Report: NY Mets Start to Pivot From Pete Alonso

Reports on Thursday have the New York Mets ready to pivot and move on from their longstanding slugger Pete Alonso. According to Will Sammon in The Athletic:

After contract negotiations with Pete Alonso’s camp hit an impasse, the New York Mets began considering a pivot away from re-signing the star first baseman, people familiar with the situation said.

The last known negotiations between the two sides involved a three-year contract offer from the Mets worth between $68-$70M, but the Alonso camp (i.e. notorious agent Scott Boras) came back with a three-year deal with opt-outs and a much higher AAV. No deal.

The Mets then began active talks with other players, who, if signed, would make it "difficult to fit Alonso into their plans."

New York did make one small signing already on Thursday, re-signing platoon outfield/DH bat Jesse Winker to a one-year, $7.5M deal. It's hard to imagine that that deal could shut down any chances of Alonso returning, but as the Mets continue to pivot to other players, they're certainly heading in that direction.

Sammon writes that shoring up the bullpen is a place where the Mets are ready to spend their money in lieu of an Alonso deal. He names Tanner Scott in particular as a target.

If Alonso is elsewhere this season, the Mets could move last year's rookie sensation Mark Vientos from third over to first base.

Polar Bear, as Alonso was affectionately known as in Queens, has the second most homers in all of baseball over the last six seasons with 226, just six back of Aaron Judge.

Alonso and Boras turned down a 7-year, $158 million extension offer from the Mets last season, and now they're looking at a much shorter and less lucrative deal from wherever they land.

Other teams are in talks with Alonso, including the Toronto Blue Jays.