After a tense and drawn-out negotiation process, Steve Cohen played a pivotal role in ensuring Pete Alonso remained with the New York Mets.
On Wednesday, the Mets and Alonso reached an agreement on a two-year, $54 million contract, avoiding what had seemed like an inevitable split. The deal came together after a critical face-to-face meeting between Alonso and Cohen in Tampa, an effort that ultimately broke the stalemate.
According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, Cohen personally flew to Florida on Tuesday to meet with Alonso, alongside Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns and agent Scott Boras. The meeting gave Alonso the opportunity to voice his frustration with the negotiating process, while Cohen reassured the slugger of the organization’s commitment to him.
“I really wanted to humanize the negotiations,” Cohen explained via the New York Post’s Jon Heyman. “I wanted him to hear it straight from me—two human beings having a real conversation.”
Though no deal was reached during their conversation, the following day Alonso committed to returning to the only MLB team he has ever played for. “This is a good thing. This needed to happen,” Cohen added.
Interestingly, Alonso turned down a more lucrative offer from the Mets. New York was prepared to offer a three-year, $71 million contract, but instead, the first baseman opted for the two-year, $54 million deal, which pays him $30 million in 2025 and $24 million in 2026, with an opt-out after the first season.
This structure gives Alonso maximum flexibility—he can re-enter free agency after 2025 if he puts up a monster season, setting himself up for a much larger long-term payday. Alternatively, if 2025 doesn’t go as planned, he still has the security of another year with the Mets at a high salary before testing the market again in 2026.
The Mets have already made a splash this offseason by securing Juan Soto on a record-breaking $765 million contract, forming what should be one of the most potent power duos in baseball. Alonso and Soto are projected to combine for 71 home runs in 2025, with Alonso averaging 43 homers per 162 games in his career and Soto posting a 35-homer pace per full season.
With Cohen’s hands-on approach and an aggressive commitment to star talent, the Mets now have a lineup built to compete at the highest level.
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