One final Scott Boras scare tactic won’t deter David Stearns in Pete Alonso pursuit

For much of the offseason, it seemed like Pete Alonso and the New York Mets were destined for a reunion ... until earlier this week, that is, when the team made it very clear that they were no longer interested in the Polar Bear unless and until he lowered his asking price. Or should we say, unless and until Scott Boras lowered his asking price — because if there's one thing we know about Boras at this point, it's that he's willing to take a free agency as long as he has to in order to get the price he feels like he and his client deserve.

Another thing we know about Boras: The man understands the importance of leverage. So it should come as no surprise to anyone that, just days after the Mets walked away from the table, the Alonso rumor mill started cranking up again — this time with reports that he and the Toronto Blue Jays were "advancing" toward a deal.

That's some awfully convenient timing, to put it lightly. And if the Mets are smart, they'll see it for what it is: Boras running the oldest trick in his playbook, one that shouldn't dissuade New York from sticking to its guns.

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Latest Pete Alonso-Blue Jays rumor is just more Scott Boras bluster

To be clear, we don't believe for a second that the Mets are really moving on from Alonso. New York needs him almost as much as he needs them, especially with the Los Angeles Dodgers looming in the NL playoffs, and letting him go elsewhere would leave a gaping hole in the lineup behind Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor.

But it's clear that David Stearns and Co. are understandably skeptical about how Alonso might age over the course of a long-term deal, and don't believe that he can find a richer deal elsewhere than what they already have on the table. And while the Blue Jays are rich enough and desperate enough to potentially swoop in, they shouldn't let this latest rumor scare them off of that stance.

For starters, Alonso would be something of a clunky fit in Toronto, which already has Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first base — a player they'll have to go well north of $400 million to keep around on a contract extension. And would Alonso really want to leave a loaded Mets roster behind to play in a different country for a team that finished last in the AL East in 2024? There's a reason why the Jays weren't trending as the favorites for Alonso before Thursday: because Boras had no need for them to be, so as long as he thought he had a chance to wear the Mets down. Once that option was off the table, he had to try something else, and Toronto was the nearest available pawn.

The Mets do need to be careful in pushing Alonso too far; everyone has their breaking point, after all. But the timing of this is classic Boras, and if the Jays were really willing to go above and beyond to land him, they would've done so already. New York still has him right where they want him, and they still hold all the cards.