Pete Alonso’s journey to free agency so far has been anything but smooth. After his performance dipped a little bit in 2024, posting a career-low .788 OPS, he endured what owner Steve Cohen called “exhausting” and “worse than Soto” contract talks. Ultimately, both sides agreed on a two-year, $54 million deal—a “bet on yourself” contract in which Alonso received a huge $30 million salary for 2025 and an option to become a free agent again after the season. 

And in the make-or-break year, the Polar Bear didn’t just meet expectations; he smashed them. He responded by playing in all 162 games for the second straight year and put together one of the best seasons of his career, posting a slash line of .272/.347/.524 with 38 home runs and 126 RBIs.  But after having the best record in all of baseball around mid-June, the Mets completely fell apart with a 38-55 record in the second half of the season.

After their season’s finale at the last game of the season, Pete Alonso told reporters that he would test the free agent market again before next season and opt out of his contract. “I love playing here … Every single day, it’s been a pleasure coming to work and putting on the orange and blue,” Alonso said after the Mets’ elimination against the Marlins in Game 162.  “I’ve really appreciated it and have been nothing but full of gratitude. Nothing is guaranteed, but we’ll see what happens. I’ve loved being a Met. Hopefully, they’ve appreciated me the same.”

Now, the elephant in the room has a price tag and a timeline. A report from the New York Post surfaced, stating Pete Alonso is expected to seek a contract of at least seven years. As a Twitter account named ‘SleeperMets’ tweeted, “UPDATE Pete Alonso is expected to seek a contract of at least seven years, per @NYPost_Mets.” Considering David Stearn’s history with the first baseman, a seven-year deal would pay the first baseman through his age-37 season, and many fans immediately called the demand impossible and even ‘delusional’.

Now, losing the franchise’s all-time home run king, who had smashed 34 homers even in his down year in 2024, created a healthy debate among the fanbase over his future.  Let’s see how..

The fanbase is divided over Alonso’s future

Some fans felt a sense of déjà vu, remembering the drama from just one year ago as one tough fan wrote, “Delusional. He’ll come crawling back to the Mets again. No one is offering him anything close to that. Hopefully, the Mets move on.” Alonso previously turned down a huge seven-year, $158 million extension from the Mets and then had a down year in 2024 and found a “lukewarm” free-agent market. That forced him to return to Queens on a short-term deal. This fan believes history will repeat itself.

Other fans explained the situation with logic. They said, “I love Pete, but if anyone gives him 7 years, that’s an overpayment. Max Fried type contract”. This is a brilliant point. This fan argues that seven-year commitments are for players who impact the game on both sides of the ball like Shohei Ohtani. So, it’s a ‘no need ‘ decision for someone like Pete Alonso, who is a one-dimensional slugger with poor defensive stats, including -9 Outs Above Average. That’s why another fan just repeated this same feeling, with just widening the range, “I love Pete, he’s my favorite Met…..that being said, no team in baseball is giving him a 7 year deal.” For them, it isn’t just the Mets, the entire league will show a white flag for Alonso in such type of contact.

Of course, there is also a deep-seated fear among some that said, “David Stearns is gonna settle for Wilmer Flores and act like a big shot when he signs him.” This is a pointed jab at David Stearns and his reputation for value-driven moves. Wilmer Flores, though good, cannot produce what Alonso can in offense. So, this fan sarcastically predicts Stearns will let the franchise’s home run king walk and sign a cheaper Wilmer Flores in his place.

Finally, some fans used comedy to show just how absurd they believe the seven-year demand is.  They said, “The Savannah Bananas will be happy to have you on their team for the next seven years. Because they are the only ones giving Pete a deal of that length.”The Savannah Bananas are a famous exhibition team known for their circus-like brand of baseball entertainment. The joke implies that no serious Major League team would consider such a deal.