New York Giants icon offers advice to Pete Alonso amid Mets rumors

Earlier this week, New York Mets legend and former club captain David Wright mentioned that he hoped first baseman Pete Alonso wouldn’t “lose sight of” how special staying with one club throughout a career can be for any player. 

New York Giants icon Tiki Barber knows a little something about that, and he offered advice to Alonso as the 30-year-old remains a free agent who seemingly isn’t all that close to either returning to the Mets or signing with a different team. 

“I almost feel like Pete Alonso…he needs to take the hometown discount like David Wright said,” Barber explained during Thursday’s edition of the WFAN afternoon show, Audacy’s Ryan Chichester shared. “I know this from personal experience. I wasn’t a highly sought-after free agent…but innately, I knew I couldn’t leave New York. I hadn’t done enough yet.”

The Giants drafted Barber in 1997, and he ultimately played only for Big Blue until he retired after the 2006 season. Similarly, Alonso is a so-called “homegrown Met” who was drafted by the franchise and who thus far has played only for the Amazins during his MLB career. 

Varying reports have claimed that agent Scott Boras is looking for anything between a six- and nine-year contract that could, depending on its length, be worth over $200M in guaranteed money. However, numerous clubs have already addressed first base via other moves this offseason, and it’s widely believed Alonso will have to settle for a short-term deal that includes multiple opt-outs. 

According to Bridget Hyland of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, former Miami Marlins president and current sports business insider David Samson suggested on a recent episode of his podcast that Boras was essentially using media contacts in an attempt to make Mets owner Steve Cohen believe “that another team is going to sign Alonso and leave him with nothing” this offseason. Barber warned that Alonso should think about more than just financial security at this career stage. 

“How are the Mets going to remember him? As someone who jilted them when he had a chance to make some money and fired his agent to hire Scott Boras, and held everybody hostage until he got the most money he possibly could?” Barber said. 

Alonso is already a beloved fan-favorite who hit one of the most dramatic postseason home runs in Mets history and will become the franchise’s all-time leader in career homers if he returns. While Alonso has plenty of time to chase a big contract before spring training begins, Barber hinted that the “Polar Bear” needs to see the writing on the wall regarding what’s out there for him on the open market. 

“I think at some point,” Barber added, “Pete is going to have to make a decision on whether this is about Scott Boras or Pete Alonso and what his brand and legacy is, especially if he stays with the Mets.” 

Perhaps the biggest concern for Mets fans who want Alonso to re-sign is that team president of baseball operations David Stearns may eventually pivot and go in a different direction to find needed lineup protection for All-Star outfielder Juan Soto. The Mets presumably would welcome Alonso back at their price, but whether or not the two sides can agree on that price before Opening Day is unknown.