Steve Cohen’s cash has created a monster as Mets fans revolt over Pete Alonso

Much has been made of the Los Angeles Dodgers' unprecedented spending spree over the last couple offseasons, but it was the New York Mets who broke the MLB record for largest guaranteed contract in December with a 15-year, $765 million deal for Juan Soto — no money deferred.

It was a proper show of strength from Steve Cohen, the richest owner in baseball and a lifelong fan committed to bringing the Mets to the World Series. New York now stands out in a deep NL East, boasting two MVP candidates atop the lineup in Soto and Francisco Lindor, as well as a rebuilt pitching staff featuring Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea.

The Mets are a good team. Finishing a stone's throw away from the World Series, then adding Juan Soto, is a good way to reassure your fanbase. That said, the Mets are still up against the Dodgers buzzsaw in the National League, not to mention a healthier Braves team and the never-say-never Phillies. Oh, and Corbin Burnes went to the Diamondbacks and Kyle Tucker went to the Cubs. There is real competition out there.

With Cohen's pockets so deep — and the Mets' payroll quietly rather low — fans are naturally anxious to get more done. Such is the price of showing the world your wallet. Now every free agent is gettable, every trade candidate viable.

There's nobody Mets fans want more than Pete Alonso.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop between now and the MLB offseason.

Mets fans are ready to get out pitchforks if New York lets Pete Alonso slip away

Joe Benigno recently went on WFAN Sports Radio in New York to vent his frustrations about the drawn-out, unresolved Pete Alonso situation.

"The boy genius, [David] Stearns...doesn’t want him back,” he said. “The guy that I blame is the owner."

He then elaborates on his disapproval of Cohen, who he argues does not have "a feel for the fanbase."

"Now it’s ‘We’re gonna get Vlad Guerrero,'" Benigno said. "You know what? Screw Vlad Guerrero. I want my guy... I blame Cohen. To me, it’s on the owner. Cohen is supposed to have a feel for the fanbase. He walks around with the Mets cap on and the whole nine hours. It’s on you, Stevie, to bring this guy back where he belongs."

This is a pretty common sentiment in Queens right now. The Mets are clearly playing hardball with Alonso, who has engaged with the Toronto Blue Jays and other teams on a potential contract. A reunion with New York still feels like the most probable outcome, but there's a gap in negotiations. Alonso has expressed a willingness to accept a three-year deal with opt-outs for future flexibility. The Mets, perhaps with one eye on Vlad Guerrero and his unresolved contract situation in Toronto, appear hesitant to reward Alonso with his desired cash flow.

Of course, there is heavy sentimentality getting in the way of logic here. Bringing Alonso back is and should be a priority for the Mets front office, but if Guerrero is an option, that is way more preferrable. Alonso has developed a deep and lasting connection to the Mets fanbase, but he's far from a perfect player. At 30 years old with a high strikeout rate and limited defensive value, there's a reason New York is trying to negotiate the final price down.

If the Mets can get this over the finish line while shaving off every possible dollar and cent, fans will rejoice. If New York's haggling pushes Alonso north of the border, then it might lead to a bit more Steve Cohen vitriol. The end results is all the really matters. Until Alonso puts ink on the dotted line, this is all speculation and any outrage is woefully premature.