PHOENIX – Renowned Major League Baseball agent Scott Boras recently stated that 40% of his clientele accept proposals “that are not the most advantageous.”
“I always inform them when I’m finalizing a contract with a team they desire that I can secure better terms from another team,” he mentioned last month during an interview. “There are many occasions when you could obtain more. However, ultimately you opt not to pursue it because it’s not what they desire.”
With spring training imminent in Florida and Arizona, 110 free agents have been signed, leaving 113 still available. Boras has experienced both sides of the spectrum this offseason and still has top-tier third baseman Alex Bregman currently without a contract. In December, Boras secured Juan Soto for the New York Mets at a record-breaking $765 million over 15 years.
Recently, Pete Alonso had to agree to a two-year return to the Mets for $54 million—a $10 million signing bonus, another $20 million in salary for 2025, and a $24 million player option for 2026. Alonso rejected a three-year, $71 million offer from the Toronto Blue Jays. This reflects how much he yearned to return to Queens, the place he was drafted, where he spent his first six seasons, and is on the verge of becoming the Mets’ all-time home run leader.
He made this clear when discussing it with Sportico back in August.
“I’d love to envision spending the remainder of my career with the Mets, as it’s a unique place,” he expressed. “This organization has been a home for me. It’s been an amazing life journey, an incredible experience.”
Owner Steve Cohen understood Alonso’s sentiments. Mets fans echoed this at a Citi Field event last month, chanting his name to Cohen. Cohen shared with the attendees his dissatisfaction with the current state of negotiations. As a hedge fund owner, he played hardball until the Polar Bear ultimately came around.
“We made a substantial offer to Pete,” Cohen addressed the audience. “Personally, this has been a wearisome discussion and negotiation. I mean, Soto was challenging, this is even tougher.”
Alonso’s homer in the ninth inning of Game 3 in the Wild-Card Round last year propelled the Mets past Milwaukee into the National League Division Series against Philadelphia.
They ultimately triumphed in the NLDS but fell to the Dodgers in the NL Championship Series. Since then, Alonso has faced this arduous path in free agency despite his popularity among Mets fans and his charitable work in the city.
In retrospect, Alonso’s error wasn’t rejecting the Blue Jays’ offer. Toronto was not his preferred destination. His mistake was declining Cohen’s seven-year, $158 million proposal two seasons ago. That was comparable to the six-year, $162 million agreement signed by fellow first baseman Freddie Freeman with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2022. Freeman earned the MVP award of the 2021 World Series with the Atlanta Braves and followed that up with another MVP title last year for the Dodgers.
Afterward, Alonso engaged Boras as his agent, who believed he could secure a better deal for the first baseman. From there, it’s up to Alonso, who at 30, with 226 career home runs, has the opportunity to significantly enhance his standing in the next free-agent market by batting behind Soto this coming season. Soto had a .419 on-base percentage last year with the New York Yankees and was on base 299 times, serving as a catalyst for Aaron Judge to secure another American League MVP season and for the Yankees to compete in the World Series.
If Alonso merely accumulates his six-year average of 38 home runs and 98 RBIs, he can opt out of the 2026 contract and position himself for a lucrative deal, whether from the Mets or another team.
Additionally, he won’t be tied down to a qualifying offer after declining it this offseason. That’s because once a qualifying offer is made to a player, it cannot be extended again.
Last year, 13 players, including Soto and Bregman, received qualifying offers. The only one who accepted was Cincinnati Reds right-hander Nick Martinez.
The qualifying offer was incorporated into the league’s Basic Agreement in 2012 as a mechanism for competitive balance. It grants every team the chance to bind a free agent to his original club. By accepting a qualifying offer, a free agent can return to that club for an additional season by accepting a cost established each year. This offseason, the figure was $21.05 million. If not accepted, it allows the originating team to receive draft pick compensation from the signing team if the free agent chooses to sign elsewhere.
Boras argues that qualifying offers are detrimental to free agency for players other than Soto or Max Fried, who was signed by the Yankees for eight years, $218 million.
“The qualifying offer is a bear for certain players,” the agent remarked, referring to players who sign bridge contracts that serve to fill the gap between contracts. Bridge contracts prevent lapses when a long-term agreement cannot be established.
Given that teams with higher payrolls do not receive the same level of draft pick compensation as those with lower payrolls, both the Yankees and Braves will obtain a draft pick lower than the fourth round, still to be determined, for losing Soto and Fried.
The Mets, undoubtedly, lost nothing by re-signing Alonso. However, the fact that teams faced the loss of draft picks for signing the slugger negatively affected his marketability, Boras stated.
“Once it vanishes, look what transpires,” he said. “Matt Chapman is the most notable example I can name.” Blake Snell is another. Both are clients of Boras, like Alonso.
Supporting Boras’ assertion, there was minimal market interest for Chapman or Snell when they received qualifying offers after the 2023 season. Both signed with the San Francisco Giants very late. Chapman entered into a three-year contract worth $54 million; Snell, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner with the San Diego Padres, signed for two years, $62 million. Both contracts included opt-outs after the first season.
Chapman, however, never reached that point. This past September 5, the Giants re-signed him for six years, $151 million. Snell opted out, and this offseason the Dodgers signed him for five years, $182 million. No draft pick compensation necessary.
Same two players. No qualifying offer.
Therefore, next offseason, Alonso could also become a completely unrestricted free agent without any draft pick compensation associated.
“It’s a drastic difference when it’s absent,” Boras concluded.
Image Source: Pete Alonso @ Instagram
