New York Mets owner Steven Cohen said Sunday that the team has not engaged in extension talks with first baseman and impending free agent Pete Alonso. Cohen does not anticipate that changing before the season begins on March 28.
"We haven't had any discussion and I think at this point, for Pete, it's best for him to go and have a great year and not be distracted," Cohen told reporters, including the Associated Press.
Alonso, 29, is a three-time All Star and former Rookie of the Year Award winner who has spent his entire professional career with the Mets organization. He's batted .251/.342/.528 (136 OPS+) with 192 home runs and an estimated 17.3 Wins Above Replacement in his first five seasons. Alonso has also solidified himself as a fan favorite.
It should be noted that allowing a player to reach free agency does not necessarily mean the team is out on the player. The New York Yankees, for example, have a track record of allowing their top players to reach the open market before then coming to terms with them on a new agreement. The Mets have done the same on several recent occasions too, including with outfielder Brandon Nimmo and closer Edwin Díaz.
Still, rival front offices who have spoken to CBS Sports in recent weeks have expressed skepticism about whether or not new top baseball executive David Stearns would be willing to commit a lucrative, long-term deal to a player with Alonso's profile -- that is, a right-right first baseman nearing his 30th birthday. Stearns is, of course, more analytically inclined, and that profile is perceived to be more fungible than most. Perhaps Alonso proves to be an exception for Stearns.
For now, it doesn't seem like the Mets are in any particular hurry to prove as much.
