Pete Alonso has hired Scott Boras with free agency a year away: report
Mets star Pete Alonso is making a big change ahead of possibly hitting the open market next offseason, hiring Scott Boras' agency BorasCorp, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post.
Boras, widely known as the best agent in baseball, brings his players to free agency more often than not, but there are multiple instances where his clients agreed to extensions before reaching the open market.
One example:
In March of 2018, Jose Altuve -- two years from free agency -- signed a five-year, $151 million extension to stay with the Astros.
The Mets have a strong relationship with Boras, and worked out a deal with him for Brandon Nimmo to remain a Met after Nimmo reached free agency during the 2022-23 offseason.
Max Scherzer, who signed a three-year contract with the Mets before the 2022 season and was eventually traded to the Texas Rangers, is also a Boras client.
Additionally, owner Steve Cohen worked with Boras this past offseason on a massive deal for Carlos Correa, before that contract fell apart (as a similar deal for Correa did with the Giants) due to concerns over his physical.
Alonso was peppered with questions about his future throughout the 2023 season, and repeatedly said that he loves playing for the Mets and being in New York, going as far as to call the city his home.
There was some trade buzz surrounding Alonso during the deadline as the Mets dealt Scherzer, Justin Verlander, and others, but SNY's Andy Martino reported soon after that it was "hard to find anyone in the Citi Field offices" who believed the Mets would trade Alonso this offseason.
Shortly after being introduced as the Mets' president of baseball operations on Monday, David Stearns weighed in on Alonso's future, saying he expected him to be the team's Opening Day first baseman in 2024.
Two players who recently signed long-term deals and could be comps for Alonso's contract are Freddie Freeman and Matt Olson.
Entering his age-32 season, Freeman signed a six-year, $162 million free agent deal with the Dodgers.
Ahead of his age-28 season, Olson signed an eight-year extension with the Braves worth $168 million.
Neither Freeman (a more well-rounded hitter) nor Olson (who was younger and two full years from free agency when he signed his deal) is a perfect comp for Alonso, but it's close enough. And what they got should help color what Alonso should expect to get -- and what he deserves to get.
