It’ll be another offseason in which fans of the New York Mets, and MLB fans in general, will deal with a Pete Alonso free agency saga.
The star slugger opted out of his contract not too long ago, meaning he’ll be exploring his options in free agency once again this winter.
Considering he’s set to enter his age-31 season and has flirted with 40 home runs in nearly every season of his career, Alonso will field plenty of significant offers in free agency, and just about every team in baseball would be happy to have him.
Given the deep pockets of Steve Cohen and the Mets, a return to New York is entirely possible, but many fans and analysts believe another team could steal him away.
The usual suspects, including the Boston Red Sox and the Philadelphia Phillies, have been pitched as potential landing spots, but could a small-market NL team swoop in and scoop him up?
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Cincinnati Reds Predicted to Sign Pete Alonso
The Cincinnati Reds aren’t exactly known for making significant free agent additions. They’ve developed a few All-Star-caliber players, namely Hunter Greene and Elly De La Cruz, but going out and spending big bucks to add talent isn’t their M.O.
This offseason, some fans have hoped to see that change, as Ohio native Kyle Schwarber has been linked to the team. However, Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com believes the Reds’ blockbuster signing will come in the form of Alonso.
“The Reds are currently projected well south of past franchise-record payrolls and desperately need some thump. Did the Reds bring in a 60-something future Hall of Fame manager in Terry Francona just to try to squeak into the playoffs every year? No! They’re trying to go the distance. And while Middletown, Ohio, native Schwarber is the better sentimental fit, I see him going back to Philly,” wrote Castrovince.
Could The Reds Actually Sign Pete Alonso?
For the Reds, any potential signings or additions largely come down to whether that player fits within their financial plans.
Frankly, I’m not seeing how Alonso financially fits in Cincinnati.
Reds President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall has already shared that Cincinnati’s 2026 payroll will be roughly the same as last year’s. Fangraphs’ current estimates have the Reds’ 2025 payroll at $119 million and their current commitments for 2026 at $98 million.
So, the Reds have roughly $20 million to play around with this offseason.
A good chunk of that money will have to be spent rebuilding the bullpen. Cincinnati has four relievers who are free agents, meaning a couple of arms will have to be signed.
Krall has already made it clear that this is a priority: “We’ll have to rebuild our bullpen. We’re going to have to fill some spots there.”
If the Reds are somehow able to miraculously “rebuild” the bullpen with $15 million left over, that’s not even going to be enough to land Alonso. Most projections have Alonso signing a deal that’s worth well over $20 million per year.
So, one of three things will happen for the Reds to sign Alonso: they’ll have to bump up the 2026 payroll, they’ll have to ignore other key needs for the team, or Alonso will have to take an incredibly team-friendly deal.
Personally, I don’t see any of those things happening. If Pete Alonso is a Cincinnati Red in 2026, that would be an enormous shock.
Pete Alonso Stats
Alonso delivered another strong season at the plate in 2025 and will be compensated quite well as a result.
2025 Stats:
162 GP
.272 BA
.347 OBP
.524 SLG
38 HR
126 RBI
162 K