As a free agent for the second consecutive year, Pete Alonso is going to take a more direct approach with the hopes of securing the long-term contract he was unable to secure last winter.
Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post and MLB Network, Alonso is going to attend the winter meetings in person to have face-to-face meetings with teams.
Heyman added the the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles are on the list of clubs that Alonso will sit down with this week.
The hope when Alonso hit the market for the first time in his career was that he would be able to secure a deal that would put him among the highest-paid first basemen in MLB.
Instead, a soft market led to Alonso returning to the New York Mets on a two-year, $54 million contract in February that included an opt-out after the first season.
Alonso’s value in the current market remains difficult to figure out. He’s coming off a terrific 2025 with a .272/.347/.524 slash line with 38 homers in 162 games. His 141 wRC+ was tied for the second-highest of his career, trailing only his historic rookie year in 2019 (144).
The batted-ball data suggests Alonso should have no problems repeating that performance. He ranked in the 91st percentile in bat speed, 96th percentile in hard-hit rate, 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 98th percentile in barrel rate.
Looking ahead, though, Alonso is also a 31-year-old who is likely going to be a full-time DH sooner than later because he ranked among the worst defensive players at any position in the league in defensive runs saved.
Per Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the market for Alonso is currently softer than anticipated. One person noted the type of deal he’s seeking in terms of “length” probably isn’t out there.
The Red Sox have been percolating as a potential landing spot for Alonso. They are reportedly “high” on his list of preferred destinations.
The Orioles need help at either first base or DH if they want to get back to being a contender in the AL East. Coby Mayo and Ryan Mountcastle, who served as their primary starters at those two spots in 2025, both had sub-.700 OPS totals.
Even with some flaws in his long-term profile, Alonso would be a huge boost to many lineups across MLB. The five-time All-Star has hit at least 34 homers in six of his seven seasons. The only time he failed to reach that mark was during the 60-game 2020 season, when he had 16 dingers in 57 games.