Pete Alonso, aka the Polar Bear, is rumbling back onto the free agent track for a second straight offseason, and this time, he’s swinging for the fences in a whole new way. Forget the home run derby for a minute — Alonso wants a contract that hits harder than any fastball he’s ever crushed. And according to the whispers floating around, he’s eyeing a minimum seven-year deal.
Alonso Sets Lofty Asking Price, but Not Without Precedent
Alonso just wrapped up a season in which he played in all 162 games, slashed a strong .277/.347/.524, and posted a 141 wRC+. That’s power, that’s consistency, that’s money-in-the-bank production from the plate. But now comes the real drama: how much is that bat actually worth in a league that’s become increasingly skeptical of handing long-term contracts to bat-only players?
Alonso isn’t exactly bringing Gold Glove defense to the party. In fact, defensively, he’s often seen as a liability, which puts him squarely behind guys like Paul Goldschmidt and Matt Olson when they inked their long-term extensions. And let’s not even try to compare him to Freddie Freeman — MVP, future Hall of Famer, and basically first base royalty. Alonso not in that stratosphere… at least not yet.
Market Timing and No QO Penalty Could Tip the Scales
So how does a bat-first first baseman go about asking for seven years of job security? Yes, Alonso rejected a seven-year, $158 million offer from the Mets back in 2023 — a gutsy move, no doubt — but he’s already made $30 million this year and is now sitting pretty, no longer weighed down by draft pick compensation. That alone should significantly boost his appeal.
And while his overall career wRC+ (132) doesn’t match up to Goldschmidt’s (145) when he got paid, Pete’s timing might be just right. Goldy’s deal was five years and $130M in a different economic era — Alonso is walking into a market that’s been juiced by inflation, mega TV deals, and teams desperate for offense. He doesn’t need to match Goldy’s rate — he just needs to surpass the total cash, and thanks to the timing, that’s well within reach.
Will Teams Bite on Seven Years for a Bat-Only Star?
Even if he doesn’t get all seven years, Pete Alonso’s about to cash in — and this time, he’s bringing a lot more leverage to the table. The only question now is: who’s going to bite? The Polar Bear’s market is heating up, and winter hasn’t even started yet.
