“Soto was tough — this is worse,” Cohen said.
For weeks, the New York Mets have tried to negotiate a contract with All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso. Even with the massive offseason signing of Juan Soto, fans are restless for the Mets to bring Alonso back for next season.
At the Amazin’ Day fan fest on Saturday, Mets owner Steve Cohen got candid about how things are going on the Alonso front. The answer is not well.
During a panel at the event, as the crowd broke out into chants of “We want Pete” and “Pete Alonso,” Cohen got “brutally honest” about the process. The owner said the Mets have made a “significant” offer to Alonso, but negotiations have felt lopsided.
“Personally, this has been an exhausting conversation and negotiation. I mean, Soto was tough — this is worse,” Cohen said.
“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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Cohen said his issue is not with Alonso going out to explore his options but with the “asymmetric” structures that Alonso’s team has responded with on the offer.
“I don’t like the negotiations. I don’t like what’s been presented to us,” Cohen said.
Even with talks on Alonso’s deal stalled, New York has been busy this offseason. Besides poaching Soto from the Yankees, the Mets reunited with pitcher Sean Manaea, added starters Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes, and re-signed outfielder Jesse Winker to a one-year deal.
By building up the roster, Cohen hinted that the Mets might not have room for Alonso, especially if negotiations keep dragging out.
“As we continue to bring in players, reality is [it] becomes harder to fit in Pete to what is a very expensive group of players that we already have,” Cohen said.
Alonso has spent his entire career with the Mets, making his debut in 2019. Last season, he played all 162 games for the first time in his career. He ended the year with a .240 batting average and 34 home runs, becoming an All-Star for the third straight season. He is ranked as Yahoo Sports’ No. 8 free agent this offseason.
But with talks ongoing, Cohen seemed open to moving on without Alonso.
“If it stays this way, I think we’re gonna have to get used to the fact that we may have to go forward with the existing players that we have,” he said Saturday.
