Pete Alonso contract offer is disrespectful after New York Mets heard his demands

The late Willie Mays put it best when he said, Baseball is a game, yes.

It is also a business.

Long after the MLB legend spent the final days of his career with the New York Mets , another star in Flushing is learning this invaluable lesson the hard way .

In recent days, the ongoing contract talks between the Mets and Pete Alonso have grown ugly, with neither side willing to budge on what they believe is the fair price for a new deal.

In a move that the New York Posts Joel Sherman and Dan Martin described as a last-ditch effort to reach an agreement, New York offered the slugging first baseman a three-year contract worth around $68 million-$70 million.

This, of course, comes on the heels of a different three-year proposal from Alonsos agent, Scott Boras, which possessed an average annual value (AAV) far higher than what the Mets were willing to pay.

To put it plainly, the Mets latest counteroffer is nothing short of disrespectful.

At $70 million over three years, Alonso would be making less than $20 million more than what Juan Soto is earning on a yearly basis to play in Queens after inking a 15-year, $805 million contract this offseason.

That is not to say, however, that Soto isnt deserving of his $51 million AAV, nor that Alonso is worthy of a monster contract of similar proportions.

The comparison is simply meant to point out that Mets owner Steve Cohen is more than willing to go the extra mile - or extra penny in this context - to bring in players he wants.

With an AAV of $23.3 million, the Mets latest offer to Alonso is also hardly more than the seven-year, $158 million extension offer they proposed to him in June of 2023 - despite being four years shorter in length and providing far less security.

Follow us on X for the best and latest in sports news The growing distance between the Mets and Alonso is a stark reminder that being a fan favorite rarely benefits players that find themselves on the cold and unforgiving free agent market.

In Cohens eyes, a $23.3 million AAV - the highest offered to a first baseman this offseason - is more than fair for a 30-year-old coming off one of the worst years of his career.

Many fans would disagree, arguing that its sometimes worth giving more money to a homegrown talent whos left his fingerprints all over the franchises all-time leaderboard.

If Alonso has already played his final game in a Mets uniform, hed finish third in home runs (226) and slugging percentage (.514) while first in at-bats per home run (13.9) in team history.

While it may not show up on the stat sheet, Alonsos dedication to the Mets, their fanbase and the greater New York community should certainly carry a price tag.

Yet time and again, these factors fall to the wayside at the negotiation table - ultimately causing a player to drift away from the team they thought would always be called home..

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