Practically everything the New York Mets do for the remainder of the offseason will be attempted to be connected with how it potentially impacts a reunion with Pete Alonso.
That is exactly what is happening with their reunion with reliever Ryne Stanek, who was inked to a one-year, $4.5 million deal.
The Mets had been linked with All-Star closer and potential future Hall-of-Famer Kenley Jansen, but not only would they have forced the 37-year-old righty to be a set-up man for Edwin Diaz, but his pricetag likely would have been too high for their liking.
SNY’s Andy Martino suggests that the Stanek signing “could keep a bit of wiggle room” to get back to the negotiating table and work something out with Alonso — a notion that has been echoed over the last 24 hours.
As things currently stand, the 30-year-old slugging first baseman still does not have much of a free-agent market in this late stage of the offseason. Betting on himself has failed spectacularly after turning down a seven-year, $158 million extension from former Mets GM Billy Eppler, firing his previous agent, hiring Scott Boras, and then turning down a three-year, approximately $70 million offer with an opt-out from David Stearns after long-term proposals failed to materialize.
The Mets’ most recent offer is still believed to be the best one on the table, if not the only legitimate one worth considering. It would pay Alonso roughly $23 million per year, which is a fair market value for a power-hitting first baseman of his caliber.
Potentially adding that contract to the books after Stanek’s signing does not do much to help out the books, though.
The right-hander’s $4.5 million moves New York’s current estimated payroll to $297 million, per Fangraphs. That is already $56 million over the base luxury tax threshold and just $4 million short of incurring a 60% surcharge for blowing past the CBT by $60 million, which would be a given if Alonso were to return.
The Mets paid $97 million in penalties for their $347 million payroll last year.
