What to do with Pete Alonso?

Alonso is coming off one of the most productive seasons of his career, but there are issues with his game that became exposed in 2025

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We have once again reached a junction point between the Mets and Pete Alonso, who will likely opt out of the second year of his two-year, $54 million contract he signed this past February.

Before I start, it’s worth mentioning Alonso earned an additional $200,000 for his All-Star selection in 2025, and could earn an additional $200,000 if he makes the first or second All-MLB team, which will be announced later this fall.

First off, Alonso was just fabulous at the plate in 2025, putting any doubts that he was on the down slope of his career in the rearview mirror in his age-30 season. He hit .272/.347/.524 with 170 hits, 41 doubles, 38 home runs, had 126 RBI, drew 61 walks, and scored 87 runs. His .272 average was a career-high, his .524 slugging percentage was the best mark since his rookie season in 2019, his strikeout rate was down nearly two percent over 2024, and he appeared in all 162 games for the second straight season. He has played in 152 games or more in all six 162-game seasons in his career. He also posted 3.6 fWAR and had 141 wRC+ in 2025.

His 38 home runs were eighth-best in baseball, his 126 RBI were the second-best in baseball. Among qualified first basemen, he had the most home runs and RBI, had the fifth-highest fWAR, and the third most wRC+ (min. 450 PA).

Again, Alonso had a fabulous offensive season.

But, notice how, for the second time, I only mentioned his offense. His defense? Not so much.

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Alonso committed ten errors, tied with Nick Kurtz for the most among qualified first basemen. His -9 outs above average (OAA) was the worst mark among all qualified first basemen, and his -9 defensive runs saved (DRS) was also the worst mark among all qualified first basemen.

So yeah, his defense left a lot to be desired. The lowlight of his season at first might’ve been that high throw to Kodai Senga on the PFP play on June 13 against the Rays, that which sent Senga to the injured list with a pulled hamstring and in turn sent the Mets season into a tailspin. That combined with Juan Soto’s general ineffectiveness in right field made for a porous right side of the field for the Mets in 2025 and was a big reason for their fade out in the second half of the season.

So that brings us to that fork in the road with Alonso. Should they bring him back and commit to him long-term in a situation where the Mets simply must improve their defense and overall run prevention skills?

Simply put, there are more reasons the Mets should bring Alonso back than not, although there are obvious short-term and long-term concerns.

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First off, who are they getting that’s going to be better? Even with Alonso’s defense, he’s the best available first baseman in free agency, and they simply don’t have any competent internal replacements. They’re not replacing his power, they’re not replacing his presence, they’re not necessarily replacing his durability, they’re not replacing the intangibles he has proven to have playing in New York and his playoff experience. Sure, we can talk about the Mets moving Mark Vientos to first base, but that was a bad idea before he regressed in 2025 when we were talking about that last winter. The Mets could consider signing the aging Paul Goldschmidt or Josh Naylor, who were both slightly below average defensively. They could consider replacing Alonso with Nathaniel Lowe, who was also well below average defensively.

And, none of them provide the offensive value Alonso does. Nobody does except Freddie Freeman (he also had a rough year defensively) and Matt Olson, neither of whom are available.

The truth is, yes, Alonso was pretty bad defensively this past season, but his defense would’ve been passable if the defense around him was better, especially at first base, which is typically an offense-first position anyway since it’s a lower leverage spot on the field. So, can the Mets protect Alonso better defensively if they find an upgrade at second base?

That’s not guaranteed, but it’s entirely possible.

Then there’s the brand value Alonso has brought the Mets and would continue to bring the Mets if he is made a Met-for-Life this winter.

Since Alonso came to the big leagues in 2019, there are two players who have hit more home runs: Aaron Judge (285) and Kyle Schwarber (268). He set the Mets franchise record for home runs this past season and could very well get to 500 home runs in the not-too-distant future if he stays healthy and relatively productive as he ages. Plus, he is adored by this fanbase; he has expressed his adoration for the Mets, their fans, and playing in New York as well, and did so as recently as the last day of the season once again.

David Stearns has acknowledged the sentimental value players have for the club and its fans in the past, although while he recognizes that, he is obligated to balance that with the best interests of the club. Of course, players can have both sentimental value and and actual baseball value, as is the case with Alonso. Personally, I don’t believe the Mets should ever pay for moments and images a player provides a team at the expense of what they are in present day. I think every player - regardless of their tenure and history with a club - reaches a point where it’s time to say goodbye. We got there with John Franco, Edgardo Alfonzo, Mike Piazza, David Wright, and many other iconic figures in their history.

But I don’t think we are there with Alonso yet. Hell, he was one of the most productive players in baseball this year and the Mets simply can’t be better without him despite his flaws.

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So, it seems like a no-brainer for the Mets to bring him back, right? I think so, but I also know it’s not as simple as that considering his free agency, where the team is, and what they need to do to get this thing back on the rails for 2026.

Alonso will be in his age-31 season in 2026. The analytics say his game won’t age very well, which is fair and probably true, especially since nobody’s game ages well in baseball after their age-32 season. But that doesn’t mean Alonso will be sub-competitive as he gets older, either. But in order to keep Alonso healthy and productive while protecting his weaknesses and ensuring his durability, I am willing to bet that any team he talks to during this off-season will ask him to be in a hybrid-DH role going forward, that which would eventually transition into a full-time DH role as a potential contract ages over the next few years.

I just can’t see any team in the market for a first baseman committing to Alonso over a long contract in a first base or bust situation at this point. That’s not to say he doesn’t work hard over there - he does. But the defensive metrics are what they are, and again, players don’t usually improve as they get older. And, I don’t think anyone who watched in 2025 needs to look at the metrics to know Alonso had a difficult season defensively.

The problem, of course, is can the Mets have Alonso transition into that role and find another player who would be willing to play first base in a part-time role in 2026 and in future years? And how stubborn will Alonso be with all of this? All of that’s uncertain as well.

Alonso’s salary and bonus in 2025 were a combined $30 million - he had a $20 million base salary with a $10 million signing bonus, making him the highest-paid first baseman in the history of the game. After this season, he can most certainly expect a more robust market this winter and certainly more than the pillow contract he ultimately agreed to with the Mets right before spring training started. Assuming his market is in fact robust, I can see him in the area of five years and $150 million this winter, which would match his salary for 2025 multiplied over five additional years. He would remain the highest paid first baseman in the history of the sport.

For the Mets, the money should be the easy part of the equation, even if this ultimately turns into an overpay as the contract ages. The hard part might ultimately be convincing Alonso to take an offense-first role.

But in the end, less might be even more with Alonso.