Pete Alonso has certainly done more than enough this year to reject his $24 million player option for 2026, which — like last offseason — will make him among the most intriguing free agents.
He is assembling a stronger platform season than 2024, with a 141 OPS-plus through Friday despite sustained downturns in May and July (his career average was 135). He further endeared himself to Mets fans by becoming the franchise’s all-time home run leader, which only enhanced his reputation to thrive in this heated marketplace. He remains among MLB’s most durable players. Plus no player can be made a qualifying offer more than once, and Alonso had that restrictive shackle last offseason.
But much of what restrained Alonso from procuring the long, lucrative deal he craved last offseason has not changed, except he has gotten a year older (and would play at 31 next year) to go along with lack of defensive and athletic value at a period in MLB history when the groupthink is really against overextending for 30-ish first basemen with that profile.
Will the Red Sox moving of roughly $250 million of Rafael Devers’ contract in a trade to the Giants motivate them to use a chunk on Alonso to attack the Green Monster? Do the Padres have it in their more restrictive budget to add the kind of homer might they need? Can the Giants, who still need power, even after obtaining Devers be interested, or do they just want to wait on their near-ready power prospect Bryce Eldridge?
