The phrase “money doesn’t buy success” certainly resonates with the Mets on Monday.
The team failed to make MLB’s postseason on Sunday with a loss to the Marlins despite a $340 million payroll and after signing Juan Soto to a record 15-year, $765 million contract in July.
Inconsistent offense and an unreliable pitching staff were the main culprits of the Mets’ undoing, despite being an MLB-best 21 games over .500 in mid-June.
After the game, star first baseman Pete Alonso told reporters he was opting out of his two-year, $54 million contract with the Mets to become a free agent for the second time in as many offseasons.
With one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history over, change seems inevitable for the Mets, who had aspirations of a deep playoff run and failed to even qualify for one.
“There’s no other way to sugarcoat it,” said Alonso, after Sunday’s game. “Super-talented team and we didn’t even get to October.”
Goodbye Polar Bear?
All of the Mets position players are under contract for next season—except Alonso.
The franchise’s all-time home runs leader, Alonso had a much better season than he did in 2024 before entering free agency, which will likely increase teams’ interest in him. Alonso batted .272 with 38 home runs and 126 runs batted in, all of which increased from last season.
He will be 31 at the start of next season and will still be seeking a long-term deal he failed to get last winter before returning to the Mets. Alonso is projected to warrant a six-year contract worth $177 million, according to Spotrac, with an average of just under $30 million per season, the same amount he made this season.
Alonso presents a dilemma for the Mets front office: Break the bank to re-sign a homegrown star or replace the one member of the team’s core who can walk in free agency?
It’s a decision that could determine how the Mets handle their other issues. The team needs to decide how to reconfigure its pitching staff, which young players to invest in, and who to keep or trade among the team’s returning players.
Replacing Alonso in the lineup alongside Soto and Franciso Lindor will be challenging, but owner Steve Cohen has never been afraid to spend money to field a competitive team.
Future of the Trumpets
One of the few bright spots of the Mets pitching staff this season was closer Edwin Diaz, who ranked among the game’s best relievers.
Diaz went 6–3 with a 1.63 earned run average—the second-lowest mark of his career—and 28 saves. Diaz has two years and $37 million left on his contract plus a $17.25 million club option for the 2028 season if he opts in. But he can opt out of the deal and seek a new one this winter if he chooses.
The 31-year-old has become a fixture for the Mets since being traded to the team in 2019 with his signature trumpet entrance going viral.
Diaz told reporters after Sunday’s game that he has yet to decide how he will handle his contract situation.
“Not yet … I was waiting for the season to be over to go home and talk to my family,” Díaz said. “Always, I like to make the decision with my family. I want my family to feel comfortable, feel part of my decision.”
Diaz said his preference would be to return to the Mets next season even if he did opt-out to seek a better contract.
“I love this organization,” Diaz said. “They treat me really good, my family, everything. If I decide to opt out, I would love to come back.”
