The New York Mets successfully negotiated a two-year, $54 million contract with first baseman Pete Alonso, marking a departure from the long-term deal Alonso previously rejected. The deal reflects the team's commitment to a data-driven approach under president of baseball operations David Stearns, who prioritizes both short-term and long-term value. The Mets' strategy, guided by Cohen's financial backing and Stearns' analytical expertise, has yielded a consistent ascent in team performance.
When the Mets initially offered Pete Alonso a contract extension, Steve Cohen was the owner, but a different executive was leading the front office. Then-general manager Billy Eppler aimed to secure Alonso with a long-term deal reportedly worth $158 million over seven years. While not extraordinary, Alonso declined. Just two years later, and three months into free agency , the Mets convinced Alonso to accept a two-year, $54 million contract—roughly $100 million less in guaranteed money.
A long-term offer was no longer on the table for Alonso because Mets second-year president of baseball operations David Stearns wouldn't present it. Sure, Alonso had a down year in 2024, resulting in a less impressive free agency market. But he hadn't drastically changed as a player. He still hit 34 home runs in the regular season, followed by a .999 OPS in the postseason, including the most memorable home run of his career. What did change was Alonso's age. He turned 30 in December, a number not overlooked by the Mets' current front office, given its historical correlation to a player's decline.The Mets always desired Alonso's return, but Stearns wasn't willing to casually spend Cohen's money and display that financial dominance simply because they could. The deal needed to make sense for them now and in the future. Alonso can find solace in being the highest-paid first baseman in MLB this year, earning a reported $30 million with an opt-out after the season, while the Mets secured the shorter-term deal they desired. 'If he performs well, good for him, right? I mean, how fantastic is that,' Steve Cohen told FOX Sports in a phone call on Thursday. 'He just has to be Pete. Go do his thing. Hopefully he's more relaxed. Not saying he wasn't relaxed. But hopefully he can go focus on what he does, which is baseball, and enjoy the season with his teammates. Let's go win something.'The Mets undoubtedly won this negotiation with Alonso. They refused to budge on a short-term contract, which marks a stark contrast to the previous executives working under Cohen. Stearns was granted the authority to lead negotiations with all free agents, from Juan Soto to Alonso, with Cohen sometimes involved in a supportive role to demonstrate to players that he cares. With Alonso, a star player he's known personally since the start of his ownership, Cohen took a more active role while adhering to Stearns' direction regarding the terms. The Alonso deal perfectly encapsulates the Cohen-Stearns era in Queens thus far. The Mets weren't sentimental, they didn't overspend, and they refused to yield to the demands of superagent Scott Boras. Stearns demonstrated his discipline, with Cohen spending where necessary. Since Cohen appointed Stearns the Mets' president of baseball operations in October 2023, their partnership has been marked by success. Stearns was the architect behind a reimagined 2024 Mets roster that exceeded all expectations while reaching the National League Championship Series. In December, Cohen and Stearns surprisingly acquired one of the greatest young hitters in history from the Yankees. Through 16 months on the job, Stearns has seemingly pressed the right buttons at every turn for the Mets. 'That's why I hired him,' Cohen said. 'He's very good at what he does. He's very patient and disciplined and thoughtful and that's the kind of thing you start to see paying dividends over time. We're seeing it.' Stearns entered the baseball industry fresh out of Harvard and made his mark by leading the small-market Brewers to four consecutive playoff appearances through shrewd deals. That blueprint hasn't changed since moving to the big-money Mets. He simply has a deeper well to draw from in Cohen, the richest owner in the sport with a net worth of around $20 billion, who actually prefers to follow the lead of the executives he hires. Since Cohen purchased the franchise and became the Mets' owner in November 2020, he has worked alongside five front-office executives: Sandy Alderson, Jared Porter, Zack Scott, Eppler and Stearns. The CEO of a hedge-fund firm and a childhood Mets fan, Cohen is still relatively new to the business side of baseball, so he heavily relies on leaders of the front office to guide the club's financial decisions while building a competitive roster. Just two years ago, the Mets had the largest payroll in MLB history at roughly $350 million, and they finished in fourth place, well below .500. With Stearns directing team brass to rely more on data to make deals, Cohen is beginning to see his vision for the Mets come to fruition. 'We got better as we went along,' Cohen said of the turnover in the front office. 'David has a way of doing things that kind of really fits into my philosophy. I totally get where he's coming from and why he's doing what he's doing. I share those philosophies.
METS PETE ALONSO DAVID STEERNS STEVE COHEN CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS FREE AGENCY
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