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New York Mets first base Pete Alonso (20) is shown at first base after a fourth inning single, Tuesday, August 26, 2025. Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

David Stearns gets clear about Pete Alonso amid looming Mets opt out decision

Originally posted on New York Mets on SI | By Grant Young | Last updated Aug 27, 2025 2:00 PM ET

It's no secret that New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso has a player option after the 2025 season ends, where he can opt out of the final year and $24 million of his current two-year, $54 million deal and become an unrestricted free agent.

It's also no secret that Alonso is almost guaranteed to exercise that option and become a free agent, given how well he has performed to this point for New York. However, that doesn't necessarily mean the Polar Bear has any interest in leaving the Mets' franchise, which he conveyed when speaking to the media after he set the Mets' franchise all-time home run record on August 12.

“I love the city of New York, I love the fanbase. It’s been great. The business is the business side. If they choose to go in another direction, but for me it’s been an absolute treat and pleasure playing here. This group is really special... and was one of the biggest reasons why I came back. Not only the talent, but the people here," Alonso said, per an X post from SNY.

"I love the city of New York. I love this fanbase. It's been great. The business is the business side, if they choose to go in another direction. For me, it's been an absolute treat and pleasure here."

- Pete Alonso on playing for the Mets pic.twitter.com/RHamLKRsy8
— SNY (@SNYtv) August 13, 2025

"Not just on the team, the coaching staff, all of the people here that work in the clubhouse, the front office, and obviously the training room," Alonso continued. "We just have an incredible group here that has a great purpose, and it has been great playing here.

"I hope it doesn’t end," he concluded.

Alonso couldn't be clearer about his desire to remain in New York. However, it will ultimately come down to whether David Stearns and the rest of the Mets' front office decides to pursue him once he opts out.

David Stearns Speaks About Pete Alonso

Stearns was the guest on an August 26 episode of The Show: A NY Post baseball podcast with Joel Sherman & Jon Heyman, and was asked about his thoughts on whether the Mets want Alonso back next season.

"Yeah, I'm not gonna get into the game of speculating what an offseason looks like when we're still in the middle of a season," Stearns responded. "But what I will say is I love Pete. [I] like him as a Met, like him as a person, he's a great guy in the clubhouse, I know what he means to our fan base, he has performed here, I'm thrilled we have him, and we'll go from there.

"He's having a really good year. And right now, I'm focused on doing everything we can as an organization to continue to support him to allow him to continue having a really good year, and have some of the big-moment type performance that he demonstrated he can have last year," he added of Alonso.