Pete Alonso Hires Scott Boras’ Company With Free Agency Looming – Mets’ power hitter, Pete Alonso, has enlisted the services of the BorasCorp agency to manage his representation as he enters his free agent season, according to information obtained by The Post. Securing a superstar’s contract extension in their final contractual year can be challenging, and BorasCorp, led by the prominent baseball agent Scott Boras, is renowned for guiding many top players into free agency, though not all of them.
Nonetheless, the Mets, under the ownership of Steve Cohen, maintain a strong and productive partnership. In recent years, both Boras and the Mets successfully negotiated three significant free-agent agreements: a three-year, $130 million contract with Max Scherzer, an eight-year, $162 million deal with Brandon Nimmo, and a notable 12-year, $315 million arrangement with Carlos Correa, which unfortunately had to be scrapped due to a medical concern that arose during the physical examination.
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The Mets tried to lock up Alonso last winter, but word at the time was the sides “weren’t in the same ballpark,” and there have been rumblings lately about talks either starting or about to start. The Mets are expected to make another attempt this upcoming winter, and the newly appointed Mets baseball president, David Stearns, emphasized during his introductory press conference on Monday that they anticipate Pete Alonso to continue being part of the Mets, at least through the upcoming season.
“Pete is a great player. He is also good in the clubhouse. And he is also homegrown. All of that matters,” Stearns said. “I expect Pete to be the Opening Day first baseman next year. Pete’s an important member of this team. Pete’s an important member of this organization. And I think we are really fortunate to have him.” During the recent trade deadline, there were discussions, possibly with the Brewers and the Cubs, regarding a potential trade involving Alonso.
Brewers ownership even gave the green light to absorb Alonso’s $14.5 million salary. However, individuals within the Mets organization did not describe these talks as being close to fruition. A recent report from WSCR-AM in Chicago indicated strong interest from the Cubs in Pete Alonso, while another report suggested that Alonso himself might be interested in joining the Cubs.
However, publicly, Alonso has consistently expressed his fondness for New York and the Mets. Mets officials remain skeptical that Chicago would be his preferred choice over New York. In contract negotiations, the Mets would probably prefer to highlight recent contracts signed by other first-base superstars, particularly the deals for two league MVPs. These include the five-year, $125 million agreement Paul Goldschmidt secured with the Cardinals a year before reaching free agency.
As well as the six-year, $162 million contract Freddie Freeman inked as a free agent with the Dodgers, which also included some deferred payments. On the other hand, Boras is likely to refer to two older contracts for first basemen he represented: Prince Fielder’s $214 million, nine-year deal with the Tigers and Mark Teixeira’s $180 million, eight-year contract with the Yankees. However, he may point out that these deals are over a decade old and could be considered outdated in the current market.
While Boras is renowned for securing substantial contracts during free agency, some of his star players inked deals with their current teams while still having one year remaining on their contracts. Former Angels pitcher Jered Weaver, for example, agreed to a $85 million, five-year contract under similar circumstances. Similarly, Cleveland’s star second baseman Carlos Baerga also extended his contract before reaching free agency.
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Alonso, aged 28, stands as the leader in the majors with 192 home runs and 498 RBIs since his debut in 2019. Notably, his 192 homers rank as the third-highest in baseball history for a player’s first five years in their career, trailing only Hall of Famer and Mets broadcasting legend Ralph Kiner (215) and the future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols (201). If not for the pandemic year of 2020, it’s highly probable that Alonso would hold the top spot on that list.
Over the past five seasons, Alonso has recorded three seasons with 40 or more home runs, a feat unmatched by any other MLB player during that period. Furthermore, Alonso has demonstrated remarkable durability. Since his debut, he has played the third-highest number of games (684), trailing only Marcus Semien (700) and Freeman (697), despite posting impressive statistics like 46 homers, 118 RBIs, and a .217 average in the most recent season.