces down the stretch and completely missed the postseason in favor of the Cincinnati Reds. This winter, the Mets need to add more talent to their roster if they want to get back to the postseason. Mets slugger Pete Alonso is headed to free agency, and the team’s first priority should be re-signing or replacing Alonso. Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly recently predicted the Mets would sign Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami to a massive five-year, $95 million deal. “Many of the teams we will discuss with Schwarber and Alonso make sense as possible landing spots for Murakami, although he runs the risk of being option B or C for many teams,” Kelly wrote. They’ll need to replace his power production in some manner, and Murakami as a first base/DH option-president of baseball operations David Stearns did personally scout him in Japan in August-makes sense.” The Mets will need to replace Alonso’s power in free agency if he leaves. Murakami is one of the only free agents on the market who could replace Alonso’s power for the Mets. There are questions about his bat-to-ball skills, but his power potential should be enough for the Mets to take a shot on him in free agency, especially if he’s going to sign for less than $100 million.
https://www.newsweek.com/mets-projected-to-sign-slugger-to-blockbuster-5-year-95-million-deal-11059856
Tag Archives: Pete Alonso
Mets All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso will opt out of contract and test free agency again
MIAMI (AP) — Pete Alonso has announced he will opt out of his contract with the New York Mets and enter free agency again, following the team’s failure to make the playoffs this season.
Alonso previously tested the free agent market last offseason before deciding to stay with the franchise that drafted him in 2016 out of Florida. In February, he signed a two-year, $54 million contract that paid him $30 million this season, with a $24 million player option for the next year.
The All-Star first baseman indicated he would like to return to the Mets once more but emphasized his desire to win a championship.
“There’s some great guys in this clubhouse, there’s some great people on the staff,” Alonso said. “And every single day, it’s just been a pleasure coming to work and putting on the orange and blue. I’ve really appreciated it and been nothing but full of gratitude every single day. Nothing’s guaranteed, but we’ll see what happens. I’ve loved being a Met, so hopefully they’ve appreciated me in the same way.”
At 30 years old, Alonso earned his fifth All-Star selection this season, batting a career-best .272 with 38 home runs, 126 RBIs, and a career-high 41 doubles. Along the way, he broke the Mets’ franchise record for home runs, surpassing Darryl Strawberry’s previous mark of 252.
“I think the biggest thing is, I want to win,” Alonso said. “I know we didn’t this year, but we had the right pieces — I think we just didn’t do it. At the beginning of the year, you just want to have the best possible chance to hold up the trophy at the end and see yourself being a champion. So for me, it’s why I do this. I want to be on top of the mountain. I want to win a World Series. That’s the ultimate goal.”
The Mets entered Sunday’s regular-season finale needing a win and a Cincinnati loss at Milwaukee to make the playoffs. However, New York could not overcome a four-run fourth inning by the Miami Marlins and was eliminated from postseason contention following a 4-0 loss.