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By Drew VonScio
Contributing Sports Writer
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The New York Mets know they will have to spend a lot of money this winter in order to reach the playoffs again next year.
While adding to the starting rotation and securing a closer will be important for the Mets, they also need to focus on the offensive side as well. New York knows big-name hitters will be very popular this winter, and it will have to enter a bidding war in order to secure the players they want.
One of those players is Pete Alonso, who came back to the Mets last season after many thought he was gone for good. Now, the organization has to experience it all over again this winter. Tim Britton believes Alonso will sign a five-year deal worth $140 million.
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"Like his former high school teammate (Kyle) Tucker, Alonso benefits from the massive deal Guerrero signed in the spring. Guerrero’s extension revived a first-base market that had been stagnant for a decade," Britton wrote for The Athletic. "However, Alonso will be 31 next year, hasn’t delivered the kind of peak, near-MVP performance Guerrero had before his extension, and still sits a rung below the production level of other first basemen who signed big-time contracts. Projection: 5 years, $140 million."
Alonso signed a two-year deal worth $54 million last offseason but chose to opt out of his contract after this year. He wanted a long-term deal last winter but did not get one which is why he settled for the deal he took. The Mets are extremely unlikely to sign him on a short deal once again this winter.
For the Mets, signing Alonso should be their first priority offensively. Even though he will be 31 next season, he's still swinging the bat extremely well. Even if he becomes a de facto DH in the later years of the contract, his offensive production will still be there. Just look at Kyle Schwarber, for example, who continues to hit 50-plus home runs into the later part of his 30s.
If New York can get Alonso to agree to a contract with a $28 million average annual value, the organization should take it in a heartbeat and not look back.
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