Mets Make Pete Alonso Announcement on Tuesday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Josh Valdez | Last updated Nov 4, 2025 2:58 PM ET

The New York Mets missed the playoffs this season, but they can't blame star first baseman Pete Alonso. The five-time All-Star finished eighth in baseball with 38 homers, second with 126 RBIs, and 11th with an .871 OPS. He also led the team with a .272 batting average.

The Mets drafted Alonso No. 64 overall in 2016 and developed him into one of the best players in franchise history. The 30-year-old now owns the team record for career home runs (264) despite having 101 fewer games played than previous record-holder Daryl Strawberry (252), per MLB.com. He's also third with 712 RBIs.

However, there's a chance Alonso will join a new team this offseason. The Mets made an official announcement about the former NL Rookie of the Year on Tuesday, per their social media.

New York Mets first baseman Pete AlonsoVincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Alonso declined his player option and is now a free agent. The former All-MLB First Teamer announced his intention to do so after New York's last game of the season on Sept. 28, per ESPN. However, the move is now official with the MLB offseason underway.

The Mets also announced that they exercised their 2026 club option on left-handed pitcher Brooks Raley and declined their option on right-hander Drew Smith. Additionally, right-hander Frankie Montas and southpaw A.J. Minter exercised their player options, while closer Edwin Diaz declined his and is now a free agent.

New York Mets roster update: pic.twitter.com/NzfICNpg3z
— New York Mets (@Mets) November 4, 2025

Will the Mets Retain Pete Alonso?

The fact that Alonso is testing the market doesn't mean that he won't return to New York. For example, New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge was an unrestricted free agent in 2022 before signing a nine-year, $360 million contract to stay in the Bronx, per Spotrac.

The Mets may not need to pay that much to keep Alonso in town, but he won't be cheap. The Florida native has a market value of five years, $147.2 million ($29.4 million average annual salary), per Spotrac.

If Alonso leaves, New York will have a hole at first base and suffer offensively. It still has fellow stars Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor under contract, but the lineup depth would be even more compromised than it already is. The only players on the team that had an .800-plus OPS last season were Soto, Alonso, and Lindor. An .800 OPS is the minimum to be considered "good," via Plate Crate.

The clearest option to replace Alonso at first base on the current roster is Mark Vientos, who slashed .233/.289/.413 with 17 homers and 61 RBIs this past season.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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