Expert's 'C' grade of Mets' Pete Alonso signing raises eyebrows

Well, Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly presented a compelling case for why, which is the basis of his grading Alonso's signing as a 'C' in a May 26 article.

"Why the low grade? While the $30 million Alonso is making is a bargain for how productive he's been, the Scott Boras-client is surely going to opt out of his contract after this season and test free agency again. This time, he won't have a qualifying offer attached to him, nor will he be coming off of what was perceived as a relatively down season," Kelly wrote.

"Why the Mets or various other teams weren't willing to give him a lucrative five-year deal last offseason is unclear. How much would the Washington Nationals, Pittsburgh Pirates or Seattle Mariners have benefitted from signing Alonso and adding him to the middle of their order? His 'down year' in 2024 consisted of him hitting 34 home runs and delivering postseason heroics. And yet, the league convinced themselves that as he headed into his age-30 season, Alonso's best days were likely behind him."

Kelly then added, "As it turns out, there's few players who can produce runs at the clip that Alonso can. He's a bargain for the Mets in 2025, but next offseason they'll either have to sign him to a megadeal entering his age-31 season, or let him walk without receiving draft-pick compensation in return. President of baseball operations David Stearns has largely been excellent in his role, but he overthought this one."

While Kelly's sentiment makes sense, the bottom line is Alonso has been a huge part of the Mets' success this season, which justifies them re-signing him. And they'll surely be a top candidate to give him a longer-term deal this offseason if (and when) he opts out.

Therefore, this surprising grade shouldn't be too concerning for Mets fans.