With a pivotal year ahead of him, New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso has switched his representation from Apex Baseball to BorasCorp, as Jon Heyman of the New York Post first reported on Thursday.
The 28-year-old All-Star first baseman and two-time Home Run Derby winner is in line for a massive payday — whether from the Mets or elsewhere. His contract expires at the end of the 2024 season and the team he’s professed his love for has not expressed an abundance of urgency to lock him up to a long-term deal before he hits the open market.
Now represented by Scott Boras, who has built a reputation as Major League Baseball’s super agent, Alonso is positioning himself to apply more pressure on the Mets. Boras has never had much of an issue getting top dollar for his clients and should MLB’s home run leader over the last five seasons opt to test the open waters, the returns could be sizable.
But Boras has also guided his clients in situations similar to Alonso’s toward long-term extensions with their clubs. Jose Altuve signed a five-year, $151 million extension to stay with the Houston Astros in 2018. Boras negotiated a six-year, $120 million for Xander Bogaerts to stay with the Boston Red Sox in 2019, though he opted out of that deal to sign an 11-year pact with the San Diego Padres last winter.
A team’s relationship with Boras also appears to be vital. The agent rarely did business with the Wilpon-owned Mets — though it’s worth noting that the stingy family rarely forayed into the big-money market. Since Steve Cohen took over, they successfully signed one of his marquee clients in Max Scherzer while extending Brandon Nimmo with an eight-year deal last offseason.
But there was a bump in the road over the winter when New York seemingly swooped in to steal Carlos Correa from the San Francisco Giants — New York and the star infielder agreeing to a 12-year, $315 million deal. However, it was never finalized as concerns about his previously injured ankle led to the dissolving of the deal. He returned to the Minnesota Twins.
Whether or not that has thrown a wrench into Boras’ relationship with the Mets remains to be seen with David Stearns taking over as president of baseball operations. And it could ultimately come down to him. If Stearns wants to keep Alonso in blue and orange for the rest of his career, the Mets have the resources to get it done, regardless of who is agent is.
For more on Pete Alonso and the Mets, visit AMNY.com
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