Jeff McNeil, Mets mum on Pete Alonso contract extension talks

One of the first people that Jeff McNeil called after signing his four-year, $50 million contract extension to remain with the Mets was Pete Alonso.

“He was so happy,” McNeil said. “He didn’t know we were in extension talks. I wanted to surprise him, so it was a pretty cool call to make.”

The good friends were in similar situations this winter: Both were under team control via the arbitration process through the 2024 season. Now it’s down to Alonso.

“Pete is one of my best friends on the team and coming up through the minor leagues, I love playing with him,” McNeil said. “He’s a tremendous teammate and a fantastic player. I’m not sure exactly where he stands on that kind of contract. I don’t know if he wants to test free agency or what his decision is. So I’m going to leave it up to him and his representatives.”

Such uncertainty broadcasted by McNeil regarding Alonso appears to be the trend across the board. While it’s unknown if the Mets and their slugging first baseman are in contract talks, general manager Billy Eppler opted not to comment in any form about the status of such a conversation.

“I made it a point that we were not going to talk about any player or employee-related matters,” Eppler said. “I don’t want our business out on the street. It’s not fair to the people involved.”

Alonso is forecasted to receive a much more sizable contract compared to McNeil. The 28-year-old is one of the premier power hitters in baseball, leading all of Major League Baseball with 146 home runs since his debut in 2019.

Speculation and estimates are forecasting a deal that could span between eight and 10 years worth anywhere between the $200 million and $300 million range.

But for now, he can at least take some pride in helping McNeil develop into the star he is as the two rose through the Mets’ minor-league ranks together.

“I think Pete Alonso had a lot to do with that too just playing with him a lot,” McNeil said. “We became good friends and were kind of pushing each other. That was huge.”