Insiders reveal details on Mets' 'last-ditch effort' to sign Pete Alonso

It appears the Pete Alonso era in Queens is coming to an end. Andy Martino of SNY reported this afternoon that the Mets expect Alonso to sign elsewhere and have begun to turn their attention to other pursuits.

Reporting has provided different details on the course of Alonso’s conversations with the Mets. After initially facing a gap on contract length, the sides recently turned their attention to a shorter-term arrangement. That much seems undisputed.

Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic wrote that Alonso and his representatives at the Boras Corporation pitched the Mets a three-year deal with a high annual salary and one or more opt-out chances. Rosenthal and Sammon report that the team countered with a three-year term that Alonso declined. Joel Sherman and Dan Martin of The New York Post write that the Mets’ counteroffer included opt-outs. Sherman and Martin report that the team’s offer came with an overall guarantee in the $68M-$70M range — a "last-ditch effort" — which Alonso found unsatisfactory.

Whether the Mets’ offer included opt-outs or not, it clearly was not to Alonso’s liking. It now seems he’ll be moving on, though the Mets haven’t pushed all their chips in to an alternative target yet. New York agreed to bring back Jesse Winker on a $7.5M deal. He’ll slot in at designated hitter and/or as a left-handed bench bat. If Alonso indeed walks, New York will probably move Mark Vientos to first base and allow Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio and Luisangel Acuna battle for reps at third base.

The Post’s Jon Heyman writes that the Mets are now “heavily focused” on adding to the bullpen. Sammon tied them to top free-agent reliever Tanner Scott last week. Adding a high-leverage arm in front of star closer Edwin Díaz makes sense. A left-hander would be an obvious fit considering Danny Young is the only southpaw in the bullpen at the moment. Scott is far more than a situational matchup option, but he has certainly shown himself capable of attacking the best left-handed hitters in the sport.