In baseball, a homecoming doesn’t always mean harmony. Just ask the Boston Red Sox fans. Twenty years ago, Boston had stunned the baseball world by trading away Nomar Garciaparra, the face of their franchise. The six-time all-star was a staple at shortstop since his rookie years. But tensions were brewing between him and the team for months.

The Boston Red Sox had tried to move him one season prior as part of a failed blockbuster trade for Alex Rodriguez. And hence, when he was back, things never really ended up being the same. So a split was inevitable, as the trust was fractured. Now, two decades later in Queens, a similar painting seems to be what Scott Boras, Pete Alonso, and Steve Cohen are on. Like Garciaparra, Alonso is a franchise cornerstone who right now might be feeling rather undervalued by the team!

Pete Alonso rejected a stellar offer by the New York Mets in 2023. Why? It’s because he expected himself to be valued for more. Whether Scott Boras fed him a false narrative on value is different. The fact is—he thought he was valued as much, and this offseason, things have not gone his way. No one wants to pay as much. Not even the New York Mets.

However, sometimes signings happen not because both parties are thrilled with the deal. Rather, because it’s the need of the hour. Doors are mostly slammed shut, and at 30, Alonso doesn’t want to spend time in a non-championship-worthy team. Plus, the Mets need someone strong to strengthen their bullpen. But insiders like Hannah Keyser feel that she fears even if Pete Alonso is back with the Mets, things might not be the same.

“The Mets could use a little offense. Their lineup looks thin—frankly, a little power-hungry….If the Mets end up re-signing him out of necessity rather than enthusiasm, both sides could feel like they’re settling. I hope that if they do bring him back, it feels more like a celebration and less like, ‘Well, we looked around, no one else wanted to go home with us, so I guess we’ll just couple back up,” said Hannah Keyser. If that’s the case, what’s saying a similar Nomar situation doesn’t crop up? Steve Cohen’s outburst in the Mets fab-fest is telling enough. However, even Keyser agrees that despite all the chaos, a return to the Mets is what makes all the sense for Pete Alonso. He needs a winning team and the Mets have a thin lineup too little, they need him.

Pete Alonso’s return to the Mets makes sense

Pete Alonso, coming into the off-season, was looking for a long-term lucrative deal north of $200 million. Right now, that has gone out the window. The writing on the wall is becoming clearer. Now talks about how a deal with the Toronto Blue Jays being into fruition is going into rounds. But Jim Bowden of The Athletic weighed in on the situation during the Foul Territory podcast, and he isn’t convinced.

Bowden doesn’t see that as an option. “It doesn’t seem like an option,” Bowden said. He said that there is a gap between Alonso’s demands and Jay’s current strategy. Plus, he isn’t convinced about a deal with the San Francisco Giants or Seattle Mariners to brew into anything, too. Instead, Bowden feels Alonso’s best chance right now is the New York Mets. But of course, he has to settle for a much lower price than what he expected.

“Look, Pete Alonso is going to lose this negotiation. It is what it is. But he needs to do the best he can to get the most money upfront, like Cody Bellinger did with the Cubs two years ago, which was another Boras’ client,” said Bowden. And well, truth be told, despite the financial cutback, this move could benefit Alonso. A shorter deal is what Pete Alonso could go for, and maybe an opt-out so he can hit free agency soon. This way the market improves, and he can even use the year as a prove-it year. Much like Cody Bellinger did last season.

Also, if he joins, then he has Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto and could form a formidable offensive trio. And who knows, maybe make it to the championship hunt, too. Do you think he will come to Queens again? Let us know!