Steve Cohen makes big move in Pete Alonso free-agency saga

This previous Saturday, New York Mets proprietor Steve Cohen publicly acknowledged that contract talks with free-agent first baseman and Mets fan-favorite Pete Alonso have been “an exhausting” course of. 

It appears Cohen is not but prepared to utterly transfer on from the 30-year-old slugger. 

“Not more than 48 hours after publicly lamenting the seemingly infinite saga…Cohen was again in dialog with Alonso’s camp,” Jon Heyman of the New York Submit reported Tuesday night time.

MLB Network analyst Jim Duquette advised just lately that “Cohen could should finally bounce in” concerning the contract discussions with Alonso and big-name agent Scott Boras. Whereas it was later said that Cohen was “absolutely supportive of” what Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns had beforehand provided Alonso, that was earlier than each Cohen and Stearns heard directly from paying clients who made it identified throughout a Saturday fan occasion they need the “Polar Bear” to stay with what’s been his solely membership since he made his MLB debut in 2019. 

Quite a few tales all through the winter have linked Alonso with the Toronto Blue Jays, however both Duquette and MLB insider Andy Martino have famous the Blue Jays may have a “powerful” time bettering the Mets’ supply after Toronto agreed to a five-year deal price no less than $92.5M with outfielder Anthony Santander. Martino talked about throughout Monday’s version of the SNY “Baseball Night in New York” program that “there’s no motive for the Mets to hurry” since it is clear no different group is in a rush to lock Alonso down by way of a profitable multi-year deal. 

Maybe Alonso has seen the writing on the wall. 

“It looks like Alonso desperately hopes to return, whereas the Mets may go both means,” Heyman shared in his newest replace. 

Alonso’s camp just lately rejected a three-year proposal from the Mets that reportedly had opt-outs and was price “greater than $70M” with deferred cash included. With that stated, The Athletic’s Will Sammon identified on Tuesday that “a reunion with Alonso nonetheless is smart” as a result of the Amazins “have a gap at first base” and within the lineup following the historic offseason signing of All-Star outfielder Juan Soto. 

“It’s truthful to say the Mets have already ‘gained’ the negotiation,” Heyman added in his piece. Assuming Alonso agrees with that evaluation, it seems like he and Cohen may come to phrases on a deal before some thought as of Tuesday afternoon.