Pete Alonso expressed his willingness to be a lifelong Met on Saturday afternoon, but the two sides have not had talks of making that a reality yet.
Alonso, speaking to reporters in Port St. Lucie, Florida after taking a live batting practice session, said he and the Mets have not had any talks about a long-term deal yet.
The focus, Alonso said, was avoiding arbitration, which he did with a one-year, $20.5 million deal this offseason.
“Definitely, we welcomed conversation,” Alonso told reporters about this offseason. “It’s just the only conversation we had was about the one-year deal.”
Alonso, 29, was pressed about his desire to play with the Mets long-term, and he answered in the affirmative, but added that he can’t fully say what will happen.
“I definitely have envisioned myself being a lifelong Met, that’s something I’ve definitely thought about,” he said. “I love New York, it’s a really special place for my family and I. … I definitely welcome the idea, but I can’t predict the future. And for me, I just want to focus on this season.”
Alonso added that he would be open to having conversations about a new deal during the season.
This season brings plenty of question marks for not only Alonso but for the Mets as a whole after they finished with 75 wins and traded away a large swath of their players last year, including high-priced hurlers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander.
Alonso, who hit 46 homers a season ago, said he hadn’t given much thought to the possibility of being traded this year if the Mets falter again in 2024.
“That’s a lot to think about,” he said. “I just had my first live BP.”
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