All of the twists and turns that led to Pete Alonso's exit from the Mets

NEW YORK — Pete Alonso‘s departure from the Mets played out in slow motion.

For more than two years, uncertainty surrounding Alonso’s future hung over the fan-favorite first baseman and the franchise.

There was an extension offer in 2023, Alonso’s first foray into free agency in 2024, his return to the open market this offseason, and plenty of hand-wringing in between.

But the drawn-out saga finally reached its conclusion Wednesday as Alonso agreed to a five-year, $155 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles, securing the type of long-term deal he had sought from the Mets.

It’s too early to tell whether president of baseball operations David Stearns was wise not to commit to Alonso into his mid-30s. But in the immediate, the slugger’s exit leaves a gaping hole in the heart of the Mets’ lineup and in the hearts of Mets fans.

Here’s how Alonso and the Mets got to this point:

Extension offer

During the summer of 2023, the Mets offered Alonso a contract extension worth $158 million over seven years, or about $22.5 million annually.

At the time, the Mets were run by general manager Billy Eppler, while Alonso was about a year and half away from free agency.

Alonso, who would finish with 46 home runs and 118 RBIs that season, turned the offer down in search of a larger payday.

Trade rumors

That same summer, The Athletic reported the Milwaukee Brewers had discussed an Alonso trade with the Mets before the 2023 deadline, with an anonymous source saying the Brewers got within “field-goal range” of making one happen.

The Mets traded Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, among other veterans, before that deadline, but an Alonso deal never transpired.

“I love representing this organization,” Alonso told reporters at the time. “Being a Met is the only thing I know. … I don’t know what the future holds but right now I’m a Met and I love being a Met.”

Scott Boras and David Stearns

Following the 2023 season, Alonso hired Scott Boras to represent him.

Boras, the most prominent agent in baseball, is known for commanding top dollar for his clients, who also include Juan Soto, Scherzer, Gerrit Cole and Cody Bellinger.

The Mets, meanwhile, hired Stearns around that same time, which would prove to be a similarly consequential factor in the contract negotiations.

2024 season

Alonso delivered a down season in his walk year, at least by his lofty standards.

He batted .240 with 34 home runs, 88 RBIs and a career-low .788 OPS in 2024, and by the end of the season, Mets fans seemed resigned to the possibility that Alonso’s time in Queens was nearing its end.

In the Mets’ regular-season home finale that September, a sellout crowd at Citi Field showered Alonso with a standing ovation.

2024 postseason

But Alonso and the Mets weren’t done yet.

After clinching a playoff spot during a season-ending road trip, the Mets found themselves on the brink of elimination in a winner-take-all Game 3 in their wild-card series in Milwaukee.

Trailing 2-0 in the ninth inning, Alonso struck a go-ahead three-run home run against now-Mets closer Devin Williams in one of the biggest moments in franchise history.

The Mets would go on to win that game, and the NLDS, before being eliminated by the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 6 of the NLCS.

2024-25 offseason

Now a postseason hero, Alonso entered free agency with a bit more leverage, yet the market proved bare for the Polar Bear.

Analytically driven teams have become more and more adverse to signing righty-swinging first baseman over 30 to long-term contracts, as that player profile traditionally does not age well.

Among them were the Mets, who were said to be reluctant to go beyond a three-year deal for Alonso as he entered his age 30 season.

The talks took a dramatic turn in January at the Mets’ Amazin’ Day event at Citi Field, where owner Steve Cohen described the “exhausting” nature of the Alonso negotiations amid chants of “We Want Pete” from fans in attendance.

“As we continue to bring in players, the reality is it becomes harder to fit Pete into what is a very expensive group of players that we already have,” Cohen said at the time. “That’s where we are, and I’m being brutally honest. I don’t like the negotiations. I don’t like what’s been presented to us.”

Cohen continued, “If it stays this way, I think we’re going to have to get used to the fact that we may have to go forward with the existing players that we have.”

Alonso re-signs

In the end, Cohen found a way to retain Alonso in 2025.

Cohen and Stearns met with Alonso and Boras in Tampa, Fla., where the first baseman is from.

“It was my idea,” Cohen later said of that meeting on the Mets’ “Meet at the Apple” podcast. “I just felt that the negotiation had gone on so long, I just wanted to make sure that he heard from us how we felt about him.”

Despite interest from the Toronto Blue Jays, Alonso agreed to a two-year, $54 million contract with the Mets that included an opt-out after the first season.

2025 season

Alonso delivered a resurgent year in 2025, starting with a home run in his first at-bat of the home opener.

In August, Alonso hit the 253rd homer of his career, breaking a tie with Darryl Strawberry for the Mets’ franchise record.

“I have a goal to play baseball until I’m through my age 40 season, and for me, I’m gonna work hard and do that,” Alonso said after that milestone. “Business side, Steve and David, they’ve got to come through.”

Alonso finished the season with a .272 average, 38 home runs, 126 RBIs and an .871 OPS, improving across the board from his 2024 campaign.

But Alonso made multiple defensive miscues over the course of the year, particularly when it came to throwing the ball.

2025-26 offseason

Despite his bounce-back campaign, Alonso’s fit with the Mets came into question again when Stearns held his end-of-season press conference.

While Stearns said he “would love” to have Alonso back, he also cited the need to improve the Mets’ run prevention, which includes defense.

“We’re going to have to be open-minded on our position-player grouping so that we can improve our run prevention,” Stearns said. “Does that mean there are robust changes? I don’t know. Does it mean people will be playing different positions? Maybe. Does it mean we ask people to play different roles? Maybe.”

Signs with O’s

As expected, Alonso opted out of his contract and returned to free agency.

It proved to be a more fruitful market for Alonso, as his new $31 million annual salary with Baltimore is the largest ever for a first baseman.

Alonso, 31, is now set to anchor a loaded O’s lineup that also features Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday and fellow offseason addition Taylor Ward.

The work-in-progress Mets, meanwhile, are going to look much different in 2026. Alonso is the latest franchise staple to depart this offseason, following Brandon Nimmo and Edwin Diaz.