The first base market hasn’t been cold—it’s been frozen in time for almost a decade now. But now, it seems Vladimir Guerrero Jr. just showed up with a blowtorch.
Fourteen years, $500 million. That’s the contract Vladdy got from the Toronto Blue Jays. After months of deliberation, Guerrero Jr. finally got what he thought he deserved. And this contract has turned heads in every corner of MLB. And one of those heads belongs to none other than the Mets slugger Pete Alonso.
Alonso seemed to be as flabbergasted as everyone, saying this is a “sick contract.”
Now, Pete Alonso didn’t dwell much on his contract. At least not out loud. But he sure was appreciative of Vladdy’s deal. Alonso said to the Athletic, “This is huge for first basemen. Half a billion dollars—it’s a huge, huge amount. For him, it’s a fantastic deal. It’s great for the first base market, I think. I mean, 14 years—he’s a stud. Well deservedly so. Right now, you can’t think of the Toronto Blue Jays without Vlad Jr. He’s done some really amazing things in this league and for that team. Super well deserved.” Well, one can’t help but wonder if he was signaling the Mets here.
But yes, there is no disagreement with what Alonso said.
Until Guerrero Jr.’s megadeal hit the news, the first base market had been stuck in the 2010s mode. Do you remember when Pujols, Cabrera, Votto, and Prince Fielder were collecting $200 million deals? Well, that era died quickly. And for a decade, nothing came close. Freeman got $162 million, and Matt Olson got $168 million.
But Guerrero’s contract just flew past. And what’s shocking is that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hasn’t put up his MVP numbers recently. But the Blue Jays know he is a cornerstone of the team. The league sees it too.
As for Alonso, call it what you want—luck, timing, or a million-dollar domino effect. But this may be the best gift Pete Alonso has gotten in a while. And don’t be shocked if you see the Mets’ cornerstone turn it into cold cash next season.
Pete Alonso just got a blessing in disguise
After what seemed to be months of debacle, the New York Mets managed to clinch their star back again. But let’s be real—this seems more like a temporary option. Alonso got a two-year, $54 million deal with a player option for $24 million in 2025. Loosely translated, it means that he might be on the outs.
And now with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. out of the market, Alonso is the guy at first base next off-season.
It’s a chain reaction, right? And Pete Alonso is one of the power batters; he can’t sit back; he needs to go and get the deal done. But of course, one cannot compare Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to Pete Alonso completely. They are different in age and production. But here is the thing: Over the last three seasons, Pete’s WAR is about 90% of Guerrero Jr. That’s more than enough to say that he may want 90% of his payday, too, right?
If you account for that, it puts him in the $32 million per year range. And this is way more than the leverage he had last year. And really, Alonso is making a huge case to get paid too.
In 2025 till now, in 38 plate appearances, he has locked in a 1.066 OPS and three bombs. In fact, David Sterns had shared, “We’ve seen over the years here that when Pete gets going, he can carry a team.” And one can’t argue he is doing that.
Even Steve Cohen, who had a hard time with Alonso’s contract this off-season, said, “Hopefully, that means we can figure out a way to extend the arrangement.” Well, for now, though, Cohen should know that Alonso has just got the perfect leverage.
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