New York Mets owner Steve Cohen sharply criticized the negotiations with free agent first baseman Pete Alonso in a public event with fans Saturday.
“I don’t like the negotiations,” Cohen told fans at the team’s “Amazin’ Day” event Saturday. “I don’t like what’s being presented to us. Maybe that changes. Certainly I’ll always stay flexible. If it stays this way, I think we’re going to have to get used to the fact that we’re going to have to go forward with the existing players.”
“I don’t like the negotiations. I don’t like what’s been presented to us.”
Steve Cohen talks about the Mets’ negotiations with Pete Alonso and the possibility of the Mets moving forward without him:
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Earlier this offseason, Cohen and agent Scott Boras negotiated the largest contract even given a professional athlete: outfielder Juan Soto’s 15-year, $765 million contract.
Cohen compared those negotiations Saturday to the negotiations with Alonso; agent Scott Boras represents both players.
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“We’ve made a significant offer to Pete,” Cohen said. “And, you know, what (GM David Stearns) has said is correct. He’s entitled to go out and explore his market. Personally this has been an exhausting conversation and negotiation. Soto was tough. This is worse.”
Alonso, 30, hit 34 home runs last season and has hit 226 homers since his 2019 Rookie of the Year campaign with the Mets. But he is reportedly “advancing” in talks with the Toronto Blue Jays while the Mets seem content to move on.
More news: Mets’ Free Agent Pete Alonso ‘Advancing’ in Talks With American League Team: Report
“I don’t like the structures that are being presented back to us,” Cohen said. “I think it’s highly asymmetric against us. I feel strongly about it. I will never say ‘no,’ there’s always a possibility but the reality is we’re moving forward. As we continue to bring in players, it’s hard to bring Pete in to what is a very expensive group of players that we already have. That’s where we are. I’m being brutally honest.”
Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported the Mets offered Alonso a three-year contract “in the $68 million to $70 million range” before pivoting to Plan B when their offer was rejected.
More news: Pete Alonso Rejected $68-70 Million Contract From One Suitor: Report
In addition to Soto, the Mets have bolstered their lineup with the signing of free agent Jesse Winker and the acquisition of outfielder Jose Siri in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays.
The bulk of the Mets’ offseason work has focused on upgrading their pitching staff. New to the staff in 2025 will be right-handed starters Frankie Montas and Griffin Canning, and left-handed reliever A.J. Minter.
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