Entering the 2025 season, first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s future with the Toronto Blue Jays was very much in doubt. In the final year of his contract and coming off a career year, it was obvious that he would be seeking a massive amount of money. And as the offseason and spring training came and went without a deal, it didn’t appear the Jays would be able to afford their star first baseman long-term.
But in a shocking turn of events, the Blue Jays were able to lock up Guerrero for an absurd $500 million over the next 14 years. It's a deal that has ripple effects throughout the entire league, from the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees to the Chicago Cubs and beyond. But aside from Guerrero himself, arguably no one is more excited about this extension than Pete Alonso and his agent Scott Boras.
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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. extension paves way for Pete Alonso payday
The New York Mets and Alonso waited until spring training was right around the corner before they finally came to an agreement on a new deal this offseason. Alonso was reportedly seeking a large long-term contract, but no teams were willing to meet that asking price, forcing him to ultimately settle for a two-year deal worth $54 million (plus a player option for 2026).
After hearing of Vladimir Guerrero’s contract extension, Alonso is almost certain to exercise that player option at season’s end. It doesn't hurt that he's off to a great start in 2025, hitting .290 with three homers and 11 RBI so far. If he continues the pace he is on, he will end the season with impressive power numbers and use his stat line as leverage to earn his desired megadeal in 2026.
To be clear, this doesn’t mean that, should Alonso elect free agency again next winter, he'll be looking to leave the Mets. Queens is the only place he has ever called home in the big leagues and it is hard to imagine him in any other uniform. However, after giving Juan Soto the richest contract in sports history, the Mets would not be in a good position to give Alonso anything remotely close to the Guerrero Jr. extension, even with Steve Cohen's considerable resources.
Financially, playing the long game and accepting a short-term contract for now was the best decision for Alonso and his agent Scott Boras. The rest of the 2025 season feels like an audition for Alonso to impress any teams that would be interested in pursuing him as a free agent at the end of the year. They just have to be prepared to empty the bank to get the Polar Bear’s attention, especially as next year's crop of free agents just lost its biggest name.