As the calendar marches closer to Spring Training, one question looms large over the off-season: What’s going on with Pete Alonso? The first baseman, who had become the face of New York’s offense over the past few seasons, is still without a team for the 2025 season, and time is running out. While some fans think that the Mets will have a reunion with their star slugger, others are beginning to feel the tension of a contract standoff that could end very badly.  

Scott Boras, Alonso’s agent, is using a very interesting and expensive benchmark when it comes to negotiating the slugger’s next deal. Boras is Prince Fielder’s nine-year, $214 million contract, signed back in 2012 with the Detroit Tigers. Yep, you read that right. Boras wants Alonso to be paid like Fielder. Fielder was one of the game’s top power hitters back in the day. Given the inflation in player salaries and Alonso’s explosive home run totals, it’s not totally out of left field (pun intended).  

Pete Alonso’s free agency drama grows day by day 

But it’s still a big ask considering Alonso’s not quite at Fielder’s career peak in terms of overall impact. Still, you can bet on that with Boras, the super-agent who gave his clients some of the most expensive contracts in baseball history. Some are growing frustrated by Alonso. MLB insider DiamondTales wrote in a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), “I no longer blame the Mets/Stearns for whatever happens with Alonso. No loyalty. Being a lifelong Met means nothing. I wanted him to own all the records but if he’s gonna penny-pinch us that nostalgia is gone. Do what you gotta do Stearns.”

Those words stung, didn’t they? For a long time, Alonso seemed like the guy who would end his career as a Met, the player who would break every franchise record and carry the torch for the team’s future. But as the cold reality of free agency looms, it feels like that nostalgia is fading, replaced by a more cynical viewpoint. Is Alonso asking for too much money? Or is it simply that the Mets are hesitant to make a long-term commitment after a few years of disappointing performances in the postseason? If the Mets do not agree on a price with Alonso and Boras, we could be looking at an unfortunate reality. And that is – Pete Alonso might sign with another team. Now who that team might be is another question.

New team emerges as the Polar Bear’s new home

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the field of suitors for Alonso has grown to eight teams, with the Boston Red Sox emerging as a surprising player in the sweepstakes. Nightengale reported: “There currently are eight teams showing at least some interest in Alonso, including the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox.” If you’ve been following this saga, you know the drill by now: no one really knows where Alonso is going. 

And if the offseason has taught us anything, it’s that trying to predict where a star will sign is a game of pure speculation. After all, remember when Corbin Burnes took the baseball world by surprise, signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks out of nowhere? Yeah, nobody saw that coming—just like nobody really knows where Alonso’s landing spot will be. It could be anywhere.

Now, with the Red Sox jumping into the conversation, the intrigue only deepens. Boston hasn’t been on the front lines of the Alonso rumors, especially with all the talk about them chasing bigger names like Nolan Arenado or Alex Bregman, who could slide Rafael Devers over to first base. But as Nightengale points out, Boston could pivot and pursue Alonso to keep Devers at third. 

This would create a fascinating dynamic, where the Polar Bear could join a lineup that already features Devers, Justin Turner, and Masataka Yoshida, and split time with young slugger Triston Casas at first base and designated hitter. It would give the Red Sox some flexibility, too, allowing them to mix and match depending on the matchup and create a fearsome lineup full of big bats. As we move closer to the start of Spring Training, all we can do is watch, wait, and hope that the Polar Bear finds a new home.