Pete Alonso took as much time to decide where to call home this season, as James Cameron takes to make a new Avatar movie! But maybe, Steve Cohen’s personal meeting with him did the MAGIC!

But now, there is a pink elephant, or rather, a blue and red elephant in the room—Will Pete Alonso opt out of the contract? Well, recently Alonso himself came out to say that his current $54 million deal with the Mets is a “bridge thing just to get to the next contract.”

That itself just spells trouble for the Mets. They are very much in the same boat as Toronto, at least that’s what Anthony DiComo pointed out.

Anthony DiComo of MLB.com pointed out that “Considering how reserved the Mets were in pursuing Alonso this winter, it’s not hard to imagine a world in which they simply accept Alonso’s decision and move on themselves. That would, of course, leave a Guerrero-sized hole at first base.” 

In response to Alonso’s contract comment, DiComo added, “Pete Alonso sure seems like a man intent on opting out of his $54 million agreement after this season.” And very much so – if Alonso opts out, the Mets will be left in almost the same situation as the Blue Jays.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. just recently clarified that he is going to be a free agent in the coming year. The deadline has passed, and the Toronto Blue Jays have not yet reached an agreement. As shared by Vladdy, the numbers haven’t matched!

Right now not only are Alonso’s and Guerrero Jr.’s situations similar, but they are also intertwined. Meaning if Pete Alonso leaves a gap in the lineup, the Mets can go after Guerrero Jr.

Mark Feinsand of MLB.com explained, “With Alonso potentially opting out of his contract after this season, there could be an opening at first, where Vladdy would pair nicely in the lineup with Juan Soto.” 

But the question is—would Steve Cohen go after Vladimir Guerrero Jr.?

Steve Cohen weighs Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s option

Now Pete Alonso’s future in the Mets may be hanging by a thread. Many even think that there might be bad blood between the team and him, given how long they made him wait. Their fan-favorite player after all! But Steve Cohen recently spoke to the media and shunned all those comments. He even mentioned how he made a trip to meet Alonso and convince him of this deal.

But there is only as much an owner can do, if Alonso opts out, he needs to pivot.

The team would require a strong bat to pair with Juan Soto, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. can be that bat. Cohen spoke about the possibility, saying, “He’s (Vladimir Guerrero Jr.) a great ballplayer. Once again, I’ll worry about that next year. Obviously, with payroll considerations—you really can’t have too many long-term contracts because then you lose your roster flexibility. So you have to be really careful.”

“But I’ll let my baseball people make that decision,” Cohen added.

Now one person among these baseball people is David Stearns. And he, according to DiComo, is pretty cautious of the spending. “They’ve spent aggressively in areas they feel they need to upgrade, and first base will certainly qualify if Alonso opts out. It’s a long way of saying the Mets won’t be outbid if they truly want the player, but it’s not clear at this juncture how much they want the player.” 

But Vlad deserves the pay because he has proven his worth last season. Even though Blue Jays as a team struggled, Guerrero Jr. was a lone wolf. 30 home runs, 103 RBIs and .940 OPS. And how can we ignore the fact that even after being five years younger, he is being compared to Alonso? Vladdy IS at his prime.

And so, it’s not just the Mets, the Yankees and Red Sox are also suitors of Guerrero Jr. If he tests free agency, everyone is going to want in. Any speculations on where he can finally land?