By: Justin Gincauskas

The New York Mets and first baseman Pete Alonso have agreed on a one-year, $20.5 million contract Thursday to avoid arbitration, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Alonso is set to hit free agency after the 2024 season.

Alonso and the Mets have avoided arbitration for the last three years. In 2022, Pete Alonso signed a contract for $7.4 million, and last year, he signed for $14.5 million. 2024 was the final time Alonso was arbitration-eligible, and he will have agent Scott Boras representing him when he becomes a free agent at the end of the upcoming season.

Alonso batted .217/.318/.504 with 46 home runs and 118 RBIs in 568 at-bats with the Mets last year. In 2022, Alonso hit .271 with 131 RBIs, tied with Aaron Judge for the most in the major leagues.

Alonso, 29, played his first season in the MLB in 2019, winning the NL Rookie of the Year after leading the major leagues with 53 home runs. He is a three-time All-Star, appearing in 2019, 2022, and 2023. Alonso is also a two-time winner of the Home Run Derby.

Alonso has finished top-10 in NL MVP voting twice in his career. Last season, Alonso finished second in the NL in RBIs, third in home runs, and eighth in extra-base hits.

Other Mets Deals

The New York Mets also agreed to one-year deals with five other players to avoid arbitration. Adrian Houser ($5.05 million), Drew Smith ($2.225 million), Tyrone Taylor ($2.025 million), David Peterson ($2.15 million), and Joey Lucchesi ($1.65 million) all signed one-year contracts with New York. The only Mets player not to agree to terms was right-handed reliever Phil Bickford. Bickford has filed for $900,000, while the Mets offered $815,000, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.

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