Pete Alonso opts out to pursue free agency after 2025 season

Pete Alonso said he will opt out of the final year of his contract and test free agency, setting up one of the highest-profile openings of the offseason after the New York Mets' 2025 campaign ended. The first baseman announced his intent after the regular-season finale and will formally become a free agent five days after the World Series concludes.

Alonso rebounded from a down 2024 to produce one of his best seasons in 2025, appearing in all 162 games and posting a .272/.347/.524 slash line with 38 home runs and 126 runs batted in. He signed a two-year, $54 million deal last winter that paid him $30 million for the 2025 season and included the opt-out clause he plans to exercise.

Reports and league contacts say Alonso is expected to seek a long-term contract, with some expecting him to pursue deals of seven years or more. That target would carry him into his late 30s and has prompted debate among executives and analysts about how teams value sluggers with defensive limitations. Scouts and defensive metrics have regularly flagged Alonso’s throwing and range, and some suggest he may be best suited for a designated hitter role as his career advances.