Pete Alonso, Free Agent In 2024 And New Scott Boras Client, Will Be Looking For Big Money From Mets

The New York Mets have a lot of decisions to make over the next few months, and one of the most important revolves around Pete Alonso.

During a disappointing 2023 season, the Mets made a dramatic about-face, trading Max Scherzer to the Texas Rangers, Tommy Pham to the Arizona Diamondbacks and Justin Verlander to the Houston Astros. On his way out, Scherzer revealed that team owner Steve Cohen had essentially told him that the team wouldn't be pursuing top free agents in the offseason, instead committing to a lengthier rebuild.

READ: DID STEVE COHEN TAKE THE METS OUT OF THE SHOHEI OHTANI SWEEPSTAKES BEFORE THEY START?

That philosophy is going to get an immediate test for the team's new head of baseball operations, Dave Stearns. Especially because the team's most recognizable star, Pete Alonso, is heading for free agency after the 2024 season and just hired MLB super agent Scott Boras to represent him.

Boras has already started his postseason media tour, appearing on "The Show" podcast with Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman recently to talk Alonso's future. And in typical Boras fashion, he's not shy about wanting to set the market with one of his players.

When discussing contracts for Freddie Freeman, who got $162 million from the Dodgers, or Paul Goldschmidt, who got $130 million from St. Louis, Boras said he won't view those figures as "relevant" for Alonso.

“I don’t think those recent contracts, certainly negotiated by others, are really relevant to anything that has to do with what’s going to happen in the future,” Boras said. “Particularly with Pete Alonso.”

Don't get too attached to your first baseman, Mets fans.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK: Pete Alonso on second base during the first inning of the game against the Chicago Cubs. (Justin Satloff/Getty Images)

Will Pete Alonso Get Traded This Year If Mets Struggle?

While Boras is right that Alonso is a different player in a different situation from Freeman or Goldschmidt, he might be aiming a bit high in hoping to exceed their contracts.

As great as Alonso has been offensively, especially with regards to hitting home runs, his overall value to a team might not be as high as most would expect. Because the bar for production at first base is so high, Alonso's best season by wins above replacement was his rookie year in 2019. Extremely poor defensive ratings and unexceptional on base percentages have kept his total value below 3.8 WAR each of the past three seasons.

By contrast, Freddie Freeman was worth 4.9, 7.1 and 7.9 WAR from 2021-2023.

Alonso is younger, set to turn 29 in December, but it's likely to be a tough sell for a team to shell out huge money for a power-only first baseman. If the Mets do decide to go all in on rebuilding in 2024, that could mean Alonso becomes a trade candidate, whether in the offseason or at the deadline.

Boras addressed that possibility too, saying he thinks it's tough for teams to explain to fans why they'd trade big name players.

“I think it’s hard to say for a franchise, that if you want to win, you trade these players," Boras said. "I just think it’s a very difficult thing for ownership and baseball operations to explain.’’

He's not wrong. But in the modern era of baseball evaluation, emotion is often left at the door. And if the Mets aren't able to get an extension done at their price and the team struggles, Alonso could be on his way out sooner rather than later.