New York Mets owner Steve Cohen does not expect to negotiate a contract with star first baseman Pete Alonso before the end of the season.
Alonso has a one-year, $20.5 million contract and could become a free agent at the end of this season.
“We haven’t had a discussion and I think at this point, for Pete, the season is on and he can’t be distracted,” Cohen said Sunday at Mets training camp.
Alonso, who turns 30 in December, has a .251 batting average with 192 home runs and 498 RBIs in five major league seasons.
Alonso hired agent Scott Boras last fall, and Boras generally prefers that his clients use their free agent rights to maximize their market value.
Cohen, who purchased the Mets in November 2020, noted that the team agreed to a five-year, $102 million contract with Edwin Diaz and an eight-year, $162 million contract with outfielder Brandon Nimmo before the 2022 season.
“We know what to do in this kind of situation,” Cohen said. We did it with Edwin. We did it with Brandon after the season, and we’ll do it when we get there. »
New York is coming off a disappointing season with a 75-87 record despite a record $355 million Opening Day payroll. The Mets traded players for prospects before the trade deadline and paid a record luxury tax of nearly $101 million.
“For the first time, I would say we are starting to be ”stacked”,” Cohen said during a 20-minute session with the media, his first since the start of camp. “I don’t think I would have ever said that term. It’s a good feeling. »
Cohen remains optimistic that the Mets can reach the postseason, even though top starter Kodai Senga is expected to start the season on the injured list with a sprained right shoulder.
“When we talk to the players, they say the defense will be a lot better than last year,” Cohen said.
“We talked about being competitive,” he added. I expect we will be. I think the club looks pretty good. I think general expectations have been pretty low and I think we’re going to surprise on the upside. »
2024-03-17 20:30:47
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