Alonso, Mets agree to deal worth $20.5M, avoid arbitration (source)
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NEW YORK -- The Mets agreed to terms on a new one-year contract with Pete Alonso on Thursday, in what was a procedural necessity heading into his final season of team control.
Alonso, who was arbitration-eligible for the third and final time, agreed to a $20.5 million contract, according to a source. He made $14.5 million through the arbitration process last season. The club did not confirm the financial terms of the contract.
This will be the final year of team control for Alonso, who hit .217/.318/.504 with 46 home runs and 118 RBIs last season. Although both sides have expressed interest in having Alonso remain a Met for years to come, no indications exist that the sides are close on an extension. Asked specifically about the possibility of a long-term deal on Wednesday, president of baseball operations David Stearns responded:
“As a general practice, I tend not to discuss any contract negotiation with any particular player, and I’ll keep that practice going. I’ll continue to say Pete’s a really good player. He’s an important part of our organization. We’re excited to have him here, and certainly we hope that we can have him here for a while.”
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Should Alonso reach free agency next offseason, the Mets can still re-sign him at that time.
In addition to Alonso and DJ Stewart, with whom the Mets agreed to terms earlier this offseason, the Mets had six other arbitration-eligible players: starting pitchers Adrian Houser, David Peterson and Joey Lucchesi; relievers Drew Smith and Phil Bickford; and outfielder Tyrone Taylor. Their statuses:
Houser: Agreed to terms on a $5.05 million contract, according to reports.
Peterson: Agreed to terms on a $2.15 million contract, per source.
Lucchesi: Agreed to terms on a $1.65 million contract, per source.
Smith: Agreed to terms on a $2.225 million contract, per source.
Bickford: Did not agree to terms. Filed for $900,000; Mets countered at $815,000, per MLB.com's Mark Feinsand.
Taylor: Agreed to terms on a $2.025 million contract, per source.